² Deception - Dean Winchester

Forty-Eight

Jenny, Sam and Dean walked up to a small house in a quiet neighborhood. Jenny had an annoyed look on her face as she stepped up to the door, knocking a few times.

"I knew we shouldn't have taken this case." She complained, shoving her hands in her pockets as a man answered the door. A man who looked exactly like Frank. "Gerard St. James?" Jenny raised her brows, and the man nodded.

"You're still alive. And you're not Frank Jaffey." Frank gave Sam a confused look, shaking his head.

"You were Desert Soldier Number Four in Metalstorm: The Destruction of Jared-Syn?" Jenny gave Dean a bothered look, and he shrugged.

"I was."

"I knew I recognized you. I am a huge fan." Dean chuckled as Gerard smiled. "I mean, your turn as a tractor crash victim in Critters 3—"

"Critters 3!" Gerard grinned, and Dean nodded. "Well, please, come in."

They enter the house while Gerard walked to the kitchen, coming back with a few cups of coffee. Jenny looked at the pictures lining the walls of the hallway. Most of them were Gerard in various costumes and movie sets.

"Yeah, it was the producers. They brought me up for the day to play Frank." Gerard explained as Jenny turned to him.

"Just to fake your death?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Well, rumors of a haunted film set, free publicity, especially when you're making a horror movie. I mean, uh, it's already all over the Internet." Sam quirked his brows, nodding.

"Yeah. We know."

"These days, it's all about new media, building buzz. They say I'm the new "lonelygirl"." Jenny sipped her coffee, confused.

"Whose been saying that?"

"And the ghost Tara saw?" Sam asked, Gerard sighed, laughing.

"Projected on a screen of diffusion." Jenny pressed her lips together in annoyance, shaking her head.

"Isn't that kind of cruel? Messing with their heads like that?" Dean questioned.

"Hey, I just play the part. I don't write the script. Speaking of, I'm playing Willy in a, in a dinner theater production of Salesman at Costa Mesa, all next month." Gerard handed Dean a flyer, smiling. "You get a free pepper steak with the coupon."

Dean laughed, turning back to his serious tone for a moment. "Now, wait a second. If you're, if you're seen in public, won't that ruin the hoax?"

Gerard scoffed, shaking his head. "Oh, please." He turned to Jenny. "Frank and Willy? Totally different characters."

"You know what? Thanks very much, Mr. St. James. It was just nagging at us, you know? But we're – we're very glad ... you know, you're alive and well." Sam spoke, forcing a smile as Gerard nodded.

"Absolutely." Dean spoke as Gerard shook the trio's hands. "Hey, I wanted to ask you... what was it like working with Richard Moll?" Sam gave his brother a strange look. "Metalstorm. He was Hurok, King of the Cyclops people."

"Gentlemen's gentleman." Dean raised his brows, happy to get the answer he hopes.

"Yeah?" He chuckled, then turned to Jenny, brandishing the coupon. "All right. Pepper steak." He grinned. Jenny turned to Gerard, smiling as she set the coffee she barely touched down.

"Well, thanks for your time, Mr. St. James. You have a nice day." Sam and Dean followed Jenny out the door.

"Okay. So the case is a fake. Let's enjoy our vacation." Jenny outstretched her arms to the world as Sam quickened his pace, standing to the side of Jenny.