SPOTLIGHT (Colt Seavers) ✔︎

17 | Plot Twist

When we arrived at Ryder's place, Iggy was no longer there, but the mess from the scuffle with her was. "It's gotta be around here somewhere," Colt insisted. "Let's just split up."

I nodded in agreement and scanned the wall of sticky notes, searching for anything that could be a passcode. 

"Jean-Claude." Colt said to the dog. "Garde le cacatoès."

I rolled my eyes as the dog barked in response, trotting over to the bird on it's perch. Colt left the room, heading into the bedroom to look, so I made my way to the kitchen. Removing post-it notes from the wall.

Is it Momoa or Mamoa?

I chuckled in bewilderment. How was this man as rich and successful as he was? He was a complete moron. I moved to the fridge, opening it to find a bottle of red wine. I removed it and placed it on the bench. Why not? One yellow note in particular caught my eye. It had 2% breast milk scrawled on it. "The fuck?" I plucked it from the fridge, a wide smile spreading across my face at what was behind it. "Bingo."

C-Phone PW: 114144598.

"Tom Ryder, you are such an idiot..." I muttered under my breath, dropping the irrelevant post-it and ripping the one with the password off. "Colt!"

Colt immediately ran into the room, his Miami Vice stunt team jacket back on. I held up the note so he could see. "Great!" He took out the phone and put in the code. It immediately unlocked. "It worked!"

"Great," I replied, dropping the note onto the ground. "Let's see what's on it."

Colt sat down on the couch and mirrored the phone to the television, Jean-Claude jumping up beside him. While he was doing that, I went back and retrieved the bottle of wine, along with two glasses. When I returned, he let out an amused laugh. "Is this really the time?"

I shrugged. "It's a celebration." I poured the wine into the glasses and handed one to Colt. "To finishing Jody's movie."

Colt clinked his glass against mine. "I'll drink to that." We each took a sip, before placing the glasses on the coffee table. Colt picked up the phone. "That guy mentioned a video."

"What guy?"

Colt opened the camera app and a video of Ryder popped up. "The guy that wanted the phone."

"Oh, baby, I'm here at work, but I got a little something for you, a little surprise." I scrunched my face up in second-hand embarrassment. "It's just above my ass, eh?"

My eyes widened as Ryder's bare butt came into full view. "Oh my god," Colt exclaimed, putting his hand over Jean-Claude's eyes. "Cover your eyes."

I couldn't help the laughter that escaped at the visual. 'That man is something else."

Colt chuckled in agreement, swiping to the next video. "I think I've seen Tom's ass more than my own." That just sent me into more fits of laughter, which earned an amused smile from Colt. The next video began to play. "Okay."

"Now is the winter of our discontent." I rolled my eyes again, feeling Colt lean back against the couch, his shoulder almost touching mine. I stiffened slightly. "Made glorious summer by this sun of York..."

"He is so full of himself," I noted with a sigh, trying to relax, despite Colt's closeness. I wasn't uncomfortable or uneasy. I was just intensely aware of my racing heart and erratic breathing. Why is this happening to me? "But, god, he's good."

He seemed to notice my change in demeanour and placed his hands in his lap. "Sorry."

"What for?"

Colt shrugged. "Making you uncomfortable." He gestured to the space between us. "I just thought—"

"—It's fine," I assured him, leaning back and touching my shoulder to his, just to prove the point. A small smile graced his face and I felt his breath quicken slightly. "See?"

He nodded, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed deeply. He looked a bit nervous, and for some reason, it made my stomach flutter. "Okay." He flipped to the next video and we directed our attentions back to the screen. "Oh, this is that party Ryder's assistant was talking about," Colt commented as Ryder and another guy grappled with each other in the middle of a crowded room. 

"There's Iggy," I pointed out as Ryder's girlfriend cheered him on from the side of the room. "And that's Ryder's stunt double, isn't it?" I asked, pointing at the guy Ryder was hanging upside-down from.

Colt nodded. "Yeah, Henry." Suddenly, he leaned forward, his shoulder losing contact with mine. "Don't you think he looks kind of like the guy from the hotel?"

My eyes widened in shock and realisation. "The dead guy?" Colt nodded.

Suddenly, Ryder raised his arms and lunged at Henry, kicking him square in the chest. Henry fell back and the room cheered. "Hell, yeah!" Ryder roared over the music, coming in real close to the camera. "Do I do my own stunts? I think I do!"

Suddenly, everyone—including Ryder—went silent. The only sound was the music in the background as they all stared at a point past the camera. I already knew what had happened before the camera panned over and I saw Henry's still body on the floor.

"Gimme, gimme, gimme," Ryder shouted, snatching the camera from whoever was filming. "Give me the phone, give me the phone." Then the clip ended.

I immediately turned to Colt, my eyes wide with the realisation of what we had just discovered. "Oh, shit," I whispered, my eyes wide and anxious. "Shit, Colt. Did Ryder just kill Henry? We really have to call the police."

"I thought you didn't want to—"

"—Because there was no evidence to prove we didn't do it." I gestured to the phone in Colt's hand. "Now there is."

Suddenly, my phone started buzzing. "Who is it?" Colt asked nervously.

I showed him the screen. "it's just Dan." I pressed the green answer button. "Hi, Dan."

"Skye, listen to me," Dan said urgently, through the speakerphone. "Turn on the news right now."

I glanced at Colt, before grabbing the remote and turning on channel 7. "What is it, Dan?"

"Just watch."

I watched in tense silence as the news caster began to speak. "The dead body discovered this morning at the Pendleton Hotel has been identified as Henry Herrera." I shot Colt a worried look, which he reciprocated. "An American stuntman, known for doubling superstar Tom Ryder.  Authorities are investigating his death as a murder. Their prime suspect is another stuntman; Colt Seavers, who was last seen in the hotel room where Herrera's body was discovered."

I glanced over at Colt as a blurry, security camera shot of him appeared on the screen. "Shit, Colt." I suddenly realised Dan was still on the phone. "Thanks, Dan. I gotta go."

"Okay," Dan replied. "Be careful."

I tossed my phone onto the coffee table and stood up, making my way closer to the television as security camera footage started to play. "Police have released the security footage, showing Seavers, leaving the scene of the crime." My eyes widened when I recognised myself, walking behind Colt. "The woman with him has been identified as Skye Coleman, a crew member of the Metalstorm movie, which is currently being filmed in Sydney. If you have any information, please do us a favour; reach out to crime stoppers by the number on your screen."

 Colt moved to stand behind me, his eyes wide, as the clip of us leaving the hotel room replayed. "This is bad." I let out a huff as if to say 'you think?' He just chuckled unamusedly. "I think we need to tell Jody."

"Agreed."

***

Leave your predictions for what you think is going to happen. I will say I am going to stray from the film plot in the next few chapters, so consider yourself warned!