The Effect You Had

keep your friends close but your enemies closer

The next few days are hazy, with my sole focus being on fixing this mess. Jai still refuses to talk to me, filming is lifeless and Trevor is slowly but surely losing his temper with me. Luke and I spend our time tracking down Monnett.

Every time the phone says that I have finally been put through to a real person, he doesn’t even answer. A secretary, an accountant, a publisher – anyone and anything to avoid me getting through to the man who holds my answers. After five days of trying, Luke decides that if we can’t get to him via the phone, we’ll have to go on foot. However, there is a chance he may not even show up. But his publicist did say he’d attend.

We wait at the café on Sunday morning for two hours for Monett to show up. Order lunch and drink a smoothie waiting for him to show up. The slimy little man can’t even lower himself to meet with the girl he outed. Luke and I finally pick up our stuff to leave, when we bump into none other than Ben Monett.

“Well hello there, is it not Maddy West out with young Jai? I thought you’re friendship would be well and truly over by now” He says in a low, sleazy voice. Dressed in a thick brown coat, too warm for this autumn day, he has strong features which suggest he would have been attractive in his younger days. However I find his slightly grey hair concealed under a mauve beret quite disgusting.

I go to say the nastiest thing that pops into my mind when Luke stops me. Right, this guy has some important information for us.

“Mr Monett, you have the wrong twin, my name is Luke,” he holds out his hand which is ignored. Luke continues in a stark professional voice despite Monett’s rudeness. “We would just like to ask you a few questions on the article that you wrote on Maddy several days back.”

“I know the one. Heard that story had some bad repercussions for you Miss West. Whoops, my bad. I also know that I hold the answers I’m sure you two need however; don’t be prepared for my cooperation.”

“Mr Monett please, we need to know who paid you to make the article. Please, don’t make me beg,” I plead.

“That might be fun. However I’m in no mood for your games and have places to be right this moment. I’m a busy man.”

“So… the person?” I persist.

“They have asked for full confidentiality on my part. Therefore I’m not at liberty to tell you. However, I believe it will be in your interest to find out who it is, as it seems quite odd to me; their hate for you.”

“This person… if you can’t tell us who, could we at least have some sort of clue?” asks Luke.

“They are very dear to you, Miss West. Good day,” finishes Monett and he disappears down a side alley.

~~~

When I get home today, I’m not in a good mood. Luke and I just keep hitting dead ends. Sorting through the mail I find the usual things – phone bills, documents from Jenna to sign and fan/hate mail. I’m used to get hate messages and death threats and I try to carry a fairly thick head, so they rarely get to me. One however catches my eye.

“Luke… are you still here?” I ask. He had given me a lift to work this morning when we only had to go to work for a half day so that we could meet with Monett. No answer – he must have left already.

“Rach come here for a second,” I call out. She mustn’t be home either. “Let’s go Skype Liam about it then?” I say to myself, feeling uncomfortable in my solitude.

In my room I pull out the computer, welcoming its greeting sounds as the villa is eerily quiet. Finally he answers and it’s such a relief to have someone I can trust to talk to. Door closed, I fill Liam in on what Luke and I discovered and recite the letter to him, and Louis who has popped in to hear.