[Chapter 58: The Unexpected Exclusion]
North Hollywood, Toluca District.
Hawke drove the Monterey from the north and spotted Edward standing by the parking lot entrance, so he made a sharp turn towards him.
Once the car stopped, Edward hopped into the passenger seat and pointed a few dozen meters away. "They went into that house."
Hawke pulled out his binoculars to get a closer look.
It was a modest standalone house, and parked curbside at the gate was a black Ford, the same license plate he had seen before.
The yard wall was exceptionally tall, standing over three and a half meters high, overrun with climbing roses that blocked the view of the house within.
Hawke knew that behind that wall would likely be a single-story building.
Edward also picked up his binoculars, using the streetlamp's light to check the car, then the tall wall and the roses above. "Boss, based on my extensive experience, those two jerks chose such a discreet place for their shenanigans; they must be having a wild time in the yard. I'll figure out a way to sneak in and get it on camera."
Hawke shook his head. "You go in there, and he'll put a bullet in your head without a second thought."
Edward scratched his head. "So what do we do?"
Flashes of news about the "Affair Gate" crossed Hawke's mind, particularly the cozy images of Sarah Jessica Parker and Broderick together, and he gradually formed some ideas.
He wanted to see what was really going on with the couple before devising a plan to take down Broderick based on the facts.
Edward was still waiting for directions from Hawke.
Hawke pulled out his phone and sent Edward the number he got from Caroline, saying, "You're going to impersonate someone from the Sex and the City crew. Find a payphone and call Broderick. Tell him Sarah Parker is here with someone. Got it?"
Regarding matters of romance, Edward caught on immediately. "Boss, just watch, I'll definitely lure Broderick over."
Hawke urged, "You better hurry."
Edward leaped out of the Monterey and jumped into the business vehicle, racing off to another location.
Hawke grabbed his photography equipment bag and drove into the parking lot, finding a spot that was ideal for shooting. He set up the tripod and mounted the camera.
There was a tall streetlamp nearby casting good light for nighttime filming.
He also took out a digital camera and fitted it with a long lens.
Then, he searched the car for a night vision device to check for any hidden surveillance across the street.
No signs of surveillance were detected.
Under the tranquil night sky, Hawke awaited the drama to unfold.
...
Sherman Oaks, a hillside mansion.
Inside the living room, Matthew Broderick glanced at the clock; his wife, Sarah Jessica Parker, had still not returned.
The scheduled event had ended some time ago.
A nagging feeling of unease washed over him.
His phone suddenly rang. "This is Matthew Broderick," he answered.
"Hello, I'm a colleague of Sarah's from the Sex and the City crew." A strange voice chimed on the line. "Mr. Broderick, after the event, Sarah went with Jason Lewis from the cast to North Hollywood's Toluca."
The voice provided him an address and continued, "They went into a house; they're definitely together!"
Broderick's suspicions flared. "Why are you calling me?"
The caller was furious, nearly shouting, "They're messing around without inviting me! I can't let them get away with this!"
He hung up the phone, equally unhappy: They didn't call me either!
Thinking about Sarah having fun with another guy caused Broderick's irritation to fade; if his wife enjoyed it, he was fine with that -- it wasn't a big deal.
The only issue was that he wanted to be involved.
Broderick quickly dialed Sarah's number. As soon as it connected, he heard strange noises, especially Sarah's excited cries.
He asked in a low voice, "Where are you? I love you so much, why didn't you call me?"
At that moment, Broderick was heartbroken. "Is this how you repay my unconditional love?"
Sarah sounded startled. "How did you know?"
Broderick replied, "Someone from the crew tipped me off."
Ordinary people didn't get his personal contact information. "Did you give my number to someone?"
Sarah took a few breaths before saying, "It must've been David or Sam; those jerks saw my phone and probably wrote down your number."
"You've been with them?" Upon receiving confirmation, Broderick remarked, "Next time you mess around with them, remember to call me."
Sarah asked, "Are you coming tonight?"
Broderick had already reached the car. "Wait for me."
...
In the parking lot, Edward got out of the car, saying, "Boss, I got through. Based on my experience, he is definitely coming."
Hawke checked the time, handed the camera to Edward. "Sherman Oaks is close; if Broderick comes, he'll get here fast."
He reminded, "Turn off the flash on the camera; get whatever you can."
Edward quickly turned off the flash, grinning, "The drama's about to begin. If they start fighting right in the street, the news coverage will explode!"
Hawke pulled him into a concealed spot, saying, "Shh, be patient and wait."
Before long, a Mercedes pulled up and parked opposite the Ford.
The people inside didn't get out, clearly observing the surroundings.
Once satisfied that everything was clear, Broderick stepped out and double-checked the house number before heading to knock on the door.
Hawke shifted the tripod slightly, quickly adjusting the lens.
Edward hid behind a car, lifted up his camera, mumbling, "It doesn't seem right. Normally, when a guy deals with this sort of thing, wouldn't he just break down the door?"
Hawke kept his eye on the lens, focused intently on the scene.
The yard gate opened, and a pajama-clad Sarah emerged; the expected drama didn't unfold.
Broderick rushed to hug Sarah, eagerly kissing her, and they moved into the yard, shutting the gate behind them.
Hawke turned off the camera, realizing the situation had completely diverged from his expectations.
He cursed, "Two perverts!"
"They must be nuts!" Edward, not being the sharpest, knew the material they filmed wouldn't be valuable.
A husband and wife meeting in the dead of night, all lovey-dovey -- it was hardly gossip-worthy.
Hawke glanced at the streetlamp in front and quickly dismantled the camera and packed up the tripod. He went to the car to find something.
Seeing him silent, Edward followed nervously, asking, "Boss, you're not affected, are you?"
"Hollywood's a bunch of weirdos!" Hawke reminded Edward, "How many people are in that house now?"
Edward immediately replied, "At least three!"
He suddenly realized, "No way, Sarah and Broderick are playing with someone else..."
Hawke found a rope with a hook and secured it around his waist, then grabbed the strap to attach it to the camera, slinging it over his shoulder.
"Boss, are you going to climb the wall?" Edward, particularly eager for illicit activities, suggested, "Let me do it; the boss shouldn't go first."
Hawke pointed to the streetlamp. "Can you climb it?"
Edward looked up at the seven or eight-meter tall pole and shook his head. "If I had those skills, I wouldn't be leaving Compton; I could just join any gang and become a big shot."
Hawke pointed to the north. "Earlier, I observed carefully; patrol cars passed that way. Go to the next intersection, and if you see police lights, call my phone."
"Got it!" Edward jumped into the car and drove north.
Hawke left the parking lot and crossed the narrow road, approaching the streetlamp. After checking briefly, he grasped the upper part of the pole with his hands and squeezed his legs around the bottom to climb.
He had learned this technique in his previous life from watching a video of an elderly man who made it to the top of a ten-meter pole in just ten seconds.
Hawke had trained in Las Vegas; even with the camera on his back, he swiftly climbed to six meters high.
One hand held firmly onto the pole, and the other looped the rope around the top before looping it to his belt, slightly leaning back to stabilize himself momentarily.
With his free hand, he unscrewed the camera and aimed the lens inside the yard.
Just as Hawke expected, the yard was small, with a single-story house at the back, brightly lit inside.
The main entrance was a massive sliding glass door, flanked by sizable glass windows.
Perhaps the tall surrounding walls gave a sense of security or the urgency of the moment; both the door and the windows were open, illuminating everything happening inside.
Broderick sat on the couch, enjoying the performance of Sarah and Jason.
Before long, he joined in on the action.
All of this was captured by Hawke's camera.
*****
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