[Chapter 65: Finding the Breakthrough]
In the Palisades neighborhood of the Santa Monica Mountains, a rented luxury sedan drove along the streets. Hawke turned the camera lens to capture the grand mansion across the way, clicking away as the white house appeared camouflaged behind the trees and dark walls that shielded it from prying eyes.
A patrol car drove by in the distance.
Hawke lowered the camera and spoke to Edward. "Let's head back."
Edward accelerated, and as they drove forward, he remarked, "Miller Collins definitely has secrets. He's renting a house like this in addition to his home. Something doesn't smell right."
Hawke nodded, feeling that was a solid point. He was a practitioner, after all; beyond their studio, he had two other safe houses as covert operations bases.
The traffic ahead slowed slightly, hindered by a lift truck taking up nearly half the road.
In the raised bucket, a worker in a reflective vest fiddled with the streetlight.
Hawke snapped a couple of photos.
Edward commented, "Boss, if we'd had that equipment last time, you wouldn't have had to climb the light pole."
Hawke packed away his camera and casually replied, "No worries, you can do the climbing next time."
Edward quickly turned his head to glance at the pole and complimented, "Boss, you must be great at that. Climbing and sliding down must be easy for you; you've done it countless times, right? You must have calluses by now."
Taking the lead, Hawke exuded confidence, saying, "Who knows which women are lucky enough to enjoy..."
...
Back in the studio, Eric called. Hawke waited for a while, and Eric came in with a backpack.
Edward unloaded the newspapers and magazines he had gathered over the past few days and placed them on the table.
Hawke organized the photos and videos he had shot, exchanging a few words with the group.
The three of them became engrossed in their work, sifting through what they deemed valuable.
They toiled from day until night. When Hawke finally turned on the lights, they wrapped up their initial round.
Edward stepped out to pick up takeout.
The trio quickly devoured their dinner before reconvening for another meeting.
Hawke organized the materials on the table and stated, "Let's discuss what you found on Miller Collins in the background check."
Eric began, "Miller Collins joined the San Diego Chargers seven years ago through a draft, went through a couple of trades, and has been recognized as one of the best active wide receivers in the NFL for the last three years. He's currently in contract negotiations with the Chargers, aiming for one last big contract before retirement, potentially exceeding $10 million per year."
He then attached some photos to the whiteboard. "Maria Collins and Dorothy Collins are Miller's wife and daughter. Their family has a great public image, and Miller is known as an exemplary husband in the NFL."
At this point, Eric felt queasy and nearly retched.
Hawke handed him a bottle of water and inquired, "Does he have any endorsements?"
Taking a large gulp of water to suppress his nausea, Eric replied, "Miller has five endorsements -- the first four are for men's products, and one is a family product he endorses with his wife."
Hawke examined them closely and said, "These endorsements require him to maintain the image of a sunny, rugged man for the first four, while the last one needs a harmonious family image."
Eric asked, "Should we expose him directly?"
Hawke shook his head. "Without solid evidence, we'd not only face Miller's defamation lawsuits but also the club and brands backing him."
Edward was puzzled, curiously asking, "What are you guys talking about?"
Eric said, "I discovered that this jerk is gay."
Edward was surprised. "He's gay? A gay guy married with kids -- how incredibly irresponsible!"
He gestured with one hand in a circle and pointed with the other, asking, "Like this, or this?"
Eric, recalling incidents from the locker room, formed a circle with his hands. "This type is more likely."
"No wonder," Edward quickly rummaged through a pile of documents and pulled out a stack of clippings, which he pinned to another whiteboard. "I scanned through all news and magazines about Miller from the last three years. He's a prominent NFL star; in some real street shots, he's often seen with male friends -- I thought they were celebrity pals."
Hawke leaned in to closely examine the images, asking Edward, "Did you find out who they are specifically?"
Edward tore down the photos of three men. "I found these three."
He then took out a USB drive and plugged it into the laptop, opening the photos displayed on it. "This guy is Sean Howard, an ad model who featured in commercials with Miller; this one is Smith Wood, a painter; and this is Quinn Dennis, a member of a ballet troupe."
Eric was astonished. "You even took photos?"
Hawke briefly explained, "For celebrities, such friends are often more intimate than partners; in the past, I've found cracks in stories from them."
Eric understood. "'Professional people do professional things;' that saying holds true."
Hawke continued, "I gathered some intel through our media partners, particularly from Channel 11. Miller is from Southern California, raised in a typical white family. He climbed the social ladder through sports, but his social connections are a bit tangled. Some childhood friends have been involved with white gangs, and he has kept close contact with them."
Edward asked, "Are we facing gang threats?"
Hawke cautioned them both: "Prepare yourselves mentally for this aspect."
Eric recalled the humiliation from that day and felt no fear. "Then let's have a high-level business war with them!"
Hawke nodded slightly and added, "A couple of months ago, Miller purchased a mansion on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica for family residence; shortly after, he rented a smaller place in the Palisades, switching cars whenever he went to the latter, likely for some secretive meetings."
Eric immediately connected the dots. "For dating?"
"Very likely," Hawke mentioned. "Miller also has plenty of celebrity connections; I can confirm he's friendly with Beckham and Tom Cruise."
"Wow, we are going to hit the jackpot!" Even if Edward wasn't a football fan, he knew Beckham was huge, and as for Tom Cruise, he was a household name.
The crew got excited. "If we could capture Miller with them, the story would definitely sell for seven figures!"
Hawke replied, "Beckham is irrelevant; he's not American. But with Tom Cruise, you might end up silenced by Scientology; I've heard they've done similar things before."
Edward immediately backtracked. "I want to make money and live to spend it. There are too many distressed women navigating divorce with kids waiting for my rescue."
Eric realized, "No wonder your nickname is 'The Savior.'"
Edward beamed with pride.
Hawke asserted, "Forget about Beckham and Cruise for now; even if they have connections, capturing that would be very difficult, and just waiting passively isn't the style of West Coast studios."
Eric asked, "Where's the breakthrough?"
Hawke turned to Edward. "The 'Savior' title isn't given for nothing -- he's already found us a breakthrough."
"Miller has a wife and kids..." Edward pondered, "But the problem is they're not divorced!"
Hawke grabbed the mouse and displayed the three men's photos on the screen, asking, "What do they have in common?"
Eric said, "Brown hair, lean, with a scruffy beard."
Edward remarked, "They look to be around thirty, and they all have long faces with a melancholy look in their eyes."
Hawke added, "All of them are involved in artistic professions."
Eric, feeling the familiarity in his scruff, mused, "Hearing this description gives me a strange feeling."
Hawke and Edward both turned their gaze towards him.
Edward handed Eric a mirror. "Take a look."
Eric glanced at his reflection -- his scruffy beard, melancholy eyes, brown hair, and a weathered long face, topped with the director job title.
"Fuck!" he muttered under his breath, realizing, "No wonder."
Edward looked on quizzically.
While they depended on each other at work, Eric briefly shared his own experience.
"I hate gay people!" Edward declared. "Those gay guys fucking my friends are even worse. No doubt about it, fuck them!"
Eric corrected him, "I wasn't taken advantage of."
Hawke quickly steered the conversation back. "Our approach has always been proactive; we create possibilities out of the impossible."
"The more complex the plan, the more likely something unexpected occurs; that's why I have a simple and feasible plan." He pointed to the three photos on the screen. "Find a guy of this style, and let him work for us."
Eric expressed concern. "That jerk has more cash than us; it could be problematic."
Hawke had already thought it through. "We can offer him what Miller can't: Eric, you're a director, and since Castle Rock Entertainment is investing in your next film, it shouldn't be hard to find a similar-looking actor in our circle."
Edward chimed in, "There are plenty of gays in Hollywood."
Eric contemplated. "I could try recruiting under the guise of casting calls?"
"Sure, I bet many would be willing to give it a shot," Hawke considered briefly and asked, "For the new project, do you have a major role you can choose?"
Eric responded, "The project is already in development; since Castle Rock is involved, I can only decide on a supporting male or female role."
Hawke suggested, "You could audition in advance to select an actor; the criteria..."
Eric understood. "Many would be willing to take the risk."
Be it dating a man or a woman or someone non-binary, it was an integral and often straightforward aspect of this industry.
At that moment, Edward asked, "Boss, he has a team and sponsors. Will it be like last time?"
Hawke browsed through the files. "Possible, but not likely. I analyzed it; once a spokesperson is hit with a scandal, the first to cut ties are the sponsors."
*****
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