I immediately rushed over, and my first aid experience kicked in. First, I checked Laurent’s neck for a pulse; there wasn’t one. I tilted his head back to make sure his airway was clear and immediately started CPR. There was mayhem as everyone became aware of what had just happened.
I focused on the task at hand, so I was unaware of what was happening around me. I might have hated Laurent, but I didn’t want to see him dead. It seemed like I performed CPR forever before an ambulance crew arrived and pushed me out of the way. They worked on him, then put him in the back of the ambulance and whisked him away.
Everyone was in shock. Finally, Roger came out of it enough to send everyone home.
◊◊◊
Fritz didn’t get me back to the hotel. The police took me and most of the crew to the local police station where we were all questioned. It took them several hours before they finally got around to talking to me, and when they did, they treated me as if I’d shot him. It was fortunate that I’d been through this before, or I would have lost my temper, which was what they wanted.
When they couldn’t get me to confess, which was ridiculous, they finally let me go with an instruction not to leave town. They’d gone to the hotel and collected all our passports to ensure we weren’t going anywhere.
It was after midnight when I finally got to the hotel. I was tired and hungry but tired won out, and I went to bed.
◊◊◊ Tuesday May 31
Everyone was required to go to a meeting first thing in the morning. Roger Brooks must have drawn the short straw because he had to talk to us.
“Laurent Vance was declared dead on arrival at the hospital yesterday afternoon. The movie has been put on hold until the police finish their investigation. I would ask that you remain patient while we work this out,” was his short statement.
“Is there a chance they might pull the plug on the movie?” Heath asked.
From Roger’s look, you could tell the answer was ‘yes.’ Bob Trimble, the studio suit, saw this might turn ugly, so he stepped up.
“The studio has sunk a lot of money into the production of this movie so far. I would think it would only make sense to finish it,” he reasoned.
“The problem is insurance. We’ve had the problem with the crocodiles and now a death on set. I would suspect that we’re considered a serious risk, at this point,” the stunt coordinator said.
While that conversation continued, I stepped out the back door of the room and called Caryn.
“I need you to find out something for me. If the studio pulls the movie before it’s done shooting, do I get paid?” I asked.
“I don’t know. Is that even a possibility?” she asked.
“Laurent Vance accidentally shot and killed himself on set yesterday.”
There was silence on the other end except for the sound of her keyboard tapping.
“Oh, my God! He really did.”
Someone had just done an Internet search.
“I know this sounds mercenary, but find out. We might all be packed up and out of here in the next few days.”
I stepped back into the room, and people were upset. Fritz filled me in. They were all complaining about the movie shutting down … or that was what was assumed was going to happen.
“Before we pack up and leave, I have a question? How much of the film is left on the storyboard?” I asked.
“We’re a little over halfway done. The good news is we have a big chunk of b-roll that needs to be shot, so the acted scenes are close to done,” Kitty told us.
B-roll was cutaway or filler shots either to establish a location or to move the story along between scenes with actors in them. A good example would be a couple having dialogue in an outdoor café. The b-roll would be the cutaway shot of across the street.
“Did Laurent share with you his remaining shot list?” Bob, the suit, asked.
“Yes,” Kitty admitted.
“I don’t know about the rest of you, but Kitty directed a few of my scenes. I think she could finish this if we all helped her. Personally, I don’t want to walk away from this movie. I think it has a chance of being great,” I admitted.
This was a better movie than either Star Academy or The Secret Circle, as far as acting was concerned. They both would make more money than this would, but The Royal Palm had better character development. It had to because it wasn’t based on action like the other two had been.
My comments didn’t stop the bitching, but the tone changed, and people started to talk themselves around to finishing the movie. Kitty’s eyes locked with mine, and she gave me a warm smile. Bob had begun saying they probably wouldn’t need to bring in another director if Kitty took over. This could be a real opportunity for her.
◊◊◊
I couldn’t listen to everyone talk about what would happen with the movie for very long. What we needed was Judge Mom. She had a rule that you could talk as long as you didn’t start to repeat yourself. I’d thought if I repeated a point over and over again, she would see that my brother, Greg, was really wrong, and I would win my court case. There was no point in listening here because the decision wasn’t ours to make. I was sure Bob would make a good case for us because this was his first movie, or so he said.
When I came out of the never-ending meeting, we all went to my suite. I called Caryn back, and she said that Saul told her I was guaranteed some money, but the bulk would be paid when the film hit theaters.
“So, what do you guys want to do today?” I asked.
“In the lobby, they had flyers for vintage car tours. They have old convertibles you ride around in, and the driver takes you to places of interest around Havana,” Cassidy suggested.
Everyone thought playing tourist for the day was a good idea. I’d borrowed my dad’s camera, and this sounded like the perfect opportunity to break it out. Fritz called down to the concierge and booked an afternoon outing.
The front desk called when our driver arrived. His name was Fabio, and he had a red and white 1955 Oldsmobile Starfire convertible. His English was excellent, and he knew what he was doing. He took us to Morro Castle, a fortress guarding the entrance to Havana Bay. We then drove to the Plaza de la Revolución, where political rallies or major events were held. Fabio told us that the Pope had held mass there.
He then took us through Old Havana. Fabio explained that this area was colonized by Spain in 1519, and it was named San Cristobal de La Habana. Over 900 buildings had been restored to preserve their history. Fabio called the style of architecture ‘Tropical Baroque,’ a simple, graceful combination of columns and arches.
Our tour lasted a little over three hours, and we all had a good time. Cassidy even found a hat she liked, which I bought to replace the one the crocodile ate.
◊◊◊ Wednesday June 1
There was still no word on what the studio wanted to do as far as the movie was concerned. The police, on the other hand, had ruled Laurent’s death an accident, so we all got our passports back. Fritz had collected the footage of the incident that he, Paul, and I had from our bodycams. Caryn had talked to Frank and Ms. Dixon about the accident, and they’d advised that we keep it ‘just in case.’ That didn’t sound ominous at all.
My interview with Nino Suárez had aired last night in conjunction with the news of Laurent’s death. I knew this because Bob Trimble asked me to attend a press conference. The reason he gave was they’d asked for me because my Spanish was passable in the interview that had aired.
The press conference was held in one of the hotel conference rooms. When I came in, Nino introduced me to the other Cuban reporters. He pointedly did not introduce me to a reporter from Miami. I got the impression that the Cubans didn’t like the woman.