"Sorry about that, she never done that before."
"Don't mentionne it. I have a daughter too, i know what you feel." Said Maggie, laughing.
"Now we need to talk about business." Jillian said while the smile that was on Maggie face get replaced by a more professional expression.
"I am listening." Said Nathaniel, nodding.
"Okay. I'am currently working for the next blockbuster movie for Lionsgate but one of our star got sick and needed to be hospitalized."
"That's codename from overdose with cocaine in Hollywood terms." Supply Maggie which make Jillian wince.
"Yeah it's true. The filming was almost finish and now we need to start all of the scene involving the guy. I have four days to find someone who can replace him and it's very complicated because the person in question would need to exist on the screen with some very big star. I watch you on the clip that you make with the Taylor girl. I think you could pull it off."
"But i'm not an actor! I never take even one acting class in my entire life!" Nathaniel was dismayed. He knew that he was smart and he could learn much faster than everyone else but this was crazy.
"Are you talking about 'Now you see me?'" Ask Maggie, stopping Nathaniel in his tracks.
"Yeah, that's the one. Glad to see that you are still very well connected Maggie." Said Jillian with a bitter smile.
"What sort of film 'Now you see me' is?" Ask Nathaniel looking at Jillian.
"It's about Magic but not in a fantasy world like Narnia but a realistic one. Mentalism and card trick things like that."
"Who is going to be in the film?"
"Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson…" Start Jillian before being interrupted by Maggie who continued.
"Michael Cain, Isla Fisher, Marc Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg" Finished Maggie with a smug smile.
"Maggie, i told you to stop smiling, it is too creepy on you. Just be stern and cold please." Say Nathaniel with mirth.
"You know i could kick your ass, right?" She threatened.
"That looks like child abuse, i should report that." He answer with a smile. Stopping himself to engage in their usual banter, he got back the conversation on the subject.
"I know next to nothing about magic or card trick for that matter." He said truthfully.
"It's not that important. We have someone who could teach you on set and the most difficult things would be make with special effect. One more thing. I don't propose you the job. I just get you in the list to try out. After that, the decision will be made by the director. You have nothing to lose to go to the audition and everything to gain."
Nodding his head, Nathaniel start thinking about it. He was confident in himself to pull it out if it was a much more humble film but with so many stars that would be very difficult. But she was right, he had nothing to lose if he take the audition and he have nothing better to do in the coming weeks so that could be fun.
"What is your opinion Maggie?" He ask.
"You should go to the audition. You have literally no chance to land the role but you could make an acquaintance of two in the process, that would be useful in the future." She respond non pulse, making him smile bitterly.
"Thanks for that. Seems we are good Jillian. When the audition is planned to take place?"
"In three days. That's okay for you?"
"Yes, exempt for a couple of interview in NY tomorrow we are good for the foreseeable future." Respond Maggie without looking at her calendar. Nathaniel was only a small Youtube celebrities so far but that would quickly changed as many radio station call to pass his song on the air.
"Can you send me the script so that i can browse threw it before the audition?" Ask Nathaniel.
"Of course. Give me your email and i would send it right away. Give moi your phone number while we are it., i would certainly need it. Plus i would like to keep in touch if you don't mind."
"As long as you talk about business with me first, that would be okay." Say Maggie, then add after seeing the frown on Nathaniel face. "This is for your sake trust me."
"She's right. It's better to have an agent to filter business call for you and you are lucky enough to have one of the best with you." She said, nodding. They never been close to one another but she never denied that Maggie was talented at was she does.
Nathaniel give her what she asked for. After playing with Olivia for a while and saying their goodbye, Maggie and him needed to get back. Their flight home was taking off soon and they could not missed it because they had an interview scheduled not long after it.
******
New York. DA office. 03/06/2012. 14:54.
Karine Lyndon was having a very bad day. Sitting at her desk, she was looking at the file in front of her with a frown. For the last two month she had tried repeatedly to make a case against Piotr Droski but nothing could stick in court. Piotr Droski was a russian mob lord who controlled everything from drug dealing to assassination in the west of New York. Basically everything the was illegal and make money, Droski have a hand in it. The second witness that she had managed to convince to testify was found dead this morning along with his girlfriend. The official verdict was gas leak but that did not fool her even for a second.
Looking at the file in front of her, she was desperately trying to find something or she would have to drop the case all together. Her boss have even urge her to drop the case as they were already swamp with case to trial. She knew that time was working against her but that has never stopped her and it would not stop her again this time. If there was something to be found in there, she would find it. At that moment, she hear someone knocking on her door.
"Enter." She said without looking up.
"If this is the file i requested, put them on my desk Ethan."
Ethan was her assistant for the last two years since she was assign in criminal division. He was a twenty five years old hard working who has graduated from a community college nearby.
"Do i look like an Ethan?" Ask a voice that make her immediately look up and smile.
"Sweetiiie!" Karine squeal.
Getting up, she launch herself in the arms of her smiling son. If her colleague could see her like that with a man, they would think they were dreaming. Karine was a very serious woman at work and seeing her squeal like a little girl would blow their mind for sure.
"Hi mom. I miss you too." He said while hugging her.
"Why didn't you call to let me know that you would come? Wait a minute, why the reception did not call me? How did you enter the building?"
The DA office was a gouvernemental building. You need to have an appointment or have credentials to pass the security screenings downstairs.
"I did what you teach me mom, i act like i belong there and then charm my way in. When i finish with the girl in the hall, she was almost drooling." He said laughing.
"I create a monster." Said Karine while shaking her head. The smile that she had and the look in her eye did not hide her pride or her joy.
"How are you? Mom said that you have a difficult case on your hand."
Hearing that, the shoulder of Karine slump a little and fatigue start to creep in. Looking at her, Nathaniel start to frown. His mom was a very tenacious woman, to see her exhausted like that show him that what she was working on was not a regular case.
"I'm good just this case is very tiring. My boss put pressure on me to drop it so i need to find something tomorrow or i would be force to take another case. We are already swamp as it is, i can't take more time from other case but this guy is evil. I can't let him walk or he would be next to impossible to make another trial against him." Karine said, her voice breaking a little at the end.
"Let me help." Nathaniel propose instantly which make her smile bitterly.
"Baby, i know that you want to help but this is a very hard case with a lot of dead body. I can't let you go threw it. Plus, it is illegal to show you private files."
"Come on Mom, i read threw your file since i'm 9 and you know it. Let me help, maybe with an another perspective, you could come up with another angle to tackle this case."
"Nothing that i could say will made you drop it am i right?" She sighed, she knew very well how much he could be stubborn. He was like her in that aspect.
"Nope." He said with a winning smile.
"Okay, take the chair and wipe that silly smile off your face. We have work to do."
"Yes mom." He said, doing what he was told.
Four hours later they were still at it. Looking threw the files in front of him, Nathaniel was getting angrier by the second. That guy was a gigantic piece of shit. Extorsion, tax evasion, drug dealing, loan shark, assassination… that guy was involved in everything. He was operating in NY for the last five years and his business was thriving. He was ruthless and smart, the only thing that saved him from getting jail. His criminal record was two page long but nothing ever stick.
The first witness that her mom found was a small time employee in a accounting firm. He was leaving late from work when he see Piotr Droski kill in cold blood a store owner who did not want to pay 'protection" money anymore. Two days after missing the trials, his head was found on a dumpster near the DA office. He was sending a strong message to everyone who wanted to testify against him. 'Not even the DA can protect you from me' as of today, the rest of his body had not been found.
Nathaniel knew now why her mother didn't want him to help her. That was a very grim case. Looking threw his financial files, Nathaniel was seeing something irregular albeit not illegal. His money transfer had no pattern that he could discern and that was bothering him. Everything had a pattern and that was why his intuition was telling him something was wrong here. Sighing, he was going to take a break when his entire body froze. He was looking at the file when his eyes wanderer on the right corner of the page.
Every printer in America when printing a page put serial number on the right corner. This number was designating the serial number of the printer and the number of the page printed. If the entire file was printed from the same printer, the number at the end would follow themselves. Jolting awake, he hurriedly collect all the page from the financial files and then classified them by date. Once done, he start to peruse at the file printer number of all the page.
The suddain activity on the other side of the table soon gather the attention of Karine.
"What is it sweetie? Did you find something?"
"I think so. Mom how many printer do you have on this floor?"
"What? Why do you ask?" Karine ask surprised. She did not expect a question that trivial.
"Please answer me first." He pleaded.
"Two or three."
"Not more?"
"No, budget cut. What is it sweetie?" She asked thoroughly troubled now.
"Here look." He said getting to his feet and going to her side of the desk.
"Look at the printing code at the bottom of the page. None of this number follow the last one."
"This doesn't mean anything sweetie, maybe the printer was jammed and they change it. It happens, we have crappy material here." Karine said. She could not help to be disappointed. She knew that her son was a genius but he was still too young to help her.
"No mom look. Prior to two years ago, all files follow the same code. Then look at the code, for the last two years only one out of ten page follow the same code. The rest was printed with two different printer." He said pointing at the page, showing her the code. Looking at it, Karine could not help to frown.
"What are you saying sweetie?"
"look at the bank transfer, they not make any sense. Look here, it said that he make a virement to pay the credit of that car last year." Nathaniel said, his expression grave
"What about it?" Karine ask, her interest pick.
"He sold that car three years ago mom. Here is the line that prove it. That same transfer appear on his bank record but only with the other printer code. Mom all of it is faked! Someone tamper with the evidence!"
"WHAT!?" Karine almost scream.
Taking the file into her own hand and with the help of her son that show her the transfer line of every file, the expression of her face turn angrier by the second. She could not help to see that her son was right, almost every banking file from the last two years had been tampered with.
"That was done in a hurry, that much is obvious. Who could have done it?" He ask.
"NYPD forward us the evidence as is protocole. So anyone there with access to the file could have done it. Or… " She start to say before paling visibly.
"Or?"
"Someone here." She finally said with a dreading voice.
"Sorry about that, she never done that before."
"Don't mentionne it. I have a daughter too, i know what you feel." Said Maggie, laughing.
"Now we need to talk about business." Jillian said while the smile that was on Maggie face get replaced by a more professional expression.
"I am listening." Said Nathaniel, nodding.
"Okay. I'am currently working for the next blockbuster movie for Lionsgate but one of our star got sick and needed to be hospitalized."
"That's codename from overdose with cocaine in Hollywood terms." Supply Maggie which make Jillian wince.
"Yeah it's true. The filming was almost finish and now we need to start all of the scene involving the guy. I have four days to find someone who can replace him and it's very complicated because the person in question would need to exist on the screen with some very big star. I watch you on the clip that you make with the Taylor girl. I think you could pull it off."
"But i'm not an actor! I never take even one acting class in my entire life!" Nathaniel was dismayed. He knew that he was smart and he could learn much faster than everyone else but this was crazy.
"Are you talking about 'Now you see me?'" Ask Maggie, stopping Nathaniel in his tracks.
"Yeah, that's the one. Glad to see that you are still very well connected Maggie." Said Jillian with a bitter smile.
"What sort of film 'Now you see me' is?" Ask Nathaniel looking at Jillian.
"It's about Magic but not in a fantasy world like Narnia but a realistic one. Mentalism and card trick things like that."
"Who is going to be in the film?"
"Morgan Freeman, Woody Harrelson…" Start Jillian before being interrupted by Maggie who continued.
"Michael Cain, Isla Fisher, Marc Ruffalo, Jesse Eisenberg" Finished Maggie with a smug smile.
"Maggie, i told you to stop smiling, it is too creepy on you. Just be stern and cold please." Say Nathaniel with mirth.
"You know i could kick your ass, right?" She threatened.
"That looks like child abuse, i should report that." He answer with a smile. Stopping himself to engage in their usual banter, he got back the conversation on the subject.
"I know next to nothing about magic or card trick for that matter." He said truthfully.
"It's not that important. We have someone who could teach you on set and the most difficult things would be make with special effect. One more thing. I don't propose you the job. I just get you in the list to try out. After that, the decision will be made by the director. You have nothing to lose to go to the audition and everything to gain."
Nodding his head, Nathaniel start thinking about it. He was confident in himself to pull it out if it was a much more humble film but with so many stars that would be very difficult. But she was right, he had nothing to lose if he take the audition and he have nothing better to do in the coming weeks so that could be fun.
"What is your opinion Maggie?" He ask.
"You should go to the audition. You have literally no chance to land the role but you could make an acquaintance of two in the process, that would be useful in the future." She respond non pulse, making him smile bitterly.
"Thanks for that. Seems we are good Jillian. When the audition is planned to take place?"
"In three days. That's okay for you?"
"Yes, exempt for a couple of interview in NY tomorrow we are good for the foreseeable future." Respond Maggie without looking at her calendar. Nathaniel was only a small Youtube celebrities so far but that would quickly changed as many radio station call to pass his song on the air.
"Can you send me the script so that i can browse threw it before the audition?" Ask Nathaniel.
"Of course. Give me your email and i would send it right away. Give moi your phone number while we are it., i would certainly need it. Plus i would like to keep in touch if you don't mind."
"As long as you talk about business with me first, that would be okay." Say Maggie, then add after seeing the frown on Nathaniel face. "This is for your sake trust me."
"She's right. It's better to have an agent to filter business call for you and you are lucky enough to have one of the best with you." She said, nodding. They never been close to one another but she never denied that Maggie was talented at was she does.
Nathaniel give her what she asked for. After playing with Olivia for a while and saying their goodbye, Maggie and him needed to get back. Their flight home was taking off soon and they could not missed it because they had an interview scheduled not long after it.
******
New York. DA office. 03/06/2012. 14:54.
Karine Lyndon was having a very bad day. Sitting at her desk, she was looking at the file in front of her with a frown. For the last two month she had tried repeatedly to make a case against Piotr Droski but nothing could stick in court. Piotr Droski was a russian mob lord who controlled everything from drug dealing to assassination in the west of New York. Basically everything the was illegal and make money, Droski have a hand in it. The second witness that she had managed to convince to testify was found dead this morning along with his girlfriend. The official verdict was gas leak but that did not fool her even for a second.
Looking at the file in front of her, she was desperately trying to find something or she would have to drop the case all together. Her boss have even urge her to drop the case as they were already swamp with case to trial. She knew that time was working against her but that has never stopped her and it would not stop her again this time. If there was something to be found in there, she would find it. At that moment, she hear someone knocking on her door.
"Enter." She said without looking up.
"If this is the file i requested, put them on my desk Ethan."
Ethan was her assistant for the last two years since she was assign in criminal division. He was a twenty five years old hard working who has graduated from a community college nearby.
"Do i look like an Ethan?" Ask a voice that make her immediately look up and smile.
"Sweetiiie!" Karine squeal.
Getting up, she launch herself in the arms of her smiling son. If her colleague could see her like that with a man, they would think they were dreaming. Karine was a very serious woman at work and seeing her squeal like a little girl would blow their mind for sure.
"Hi mom. I miss you too." He said while hugging her.
"Why didn't you call to let me know that you would come? Wait a minute, why the reception did not call me? How did you enter the building?"
The DA office was a gouvernemental building. You need to have an appointment or have credentials to pass the security screenings downstairs.
"I did what you teach me mom, i act like i belong there and then charm my way in. When i finish with the girl in the hall, she was almost drooling." He said laughing.
"I create a monster." Said Karine while shaking her head. The smile that she had and the look in her eye did not hide her pride or her joy.
"How are you? Mom said that you have a difficult case on your hand."
Hearing that, the shoulder of Karine slump a little and fatigue start to creep in. Looking at her, Nathaniel start to frown. His mom was a very tenacious woman, to see her exhausted like that show him that what she was working on was not a regular case.
"I'm good just this case is very tiring. My boss put pressure on me to drop it so i need to find something tomorrow or i would be force to take another case. We are already swamp as it is, i can't take more time from other case but this guy is evil. I can't let him walk or he would be next to impossible to make another trial against him." Karine said, her voice breaking a little at the end.
"Let me help." Nathaniel propose instantly which make her smile bitterly.
"Baby, i know that you want to help but this is a very hard case with a lot of dead body. I can't let you go threw it. Plus, it is illegal to show you private files."
"Come on Mom, i read threw your file since i'm 9 and you know it. Let me help, maybe with an another perspective, you could come up with another angle to tackle this case."
"Nothing that i could say will made you drop it am i right?" She sighed, she knew very well how much he could be stubborn. He was like her in that aspect.
"Nope." He said with a winning smile.
"Okay, take the chair and wipe that silly smile off your face. We have work to do."
"Yes mom." He said, doing what he was told.
Four hours later they were still at it. Looking threw the files in front of him, Nathaniel was getting angrier by the second. That guy was a gigantic piece of shit. Extorsion, tax evasion, drug dealing, loan shark, assassination… that guy was involved in everything. He was operating in NY for the last five years and his business was thriving. He was ruthless and smart, the only thing that saved him from getting jail. His criminal record was two page long but nothing ever stick.
The first witness that her mom found was a small time employee in a accounting firm. He was leaving late from work when he see Piotr Droski kill in cold blood a store owner who did not want to pay 'protection" money anymore. Two days after missing the trials, his head was found on a dumpster near the DA office. He was sending a strong message to everyone who wanted to testify against him. 'Not even the DA can protect you from me' as of today, the rest of his body had not been found.
Nathaniel knew now why her mother didn't want him to help her. That was a very grim case. Looking threw his financial files, Nathaniel was seeing something irregular albeit not illegal. His money transfer had no pattern that he could discern and that was bothering him. Everything had a pattern and that was why his intuition was telling him something was wrong here. Sighing, he was going to take a break when his entire body froze. He was looking at the file when his eyes wanderer on the right corner of the page.
Every printer in America when printing a page put serial number on the right corner. This number was designating the serial number of the printer and the number of the page printed. If the entire file was printed from the same printer, the number at the end would follow themselves. Jolting awake, he hurriedly collect all the page from the financial files and then classified them by date. Once done, he start to peruse at the file printer number of all the page.
The suddain activity on the other side of the table soon gather the attention of Karine.
"What is it sweetie? Did you find something?"
"I think so. Mom how many printer do you have on this floor?"
"What? Why do you ask?" Karine ask surprised. She did not expect a question that trivial.
"Please answer me first." He pleaded.
"Two or three."
"Not more?"
"No, budget cut. What is it sweetie?" She asked thoroughly troubled now.
"Here look." He said getting to his feet and going to her side of the desk.
"Look at the printing code at the bottom of the page. None of this number follow the last one."
"This doesn't mean anything sweetie, maybe the printer was jammed and they change it. It happens, we have crappy material here." Karine said. She could not help to be disappointed. She knew that her son was a genius but he was still too young to help her.
"No mom look. Prior to two years ago, all files follow the same code. Then look at the code, for the last two years only one out of ten page follow the same code. The rest was printed with two different printer." He said pointing at the page, showing her the code. Looking at it, Karine could not help to frown.
"What are you saying sweetie?"
"look at the bank transfer, they not make any sense. Look here, it said that he make a virement to pay the credit of that car last year." Nathaniel said, his expression grave
"What about it?" Karine ask, her interest pick.
"He sold that car three years ago mom. Here is the line that prove it. That same transfer appear on his bank record but only with the other printer code. Mom all of it is faked! Someone tamper with the evidence!"
"WHAT!?" Karine almost scream.
Taking the file into her own hand and with the help of her son that show her the transfer line of every file, the expression of her face turn angrier by the second. She could not help to see that her son was right, almost every banking file from the last two years had been tampered with.
"That was done in a hurry, that much is obvious. Who could have done it?" He ask.
"NYPD forward us the evidence as is protocole. So anyone there with access to the file could have done it. Or… " She start to say before paling visibly.
"Or?"
"Someone here." She finally said with a dreading voice.
