Riker's Calling - Episode 7

Riker Wednesdays

THE SURVEILANCE FOOTAGE FROM THE DRAGONFLY showed a white male, twenties, curly hair and a porn stache, just as Williams’ sister had described. An outside camera had him leaving in a ’96 Toyota Tercel, all seven digits of his license plate visible.

The car was registered to a David Lehman, a struggling actor whose main source of income was balanced between Extra work and unemployment checks. When Max followed SWAT to pick him up they took him into custody, of all places, on set of a Law and Order shoot. The confusion that arose, I was told, was a legendary story-in-the-making for both the production crew and law enforcement. Even the background actor himself didn’t fully grasp what was going on until he was booked at the station, all too eager to clear his name once he realized what he was facing, as I watched Max question him from the other side of a two-way mirror.

“I didn’t kill that guy, man! And I didn’t hire those guys either. Well, I guess technically I did, but I was just doing what he told me to do. That AK I had, it was just a prop! I was scared shitless that those guys were gonna unload their nines on me at any moment!”

“You keep saying he. He who?” Max asked.

“I told you, I have no idea! It was all done by email!”

“So you were just this innocent little pawn who happened to open an email by someone you didn’t know, and when he tells you to go risk your life, you’re like “Gee, golly, sure mister!

“Were you one of those little kids who played a Little Rascal? Are you Alfalfa?”

The other detective in the room with Max and the perp couldn’t help but smirk, as did I.

“Nah, you’re not old enough, are you? But you expect us to believe you’re really that gullible?”

“I already told you, it wasn’t that simple. He said he was a Casting Director, and that the A-list director, who he couldn’t mention, was looking for a fully committed actor. I thought they were testing me, to see how far I’d take it. I wasn’t even entirely sure if those black guys were in on it or not, or that black chick at the club.

“All I know is that the guy said they came upon my headshot, which had my email address on it, and that after seeing me on The Practice, thought I might be the kind of talent they were looking for.

“The money they slid under my door is what really had me convinced. No one drops five grand like that without being serious. So when he sent me the brief character bio, I really wanted to get into it. I mean, I’m no Day-Lewis or nothing, but damn, you don’t know how it is to be trying to live your passion while surviving off Ramen Noodles most of the time. This could’ve finally been my big break to get me out of background and really in front of that camera.”

“And what character were you supposed to be playing?”