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TRINITY GOLD, STAR OF “HIGHWATER” SERIES, DEAD AT 26
Sources have confirmed that Trinity Gold, star of the “Highwater” series, is dead at 26. According to eyewitnesses, she fell from her hotel terrace while on vacation in Barcelona.
Liam York, Trinity’s ex-boyfriend and “Highwater” costar, was present when she fell. He’s currently being questioned by the police but has yet to be charged. It’s unknown at this point if her death was an accident, a suicide, or a murder.
Many blame Liam for Trinity’s downfall, citing how dramatic her decline has been since the two broke up twelve months ago.
Trinity’s rep had this to say: “We can confirm that Trinity Gold passed away earlier today. Our thoughts are with her family and friends, who request privacy at this tragic time.”
Could this turn into Hollywood’s next great conspiracy? Does Liam know what really happened? Is he responsible for it? We may never know…
Stay tuned for the latest as this story develops.
*
I dropped my phone. Had I…had I just read that right?
I picked it up from the off-white floor of Hollie’s Barcelona studio. Living and working in Barcelona for three months had sounded like a great idea when we’d booked it. But now, a couple of weeks into our trip, Trinity hadn’t just crashed it. She’d died.
“What? What is it?” Hollie navigated the mannequins, fabric, needles, and sketches that littered the floor to join me by the window. The studio was the center of operations for her fashion line. And she did not keep things tidy. Every time someone tried, she messed it up again in seconds.
In too much shock to speak, I passed her my phone.
Her jaw hanging open, she leaned against the wall to steady herself.
“Do you think it’s true?” I wished Moxie was there. I really needed a dog hug. But we’d left her at our rented apartment to watch TV and nap, her favorite hobbies.
Not to mention, even though Hollie had grown up around dogs, her studio was a hazard for even a well-trained dog like Moxie. There were far too many sharp things for her to accidentally pick up or stand on.
Hollie handed me my phone back, tucking her brunette bob behind her ear. “I know rumors like that can happen, but—”
Before she could finish her sentence, her phone rang. She ran over to the cutting table, where it was perched precariously on the edge. “It’s Fayth.” Her best friend. Liam’s girlfriend. Trinity’s other arch nemesis. If anyone had info, it was her.
Hollie answered, putting her phone on speaker.
“Have you seen?” asked Fayth.
“It’s true, then?” I asked, already knowing the answer from her tone of voice. But I needed to hear her say it.
“Yeah,” said Fayth.
I couldn’t comprehend it. Trinity was dead. We’d been a part of each other’s lives—for better or worse—for almost twenty years. For whatever our relationship was now to end without even a goodbye, or any sort of dramatic conclusion, was an anti-climax I’d never expected. Not when we were both still so young.
How could she just be…gone? When I’d only spoken to her a couple of days ago, in this very studio?
Fayth’s heavy breathing reverberated down the phone line, along with echoing voices and gusts of wind. “I’m going to Liam now.”
“What about work?” I asked. She worked in a local photography studio, and she was damn good at it. I didn’t want her to jeopardize that because of Trinity.
“Bugger ‘em, the gossiping wee sods,” she said, her Scottish accent particularly thick as she conveyed her disdain. That was that settled, then.
“Does you leaving work early mean the rest is true, too? Do the police really think Liam killed Trinity?” asked Hollie, her voice tentative.
“Can you believe it!” said Fayth, her voice going up in pitch.
“Maybe they’re just questioning him because he was there and the press misconstrued it,” I suggested.
“Nope. Already spoke to Wade. They one hundred percent think he bloody murdered her!” She grunted. If anyone knew what was going on, it was Liam’s bodyguard. Shit. “I’ve got to go, I’m about to go underground. Fastest way to get to Liam. I’ll let you know when I have any updates.”
Hollie put her phone down, shaking her head. “I can’t believe it.”
“Me neither. I mean, she was just here.”
“Audacious as ever,” added Hollie.
Trinity had auditioned to model for Hollie’s line just a couple of days ago. And totally believed we’d give her the chance. Despite everything she’d done to Hollie, Fayth, Liam, Astin, me…basically everyone involved directly or indirectly with Hollie’s business. Sometimes her brazen attitude baffled me.
But other times, I admired it. Her complete, unadulterated confidence in herself. It was almost like her self-confidence had been made of Teflon: nothing could stick to it for long enough to damage it.
Well, not anymore.
*
Hollie and I couldn’t concentrate after that. So we packed up—Hollie insisting on taking some work back with her—then hopped into a taxi to our apartment.
A waggy-tailed Moxie greeted us as we walked through the door. I pulled her into a hug, kissing her oblivious, furry little head. It was nice to have someone completely unaware of what was happening around her, but always happy to see me.
Hollie went into the kitchenette and put the kettle on.
I sat on the red sofa with Moxie. Should I call Jack?
Wait. I couldn’t. He was on a silent meditation retreat. Talk about timing.
He was the last person I’d have expected to want to live without mental stimuli for a week—or to get into meditation—but his AA sponsor had recommended it to him and they’d both thought it’d be good for him. So I supported him in his decision. Even if I did really need to talk to him.
My phone vibrated from inside the purse Hollie had made for me. I took it out and checked the caller idea. Jack. Video calling me. I thought he wasn’t allowed a phone while he was out there? Didn’t that defeat the point of of it being a silent retreat? I answered anyway.
“You heard?”
Jack nodded. Seeing him still filled me with butterflies. I wished he was there to help me work through what the hell had just happened. It was supposed to be a fun work trip! How had things gone so wrong?
Behind him, I could see luscious green mountains and bright blue skies. The location he’d chosen for his meditation retreat looked gorgeous. If only I was with him. “So it’s true?”
“Yeah.” Although it still didn’t feel real.
Hollie came over and gave Jack a somber wave. “It gets worse.”
He frowned. “It can get worse?”
Hollie closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if to steady herself. Not a good sign. “They’re taking Liam to the station.”
“What?” Jack and I chorused. Jack and Liam may not have gotten along, but that didn’t mean Jack thought Liam was capable of murder. No one would think Liam was capable of murder.
Would they?
It was one thing to ask him questions at the hotel where Trinity had fallen, but if they were taking him to the station for questioning, that was a whole different story…
“Fayth says the police are treating him like a suspect.”
Shit.
“Maybe it’s just a language barrier thing,” I suggested. I hoped. “What if we brought Astin over to translate? He speaks Spanish, right? We could fly him over from New York on my jet. He’d be here in no time.” Then Liam would have someone who was definitely in his corner and who spoke both languages.
Hollie flinched at the mention of her ex-boyfriend, but didn’t say no to my idea. Interesting.
Jack pursed his lips, then said what I didn’t want to think: “But if Liam was there and there weren’t any other witnesses…”
I stood up. “No. No.”
Trinity being dead was bad enough. But Liam getting the blame? He might’ve had a challenging relationship with her, but he’d never hurt her. How could anyone ever believe that?
But, of course, they always looked into the most recent partner. And, in most cases, it was the pissed-off partner who was to blame. I’d seen enough true crime documentaries to know that. As much as I hated to admit it, Liam was in big trouble.
Hollie paced behind the sofa, wringing her hands. Moxie put her paws on my shoulder and watched her, hypnotized.
“How did you find out?” I asked Jack. I didn’t want him to ruin something for himself because of Trinity, especially after all the drama she’d caused and how little she cared about anyone else’s mental health.
Could I still think things like that now that she was dead? Was that rude of me?
Jack shrugged, looking like he didn’t really care. “Heard some people talking about Trinity when I was walking past reception, so I came to the one area where you’re allowed to talk, since this is way more important. Also, I’m going slightly crazy.” He’d only been there a day or two.
“With nothing to do but stew in your own head?”
He nodded. “Yeah. Pretty scenery will only get you so far, it turns out. Is there anything I can do? Do you need me to come to Barcelona?”
I shook my head, my rose gold hair falling over my shoulders and tickling Moxie. She nudged it out of the way with her nose then continued to watch a restless Hollie. “Don’t ruin your retreat for me. For this. I’ll be fine. I think I’ll go get some air.” I blew Jack a kiss, hung up, then put Moxie’s sparkly pink leash on her.
A dog walk was just what I needed to clear my head. Exercise always helped, and fresh air just made it better. Especially with so many amazing views within walking distance of our Barcelona apartment. That’s why Maddy and I had chosen it. It was just the right distance from the beach, the tourist hotspots, and anything else we might need. Maddy stayed in a hotel nearby, along with Liam’s bodyguard, Wade.
Apparently, though, it wasn’t the secret spot we’d hoped it’d be. And I wasn’t as able to go out in my black baseball cap and Raybans as I’d thought.
“Be careful out there, Ms Gardener,” said the security guard as he held the door open for me. I didn’t realize what he meant until I looked up and saw the swarms of press just beyond the glass. They hadn’t been there when Hollie and I had gotten in. Hadn’t taken them long.
The cameras flashed as Moxie and I left the safety of the apartment complex. I bundled her into the arms of my black parka, shielding her eyes from the flashbulbs. Didn’t they have any decency?
Of course not. They were paparazzi. It was part of their jobs to be shameless. That was how they earned a living.
I understood their need to make money, but when they invaded my privacy on days I really needed to be alone, it was frustrating. They had no boundaries. I was pretty sure some of them liked violating boundaries.
It was one thing to work with me to get the shots they needed, but Trinity had just died, for fuck’s sake.
How did they want me to look? Sad? Heartbroken? Angry? Contrite? Happy?
No, happy was too far. And I didn’t feel happy about her death. If anything, I felt confused. Conflicted.
The paparazzi closed in on me, not caring how in my face they got. I held Moxie tighter. She might’ve been a laid-back, sociable dog, but she was barely six inches in size. It was easy for her to get trampled. The last thing I wanted was for her to get hurt. Even Trinity wouldn’t have wanted that.
Trinity. Trinity, Trinity, Trinity…
Moxie burrowed into my neck, all cute brown and black fur. I inhaled her musky dog smell, relaxing at its proximity and the softness of her fur.
The paparazzi followed Moxie and me down the street. Great, it was me they wanted a photo of. Although I shouldn’t have been surprised, since Liam was at the police station and even though Fayth was dating him, I was still the biggest name staying at our apartment complex without him there. Today just wasn’t a day where I wanted to play their games.
But I needed them on my side for too many reasons to count.
So, resisting the desire to sigh with frustration, I stopped walking. They’d been scurrying along, gazes glued to their camera screens, so they tripped over each other as they came to a halt beside me.
“Guys,” I said, comfortable using the term “guys” since they were all male—I’d never actually seen a female paparazzo before. “If I let you take a couple of photos, can I walk my dog in peace, clear my head? Por favor?”
They mumbled amongst themselves in English and Spanish, then nodded. Mourning someone who’d just died was a universal experience and even paparazzi were still human. They just wanted their photo and payday, in the end. At least this way they’d get it and I’d get my privacy.
“Could you walk along the street with your dog, please?” asked one of them. “We can get some shots of you with the park in the background.”
I agreed, let them take their photos, then they finally gave Moxie and I space to continue our walk in peace.
I’d wanted to be alone to process things, but the longer I spent with my own thoughts, the less I wanted to be on my own. All I could think about was Trinity and everything that’d happened between us.
The paparazzi were annoying, but they’d been a short-lived distraction from processing my emotions.
I both wanted the attention and was afraid of it. Even the crisp, February air didn’t help as much as I’d hoped.
How could I fully take in, and enjoy, being in such a beautiful city now? Just yesterday I’d walked Moxie, snapping photos of the Gothic architecture’s pointed windows and doorways; the curvaceous, bright, Gaudi-designed buildings. Now, I barely even registered them.
I tucked my hair under my hat, then put my noise-cancelling headphones on, trying to become just an anonymous face in the crowd.
Would a fan recognize me and want me to take sides? What if I picked the wrong side? Before we had all the answers?
What was I saying? Of course Liam was innocent. But that didn’t mean the fans would believe that. Or hate me for choosing “wrong.” We knew Trinity was a psychopath, but the rest of the world didn’t. To them, she was perfect. Untouchable [tate plays to the press then wonders what she’s doing, shouldn’t she be grieving? what will people think? once she’s taken the photos she asks if she can have some time alone. wants to be seen as friendly and cooperative. reputation is everything, especially right now when she was so close to trinity – don’t want anyone to think she had anything to do with it, or that she hated trinity
she’s thinking about putting on a front, being optimistic all the time, can’t feel anger at trinity’s book, and that makes her angrier].
I couldn’t bear to be questioned about Trinity by anyone when I hadn’t worked out how I felt about her yet. It was too new. Too raw. Too confusing.
Who was going to arrange her funeral? It wasn’t like she really had any friends or family left. She’d cut them all out.
Given her lifestyle and the amount of assets she owned, she must’ve had something in place. I couldn’t imagine her management would’ve let her not have a contingency plan for every eventuality, including her untimely death.
But then, she was in the habit of cutting out people who tried to tell her what to do.
I supposed we were about to find out what she’d put in place. And get answers to questions we didn’t even know we had.
Want to find out how Tate and the rest of the gang react to the aftermath of Trinity’s death? Download your copy now!
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