I leaned over and kissed her and held her tight. I loved it that she said I was soon to be her husband.
"Barcelona?"
"Yes, Sam, what is it? You sound so serious."
"I've been wondering a lot about how you'll feel when you start telling your friends and the press about me. After all. I'm just a private detective, and you're a big star on Broadway. I'm sure you must be wondering what people will say. I mean, you could have married a prince or even a king or a millionaire."
"Actually, Sam, I've never thought about it. I just know that I'm madly in love with you. And that's all that matters to me. And, Sam, you're not just a private detective: you're a very good one . . . the best! Besides, I heard through the grapevine that you make more money than I do."
"What grapevine was that?"
"Well, after the first day I came to your office, not only did I ask the Chief about you, but I made three or four phone calls to some of my influential friends." She smiled. "They all said you were extremely dependable. Either they, or someone they knew, had hired you in the past. Two of them said you and your father were, and are, very successful detectives. Expensive but worth it. Then they said that you probably made more money than I do."
With that, she turned around, her shoulders shaking in laughter. She stopped, looked at me and said, "Yes, I could have married a prince or a king, but I'll leave that up to Grace and Rita. Besides, it's you I love and want to marry."
Of course, that reference to royalty meant something to us both back then. The famous film star Grace Kelly had married Prince Rainier of Monaco in 1956 and Rita Hayworth married Prince Aly Khan in 1949, this being one of her five marriages. I knew I was only going to be married once.
I walked over to Barcelona, put my arms around her and gave her a great big long kiss. We held each other for a long time.
Finally Barcelona pulled away. "Let's eat, before my hard work of cooking for you for the very first time gets cold." She had a pleading look in her eyes. And by that look I knew she was saying: This is dangerous, and until we get married let's not put ourselves in this kind of situation. I held her hand as we walked to the table, and squeezed it as if to say I understand.
We spent a great time together, talking about our childhood again, our teenage years, and how and why we chose the profession we each had. We'd talked about it all before, but enjoyed it again, even thinking of other things we'd forgotten to mention. It was wonderful sharing our thoughts and our young life experiences. After all, we had met, fallen in love, and were almost engaged in less than two weeks.
Barcelona mentioned that the hot Hollywood star Charlie Long had flown back to New York to meet with all of the people involved in the making of the movie, and that John Ashland would also be there. The meeting was in the morning at 10:30, so it might be possible that we would not be able to see each other, because Barcelona had no idea how long the meeting would be. And of course she had the performance that night.
This was Monday, and the day after the meeting would be Wednesday, and we'd have the whole day together. She promised to call sometime after the meeting, and before the curtain went up in the evening, adding that maybe we'd have time for a quick cup of coffee in between, so I was surprised when the phone rang on Tuesday morning and I heard her voice.
"Hi, Barcelona, so you couldn't stay away from hearing my voice today, huh?"
"I love hearing your voice, Sam, but I'm calling to say we've just heard that Charlie Long is in the hospital. He's not doing well. He was run over early this morning. By a hit-and-run driver. He's in St. Ann's."
Chapter 37
I told Barcelona I'd meet her at St. Ann's Hospital. But just before I left, I called the Chief. I was pretty sure this hit-and-run was connected with the other two murders. He said he'd meet me there.
When I arrived at the hospital, Barcelona was waiting for me. She was talking with my sister Erica, who was on duty that day. Barcelona had already found out what room Charlie Long was in, so we went straight there.
Charlie was in a coma, with tubes coming from everywhere. Sitting in a chair next to Charlie's bed was a man who was unrecognizable to the two of us. He stood up and reached out his hand. "Hi, I'm Edward, Charlie's new agent."
"New agent?" I asked. "I thought Charlie was signing up with Mike Larson."
"He was about to, but since he never received the contract through the mail he called me and said he wanted someone to represent him who was living closer. I was the lucky guy he signed up with. If he survives this, he's bound to become the next big male star, especially if he gets well soon and is given the male lead in the movie with you, Miss Jones."
Barcelona said, "No decision has been made yet. We were going to do that today at the meeting. Either way, I pray Charlie will come out of this and be able to resume his promising career."
The Chief had now joined us. I introduced him again to Barcelona and then to Edward. The Chief looked at Edward and lowered his voice. "Have the doctors given you any prognosis about Charlie Long's condition?"
"Not yet, but it doesn't look good. In a way I feel responsible. Charlie and I sat up last night talking about what the movie version of Murder on Broadway would do for his career. He was so excited about doing it, and working with Miss Jones. Around one o'clock this morning, he said he couldn't sleep and was going to go out for a walk.
"He asked me if I wanted to join him, but I said no, as I was too tired. We looked out the window of our hotel and saw that the streets were deserted. He said he wouldn't be long. I told him to be careful and hurry back so I wouldn't worry about him. He laughed and said, 'Don't worry; I have a feeling that things are going to turn out really good.'
"When he got outside of the hotel he looked back up at me. I was standing in front of the window. He waved and I waved back. I started for my bedroom and that's when I heard the awful sound of him screaming, and then the thud. I ran to the window, looked down, and saw what I knew was the body of Charlie lying there. I saw no car and no one in the area. As I ran out of the hotel I told the desk clerk to call an ambulance and say that someone had been hit by a car. That's all I know."
The Chief said, "It's not your fault. Don't even entertain that idea. If you do, it can swallow you up."
"Thanks, Chief, that helps a lot. I've been sitting here blaming myself, thinking if I had only gone with Charlie as he asked me to, this wouldn't have happened. He looks so pitiful lying here with all of these tubes in him. I'm afraid for him and his life. Even if he survives, what will he be like?"
Erica and another doctor came in. My sister took us outside the room and said quietly, "It doesn't look promising. We'll have to wait until he comes out of the coma before we get the big picture. What we do know is he has a broken right collarbone and a right leg fracture, along with some broken ribs. Those aren't too serious. But his spleen is messed up. The most serious injury is a blow to the skull causing swelling to the brain. If there's any brain damage we won't know until he wakes up. It could be today, tomorrow or even weeks or months. That is, if he wakes up at all."
Chapter 38
Barcelona had some appointments to keep before the performance that night, so she had to leave.
The Chief, Charlie's new agent Edward and I went down to the hospital café. As we sat down with our coffee and a snack, the Chief asked, "Edward, is that your first or last name?"
"First name. My family name is Oppenheimer. But I just go by Edward. It's so much easier."
"We would like to ask you a few questions, if that's okay with you."
"Of course. Go ahead, Chief."
"Who else knows that Charlie Long had signed up with you as his agent?"
"Well, it was no secret, especially among the biggies who would be at the meeting. I'm sure they all knew. That's why I'm here. If Charlie got the part, I would do the negotiating. If John Ashland got the part his agent, Mike Larson, would do the same. We weren't invited to the meeting, but afterwards the agent of whoever got the role would me
et with all concerned for the signing of the contract."
"Do you know if Mike Larson was there?"
"Yes, he and I waited outside the office. We're friendly, but our conversation wasn't anything special. Just small talk."
I asked the next question. "Did Mike Larson seem annoyed or angry that Charlie signed up with you?"
"Not at all. In this business we win some and we lose some. As for me, I can't worry about it and just try my best to represent the clients I have. Mike was surprised though. He said he'd sent the new contract to Charlie and wondered why he never heard back. I told him Charlie had mentioned that he never received the papers."
"Do you have some big name clients? Like someone we'd recognize?"
"I'm sure you would. They're mostly movie stars. If you want their names, it's no secret. I can give them to you."
"No. it's okay. It's not needed at this time. By the way, who did you feel was going to receive the part?"
"The scuttlebutt around was that Charlie Long had an in. Not sure why. Some said it was the choice of the director and the producer, and others said Charlie was Miss Jones' choice. She wanted to work with him, and she felt he was right for the part. But like I said, that's just hearsay.
"Being Charlie's agent, of course I wanted him to win. Personally, I believe that Miss Jones would have the final say, and I do believe she would have chosen Charlie Long. But Mike probably would say the same thing about his client."
"Thanks, Edward." The Chief was now speaking, "You've been a big help. How long will you be staying here?"
"Not sure. I called my secretary in Hollywood and told her to cancel all my appointments for the next two days. Didn't tell her why, as I wasn't sure Charlie's wife had been notified yet about the accident. I'd like to stay until the doctors can give us a more exact diagnosis. But the doctors said he could be in the coma for weeks or even months. Or longer. I have to return back to my other clients. I can't be away too long. I'm sorry about Charlie, but I have a responsibility to all my clients and the agency I represent."
"Of course," I said. "The Chief and I understand if you have to leave. If you like, we'll keep you posted."
The three of us went back up to Charlie's room, where he still remained in the comatose situation. Soon afterwards, the Chief and I left, both agreeing that our two prime suspects were Brenda Summers and Mike Larson. We were both leaning on Larson, but Miss Summers was not out of the picture yet.
We arranged to talk to each one again, listening for something we might have missed before. We now felt that both suspects had good reasons to commit the homicides.
Mike Larson, being the agent of John Ashland, would make big bucks if he'd gotten the part. And John Ashland's only surviving competition was Charlie Long. Now with him possibly out of the way, the part would be his. But the question was: Would Mike Larson commit murder to help his client?
As for Brenda Summers, she would probably be the number one choice for the movie's female lead if Barcelona was out of the picture. But why murder the other male leads in contention? Maybe Miss Summers was trying to throw us off, so we would suspect someone else -- someone like Mike Larson and not her.
The Chief and I were pondering over the same questions. Was money, and a big part in a big hit movie, worth killing for? I had a feeling we were missing something.
Chapter 39
I was still not comfortable with Barcelona being out of my sight, not knowing what the killer would try next.
That evening, I slipped in through the backstage entrance. By now, most of the people knew who I was -- not as the star's boyfriend, but as the detective who was working on the case.
I stood back in the wings where I could see all the action on the stage but not be seen by the actors. I didn't want Barcelona to notice me. I thought she might think I was there because there had been another murder, or because Charlie Long had died.
Every time Brenda Summers was onstage, I watched her with a pair of steel eyes, waiting for something to happen. . . . Nothing did. I remember thinking how foolish I was, knowing Miss Summers would certainly not do anything as stupid as killing my love on stage. She would probably wait on some street corner where she knew Barcelona would be, and then give her a great big push in front of another bus. Then, unnoticed, nonchalantly walk away.
Chills went through my body as I wondered if there would be another attempt on my future wife's life. After the play, I came out of hiding. When Barcelona saw me she looked really surprised.
"Sam, how long have you been here? Is something wrong? Is Charlie okay?"
"As far as I know there's no change. Let's go get a bite to eat and I'll ask if I can use the phone there to call the hospital for a report."
We went to the small restaurant by where I lived. I called the hospital. Charlie was the same. The word was "No improvement."
I asked Barcelona about Brenda Summers, saying, "I've been thinking that if something happened to you, would Miss Summers take your place? Not only here in New York, but for the movie in Hollywood?"
"Sam, why would you ask that? Do you think Brenda pushed me in front of that bus?"
"It is possible, my love. I'm just grasping -- looking for any reason why someone might want you out of the movie, or even out of this life."
Barcelona gave out a hearty laugh. "You can't be serious, Sam. Brenda and I are good friends. We've been together in other plays. She could be a star on her own if she wanted, but she likes doing the plays with me. We always have a great time together. In fact, she could have had this part, but she suggested me.
"She's happy being the co-star. She says that way there's no pressure on her. She loves to act, and tells me I can handle the pressure better than she can. She's a strange bird, I'll agree, but murder is not her forte. You either like Brenda or you don't. I happen to like her. She's honest and to the point. On the stage she's a great actress. Off stage she never acts, she's just herself. You always know where you stand with Brenda. And by the way, she's running for a Tony for best supporting actress. She's already won two, and she's the front runner to win another one this year.
"If I were you, Sam, I'd take Brenda off your list. It would be a waste of time to suspect her. But to answer your question, yes, she'd be the one who would most likely take over my part in the play if anything was to happen to me. And it would be very likely she'd receive the movie roll. She would definitely be my choice if for some reason I couldn't fulfill my contract."
I nodded. "Thanks. I'll take into consideration all you've told me, and relate it to the Chief. He'll probably still want to talk to Brenda, and so will I. But this time I'll look at her differently. If she's a friend of yours then I want her to be a friend of mine. But I have experiences of good and even best friends murdering each other. Please believe me, it does happen."
"Thanks, Sam. Give Brenda a good checkup. You'll find out she's overly honest and straightforward, which is why some people don't like her. But to me over the last few years she's been a really good friend. I hope she'll turn out to be your friend too. She'll be one of my bridesmaids, and possibly the maid of honor if my cousin from Washington State can't make it.
"My cousin is expecting to come, but because we haven't set a date yet, she's not sure if she'll be able to fly out here. She may be in the hospital having her baby. That's one thing about Brenda, she won't be insulted or have hard feelings if she's my so-called second choice. When we were young girls, my cousin and I promised we'd be each others' maid of honor. I was hers and she'll be mine if possible. And knowing her, she'll do her best to be here come rain or shine.
"I really would like to set the date for sometime after my cousin's baby comes. I think she's about four months pregnant. But I know Brenda will be delighted and honored to take over if she's needed at the last moment. That's the kind of person Brenda is. No, Sam, she is not a murderer."
I took Barcelona home, and on the way we made plans for the next day, her day off. I wanted to take her to the beach and amusement pa
rk at Coney Island.
Chapter 40
Wednesday
We had a great day at Coney Island. I rolled up my pant legs and we walked the beach holding hands with the ocean water just above our ankles. Barcelona had on pedal pushers so she just pushed them up a little higher. Whenever a big wave came in she would let go of my hand and run toward dry sand. Then she would laugh, run back and grab my hand again. She looked so beautiful, as though she didn't have a care in the world.
We rode some of the rides, but the merry-go-round was our favorite. We each took a horse on the outside of the carrousel. Then each time we went around we took a large brass ring from the ring machine and tossed it into the monkey's mouth: a big cutout of a monkey with his mouth open. Whenever the ring went in, a loud bell would ring. Every time Barcelona hit the target she shouted out, "Another point for me!" I learned that day that she was very competitive -- something else I loved about her.
We had lunch at a hotdog stand with all the trimmings. I had two, Barcelona one. But I could tell she wanted part of mine, so I divided my second one and gave half to her. She gave me that great smile.
"Thanks, Sam, you must really love me." Then she let out this little giggle.
"I do, my love, and until the day I die I will always give you all that I have, no matter what it may be. You will never have to ask. I will always be there for you."
The rest of the day was filled with great memories and we vowed we would go back to Coney Island again and again, even it was just to share a hotdog with all the works.
We did go back as much as possible, and when the kids were old enough to enjoy the rides and the beach and all it had to offer, we took them. We continued to go back at least once a year, but most often twice. Soon our children brought their children, it has become a tradition. We loved having our grandchildren there. The carousel has remained not only our favorite, but the favorite of all the family. We now keep score of the ring tossing and keep adding to it every time we all go.
I arrived home after 9:30 that night. I took Barcelona home first because she was tired out. We both agreed that we had a day that we would always remember. I called the Chief at his home to tell him what Barcelona had said about Brenda Summers. Just as I thought, he said he still wanted to talk to her and to Mike Larson. He asked if I was available the next day. I told him I had an early appointment with a new client but was free all afternoon.