Martin’s words struck Deena like a lethal blow.
He loved her?
Martin loved The Bitch?
Impossible.
Unthinkable.
The ultimate betrayal.
‘I’ve been waiting to hear you say that,’ Venus Maria murmured softly. ‘Do you mean it, Martin? Do you really mean it?’
‘Oh yes, baby, oh yes.’
The sound of a gunshot drowned out any further conversation.
Chapter 103
‘You’re not driving fast enough,’ Lucky said.
‘Are we in a hurry?’ Cooper asked, glancing over at her, a quizzical expression on his handsome face.
‘It’s one o’clock in the morning. I have to be back at the studio in six hours.’
‘So do I. Wouldn’t it be convenient if I stayed the night?’
She began to laugh. ‘Didn’t I tell you? No staying the night. No coming in for coffee. No nothing. I’m a married lady.’
He reached out and placed his hand lightly on her knee. ‘You’re a very beautiful married lady.’
‘Let me ask you something,’ she said, deftly removing his hand.
‘Go ahead.’
‘Do you always feel obliged to make a pass at every woman you find yourself alone with?’
He smiled. ‘Why not? When you’ve got my kind of reputation, women expect it. If I don’t make a move women begin to wonder what’s wrong with them. And the last thing I want is you thinking you’re unattractive.’
She burst out laughing again. ‘Cooper, I can assure you I’m a very secure person. You don’t have to worry about me.’
‘Oh, but I do.’
‘Such a gentleman!’
‘Thank you.’
‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘I’m very intuitive.’
‘Yes?’
‘And I know you like Venus.’
‘She’s my friend,’ he said defensively.
‘She’s your friend and you like her a lot, right?’
‘Venus is with Martin.’
‘Oh yeah, he’s a real prize.’
‘They’re very happy.’
‘Come on, Cooper. You and I know it’s not a match made in heaven. How long before he starts screwing around again? That’s his way of operating, isn’t it? Make a conquest and on to the next. A lot of high-powered businessmen are like that. It’s the chase that turns them on.’
‘Maybe,’ he said carefully.
‘Listen, trust me, I know what I’m talking about. I used to be like that myself.’
‘Like what?’
‘Oh, you know – the thrill of the conquest was everything, and then on to the next. My father was always telling me I conducted myself just like a guy! If a man came along I wanted, I’d have him. It was the “don’t call me, I’ll call you” syndrome. I didn’t want to get involved. Of course, that was in the good old seventies when it was safe to sleep around. Now not only do you have to get a Dunn & Bradstreet on them, you also have to know their medical history for the last seven years. Not to mention keeping your favourite condom manufacturer in business!’
‘You’re a straight-talker, aren’t you?’
‘Sure, it’s the only way.’
‘It’s refreshing.’
‘Thanks.’
‘In fact—’
‘Yes, Cooper?’
‘Can I call you one of the boys?’
She laughed. ‘Sure. Call me anything you like. Me and Lennie will be your new best friends.’
‘I’d like that.’
If he ever comes back, she thought with a deep sigh.
The Mercedes roared down the Pacific Coast Highway.
‘Make a left here,’ she instructed. ‘The house is in the Colony.’
Cooper made the turn and asked if Gino was returning home.
‘I sincerely doubt it,’ she said. ‘When he and Paige get at it there’s no telling when they’ll stop.’
‘You mean… at his age?’
‘You should be so fortunate.’
‘Hmmm.’
‘Thinking it over, you probably will be.’
He pulled the car to a stop in front of her house.
‘OK’ she said firmly, ‘you can come in for a cup of coffee, but that’s all you’re getting.’
He smiled. ‘I appreciate your generous offer, but I’m not taking you up on it.’
She smiled back. ‘Goodnight, Cooper.’
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. ‘Goodnight, Lucky.’
She got out of the car, walked over to the front door, waved, and let herself in.
Cooper waved back, revved the engine, and took off.
Neither of them noticed the black sedan slide past and stop a few yards down the street.
She hadn’t been inside the house two minutes when the doorbell rang. Thinking it was Cooper, she flung open the door.
Link didn’t give her a chance to defend herself. He grabbed her before she could scream, roughly covering her mouth with his arm.
Frantically she tried to bite him.
He hauled back and smashed her in the face with his other fist.
Lucky slumped into unconsciousness without a sound.
Chapter 104
Rita ranted and raved all the way home. ‘I’ve never been so embarrassed. How could you do this to me? There were important connections at that party, Emilio, and you got us thrown out. How could you?’
‘Don’t worry, you’ll read all about the dumb party in Truth and Fact,’ Emilio said sourly. ‘I’m going to expose every one of those uptight assholes. Show ’em up for the phony bums they all are. Nobody throws Emilio Sierra out.’
‘What are you going to do when you run out of stories?’ Rita jeered. ‘That’s all you’ve got going, Emilio. You make enemies of these people, an’ you’re never going to work in this town.’
‘What do you know?’ he snapped.
‘Plenty.’
Their argument escalated, and by the time they got back to his apartment, Rita was ready to move on. She got all her stuff together and called a cab.
‘You’ll never find another guy like me,’ Emilio screamed after her.
‘And I never want to,’ she screamed back.
* * *
In the Beverly Wilshire Hotel, Paige kissed Gino on the lips and snuggled into his comforting embrace.
‘Goodnight, Gino,’ she sighed contentedly.
‘Hey – what’s so good about it?’
She shook her copper-coloured curls. ‘We’re together, aren’t we?’
His hand reached down her leg, and travelled up it with his fingers. ‘For keeps?’
‘I want my ring!’
‘Sweetheart – you got it! Tomorrow we go shoppin’!’
They embraced again and settled down under the covers.
‘What took you so long?’ he asked curiously, stroking her thigh.
‘I was frightened.’
‘Of me?’
‘Of making another commitment.’
‘Well, this is it.’
She smiled happily. ‘I know, Gino. I know.’
‘Get used to it, kid.’
‘I already am.’
* * *
‘It’s good to be home,’ Mickey said.
‘You’re not home yet,’ Abigaile replied tartly. ‘You can keep your bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel until we’re both quite sure. You’re here on probation, Mickey.’
‘What is it with the probation bit? We’ve been married long enough to know we belong together.’
‘If we do decide to reconcile, it has to be different from before,’ Abigaile said. ‘No more mistresses. No more whores. I’ve been thinking, maybe we should see a marriage counsellor.’
Mickey roared incredulously. ‘A marriage counsellor! You and me? We’d be laughed out of town.’
* * *
Venus Maria had departed, but there were still plenty of guests left. Ron wished they’d all get the hell out. He was destroyed abo
ut Ken taking off with Antonio.
They’d been together almost a year. Loyalty. Ha! It didn’t exist anymore. Ken was a taker. Venus Maria had been right about him all along. The Ken Doll – what an apt description.
Adam Bobo Grant approached him. ‘Sensational party, Ron. You certainly do things with style.’
‘Thank you, Adam.’
‘Tell me, where’s your… friend?’
‘He’s not my friend anymore.’
‘Really?’
‘Really.’
* * *
‘You have beautiful hair,’ Saxon said, reaching out to touch.
‘Thank you,’ Leslie replied, backing away.
‘In fact, you’re a very beautiful girl. Are you an actress?’
She stared at him – wide-eyed and luscious. ‘No. Are you an actor?’
He tossed his mane of hair. ‘Do I look like one?’
‘You’re certainly handsome enough,’ she said shyly.
‘Who did you come with?’
‘Friends. Who are you with?’
‘A married lady about to get a divorce who changed her mind and reconciled with her husband tonight.’
‘Do you always take out married ladies?’
‘They’re kind of… attracted to me.’ He stared at her fresh beauty. ‘Why, are you married?’
She lowered her eyes. ‘I’m not sure.’
* * *
Frankie and Arnie had picked up four girls. ‘We’re goin’ back to the house to party,’ Arnie said, grabbing Eddie. ‘Get your ass in gear.’
Eddie had been pacing around all night long. He’d spotted Leslie early on and kept an eye on her. Now she was talking to some long-haired asshole and it pissed him off. He hadn’t spoken to her, because he didn’t know what to say.
‘Sure, sure, I’ll be with you in a minute.’ He waved Arnie away.
‘We’re outta here now,’ Frankie said. ‘See ya later.’
Eddie went to the john one more time. He laid out the last of his coke on the mirrored top, neatly arranged it into three thin lines, and snorted it through a hundred-dollar bill.
As the cocaine exploded in his brain he had a revelation.
Eddie Kane was going straight.
Leslie was going to help him.
Fuck everybody else. He’d made his decision.
* * *
And so the party ended. One by one the staff finished off their duties and went home for the night. The musicians packed up and left. The valet parkers produced the last of the cars.
Eventually there was peace and quiet.
The party was over.
Chapter 105
In Venus Maria’s house a shaking hand groped for the phone and dialed 911.
‘Help,’ a frantic voice gasped. Please help us. Someone’s been shot. Come as fast as you can.’
* * *
Something woke Lennie. He didn’t know what it was. Still half asleep he reached out to see if Lucky was in bed beside him. She wasn’t there. Shit!
Rolling out of bed, he wandered into the bathroom, glancing at his watch on the way. It was past one o’clock.
Something was wrong. He had a feeling. The kind of feeling you get when you wake up after a real bad nightmare.
He walked around the house. There was nobody home, but the waves breaking on the shoreline sounded awfully loud.
In the living room he found the doors leading out to the deck were open.
Strange, he couldn’t remember them being open before.
He went over to close them, and it was then that he saw a sight he was never going to forget.
A man – illuminated by the moonlight – was dragging a body into the sea.
Instinctively Lennie yelled out, ‘Hey!’
The man turned around, dropped the body, and began to sprint off along the beach.
Lennie raced down the steps onto the sand and ran towards the raging surf, heading towards where the man had been standing.
By the time he got there, whoever it was had vanished into the darkness.
Lennie waded into the surf. He couldn’t see anything, and yet he was sure he’d seen the guy hauling something into the sea.
Another wave crashed in and then subsided. Suddenly he spotted a body lying there, slowly being dragged out to sea. It was Lucky. Oh, Jesus Christ, it was Lucky!
Stumbling, he managed to grab her under the arms, and little by little – because she was like a dead weight – he dragged and pulled her up onto the sand.
Was she breathing? He couldn’t tell. He tried to remember everything he’d ever learned about CPR. Drowning… drowning… what the hell were you supposed to do when somebody was drowning?
Get the water out, turn her upside down. Oh God! This was his worst nightmare come true.
And he had no idea if he was going to be able to save her.
Chapter 106
The funeral was a sombre affair. The mourners wore black. And the huge crowd overflowed the church.
Martin was there, ignoring the crazed paparazzi as he walked inside, head bowed.
Several illegal helicopters hovered overhead.
Ahh… the price of fame…
* * *
‘I still feel like I went ten rounds with Mike Tyson,’ Lucky said, speaking carefully. Her jaw was bruised where the unknown assailant had smashed into it with his fist, and her arm was broken. That was before he’d tried to drag her into the ocean and attempted to drown her.
‘If anything ever happened to you—’ Lennie began.
She silenced him with a finger to his lips. ‘I’m here, you’re here. That’s enough. Don’t let’s think about what could have been if you hadn’t come back to me.’
He looked at her and shook his head. ‘I guess we were meant to be, Mrs. Golden.’
Ruefully she smiled up at him and responded with a simple ‘Yes, Mr. Golden, I guess we were.’
* * *
‘She was a fine woman,’ said the minister. ‘Fine and respected. And she will be missed.’
Martin stared straight ahead as the minister continued with the eulogy.
Yes, she would be missed, and so would Venus Maria. She’d run off to Mexico City and married Cooper Turner three days after Deena had turned the gun on herself and blown her own brains out in front of them.
Fate.
Who could control it?
Not even Martin Swanson.
He’d been publicly disgraced and humiliated all within days. It reflected badly on his image.
But he would rise again.
Nothing could hold Martin Swanson back. A tarnished image could regain its lustre. He was working towards that goal.
* * *
They watched the funeral on television.
‘Tough break,’ Lennie said quietly.
‘For whom?’ Lucky asked.
‘All of them.’
‘Yes.’
‘Listen,’ Lennie said. ‘I talked to the police again. They’ve still got no lead on who it was. Are you absolutely certain you don’t know anything?’
‘I have no idea,’ Lucky said, picking up a magazine and glancing through it.
‘You’re sure?’
Bobby raced into the room. ‘Grandpa’s gettin’ married,’ he yelled. ‘Grandpa’s gettin’ married.’ He leaped on the bed and began bouncing up and down.
‘When?’ asked Lucky, throwing down the magazine.
‘Soon as he can,’ shouted Bobby. ‘And I’m his best man. He told me, he said so.’
Brigette followed Bobby into the bedroom. ‘It’s true,’ she said, full of giggles. ‘Gino says he and Paige are getting married the minute her divorce comes through and they’re going to live in Palm Springs.’
‘Gino will hate Palm Springs,’ Lucky murmured, shaking her head.
‘If he’s with Paige – Alaska will do it for him,’ corrected Lennie.
Brigette jumped on the bed too. ‘Can Nona and I borrow your car, Lennie? We’re meeting Paul at the airport.’ r />
‘The Ferrari? No way, take the jeep.’
Brigette pulled a face. ‘I do drive a stick shift, you know,’ she said haughtily.
‘Good for you. Take the jeep.’
‘Can I come with you?’ yelled Bobby.
‘Keep the noise down – your mother’s supposed to be resting,’ Lennie said.
‘Can I?’ screeched Bobby, jumping up and down.
‘Come on, brat,’ replied Brigette. ‘Catch me if you can.’
They raced noisily out of the room.
‘Hmmm,’ Lucky said. ‘And you want more kids? Aren’t these two enough?’
He smiled. ‘I thought I did, but now that I know what it’s like to almost lose you, we can do whatever you want. It’s your call.’
‘And I made it.’
‘Huh?’
‘We’re pregnant, Lennie.’
‘We’re what?’
‘Yup. We’re pregnant, and we own a studio, and we’re going to make your screenplay, and we’re still married, and hey, do you realize we’ve been married almost two years?’
He shook his head and grinned. ‘Two years, huh? And they said it wouldn’t last.’
‘Spring open the champagne, husband.’
‘You got it, wife.’
Their eyes met and they smiled. Two stubborn, crazy, smart people.
A new adventure was just beginning.
Epilogue
Mickey and Abigaile Stolli reconciled.
Mickey eventually became the head of Orpheus Studios, although by that time it was owned by a Japanese conglomerate.
Abigaile continued to give tasteful dinner parties. Mickey continued to fool around.
Tabitha celebrated her fourteenth birthday by running away with an eighteen-year-old Hispanic waiter.
Abigaile and Mickey were unamused. They sent her off to L’Evier – a strict boarding school for young ladies in Switzerland – and hoped for the best.
Johnny Romano took Lucky’s advice and made a simple, heartwarming comedy in which he played the hero. He did not say ‘motherfucker’ once.
The film – a Panther production – went through the roof.
Johnny celebrated by asking Warner Franklin to marry him in the middle of a promotional tour of Europe. He’d taken her along for the company.
On the eve of their wedding in Italy, she met a six-foot-ten American basketball player and fell madly in love.