Lucky

If they ever did track him he had two polaroid pictures of sweet little Brigette at play. She thought she’d kept all the prints, but it had been easy to slip a couple to one side. Those photos alone should be worth a million bucks to her family to suppress. Yeah. A million dollars meant nothing to those kind of people. Once he had the money it was a clear run ahead.

  ‘How much are we going to ask for?’ Brigette ventured.

  ‘A million dollars,’ Tim replied seriously. ‘A million buckeroos.’

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty

  By nine o’clock at night CeeCee was frantic, yet nobody else seemed to give a damn. She had been running back and forth between the rented house and the Bel Air mansion hoping for news. The rented house was empty. No Gino or Costa.

  ‘Don’t be such a worry wart,’ Alice said, totally unconcerned. ‘Brigette’s with Roberto, so he’s quite safe. They’re either out, with Gino, or maybe at her girlfriend’s house.’

  ‘Who is her girlfriend, Mrs Golden?’ CeeCee asked desperately. She was probably worrying unnecessarily – they were more than likely with Mr Santangelo as Alice said.

  Alice shrugged. ‘I don’t know . . . a school friend. Brigette stayed with her last night.’

  If they were with Gino, CeeCee thought, then why hasn’t he left a message? ‘Do you have a phone number?’ she asked, still concerned.

  Alice shook her head.

  ‘How about Brigette’s friend? What’s her name?’

  ‘Je ne sais pas.’

  CeeCee was at boiling point. ‘Mrs Golden!’ she exploded. ‘You’re a disgrace. You’re supposed to be in charge of Brigette and you don’t even know where she spent the night.’

  ‘Don’t speak to me in that tone of voice,’ Alice said haughtily. ‘I was once a star, y’know. Everyone thinks my son is the big shot in the family, but I was famous before he was born. So stick that in your thinking cap and don’t be so rude, young woman.’

  CeeCee glared. Roberto’s safety was at stake, not to mention her job, and this old crone was giving a speech about stardom. ‘I just want Roberto home’, she said through clenched teeth. ‘How can we find out who Brigette’s friend is?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ snapped Alice. ‘And I wish you’d stop fussing so. They’ll be back in a minute, just you wait and see.’

  * * *

  ‘I don’t believe it!’ Rainbow exclaimed. ‘The man himself.’

  Lennie swept her into a hug.

  ‘Foxie!’ she called. ‘Come an’ see what I got for you!’

  Foxie came scurrying out from his office, took one look at Jess and grabbed her.

  ‘Not her!’ Rainbow laughed. She kissed Lennie jammily on the mouth.‘This hunk.’

  ‘A hunk, a skunk, who cares?’ said Foxie, rolling his cross eyes. ‘When my sweet Jess is around, nobody else counts.’

  ‘Charming!’ smiled Rainbow. ‘He loves another woman!’

  ‘And I love him, too,’ Jess said firmly, cuddling the little man.

  Lennie smiled and relaxed. He had neglected his friends since hitting it big. Well, Olympia would hardly have fitted in – he could just imagine her with the lecherous Foxie. Or making conversation with raunchy Rainbow.

  Lucky would fit in. Lucky would fit in anywhere.

  Give it a couple of months and he would call her.

  Yeah.

  Maybe they could start over.

  Maybe.

  * * *

  Costa became a proud father at 9.40 p.m. He was ecstatic. He had a seven pound, two ounce baby daughter.

  He marched along the hospital corridor handing out cigars to strangers. Then he rushed to the telephone to inform Gino of the marvellous news.

  CeeCee answered the phone. ‘Oh, Mr Zennocotti, where are you?’ she wailed. ‘Is Roberto with you?’

  ‘Why would he be with me?’ said Costa, puzzled. ‘Put Gino on the line, quickly.’

  ‘He’s not here. Roberto’s not here,’ And she launched into a jumbled explanation.

  Costa said exactly what Alice had said. ‘They must be with Gino. Don’t worry. I’m sure they’ll be home any time now. And when they get there, have Gino call me. Pronto. I have magnificent news.’

  * * *

  At ten o’clock exactly the telephone rang in the Bel Air mansion.

  ‘Hello,’ Alice said gaily. She was quite merry on several glasses of Grand Marnier, and Claudio was feeling no pain after imbibing a half bottle of Delamain brandy.

  ‘A million bucks,’ said a muffled voice.

  ‘What?’

  ‘Roberto. Brigette. A million bucks for the two of them.’

  ‘I can’t hear you: Speak up.’

  ‘Don’t call the police, just think about getting the money together. Cash. Fifty dollar bills. Unmarked.’

  ‘I don’t understand. Who is this?’

  ‘Farmer’s Market. Four o’clock tomorrow afternoon. Go into the bookstore with a bag containing the money. Go over to the diet book section in the back – put the bag in the corner and leave the store by the other entrance. Don’t look back. Got it?’

  ‘Oh dear!’ Alice fluttered.

  ‘If you want to see either of them alive again you’d better follow my instructions. A million bucks. No cops. No fuck-ups. No second chances. If you do exactly as I say, the kids will be returned to the house within an hour.’

  The line clicked dead.

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-One

  Kennedy airport was crowded with people determined to make an early start on the weekend rush.

  Lucky strode straight through to the Pan Am lounge. She just had time for a cup of coffee before her flight was called.

  Steven arrived at the airport fifteen minutes later. His expression was grim as he bought a ticket for the next Pan Am flight to L.A. He was unshaven and unkempt, having spent an all night vigil by Mary-Lou’s bedside.

  Sometimes in life there are things you have to do. And sometimes staying on the right side of the law means these things never get accomplished.

  Steven, for once in his life, planned to take the law into his own hands.

  Steven, personally, planned to beat the shit out of Santino Bonnatti.

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Two

  ‘I’m uncomfortable,’ Brigette whined. She had been whining on and off all night long. A list of complaints spewed forth from her rosebud lips.

  ‘For crissake,’ Tim said. ‘Go back to sleep.’

  She sat up. ‘Gotta go to the bathroom,’ she mumbled.

  ‘Well, go’, he said bad-temperedly.

  She climbed off the couch bed, stepped over Roberto – who was sleeping on a makeshift pile of cushions, and shut herself in the tiny bathroom. It was no fun sleeping next to Tim squashed up together like sardines in a can. It might have been fun if the stupid kid wasn’t with them. She couldn’t stand dumb little Bobby. Why did they have to keep him?

  She imagined CeeCee freaking out. Oh, the panic she must be in!

  Tim was up when she emerged from the bathroom, and so was Roberto. ‘I’m hungry,’ the boy said, rubbing his eyes.

  Lucky would freak too. Brigette felt a bit bad about that – but it wasn’t like they weren’t looking after Bobby. ‘I’ll make breakfast,’ she said cheerfully.

  ‘There’s nothing to make,’ Tim replied. Now that the wheels were in motion he wanted it to be over and done with. Timing was everything.

  Collect the money.

  Dump Brigette and the kid.

  Grab Eden.

  And run.

  There was an afternoon flight to Mexico City and he had booked two seats. From there, they would hire a car and drive into oblivion.

  ‘Wanta go home,’ Roberto said. ‘Want CeeCee. Want mama.’

  Brigette opened the fridge. There was nothing in it.

  ‘Don’t you ever eat?’ she asked Tim. ‘I’m starving.’

  He had sent out for pizza the night before, there was some left in the box. ‘Feast on that,’ he said.

  ‘Ugh
!’ she exclaimed. ‘I’ll go out to the market.’

  ‘No you won’t,’ he said quickly. ‘I’ll do it – write down what you want.’

  The last thing he needed was Brigette wandering around the neighbourhood getting seen and remembered. He thought about what must be going on at the Bel Air mansion. They were probably amassing the money and keeping quiet. Rich people didn’t like publicity. His hunch was they would pay and shut up – as long as they got their kids back.

  He had quizzed Brigette relentlessly about whether she had ever mentioned him to any of them.

  ‘No way,’ she had assured him. ‘Like they’d freak out if they thought I was seeing someone.’

  He dressed in a hurry while Brigette scribbled out a list of her requirements. Could he trust her? She seemed happy enough, but just in case, he warned her not to pick up the phone if it rang, and double lock the front door behind him when he left.

  Once on the street he phoned Eden. ‘Can you talk?’ he questioned.

  ‘No.’ Her voice was tremulous. ‘I think you have the wrong number.’

  He kept his voice low and spoke fast. ‘Meet me outside the front of the May Company on Wilshire just after four today. Everything’s in motion. We’re on our way.’

  * * *

  ‘Who was that?’ Santino asked.

  ‘Wrong number,’ Eden replied.

  ‘Did they talk dirty?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Then why’dja hang on an’ listen?’

  ‘They repeated the number, just to see if they dialled correctly.’

  ‘You think I’m a cunt or what?’

  She was sick of his abuse – physical and mental. There was no let up. He had stayed the night to torment her. Now she had to plan her escape. It would not be easy to get out. ‘I think you should leave me alone,’ she said wearily.

  ‘Yeah. I think so too. You’re not gettin’ any younger. You are an old broad – you know that? Kinda sad – but I got a heart of gold hangin’ around, fuckin’ ya, lettin’ ya live here. Doncha think?’

  ‘I appreciate everything you’ve done for me, Santino.’ He had trained her to behave like a lap dog, roll over and play dead.

  ‘I even starred ya in a movie,’ he continued. ‘Just what ya wanted. Right, honey?’

  She nodded. ‘It was very kind of you.’

  The moment he left the house she was going. Zeko would be easy to lose in Beverly Hills while she supposedly shopped. There was one store she knew where the fitting rooms led on to a back alleyway. If she took a pile of clothes and left Zeko waiting in front, it would be hours before he even realized she’d gone.

  ‘Sure, sure, sure,’ Santino said expansively. He sat up in bed and stroked his hairy chest with loving care. ‘I starred ya in a movie – pretty generous of me considerin’ you’re over the hill.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she murmured.

  ‘Ya paid me back tho’.’

  She had no idea where he was heading. Silence was safest.

  ‘Yeah,’ Santino said reflectively. ‘Ya certainly paid me back. An’ how.’

  Her face felt terrible. She could hardly see out of her left eye and her lip was swollen and sore. What a mess she must look.

  ‘I got a head for revenge,’ he said vindictively. ‘Cross Santino Bonnatti an’ you’d better not walk down any one way streets on a dark night. Not even ten years later. Ya gettin’ my drift?’

  ‘I’ve never crossed you.’

  ‘Whaddya call fuckin’ your co-star?’

  ‘I didn’t.’

  A smash across the face.

  She felt her teeth rattle. ‘I didn’t, you bastard!’

  ‘Maybe ya did an’ maybe ya didn’t,’ he said mildly. ‘I figured it might be a gag t’ find out.’

  He had opened the cut on her lip. Blood dripped slowly onto satin sheets.

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Three

  Where was Gino? A message from him turned up on the answering machine saying he would be out all night, but leaving no clue to his whereabouts.

  Alice, when she received what she considered to be a garbled phone call about kidnapping and ransom, sat in shocked silence for a few moments, and then had hysterics.

  Claudio sent for CeeCee. She immediately located Costa at the hospital, then collapsed in a chair shaking and muttering to herself. Shortly after, Costa arrived at the house and tried to take charge. ‘No police,’ he kept on saying. ‘No outside help until we hear from Gino.’

  ‘What about Lucky?’ wailed CeeCee. ‘She’ll go crazy. She’ll blame me, and it is my fault.’

  ‘It’s nobody’s fault,’ Costa said wearily. This was turning out to be the worst night of his life as well as the best. He attempted to reach Lucky at the Hotel Santangelo, and spoke to Matt, who told him she was flying into L.A. on the early morning flight. ‘You can reach her at The Pierre if it’s important’, Matt added.

  Costa didn’t know what to do. If she was coming in anyway why worry her? He decided to meet her at the airport. In the meantime he tried to reach Olympia and Lennie.

  A maid informed him that Miss Stanislopoulos was out, and that Mr Golden no longer lived there.

  ‘Where is he?’ Costa asked.

  The maid, who had been awakened from her sleep, was uncooperative and professed not to know.

  Costa spent a restless night. He ordered a still-hysterical Alice upstairs, with Claudio to comfort her. And he sent CeeCee back to the rented house to wait for Gino. Meanwhile, he sat up in Lennie’s study all night, counting the minutes, and trying to figure out who could possibly have snatched the kids. They wanted – whoever they were – a million dollars in cash. An impossible task to get together by four o’clock in the afternoon. Although if anyone was able to do it, Gino and Lucky could.

  Costa just wished he could contact one or the other of them. He had made a bad decision by not trying to reach Lucky before she left New York, but when he did finally decide to call her she was already on her way to the airport.

  He checked with the hospital. His wife and baby were doing fine.

  He didn’t feel so fine himself. He felt like an old man.

  * * *

  ‘Gotta tell you – you make me feel sixteen again!’ Gino beamed, in the morning. ‘Well . . . maybe twenty.’

  Paige stretched luxuriously. ‘God, Gino. You really must have been something when you were young.’

  ‘Horny, hot-headed – they used t’call me Gino the Ram.’

  Paige laughed aloud. ‘The Ram! I love it. Tell me more at once!’

  ‘Well, I kinda lived between foster homes, an’ there was this one woman – she had the biggest bazookas I’d ever seen – an’ she expected me t’call her mom.’

  Paige sat up in bed. She looked good in the morning, not washed out like a lot of women her age. ‘What did you call her?’ she asked eagerly.

  ‘Anything except mom. I was thirteen – an’ she kinda showed me the way t’go.’

  She nodded knowingly. ‘Ah . . . so you received your sexual education from an older woman.’

  ‘Yeh. An’ I learned how t’fuck, too.’

  ‘Gino!’

  ‘Don’t tell me I finally shocked you?’

  ‘Never.’

  ‘What are you? Unshockable?’

  ‘Yup.’

  ‘Tough broad.’

  ‘Tougher than you.’

  ‘Yeh?’

  ‘Yes.’

  He reached for her, but she evaded his move. ‘It shocked you when you discovered me in bed with Susan, didn’t it?’ she asked quietly.

  Silence hung heavy. He had been prepared to forget that little incident – now she was dragging it up.

  ‘As a matter of fact,’ she continued, determined to get it out in the open, ‘Susan and I were having an affair long before she met you. We were—’

  ‘I don’t want to know about it,’ he interrupted roughly.

  ‘I think you should. When you and I got together I realized that I wanted you a great deal
more than I did her. Susan was reluctant to let go – the day you found us together was my goodbye.’

  ‘Some goodbye,’ he snorted.

  ‘Haven’t you ever taken a lover to bed to let them down easily when it’s over?’

  ‘I’d sooner see you in the sack with a young stud than with my wife,’ he said tightly.

  ‘Next time I’ll try and oblige.’

  ‘Hey—’ He pulled her down close to him. ‘Has anyone ever told you that you got a big smart mouth?’

  ‘Not lately.’

  He rolled on top of her, groaned and rolled off.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ she asked, concerned.

  ‘Why should I do all the work? I’m an over-the-hill stud – you’re the sex maniac. Go to it, Mrs Wheeler.’

  She sighed. ‘My oh my,’ she said, shaking her head.

  ‘Whoever your teacher was, she certainly did a thorough job!’

  * * *

  Lennie slept, cocooned in good feelings. He was working again – the creative juices flowing. He was back among his friends – an evening with Jess and Foxie and Rainbow was pure enjoyment. And he was free.

  He got up in the morning and went straight back to work with a stack of yellow legal pads, a ballpoint pent, and just his mind for company.

  Later he would call Alice and give her the news of the impending divorce. She would probably have a nervous breakdown when she realized he would no longer be married to one of the richest women in the world. She had liked having a Stanislopoulos for a daughter-in-law.

  Oh well . . .

  Too bad.

  Poor old Alice.

  Chapter One-Hundred-Twenty-Four

  Tim whistled as he headed back to his apartment carrying a paper sack containing milk, orange juice, bread, jam, and ice cream to keep the kid quiet. The hustle was going to work like a dream. He had been thinking that perhaps after Mexico he and Eden might head down to Brazil.

  Ah . . . Rio. Ipanema Beach. Copacabana. With a million bucks to keep them company they could do anything they wanted. Maybe he’d give up his acting career that wasn’t going anywhere in a hurry and become a songwriter or a beach bum. He would soon be able to afford to do whatever he wanted. Anything at all.