Heartland (30 page)

Milo slid from the booth and turned into a silent menace who gripped Leo's elbow and tugged. Allerby said, “Get out there and do what you're being paid for.”

Leo either rose from the table or lost connection to his arm. He clutched his briefcase to his chest. “Come on, guys.”

Allerby planted his elbow on the table and took careful aim. “Hollywood lives by its own laws, Leo. You know laws, right? Here's one you better remember. There are no second chances in this town. Now
bring me closure
.”

When they were alone, Allerby signaled the waiter. The kid was a match for any of the female lovelies on display at the tables. “Yes sir, Mr. Allerby?”

“A double Gibson. I want it so cold it goes down like diesel.”

“You got it. Mr. Keplar?”

Neither man questioned how the kid knew who they were. “Same.”

“It'll be a pleasure.”

Milo asked quietly, “So what's new?”

“I spoke to both our investors this morning. And the bank. The funds are in place.”

“So everything is cool.”

“For now.”

Milo waited while the kid deposited their drinks. “And the film?”

“They're reshooting all of last week's scenes. Britt refused pointblank to send the dailies.” Martin sipped his drink. “My source tells me several trysts have disrupted things.”

Those who dined on gossip feasted well in Hollywood. “So tell.”

“Friday night one of the bit actors, down to play a dopey deputy, a role he was apparently born for, decided to show the chief roadie he wasn't all that tough. The Salton police claim it set a new record for the world's quickest fight. Then on Saturday two teenage daughters of a local restaurateur were caught sharing favors with the assistant set designer, who apparently had promised them starring roles. That fight took longer to unravel, and cost us the only designer with any film experience whatsoever.”

Milo inspected his partner's face. “What aren't you telling me?”

“There is nothing I know of to cause us any alarm,” Martin said carefully. “What about from your end?”

“We've got a bidding war on our hands. Filmbox and Movietime both want
Strippers
so bad they're salivating.”

“They can't leak this.”

“It's just me and my one guy in each place. Both want points in the feature. They're ready to write me a check tomorrow.” When Allerby's only response was to sip from his glass, Milo demanded, “I thought you'd be doing a hula over that news.”

Martin sipped again. The glass was so cold it threatened to stick to his fingers. He felt the oily liquid slide down his throat. “They've started a prayer group.”

Milo stopped in the process of lifting his glass. “What, like a church thing?”

“In the hotel. A Bible reading and then a time of prayer. Every morning, apparently. Stars, techies, gaffers, anybody on the set who wants to join in.” Martin drained his glass, set it down, and tinged the edge as the waiter passed. “I'm getting daily figures. Seventeen, eighteen, occasionally two dozen.”

“About half the crew.” Milo finished his drink and motioned for a refill. “That's right, isn't it?”

“Close enough. There's more. Apparently our star has given up both his suite and his trailer. To the writer. Whose wife is heavily pregnant.

The only demands our replacement JayJay has made thus far were for his limo to go fetch Cynthia. That's the writer's wife. And for our trusty AD to arrange for a specialist to be on round-the-clock call for this lady.

Who does not, I hasten to add, have any connection whatsoever to the star in question.”

“It doesn't make him a decent actor, right? I mean, we still have a totally inexperienced crew making a film without a script.”

“Yes.” Martin nodded his thanks as the waiter returned in light speed with their drinks. “I quite agree.”

Milo took his glass like medicine. “So why do I feel the worms gnawing at my gut?”

Martin shook his head. “Perhaps mine are contagious. I have no other explanation.”

Chapter 33

T
he first indication they had of any problem was when they tried to make the turn onto Main Street and couldn't.

They made quite a convoy. Britt was in the truck with JayJay because, as Britt put it, he wanted to see what it was like to ride in a cherry-red rocket launcher. Claire sat between them, her place awarded because of her role as JayJay's coach. The grips and electricians had claimed the truck bed and padded the back with some old Indian blankets.

At three that afternoon they had returned to the hotel for a rest. Over an early catered Mexican dinner, Britt told the crew that everybody not working the set could do what they wanted with the rest of their day. Apparently what all of the prayer group and a number of the others wanted was to come watch.

Two limos and a trio of taxis followed JayJay's truck from the hotel parking lot. The truck was silent during the ride except for one remark from Britt, which was, “Peter's told me about Kelly singing for you.”

“For me and a passel of others.”

“Strange she wouldn't put it on her fact sheet.” Both windows were open, and the late-afternoon breeze was a wash of heat and orchard flavors. “Most actors use their fact sheets like rubber bands. As in, runner-up in the local Miss Car Wash pageant becomes a finalist at Miss Universe.”

“Which means two things from where I'm sitting. One, she won't sing for you unless it's her kind of music. Which is Christian with a bluesy-rock-jazz edge.”

Britt humphed a little bounce in his seat, but said nothing.

“And two, when she finds out I'm the one who talked, she's gonna come armed for bear.”

Claire offered, “I've got this little thirty-eight, you can sleep with it under your pillow if it'll make you feel better.”

JayJay tried to keep his voice calm as he added, “Speaking of the lady, do you know how she's doing?”

“The limo's supposed to have taken her straight from LAX to backstage,” Britt replied to his window. “You can ask her yourself.”

But when they arrived at the intersection of the rural highway and Main, the road just froze up. Ahead of them was a solid wall of people.

Britt leaned forward and said, “Is this a joke?”

Kip emerged from the edge of the crowd, so frantic he almost skipped toward the truck.

When he arrived panting beside Britt's window, the director demanded, “Why aren't they inside? You were supposed to get them settled and—”

“They
are
inside!” Kip's wave took in the intersection, the sunset, the buildings, the whole dusty world. “The hall's been full for an
hour
. They just keep
coming
.”

Up ahead, Derek pushed through the crowd that had now turned to look their way. He called out behind him then jogged to the truck. He climbed onto JayJay's running board and said breathlessly, “You might as well park here and walk.”

Britt was not smiling. “Do we have a problem here?”

Up ahead of them, the mayor of Salton City wriggled through the crowd, patting backs and shouting howdy's. He came over, climbed onto JayJay's running board beside Derek, and poked a sweating face into the cab. “I ain't seen this many people since Salton High played Fresno for the state finals!”

Claire asked, “Are we safe?”

Miller Whitley's laugh boomed inside the cab. “They're pretty calm now, little lady. But I reckon one bolt from the blue and you'd see a stampede to carry home and tell your grandchildren about.”

Kip whined, “I can't
handle
them!”

“Don't you worry none,” Miller replied. “We've deputized every deacon in three counties. The sheriff's got the whole place locked down. They're turning away everybody trying to slip in under the wire.”

Even Britt could not hide his surprise. “You mean there's
more
?”

“There would be if we let 'em in.” Miller beamed as he punched JayJay's shoulder. “What can I tell you, hoss. This here is JayJay Parsons country.”

Though Kip had no more substance than a brilliant butterfly, he forged a path through the crowd with the force of voice and will alone. JayJay walked in the middle of his own throng like a prizefighter headed for the ring. He heard Miller ask the director, “Wherever did you find that squirt of yours?”

“They sort of spawn around Hollywood,” Britt replied. “Kip has his uses.”

“I heard them environmental yo-yos say the same thing about cottonmouths,” Miller replied. “It don't mean I'd give one a job.”

The crowd was remarkably silent and well behaved. A few people, mostly young and female, tried to offer JayJay bits of paper and pens. He let his group's general movement sweep him along. He did not look away from, or directly at, anyone.

Miller stopped when they reached the stairs leading to the hall's rear access. “Might be a good idea if you said something.”

“Sure.” Britt had an actor's ability to draw attention. He did not shout, but his voice carried well. “My name is Britt Turner, director of
Heartland
. I guess it goes without saying we weren't expecting quite so many people. But we're glad you're here. I think what we'll try and do is shift out the crowd that is inside now after a couple of takes. Does everybody understand that term? We are going to shoot a number of takes of a crucial scene tonight, or at least, we're going to try. My assistant, Kip Denderhoff, where are you, Kip?”

Miller said, “I believe I seen him riding a westbound train for the coast.”

When the laughter died, Kip called from the front porch, “Here!”

“Okay. Kip will explain how the take needs to run, and what we'd like you folks to do. I guess that's all, except to thank you for coming.”

Miller called out, “Couple more things. The churches at either end of Main are opening their doors and brewing coffee. The diners and the bakery are all open. And we're stringing church speakers out here so you folks can listen to what's going on inside.”

As they headed for the rear entrance, JayJay asked the mayor, “Who did you tell?”

“Aw, nobody you'd know. Word just kinda spread.”

JayJay was kept from pressing further by the sight of a tawny head of hair crowning a woman whose beauty drew light and attention from all through the back room. He marched straight over and said to the makeup lady working on her face, “Give us a minute, please.”

“Sure, JayJay.”

Kelly did not object as he led her to as remote a corner as he could find. “I've missed you, Kelly.”

She was tight. Subdued. “I shouldn't be here at all.”

“I was sorry to hear about your grandmother. How is she?”

“Not good. She's eighty-one and she's independent and she's stubborn. She hated the idea of live-in help. Ran off the nurses we brought in. Refused to move into our home.” Kelly scanned the room, searching everywhere but in his direction. “Momma found her lying on the kitchen floor, she'd broken her hip. We can't even say how long she'd been down. But we think all night.”

He made fists by his sides to keep from reaching over and taking hold. This was not the place or the sort of lady who'd accept an embrace she hadn't asked for. “I can't tell you how sorry—”

“Grandma's gone all addled. The doctors say it's normal for somebody her age who's had a bad spell.” Kelly bit her lip to stop the tremble. “They don't think she's going to get better.”

“Oh, Kelly.”

“She didn't remember me, JayJay. She basically raised me. My second momma. And here I am, playing games for the camera while she's alone up there. And I don't know how many days I've got left with her.”

JayJay tried to hear what she was saying and not just what his heart was telling him. Which was, the lady had moved on and hadn't taken him with her.

“But Daddy said I'd made promises and I needed to keep them. Which is the only reason I came back.” Kelly focused on someone behind him. “Guess it's time to get started.”

Britt stepped into their midst. “Kelly, you okay?”

“I'm here.”

“Well, I'm sorry for your troubles. But we're under pressure and we need to play this like the pros we are. Right?” He took their silence as accord. “Derek wants to situate you out in the crowd now. He needs to light your seat. Wait, I want to run through this since you missed my talk earlier on. This scene isn't just about JayJay swaying the crowd. You are going to hear him, and you are going to
change
. He is going to affect you
very deeply
. Can you handle that?”

Her hesitation was as hard a blow as any JayJay had ever felt. Finally she responded with a very tiny, “Yes.”

“We need to see this change in your expression long before you stand up and deliver your line. Okay. Let's go get you settled.”

JayJay had a jumble of words and thoughts that welled up as Kelly turned away. Which was why he said nothing at her departure.

He stood there staring at the empty space until a voice beside him said, “What I'd give for a guy like you to miss me like you're missing her.”

JayJay faced Claire and confessed, “I've blown it wide open.”

“Maybe not.”

“I had my chance and lost it on worrying over things I can't control.”

“Yeah, I know that song too. Woulda, coulda, shoulda.” Claire did not even try for a smile. “But you remember why we're all here?”

He pretty much sighed the words, “I ain't got it in me.”

“That's where you're wrong. Remember what we've been talking about? Search your core, find what it is you've got boiling inside, and
use
it. Sometimes it doesn't matter what's churning inside your gut, so long as it's
strong
.” She gave that a minute, then, “I've been in this business a long time, JayJay. And I know what I'm talking about when I say, whatever it is that makes for a pro, you've got it in spades.”