Lovers and Gamblers (80 page)

Cody gripped the phone tightly, trying not to lose his temper. ‘She was having a rest.’

Lew snorted nastily. ‘A rest? With that motherfucker? The cunt was supposed to be at the studio working for me. Remember?’

‘You had fired her,’ Cody reminded him.

‘So I hired her again. Big fuckin’ deal.’

‘Will the studio release a statement or shall I?’

‘We will. The publicity will give
Man Made Woman
a peachy send-off. Trying to get it slotted on the tube earlier than planned. The cunt might have done us a favour.’

Cody’s temper snapped. ‘Don’t keep on calling her that.’

‘What you want I should call her? Princess?’ He sniggered. ‘Did I ever tell you, Cody, about how I first met your beautiful client?’

‘No.’

Lew thought better of revealing the facts. ‘Some other time – remind me. By the way – you got any other girls right for the part? Looks like we might have ourselves a vacancy.’

* * *

Edna sat in her kitchen sipping her fifth cup of tea in an hour. She was trying to sort out her feelings. She was grieved but not heartbroken.
And that was a horrible reaction. Why didn’t she feel worse?

Was it the uncertainty? The fact that nobody knew whether the occupants of the plane were dead or alive?

Her
husband
was on board. Her
son
. The two men she had devoted her life to. The two men who had prevented her from having any life of her own.

She had let go long ago… the night she had walked in on Al in Tucson. And the relief of not caring any more… The simple pleasure of living her life without having to put two other unappreciative people before her.

Al first… then Evan. She had realized the mistake of clinging to her son. He would be better off with his father. She would be better off alone.

Now this…

The photographers and news media had descended like vultures. How happy they were that he was with another woman on the plane. They seemed to have forgotten the fact that she had previously announced she was divorcing him. That was an irrelevant fact now. It spoiled the dramatic suspense. Far better to have a ‘left at home’ wife while he had been gallivanting with a beautiful young girl across America.

She had sent them all packing. But they were still outside the house, waiting like birds of prey to pounce as soon as she appeared.

She had made her way across the garden and comforted Paul’s two children. Nanny was in an awful state, sobbing and wailing.

‘Is Mrs. King returning from New York?’ Edna asked.

‘She can’t,’ snivelled Nanny. ‘She phoned to say it’s impossible. Oh, it’s so awful… That poor, poor man… And to think I only spoke to him a few days ago… Oh, it’s dreadful… shocking… These poor little mites… What will happen to them?’

‘We don’t know the worst yet, Nanny. The plane might be perfectly safe in some other country. Please try and calm yourself.’

‘Yes,’ sobbed Nanny, ‘yes.’

Edna phoned the telephone exchange and asked them to reconnect her phone. Then she went home and waited. It was all she could do – wait.

* * *

‘You left Acapulco very suddenly,’ Doris Andrews whispered. ‘Why was that? You didn’t even say goodbye.’

Evita stared at her. ‘Jorge had to get back… Unexpectedly.’

‘Oh. I see.’ Doris squeezed her hand. ‘I was hoping it had nothing to do with what happened between us.’

‘It didn’t,’ Evita replied shortly.

‘Good.’

The two women were silent. Evita lying wanly on the bed. Doris sitting close by.

‘I thought of writing many times,’ Doris confided, ‘but then I would change my mind.’ She laughed nervously. ‘I hate rejection, you know.’

‘Don’t we all,’ agreed Evita, sitting up to sip from a glass of water.

Doris’s eyes slipped hungrily to her breasts which were softly enclosed in a pink satin nightgown. ‘You are as beautiful as ever,’ she murmured.

‘Please, Doris. What do you want? Why are you here?’ Evita’s low voice was pained.

‘I had to see you. I waited a year. I told Lew that you had invited me. I knew he was too busy to accompany me. I have thought about you… about us… so many times.’

Evita sighed. ‘Doris… what happened… It was a slip on my part. I like you, I really do. But you must understand, I love my husband, it could never happen again. Please – would you go now. I’m really too distraught to discuss anything.’

‘I know. It was selfish of me to come today. But I want to comfort you. You’ll allow me that small pleasure, won’t you?’

‘No one can comfort me. Not until I know where my daughter is.’ Tears streamed down her face. ‘This not knowing is a terrible thing…’

‘They’ll find her,’ Doris assured. ‘You’ll see, she’ll be all right. Have faith, Evita. I promise you she will be all right. I feel these things, I am very intuitive.’

‘Are you?’ Evita questioned hopefully, ‘are you really?’

‘Yes,’ replied Doris soothingly, ‘you wait, you’ll see. Trust in me. Now why don’t you try and sleep, I can come back later.’

Evita closed her eyes obediently. ‘I’ll try.’

* * *

Saturday night there was no further news. Linda had watched the Melanie King interview on television and she was disgusted and despondent. What kind of a woman went on television and gave an interview at a time like this? Why hadn’t the bitch flown back to London to be with her children? How could she be away from them at a time like this?

‘I think I’ll go home tonight,’ she told Cody. ‘I feel like being alone.’

He understood. ‘If I hear anything I’ll come over.’

‘Sure.’ She nodded. It wasn’t that she felt any differently about Paul… Or was it? The fact that he might be dead. The fact that she might never see him again… even if she wanted to. It was too awful… And Dallas, Bernie, Al…

She just wanted to be alone.

The not knowing was the worst.

The uncertainty.

‘We’ll know something tomorrow,’ Cody assured her.

‘Yes?’ she answered listlessly.

‘Yes,’ he replied positively, although he was as unsure as she was.

It was going to be a long hard night, and one he was glad that he would spend alone.

He wanted to think about Dallas.

He wanted to pray for her.

Dallas was the first to wake. She ached all over, and her neck hurt from sleeping in a sitting position. She glanced at Al. He was stretched out, mouth slightly open, snoring softly. She didn’t want to disturb him, he had worked so hard the previous day.

It must be very early, the sun was only just beginning to rise, and it was still chilly. At least it was daylight; the nights were so dark it was impossible to see anything.

She had woken in the middle of the night and heard noises – frightening rustles and growls. Instinctively she had know that there was some kind of wild animal circling around what was left of the plane. She had waited in horror, wondering if it would attempt to climb up, but eventually it had padded away.

She had not been able to sleep properly since then.

Oh God! What she would give for a simple cup of coffee… A piece of toast… A lump of dry bread – anything!

Quietly she left her seat, padding down the aisle to check out if anyone was awake.

Evan was asleep. They would have to do something about
him
today – it was wrong just leaving him alone, he would have to join in, become part of the group. After all, he wasn’t hurt, he could be useful.

In the bedroom compartment Bernie lay on his back, his eyes wide open. The towels wrapped around him were stiff with dried blood. Flies buzzed everywhere. Cathy and Paul slept.

‘How are you feeling?’ Dallas whispered to Bernie.

The day before he had been incoherent.

‘What the fuck we still doin’ here?’ he croaked.

‘I guess we’re waiting to be rescued,’ she replied.

He coughed, and she was dismayed to see a trickle of blood dribble from his mouth.

‘How long we been here?’

‘Today’s Sunday, we crashed Friday night.’

‘Jeeze… I don’t remember a thing.’

* * *

Al was having a beautiful dream. He was playing backgammon with the Shah of Persia, and
he
was winning. ‘Hey – Shah,’ he was saying, ‘I won her –
you
may have more bread but I won her.’

Dallas shook him back to reality. ‘Al – wake up. There are a couple of cupboards in the bedroom I can’t open. What’s in them? Any food?’

He opened his eyes wondering where he was. Then he remembered. ‘Food? I don’t know… which cupboards?’

She took his hand, ‘Come and see.’

* * *

Evan sneaked a bar of chocolate out of his shirt pocket. It was his last one. He wolfed it down ravenously. Now all he had left was a couple of packs of chewing gum. If his mother didn’t come soon, she would be too late…

* * *

Cathy woke up and affirmed the fact that the two locked cupboards
were
used to store supplies. She looked worse than anyone, with her poor battered face, missing teeth and crushed leg. But she refused to give in, she was cheerful and bright, and kept on saying, ‘Chin up, everyone, they’ll be here for us soon.’

Al smashed the two cupboards in, and they came upon a bonanza. One cupboard contained stocks of Kleenex, toilet tissue, paper towels, soap, cleaning materials, fresh towels and sheets. There were also three plastic containers of hand cream, an atomizer of perfume, and the best discovery of all – a first-aid box.

The second cupboard revealed an even more exciting array of goods. Three jars of instant coffee. Two boxes of tea bags. Four boxes of lump sugar. Three giant cans of orange juice. Six packets of crisps. Four tins of mixed nuts. Two packets of water biscuits. Six tins of the best caviar. Twelve small bottles of Perrier Water. Six large bottles of champagne. A packet of paper napkins. A packet of toothpicks. A glass jar of maraschino cherries. A corkscrew, bottle and tin opener. And finally three cans of anchovies.

‘We just hit pay dirt!’ Al exclaimed triumphantly. ‘We can last forever on this little lot!’

‘Not quite ever,’ Dallas warned. ‘I think we should ration it carefully.’

‘The hell with
that
. I’m starving.’ He was already opening up the biscuits, stuffing them in his mouth.

‘Al!’ reminded Dallas sharply. ‘Share them out.’

‘Don’t get panicky – there’s plenty here. Everyone help themselves.’

‘Look,’ interrupted Dallas angrily, ‘we don’t know how long we’re going to be here…’

‘She’s right,’ Paul joined in.

Reluctantly Al put the biscuits down. ‘So what the fuck do you want to do?’

‘We should just make it last,’ Dallas said coldly. She picked up the packet of biscuits and handed one out to everyone.

Al returned his with a sheepish grin. ‘I already had two.’

She smiled at him. ‘Thanks.’

‘You’re right,’ he replied. ‘I’m not going to argue when I know you’re right. We could sit here for fucking ever waiting for them to come and get us. I think I’ll take a little trip – see what I can find. Maybe I’ll come across the rest of the plane. You feel well enough to come with me, Paul?’

His brother nodded.

* * *

Cristina’s own tears woke her. She had been crying in her sleep, and the tears were stinging the cuts on her face.

It was already hot. A humid stifling heat which filtered down through the tall trees.

Nino lay across her lap. He looked a very funny colour, a sort of greyish white. She tried to rouse him, but he muttered angrily and refused to wake.

They were both covered in flies and mosquitoes. The horrible aggravating things wouldn’t go away. They buzzed and dived, inflicting nasty little bites on any exposed piece of skin. At least her legs were covered, but her arms were bitten all over.

She wanted to get up. She knew she
must
get up. But her strength seemed to have deserted her, and she wasn’t sure if she was capable of moving.

If she stayed where she was they would both die.

That thought stung her into action, and she stumbled to her feet, letting Nino’s head rest on the ground.

‘I’ll come back soon,’ she whispered, but he wasn’t listening. He was rolling around groaning.

She noticed that he still had his shoes on, running shoes with thick rubber soles.
She
was the one that had to do the walking, her feet were in such an awful state, surely he wouldn’t mind…

She struggled to get the shoes off him and put them on herself. They were big and sloppy, but they were better than nothing.

Exhausted before she had begun, she set off to try and find the plane.

* * *

Al and Paul were ready to leave.

‘You’ve got to be careful,’ Dallas warned. ‘This is the jungle, there are a million and one dangers.’

‘My lady – an expert on jungles!’ Al laughed.

‘I’m not an expert – but the only thing I learned as a kid was about animals. The big ones will leave you alone if they’ve eaten. It’s the smaller ones you must look out for. Poisonous insects, ants, scorpions, snakes. And whatever you do – don’t eat anything – no berries, plants, even flowers.’

‘You know something – eating flowers just ain’t my scene – and after that feast I had for breakfast – two water biscuits and some orange juice – how could I possibly think about food!’

She put her arms around him and kissed him. ‘Love you,’ she whispered. ‘
Please
be careful.’

‘We will.’

She watched them set off. They had two bottles of Perrier water with them, some saccharin, and Luke’s gun. They had found the gun in his jacket before burying him near the plane. They had also found a packet of chewing gum, and a hip flask of whisky. It had all been added to their supplies.

God, it was hot! How she longed for a bath, her clothes were sweat-stained and sticky. She wanted to rip them off and walk around naked, but the risk of exposing skin to the hungry mosquitoes was just not worth it. She remained resolutely covered as much as she could, and so far the only bites she had experienced were on her hands.

She had changed the towels around Bernie’s wound. It did not look good at all, but he certainly seemed in better shape than the previous day. Cathy, however, was deteriorating. Her leg was an ugly open wound, and even to Dallas’s inexperienced eye it seemed to be gangrenous.