Hollywood Husbands (65 page)

The fucking pills the stupid makeup girl had given him had made him crazy. Not to mention Clarissa. Thinking of her now, he shuddered. The woman was a fling, an interlude, and an unfaithful liar.

He couldn’t care less if he never set eyes on her again.

* * *

They’d taped
Face to Face with Python
early, ready for viewing later that evening, and it was a smash. Zachary K. Klinger was the kind of guest Jack wished he had on every week – forceful, opinionated, jagged, and sharp as a stiletto.

‘What a show!’ Aldrich congratulated him. ‘Dynamite! Especially when you got him talking about his personal life, and his sorrow at never having kids. Jesus, Jack – it’s compulsive viewing.’

Jack agreed. He knew it was a sensational show, and he also knew it presented an in-depth portrait of a man who had everything – and yet yearned for what he thought he was missing. Great insightful television. It wasn’t often he could say that.

Zachary had been pleased too. Considering he never consented to do interviews, it was a real coup for the Python Show to get him.

‘I’ll see you at my party,’ Zachary said as he departed, accompanied by several assistants. ‘I understand you’re bringing Senator Richmond with you. I’m delighted. I haven’t seen him for a while. I had no idea he was out here.’

Jack didn’t say –
He’s visiting Danielle
. He merely nodded, and wondered how he had become the beard for Peter Richmond.

They were all going to the party together: Jack with Kellie Sidney, the Senator with Danielle Vadeeme.

Peter Richmond had phoned him and asked, ‘Are you attending Zachary Klinger’s party?’

When he’d said yes, the Senator had inveigled an invitation for himself and the French actress. ‘Danielle wants to go,’ he’d explained. ‘If we come with you it will appear
you’re
with her.’

‘I’m taking Kellie,’ Jack had explained.

‘With your reputation,’ Peter guffawed, ‘everyone will naturally assume you’re with the two of them. I have to be careful. I
am
a married man, you know.’

On the cheat.

Weren’t most of them?

Sometimes Jack found it useful to store favours, so he’d agreed.

Kellie kept him waiting as usual. He was used to it now, as the dogs crawled all over him, and her three-year-old son greeted him with a sticky hug. Kellie walked the tightrope between movie star, mom, and producer with careless style.

‘Ooops!’ she exclaimed, rushing into the living room clad in a sexy long dress. ‘Odd earrings!’

‘And shoes,’ he pointed out.

‘No?’

‘Take a look.’

Glancing down at her feet, she clapped a hand over her mouth. ‘What a putz!’

‘But a lovable one.’

She grinned at him. ‘Thanks!’

It had taken effort on his part, getting connected with Kellie again. After the Spago incident, when he had slipped away with Jade Johnson, she had not been inclined to see him again. It had taken roses and persuasion, for out of all the women he’d dated since Clarissa (excluding Jade, of course –
she
was something else) Kellie was the nicest. And he admired her strong sense of family.

‘I can’t wait to meet the Senator,’ Kellie said. ‘I hear he’s quite a boy in Washington.’

‘So I believe.’

‘Politicians are
very
highly sexed.’

‘How do you know?’

She giggled. ‘I never said I was a virgin when we met!’

* * *

Up in Benedict Canyon, Clarissa let the driver wait as she finished getting ready. She wore a navy blue pants suit and a white sweater. Nothing fancy for Clarissa Browning. She didn’t need the phoney glitter of Hollywood.

Leaning close to her mirror, she traced the outline of a faint black eye – a souvenir of Mannon Cable. The violent bastard.

Earlier, she had called the private nursing home in Mexico to ask after Norman. They refused to give out information on the phone, even though she had a private number to contact.

She brooded about Puerto Vallarta and what had taken place there. Mannon Cable should have been properly punished for behaving like a maniac, but no – Howard Soloman had arrived with his warnings and threats. ‘If you let out one word of this,’ he had told her, ‘your career will be over, finished. Just like that.’

Hollywood folk.

They had their own laws.

Hollywood folk.

Sometimes she loathed the whole pack of them.

* * *

Beverly D’Amo was rushing from the house on her way to Long Beach to meet Zachary when the messenger arrived, carrying a brown manila envelope marked:

EXTREMELY URGENT

PRIVATE PAPERS

Attention of
:
ZACHARY K. KLINGER

Hand-delivered envelopes arrived for Zachary every day – often marked
URGENT
. But extremely urgent?

She decided she’d better bring it with her. Not that he would want to be bothered in the middle of his party – only with Zachary, one never knew. And if she
didn’t
take it he’d probably ask if it had arrived, and then berate her for
not
bringing it.

Couldn’t win.

She tossed it on the back seat of the limo and promptly forgot it for the moment.

* * *

‘Happy New Year, Vladimir. And you too, Unity, dear,’ Silver said graciously, thinking to herself what an absolutely bizarre couple they made – her gay Russian houseman and Wes’s little cousin. They seemed to have formed some peculiar kind of liaison. ‘Are you going out?’

‘Yes, madame,’ Vladimir replied courteously.
We are going out and never coming back.
With sixty-five thousand dollars apiece, finding somewhere to go should present no problem.

‘Perhaps you’d like your picture taken with me,’ Silver said with a winning smile. ‘Wes – get your camera.’

She knew she had never looked better. Wes Money was like a rejuvenating tonic. Her skin was smooth and clear with the flush of regular sex, her body trimmer than ever. And the six-thousand-dollar Fabrice dress she had invested in was spectacular. Not to mention Wes’s surprise gift – a stunning diamond and ruby heart necklace. She’d been quite taken aback when he presented her with it on Christmas night. ‘Tell me,’ she’d whispered later, ‘did I pay for it?’

‘No, you didn’t,’ he’d replied, insulted.

‘Well, where did you get the money?’ she’d asked, perplexed.

‘My life’s savings,’ he’d replied jauntily. ‘Consider it well spent. Now I really
am
busted out.’

How touched she was by his generous gesture. ‘I’ve been thinking, we should put you on the payroll,’ she’d said. ‘After all, you’ve been handling all my affairs. Does ten percent of my earnings seem fair? We can have my lawyer draw up contracts.’

He’d laughed. ‘While we’re together what’s yours is mine. Right? Let’s leave it that way.’

Time and time again he had proved that he wasn’t after her money. Thank God she’d chosen him, and not that dreadful, power-hungry, social-climbing Dennis Denby.

Wes picked up his new Nikon camera – a Christmas gift from Silver, along with a metallic silver Ferrari (‘Every time you look at it, darling, you’ll think of me!’), a Sony video camera, and a virtual closetful of new clothes.

‘Come here, Vladimir,’ she called. ‘And Unity, dear, would you like to be in the picture too?’

Vladimir threw Unity a commanding glare. This photograph would be worth another few thousand! What luck!

Silver stood between Vladimir and a reluctant Unity, her arms around each of them, a perfect smile in perfect place. Pictures with the staff were part of the game. Oh, how they loved it!

Vladimir would be able to show the snap to all of his friends and boast endlessly of his famous employer.

‘Perhaps Madame would like a photograph of herself and Mr Ves together?’ Vladimir suggested respectfully.

‘What a good idea,’ she said, beaming. ‘Oh, and Vladimir, you may sleep in tomorrow. No sense in you getting up at six as usual. Shall we say nine o’clock?’

‘Thank you, madame.’ Selfish woman. She wouldn’t leave
her
bed until at least noon. Besides, New Year’s Day was supposed to be a holiday.

Why should he care? He would be long gone. Hawaii was his first planned stop. Hawaii, with a tall and tanned ex-stripper who sang like Sinatra and gave great toe massage.

Snap
.

‘Another one,’ Silver said.

Snap
.

‘Just one more.’ She snuggled closer to Wes.

Snap
.

‘That’s enough,’ said Wes. ‘We can’t be late, they’ll sail without us.’

Silver raised an amused eyebrow. ‘You
are
joking?’

‘Mr Ves,’ Vladimir said humbly. ‘Just one with you and your cousin.’

Wes didn’t need a picture with Unity – she’d turned out to be a miserable cow, not at all grateful for his help. Serious thought was going into how to get rid of her – without the whole story being revealed.

It seemed simpler to pose and get out of there. Vladimir took the picture, and Wes took the camera from him. ‘Shall we bring it with us?’ he asked Silver.

Laughing delicately, she said, ‘Darling, this is the most important and exclusive party of the year. If
you
want to look like a Japanese tourist, bring it by all means.’

And on that line she exited. Ever the star. And ready to party.

Chapter Ninety-One

Everyone was aboard. Music played, champagne flowed, and the white yacht – christened
Klinger II
– set sail from Long Beach on time. Zachary’s main yacht –
Klinger I
– stayed permanently on the Mediterranean coast. But
Klinger II
was no slouch in the luxury stakes. A large sleek vessel, it accommodated Zachary’s party with ease. The hundred guests mingled happily, giving off a certain air of triumph. They were the lucky ones, the chosen few. This would be a party to remember.

The heated main deck was festooned with fairy lights, flashing and winking in the dark night sky. Small, intimate tables surrounded a dance floor, while a trio of musicians played appealing Brazilian sounds.

‘Kiddo!’ Zeppo stood up and waved to Jade, beckoning her over to his table. ‘Join Ida and me.’

‘Shall we?’ she whispered to Mark.

‘Certainly,’ he replied. ‘The man is a riot!’

‘Okay with you?’ she checked with Corey.

‘I think I’ll just wander around,’ he said.

‘Are you sure?’

‘I’ll feel more comfortable doing that.’

Leaving his sister and her bridegroom-to-be, he made his way into a magnificent dining room where white-coated waiters were putting the finishing touches to a sumptuous buffet of lobster, cold salmon, oysters and numerous salads.

Corey was in a deep depression. Norman leaving Los Angeles was bad enough. But not to even call, to just drop him without a word over Christmas and New Year’s was unforgivable. He had left his wife and child for Norman, completely changed his way of living, and now his whole world had crumbled.

‘Looks good enough to eat, doesn’t it?’

‘Huh?’ Corey glanced over at the speaker, a skinny blond waiter with bright sharp eyes and a thin mouth.

‘I guess, if we’re lucky, we’ll get the leftovers.’

‘Yes,’ Corey agreed vaguely.

‘Are you in the biz?’

Slowly Corey realized the waiter was coming on to him. Jesus! he thought. Don’t tell me it’s beginning to show. One glance and they
know
.

‘I’m married,’ he said quickly.

‘No law against
that
,’ the waiter replied with an encouraging wink. ‘I don’t care if you don’t.’

Retribution. A suitable punishment for Norman. They had sworn to each other that they wouldn’t play around. AIDS was the Russian Roulette of the eighties, and only a fool would risk promiscuity.

* * *

The butterflies were churning as Heaven accepted compliments from all and sundry.

You’re an original!

Love your record!

My daughter worships you!

My son wants to know if you have a poster out?

She was being fêted by every old fogey in town!

And none of them was mentioning her mother!

A blast.

A mega-blast.

‘I’m famous,’ she informed Rocky.

‘Told ya I’d do it for ya,’ he boasted.

Swirling her fake leopardskin coat around her, she revealed a cut-out lace body suit underneath, and a lot of bare midriff. ‘They like what I do!’ she squealed.

‘Hey – hey – hey – why shouldn’t they?’

Bobbing her head confidently, she said, ‘You’re right. Why shouldn’t they? I’m almost a star, and I
loooove
it!’

Rocky grinned. He loved it too. Only he couldn’t let a party like this go to waste. There were big spenders aboard. Studio heads and movie stars. He was almost bailing out of dealing drugs. Almost… not quite. There were some opportunities he just couldn’t let slip by.

‘I gotta go t’ the john,’ he said quickly. ‘Don’t go away.’

Where did he think she was going? She was having the time of her life. She’d already greeted Uncle Jack, successfully avoided her mother, and now she was enjoying all this newfound attention.

‘Hello again.’

She turned, ready to accept another compliment, and found herself facing Penn Sullivan.

Oh God! She felt sick, nervous and hesitant all at the same time. Penn Sullivan! He was totally gorgeous!

‘Uh… hi,’ she mumbled, sounding like a stupid idiot.

‘Having fun?’

‘Are you?’ she managed.

‘Well, now that I’ve seen Heaven…’

Was it her imagination or was he coming on to her?

‘Do you know something?’ he asked.

‘What?’ she gulped.

‘We’re the youngest people on board. Somehow, I think we got railroaded into the wrong party.’

She couldn’t care less
what
they’d got railroaded into. Penn Sullivan was utterly amazing!

* * *

‘When are you visiting Washington? I’d like very much to be your official guide,’ Senator Peter Richmond said to Kellie Sidney. He was a Kennedy clone, with a John Lindsay profile, and – one of these days – a fair shot at the main chance.