by Susan Lewis
‘Not bad, what there is of it. Apparently Ellen’s going to work on it with the writer, you know, Tom Chambers, to get it in shape. Apparently that’s her forte, whereas the role I’ve been allocated is coming up with some of the finance. I’ve made a start, but I could do with some help.’
Nesta chuckled. She was a good person to ask, for there were any number of men she could call on who might be interested in coughing up the odd ten grand or more. In fact, it wouldn’t be the first time Sandy had found backers through Nesta’s private network, though so far she had only been seeking to raise finance for World Wide UK projects. This was going to be a much bigger deal, meaning that the brokerage fee Nesta would receive would provide a serious boost to her early-retirement fund. ‘I’ll get back to you on it,’ she said. ‘Any news on Maurice, by the way?’
Sandy shook her head sadly. Right up until three weeks ago, when he’d had a stroke from which he wasn’t expected to recover, Maurice Trehearne, the well-known property tycoon and Sandy’s mentor, had continued to pay someone to advise her and take care of her interests. It wasn’t that she really needed his support any more, it was simply that the old man had wanted a professional excuse to stay in her life, and being as indebted to him as she was, as well as caring for him deeply, Sandy was happy to do whatever he wanted.
‘His daughter was at the hospital earlier,’ she said. ‘Looked right through me.’
Nesta’s eyebrows rose with interest. ‘Makes you wonder what’s in the will,’ she commented. ‘Could be you’ll end up backing this movie yourself.’
Sandy threw her a look.
‘Just a thought,’ Nesta said. ‘So what about Michael asking you not to discuss the script with Ellen? What do you reckon that’s all about?’
Sandy shrugged. ‘Probably that he hasn’t told her yet that he’s making me a producer,’ she answered. ‘That is, provided I come up with some finance, of course. Anyway, it doesn’t exactly speak of total harmony between them, does it? And long life to all the discords in their cosy little opera, is what I say. Except, to continue with the musical theme, there don’t appear to be enough bad notes for them to call off the wedding.’ Her eyes were dancing as she added, ‘Stay sitting for this one – I’ve been invited.’
Nesta’s large hazel eyes grew bigger than ever. ‘You’re kidding! They’ve invited you!’
‘You don’t have to say it like that,’ Sandy objected. ‘And if you think about it, they don’t really have a lot of choice. I mean, they can hardly invite every other agent at McCann Paull and not me, can they?’
‘So, are you going?’
Sandy yawned and stretched. ‘To LA, of course,’ she said. ‘But not to the wedding. How can I, when there’s not going to be one?’
Nesta looked at her and shook her head in dismay. ‘I’ve never known a woman hold on to a lost cause for so long,’ she said bluntly.
Sandy was unruffled.
‘You really think you can break them up?’ Nesta said.
Sandy pulled a face as she thought, then, looking Nesta straight in the eye, she smiled and nodded.
Chapter 6
‘OK, EVERYONE,’ ELLEN said, calling the meeting to attention. ‘Grab your coffee and take your places. I think we’re all here now. Tom Chambers won’t be joining us, I’m afraid. He flew in late last night, so he’s catching up on some sleep. And for those of you who haven’t yet met Michael, this is he. Be nice to him because he’s paying the bills.’
Everyone laughed and, as they settled down at their desks, they turned their chairs to face Ellen and Michael who were sitting on the edge of a very long table at the front of the office. Ellen was about to speak again when Maggie put her head round the door and waved at her.
‘I’ve got someone from Marie Claire on the line,’ she said, ‘wanting to know if you’ll talk to them about being a working stepmother. Or maybe that should be wicked,’ she added, frowning curiously at her notebook.
Michael laughed and Ellen nudged him. ‘If there’s time in the schedule,’ Ellen answered. ‘When do they need it by?’
‘I’ll ask. They want to bring their own photographer as well, and I think they want to do it at the house. I’ll check all that, but in principle, are you up for it?’
‘Yes,’ Michael answered. ‘We need all the publicity we can get.’
‘OK, let’s get started here,’ Ellen said, as Maggie disappeared. ‘Cissy Carr and her assistant, Kyle, just joined us today. I’m sure you’ve all met already, but just in case, Cissy’s in charge of casting. And Joe Kenyon, who’s sitting at the back over there, is our art director, who Vic Warren appointed a couple of weeks ago. Obviously, you all know that Vic’s going to be directing the movie, but as he’s still tied up on another project, which he’s currently shooting over in France, he won’t be joining us for a while yet.’
She glanced down at her notes and was about to continue when a voice just in front of her said, ‘Uh, before we really get started, there’s something I’d like to say.’
Ellen looked up and gave a smile of encouragement to Billy Christopher, the tall red-headed guy from Texas, whose explosion of freckles was as sunny as his nature.
‘Um, I’d just like to say on behalf of us all here,’ he began, getting to his feet, and glancing round at the dozen or so of his colleagues, ‘that we’re all real proud to be getting involved in this movie, and that it’s a big honour to us all to be working with you, Ellen, and you, Michael. And thank you, both of you, for giving me my stripes as a fully-fledged production manager. I promise I won’t let you down – and thank you for all the courage you’re showing in giving a lot of other people in this room their breaks too, I know they won’t let you down either.’
‘Hear, hear!’ Cissy called out. ‘We’re right with you, Ellen and Michael.’
As everyone broke into applause, Ellen turned to Michael and tried not to laugh, for she knew how uncomfortable he was with this kind of Californian emotion.
‘Thank you for that,’ Ellen said, once the applause had died down. ‘Speaking for both Michael and myself, we know what a great team we have here, and I think we’re all in agreement, considering the story and what you’ve seen of the script, that we’d have to work pretty hard to fail at this one.’
Everyone laughed and murmured agreement, then Ellen turned to Michael for him to take over.
‘OK,’ he said, ‘I’m going to start the ball rolling by talking to you a bit about the financing of the picture, and then we’ll get on to your individual budgets. You all know what a risky business it is, raising the investment, and keeping the whole thing rolling, and it’s my intention to keep you informed every step of the way, even if we’re in danger of running out of funds – which frankly we’re pretty damned close to now. Yeah, believe it or not we’re already heading fast towards the wall, but I’ve had word from one of my partners in the UK that something could be coming through over there any time, so no need to start sweating just yet.’
Half an hour later, having confirmed that Richard Conway was now signed, which should help the financing no end, and having assured them that the many possible legal problems they could run into, given the subject of the movie, were being investigated, Michael took the topped-up coffee Ellen passed him and was about to carry on when she leaned over to whisper in his ear.
‘I’d better go get Robbie now,’ she said. ‘Don’t forget to tell them about the cocktail party next Friday when they can get to meet Tom Chambers and Richard Conway.’
‘OK,’ Michael nodded. ‘Will you be back in time for lunch?’
‘I should be. Where will I find you?’
‘Probably at the Four Seasons. I’ll give Tom a call in an hour, see if he’s feeling human yet.’
It was almost three in the afternoon by the time Ellen finally abandoned her car to the valet at the Four Seasons hotel and ran inside the plush marble lobby to take the elevator to the fourteenth floor. She was over an hour and a half late, having got to Robbie’s scho
ol to find out he didn’t feel sick any more and wanted to go join his friends at T-ball practice. Of course the bus was long gone, so Ellen had to drive him over to Culver City herself, then go back to the school to pick up the briefcase she’d managed to leave there.
She was on her way back to the office when she’d got a call from the wedding organizer with a thousand questions that needed answers right away, so she’d detoured over to Crescent Heights to go calm him down. Just roll on when Matty got back from Denver where she was just finishing up filming a mini-series for Lifetime, with any luck she’d take over some of the wedding plans and provide Ellen with the odd five-minute respite from total madness.
By the time the elevator doors opened to let her out she had managed to tidy her hair and touch up her make-up, though why she was doing it for Tom Chambers, who had insisted on staying in a hotel rather than with them, she had no idea. Then she remembered that it was for Michael, who was already there. He would know if she hadn’t bothered to make an effort and she didn’t want to let him down when she knew how much it meant to him that she and Chambers got along. And she was certain they would, provided he didn’t ostracize her with his thoughtlessness again.
It seemed she was going to have to turn it all on for Michelle much sooner than she’d expected as well, for, as it happened, though Michelle would be delighted to come to the wedding, she had to make a trip to LA next week anyway to co-host some kind of fund-raiser for a children’s charity. She’d be staying for ten days and the only positive aspect Ellen could find to that was that maybe she could take over some of the ferrying around of her son. Except even thinking about that scared Ellen half to death, for she loved Robbie so much that despite the chaos he was causing in her life, she just couldn’t imagine it without him now. She was over-reacting of course. Michelle was only coming for a visit, not to take Robbie away, at least she hoped to God that wasn’t going to happen. Maybe if she could get pregnant herself … But it was ludicrous to think that a child of their own could ever replace Robbie, and besides, just where was she going to find the time to have a baby, when lately they barely had time even to make love?
She was about to knock on the hotel room door when her cellphone sprang into life. Fumbling in her bag, she found it, clicked it on and knocked the door.
‘Ellen Shelby,’ she said into the phone
‘Hi, Ellen, it’s Gretta Monk, I got your message.’
‘Oh Gretta!’ Ellen cried. ‘Thanks for calling me back. I was wondering, are you going to pick up Matthew from T-ball later? You are? Great! Could you pick up Robbie too and drop him by the house?’
‘Oh gee, Ellen, I’m sorry. My folks are flying in from Boston at five so we’re going right on to the airport to collect them, then we’re going to my sister’s in Rhodondo Beach for dinner. Any other time, honey.’
‘Sure, OK,’ Ellen responded, her heart sinking as Gretta rang off and Michael opened the door.
‘Hi sweetheart,’ he said. ‘Come on in. Are you OK?’
‘Oh yeah, yeah,’ she answered, forcing a smile. ‘Sorry I’m late. You got my messages?’
‘Sure. Do you want some coffee? You look like you could do with some.’
‘I could,’ she replied, looking around the large, beautifully furnished suite with its tall, sunlit windows, subtle grey and rose pink drapes and upholstery, and impressive assortment of technology.
‘Tom’s in the other room, on the phone,’ Michael told her, crossing to a table that was cluttered with the remains of the lunch she should have joined them for. ‘Sit yourself down. Was Robbie OK?’
‘I think so,’ she answered, grimacing at her reflection in a full-length mirror – it seemed her quick-fix job in the elevator wasn’t as effective as she’d thought. But then there was precious little she could do about the heat, which was the main cause of the creases in her limp-looking tangerine silk top and brown linen skirt. ‘God I look a mess,’ she groaned, trying to straighten herself out. ‘Anyway, how’s it going? Obviously he got out of Colombia OK. Have there been any repercussions?’
‘A few,’ Michael responded, discarding the coffee on the table and going to the phone to order fresh. ‘They’re trying to load him with three murders in Popayán, but they don’t stand much chance of getting away with that. Yeah, room service, could you bring some fresh coffee to room 1426?’ He turned to Ellen. ‘Have you eaten?’
‘No, and I’m starving,’ she answered. ‘Order me a chicken sandwich, or no, some bruschetta and goat’s cheese.’
Michael placed the order then rang off. ‘Ah, here he is,’ he said, as the bedroom door opened and Tom Chambers came into the sitting-room.
Ellen looked up and to her surprise felt the welcome fade on her lips as she met the intense grey eyes of a tall, casually dressed man with dark, silver-streaked hair, a strong, rugged face, and an extremely impressive physique. It had never even occurred to her that he might be attractive, and certainly not as attractive as this. Quickly, she reasserted her smile and got to her feet. ‘Tom,’ she said, holding out her hand as he came towards her. ‘It’s really good to meet you at last. I’ve certainly heard enough about you.’
Chambers laughed and Ellen’s eyes widened at the surprising transformation it made to his otherwise dark and austere features. ‘Well, I’ve got to tell you, it’s good to meet you too,’ he responded, shaking her hand. ‘And one thing’s for sure, you’re a hell of a lot prettier than him.’ He grimaced. ‘I guess I could be shot for making remarks like that in this town, so I take it back, and replant it as a mere thought.’
Ellen’s eyes were dancing, she was enjoying the flirtation and the fact that Michael was starting to scowl was making her enjoy it all the more. ‘It was a relief to find out you’d got here safely,’ she told him. ‘Michael tells me you’re being accused of murder,’ she added, startling herself with the casualness of her tone.
Chambers’s eyes were alive with humour. ‘Well, it won’t be that that causes me to lose any sleep tonight,’ he assured her, and she felt herself flush at the subtle implication that she just might.
‘I ordered more coffee,’ Michael said as someone knocked on the door and Ellen’s cellphone started to ring.
As she dealt with the call, and the three others she had to make as a result of it, Michael poured them all coffee and steered her to the table to sit down with her food. Then he and Chambers returned to the sofas and the coffee-table between them that was littered with Chambers’s maps, reference books, newspaper cuttings, photographs, notebooks, a laptop computer and portable printer.
‘It’s kind of hard to figure out how we’re going to end the script when I didn’t actually get near any of the killers,’ Chambers was saying as Ellen, licking her fingers, went to kneel on the floor next to Michael. ‘I mean, we can go either way, stick to how it is, me getting out before I got my head split in two, which, the way I see it, kind of dead-ends the drama, or fictionalize. Then we can go whichever way we want, and I could get the satisfaction of seeing the bastards shot down on film, even if it’s not going to happen in reality.’
‘I think we should go for both,’ Ellen said, putting down her napkin and helping herself to Michael’s coffee. ‘Gruesome as they are, the machete murders are too powerful to lose, and knowing it’s an end that you’re going to meet if you stay, it makes sense for you to get out of the country fast – the way you did. So in my opinion, that’s the way it should go – exactly as it happened. And from there we fictionalize. Script it in a way that could feasibly be true. My suggestion is that we explore what might happen should Galeano’s people come looking for you here.’
Michael and Chambers looked at her. ‘In LA?’ Michael said.
She nodded. ‘If we bring it into the States,’ she explained, ‘it could have a much greater impact on an American audience than if we kept it in Colombia. And I’m just praying to God that I’m not making some kind of prediction here,’ she added with a smile that in no way belied her seriousness.
&
nbsp; Michael looked at Chambers. ‘Is that likely to happen?’ he asked.
Chambers shook his head. ‘Not unless Galeano’s nephews, the Zapata brothers, start making some serious progress in pulling the Tolima Cartel back together,’ he answered. ‘And that’s not looking likely.’
‘Do any of them know you’re planning to make a movie?’ Ellen asked.
Again Chambers shook his head. ‘No-one in the Tolima Cartel,’ he answered. ‘And that’s the only one that matters.’
‘These nephews are the ones who were involved in Rachel’s kidnap and murder?’ Michael said.
Ellen looked at Chambers to see how he responded to the mention of his dead girlfriend’s name, but there was no expression in his eyes as he answered Michael’s question.
‘The very same,’ he said. ‘So we bring the chase to LA,’ he went on, returning them to the script. ‘What then?’
‘We don’t need to decide on that right now,’ Ellen answered. ‘There’s going to be a lot of time for discussion, and what we really need is to get the opening straightened out. It’s got to start with a good, strong background on Rachel. I take it this is her?’ she said, picking up a glossy ten-by-eight photograph of a strikingly beautiful dark-haired woman. ‘She’s lovely.’
Chambers’s eyes remained on Ellen.
‘How old was she?’ Ellen asked.
‘When she was killed? Twenty-nine.’
‘And when you met her?’
‘Twenty-seven.’
Ellen nodded and looked at the photograph again.
‘Do you have copies of the journal she worked on in New Orleans?’ Michael asked.
‘Sure, they’re right here,’ Chambers answered, sorting through the scattered piles on the table. ‘And photographs of the office. I thought they’d help if you were going to build the set here in LA.’
‘They will,’ Michael answered, taking the journal and photographs and flicking quickly through them.