Murder! Hollywood Style

by Carol Branston

  “If it’s a hit, I’m signed up for two years. The agency told me the odds of that happening are about ninety-to-one. Can you imagine? I don’t think I could do the same thing every night for two years.”

  “Cross that one when you come to it.”

  He silently hoped for the long run. It would certainly make it easier to keep up their long-distance romance.

  “Just give it everything you’ve got; you know that.”

  “You know I will. I’m excited about it. I can’t deny that.”

  He put his arm around her. “It’ll be great, you’ll see. Now what time is it?”

  “Around noon I think.”

  “I’m gonna take a shower. Then I’ll light up the phone lines for a while.”

  “Do you want anything to eat?”

  “Not food, that’s for sure.”

  “You are a one. Go and take your shower, and maybe it should be a cold one at that. I think I need the same. I keep having these very real fantasies. We’re making love and sometimes my mother is watching and I don’t even care.”

  “You’re turning into a sex maniac and I love it.”

  Nicky jumped out of bed and made a funny exit trying to hide his hard-on with his robe.

  Val lay back on the bed and let her hand fall between her legs. God this is what goes on in those dirty books. I really am wet and throbbing.

  Her mother’s voice interrupted her pleasure. “Valerie are you and Nicky going to be eating breakfast?”

  “Not right now, Mummy. Nicky’s taking a shower, and I’m too lazy to eat.”

  She lay back and listened to the sound of the shower in the background before she dozed off. Nicky woke her, kissing her on the cheek.

  “Listen baby, I’ll be out for a while. Lay back, I won’t be long. I spoke to my Ma and she’s expecting us. Okay?”

  “Wonderful. What time will you be back?”

  “Around six. I’ll call you if there’s a change.”

  “Call me anyway, every hour on the hour.

  “Be cool, baby.”

  CHAPTER 18

  POVs

  Nicky felt good. He liked his reflection in the mirrored elevator door. His Cardin suit fit him to perfection. He had bread in his pocket, a roof over his head, and the sex with Val had put a smile on his face. He felt confident again. Val wouldn’t be a problem once the show got going. And he just needed to avoid her mother as much as possible. He had to get to the bottom of Peter’s death, if for no other reason than have something on Karen. New York City was out there, waiting for him. It was his town. It could all be handled.

  Val felt good. She lay in bed half-asleep, smiling. Nicky was the same. He still loved her and she adored him. She felt confident again. She would be busy with rehearsals, anyway. She looked forward to immersing herself in her work, and she just had to avoid her mother as much as possible. She had Karen for support, and hopefully a supply of those wonderful pills. In fact, a yellow one sounded good to her right then. She got up, opened her purse, and popped one in her mouth. She looked out the window at the rooftop gardens. It made her laugh that there were more trees on the rooftops than on the streets in that amazing city that made her feel alive. New York City was out there, waiting for her. It was her town. It could all be handled.

  Anne felt good. She glued on her mink eyelashes looking into the magnifying mirror, and liked what she saw. She felt confident again. She had her treasure back under her roof. She would make sure Val worked hard, ate well, and rested. That hooligan would only be there for a couple of weeks. She just had to avoid him as much as possible. If she had her way, there would be no wedding. She’d made that decision that morning. She loved New York and her Upper East-Side address. The next important thing she had on her agenda was to buy a little dog. She’d seen so many people walking dogs and stopping to chat. It was a good way to meet people in that fascinating city she now called home. New York City was out there, waiting for her. It was her town. It could all be handled.

  CHAPTER 19

  Catching Up

  Nicky pulled up his collar when he hit the street, grateful that he’d had the sense to pack his overcoat. He’d forgotten how cold autumn in New York could be, especially if there was a crosstown wind.

  When he crossed the street, he saw Salvatore in the restaurant unpacking produce with his son Marco. Nicky had planned on getting his number from Salvatore and calling him that morning. He felt sure it was another lucky sign and went inside.

  “Marco, my brother, come sta?”

  Marco turned, recognized Nicky, and ran over to him.

  “You old son of a bitch. How the hell did you get into town and not let me know?”

  Nicky answered, sounding mysterious.

  “Business, my man. You know how it is.”

  “Papa was just telling me you were here last night with a real hot chick. What’s the story?”

  “There’s no story. I’m engaged to this girl, that’s all.”

  He tried to be as nonchalant as possible without breaking up.

  “That’s all? Do you believe the way he talks, Papa? That’s all. Come on, Nicky, when did all this shit come down? We should go somewhere for a drink and talk.”

  “What’s a matter? My drink she’s no good enough for you? You wanna go where you pay? Okay, you pay here.”

  They all laughed.

  “No, Papa it’s not that. You know how it is when I’m here. There’s always something to do or someone to talk to, and right now we just wanna catch up.”

  “Go. You make this old man happy to see you two.”

  Marco grabbed his coat. He walked over to a dark green Eldorado convertible in a no-parking zone and opened the door for Nicky.

  “Whoa, nice ride. Things must be good.”

  “No complaints.”

  Marco grinned as he slid behind the wheel.

  “Where to?”

  “This is your town, man. I’m just a tourist.”

  Nicky settled back on the beige leather bucket seat.

  “You just lucked out, my man. You found yourself the best fucking guide in town.”

  He took off into the traffic on Second Avenue, weaving in and out of cars and buses as only a New Yorker could do.

  “Wanna get high?”

  “Lay it on me.”

  Marco took out a silver vintage cigarette case and flipped it open to show neat J’s, all in a row.

  “I have this chick, she gets off on rolling J’s while I fuck her. She’s got it down to a fucking science. There are some real weirdos out there, but look who I’m telling.”

  They got on to the Eastside Drive, going downtown. The tape deck was playing Chicago, full blast. The grass made them both content to get off on the sun shining on the river as the traffic whizzed past them in both directions.

  When they got off the highway they drove north through Chinatown, ending up in Little Italy where Marco parked in another no parking zone. Nicky followed him into a small nondescript café where the strong smell of espresso hit them. A few old men were playing cards, other than that it was empty. The boys found an empty table and ordered two espressos.

  “Well my man, how long does New York have the pleasure of your company?”

  “I figure on being around about two weeks.”

  “Great, we can really make the scene like the old times. That is of course if you’re not too tied up with the babe.”

  Nicky knew Marco was testing him. As far as Marco was concerned it wasn’t right for any Italian man to be tied down to just one woman. Nicky deftly changed the subject.

  “You know, we’re going out to the Island tomorrow to see my Ma. Why don’t you come with, that way you can meet Val. And you know it would make my Ma happy to see us together again.”

  “Sounds great to me. I haven’t been around there for a long time. I have my own pad in the city now. In fact I’m just a couple of blocks from where your chick lives.”

  “Good. Maybe we can drive out together, I don’t
have wheels. I was gonna rent a car for the day, this will be a lot better.”

  “You’re on. What time you planning on leaving?”

  “Ma’s expecting us at one-thirty, I figure on leaving the city around twelve-thirty. Is that too early for you?”

  “For you, no. For the rest of the bums I’d say forget it.”

  They drank their steaming coffee feeling mellow from the J, genuinely happy to see each other.

  “I can’t believe you were at the restaurant. I was gonna come downtown looking for you today. I need to know what went down with someone I know.”

  “Shoot my man, what’s on your mind?”

  Marco leaned back in his chair and lit a cigarette.

  “You still know what’s happening, right?”

  “You know me. I have ears all over town. Whatcha getting at?”

  “A guy named Peter Angus. They found him dead yesterday.”

  Marco’s expression didn’t change.

  “You heard about it, right?”

  Marco nodded.

  “Yeah sure, it was all over the tube.”

  “I don’t mean that way. I mean, do you know anything else?”

  “That’s a heavy question man. Didn’t the cat O.D?”

  “That’s the word out there. But I knew him, and there’s no way he would do that.”

  “What are you thinking?”

  “He was at a party and said a lot of shit he shouldn’t have, and I have a feeling he was iced because of it.”

  “That’s serious. That kind of stuff is left to the P.R.s in town. You know, like someone found with a needle in their arm set up to look like they O.D. None of the cats I know deal with that kinda shit. We still don’t mess much with drugs. Why get greedy? We make a lot of bread with gambling and whore’s. No worry of getting busted, you dig? I can ask around. What does it mean to you?”

  “It means someone I have to deal with right now is more dangerous than I thought. I want to hold an ace in case there’s a problem.”

  “I dig my friend. All I can do is ask.”

  “I’m hip.”

  “Wasn’t he a faggot?”

  “Yeah.”

  “How do you come to know him?”

  Nicky shrugged his shoulders and smiled. “You know how it is in my business.”

  “Hey man, as long as I don’t hear my friend is AC/DC its cool.”

  Nicky managed to laugh. He would have liked to have told Marco the truth about himself but knew Marco wouldn’t be able to handle it, and it would most likely ruin their friendship forever.

  “Now, tell me about this babe who’s taking you off the streets.”

  “She’s something else, man. I mean I really hit it. She’s fucking beautiful, and she’s gonna be a big star. On top of that, she’s a great lay.”

  Marco was suddenly interested. “What more could a man ask for? It sounds like I should be jealous. When are you gonna, you know, get married?”

  They both laughed.

  “Who knows? She starts rehearsing for a Broadway show on Monday, and I’m only here for a couple of weeks. I’m shooting exteriors for my new series. Then I have to head back to the coast to tape the rest of my shows for this season.”

  “You have a series? On TV? That’s fucking unreal!”

  “Yeah, and it’s gonna be good. I fell into this one and it fits like a custom suit.”

  “You really did it, didn’t you? I mean, I remember when we were kids, you always said you were gonna be a star, and you did it.”

  “I’m just finding out it’s not hard getting to be a star; it’s staying a star that’s the hard part.”

  “So let’s get back to…what’s her name?”

  “Her name is Valerie Rhodes; I call her Val.”

  Marco smiled. “I hate to say it, but I see a long engagement for Val in my coffee grounds.”

  “It’s a definite possibility.”

  “And she goes for it?”

  “So far.”

  “My compliments, my man. Sounds like the perfect setup.”

  Nicky was suddenly ravenous; grass always had that effect on him. “Hey, pisano, are you hungry?”

  “Getting there. Want some Chinks or pasta?”

  “I could eat a really big steak.”

  “Say no more, my man. I know the best steak in town.”

  They drove uptown to the Palm restaurant on Second Avenue. It was crowded. They had a couple of drinks at the tiny bar, until their table was ready. The talk during lunch was light. They compared notes about old friends and old girlfriends. Marco was super stud and kept Nicky in stitches telling him about the things he got up to with some of his broads.

  “Have you ever put coke on a pussy? It drives them wild. They can’t get enough. I had this chick the other night, and I thought she was going to kill me. All I kept thinking was, what a way to go!”

  Nicky was laughing so hard he had tears running down his face.

  “I’ll definitely have to try that one. I’ve been walking around with a hard-on all day. Val’s old lady is at the apartment. It kinda cuts down on my action.”

  “Any time you want, my pad is yours.”

  “Man, I may take you up on that offer.”

  It would be great for him to have another place. Maybe he’d get some privacy and be able to call Steve. Karma was still going his way.

  A couple of people stopped by the table to ask Nicky for his autograph. Marco was impressed; he hadn’t realized how well-known Nicky was.

  “Unfucking real. They collect your name on a scrap of paper. I love it. So what’s happening with you tonight, my man?”

  “Not much. Val wants to take it easy. We both have a heavy trip ahead.”

  “I dig. I dig. Just thought I’d let you know about a party that’s going down. You know, lots of talent. All hot to trot.”

  “I have to pass. But just in case, where is it? Lay it on me.”

  “That’s my man. Always be prepared. You must’ve been a fucking Boy Scout.”

  Marco took out his Mark Cross pen and scribbled his phone number on the back of his embossed card.

  “It’s not starting till around midnight, so you can rest up till then. Come to my pad first. We’ll go from there.”

  “Beautiful.”

  They had coffee and a brandy. It had been a good visit for both of them. They honestly liked each other. It was a shame, but Nicky knew he would never be able to come clean with Marco. Anyway, he was used to living a lie, like so many other people he knew. Actors, actresses, doctors, lawyers. Every profession, thousands of people. No, probably millions. All living lies.

  They had a friendly argument over the bill. Marco won and paid.

  “When I hit your town you’ll do the same for me. Okay?”

  “You’re on man.”

  Nicky decided to walk back to the apartment. As Marco was driving away he opened the power window and shouted, “Be cool. Don’t forget, my phone and address is on that card. Try and make it.”

  “I’ll do that.”

  Nicky still had a buzz on and felt great. He walked up Second Avenue. When he reached Forty-ninth street, the aromas from the Italian grocery were too much for him. He went inside and bought all kinds of salami and cheese, bread and fruit. The smells. That’s what it was. Another thing he loved about New York and missed out on the coast. No one could ever put New York City down to him. It was his town.

  Weighed down with groceries, he arrived at Val’s building. The doorman immediately took them from him and led the way to the elevator. He liked the door-to-door service. The doorman made small talk.

  “Nice day.”

  “Great.”

  “Mrs. Rhodes just went out.”

  “Is that right? Did she go alone?”

  “She was picked up, sir.”

  The elevator reached twelve.

  CHAPTER 20

  Interlude

  Nicky rang the bell.

  “Who’s there?”

  He disgui
sed his voice. “Three guesses.”

  “I’m afraid I can’t open the door until you tell me who it is.”

  “Whatsa matter, lady, you no like surprises?”

  “Whoever you are, please go away.”

  “Just routine ma’am, just routine.”

  The doorman was getting a big kick out of Nicky’s impromptu performance.

  “Mia amore, I beg of you, open the door. Open your heart, it’s the love of your life.”

  “Nicky.”

  Val fumbled with the lock. The doorman’s eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw what she was wearing—a flimsy robe that left nothing to the imagination. She quickly jumped back behind the door.

  “Why didn’t you tell me there was someone with you?”

  “You didn’t ask.”

  Nicky led the doorman through to the kitchen with the groceries. He tipped him and sent him on his way. As soon as the coast was clear, Val ran to the kitchen and threw her arms around his neck.

  “Do I have news for you.”

  Nicky held his head like a clairvoyant looking into the future. “Let me guess. The old lady’s out, and the kids can fuck their heads off.”

  “How did you know?”

  “I know everything.” He closed the fridge. “Now you little sex kitten, you have some unfinished business to attend to.”

  “Your wish is my desire, oh master.”

  She dropped to her knees.

  “Now that’s the way I like it.” He unzipped his pants. “Eat me baby.”

  She put as much of him as she could into her mouth. He stood there like a king. She was good, no doubt about it. Her tongue was so busy. He felt fantastic. He had to pull away from her to stop coming. He stood her up and took the robe off her shoulders letting it fall to the floor. His eyes covered every part of her. He didn’t touch her. She stood there not knowing what to do. Nicky was still feeling a nice buzz. He let her stand there as he leisurely got out of his clothes without taking his eyes off her.

  “Come here, you cunt. I’m going to fuck your head off.”