Phoenix Falling

by Mary Jo Putney

  Realizing she'd probably never know the truth, she settled back in her seat. Because Kenzie hadn't demanded a separate driver, they shared a car to and from the hotel. It saved a little money, and she enjoyed the treacherous pleasure of riding with him.

  As promised, they both pretended that night in the cliff house had never happened—but the sensual awareness between them had been off the charts ever since. "The rehearsals are going so well that I'm getting cautiously optimistic about the results, even though I know there's many a slip twixt the camera and the final edit."

  He turned from the window. "Not to mention the fact that the hardest part is yet to come. The rest of the production will be difficult for both of us. One might even say 'excruciating.'"

  She shivered at how menacing the word sounded in his level voice. "Harder on you than on me, I'm afraid."

  "You have to direct me, which you're going to hate, just as you're going to hate playing Sarah's more emotional scenes."

  "You're beginning to sound as ominous as Macbeth's witches."

  "They weren't only ominous. They were right."

  She thought about the brilliant scene he'd just done with Sir James. Kenzie knew the character of John Randall inside out. If he said that the next weeks were going to be excruciating, he was undoubtedly right. Now that it was too late, she wondered if the end product of a movie justified what she was asking of him.

  Was it too late? As soon as the thought struck her, she dismissed it. Too much money, too many people, too much trust, were bound up in this production. Marcus Gordon might give her a second chance if she failed to deliver a movie as strong as her vision, but he'd never forgive her if she turned coward in the middle.

  "You look like you just bit into an apple and discovered half a worm."

  Kenzie's voice snapped her out of her reverie. She said, "I was having a horrified moment of wondering what I got myself into with this project."

  "You'll survive, Rainey. You always do. It's a most intimidating virtue." Kenzie stretched out and closed his eyes, ending the conversation.

  Maybe sharing a car wasn't such a great idea after all.

  Chapter 16

  It didn't take long for Nigel Stone to move into action. The next morning Rainey and Val had a quiet breakfast together in Rainey's suite, both of them skimming the London newspapers to check coverage of the production. Val picked the Inquirer from the pile, then whistled softly. "Hell and damnation. Take a look at this."

  Rainey accepted the tabloid with a sinking heart. The whole front page was a sinister-looking photo of Kenzie with a headline that screamed, "Do You Know Who This Man Really Is?" She flipped to the story inside. A double-page spread with a blaring head asked, "Rich Man, Poor Man, Beggar Man, Thief? Is Britain's Most Popular Movie Star a King or a Criminal?"

  Half a dozen photos of Kenzie showed him in roles where he played dark and dangerous characters, or wearing as few garments as possible, preferably both. Since he was a workaholic who'd made a lot of movies, the tabloid had plenty of material. One shot was of her and Kenzie in a steamy embrace in Lethal Force, a thriller they'd made together the year before. The caption below asked ominously, "Did Raine Marlowe Leave Kenzie Scott When She Discovered the Real Man Behind the Handsome Mask?"

  The sneering text said that Kenzie Scott claimed to be British, but his stories about his past were one long string of lies designed to make fools of his countrymen, who generously accepted him as one of their own. Stone challenged his readers to come forward if they'd known Kenzie Scott in his youth. The Inquirer would pay handsomely for early photos. Together, Nigel Stone and his readers would uncover the truth!

  Rainey swore. "This makes Kenzie sound like an ax murderer. Can he sue the Inquirer for libel?"

  Val shook her head. "Everything is done with questions and suggestive pictures. They don't actually accuse him of anything, so there's no libel."

  A pity. Knowing Kenzie wasn't much of a newspaper reader, Rainey stood, retrieving the tabloid. "I'd better show this to Kenzie so he's prepared."

  His suite was just down the hallway from hers. She knocked crisply. "It's me."

  A minute passed before the door opened to reveal Kenzie in a bathrobe and damp hair. A faint shock jolted along her nerves. Stupid, stupid, stupid. It was hardly the first time she'd seen his chest, and a great deal more.

  He ushered her in with a courtly gesture. "I suppose the obvious, vulgar implication of your calling on me is too much to hope for."

  "In your dreams, Scott." She handed him the newspaper. "You're not going to like this."

  His levity vanished as he saw the front page. "You're right. I don't."

  He turned to the story with the granite expression that appeared whenever the subject of his past came up. She said hesitantly, "I've tried to respect your privacy, but under these circumstances, I need to know if anything illegal might turn up."

  His mouth twisted. "You think I'm a criminal?"

  "No, but I've had to wonder what you're so secretive about. If really catastrophic information might become public, I'd like some advance warning. It's my neck the investors will chop if the production is jeopardized by something you did."

  "You can relax. There are no outstanding warrants for my arrest."

  Which was not the same as saying that he had a guiltless past, but she didn't pursue the point. "Anything else that might cause trouble if it's made public?"

  After a long silence, he said, "There are... incidents that would make splendid tabloid headlines, but no one will come forward to talk about them."

  She sighed. "Why am I not more comforted by your confidence?"

  "It's all you're going to get, but don't worry. Nigel Stone will be swamped with spurious leads that I'll be able to deny with complete sincerity." He handed the tabloid back. "If you'll excuse me, I need to get ready for the last day of rehearsal."

  Troubled, she returned to her suite, hoping that whatever her husband wanted so much to hide would stay hidden.

  * * *

  Thoughts of Nigel Stone's crusade to unmask "Britain's most popular movie star" gnawed at Kenzie all day. There was almost no one left who could connect the boy he was with the man he became, and those few had good reason to stay silent. But...

  When the rehearsal ended, he told Rainey, "You can have the hired car. I'm going to visit an old friend."

  She managed not to ask where he was going, barely. "Have a nice evening."

  Since reporters waited in front of the building, he used the back door and hailed the first taxi he saw. "Ramillies Manor, please."

  A half hour ride in heavy traffic brought him to a quiet corner of Kensington. Though it had never been a manor, the sprawling Victorian brick house made a handsome retirement home. He entered the familiar beveled-glass front door. The elderly receptionist finished up a phone call, then greeted him with a smile. "Why, Mr. Scott, how nice to see you again. Mr. Winfield will be ever so pleased."

  "How is he doing?"

  She sighed. "He has good days and bad days, but he never complains. Such a fine gentleman. I believe he's taking the sun in the garden now. You know the way. Shall I send out a tea tray for the two of you?"

  He agreed, knowing it would please her, then made his way through the house toward the near exit. Would any of the employees of Ramillies Manor be tempted to contact Nigel Stone and tell what they knew about Kenzie Scott? Probably not. Since the establishment catered to moneyed people, employees were chosen for discretion. Even if an employee revealed his regular visits to Charles Winfield, none of them knew anything about his past.

  Charles Winfield sat in the shade of a rose arbor, a knee blanket tucked over his lap and a set of earphones on his head. Thinking it had been too long since his last visit, Kenzie approached, touching the old man's shoulder to get his attention. "Charles. Sorry I couldn't come sooner. How are you?"

  Winfield tugged off the headset and stopped his audiobook. "Kenzie, my dear boy, what a pleasure! No need to apologize. I know
you've been madly busy ever since arriving in London." He spoke with the deep, sonorous voice of a stage actor. "Do have a seat."

  "What are you listening to?" As Kenzie sat on the stone bench, the older man adjusted his wheelchair so that he could see his visitor with peripheral vision. Macular degeneration had robbed him of most of the sight in the center of his eyes.

  "That delightfully malicious Hollywood autobiography you sent me. Not so witty as the British equivalent, but quite amazingly forthright."

  "You should dictate your memoirs. They'd be a best-seller."

  Winfield shook his head regretfully. "As a gentleman, I'd have to leave all the best bits out, which would remove much of the appeal."

  "Speaking of revelations, are you familiar with a reporter called Nigel Stone?"

  "A miserable weasel of a fellow who's probably the most malicious entertainment reporter in London. I believe he's British born, but spent some years working in Australia. For our sins, he returned home a couple of years ago and became established at the Inquirer. He's known for his scandal mongering. You've met him?"

  "Yes, and he's decided he owes it to the British public to reveal the truth about my background. He's made an open call for information and is offering money for early photographs."

  "A dreadful man. Mean to the bone." Winfield's lips pursed. "He won't find anything, if that's what you're worrying about."

  "I hope you're right. But if he does a good job investigating my years at RADA, he could learn that you helped me get into the school."

  Winfield made an airy gesture. "Nonsense. It was your audition that got you admitted. I merely pointed you in the right direction and dropped a word in the ear of the principal." He gave the evil smile he'd used when playing Macbeth. "And if he tracks me down, I shall delight in sending him off in all the wrong directions."

  Kenzie smiled. "Don't get too creative—Stone isn't stupid."

  "Don't worry, I shall have only a small amount of sport. If you wish, I can also speak with the surviving members of the old circle. Not that any would reveal secrets to a low-bred reporter, but forewarned is best."

  "Thank you. I'd appreciate that especially since the production will leave London in another couple of days."

  "Ah, yes, The Centurion. The novel was a favorite of mine. I'm glad that it's finally being made into a movie. I suppose it couldn't have been done properly before now." He cocked his head. "I hear the tea tray coming."

  "They continue to take good care of you?"

  "Yes, and well they should, given the absurd amount of money you pay them to look after this decaying carcass of mine."

  "It's a small return for all you did for me." Charles had been quite successful in his day, but he'd lived lavishly, and working in the theater was less lucrative than television or feature films. One of the pleasures of money was being able to help friends, and Kenzie owed Charles his career.

  Despite Kenzie's passionate love of movies and the theater, he'd never dreamed it was possible to become an actor himself. Seeing his interest, Charles had drawn him out, then become his tutor when he recognized Kenzie's talent. Next to Trevor Scott-Wallace, the professor who'd taught Kenzie reading, manners, and the ways of society, Charles had been the greatest influence on Kenzie's life.

  "Here you are, gentlemen." The young attendant set the tea tray down on the circular cast-iron garden table between the two men. After a lingering glance at Kenzie, she withdrew.

  "You'd best pour, my boy," Charles said. "With my vision, I'd probably drown the cucumber sandwiches. Do tell me the latest gossip, and what it's like to be directed by that frightfully talented demi-wife of yours."

  Kenzie had saved Hollywood and actor tidbits he knew Charles would enjoy. As he poured their tea, he thought how pleasant it was to be with the one man in the world from whom he had nothing to hide.

  * * *

  Charles tired easily these days, so it wasn't long before Kenzie left. As he walked toward Kensington High Street to look for a taxi, he realized he was passing the flat of one of his old RADA girlfriends, Jenny Lyme. On impulse he went to the door of the building and rang the bell, not really expecting to find her in.

  He was turning to leave when the intercom came to life. "I don't know who this is," she said tartly, "but it's been a vile day, so unless you're prepared to buy me a frightfully expensive dinner, go away."

  Jenny was in good form. "It's a deal," he said. "Where shall I take you?"

  "Kenzie, is that you?" Her voice shimmered into delight. "You beast! Come up instantly."

  She buzzed him into the building and kissed him with enthusiasm when he entered her second-floor flat. Tall, lush, and dark-haired, she had a thriving career as a television actress. "You're divorced now, aren't you? Have you come to seduce me with champagne and Belgian chocolates? Please?"

  He had a swift memory of his night with Rainey. Gently he disentangled himself. "Tempting, but the divorce isn't final yet, so technically I'm still a married man."

  Her extravagant manner fell away. "Ah, it's like that. Fair enough." She hooked an arm through his and drew him down beside her on the brocade sofa. "What about that dinner?"

  "Your choice. Anywhere we can get into on short notice."

  "There's a magnificently trendy and insanely dear bistro in Chelsea. I'll give them a call." She looked up the number and called, using his name for the reservation.

  "Success," she reported after hanging up. "They usually have a two week waiting list, but for Kenzie Scott, they can find a table in an hour. So handy to have old classmates who've become wildly successful."

  "You haven't done badly yourself."

  She made a face. "After you, I'm probably the most successful from our RADA year. I think half the class has given up acting altogether, and the others are working sporadically at best. It's a terrible business, Kenzie. Why do we do it?"

  "Because we're too odd to be employable anywhere else?"

  "There is that." She curled up in the sofa corner and studied his face. "We have some time before we need to leave for Cachet. What's wrong, Kenzie? The divorce?"

  Jenny had always been wickedly perceptive. They'd been friends and sometimes lovers through the RADA years, and kept in touch ever since. "Nigel Stone of the Inquirer is enlisting the British public in a full-fledged campaign to uncover my past. He's bound to investigate my time at RADA, so you might be hearing from him."

  "I can't tell things about you that I don't know. You made the average oyster look like a blabbermouth." She looked hopeful. "Shall I make something up?"

  There was something to be said for laying a false trail, and Jenny was less likely to go overboard than Charles. "What did you have in mind?"

  "How about if I say that I'm not at all sure, because you were a very private person, but based on occasional bits and pieces, I deduced that you were born in England, then taken to Africa as a small child when your parents emigrated."

  Her mobile face transformed into a woman being forthright to an interviewer. "I'm not sure where. Perhaps Zimbabwe when it was Rhodesia, or maybe South Africa. Your parents were massacred during the political unrest, so poor orphaned you returned to England, and entered RADA shortly thereafter. The subject of your family was so painful that you wouldn't ever discuss it. Dreadfully sad."

  A good story that would explain the lack of school records before his time at RADA. "Clever. If you can convince Stone I grew up abroad, he could waste a lot of time searching the former British Empire for evidence of my existence."

  "He'll believe me. I'm an actress. I can make anyone believe anything," she said saucily as she got to her feet. "I'd better go change. I'm not going to Cachet in anything less than my glittering best." Halfway across the room, she hesitated. "If Stone is a big enough sneak, he might be able to get your records from RADA. Is there anything in your original application that might reveal more than you want him to know?"

  "The application was as vague as I could make it—privately educated, no next of kin
, and not much more." Charles Winfield's friendship with the RADA principal had helped with that. Old-boy networks were useful.

  "One of the things I always liked about you, darling, was how very unobvious you are. Are you ever going to tell me the real story of your working-class past?"

  He concealed the jolt of surprise. "What makes you say that?"

  "You hadn't quite perfected that aristocratic accent when you started at RADA." Jenny drifted into her bedroom, dropping into the role she'd play if interviewed. "I've always had quite a good ear for accents. I do believe I detected a trace of South Africa in your voice when we first met."

  She'd tie knots in Nigel Stone.

  Chapter 17

  Knowing she should monitor the Inquirer, Rainey reluctantly reached for a copy to skim during her breakfast. The photograph splashed on the front page of the tabloid almost caused her to lose her eggs and British bacon. "Kenzie Steps Out" the headline screamed over a picture of him and a gorgeous brunette whose figure and cleavage could raise the dead.

  Queasily she read the caption. The woman was Jenny Lyme, and she and Kenzie had dined at Cachet, an ultra-fashionable restaurant. Rainey studied the photo, recognizing Kenzie's protective posture toward his date, the surprise on both their faces as the photographer caught their picture. If they'd wanted anonymity, they should have gone to a less trendy eatery.

  Jenny Lyme was a RADA classmate and longtime friend of Kenzie's, and Rainey suspected they'd been lovers, though Kenzie had never said that. So what were they now—friends or lovers?

  Not that it was any of Rainey's business—she was just Kenzie's director. He had every right to boff old girlfriends as long as it didn't interfere with his work on The Centurion. If she could only convince her stomach of that....

  She closed her eyes and breathed deeply until her nerves settled down. It was fortunate that today would be spent preparing an old train barn for the biggest, most complicated scenes of the movie. She would buzz around monitoring details such as lighting, set dressing, and the crowd of extras, but she wouldn't have to really concentrate until they started shooting, which wouldn't be until after dark.