The Last Chance Matinee

by Mariah Stewart

  “I’ll bet it brings back a lot of memories,” Cara said.

  Barney nodded but didn’t respond.

  “Were you in any of the plays?” Des had followed Barney down the steps, a camera in her hand. She’d been taking pictures of the balcony from every angle and taking notes in her small notebook.

  “One or two, but only when they needed someone for a crowd scene,” Barney replied. “One actor in the family was plenty.”

  “Let’s catch up with Nikki and Allie,” Des said. “Barney, you’re going to want to see the posters we found.”

  “There might be some freestanding display cases in one of the closets. I know there were display cases outside, under the marquee,” Barney said, “but they were built into the wall and covered with glass. I imagine they’re still there, under those boards, but it may not be the right time to uncover those.”

  “I agree. I think I’d rather wait until we’re almost ready to reopen,” Cara said. “It’d be better to finish the exterior and then put the posters back up.”

  “Have you thought about reopening?” Barney followed Cara through an arch and into the hallway that led to the basement steps.

  “Dad’s will just said we had to complete the renovations,” Cara said carefully. “He didn’t specify what we were to do once we were finished.”

  “So anything’s on the table? Reopen it? Sell it?”

  Cara shrugged. “I guess. I know Allie’s said she’s out of here once the job is done, and I can’t blame her, really, because she does have Nikki to consider. Other than Des’s involvement with the rescue shelter, she doesn’t talk about her life in Montana very much.”

  “And you?” Barney paused at the top of the steps.

  “I miss my yoga studio. I miss my friends and my students. I know it’s in good hands. I’ve been texting with my assistant, who’s running it for me, and I know she’s been doing a great job.”

  “Hmmm.” Barney started to descend to the basement.

  “What was that ‘hmmm’ for?”

  “Just thinking. Oh, I hear Nikki. They must’ve found something that she’s excited about.”

  Cara laughed. “Nikki gets excited about everything. It makes me wonder if her life with her father is as wonderful as Allie seems to think.”

  As they neared the office, they heard Nikki’s laughter.

  “God, how I love having that child here,” Barney murmured as she went into the office. “What have we found, Miss Nik?”

  “Oh, Aunt Barney, check out these movie posters! They’re so old! They’re even older than—” Nikki stopped. “Than Mom and Aunt Des.”

  “Way older than they are, and I appreciate you not stating the obvious. Though they are even older than I am. Well, some of them, anyway.” Barney walked around the desk to look at the posters.

  “These are in such great shape,” Allie said as she held up a 1939 poster. “Wuthering Heights.” She held up another. “Gone with the Wind. Could you just die looking at the smoldering look on Clark Gable’s face as he gazes into Vivien Leigh’s eyes?” She carefully placed the poster on the desk and held up a third. “The Wizard of Oz.” She turned to Des. “Hey, if we run out of money and that grant doesn’t look promising, we can always sell some of these. I’ll bet they’re worth a fortune.”

  “I don’t know about a fortune,” Barney said as she looked through the stack of posters, “but certainly worth a respectable amount. I’m sure there are people who collect old movie posters, and some of these are absolute gems.” She pulled one from the stack. “My Man Godfrey. Carole Lombard and William Powell.”

  “Look here.” Cara joined in. “A Farewell to Arms. Gary Cooper and Helen Hayes.”

  “I read that book last summer,” Nikki told them.

  “Isn’t that a little old for you?” Allie frowned.

  “Mom. I’m fourteen.” Nikki sighed and continued going through the cabinet. “Who’s Andy Hardy?” she asked. “There are a bunch of movie posters here with his name on them.”

  “Andy Hardy was a character played by Mickey Rooney. They did make several movies based on that character,” Barney explained.

  “Just like The Hunger Games. I guess people have always liked stories that are connected to other stories,” Nikki said.

  “Be still my heart.” Cara sighed. “One of my all-time favorite movies. The Philadelphia Story. Katharine Hepburn, Jimmy Stewart, and Cary Grant. If I thought I could get away with it, I’d smuggle this home for my yoga studio.”

  “Well, you can’t, so put it back.” Allie pointed to the cabinet. “We should include a few of these in the promo items we’re going to do.” Allie slid another stack of posters onto the already crowded desk. “And if we ever do that fund-raising book, we can use some of these. If we have duplicates, we could auction them off.”

  “Good point,” Des said. “Let’s look through them and see if there are any dups.”

  “While you’re doing that, I’m going to look for the restrooms. The plumber should be here now, and I should know where to direct him. We also need to look for some display stands that might have been used for the posters.”

  “First things first,” Des said. “Let’s help Cara find the bathrooms.”

  “Good idea.” Barney followed Cara out of the office.

  “Wait for me,” Nikki called.

  It took them almost fifteen minutes, but they found the staff bathroom in the basement, which consisted of a toilet and a sink, both old, cracked, and dirty, and on the first floor, the bathrooms intended for the use of the patrons.

  “These are really small and disgusting,” Nikki said. “The ladies’ room is even uglier than the men’s room, even though it does have this nice mirror and the long vanity and these cute little stools.” She pulled one of the stools out from under the vanity. “Okay, not so cute.”

  “We could have new seat cushions made for them.” Des took a closer look. “Or maybe not.”

  “I’d toss ’em and have something nicer made,” Barney said.

  “I’m with Barney.” Allie nodded. “And toss that big cushy chair there in the corner as well. I bet it’s got bugs. Cara, are we going to get a Dumpster anytime soon? There’s nothing in here we can even consider keeping.”

  “I guess we’ll have to look into having a Dumpster delivered as soon as we identify what’s going to be scrapped.” Cara looked around the small room. “This space is going to have to be enlarged, more stalls added, a separate lounge area. Maybe a closet for supplies. Same with the men’s room. We’re going to have to take some square footage from one side or the other.”

  “I have never seen so many cobwebs,” Allie said as she brushed one off her shoulder.

  “We’ll need handicapped facilities,” Des noted.

  “You’re right.” Cara started to say something else when she heard someone call, “Hello?” from the lobby.

  “That’s probably the plumber,” she said. “I’ll go check.”

  “Let’s look in all the closets,” Nikki said brightly. “Maybe we can find some of those display stands Aunt Cara talked about.”

  A woman in her early forties wearing baggy jeans and a well-fitting University of Scranton sweatshirt stood in the lobby.

  “Can I help you?” Cara said as she came into the lobby.

  “I’m looking for Joe Domanski. I was supposed to meet him here this afternoon to take a look at the plumbing,” the woman said.

  “You’re the plumber?” Cara asked.

  The woman nodded. “Liz Fox. Fox for Plumbing. You are . . . ?”

  “Cara McCann. I’m one of the owners. Joe had to run back to one of his jobs.”

  “I can wait for him in my truck,” Liz said.

  “I’ll be happy to show you around. The bathrooms are right off this hall.” Cara gestured to the arches.

  “I’ll wait for Joe.” The woman turned to go.

  “Just so you know, Joe’s my project manager.” Cara straightened her back, annoyed at being dismis
sed. “But the final decision on who to hire is mine.”

  She could see the plumber weighing her options, and knew exactly when the message hit home.

  “Fine. Let’s start with the basement.” Liz gestured for Cara to lead the way.

  Once in the basement, Liz began to inspect the exposed pipes.

  “You have all lead pipes?” Liz asked as she shined a flashlight overhead.

  “I’m not sure. I know there were some renovations completed before we took over the project. Some of the electric was replaced, but I don’t know if anything was done with the plumbing.”

  “I’m going to take that as a yes, most of your pipes are lead. And I wouldn’t be surprised to find at least some of them are wrapped in asbestos.” Liz turned off the flashlight. “Let’s see what else you have. Restrooms?”

  They’d finished going through the basement and were into the first-floor ladies’ room when Joe returned.

  “Oh, there you are.” Liz smiled. “We were just doing a preliminary walk-through. Looks to me like you have all lead throughout the building, and the restrooms here are too small.”

  “I was just about to tell Liz that—” Cara began, but Liz cut her off.

  “So I’m thinking you’re going to want to expand this room by taking space from the utility area behind it.”

  Joe looked at Cara. “What do you think, Cara?”

  “We’d already decided that the restrooms needed to be enlarged, and of course we need handicapped facilities,” Cara said.

  Joe rubbed his chin, listening attentively as Cara ran through their wants for the bathrooms.

  “Pretty much the same for the men’s room, with a few modifications,” Cara said. “But I do think we could take more space from the area offstage where the actors would gather before they were called. So the bathroom would be larger than if we cut into the utility area.”

  “But if you took the space from the utility room, you’d save some money because you wouldn’t have to move the pipes as far.”

  “I’d rather have the additional space,” Cara said. “I want the restrooms larger.”

  Joe nodded. “Whatever the boss wants, the boss gets.”

  “But . . .” Liz clearly wanted to continue to make her case.

  “Besides, I agree that the rooms should be larger.” Joe turned to Cara. “I could see this building being used for a variety of things someday, maybe fund-raisers where you’ll try to bring in some big players. They’ll expect super amenities. Good idea.”

  Cara nodded.

  Joe turned to Liz. “You’re going to need the original mechanical plans for the building. I have an idea where they might be. I can get a copy of the plans to you so you can work up an estimate. Assuming you’re interested in the job.”

  “Of course I’m interested. Call me and I’ll come pick up whatever you find.” Liz started toward the door.

  “Great. Once all the estimates are in, Cara and I will look them over and she’ll make her decision.” Joe gave Cara a push to propel her toward the front of the theater.

  “All what estimates?” Liz looked confused.

  “We’re looking for three or four bids.” Joe smiled. “It’s a big project, Liz. The Hudsons want to keep things competitive.”

  “But you’ve always used Fox for Plumbing.” Liz frowned.

  “On my jobs, yes. On this job, I’m just a consultant.” He shrugged. “Cara and her two sisters are the owners. I serve at their pleasure.”

  Cara stepped forward. “It was nice meeting you, Liz. We’ll be in touch.”

  Liz nodded and took the hand Cara offered. “I’ll look forward to getting a copy of those plans.” Having obviously adjusted her attitude, she added, “It was a pleasure meeting you. I’d love to work with you on this.” Liz’s eyes raised to the ceiling. “This would be the coolest job in town. But of course, it’s your call. Thanks for your time.”

  “I’ll walk you out, Liz,” Joe told her.

  “No need. I found my way in. I’ll find my way out.” Liz’s voice faded as she left the lobby.

  “Thanks for coming back,” Cara said to Joe. “She really didn’t want to talk to me.”

  “You’ll run into some of that. People are used to me and they don’t know you. Word will get around that you’re Fritz’s daughter, and that will smooth the way for most people.”

  “Are we getting three more estimates?” she asked.

  “Only if you want them. Fox is the best plumber around and the most reasonable. I threw that out there because Liz needed some manners put on her.” Joe stood with his hands in his pockets. “She wasn’t taking you seriously. We both know I’ll be doing the heavy lifting around here, but at the same time, the subs can’t dismiss you.”

  “Well, thanks for taking my side. I appreciate the backup.”

  “I sided with you because I think you’re right, not because I wanted to suck up to you.”

  “Either way, it was appreciated. Moving on . . .” Cara was happy to change the subject. “You really think you know where the original plans are?”

  Joe nodded. “I have a damned good idea. I’ll let you know.”

  “Great.” She looked around. “When will the engineers be here?”

  “Toby Cartwright said he’d stop in on his way back from another job this afternoon. He’s going to give me a call when he gets here.”

  “And you’ll let me know when?”

  “If you want to be here.”

  “I want to be here for all the inspections from now on. I learned my lesson this morning, meeting with Liz. No one is going to take me seriously if I’m not here at their first walk-through.”

  “Fake it till you make it?”

  “I’m not going to pretend to know what you know. How could I? But I can learn enough to understand what needs to be done so that I know what’s really happening in this building,” she said. “I know that you’re the point man when it comes to the work, but if I don’t understand the problems, I can’t have an intelligent conversation with you or my sisters or anyone else. Part of my role in this is to be the bridge between the project and my sisters. I can’t explain what I don’t understand.”

  “Then I’ll expect you to ask a lot of questions,” Joe said.

  “Don’t worry, I will. Now, as far as the engineer is concerned, his report could be the most important, right? He’s going to look at the structural integrity of the building as a whole?”

  “Yes. He’ll be able to tell if we have any problems.”

  “Then it wouldn’t make much sense to have Liz start ripping out the plumbing to replace it if the building is about to fall down.”

  “I don’t think there’s a danger of that happening, but you make a good point. Toby’s assessment will be key to where we go from here.”

  “Cara, come quick!” Nikki dashed into the lobby.

  “Where’s the fire?” Cara turned.

  “Upstairs. Aunt Des and I found the projection room! You have to come see! There are round tins with film still inside! I have to find Mom and Aunt Barney.”

  “Wait. Say hello to our friend Joe.” Cara tried to slow her down.

  “Hello, Joe.” Nikki waved and was off, calling her mother’s name.

  Amused, Joe turned to Cara. “You sure she’s Allie’s kid?”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  “How did you find this?” Cara stood in the doorway of the projection room, where the rest of her family had gathered. The room was half a floor up from the balcony level, tucked away all by itself.

  “I remembered it was here.” Barney stood behind a table upon which the old projector stood. “I started looking at those old posters, and it made me think about some of the movies I’d seen when I was younger.” She smiled. “My dad used to let me bring friends in for free, and we’d sit up here in the balcony and eat popcorn.”

  “What was the first movie you ever saw here, Aunt Barney?” Nikki leaned on the table, her chin in the palm of her hand.

  “Oh, i
t would have been a cartoon, for sure. Bugs Bunny or Tom and Jerry. I had my sixth birthday party here and I know we watched a bunch of cartoons and drank a lot of soda and ate a lot of candy.”

  “Didn’t you watch cartoons on your TV?” Nikki asked.

  “Honey, we’re talking about the dark ages. I was born in 1942, so I would have been six in 1948. We didn’t have a TV in our house until the 1950s. My parents thought it was a fad and that the only real entertainment that mattered was right here, on the big screen.”

  “Did you always have birthday parties here?” Des asked.

  “I did. And I remember every one of my birthday films.” Barney grinned. “Go ahead. Test me.”

  “When you were eight . . .” Des said.

  “Madeline,” Barney replied without hesitating.

  “When you were twelve?” Allie asked.

  “Brigadoon.”

  “How ’bout when you were fifteen?”

  Barney laughed. “I told my mother we were going to see Pat Boone in April Love, but I talked the projector operator into showing us Jailhouse Rock. We all had a crush on Elvis.” Her eyes sparkled. “Oh, the fun we had here back then. For a time, science-fiction films were all the rage. Looking back now, they were so corny, but when you’re fifteen or sixteen and you’re watching Attack of the Crab Monsters or The Deadly Mantis with your girlfriends, you are expected to scream and cringe at the appropriate times.”

  “How ’bout when you were with a boy?” Nikki teased.

  “Oh, then you’d scream twice as loudly.” Barney laughed again.

  Allie stood in front of the open cabinet looking over the large round metal tins that held films.

  “Well, if we knew how to run that projector, you could see one of your favorites right now.” Allie held up a container. “Brigadoon.”

  “I wonder if that thing still works?” Cara said.

  “It hasn’t been run since . . . I’m not even sure.” Barney shook her head. “The 1980s, I think.”

  “Barney, I think we need to interview you,” Des said. “We’ve been talking about doing a book about the theater. At first I was thinking it would be good promo for the project, but we’ve also talked about a fund-raising project. You know, in case we run short.”