Part 40 (2/2)

”This is the long-distance operator,” a voice answered. ”I have your California call for you. Go ahead, please.”

”h.e.l.lo, Johnny!” It was Dulcie's voice now. She sounded pleased and excitedly breathless.

”Dulcie,” he said, ”how are you, darling?”

”Oh, Johnny, honey,” she said, ”I'm so glad you called. I miss you.”

”I miss you too, darling. Everything going all right?”

”Just fine,” she answered. ”But I wish you were here.”

He laughed happily. ”That's the picture business, darling. You never know what's going to happen next. How's the picture coming along?”

”All right, I guess. But I wish I hadn't started it. I'm working so hard and I'm so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open when I get home.” He could hear her yawn over the phone.

A wave of sympathy for her ran through him. Poor kid, she hadn't known what she was asking for. Picture-making was hectic and exhausting work at its best. ”Look, honey, I won't keep you up, then. You got to get your rest so you can look pretty for the camera in the morning. I just wanted to hear your voice, I felt so lonely.”

”Don't hang up, Johnny.” She seemed to be pleading. ”I want to talk to you.”

He laughed. Sometimes you had to be firm with her. ”Now look,” he said with mock sternness, ”we'll have the rest of our lives to talk. Tonight you're gonna get some sleep.”

”All right, Johnny.” Her voice was filled with surrender to his masculine a.s.sertiveness.

”I love you, Dulcie.”

”I love you too, Johnny,” she answered.

”Good night, darling,” he said tenderly.

”Good night, Johnny.”

He hung the receiver back on the hook and stretched out on the bed. He smiled at her picture. It was a few minutes before he realized he hadn't told her about Rocco. That was what he had wanted to talk to her about. Slowly the empty feeling seemed to creep back into him.

Von Elster watched her put down the phone. ”Too bad he won't let you stay in pictures. Some day when they will have talking pictures you will be even more wonderful an actress.”

She looked at him, a wise and knowing look on her face. ”Who said he wouldn't let me stay in pictures?” she asked softly.

He looked at her for a moment, then he raised her hand to his lips. ”Forgive me, Dulcie,” he said, his voice filled with wonder. ”You are a greater actress even than I thought.”

She looked over his head. Her eyes grew dark and thoughtful. It was easy to fool Johnny now, he was so in love with her. She felt a twinge of conscience and shook her head. Why should it bother her?

She had never loved him and had married him for only one reason. He was getting what he wanted, she held nothing back from him. It was only fair that she should get what she wanted.

She knew deep inside her that she would never be satisfied with one man. There was a constant driving inside her, challenging her. She would only be happy when every man in the world could see her and want her. She smiled to herself.

Soon every man would. When her picture came out.

AFTERMATH.

1938.

FRIDAY.

It was the kind of day I should've stayed in bed. Nothing went right. And there was nothing I could do about it. Fridays just weren't my days.

It started in the morning when I got to Peter's house. They wouldn't let me in to see him. His temperature had gone up and the doctor had forbidden visitors.

I talked awhile to Doris and Esther and tried to cheer them up a little. I don't know whether I was convincing enough for them, but I do know that the more I talked, the more depressed I grew.

It was an intangible sort of feeling. It started off small, a little foreboding deep inside you. Then it seemed to grow larger like a black cloud moving in from the distance on a rainy day. At first you shrug it off, pay no attention to it. It isn't going to bother you, it isn't even coming your way. And then suddenly it's pouring. That was the way it was with me.

I paid little attention to it when I left their house for the studio, but when I got to my office, I knew I had it. I was caught in the midst of a downpour with no shelter in sight and everything was all bollixed up from there on out.

I had spent more time at Peter's house than I had expected, so I got to the studio after lunch. It was about two o'clock when I looked down at my desk and saw Larry's note.

”Call me when you get in,” it read. It was signed by Larry.

I had the strangest impulse to leave the office and go home and put off seeing him until Monday, but I didn't. Instead I pressed down the interoffice communicator and he answered.

”Stan and I would like to see you when you have a few minutes,” he said, the intercom giving his voice a queer metallic ring.

I hesitated a moment. ”Come on in now,” I told him.

”Good,” he replied. ”We'll be right in.”

I sat down in my chair and wondered what he wanted. I didn't have to wait long to find out. The door opened and he ushered Farber into my office.

I lit a cigarette. ”Have a chair, boys,” I said more cheerfully than I felt. ”What's on your mind?”

Ronsen came right to the point. The words came from his lips and Farber's mind. ”I've decided to call a special meeting of the board for next Wednesday in New York. I think we ought to clarify Stan's position without delay.”

I was still smiling. ”Sounds all right to me,” I agreed readily. ”What do you have in mind to clarify?”

”For one thing,” Ronsen said uncomfortably, ”I think we ought to do something about creating a definite post for Dave. He's been on the lot for several months now and he's neither fish nor fowl. His responsibilities should be clearly designated. The way it stands now, n.o.body knows just what he's supposed to do.”

”I have a good idea what to do with him,” I murmured gently. ”But I don't suppose it will coincide with yours.”

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