Page 40 of Tightrope

“Don’t worry, things will pick up this evening. I’ve made arrangements with the maître d’ at the Paradise. He has reserved a prime booth near the dance floor for us. I will arrive around ten and sit alone until you get there. Make sure your eye-catching monster of a chauffeur escorts you to my table. Trust me, by tomorrow morning the news that you are in town will be on the front page of the local paper. When word gets out that you’re staying at the mansion that was cursed by Madam Zolanda, the story will go national.”

Vincent looked pained. “The sacrifices I make for my career. I would so much rather be relaxing poolside at the Burning Cove Hotel.”

Lorraine went to the liquor cabinet and picked up the pitcher of martinis. “We both know why it would not have been a good idea for you to stay at the Burning Cove. There are too many big names registered there at the moment. Too much competition on that particular stage.”

Vincent shuddered. “You don’t need to spell it out for me. I understand. It’s just that the Hidden Beach Inn is so damn quiet. As far as I can tell, the highlight of the day is afternoon tea. I don’t even like tea.”

“You must be patient,” Lorraine said. “There is too much at stake. Neither of us can afford to make any mistakes.”

She poured the martinis and carried the two glasses across the room. Vincent took a healthy swallow of his drink and met her eyes.

“Do you really think this is going to work?” he asked.

“Yes,” she said. “It will work. By the end of the week your name will be on the front page of every newspaper and Hollywood magazine in the country. The studio will beg you to take the lead inNightmare Lane.Your old studio will be desperate to get you to sign for another Mad Doctor X film. No one will even remember Karloff and Lugosi.”

Vincent inclined his head. “If I land the lead inNightmare Lane, I will forever be indebted to you, Lorraine.”

She laughed. “I know. And when your next film comes out, you will once again be invited to all the best parties and clubs. More to the point, you will once again become a valuable source for me.”

Vincent chuckled. “Be careful, my dear, or I will start to suspect that your ultimate goal is to use me.”

“Of course that’s my objective.” She touched her glass lightly against his. “Just as your goal is to use me. I need a constant flow of film world secrets and you require a constant series of films. We do understand each other, don’t we, Vincent?”

He gave her his best Mad Doctor X smile. “We do, indeed, my love.”

She watched with satisfaction as he downed half the contents of the martini glass.

“Let’s go outside onto the patio,” she said, leading the way across the living room. “We have a lot to discuss, Vincent.”

Promptly at six Jasper returned to pick up Vincent. Five minutes after her first visitor had departed, Lorraine’s second one arrived. Ray Thorpe did not pull up in a flashy limo. He was at the wheel of an unremarkable Ford sedan. Nor did he stop at the front of the villa. He parked in the back and let himself in via the kitchen door.

“I thought Hyde was never going to leave,” Ray said.

If Jasper Calloway was playing the role of Hollywood bodyguard, Ray Thorpe was the real deal. He had worked security for various studios over the years. The job description covered a lot of territory.

Thorpe was one of the hard guys that the studio fixers sent out when they found it necessary to recover incriminating photos or to ensure that people who might be considering assault or rape charges against an actor stayed quiet.

He was in his mid-forties and some of the muscle had gone soft, but everything else about him was tough and dangerous. He wore a holstered gun under his rumpled jacket.

Lorraine lit a cigarette.

“I told you that Hyde would be here until six today,” she said. “What’s the matter, Ray?”

“We’ve got a problem,” Ray said.

“Are you talking about Matthias Jones? We already know he’s a problem. We’ll deal with it.”

“I don’t like the feel of this job,” Ray said. “Too many things have gone wrong. I still say we should walk away.”

“I understand your concerns but it’s too early to abandon the project. There’s still a chance that we can make it happen.”

“What makes you sure of that?”

She smiled. “The same thing that has you so worried. Matthias Jones.”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

“You said it yourself—Jones has moved into the Hidden Beach Inn.”

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