sidneysheldon.astrangerinthemirror-第17节
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y he was born。
In the limousine； the man in the front seat chuckled and said admiringly； 〃I sure gotta hand it to you； boss。 The poor bastard never knew what hit him。〃
Caruso smiled benignly。 It had worked out well。 Ever since his wife； who had the temper of a virago； had found out about his affair with Millie； Caruso had known that he would have to find a way to get rid of the blonde showgirl。
〃Remind me to see that he treats Millie good；〃 Caruso said softly。
Toby and Millie moved into a small home in Benedict canyon。 In the beginning； Toby spent hours scheming about ways to get out of his marriage。 He would make Millie so miserable that she would ask for a divorce。 Or he would frame her with another guy and then demand a divorce。 Or he would simply leave her and defy Caruso to do something about it。 But he changed his mind after a talk with Dick Landry； the rector。 They were having lunch at the Bel Air Hotel a few weeks after the wedding； and Landry asked；
〃How well do you really now AI Caruso？〃
Toby looked at him。 〃Why ？ 〃
〃Don't get mixed up with him； Toby。 He's a killer。 I'll teII you something I know for a fact。 Caruso's kid brother married a nineteen…year…old girl fresh out of a convent。 A month later； the kid caught his wife in bed with some guy。 He told Al about it。〃
Toby was listening； his eyes fastened on Landry。 〃What happened？〃
〃Caruso's goons took a meat cleaver and cut off the guy's cock。 They soaked it in gasoline and set it on fire while the he watched。 Then they left him to bleed to death。〃
Toby remembered Caruso saying。 Open up his pants； and the hard hands fumbling his ripper； and Toby broke out in cold sweat。 He felt suddenly sick to his stomach。 He knew with an awful certainty that there was no escape。
Josephine found an escape when she was ten。 It was a door to another world where she could hide from her mother's maltreatment and the constant threat of Hell…fire and Damnation。
It was a world filled with magic and beauty。 She would sit in the darkened movie house hour after hour and watch the glamorous people on the screen。 They all lived in beautiful houses and wore lovely clothes； and they were all so happy。 And Josephine thought； I will go to Hollywood； one day and live like that。 She hoped that her mother would understand。 Her mother believed that movies were the thoughts of the Devil； so Josephine had to sneak away to the theater； using money she earned by baby…sitting。 The picture that was playing today was a love story； and Josephine leaned forward in joyous anticipation as it began。 The credits came on first。 They read； 〃Produced by Sam Winters〃。
There were days when Sam Winters felt as though he were running a lunatic asylum instead of a motion…picture studio； and that all the inmates were out to get him。 This is one of those days； for the crises were piled a foot high。 Here had been another fire at the studio the night before the fourth； the sponsor of 〃My Man Friday〃 had been insulted by the star of the series and wanted to cancel the show； Bert Firestone； the studio's boy…genius director； had shut down eduction in the middle of a five…million…dollar picture； and Jessie Brand had walked out on a picture that was scheduled start shooting in a few days。
The fire marshal and the studio ptroller were in Sam's office。
〃How bad was last night's fire？〃 Sam asked。
The ptroller said； 〃The sets are a total loss； Mr。 Winters。 We're going to have to rebuild Stage Fifteen etely。 Sixteen is fixable； but it will take us three months。〃
〃We haven't got three months；〃 Sam snapped。 〃Get on the phone and rent some space at Goldwyn。 Use this weekend start building new sets。 Get everybody moving。〃
He turned to the fire marshal； a man named Reilly； who minded Sam of George Bancroft； the actor。
〃Somebody sure as hell don't like you； Mr。 Winters；〃 Reilly said。 〃Each fire has been a dear case of perrson。 Have I checked on grunts？〃
Grunts were disgruntled employees who had been recently fire or felt they had a grievance against their employer。
〃We've gone through all the personnel files twice；〃 Sam replied。 〃We haven't e up with a thing。〃 〃Whoever is setting these babies knows exactly what he's doing。 He's using a tuning device attached to a homemade incendiary。 He could be an electrician or a mechanic。〃
〃Thanks；〃 Sam said。 〃I'll pass that on。〃
〃Roger Tapp is calling from Tahiti。〃
〃Put him on；〃 Sam said。
Tapp was the producer of 〃My Man Friday〃； the television series being shot in Tahiti； starring Tony Fletcher。
〃What's the problem？〃 Sam asked。 〃You won't fucking believe this； Sam。 Philip Heller； the chairman of the board of the pany that's sponsoring the show； is visiting here with his family。 They walked on the set yesterday afternoon； and Tony Fletcher was in the middle of a scene。 He turned to them and insulted them。〃
〃What did he say？〃
〃He told them to get off his island。〃
〃Jesus Christ！〃
〃That's who he thinks he is。 Heller's so mad he wants to cancel the series。〃
〃Get over to Heller and apologize。 Do it right now。 Tell him Tony Fletcher's having a nervous breakdown。 Send Mrs。 Heller flowers； take them to dinner。 I'll talk to Tony Fletcher myself。〃
The conversation lasted thirty minutes。 It began with Sam saying； 〃Hear this； you stupid cock sucker 。。。〃 and ended with； 〃I love you； too； baby。 I'll fly over there to see you as soon as I can get away。 And for God's sake； Tony； don't lay Mrs。 Heller！〃
The next problem was Bert Firestone； the boy…genius director who was breaking Pan…Pacific Studios。 Firestone's picture； There's Always Tomorrow； had been shooting for a hundred and ten days； and was more than a million dollars over budget。 Now Bert Firestone had shut the production down； which meant that； besides the stars； there were a hundred and fifty extras sitting around on their asses doing nothing。 Bert Firestone。 A thirty…year…old whiz kid who came from directing prize…winning television shows at a Chicago station to directing movies in Hollywood。 Firestone's first three motion pictures had been mild successes； but his fourth one had been a box…office smash。 On the basis of that moneymaker； he had bee a hot property。 Sam remembered his first meeting with him。 Firestone looked a not…yestready…to…shave fifteen。 He was a pale； shy man with black horned…rimmed glasses that concealed tiny； myopic pink eyes。 Sam had felt sorry for the kid。 Firestone had not known anyone in Hollywood； so Sam had gone out of his way to have him to dinner and to see that he was invited to parties。 When they had first discussed There's Always Tomorrow； Firestone was very respectful。 He told Sam that he was eager to learn。 He hung on every word that Sam said。 He could not have agreed more with Sam。 If he were signed for this picture； he told Sam； he would certainly lean heavily on Mr。 Winters's expertise。 That was before Firestone signed the contract。 After he signed it； he made Adolf Hitler look like Albert Schweitzer。 The little apple…cheeked kid turned into a killer overnight。 He cut off all munication。 He pletely ignored Sam's toasting suggestions； insisted on totally rewriting a fine script that Sam had approved； and he changed most of the shooting scenes that had already been agreed upon。
Sam had wanted to throw him off the picture； but the New York office had told him to be patient。 Rudolph Hergershorn； the president of pany； was hypnotized by the enormous grosses on his last movie。 So Sam had been forced to sit tight and do nothing。 It seemed to him that Firestone's arrogance grown day by day。 He would sit quietly through a production； and when all the experienced department heads had speaking； Firestone would begin chopping down。 Everyone gritted his teeth and bore it。 In no time at all。
Firestone aquired the nickname of the Emperor； and when his people were not calling him that； they referred to him as Prick from Chicago。 Somebody said about him； 〃He's a pervert。 He would probably fuck himself and give birth two…headed monster。〃
And then； in the middle of shooting； Firestone had closed down the pany。 Sam went over to see Devlin Kelly； the head of the art department。
〃Give it to me fast；〃 Sam said。
〃Right。 Kid Prick ordered 〃
〃Cut that out。 It's Mr。 Firestone。〃
〃Sorry。 Mr。 Firestone asked me to build a castle set for him。 He drew the sketches himself。 You okayed them。〃
〃They were good。 What happened ？ 〃
〃What happened was that we built him exactly what the little what he wanted； and when he took a look at it yesterday； he decided he didn't want it anymore。 A half…million bucks down the 〃
〃I'll talk to him；〃 Sam said。
Bert Firestone was outside； in back of Stage Twentythree； playing basketball with the crew。 They had rigged up a court and had painted in boundary lines and put up two baskets。 Sam stood there； watching a moment。 The game was costing the studio two thousand dollars an hour。
〃Bert！〃
Firestone turned； saw Sam； smiled and waved。 The ball came to him； he dribbled it； feinted； and sank a basket。 Then he strolled over to Sam。
〃How are things？〃
As though nothing were wrong。 As Sam looked at the boyish； smiling young face； it
