“One does not.”
In no time they were in the water, and after a bit of frolicking, Stone handed her a robe and a towel and called the house for a pitcher of sangria. They occupied a double lounge and relaxed.
“Usually, Sundays are a big workday for me,” Ana said. “It’s nice to be off.” She let her hand wander under his robe, and shortly, she was on top of him.
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TEDDY AND SALLY arrived back at her house, dusty and tired. “Let’s go straight into the hot tub,” she said, starting to strip.
“I didn’t even know you had a hot tub,” Teddy replied.
“You haven’t seen my back garden.” She took him by the hand and led him out the back door into a beautifully planted garden, then uncovered the tub and set the temperature. It was getting dark.
“This is lovely,” Teddy said, getting out of his clothes.
“It’s my pride and joy. I don’t mind if there’s time between jobs—I use it here.” Her cell phone rang, and she looked at the caller’s name before answering. “Excuse me,” she said, “it’s my assistant, Jenny.” She walked away and talked for a moment, then returned.
“You look concerned,” Teddy said.
“It’s our leading man, Jake. He and Dax had a big argument in the bar at La Fonda, and now he’s there alone, drinking.”
“I hope he makes work tomorrow.”
“There seems to be some doubt about that. Jenny thinks he may have quit the film, and Heckel and Jeckel are lurking nearby, apparently waiting for Jake to leave.”
Teddy started to get dressed. “Is Jenny with Jake?”
“She’s been trying to talk to him, but he’s not very communicative.”
“Tell her to keep him at the bar, whatever she has to do,” Teddy said, buttoning his shirt.
“Where are you going?” Sally asked, alarmed.
“I think I’ll have a drink at La Fonda and see that Jake gets to his suite unmolested.”
“I’m coming with you,” Sally said.
“I don’t need help for this,” Teddy said.
“Jake likes me. I can talk him out of there. I don’t want you mixing with those two apes, though.”
“Come on, then.” They drove the few blocks to the big hotel, and Teddy parked the pickup in the indoor lot. They walked into the hotel and down the hallway toward the bar. Teddy stopped at a shop in the little mall, where there was a basket of umbrellas outside the door, seeking buyers. He bought a golf umbrella with a thick, curved handle.
“Ted, it’s not raining,” Sally said, as they hurried toward the bar.
“It could get wet,” Teddy replied.
13
JAKE WAS HALF SLUMPED on his bar stool, while Jenny stood next to him, pushing his drink away. Teddy looked up and saw Heckel and Jeckel at the far end of the bar, watching them intently.
“Hi, Jake,” Teddy said. “I’m Ted Shirley, assistant to Dan Waters, the production manager.”
“Hey, Ted,” Jake mumbled.
“I think we’d better get you to your suite,” Teddy said. “You’re not looking well.”
“Okay,” Jake said.
Teddy and Sally got him off the bar stool and onto his feet, and the three of them headed slowly toward the hallway. Teddy looked over his shoulder and saw that Heckel and Jeckel were moving their way.
The elevator door was open and waiting and Teddy, Sally, Jenny, and Jake got aboard. “Which floor?” Teddy asked.
“The top,” Jake replied.
Teddy pressed the button and the door closed just as the two muscle guys reached it. They rode up, but it was very slow. When the door opened, Jake said, “That way,” pointing to his right.
They were halfway to the suite when Teddy heard the fire stairs door open and close behind them. “Hey!” a voice said. “We’ll take care of Jake.”
“I’ll need your key card, Jake,” Teddy said, but he didn’t stop moving. At the door to the suite, Jake was still fumbling in his pocket when Heckel and Jeckel arrived. Heckel, the larger of the two, hooked his fingers in Jake’s belt. “We’ll take care of this,” he said to Teddy. “Now get lost.”
Teddy brought the thick umbrella handle down sharply on Heckel’s wrist, and the man let go of Jake’s belt with a yelp. Jeckel came to his rescue, but Teddy rammed the umbrella handle into his solar plexus, and the man made a loud noise and sat down on the floor.
Jake came up with the key card, and Sally let them into the suite. Teddy backed in to be sure they weren’t followed, but the fight had gone out of the two men. “I think my wrist is broken,” Heckel said as the door closed.
Teddy turned and walked down a short hall to the living room, which was large and handsomely furnished.
“I need a drink,” Jake said.
“That’s the last thing you need, Jake,” Sally replied, and she and Jenny hustled him into the bedroom and onto the bed.
Teddy sat down and found a leather-bound copy of their script, with Jake’s name stamped on it in gold. He picked it up and flipped through the pages.
Sally came back into the room and sat down next to him on the sofa. “Whew, that was close,” she said. “I expect Heckel and Jeckel are on their way to report to Dax.”
“I expect they’re on their way to the emergency room,” Teddy replied.
Teddy found the marked page in the script that indicated how much they had shot. He continued leafing through the script to the end. “Sally,” he said, “can you call Dan Waters and ask him to come over here?”
“Do you really think he wants to know about this?”
“I think he will want to know.”
Jenny came into the room. “Jake is finally asleep,” she said. “He did manage to say that he had told Dax he was quitting the film.”
“Let him sleep it off,” Teddy said. “In the meantime, I think we’re stuck here until he wakes up.”
? ? ?
A FEW MINUTES LATER there was a knock on the door, and Jenny let in Dan Waters.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
Teddy told him what had transpired.
“You took on Heckel and Jeckel?” Dan asked, amazed.
“It had to be done,” Teddy replied.
“Jake says he told Dax he’s leaving the picture,” Jenny said.
“Oh, shit!” Dan said. “This is a nightmare. We’ll have to reshoot everything, and we’ll be on this picture forever.”
“Maybe not,” Teddy said. “I’ve been looking through the script.”
“We’re nearly three-quarters through it,” Dan said.
“Jake has eight scenes left to shoot,” Teddy said. “I’ve read them, and I think his standin could do all the long shots, and, of course, the stunt double would be doing the climactic fight scene.”
“Which leaves what?” Dan asked.
“Ten two-shots and close-ups that require Jake’s participation—about seven minutes of actual screen time, maybe less.”
“What, you’re saying that Jake has only seven minutes of work left on the picture? The standin and stunt double could do the rest?”
“You heard me correctly.” Teddy handed him the script. “I’ve marked the places. Read it and see if you agree.”
Dan read the pages quickly. “You’re right. If we can calm both Jake and Dax down, we can have Jake on the way back to L.A. the day after tomorrow, and we can finish the shoot without him.”
“What time does Dax get up in the morning?” Teddy asked.
“Early—his car comes for him at seven AM.”
“Do we have any idea what time Jake told Dax he was quitting?” Teddy asked.
“I think I heard about it pretty quick,” Jenny said, “so maybe two hours ago.”
“Do you think Dax has already called our stand-by star?” Teddy asked Dan.
“I happen to know that our man, Kramer, weekends up in the Sierras somewhere, and there’s no cell service.”
“Okay, then,” Teddy said. “We’ve got two jobs to do. Dan, you tell Dax about our plan and get him to hold off on calling the stand-by star. When Jake wakes up, I’ll try to talk him into working two more days.”
“I’ll be there when Dax wakes up,” Dan said.
“Oh, and you’d better get the director to meet you at Dax’s place. He’s the guy who has to make this work.”
“I’ll call you,” Dan said.
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