Buzz and Lew had arrived, but there was no sign of Walli. Dave was relying on Beep to get Walli here on time. He wondered anxiously where they were.
Soon after Evie left, Beep’s parents came backstage. Dave was again on good terms with Bella and Woody. He decided not to tell them what Evie had said about Cam stirring up the press against her. Lifelong Democrats, they were already annoyed that their son was working for Nixon.
Dave wanted to know what Woody thought of McGovern’s chances. ‘George McGovern has a problem,’ Woody said. ‘In order to defeat Hubert Humphrey and get the nomination, he had to break the power of the old Democratic party barons, the city mayors and the state governors and the union bosses.’
Dave had not followed this closely. ‘How did he manage that?’
‘After the mess of Chicago 1968, the party rewrote the rules, and McGovern chaired the commission that did that.’
‘Why’s that a problem?’
‘Because the old power brokers won’t work for him. Some detest him so much that they started a movement called Democrats for Nixon.’
‘Young people like him.’
‘We have to hope that will be enough.’
At last Beep arrived with Walli. The Dewar parents went off to Walli’s dressing room. Dave put on his stage outfit, a red one-piece jumpsuit and engineer boots. He did some exercises to warm up his voice. While he was singing scales, Beep came in.
She gave him a sunny smile and kissed his cheek. As always, she lit up the room just by walking in. I should never have let her go, Dave thought. What kind of an idiot am I?
‘How is Walli?’ he said worriedly.
‘He’s had a hit of dope, just enough to get him through the gig. He’ll shoot up when he comes off stage. He’s all right to play.’
‘Thank God.’
She was wearing satin hot pants and a sequinned bra top. She had put on a little weight since the recording sessions, Dave saw: her bust seemed bigger and she even had a cute tummy bulge. He offered her a drink. She asked for a Coke. ‘Help yourself to a cigarette,’ he said.
‘I quit.’
‘That’s why you’ve put on weight.’
‘No, it’s not.’
‘That wasn’t a put-down. You look fabulous.’
‘I’m leaving Walli.’
That shocked him. He turned from the bar and stared at her. ‘Wow,’ he said. ‘Does he know yet?’
‘I’m going to tell him after tonight’s show.’
‘That’s a relief. But what about all that stuff you told me about being a less selfish person and saving Walli’s life?’
‘I have a more important life to save.’
‘Your own?’
‘My baby’s.’
‘Christ.’ Dave sat down. ‘You’re pregnant.’
‘Three months.’
‘That’s why your shape has changed.’
‘And smoking makes me puke. I don’t even use pot any more.’
The dressing-room tannoy crackled, and a voice said: ‘Five minutes to show time, everybody. All stage technicians should now be in performance positions.’
Dave said: ‘If you’re pregnant, why are you leaving Walli?’
‘I’m not bringing up a child in that environment. It’s one thing to sacrifice myself, something else to do it to a kid. This child is going to have a normal life.’
‘Where will you go?’
‘I’m moving back in with my mom and dad.’ She shook her head in a gesture of wonder. ‘It’s incredible. For ten years I’ve done everything I could to piss them off, but when I needed their help they just said yes. Fucking amazing.’
The tannoy said: ‘One minute, everybody. The band are kindly invited to move to the wings whenever they’re ready.’
Dave was struck by a thought. ‘Three months . . .’
‘I don’t know whose baby it is,’ Beep said. ‘I conceived while you were making the album. I was on the pill, but sometimes I used to forget to take it, especially if I was stoned.’
‘But you told me that Walli and you seldom had sex.’
‘Seldom isn’t never. I’d say there’s a ten per cent chance it’s Walli’s baby.’
‘So ninety per cent mine.’
Lew looked into Dave’s tent. ‘Here we go,’ he said.
‘I’m coming,’ Dave said.
Lew went, and Dave said to Beep: ‘Live with me.’
She stared at him. ‘Do you mean it?’
‘Yes.’
‘Even if it’s not your baby?’
‘I’m sure I’ll love your baby. I love you. Hell, I love Walli. Live with me, please.’
‘Oh, God,’ she said, and she started to cry. ‘I was hoping and praying you’d say this.’
‘Does that mean you will?’
‘Of course. It’s what I’m longing for.’
Dave felt as if the sun had risen. ‘Well, then, that’s what we’ll do,’ he said.
‘What are we going to do about Walli? I don’t want him to die.’
‘I have an idea about that,’ Dave said. ‘I’ll tell you after the show.’
‘Go on stage, they’re waiting for you.’
‘I know.’ He kissed her mouth softly. She put her arms around him and hugged him. ‘I love you,’ he said.
‘I love you, too, and I was mad to ever let you go.’
‘Don’t do it again.’
‘Never.’
Dave went out. He ran across the grass and up the steps to where the rest of the band were waiting in the wings. Then he was struck by a thought. ‘I forgot something,’ he said.
Buzz said irritably: ‘What? The guitars are on stage.’
Dave did not answer. He ran back to his dressing room. Beep was still there, sitting down, wiping her eyes.
Dave said: ‘Shall we get married?’
‘Okay,’ she said.
‘Good.’
He ran back to the scaffold.
‘Everyone okay?’ he said.
Everyone was okay.
Dave led the band on to the stage.