A Stranger in the Mirror

chapter 27

Clifton Lawrence was in trouble. In a way, he supposed, it was his own fault for letting things get this far. He was seated at Toby's bar, and Toby was saying, "I proposed to her this morning, Cliff, and she said yes. I feel like a sixteen-year-old kid."

Clifton tried not to let the shock show on his face. He had to be extremely careful about the way he handled this. He knew one thing: He could not let that little tramp marry Toby Temple. The moment the wedding announcement was made, every cocksman in Hollywood would crawl out of the woodwork, announcing that he had gotten in there first. It was a miracle that Toby had not found out about Jill before now, but it could not be kept from him forever. When he learned the truth, Toby would kill. He would lash out at everyone around him, everyone who had let this happen to him, and Clifton Lawrence would be the first to feel the brunt of Toby's rage. No, Clifton could not let this marriage take place. He was tempted to point out that Toby was twenty years older than Jill, but he checked himself. He looked over at Toby and said cautiously, "It might be a mistake to rush things. It takes a long time to really get to know a person. You might change your - "

Toby brushed it aside. "You're gonna be my best man. You think we should have the wedding here or up in Vegas?"

Clifton knew that he was wasting his breath. There was only one way to prevent this disaster from happening. He had to find a way to stop Jill.

That afternoon, the little agent telephoned Jill and asked her to come to his office. She arrived an hour late, gave him a cheek to kiss, sat down on the edge of the couch and said, "I haven't much time. I'm meeting Toby."

"This won't take long."

Clifton studied her. It was a different Jill. She bore almost no resemblance to the girl he had first met a few months ago. There was a confidence about her now, an assurance that she had not had earlier. Well, he had dealt with girls like her before.

"Jill, I'm going to lay it on the line," Clifton said. "You're bad for Toby. I want you to get out of Hollywood." He took a white envelope out of a drawer. "Here's five thousand dollars' cash. That's enough to take you anywhere you want to go."

She stared at him a moment, a surprised expression on her face, then leaned back on the couch and began to laugh.

"I'm not joking," Clifton Lawrence said. "Do you think Toby would marry you if he found out you've laid everybody in town?"

She regarded Clifton for a long moment. She wanted to tell him that he was responsible for everything that had happened to her. He and all the other people in power who had refused to give her a chance. They had made her pay with her body, her pride, her soul. But she knew there was no way she could ever make him understand. He was trying to bluff her. He would not dare tell Toby about her; it would be Lawrence's word against hers.

Jill rose to her feet and walked out of the office.

One hour later, Clifton received a call from Toby.

Clifton had never heard Toby sound so excited. "I don't know what you said to Jill, pal, but I have to hand it to you - she can't wait. We're on our way to Las Vegas to get married!"

The Lear jet was thirty-five miles from the Los Angeles International Airport, flying at 250 knots. David Kenyon made contact with the LAX approach control and gave them his position.

David was exhilarated. He was on his way to Jill.

Cissy had recovered from most of her injuries suffered in the automobile accident, but her face had been badly lacerated. David had sent her to the best plastic surgeon in the world, a doctor in Brazil. She had been gone for six weeks, during which time she had been sending him glowing reports about the doctor.

Twenty-four hours ago, David had received a telephone call from Cissy, saying she was not returning. She had fallen in love.

David could not believe his good fortune.

"That's - that's wonderful," he managed to stammer. "I hope you and the doctor will be happy."

"Oh, it's not the doctor," Cissy replied. "It's someone who owns a little plantation here. He looks exactly like you, David. The only difference is that he loves me."

The crackling of the radio interrupted his thoughts. "Lear Three Alpha Papa, this is Los Angeles Approach Control. You're clear for approach to Runway Twenty-five Left. There will be a United seven-oh-seven behind you. When you land, please taxi to the ramp on your right."

"Roger." David began to make his descent, and his heart started to pound. He was on his way to find Jill, to tell her he still loved her, to ask her to marry him.

He was walking through the terminal when he passed the newsstand and saw the headline: "TOBY TEMPLE WEDS ACTRESS." He read the story twice and then turned and went into the airport bar.

He stayed drunk for three days and then flew back to Texas.