cb.coldheart canyon-第14部分

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e　hell？　Pale　was　in。
　 There　was　a　gate　close　to　the　front　of　the　building；　guarded　by　a　security　officer。　She　recognized　Todd　immediately；　and　unlocked　the　gate。
　 〃Getting　out　before　it　gets　too　crazy？〃　she　said　to　him。　He　smiled　and　nodded。　〃You　want　an　escort　to　your　car？〃
　 〃Yeah；　thanks。〃
　 One　of　the　executive　producers；　an　over…eager　Englishman　called　George　Dipper；　with　whom　Todd　had　never　worked　before；　was　standing　on　the　red　carpet；　his　presence　ignored　by　the　press；　who　were　standing　around　chatting　to　one　another；　or　checking　their　cameras　before　the　luminaries　reappeared。　George　caught　Todd's　eye；　and　hurried　over；　dragging　on　his　own　cigarette　as　though　his　life　depended　on　its　nicotine　content。
　 There　was　scattered　applause　from　inside；　which　quickly　died　away。
　 The　picture　was　over。
　 〃I　think　it　played　brilliantly；〃　George　said；　his　eyes　begging　for　a　syllable　of　agreement。　〃They　were　with　us　all　the　way。　Don't　you　think　so？〃
　 〃It　was　fine；〃　Todd　said；　without　mitment。
　 〃Forty　million；　the　first　weekend。〃
　 〃Don't　get　your　hopes　up。〃
　 〃You　don't　think　we'll　do　forty？〃
　 〃I　think　it'll　do　fine。〃
　 George's　face　lit　up。　Todd　Pickett；　the　man　he'd　paid　twenty　million　dollars　to　（plus　a　sizable　portion　of　the　back…end）　was　declaring　it　fine。　God　was　in　His　Heaven。　For　a　terrible　moment　Todd　thought　the　man　was　going　to　weep　with　relief。
　 〃At　least　there's　nothing　big　opening　against　it；〃　Todd　said；　〃So　we've　got　one　weekend　clear。〃
　 〃And　your　fans　are　loyal；〃　George　said。　Again；　the　desperation　in　the　eyes。
　 Todd　couldn't　bear　to　look　at　him　any　longer。
　 〃I'm　just　goin'　to　make　a　quick　getaway；〃　Todd　said；　glancing　towards　the　theater　doors。
　 The　first　of　the　crowd　were　emerging。　If　the　expressions　on　the　first　five　faces　he　scanned　were　an　omen；　his　instincts　were　right：　they　did　not　have　a　hit。　He　turned　his　back　on　the　crowd；　telling　George　he'd　see　him　later。
　 〃You　are　ing　to　the　party？〃　George　said；　hanging　on　to　him　as　he　headed　down　the　carpet。
　 Where　was　Marco？　Todd　thought。　Trusty　Marco；　who　was　always　there　when　he　was　needed。　〃Yes；　I'll　pop　in　later；〃　he　said；　glancing　back　over　his　shoulder　at　George　to　reassure　him。
　 In　the　seconds　since　he'd　turned　away　the　audience　spilling　from　the　theatre　door　had　jumped　from　five　to　a　hundred。　Half　of　them　saw　him。　In　just　a　few　seconds　they'd　be　surrounding　him；　yelling　his　name；　telling　him　they　loved　this　and　they　hated　that；　touching　him；　pulling　on　him…
　 〃Here；　boss！〃
　 Marco　called　to　him　from　the　curb。　The　limo　door　was　open。　God　bless　him！　Todd　raced　down　the　carpet　as　people　behind　him　started　to　call　his　name；　cameras　started　to　flash。　Into　the　limo。　Marco　slammed　the　door。　Todd　locked　it。　Then　Marco　dashed　around　to　the　driver's　seat　with　a　remarkable　turn　of　speed　given　his　poundage；　and　got　in。
　 〃Where　to？〃
　 〃Mulholland。〃
　
　 Mulholland　Drive　winds　through　the　city　like　a　lazy　serpent　for　many　miles；　but　Marco　didn't　need　to　know　where　along　its　length　his　boss　wanted　to　be　taken。　There　was　a　spot　close　to　Coldwater　Canyon；　where　the　undulating　drive　offers　a　picture…perfect　view　of　the　San　Fernando　Valley；　as　far　as　the　mountains。　By　day　it　can　be　a　smog…befouled　spectacle；　brown　and　gray。　But　by　night；　especially　in　the　summer；　it　is　a　place　of　particular　enchantment：　the　cities　of　Burbank；　North　Hollywood　and　Pasadena　laid　out　in　a　matrix　of　amber　lights；　receding　to　the　dark　wall　of　the　mountains。　And　moving　against　the　darkness；　the　lights　of　planes　circling　as　they　await　their　instruction　to　land　at　Burbank　Airport；　or　the　police　helicopters　passing　over　the　city；　spitting　a　beam　of　white　light。
　 Often　there　were　sightseers　parked　at　the　spot；　enjoying　the　scene。　But　tonight；　thank　God；　there　were　none。　Marco　parked　the　car　and　Todd　got　out；　wandering　to　the　cliff…edge　to　look　at　the　scene　before　him。
　 Marco　got　out　too；　and　occupied　his　time　with　wiping　the　windshield　of　the　limo。　He　was　a　big　man　with　the　bearded　face　of　a　bear　recently　woken　from　hibernation；　and　he　possessed　a　curious　mixture　of　talents：　a　sometime　wrestler　and　ju…jitsu　black　belt；　he　was　also　a　trained　Cordon　Bleu　cook　（not　that　Todd's　taste　called　for　any　great　culinary　sophistication）　and　a　twice…divorced　father　of　three　with　an　encyclopedic　knowledge　of　the　works　of　Wagner。　More　importantly；　he　was　Todd's　right…hand　man；　loyal　to　a　fault。　There　was　no　part　of　Todd's　existence　Marco　Caputo　did　not　have　some　part　of。　He　took　care　of　the　hiring　and　firing　of　domestic　staff　and　gardeners；　the　buying　and　the　driving　of　cars；　and　of　course　all　the　security　duties。
　 〃The　movie's　shit；　huh？〃　he　said　matter…of…factly。
　 〃Worse　than。〃
　 〃Sorry　'bout　that。〃
　 〃Not　your　fault。　I　should　never　have　done　it。　Shit　script。　Shit　movie。〃
　 〃You　want　to　give　the　party　a　miss？〃
　 〃Nah。　I　gotta　go。　I　promised　Wilhemina。　And　George。〃
　 〃You　got　something　going　with　her？〃
　 〃Wilhemina？　Yeah。　I　got　something。　I　just　don't　know　whether　I　want　to。　Plus　she's　got　an　English　boyfriend。〃
　 〃The　English　are　all　fags。〃
　 〃Yeah。〃
　 〃You　want　me　to　swing　by　the　party　and　bring　her　back　up　to　the　house　for　you？〃
　 〃Suppose　she　says　no？〃
　 〃Oh　e　on。　When　did　any　girl　say　no　to　you？〃
　 Todd　said　nothing。　He　just　stared　out　over　the　vista　of　lights。　The　wind　came　up　out　of　the　valley；　smelling　of　gas　fumes　and　Chinese　food。　The　Santa　Anas；　hot　off　the　Mojave；　gusted　against　his　face。　He　closed　his　eyes　to　enjoy　the　moment；　but　what　came　into　his　head　was　an　image　of　himself：　a　still　from　the　movie　he'd　fled　from　tonight。　He　studied　the　face　in　his　mind's　eye　for　a　moment。
　 Then　he　said：　〃I　look　tired。〃
　
　
　TWO
　 Todd　Picket　had　made　two　of　his　three　most　successful　pictures　under　the　aegis　of　a　producer　by　the　name　of　Keever　Smotherman。　The　first　of　them　was　called　Gunner；　the　kind　of　high　concept；　testosterone…marinated　picture　Smotherman　had　been　renowned　for　making。　It　had　made　Todd…who　was　then　an　unknown　from　Ohio…a　bona…fide　movie…star；　if　not　overnight　then　certainly　within　a　matter　of　weeks。　He　hadn't　been　required　to　turn　in　a　performance。　Smotherman　didn't　make　movies　that　required　actors；　only　breath…taking　physical　specimens。　And　Todd　was　certainly　that。　Every　time　he　stepped　before　the　cameras；　whether　he　was　sharing　the　scene　with　a　girl　or　a　fighter…plane；　he　was　all　the　eye　wanted　to　watch。　The　camera　worked　some　kind　of　alchemy　upon　him；　and　he　worked　the　same　magic　on　celluloid。
　 In　life；　he　was　good…looking；　but　flawed。　He　was　a　little　on　the　short　side；　with　broad　hips；　he　was　also　conspicuously　bandy。　But　on　the　screen；　all　these　flaws　disappeared。　He　became　gleaming；　studly　perfection；　his　jaw…line　heroic；　his　gaze　crystalline；　his　mouth　an　unmon　mingling　of　the　sensual　and　the　severe。　His　particular　beauty　had　suited　the　taste　of　the　times；　and　by　the　end　of　that　first；　extraordinary　summer　of　ing…to…fame　his　image；　dressed　in　an　immaculate　white　uniform　which　made　poetry　of　his　buttocks；　had　bee　an　indelible　piece　of　cinema　iconography。
　 Over　the　years；　other　stars　had　risen　just　as　high；　of　course；　and　many　just　as　quickly。　But　few　were　quite　as　ready　for　their　ascent　as　Todd　Pickett。　This　was　what　he'd　been　polishing　himself　for　since　the　moment　his　mother；　Patricia　Donna　Pickett；　had　first　taken　him　into　a　cinema　in　downtown　Cincinnati。　Looking　up　at　the　screen；　watching　the　parade　of　faces　pass　before　him；　he'd　known　instinctively　（at　least　so　he　later　claimed）　that　he　belonged　up　there　with　those　stars；　and　that　if　he　willed　it　hard　enough；　willed　and　worked　for　it；　then　it　was　merely　a　matter　of　time　before　he　joined　the　parade。
　 After　the　success　of　Gunner；　he　fell　effortlessly　into　the　labors　of　being　a　movie　star。　In　interviews　he　was　courteous；　funny　and　self…effacing；　playing　the　interviewers　so　easily　that　all　but　the　most　cynical　swooned。　He　was　confident　about　his　charms；　but　he　wasn't　cocky；　loyal　to　his　Mid…Western　roots　and　boyishly　devoted　to　his　mother。　Most　attractive　of　all；　he　was　honest　about　his　shortings　as　an　actor。　There　was　a　refreshing　lack　of　pretension　about　the　Pickett　persona。
　 The　year　after　Gunner；　he　made　two　pictures　back　to　b