cb.coldheart canyon-第28部分

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　 Late　in　the　day　Maxine　came　back　from　her　visit　to　the　Hideaway；　as　she　had　now　dubbed　it；　with　some　good　news。　The　house　in　the　hills　was　just　as　Jerry　Brahms　had　advertised。
　 〃It's　the　only　house　in　the　canyon；〃　she　said。　〃Which　canyon？〃
　 〃I　don't　even　think　it's　got　a　name。〃
　 〃They've　all　got　names；　for　God's　sake。〃
　 〃All　I　can　tell　you　is　that　it's　somewhere　between　Coldwater　and　Laurel。　To　be　perfectly　honest　I　got　a　little　lost　following　Jerry　up　there。　He　drives　like　the　Devil。　And　you　know　my　sense　of　geography。〃
　 〃Who　does　the　house　belong　to？〃
　 〃Right　now　it's　practically　empty。　There's　some　old　stuff　in　there…looks　like　it　goes　back　to　the　fifties；　maybe　earlier…but　nothing　you'd　want　to　use。　I'll　have　Marco　choose　some　furniture　from　the　Bel　Air　house　and　move　it　over。　Get　you　fortable。　But　really　it's　ideal　for　what　we　need　right　now。　By　the　way；　Ms。　Bosch　has　been　calling　my　office。　She　got　quite　pushy　with　Sawyer。　She's　absolutely　certain　you're　in　Hawaii　screwing　some　starlet。〃
　 〃If　that's　what　she　wants　to　think。〃
　 〃You　don't　care？〃
　 〃Not　right　now。〃
　 〃You're　certain　you　don't　want　to　see　her？〃
　 〃Christ。　See　her？　No；　Maxine。　I　do　not　want　to　see　her。〃
　 〃She　was　pretty　upset。〃
　 〃That's　because　she　wanted　a　part　in　Warrior；　and　she　thought　I'd　get　it　for　her。〃
　 〃Okay。　End　of　discussion。　If　she　calls　again…？〃
　 〃Tell　her　she's　right。　I'm　in　Hawaii　fucking　the　ass　off　anyone　you　care　to　name。　Manipulative　little　bitch。〃
　 〃So　here；〃　Maxine　said。　She　proffered　an　envelope。
　 〃What's　this？〃
　 〃They're　the　pictures　I　took　of　the　Hideaway。〃
　 He　took　the　envelope。　〃It'll　be　fine；〃　he　said　before　he'd　even　looked　at　the　photographs。
　 〃You　might　be　there　for　a　few　weeks。　I　want　you　to　be　fortable。〃
　 Todd　pulled　out　the　photographs。
　 〃They're　not　the　best；　I'm　afraid；〃　Maxine　said。　〃It's　one　of　those　throwaway　cameras。　And　it　was　raining。　But　you　get　the　idea。〃
　 〃It　looks　big。〃
　 〃According　to　Jerry　they　used　to　call　them　dream　palaces。　All　the　rich　stars　had　them。　It's　hokey；　but　it's　got　a　lot　of　atmosphere。　There's　a　huge　master…bedroom　with　a　view　straight　down　the　canyon。　You　can　see　Century　City；　probably　the　ocean　on　a　clear　day。　And　the　living　room's　as　big　as　a　ballroom。　Whoever　built　it　put　a　lot　of　love　into　it。　All　the　moldings；　the　door…handles；　everything　is　top　of　the　line。　Of　course　it　gets　campy。　There's　a　fresco　on　the　ceiling　of　the　turret。　All　these　faces　leaning　over　looking　down　at　you。　Famous　movie　stars；　Jerry　said。　I　didn't　recognize　any　of　'em　but　I　guess　they　were　from　silent　movies。〃　She　paused；　waiting　for　judgment。　Todd　just　keep　looking　at　the　pictures。　〃Well？〃　Maxine　finally　said。　〃Too　Old　Hollywood　for　you？〃
　 〃No。　It's　fine。　Anyway；　isn't　that　what　I　am　now？〃
　 〃What？〃
　 〃Old　Hollywood。〃　
　
　
　FIVE
　 Jerry　Brahms　had　been　a　child…actor　in　the　late　thirties；　but　his　career　hadn't　lasted　into　puberty。　He'd　been　at　his　'most　picturesque'；　as　he　like　to　put　it；　at　the　age　of　nine　or　ten；　after　which　it　had　all　been　downhill。　Todd　had　always　thought　of　Brahms　as　being　slightly　ridiculous：　with　his　overly…coifed　silver　hair；　his　mock…English　diction；　and　his　unforgiving　bitchiness　about　the　profession　to　which　he'd　once　aspired。
　 But　Jerry　knew　his　Hollywood；　there　was　no　doubt　of　that。　He　lived　and　breathed　the　place：　its　scandals；　its　triumphs。　He　was　most　informed　about　the　Golden　Age　of　Tinseltown；　which　coincided；　naturally　enough；　with　the　years　of　his　employment。　In　matters　relating　to　this　period　his　knowledge　was　encyclopedic；　as　he'd　proved　three　years　before；　when　Todd　had　been　looking　for　a　new　house。　Jerry　had　volunteered　his　services　as　a　location　scout；　and　after　a　week　or　two　had　taken　Todd　and　Maxine　on　a　grand　tour　of　properties　he　thought　might　be　suitable。　Todd　had　not　wanted　to　go；　he　found　Jerry's　chatter　grating。　But　Maxine　had　insisted。　〃He'll　be　heartbroken　if　you　don't　go；〃　she'd　said；　〃You　know　how　he　idolizes　you。　Besides；　he　might　have　found　something　you　like。〃
　 So　Todd　had　gone　along；　and　it　had　turned　out　to　be　quite　a　trip。　Jerry　had　organized　the　tour　as　though　he　was　entertaining　royalty　（which　perhaps；　as　far　as　he　was　concerned；　he　was）。　He'd　hired　a　stretch；　supplied　a　champagne…and…caviar　hamper　from　Greenblatt's　in　case　they　wanted　to　picnic　along　the　way；　and　a　map　of　the　city；　on　which　he'd　meticulously　marked　their　route。　They　went　down　to　the　Colony　in　Malibu；　they　wound　their　way　through　Bel　Air　and　Beverly　Hills；　they　looked　at　Hancock　Park　and　Brentwood；　their　route　plotted　by　Jerry　so　that　he　could　show　off　his　knowledge　of　where　the　luminaries　of　Hollywood　had　lived　and　died。　They　passed　by　Falcon　Lair　on　Bella　Drive；　which　Valentino　had　built　at　the　height　of　his　fame。　They　went　to　the　Benedict　Canyon　Drive　home　where　Harold　Lloyd　had　spent　much　of　his　life；　and　past　Jayne　Mansfield's　Pink　Palace；　which　was　as　gaudy　as　ever；　and　the　house　where　Marilyn　and　DiMaggio　had　briefly　lived　in　wedded　bliss。　They　visited　homes　occupied；　at　one　time　or　another；　by　John　Barrymore　（〃It　still　smells　of　liquor；〃　Jerry　had　remarked）；　Ronald　Coleman；　Hearst's　widow；　Marion　Davies；　Clara　Bow；　Lucille　Ball　and　Mae　West。　Not　all　the　houses　were　for　sale；　nor　open　for　inspection；　in　some　cases　Jerry's　research　had　simply　turned　up　a　property　close　by；　or　one　that　resembled　the　house　in　which　some　luminary　had　lived。　Other　properties　were　located　in　areas　that　had　bee　shadows　of　their　glamorous　selves；　but　Jerry　didn't　seem　to　care；　or　perhaps　even　notice。　The　fact　that　stars　whose　faces　had　bee　legendary…whose　names　evoked　lives　of　elegance　and　luxury…had　lived　in　these　homes　blinded　him　to　the　fact　that　there　was　often　decay　around　them。　They　were　like　sacred　sites；　and　he　a　pilgrim。　Todd　had　found　the　tenderness　with　which　he　talked　about　these　places；　and　about　the　people　who'd　once　occupied　them；　curiously　touching。
　 Four　or　five　times　during　the　trip　Jerry　had　directed　the　driver　to　a　certain　spot；　invited　Maxine　and　Todd　to　get　out　of　the　limo　in　order　to　show　them　a　certain　view；　then　presented　them　with　a　photograph　taken　on　precisely　the　same　spot　sixty　or　seventy　years　before；　when　many　of　the　places　they　visited　had　been　little　more　than　an　expanse　of　cactus　and　sand。　It　had　been　an　education　for　Todd。　He　hadn't　realized　until　then　how　recent　Los　Angeles　was；　nor　how　tenuous　its　existence　was。　The　greenery　was　as　artificial　as　the　stucco　walls　and　the　colonial　facades。　The　city　was　one　enormous　back…lot；　fake　and　fragile。　If　the　water　ever　ceased　to　pump　then　this　verdant　world；　with　its　palaces　and　its　swooning　falls　of　bougainvillea；　would　pass　away。
　 As　it　turned　out；　Todd　hadn't　ended　up　buying　any　of　the　properties　Jerry　had　shown　them　that　day；　which　was　probably　for　the　best。　He　finally　decided　to　stay　in　his　house　in　Bel　Air；　but　substantially　remodel　it。　It　didn't　matter；　Jerry　had　said；　apparently　reserving　his　opinion　on　whether　Todd　would　join　the　pantheon　of　guests；　nobody　legendary　had　ever　lived　there。
　
　 Once　Todd　had　said　yes　to　the　house　in　the　hills；　it　took　a　day　to　get　the　move　to　the　Hideaway　properly　organized；　a　day　which　left　Todd　spent　sitting　at　the　window　of　the　Malibu　House；　staring　at　the　pale　reflection　of　his　bandaged　face　in　the　rain…spattered　glass。　Technically；　the　pain…killers　Burrows　had　given　him　should　have　left　him　without　any　disfort　whatsoever；　but　for　some　reason；　even　when　supplemented　by　some　of　Bunny's　specials…not　a　minute　of　that　day　passed　without　his　being　acutely　aware　of　the　pressure　of　the　gauze　and　the　bandages　on　his　face。　He　morbidly　wondered　if　perhaps　he　wouldn't　be　left　with　this　residue　of　feeling　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　he'd　heard　of　people　who'd　had　certain　operations　who　were　made　much　worse　by　the　surgeon's　knife；　and　indeed　were　never　the　same　again。　The　thought　terrified　him：　that　he'd　done　something　pletely　irreversible。　But　there　was　no　use　in　regretting　it。　All　he　could　do　now　was　hope　to　God　that　this　unavoidable　plication；　as　Burrow's　insisted　it　was；　would　be　quickly　cured；　and　he'd　have　his　face　back　intact。　He　wasn't　even　hoping　for　improvement　at　this　point。　Just　the　old；　familiar　Todd　P