cb.coldheart canyon-第43部分

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or　to　the　outside　of　the　house　at　the　far　end　of　the　Casino；　but　she　was　out　through　it　in　a　heartbeat　（he　saw　her　silhouette　as　she　flitted　away　along　a　starlit　path）；　and　by　the　time　he　reached　the　door　she　was　gone；　leaving　the　shrubs　she'd　brushed　as　she　ran　shaking。
　 He　stepped　over　the　threshold；　and　looked　around；　attempting　to　orient　himself。　The　path　Katya　had　taken　led　up　the　hill；　winding　as　it　went。　Back　to　the　guest…house；　no　doubt。　That　was　where　the　crazy…lady　was　in　residence。　She'd　made　herself　a　nice　little　nest　in　the　guest…house。　Well；　that　was　easily　fixed。　He'd　just　send　Marco　up　there　tomorrow　to　evict　her。
　 〃Boss？〃
　 He　walked　back　into　the　Casino　and　stared　down　at　the　expanse　of　floor　where　she'd　had　him　picturing　her　making　love。　He'd　believed　her；　too；　a　little。　At　least　his　dick　had。
　 Marco　was　at　the　other　end　of　the　room。
　 〃What　the　hell's　going　on？〃　he　said。
　 Todd　was　about　to　tell　him　there　and　then…about　to　send　him　up　the　hill　to　oust　the　trespasser…but　Marco　was　bending　down　to　gingerly　pick　something　up　from　the　ground。　It　was　Todd's　discarded　bandages。
　 〃You　took　'em　off；〃　he　said。
　 〃Yeah。〃
　 The　rage　he'd　felt　started　to　seep　out　of　him　now；　as　he　remembered　the　tender　way　she'd　looked　at　him。　Not　judging　him；　simply　looking。
　 〃What　happened；　Boss？〃
　 〃I　found　another　door；〃　he　said　rather　lamely。
　 〃Was　there　somebody　here？〃　Marco　said。
　 〃I　don't　know；〃　he　said。　〃Maybe。　I　was　just　wandering　around；　and　I　came　down　here。。。〃
　 〃The　door　was　open？〃
　 〃No；　no；〃　Todd　said。　He　closed　the　door　with　a　solid　slam。　〃I　just　tried　it　and　it　was　unlocked。〃
　 〃It　needs　a　new　lock　then；〃　Marco　said；　his　tone　uncertain；　as　though　he　was　suspicious　of　what　he　was　being　told；　but　playing　along。
　 〃Yes；　it　needs　a　new　lock。〃
　 〃Okay。〃
　 They　stood　for　a　moment　at　opposite　ends　of　the　room；　in　silence。
　 〃Are　you　all　right？〃　Marco　said　after　a　pause。
　 〃Yeah。　I'm　fine。〃
　 〃You　know　pills　'n'　liquor'll　be　the　death　of　you。〃
　 〃I'm　hopin'；〃　Todd　replied；　his　joviality　as　forced　as　Marco's。
　 〃Okay。　If　you　say　you're　okay；　you're　okay。〃
　 〃I'm　okay。〃
　 Marco　proffered　the　bandages。　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do　with　these？〃
　 〃What　do　you　think？〃　Todd　said；　getting　back　into　the　normal　rhythm　of　their　exchanges　now。　The　door　was　closed。　The　woman　and　the　path　and　the　nodding　shrubs　were　out　of　sight。　Whatever　she'd　said；　he　could　forget；　at　least　for　tonight。　〃Burn　them。　Where's　that　drink？　I'm　going　to　celebrate。〃
　 〃What　are　you　celebrating？〃
　 〃Me　losing　those　damn　bandages。　I　looked　like　God　knows　what。〃
　 〃Burrows　might　want　you　to　keep　'em　on。〃
　 〃Fuck　Burrows。　If　I　want　to　take　the　bandages　off；　it's　my　choice。〃
　 〃It's　your　face。〃
　 〃Yeah；〃　Todd　said；　staring　again　at　the　ground　where　the　crazy　woman　had　claimed　she'd　laid　her　body；　imagining　her　there。　〃It's　my　face。〃
　
　
　TWO
　 Maxine　came　up　to　the　house　the　following　afternoon　to　tell　Todd　about　the　Oscar　festivities；　reporting　it　all…the　ceremony　itself；　then　the　parties…with　a　fine　disregard　for　his　tenderness。　Several　times　he　almost　stopped　her　and　told　her　he　didn't　want　to　hear　any　more；　but　the　dregs　of　curiosity　silenced　him。　He　still　wanted　to　know　who'd　won　and　who'd　lost。
　 There'd　been　the　usual　upsets；　of　course；　the　usual　grateful　tears　from　the　usual　surprised　ingenues；　all　but　swooning　away　with　gratitude。　This　year；　there'd　even　been　fisticuffs：　an　argument　had　developed　in　the　parking　lot　at　Spago's　between　Quincy　Martinaro；　a　young；　fast…talking　filmmaker　who'd　made　two　movies；　been　lionized；　and　turned　into　a　legendary　ego　all　in　the　space　of　fifteen　months；　and　Vincent　Dinny；　a　vicious　writer　for　Vanity　Fair　who'd　recently　profiled　Martinaro　most　unflatteringly。　Not　that　Dinny　was　a　paragon　himself。　He　was　a　waspish；　embittered　man　in　his　late　sixties；　who…having　failed　in　his　ascent　of　the　Hollywood　aristocracy…had　turned　to　writing　about　the　town's　underbelly。　Nobody　could　have　given　a　toss　for　his　pieces　had　they　not　carried　a　certain　sting　of　truth。　The　piece　on　Martinaro；　for　instance；　had　mentioned　a　certain　taste　for　heroin；　which　was　indeed　the　man's　vice　of　choice。
　 〃So　who　won？〃　Todd　wanted　to　know。
　 〃Quincy　broke　two　fingers　when　he　fell　against　his　car；　and　Dinny　got　a　bloody　nose。　So　I　don't　know　who　won。　It's　all　so　ridiculous。　Acting　like　children。〃
　 〃Did　you　actually　see　them　fighting？〃
　 〃No；　but　I　saw　Dinny　afterwards。　Blood　all　over　his　shirt。〃　There　was　a　pause。　〃I　think　he　knows　something。〃
　 〃What？〃
　 〃He　was　quite　civilized　about　it。　You　know　how　he　is。　Shriveled　up　little　prick。　He　just　said　to　me：　I　hear　Todd's　had　some　medical　problems；　and　now　you've　got　him　under　lock　and　key。　And　I　just　looked　at　him。　Said　nothing。　But　he　knows。〃
　 〃This　is　so　fucked。〃
　 〃I　don't　know　how　we　deal　with　it；　frankly。　Sooner　or　later；　he's　going　to　suggest　a　piece　to　Vanity　Fair；　and　they're　going　to　jump　on　it。〃
　 〃So　fucked；〃　Todd　said；　more　quietly。　〃What　the　hell　did　I　do　to　deserve　this？〃
　 Maxine　let　the　question　go。　Then　she　said。　〃Oh；　by　the　way；　do　you　remember　Tammy　Lauper？〃
　 〃No。〃
　 〃She　runs　the　Fan　Club。〃
　 〃Oh　yeah。〃
　 〃Fat。〃
　 〃Is　she　fat？〃
　 〃She's　practically　obese。〃
　 〃Did　she　e　to　the　office？〃
　 〃No；　I　got　a　call　from　the　police　in　Sacramento；　asking　if　we'd　seen　her。　She's　gone　missing。〃
　 〃And　they　think　I　might　have　absconded　with　her？〃
　 〃I　don't　know　what　they　think。　The　point　is；　you　haven't　seen　her　up　here？〃
　 〃Nope。〃
　 〃Maybe　over　in　Bel　Air？〃
　 〃I　haven't　been　over　in　Bel　Air。　Ask　Marco。〃
　 〃Yeah；　well　I　said　I'd　ask　you　and　I　asked。〃
　 Todd　went　to　the　living…room　window；　and　gazed　out　at　the　Bird　of　Paradise　trees　that　grew　close　to　the　house。　They　hadn't　been　trimmed　in　many　years；　and　were　top…heavy　with　flowers　and　rotted　foliage；　their　immensity　blocking　his　view　of　the　opposite　hill。　But　it　didn't　take　much　
　
　of　an　effort　of　imagination　to　bring　the　Canyon　into　his　mind's　eye。　The　palm…trees　that　lined　the　opposite　ridge；　the　pathways　and　the　secret　groves；　the　empty　swimming　pool；　the　empty　koi　pond；　the　statues；　standing　in　the　long　grass。　He　was　suddenly　seized　by　an　overwhelming　desire　to　be　out　there　in　the　warm　sunshine；　away　from　Maxine　and　her　brittle　gossip。
　 〃I　gotta　go；〃　he　said　to　Maxine。
　 〃Go　where？〃
　 〃I　just　gotta　go；〃　he　said；　heading　for　the　door。
　 〃Wait；〃　Maxine　said。　〃We　haven't　finished　business。〃
　 〃Can't　it　wait？〃
　 〃No；　I'm　afraid　this　part　can't。〃
　 Todd　made　an　impatient　sigh；　and　turned　back　to　her。　〃What　is　it？〃
　 〃I've　been　doing　some　thinking　over　the　last　few　days。　About　our　working　relationship。〃
　 〃What　about　it？〃
　 〃Well；　to　put　it　bluntly；　I　think　it's　time　we　parted　pany。〃
　 Todd　didn't　say　anything。　He　just　looked　at　Maxine　with　an　expression　of　utter　inprehension　on　his　face；　as　though　she'd　just　spoken　to　him　in　a　foreign　language。　Then；　after　perhaps　ten　seconds；　he　returned　his　gaze　to　the　Birds　of　Paradise。
　 〃You　don't　know　how　wearying　it　gets；〃　Maxine　went　on。　〃Waking　up　thinking　about　whether　everything's　okay　with　Todd；　and　going　to　sleep　thinking　the　same　damn　thing。　Not　having　a　minute　in　a　day　when　I'm　not　worrying　about　you。　I　just　can't　do　it　anymore。　It's　simple　as　that。　It's　making　me　ill。　I've　got　high　blood　pressure；　high　cholesterol…〃
　 〃I've　made　you　a　lot　of　money　over　the　years；〃　Todd　broke　in　to　observe。
　 〃And　I've　taken　care　of　you。　It's　been　a　very　successful　partnership。　You　made　me　rich。　I　made　you　famous。〃
　 〃You　didn't　make　me　famous。〃
　 〃Well；　if　I　didn't　I'd　like　to　know　who　the　hell　did。〃
　 〃Me；〃　Todd　replied；　raising　the　volume　of　his　voice　just　a　fraction。　〃It's　me　people　came　to　see。　It's　me　they　loved。　I　made　myself　famous。〃
　 〃Don't　kid　yourself；〃　Maxine　said；　her　voice　a　stone。
　 There　was　a　long　silence。　The　wind　brushed　the　leaves　of　the　Bird　of　Paradise　trees　together；　like　the　blades　of　plastic　swords　being　brushed　together。
　 〃Wait；〃　Todd　said。　〃I　know　what　this　is　about。　You've　got　a　new　boy。　That's　it；　isn't　it？　You're　fucking　some　kid；　and…〃
　 〃I'm　not　fucking　anybody；　Todd。〃
　 〃You　fucked　me。〃
　 〃Twice。　A　long　time　ago。　I