按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
d；〃 they trilled in unison as I came in。
I said good morning and walked through to my office。 Bonner was pacing up and down nervously。 Dan Pierce was seated on the long couch underneath the window。 I looked at him for a moment； then without speaking； walked behind my desk and sat down。
〃I asked Pierce to e over and help convince you；〃 Bonner said。 〃You can't make a picture costing this much without a name。〃
〃Dan couldn't convince me to go to the can if I had the runs。〃
〃Wait a minute； Jonas；〃 Dan said quickly。 〃I know how you feel。 But believe me； I'm only looking out for your good。〃
I turned to him。 〃Like you did when you sold your stock to Sheffield without checking with me？〃
〃The stock was mine；〃 he said hotly。 〃I didn't have to check with anybody。 Besides； who could get in touch with you？ Everybody knew that you didn't give a damn about the pany； that you were unloading part of your own stock。〃
I reached for a cigarette。 After a moment； I nodded。 〃You're right； Dan；〃 I said。 〃The stock was yours； you didn't owe me anything。 You did your job and I paid you for it … in full； for the five years your contract still had to run。〃 I leaned back in the chair and dragged on the cigarette。 〃I just made a mistake。 You were a good agent when I met you。 I should have left well enough alone。〃
〃I'm trying to keep you from making another mistake； Jonas。 When the script of The Sinner was written； it was a vehicle for a big star … Rina Marlowe。 She was the biggest there was。 You can't just take a girl with no experience； and who nobody's heard of； and put her in a picture without stars to support her。 They'll laugh you out of the theater。〃
I looked up quizzically。 〃What do you think I ought to do； then？〃
I could see the quick look of confidence e into his eyes。 〃Get a couple of big names；〃 he said。 〃Use the girl if you want but back her up。 Bogart。 Tracy。 Colman。 Gable。 Flynn。 Any one of them insures it for you。〃
〃I suppose you can get them for me？〃
He missed the sarcasm。 〃I think I could help；〃 he said cautiously。
〃Well； bless your little bleeding； ten…per…centing heart。 That's very kind of you。〃 I got to my feet。 〃Get out； Dan。 Get out before I throw you out。 And don't ever e back on this lot while I'm on it。〃
He stared at me； his face turning white。 〃You can't talk to me like that；〃 he blustered。 〃I'm not one of your flunkies who you can buy and sell。〃
〃I bought you and I sold you；〃 I said coldly。 〃You're the same guy you were when you tried to dump Nevada's show for Buffalo Bill's。 You'd sell your own mother if there was anything in it for you。 But you're not selling me any more。 I'm not buying。〃
I pressed the buzzer on my desk and one of the secretaries came in。 〃Yes； Mr。 Cord？〃 she asked from the open doorway。
〃Mr。 Pierce was just leaving… 〃
Dan's face was livid with rage。 〃You'll regret this； Jonas。〃
The door slammed behind him and I turned to Bonner。 〃I'm sorry； Jonas；〃 he stammered。 〃I… didn't know… 〃
〃That's O。K。；〃 I said easily。 〃You didn't know。〃
〃But the way the picture is shaping up now； it's going over three million dollars。 I'd feel better if we had some stars in it。〃
I shook my head。 〃Stars are great； I'm not fighting them。 But not this time。 We're doing a story based on the Bible。 When somebody looks up at that screen at John or Peter； I want them to see John or Peter； not Gable； Tracy or Bogart。 Besides； the girl is the important thing。〃
〃But nobody ever heard of the girl。〃
〃So what？〃 I asked。 〃What have we got a publicity department for？ By the time this picture es out； there won't be a man； woman or child in the world who won't know her name。 You thought enough of her to make the test； didn't you？ And all you knew about her was that she was a girl you met at a party。〃
A curiously embarrassed look came over Bonner's face。 〃That was different。 It was almost a gag。 I never thought anybody would take it seriously。〃
〃David saw the test and took it seriously。 So did I。〃
〃But a test isn't a whole picture。 Maybe she can't sustain… 〃
I cut him short。 〃She'll sustain；〃 I said。 〃And you know it。 You knew it when you asked her to make the test。〃
He looked at me with his ugly horse face。 Nervously his hand scratched at himself。 〃She… she told you about the party？〃 he asked hesitantly。
I nodded。 〃She told me how you'd watched her all evening； how you came over and asked her to take the test。〃 I laughed。 〃You guys beat me。 You find a Lana Turner at a soda fountain。 You find Jennie at a dinner party。 How do you do it？〃
A puzzled look came into his eyes。 He started to say something but the telephone on my desk rang。 I picked it up。 It was one of the secretaries。 〃Miss Denton is finished in Hairdressing。 Do you want her to e down？〃
〃Yes。〃 I put down the phone and turned back to Bonner。 〃I sent Jennie up to Hairdressing。 I had an idea I wanted to try out。〃
The door opened and Jennie came in。 She moved slowly； almost hesitantly； to the center of the office。 She stopped in front of my desk。 She spun slowly； her long hair no longer a pale brown but a sparkling champagne。 It swirled down around her neck and shoulders； spilling a translucent radiance around her tanned face。
Bonner's voice was an eerie whisper。 〃My God！〃
I looked at him。 There was a strange look on his face。 His lips moved silently； his eyes were fixed on her。 〃It's as if… as if she was standing here。〃
〃That's right；〃 I said slowly。 I looked back up at Jennie。 I began to feel a pressure in my heart。 Rina。
〃I want Ilene Gaillard to dress her；〃 I said softly to Bonner。
〃I don't know；〃 he said。 〃She's retired。 She's moved back East。 Boston； I think。〃
I remembered the forlorn； white…haired figure kneeling by Rina's grave。 〃Send her a picture of Jennie。 She'll e。〃
Bonner walked over to the desk and stood next to Jennie； looking down at me。 〃By the way； I heard from Austin Gilbert。 He likes the script。 He's ing over to see the test this afternoon。 If he likes the girl； he'll do the picture。〃
〃Good；〃 I said。 That was the way it was with big directors。 The two hundred grand you paid them meant nothing； they could get that on any picture。 The important thing was the script。 And the players。
Bonner walked to the door and stood there a moment； looking back at Jennie。 〃So long；〃 he said finally。
〃Good…by； Mr。 Bonner；〃 Jennie said politely。
I nodded as he went out the door。
〃Can I sit down now？〃 Jennie asked。
〃Help yourself。〃
She sat down and watched silently as I ran through the papers on my desk。 The preliminary budget。 Set…construction estimates。 Bonner was right … this was going to cost money。
〃Do I have to look like her？〃 Jennie asked softly。
I glanced up。 〃What？〃
〃Do I have to look like her？〃
〃Why do you ask？〃
She shook her head。 〃I don't know。 I just feel funny； that's all。 Like it's not me； any more。 Like I'm a ghost。〃
I didn't answer。
〃Is that all you saw in the test … Rina Marlowe？〃
〃She was the biggest thing ever to hit the screen。〃
〃I know；〃 she said slowly。 〃But I'm not her。 I could never be。〃
I stared at her。 〃For two thousand dollars a week；〃 I said； 〃you'll be whatever I tell you to be。〃
She didn't answer。 Just looked at me。 Her eyes were masked and somber and I couldn't tell what she was thinking。 〃You remember that；〃 I said quietly。 〃A thousand girls like you e to Hollywood every year。 I could take my pick of any of them。 If you don't like it； go back to what you were doing before Bonner saw you at that party。〃
A kind of caution came into her eyes。 It wouldn't hurt to have her a little afraid of me。 She was entirely too cocky。 〃Bonner told you about me？〃
〃Not a word。 He didn't have to。 You told me all I needed to know。 Girls like you are always looking for a producer to impress。 Well； you were lucky … you got one。 Don't louse it up。〃
She let her breath out slowly。 The cautious look had gone out of her eyes。 Suddenly； she smiled。 〃O。K。； massa； anything you say。〃
I walked around the desk； and pulled her up into my arms。 Her mouth was soft and warm and when I looked down； her eyes were closed。 And then the damn telephone rang。 I reached around behind her and picked it up。 It was McAllister； calling f