Hollywood Kids (63 page)

The saleswoman surreptitiously made sure the security guards were watching before she unlocked the showcase and removed two magnificent diamond bracelets. She took them over to a counter and carefully laid them out on a black velvet pad.

Bosco checked them out like he knew what he was doing. Finally he pointed to the one that seemed to have the biggest diamonds. 'Gonna take that little mother,' he decided, accompanying his decision with a jaunty wink.

'Will that be cash or charge?' the saleswoman asked, totally unimpressed.

'Cash.' He guffawed loudly. 'Is there any other way?'

The saleswoman didn't crack a smile.

Uptight broad, he thought to himself, she'd soon crack a smile if she knew what he had to offer in bed. He might not be Mel Gibson, but he could bring tears to her eyes.

'I'll need that gift-wrapped,' he said, pulling out the envelope bulging with hundred-dollar bills.

'Certainly, sir,' she replied. 'Would you care to wait, or will you send your driver back?'

At least she'd noticed he'd arrived in a limo. 'I'll wait,' he said, favouring her with another wink. 'Make it fast.'

Michael filled Quincy in on his New York trip as they trailed Mac's Rolls down Sunset.

'You did the right thing,' Quincy said. 'You walked away from it.'

Michael nodded, sure that Quincy was right. 'I know. But it still hurts.'

'I bet it does,' Quincy said, chasing Mac through a red light. 'That sonofabitch brother of yours, he never quits.'

Michael reached for a cigarette. 'This is bad news about the two girls. If that sick fuck has them... Shit! I knew we shoulda done something about it before...'

'We did,' Quincy said grimly. 'The cops were supposed to take over.'

'They blew this one.'

'I know,' Quincy said, swerving to avoid a jaywalker. 'The St James's,' he said thoughtfully. 'That's the hotel I was waiting outside for Cheryl Landers.'

'She'd hardly be visiting Luca Carlotti,' Michael said, stifling a yawn.

Quincy glanced over at him. 'Tough night?'

'No, tough morning. I was flying all night.'

'Tough morning, huh? What did you do that was so important you couldn't contact me sooner? We're partners, bro', we gotta lot of shit to take care of.'

'You want the truth or a lie?'

'Whyn't you try the truth.'

'I met someone.'

'Where? On the plane? At the airport? She serve you a drink, is that it?'

'What makes you think I had a drink?'

'Cause you look too goddamned pleased with yourself.'

'Hey, if I'd been drinking the last thing I'd look is pleased.'

'Goddamn it!' Quincy exclaimed, as Mac jumped another red light and he tried to keep up with him. 'This guy is nuts.'

'What do you expect? He drives a Rolls.'

'Yeah, yeah, I know, those kinda cars don't stop for red lights.'

'I was thinking we'd all have dinner.'

'Who's we?'

'Her name's Kennedy.'

'Kennedy's a dead President.'

'No, Kennedy is this woman I met. She's a journalist.'

'That's dangerous.'

'You'll like her, Q. She's smart, intelligent and beautiful.'

'And you're in love, right?'

'You've seen me through plenty of women - you ever heard me talk like this before?'

'Yeah, the day you married Rita.'

'The day I married Rita I was drunk and horny. Someone shoulda stopped me.'

'You ever tried stoppin' a man with a hard-on?'

'You coulda tried.'

'Hey-'

'OK, OK. I want you and Amber to meet Kennedy. We'll go out to dinner. My check.'

'Oh, boy, this
must
be love!'

Eldessa had turned off Laurel Canyon on to a side-street a while ago. She was hot and tired and now her feet hurt. She stopped to consult the crumpled piece of paper Shelley had given her. The problem was she couldn't see a thing, so she took out her old glasses and put them on.

Shelley had drawn her a little map, and as far as she could tell she was heading in the right direction, only she wasn't there yet, and she was getting cranky.

For a moment she thought about abandoning the idea of visiting Shelley and turning back. But that seemed foolish, she was bound to reach the house soon.

Besides, there was five thousand dollars luring her on.

Random thoughts raced through Cheryl's head as she ran.
OK, OK, I can do this, I have to do this. It's our only chance. I have to get away
.

Once Zane had removed Jordanna from the cellar she'd taken action. Without the handcuffs she was able to untie her ankles, stumble up the stairs, reach the front door and flee.

In spite of being doubled over with excruciating stomach cramps, she'd known she had to make the supreme effort - even though she was horribly aware that as soon as Zane discovered her missing he would be after her.

She felt so ill, but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except summoning help.

She reached the end of the small driveway and found herself on a dirt road cut into the hillside - a rough terrain of overgrown shrubbery, trees and long grass. Desperately she looked around, hoping to see other houses, but there were none up here in this lonely place.

Making a big effort, she began frantically running down the overgrown path, glancing over her shoulder, staying to the side of the road, petrified he would catch up with her. Her heart was in her mouth. Fear pervaded her entire body. Clutching her coat around her, she made it into the bushes.

I must hide
, she told herself.
He'll be here in a minute. If he catches me, who knows what he'll do
.

She had no idea where she was or where she was going, she only knew that she had to get away as fast as she could.

Bobby paced restlessly up and down the floor of Jordan Levitt's study. 'Is it all right if I hang out here?' he asked. 'If there's a ransom demand, you'll be the first to hear.'

'Of course,' Jordan said, his forehead creased with worry. 'Help yourself to a drink.'

Bobby went over to the small bar and poured himself a neat vodka. He needed something to take away the empty feeling of hopelessness in the pit of his stomach. 'Can I fix you something?' he offered.

Jordan nodded. 'Scotch.'

There was silence while Bobby poured Jordan his drink, walked over and handed it to him.

Jordan cleared his throat. 'Are you and Jordanna seeing each other?'

We're best friends,' Bobby replied carefully. 'She's about to star in my movie.'

Jordan's eyebrows shot up. 'Jordanna's not an actress.'

'She tested for the role. I have to tell you - she's a wonderful actress.'

Jordan frowned. 'I'm surprised.'

'Surprised that she's wonderful?'

'Surprised and pleased,' he said, taking a gulp of Scotch. 'Right now I don't know what to say. I... I haven't always been the best father in the world. When I get her back I plan on changing all that.'

'She loves you,' Bobby said. 'Talks about you all the time.'

Jordan's craggy face lit up. 'She does?'

'I know the two of you have had your problems. But, you know your daughter, she's smart, and over the years she's learned to understand you. I can tell you, she's happy about the baby your wife's expecting.'

'That makes me feel good, Bobby.'

'I'm glad.'

'When Jordanna's mother died it was a difficult time for me... And then when my son...' he trailed off, unable to continue.

'It's gonna be all right,' Bobby said, gulping vodka as if it were water. He wished he felt as sure as he sounded. The thought of Jordanna trapped with some maniac... 'There's gotta be
something
we can do,' he said edgily. 'Maybe it would be better if we went over to headquarters. What do you think?'

Jordan nodded. 'Yes. I'll have all my calls switched through. At least we'll be there if something happens.'

'Let's go,' Bobby said, already halfway out the door.

Reno was indulging in a mild flirtation with a voluptuous freckled woman in a large white hat and a sun-dress, who sat under a striped umbrella delicately picking at a plate of thinly sliced melon.

'Now that's what I call a broad,' he said admiringly.

'No,' Luca corrected. 'That's what you call a lady.'

'No,' Reno corrected him back. 'That's what I call a broad.'

'You want her, have her,' Luca said magnanimously, as if she was his to give.

'Maybe I will,' Reno responded. 'I wanna see if she eats all the melon. If she does, she's a pig. If she leaves some over... then we'll see.'

Luca chuckled. 'Is that how you judge 'em?'

'I have my rules,' Reno said, lowering his shades. 'Take a look at who's heading our way.'

'Who?'

'Mac Brooks. An' he's not alone.'

Luca zeroed in on Mac, automatically smoothing down his slick black hair. 'See those guys with him - they're cops,' he said, frowning deeply.

'How do you know?'

'Cops got a way about 'em,' Luca said, continuing to watch Mac as he approached. 'Yeah, they're cops all right,' he muttered, sitting up a little straighter on his lounger. 'Why is the schmuck bringin' them here?'

'He's your schmuck, not mine,' Reno said blandly, and went back to studying the freckled woman with the plate of melon.

Sitting in the back of the limo, Bosco visualized what he would have for lunch when he got back to the hotel. A hamburger maybe. Or a steak. Not one of those mixed salad things everybody seemed to eat in LA. How anybody got any satisfaction out of a pile of grass with some fancy dressing beat the shit out of him.

Yes, he'd have a rare juicy steak, a glass of red wine and a large slice of chocolate cake with cream on top.

Then, if they were hanging around LA for another night, he'd order up a high-class whore. The blonde they'd sent him before had been a disappointment - all Californian teeth and tits. Next time he'd try something more exotic - Chinese or Malaysian - a small woman who'd do anything he required.

He weighed the Cartier package in his hand. This Bambi broad was one lucky hooker, he hadn't seen Luca so ready to tango in a long time.

The limo turned off Laurel Canyon, heading up a deserted side road into the hills.

'You sure this is the right way?' he asked, leaning forward to speak to the driver.

'This is where we followed the car to last night,' the driver replied.

'OK, OK,' he said, imagining Bambi's surprise when he turned up and presented her with Luca's gift.

Luca sure knew how to turn a woman on, but then, Bosco thought with some satisfaction, in his own way, so did he.

Zane was pulling her towards the cellar door.

She knew she had to stall, do something to prevent him from finding out that Cheryl had escaped. The longer she kept him from going down into the cellar the better it would be for Cheryl.

With a sudden lunge, she faked a trip, falling heavily to the ground. 'Oh, my ankle!' she cried out, feigning pain. 'I think I've twisted it.'

He stopped abruptly. 'Get up,' he commanded harshly.

'I can't.'

'Do it.'

'I would if I could, but I can't stand.'

'You're full of tricks, aren't you?'

'No, no, I'm not,' she said, her words coming fast. 'I want to be your friend, that's what Ingrid would have liked.'

'Ingrid's not here,' he said in a strained voice. 'Ingrid got what she deserved, and that's exactly what you're going to get.'

'She two of you could have been so great together,' Jordanna said quickly. 'She didn't just want a fling with you... she talked about marrying you, having your babies.'

'You're lying.'

'Why would I lie?' she asked innocently.

'Because all women lie,' he answered, roughly yanking at the handcuffs.

'How come you find it so difficult to believe that Ingrid really cared for you? You're an attractive man. You remind me of -'

'Who?' he asked, stopping and staring at her.

She'd hit a nerve. Oh, God, she'd hit a nerve and now she had to follow through. Flatter him. Go for his ego. Instinct took over. 'Oh, urn... a... a... movie star.'

Which one?'

'Somebody strong,' she said, feeling her way.

'An action star?'

That's right. You remind me of...'

Steven Seagal. Say Steven Seagal, you bitch!

The Man glared at her, willing her to do so.

Of course, he was better looking than Steven Seagal, but surely she must see the resemblance?

'Jean Claude Van Damme,' she said at last.

She wasn't as smart as he'd thought, but then nobody was as smart as him.

'Steven Seagal,' he informed her coldly. STEVEN SEAGAL, BITCH.

'That's who I meant,' she said, clicking her fingers. That's exactly who I meant. '

'I could have been a big star like him,' he said. 'If circumstances had been different.'

'Is that why you came to Hollywood, to be a star?'

'I came because they called me.'

'Who called you?'

'Mac Brooks. He wanted me in his film.'

'I guess he didn't realize Ingrid would be so attracted to you.'

'Women are always attracted to me,' he said, closely monitoring her reaction. 'Even when I kill them - I can see it in their eyes. Shelley wanted me. She chased me for weeks.'

The bitch didn't react the way he'd hoped. Jordanna Levitt was not easy to intimidate.

'Who's Shelley?' she asked.

'Never you mind.'

'My father's a producer,' she blurted out. 'I'm sure he'd love to have an actor like you in one of his movies. They're looking for a new action adventure hero. Arnold and Sly are getting older - Bruce seems more into caper movies. Would you consider working again?'

He wasn't sure if she meant what she said. Maybe. Maybe not.

He knew who her father was - big-time producer Jordan Levitt. Of course, he would be a sensation as the new action adventure hero. But the fact that he'd been in prison might go against him.