‘ “Would you be kidding, Mr. Elliot?”
‘Elliot laughed, opened the offside door and waved her to get in.
‘With a dazed expression, Cindy settled herself in the passenger’s seat, clasping her hands over her breasts. Elliot drove slowly through the heavy traffic, saying nothing. One quick look at this girl’s face told him to let her alone, let her have her dream, let her give herself up to the silent movement of the car. Once clear of the traffic and on to Seaview Boulevard, he accelerated a little and headed for the hills. He drove at an easy speed until he reached a long stretch of deserted road, then he shoved down the gas pedal and let Cindy experience the sudden rush of silent power that swept them along at over a hundred miles an hour. As the road came to an end to join up with the highway to Miami, he slowed and pulled into a lay-by.
‘ “What do you think?” he asked. “Maybe you would like to drive her before you decide.”
‘Cindy stared at him. She was still a little dazed by the rush of speed.
‘ “Decide? What about?”
‘ “Aren’t you going to buy her?” Elliot asked and grinned. “This was a trial run, wasn’t it?”
‘ “Was it?” She heaved a sigh. “I wish it was. I wish I had the money. I wish it was mine.”
‘There was something about Cindy that got to Elliot. He was so used to dollies who knew everything, never were impressed, were so ready to get into his bed that Cindy scored with him.
‘ “Who are you?” he asked as he lit a cigarette.
‘This was something, Cindy wasn’t going to tell him.
‘ “Cindy Luck,” she told him. “Nobody... just a girl getting by.”
‘ “And how do you get by?”
‘ “You know... an office... a typewriter... and me.”
‘ “Cindy... a nice name. Are you lucky?”
‘ “Oh, yes! To be in this car? Oh, yes!”
‘He laughed.
‘ “Seen any of my movies?”
‘ “Every one of them! They’re like you... marvellous!”
‘No gush here, Elliot thought. This was straight from the heart.
‘ “Are you on vacation?”
‘ “That’s right.”
‘ “On your own?”
‘ “I’m with my father.”
‘Elliot looked at his wristwatch.
‘ “I’m hungry. Will you lunch with me or is your father expecting you?”
‘Joey and Vin were, of course, expecting her, but she didn’t hesitate. There was half a cold chicken in the refrig and they could manage without her.
‘ “I’d love to.”
‘He took her to his villa.’
Barney began to attack the second tier of his hamburger.
‘I want to keep this story moving along, Mr. Campbell,’ he said, his mouth full. ‘There are bits I can skip, but there are bits I have to fill in... to give you the atmosphere so don’t think I’m talking for the sake of talking.’
I said for him to go right on ahead.
He nodded.
‘Well, Elliot’s villa made a tremendous impact on Cindy. She just couldn’t believe anyone could live in such luxury. They had lunch on the terrace, overlooking the harbour and the sea, surrounded with banks of flowering shrubs and orchid trees. The lunch was as impeccable as the service: baby shrimps, peppered and served hot, sole fillets in a cheese sauce and iced passion fruit. There was champagne that made Cindy a little light headed.
‘Because she was so intrigued with everything she saw, Elliot took her over the villa. She walked by his side, her hands clasped, her eyes round, her breathing fast and uneven. Everything she saw thrilled her.
‘When he finally brought her back to the living room she said the nicest thing anyone had ever said to him.
‘ “It’s the loveliest house I have ever seen,” she said, “and you deserve it because you have given so much happiness and pleasure to so many people.”
‘Looking at her, savouring her beauty, Elliot had a surge of desire for her he hadn’t had in months. He wanted to lead her into his bedroom, undress her gently and lay her on the bed. He wanted to take her as only he knew how to take a woman, slowly, spreading the pleasure, until the climax came.
‘Just for the moment, he felt sure she would give herself to him, then he remembered his tin foot and his desire turned to sourness.
‘And while he stood looking at her, his desire leaving him, the nagging, grinding pain in a foot that was ashes in the furnace of an expensive clinic started up.
‘All he now wanted was to be rid of her. It had been a happy few hours, now the pain was back and also his worries.
‘ “Your father will be wondering where you’ve got to,” he said, his voice suddenly curt. “I’ll get my man to drive you back.”
‘Startled by this sudden change in him and a little deflated, Cindy began to thank him, but he waved her thanks away.
‘ “It’s been my pleasure,” he said. “Toyo won’t be a moment. You must excuse me... I have things to do. So long for now,” and he left her. The three hours she had spent with him were suddenly spoilt by this abrupt dismissal. She felt as if a pail of cold water had been thrown over her.
‘The Jap chauffeur drove her back to Seaview Boulevard in the Alfa. She wouldn’t let him take her direct to the bungalow. Cindy also resented not being driven back in the Rolls. She just couldn’t understand what had gone wrong — all she knew was that something had gone wrong.
Barney sipped his beer and then chased with his finger a piece of meat that had got lodged in a tooth.
‘She found Vin in the garden. Joey had gone out to work the buses.
‘ “Where the hell have you been?” Vin demanded. “What happened to you?”
‘Cindy told him. As she talked, describing the Rolls and the villa a sudden idea dropped into Vin’s mind.
‘ “This guy must be loaded,” he said.
‘ “Of course. He’s a great movie star. Mustn’t it be wonderful to have all that money and to live like that?” Cindy sighed. “And that Rolls!”
‘ “Yeah.” Vin’s eyes narrowed. “I wonder how much he’s worth?”
‘ “Millions. You couldn’t possibly live like that without being worth millions.”
‘ “Are you seeing him again?”
‘ “No... he suddenly acted strange...” Cindy went on to tell Vin how she and Elliot had parted.
‘ “Most movie stars are crazy in the head,” Vin said. “Didn’t he try to make a pass at you?”
‘Cindy flushed.
‘ “Of course, he didn’t!”
‘ “What’s the matter with him?” Vin asked. “What did he want to give you a ride for and a meal?”
‘ “Not everyone thinks the way you do!” Cindy said sharply and went into the bungalow.
‘Soon after 17.00 Joey got back from work. He hadn’t had much success and he was a little worried. He had stolen five billfolds and the complete take had amounted to forty dollars.
‘ “Where’s Cindy?” he asked, sitting in a deck chair by Vin’s side. He removed his hat and mopped his brow. “Did she get anything? I only got forty bucks.”
‘ “She’s washing her hair or some damn thing,” Vin said. “Yes, she got something. Joey! I think this is the big take!”
‘Joey stiffened and stared at him.
‘ “Big take? What do you mean?”
‘ “You remember I said I wanted to find a job worth fifty thousand bucks and then we would leave here, buy a bungalow somewhere up the coast and we three would settle down and I’d marry Cindy?”
‘Joey looked fearfully at Vin.
‘ “Yes... but that was all talk, wasn’t it?”
‘ “We three are going to pick up fifty grand,” Vin said, his eyes glittering. “It’ll be like taking a nickel off a blind man.”