Cindy seemed ill at ease and her smile forced.
‘I... I wanted to see you again.’
Vin, Joey and she had gone over the kidnap plan. Vin felt sure that Cindy could get Elliot to their bungalow.
‘Get him here,’ he said, ‘then I’ll handle him.’
Cindy had hesitated.
‘You won’t hurt him, Vin?’
‘Hurt him? Forget it! I’ll just poke a gun at him and he’ll fall to pieces. I know these phoney tough guys. They’re fine up there on the screen, but show them a gun in real life and they’re just wet spaghetti.’
Elliot regarded her. She’s certainly a dish, he thought. If it wasn’t for this goddamn tin foot, I’d get her laid.
‘Well, here I am,’ he said. I’m just off to Hollywood.’
Cindy’s eyes opened wide. This was unexpected.
‘Oh, Mr. Elliot! My father will be so disappointed. He is a terrific fan of yours. When I told him I had been here and you had actually given me lunch — honest, he nearly died with envy. He was really upset so I said I would try to persuade you to come and see him.’ Her mind worked swiftly as she saw alarm come into Elliot’s eyes. ‘I know it’s asking a lot but my father is an invalid and he has so little pleasure. He’s seen all your movies and he really thinks you’re the greatest... as I do.’
Elliot hesitated, then thought: What have I got to lose? I now haven’t a friend in the world and here’s this kid... what a dish! It won’t kill me to see her old man. It’ll give them both a hell of a kick. He smiled. ‘Okay. Where do you live, Cindy?’
‘On Seaview Boulevard.’
‘That’s fine. It’s in my direction. Hop in.’ Elliot leaned over and opened the offside door. ‘I can’t stay long, but if it will please your old man, it’s my pleasure.’
Cindy felt suddenly sick. She had allowed herself to be persuaded by Vin to take part in this kidnap plan. As Vin pointed out the money would mean nothing to Elliot and once they had got it, they would get married and have a ball. She had gone along with this, not thinking of Elliot, but now he was being so kind, she began to have qualms. For a long moment, she stood hesitating, then when he told her to hurry up, she obeyed and got in the car.
‘I can’t thank you enough,’ she said, not looking at him. ‘You don’t know what this will mean to my father.’
‘Forget it,’ Elliot said as he drove on to the highway. ‘I’m repaying a little debt You said something very nice to me... something no one has ever said to me.’
‘Did I?’
‘You wouldn’t remember because it came from your heart. You were talking about my home. You said I deserved it because I had given so much pleasure to so many people.’ He smiled at her. ‘I’m now trying to live up to your image of me.’
Cindy looked away. For a brief moment, she was on the point of telling him she was leading him into a trap, but thinking of Vin and her father and how much this money would mean to them and that this nice movie star wouldn’t miss giving them fifty thousand dollars when he must be worth millions, she resisted the urge.
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘I did mean what I said and you are living up to my image.’
Elliot drove fast to Seaview Boulevard. He was a little puzzled that this girl at his side seemed so tense. As she remained silent, he asked abruptly, ‘Anything on your mind, baby? Something wrong?’
Cindy stiffened.
‘Wrong? No. I was thinking how lucky I am and how kind you are.’
Elliot laughed. ‘Oh, come on, Cindy! Don’t soft soap me. I’m just behaving like a normal human being.’
‘Are you?’ Cindy thought of Vin and for the first time since she had fallen in love with him, she realized with a little pang that there was no kindness in him. He was hard, tough and glamorous but without kindness and Cindy suddenly realized kindness was as important as glamour. She compared Vin with Elliot and then Elliot with Joey. Elliot and Joey were a lot alike: they had warmth, but not Vin.
‘Not many people who are as famous and as rich as you,’ she said quietly, ‘would bother with people like my father and myself.’
‘Wouldn’t they?’
Maybe she was right, he thought. He wondered if he would have bothered with her if Pacific Pictures had renewed his contract. He decided he wouldn’t have. He wondered what he was letting himself in for. The old man would probably be a god-awful bore. Well, he needn’t stay long.
‘I’m seeing my agent tomorrow,’ he said. ‘I could be starting work again.’
Cindy turned. Her face lit up and she looked so pleased Elliot cursed himself for telling such a stupid lie.
‘I’m so glad! I read about the accident. It just made me sick. It was so awful for you.’
Elliot shrugged.
‘These things happen.’ He hesitated, then went on. ‘My left foot is made of tin now.’ He looked sharply at her. ‘That shock you?’
‘Shock me? Why should it? You walk beautifully. No one would know.’
‘They know when I take my shoe off.’ The bitter note in his voice made her flinch.
‘Yes... I understand. I’m sorry.’
‘Why should you be sorry?’
She hesitated.
‘Well, go on, say it.’
‘It must be hard on you. I’m sure you had lots of girls... you shouldn’t let a thing like this spoil your life.’ Again she hesitated. ‘What has a foot to do with it when a man and a woman are in love?’
Elliot whistled softly between his teeth.
‘You don’t know, kid. It makes a hell of a difference. You just don’t know.’
‘I said if a man and a woman are in love. I don’t mean just jumping into bed... I mean love.’
‘Would it make any difference to you?’
‘I plan to get married very soon,’ Cindy said, not looking at him.
‘You are?’ Elliot was startled that what she had told him gave him a letdown feeling. This sudden pang of disappointment irritated him. What was this chick to him? She was a dish, of course, but nothing more and yet to be told she was getting married depressed him. ‘Who’s the lucky man?’
‘You’ll meet him. He’s staying with father and me.’ Cindy pointed. ‘It’s the end bungalow on the right’
Elliot surveyed the small bungalow, half hidden by shrubs. He was not surprised by its shabbiness. In fact, he rather liked its downtrodden appearance... so different from his own luxury home.
He pulled up outside the gate behind Vin’s blue Jaguar.
‘Is that your boyfriend’s car?’ he asked as Cindy joined him on the sidewalk.
‘Yes.’
‘Good car... well, come on, chick, I can’t stay long.’
Cindy led the way up the path to the front door.
Joey and Vin watched from behind the net curtains. Joey was sweating and his legs felt weak. Vin held a.38 automatic and he was breathing heavily.
‘She’s done it!’ he said. ‘I knew she would! Well, here comes fifty grand! Just leave this to me.’
‘Don’t hurt him,’ Joey pleaded. ‘Be careful, Vin. I don’t like any of this. I...’
‘Just shut up, will you?’ Vin snarled. ‘I’ll handle it.’
Cindy opened the front door.
‘Please come in.’ Her voice was so husky Elliot looked at her. She had lost colour and now looked terrified.
‘What’s with it, baby?’ he asked, puzzled. ‘Are you all right?’
Then he heard a sound behind him and he looked around.
Vin stood in the open doorway of the living room, the gun pointing at Elliot.
‘Just take it easy, buster,’ Vin said, his voice like a fall of gravel. ‘Come on in. One wrong move from you and I’ll give you a second belly button.’
For a moment Elliot was startled, then he quickly recovered. He smiled.
‘That dialogue is right out of a B movie,’ he said, then he looked at Cindy. ‘I’m disappointed in you. Who would have thought you would turn out to be a gangster’s moll?’ He laughed. ‘More B movie dialogue.’