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！
She stared at him； her eyes large。 〃What do you mean？〃
〃I'm afraid you don't understand；〃 he said； taking a card from his pocket and handing it to her。 She looked down at it。 It was an expensive engraved card。 DAVID WOOLF； it read simply； and down in one corner； the words： EXECUTIVE VICE…PRESIDENT。 Below that was the name of the motion…picture pany Bonner was connected with。 Now she remembered who he was。 She'd read about him in the papers。 The bright young man。 Cord's boy wonder。 She looked up at him。
The faint smile was playing around his lips again。 〃Would you like to play Mary Magdalene？〃
Suddenly； she was nervous。 〃I don't know；〃 she said hesitantly。 〃I thought … it was all a kind of joke to Bonner。〃
〃Perhaps it was；〃 David Woolf said quickly。 〃I don't know what he thought。 But it's no joke to me。 I think you can be a great star。〃 He was silent for a moment。 〃And my wife does； too。〃
She looked at him questioningly。
〃Rosa Strassmer。 She knew you at the hospital four years ago。〃
A light came into her eyes。 〃You mean Dr。 Strassmer？ The one who performed the skin graft on Linda Davis' face？〃
He nodded again； smiling。 〃I was chief nurse in surgery that day；〃 she said。 〃She was great。〃
〃Thank you。 Now； would you like to play Mary Magdalene？〃
Suddenly； she wanted to more than anything else in the world。 〃Yes。〃
〃I hoped that would be your answer；〃 he said； taking a folded sheet of paper from his inside pocket。 〃How much did Bonner say he would pay you？〃
〃Two thousand a week。〃
He already had the pen in his hand and was writing on the sheet of paper。 〃Wait a minute； Mr。 Woolf；〃 she said quickly。 〃I know Bonner only meant it as a gag。 You don't have to pay me that much。〃
〃Perhaps he did。 But I don't。 He said two thousand； that's what you'll get。〃 He finished writing and handed the contract to her。 〃You'd better read that carefully。〃
She looked down at the printed form。 The only thing written on it was her name and the salary figure。 〃Do I have to？〃
David nodded。 〃I think you should；〃 he said。 〃Contracts are easy to sign but not that easy to get out of。〃
Jennie sank back into the chair and began to read the contract。 〃I notice it's with Cord Explosives。〃
〃That's standard practice with us。 Cord owns the pany。〃
〃Oh。〃 She finished reading and reached for a pen。 Quickly she signed her name and handed the contract back to him。 〃Now what do we do？〃 she asked； smiling。
He put the contract into his pocket。 〃The first thing we do is change your name。〃
〃What's the matter with it？〃
〃Too many people will recognize it；〃 he said。 〃It might prove embarrassing later。〃
Jennie thought for a moment； then laughed。 〃I don't give a damn；〃 she said。 〃Do you？〃
David shook his head。 〃Not if you don't。〃
She laughed again。 Let the Johns eat their hearts out over what they were missing。
He looked around the room。 〃Do you own or rent this？〃 he asked。
〃Rent。〃
〃Good；〃 he said。 〃Close down and go away for a while。 Out on the desert。 Palm Springs； maybe。 Don't let anyone know where you are except me。〃
〃O。K。；〃 she said。 〃What do I do then？〃
〃You wait；〃 he said。 〃You wait until we discover you！〃
17
〃SORRY； DAVID；〃 PIERCE SAID； GETTING TO HIS FEET。 He was smiling but his eyes were cold。 〃I can't help you out。〃
〃Why not？〃
〃Because I sold the stock a year ago。〃
〃To Sheffield？〃 David asked。
The agent nodded。
〃Why didn't you get in touch with Jonas？〃
〃Because I didn't want to；〃 Pierce snapped。 〃He's used me enough。 I was good enough for him during the rough years。 To do the dirty work and keep the factory going。 But the minute things were good enough to make the big ones； he brings in Bonner。〃
〃You used him； too。 He went into the hole for millions because you wanted a studio to play with。 You're a rich man because of him。 And you knew by the time Bonner came that you were an agent； not a producer。 The whole industry knew it。〃
〃Only because he never gave me a chance。〃 Dan grinned mirthlessly。 〃Now it's his turn to sweat a little。 I'm waiting to see how he likes it。〃 He walked angrily to the door but by the time he turned back to David； his anger seemed to have disappeared。 〃Keep in touch； David。 There's an outside chance I could spring Tracy and Gable from Metro on loan if you came up with the right property。〃
David nodded as the agent walked out。 He looked down at his desk。 Business as usual； he thought bitterly。 Pierce would think nothing of setting up a deal like that and handing the pany a million…dollar profit。 That was his business。 It had nothing to do with Jonas Cord personally。 But the sale of his stock in the pany was another matter。
He picked up the telephone on his desk wearily。 〃Yes； Mr。 Woolf。〃
〃Call Bonner's office and find out if I can see him right away。〃
〃In your office or his？〃 his secretary asked。
He smiled at himself。 Ordinarily； protocol dictated that Bonner e to him。 But it was amazing how sensitive the studio grapevine was。 By now； everyone was aware that something was up； and even his secretary wasn't pletely sure of his position。 This was her way of probing。
〃My office； of course；〃 he said testily； putting down the telephone。
Bonner came into his office about three…quarters of an hour later。 It wasn't too bad； considering their relative importance。 Not too long to appear rude； not too quickly to appear subservient。 He crossed the room to David's desk and sat down。 〃Sorry to disturb you； Maurice；〃 David said politely。
〃That's quite all right； David；〃 Bonner answered； equally polite。 〃I managed to finish the morning production meeting。〃
〃Good。 Then you have a little time？〃
Bonner looked at his watch。 〃I do have a story conference due about now。〃
David smiled。 〃Writers are used to waiting。〃
Bonner looked at David curiously。 Unconsciously； his hand crept inside his jacket and he scratched his shirt。 David noticed and grinned。 〃Got a rash？〃
〃You heard the story？〃 Bonner asked。
David nodded。
Bonner grinned； scratching himself overtly now。 〃It's driving me nuts。 It was worth it； though。 You got to try Jennie sometime。 That girl can make your old fiddle twang like a Stradivarius。〃
〃I'll bet。 I saw the test。〃
Bonner looked at him。 〃I meant to ask you。 Why did you pull all the prints？〃
〃I had to；〃 David said。 〃The Sinner isn't our property。 It belongs to Cord personally。 And you know how he is。 I wasn't looking for any trouble。〃
Bonner stared at him silently。 There wasn't any point in beating around the bush； David decided。 〃Sheffield showed me your mitment to sell him your stock。〃
Bonner nodded。 He wasn't scratching now。 〃I figured he would。〃
〃Why？〃 David asked。 〃If you wanted to sell； why didn't you talk to Cord？〃
Bonner was silent for a moment。 〃What would be the point？ I never even met the man。 If he wasn't polite enough to look me up just once in the three years I've been working for him； I see no reason to start running after him now。 Besides； my contract is up next month and nobody has e around to talk about renewing it。 I didn't even hear from McAllister。〃 He began scratching again。
David lit a cigarette。 〃Why didn't you e to me？〃 he asked softly。 〃I brou