“Oh my God,” Judith began to sob. “This will kill Gregory. Look at me.”
“You! What about me!” Alfie screamed. “And Sergio! This kind of publicity can ruin us all … because of you—you bitch!”
Judith clung to Robin. “Get me out of this. Oh, God, please get me out of this and I’ll never do anything wrong again.”
“You’ll never do anything wrong! You’ve got your millions to go back to. What about me? I’ve got a morals clause!” Alfie spat at her.
Robin held Judith against him, and grabbed Alfie with his free hand. “Alfie, I’ll get you out of this—only I’ve got one condition: Maggie Stewart gets the lead in your new picture.”
“What picture? We’ll all be run out of town tomorrow.”
“Judith!” Robin held her off and stared at her mottled face. “Your story is that I was drunk. I went on the make for you. I ripped at your dress. Sergio stepped in to help you. I went to hit him, he ducked and you got the blow—that explains your face—then I smashed Sergio.”
“And what was I doing?” Alfie asked.
“You rushed to her defense and I clipped you.” He reached out and gave Alfie a resounding punch on the jaw. Alfie yelled. Robin smiled slightly. “Sorry, chum, but if you’re defending the lady you have to take your lumps.” Robin noticed that the pounding at the door had stopped. He knew the police were trying to make a forced entrance from the back.
“Now, everyone know their lines? I hope so, because here comes the law—”
He turned around just as the police came in through the bedroom terrace. In panic, Judith dashed for the front door. She flung it open and faced a blinding flash of camera bulbs. The reporters tramped into the room. She dashed back to Robin, then, seeing the press and police, she backed away. Dimly she heard Alfie explaining, “It’s just all a ghastly misunderstanding. Mr. Stone stayed to talk to me about Miss Maggie Stewart—I want her for my new picture—and we had a few drinks. Robin had one too many. He really didn’t know what he was doing. Good God, he couldn’t be on the make for Mrs. Austin if he was sober, she’s old enough to be his mother.”
Judith’s swollen lips grimaced at him. “Why, you dreary little”
“Easy,” Robin said. “Let’s just say this wasn’t my night.”
Then the ambulance arrived. They all watched the doctor kneeling over Sergio.
“How is he?” Alfie asked anxiously.
“Probably just a concussion,” the ambulance attendant answered. “However they can’t tell till they X-ray.” Then he shook his head. “You movie characters sure play rough.”
The policeman whom Robin had met earlier in the evening took him by the arm and stared at him with a wounded expression as if to say, “And I trusted you.” Alfie was asked to come along as a witness. Judith refused to press charges, but she was taken along despite her objections.
It was all routine at the police station, except for the newspapermen. It seemed to Robin that every reporter in town was there, plus a television cameraman from a local station. Robin did not try to avoid the cameras, but he shielded Judith throughout. When one inventive cameraman darted between them and managed to get a shot of Judith’s swollen face, Robin lunged after him and smashed his camera. The other cameras picked up this byplay, but order was instantly installed by the police. Alfie refused to press charges. “After all, I took a poke at him first. And he was drinking,” Alfie said.
The doctor phoned in to say that Sergio was all right—it was only a mild concussion. Robin paid a fine for disturbing the peace and wrote a check to the newspaperman for destroying his camera and it wound up with everyone being released.
Then he drove Judith back to the hotel and parked near Crescent. “We can go in this way and avoid the lobby. I’ll walk you to the bungalow.”
“Robin—”
He looked at her. One eye was beginning to discolor and her lips looked raw and bloody.
“Put some cold compresses on your face,” he said. “Tomorrow you’re going to have a real mouse on that eye.”
She touched her face gingerly. “What do I tell Gregory?”
“Exactly what you told the police.”
She reached over and took his hand. “Robin, I know this will sound crazy to you, but I really loved you.” Tears came to her eyes. “And now I’ve destroyed you.”
“No, baby, I’ve done it myself—and maybe it’s about time.”
He walked her to the bungalow. It was dark inside.
“I won’t wake Gregory,” she said. “There will be plenty of time to tell him about it tomorrow.”
“Sleep well, Judith.”
She clung to him for a brief second. “Oh, Robin, why did all this have to happen?”
“Go into your bungalow,” he whispered, “and stay there. Stay where you belong from now on.” Then he walked away and went into the hotel. He turned off his phone, fell across the bed and went to sleep without even taking off his clothes.
Gregory Austin was awakened at seven in the morning by Cliff Dome. “Jesus, Gregory,” he said, “I almost fainted when I heard the news. How is she?”
“How is who?” Gregory tried to rouse himself into full consciousness.
“Judith.”
Gregory stared at the clock on his night table. “What in hell are you talking about?”
“Gregory, the lobby is filled with reporters. You’ve got a ‘Do not disturb’ on your line, but I told the operator I’d take full responsibility for breaking it. Have you seen the morning papers?”
“For Christ’s sake, man, I’ve just opened my eyes. What is all this talk? And what’s Judith got to do with it?”
“Robin Stone beat her up.”
“What!” Gregory dropped the phone and raced into Judith’s bedroom. She was sleeping face down on the pillow. He tugged at her arm gently. She mumbled and gradually awoke. He stared at her in shock. “Judith—your face! You’ve got a black eye! What happened?”
“It’s nothing.” She tried to bury her face in the pillow.
He pulled her into a sitting position. “Cliff is on the phone. There are reporters in the lobby. There’s supposed to be a story in the newspaper. What happened?”
“Get me some coffee,” she said slowly. “It’s not as serious as you think.”
Gregory raced back to his bedroom. “Judith’s all right. Get up here immediately, and bring all the newspapers.” Then he sent for coffee. Judith finally got out of bed and came into the living room. “I look worse than I feel,” she said with a wry smile.
“Tell me what happened.”
“There isn’t much to tell. Robin drank a lot. Suddenly he lunged for me. Sergio tried to protect me and then when Robin lunged for him he ducked and I caught the blow. Then Robin knocked Sergio out—and then the police arrived. That’s all.”
“That’s all?” Gregory thundered. “Look at yourself! Why didn’t you send for me? Or Cliff Dome?”
Judith sipped at the coffee. “Oh, Greg, you’re making too much of a fuss. The police let us all off. As a matter of fact, Robin brought me home.”
“He brought you home!”
“Yes, he had sobered up.” She heard the door chimes and rose hastily. “That’s probably Cliff. I don’t want him to see me.” She disappeared into the bedroom.
Cliff had all the newspapers. Gregory winced as he stared at the front pages. The big black headlines were all variations of the same theme:
LOVE MACHINE TURNS INTO WRECKING MACHINE
OVER NETWORK CHIEF’S WIFE.
A STONE’S FIST IS GRANITE.
THE NIGHT THE LOVE MACHINE RAN AMOK.
And each story was the same. Gregory studied the pictures. Everyone looked ready to fold except Robin. He appeared oddly undisturbed. There was even a slight grin on his face.
Cliff sat looking like a pallbearer. The doorbell rang constantly as bellboys delivered telegrams for Judith from her New York friends. It was close to noon in the East—the story and pictures were all over the coun
try by now.
Gregory paced the room. “How did the newspapers get into the act?”
“Our man tipped them off,” Cliff said morosely. “He couldn’t know Judith was involved. He’s the one who’s been tailing Robin since he arrived.”
Judith emerged from the bedroom. She had put Covermark over the discoloration of her eye, and aside from her swollen lips she looked fairly presentable. She even managed a slight smile at Cliff. “Well, I’ve certainly seen how the other half lives. And every one of our friends has suddenly remembered we’re alive. Greg, would you believe they all think I’m glamorous? You should read these wires. Peggy Ashton wants to throw a big bash in our honor. She said I’m the woman of the century—having a man fight two men to get at me.” Her smile was actually one of childish delight.
“We’ve got to write some statement for the press,” Cliff said. “Of course Robin goes. It’s a shame it had to happen this way“—he tossed a glance toward Judith, who was busy opening the wires—”but at least we’ve got a legitimate excuse for the board of directors.”
“No. He stays.” Gregory said.
Both Judith and Cliff stared at him.
“We’ve got to clean this thing up. It has to be a big misunderstanding as far as we’re concerned. We’ll give out a statement that Robin never went after Judith, that she slipped and fell down the stairs. We’ll think of something.”
“We will not!” Judith stood up. “I’m not going to be written about as if I were some idiot and make Robin a hero. He went after me and that’s that!” She stormed out of the room.
“She’s right,” Cliff said. “A denial will only give added life to the story. Fire Robin, and in a few days it will blow over.”
“He stays! Put in a call to Danton Miller and offer him his old job back. Tell him he’ll work with Robin. They’ll both have equal power, and neither can make any decision without my approval. From here on I am in control.”
“Gregory, you must be mad. You’ve been looking for the chance to get rid of Robin. This is it!” Cliff argued.
“I wanted my network back, and I’ve got it. Besides, I asked Robin to take Judith to this party because Judith wanted to go. At least now she’ll stick with her own kind. But I’m not about to toss Robin to the wolves.”
“I think you’re making a big mistake,” Cliff said. “No other network will touch him now—he’s unemployable.”
“I’m not paying you for opinions,” Gregory snapped. “I pay you for legal advice. Robin Stone has contributed too much to IBC to be booted out for one crazy night. This will all cool down after a time. We’ll switch the board of directors meeting to the day after tomorrow. By then I’ll have boned up on the reports and I will present them! Have Dan fly in. He and Robin will sit behind me like two co-workers while I speak.”
Robin awoke to the banging on the door. He looked around … he was still lying across the bed. He felt rocky, but he made his way to the door. Cliff Dome stalked in and threw a batch of newspapers on the coffee table.
Robin picked them up. They were worse than he expected.
“I’ve just come from Gregory’s bungalow,” Cliff said.
Robin nodded. “I suppose he wants my resignation.”
“He sure as hell does, but he feels sorry for you. He’s hired Danton Miller to replace you, and you can stay on until you find something else. At least you’ll save face that way.”
Robin went to the desk and scratched out a few lines. “I think this is the way it’s done,” he said. “I have no contract. It ran out some time ago… . Here is my resignation. You can witness it.” He handed Cliff the pen and the paper.
Cliff smiled. “May I say, I’ve waited a long time for this moment.”
“I’ll leave on the first flight I can catch. I’ll go to my office in New York and clear out my desk. And, Cliff—here are all the charts for the spring shows. Everything’s in there—ratings, future plans, the report I was going to give to the board of directors.” He handed him the attache case.
“I’ll send the case back to you in New York,” Cliff said.
“Keep it. You gave it to me as a Christmas present last year.” Then Robin walked to the door and held it open.
Gregory Austin stared at Robin’s resignation. He shook his head. “Did you tell him I wanted him to stay, Cliff?”
“He had it all written before I arrived,” Cliff said.
Gregory shrugged. “Well, he’s just signed himself out of television. Damn his pride. If he had stayed on and worked with Dan, this would have blown over… . Maybe I should talk to him.”
“You do, and I’ll walk out on you,” Judith said suddenly.
Both men looked at her in surprise.
“I want him out of our lives. I mean it, Gregory.”
Gregory nodded. “All right. Cliff, tell Dan everything is set. But I want Sammy Tebet to take Robin’s place. Sammy’s a good man—nothing like Robin, but then I doubt if there will ever be anyone like him.”
“Then why have him if you have Dan?” Judith asked.
Gregory smiled. “I want two men there, two of them who will be at each other’s throats.”
Cliff nodded and left the suite.
Robin was packed. He started to leave, then came back and picked up the phone. The operator said, “Oh, Mr. Stone, there have been hundreds of calls for you. Every newspaper has called, and there’s a man from Time with a photographer waiting in the lobby. If you like, there’s a way out on Crescent Drive—you can duck them—”
“Thanks, honey. Will you get me the Melton Towers? It’s an apartment house, but it has a switchboard.”
“Yes, we know the number. And, Mr. Stone, I just want to tell you that I think you’re wonderful no matter what the newspapers say. It’s unusual these days to read about a man who fights two men to get a woman he wants. I think it’s romantic.” She giggled, then rang the Melton Towers.
Maggie came on after two rings. Her voice was heavy with sleep. He realized she had probably not heard the news. “Wake up, sleepyhead, you’re supposed to be at the studio for the game shows, aren’t you?”
“Not until one—Robin!” She was suddenly wide-awake. “You’re calling. Does that mean—?”
“It means I’m leaving for New York, Maggie, on the one o’clock plane.”
There was a long pause, then she said, “Is that what you’re calling about?”
“Yes. And, well, I just wanted you to know I didn’t—” He stopped.
Suddenly it didn’t seem important to tell her he hadn’t gone on the make for Judith or hit her. Somehow he knew Maggie would understand. He just wanted her to know he wasn’t running off without saying goodbye. “Maggie, you see, I—”
But the phone was dead. She had hung up.
THIRTY
December 1968
DIP Nelson rushed off to lunch at Sardi’s carrying Variety. As he entered, he felt a new sense of power. He was Dip Nelson, Broadway producer, and Robin Stone was just a name from the dim past; it was a year since the big scandal and no one knew what had happened to Robin. He had just vanished. But the Big Dipper never struck out. He had come back. Maybe not as a performer, but as a top Broadway producer. Joe Katz had no alternative but to make him co-producer if he wanted Pauli as the star. And they had the biggest hit on Broadway. He stopped at each table and showed everyone the grosses in Variety. Everyone at Sardi’s listened. They had all seen the story in Variety, they all knew Pauli was the greatest, and they also knew she was having an affair with her leading man.
Christie Lane sat on the plane and looked at Variety. His face broke into a broad grin. Then he tore out the clipping. “What is it?” Ethel asked.
He showed it to her:
L.A. to N.Y.
Christie Lane
Ethel Lane
Christie Lane, Jr.
He folded it and put it in his wallet. “His first Variety clipping for his scrapbook. I’m putting it beside the clippings of his birth notices.”
Ethel smiled as she held the child. “We’re going to have a smash opening. Alfie and Sergio will fly in and so will half of Hollywood.”
He nodded and lay back and tried to catch a nap. He was excited at the idea of doing a Broadway musical. He didn’t even mind that it was for Ike Ryan. So far Ike hadn’t had a loser. And Ike didn’t take any shit from anyone. When Dip Nelson had tried to muscle in as co-producer, he had turned him down. Well, Dip had made a deal with Joe Katz. And Pauli had a big hit. Leave it to Dip—he had learned plenty from Robin Stone. Funny, Robin had been bigger than all of them, and wham, just like that he had disappeared from the scene. Suddenly he thought of Amanda—he could think of her now with no emotion; she was just a dim memory now. Ethel had given him the only thing he really wanted: his son. He smiled contentedly.
Ethel snuggled the baby and kissed his head. Funny, in the beginning she had only gotten knocked up to get her way with Christie. Now the baby was the most important thing in her life, the only thing she really cared about. All the frustrated love she had given the men who had passed through her life, she now lavished on the child. But she’d never make a mother’s boy of him—she’d know when to let go. He was her kid and he was going to have the greatest life in the world. And now Christie’s Broadway opening would be exciting. She had a good life—she was den mother for Alfie and Sergio, the hostess of Hollywood. Her Hamtramck dream had practically come true. Of course there was no handsome leading man—there was just Christie. She had plenty of time on her hands to play around, but she didn’t get any offers. She was respected. She was Mrs. Christie Lane. Oh well, you couldn’t have everything.
Danton Miller read the review of his new special in Variety. It was murderous. Dammit, the only shows that held up were the old ones. The shows chosen by Robin Stone. He had been a rocket all right, but like all rockets he had exploded into thin air. He drummed this into Sammy Tebet’s head every time Sammy got high-handed. Sammy was bright and he’d have to keep an eye on him—he couldn’t afford another Robin Stone in his life. But Gregory would see to that. Gregory was back, riding roughshod, and Gregory was going to cancel the new variety show Dan had put on in September. Dan could feel it in his bones. It would happen at tomorrow’s weekly meeting. He lit a cigarette. His ulcer stabbed him. He looked up toward the ceiling and silently promised that he would never smoke again if he got through tomorrow’s meeting with his job still intact. He wondered if Gregory had read Variety… .
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