Blood is Pretty

by Steven Paul Leiva

  “What?”

  “Shave. ”

  “Why not?”

  “I like a man with a day’s growth of beard. ”

  “You and practically every other woman in the world. ”

  “Well… ”

  “What’s the appeal? A full beard I can see. Clean-shaven I can see. Scruffy

  I can not see. ”

  “It’s not scruffy, it’s—. ”

  “Sexy. Yes, I know that’s the opinion—something ‘bad boy’ about it. Gotten women into more trouble than not, I would guess. ”

  “Probably. Still—. ”

  “If women had higher standards, possibly the world would be a better place. ”

  “Oh, so it’s women’s fault?”

  “Since the dawn of time. ”

  The doorbell rang.

  “That’ll be our breakfast. Could you answer it?”

  She gave me a stern look and a warning as she move towards the door.

  “Don’t shave! Okay?”

  “I make no promises. ”

  I heard her greet the porter and direct him to the table she wanted the breakfast laid out on. That done, she signed for the meal and was obviously generous with my money in regards to the tip because the porter’s, “Thank you,” was sincere well beyond the norm for his profession.

  “Breakfast!” She called out.

  “Be right there!” I called back, and then, a minute later, came out of the bathroom, crossed over to the table, and sat down.

  “You idiot,” she said with a smile.

  “I thought it would answer both our needs. ” I had, of course, shaved just half of my face.

  “I should make you keep it this way. ”

  “I’m willing. ”

  “Sure you—. ”

  The phone rang. I walked over to the desk and picked it up. “Harrington,” I said into the mouthpiece.

  “Sorry to disturb you Mr. Harrington. ” It was Norton Macbeth. “We have a bit of a problem. ”

  “Go ahead. ”

  “Hinckley and family slipped out, he, he, he… ”

  “What? Weren’t they being watched?”

  “Well, not really. I mean, they weren’t prisoners, he, he. I thought his good sense would have kept him there. ”

  “If Paul Hinckley had good sense, don’t you think his movies would have reflected it?”

  “I’ve never seen his movies. ”

  “Norton, you handle the man’s financial planning, and you’ve never seen his films?”

  “I take that back. I saw Red Dust. ”

  “And?”

  “That’s why I’ve never seen any of the others. ”

  “I sometimes forget your natural wisdom. Okay. Have Roee call the Captain, and see if he can track Hinckley down. If so, have the Captain bring him in quietly for more questioning. The fool won’t like it, but it’s for his own protection. ”

  “Okay. Will do. ” Norton hung up. I turned to Anne.

  “You better shave the rest of your face,” she said.

  “I think it would be best if we get an early—. ”

  “I agree. I’ll pack. ”

  *

  I dropped Anne off at her house. After we had kissed a particularly nice kiss I said, “You will find a package on your doorstep. It contains certain instructions for tomorrow night. Follow them precisely. ”

  “Okay. ”

  “The next time you see me I’ll be your brother. ”

  “That’ll be interesting. ” She got out of the car. “Hey, wait a minute. What’s your name going to be?”

  “Good question. What name would you like for a brother?”

  “I’ve always been partial to Tom. ”

  “Then Tom it is. Tom Eisley. ”

  “No!”

  “What?”

  “Eisley is my stage name. ”

  “Oh. I should have thought to ask. Well, what’s our real name?”

  “Einstein. ”

  “Einstein?”

  “Yes. ”

  “I take it we took a lot of kidding when we were kids?”

  “Why do you think I changed my name?”

  “And now, here I am a theoretical physicist by the name of—. ”

  “Einstein. ”

  “Tom Einstein. ”

  “We could say you were named after Edison. ”

  “Oh, thanks. Well, see you tomorrow night, Sis. ” I started to pull away, back down Elusive Drive.

  “Fixxer?” She called out

  I stopped the car. “Yes?”

  “Damn, I wish you had a real name. ”

  I could only nod, smile, and move forward.

  *

  When I got home I first asked Roee to get a rush on some ID in the name of Tom Einstein, assistant professor of Physics at MIT. “We can take the pictures as soon as Michael leaves. ” Then I asked him about Paul Hinckley.

  “We haven’t got a clue where he is. He hasn’t return to his home in L. A. ”

  “How about the ranch in Paso Robles?”

  “We’ve called up there. No answer. ”

  “Called? Hasn’t the Captain sent somebody?”

  “He can’t justify it. ”

  “God damn it!”

  “Fixxer, you’ve got to remember, he’s part of a government organization; he’s got procedures. ”

  “Never stopped us. ”

  “Yes, well… ”

  “Yes, well… ” I echoed Roee. It was an old subject with us. “All right. What happened?”

  “From what we can gather talking to the manager at the resort, Hinckley got restless. Said something about being cut out of a deal. ”

  “Idiot. ”

  “I thought you said he would follow your instructions. ”

  “I told him to get out of town, which he did. Unfortunately I forgot to instruct him to stay there until the all clear. ”

  “Plus you didn’t instruct him not to get paranoid. ”

  “Instructing someone in Hollywood not to be paranoid is like instructing a dog not to hump you. You’ve got to kick the good sense into them. I guess I didn’t kick hard enough. ”

  “I don’t mean to be un-feeling, but isn’t this Hinckley’s problem from now on?”

  I looked at Roee. I knew the line of my mouth was as straight and hard as it could be. No smile, no frown, just raw reality. “Yeah. His problem. ”

  *

  An hour later Michael Slayton arrived as arranged by Roee. Michael is one of the top make-up artists in Hollywood, a son and nephew to make-up artists who had done magic on the great stars of the past; a father and uncle to make-up artists who will do magic on the well-manufactured stars of the future. He is a squarely built man with a broad face you have to like because it is the kind that seems to like all that comes before it unconditionally. Although privy to some of the darkest revelations about stars, some coming from the stars themselves, none of them have ever diminished his very basic love for these people. But then no artist, I suppose, ever hates his canvas—except when it is blank. Of course, this doesn’t mean he doesn’t relish passing on the information. Gossip is an art form as well.

  “So do you understand the assignment?” I asked Michael as he sat me down in front of a mirror in my bathroom.

  “Yes, Roee explained it and sent over some photos of Anne. ” Like many in Hollywood, he always used first names, even for those he’s never met. “Beautiful girl, isn’t she? I would love to do her. I mean, in regard to makeup. ”

  “Yes, I understand. ”

  “Now you need two things. To change your appearance in order to fool a couple of people who have seen you as you are. ”

  “That’s right. ”

  “Although, who has really ever seen you as you are?” he said somewhat wistfully for some strange reason.

  “No editorializing, please. ”

  “Sorry. And you want your new appearance to make you a credible ‘brother’ for Anne. Well, the second one is fairly easy. You’re
not suppose to be twins, and siblings don’t always resemble each other, there’s always enough genetic mixture from the two parents for diversity. ”

  “Still, it’s important that we seem credible as brother and sister. ”

  “Well, your bone structure is similar, that helps. The nose difference we can assume is a function of sex difference, although I could bring yours in line with an application. ”

  “I would prefer not. I don’t know how long I will have to be in this look. ”

  “Okay. Well, how about the first need? How well do these people know you?”

  “Not well. One has met me twice. And he’s the kind of shy person that averts his eyes a lot. Also, on both occasions, he was feeling a certain amount of fear. ”

  “I can imagine. You scared the shit out of me first time I met you. ”

  “You had been a bad boy. ”

  “I’m better now. ”

  “Yes, thanks to my incentives. ”

  “For which I will, of course, always be grateful. Now, the second person?”

  “He did not see me in the best of conditions. Think of me at that time as a cat just dragged out of a river. ”

  “Yes, not a true representation of a fully fluffy pussy. ”

  “No, not at all. ”

  “Okay, then, I think simple will be best here. One of your most prominent features is a full head of thick black hair. Anne is a natural blonde?”

  “Oh, I hope so. ”

  “Well, if not, who’s to tell? We’ll make you a blond. Including your eyebrows, which will make a major difference. As for the rest, I can thin out your hair—a lot—and give you a wispy hair look. Balding, some might call it. If we can’t use applications, then the rest is going to have to be in your performance. ”

  “I think I can manage that. But what about this?” I showed him my healing neck abrasion.

  “Ouch! Fixxer, what drove you to it?”

  “It was not, believe me, self-induced. ”

  “Body make-up will take care of that. Just reapply it often. ”

  “Okay, let’s get started. ”

  *

  Small changes, yet a remarkable difference. I have, of course, changed my appearance often for my work. But always for the short term, one day, one evening, and always through wigs, make-up, applications. They helped me to, “inhabit the role,” as such things have helped thousands of actors on stage and screen, especially those classically trained. But this was different. This was basically nothing but a changed hairdo, and I felt the role inhabiting me, instead of the other way around. No wonder women do this. I had to turn away from all reflective surfaces to feel myself again, as I talked to the Captain on the phone.

  The first words from the Captain were, “Sorry I couldn’t help much on

  Hinckley, but no one here could see the point. And as they are being very accommodating to us in regards to the whole Finch murder, I don’t feel like pushing it. ”

  “Did I say anything?”

  “Did you have to?”

  “How about the press?”

  “No one’s got wind of it. Just another murder in L. A. , worse, a scroungy area of Hollywood where the death of a single, white, bachelor of no particular importance is not considered news. ”

  “No one leaked the conditions of Finch’s body?”

  “I was worried about this assistant coroner. I promised him five thousand. Hope I can deliver. ”

  “Just call Norton. ”

  “Okay. ”

  “Now what help can you give me in the next several days?”

  “Nothing official, I’m afraid. But I’m taking some time off I’ve got due, so I will stick with Roee and monitor the track. You have no idea where you’re going to wind up?”

  “By a lake somewhere

  “How do you know that?”

  “Rand is a fishing nut. If this is where he is going to base for a while, he would want it close by. ”

  “Why not a river, or the ocean?”

  “Good fishing at most rivers are in remote areas. Which would seem ideal, but I think it’s important for him to be near transportation for—. ”

  “A quick get-a-way?”

  “Possibly. But I think he’s arrogant enough not to be worrying about that. Just for general purposes, more likely. He likes to roam the world. ”

  “And not the ocean because… ?”

  “He prefers fresh water fishing. ”

  “Oh. ”

  “Everything is simple when you apply the facts. ”

  “So he could be by a lake anywhere in the world?”

  “Well, probably not Lake Victoria, but I wouldn’t rule out Europe, Britain or Canada. ”

  “Really? Well, we better have a jet standing by. ”

  “Roee’s already arranged it. Actually you’ll be test driving it for me. ”

  “Okay, so we follow you to the ends of the earth. Then what do we do?”

  “Wherever we land, hunker down and monitor. We can’t do anything until I get some evidence or a witness. ”

  “And assuming that happens, what’s to prevent him from taking flight. ”

  “Oh, if I come out with evidence or a witness, I’ll come out with Rand. I’m sure he’ll enjoy my new jet. ”

  “In that event, I’ll take a commercial flight. ”

  “Yes, I think that would be best. Just—. ”

  “Get the reimbursement from Norton. Believe me I will. What if you get into trouble?”

  “You and Roee will rescue us. ”

  “Oh great. How are we going to know you’re in trouble?”

  “I’ll take a bath. ”

  “Ouch!”

  “If the signal goes dead. Find a way to get us out. ”

  “I’m sure Roee has some thoughts on that. ”

  “And, Captain?”

  “Yes?’

  “In any rescue situation, Anne Eisley is the priority. ”

  *

  I sat down to dinner that night to one of Roee’s specialties and one of my favorites, an autumn duck salad with French-cut green beans. The combined flavors of orange, cranberries, and pecans, with the delicate taste of the duck and the snap of the braised fresh green beans are what savoring is all about. Like a cool breeze and the attendant sound of a benign wind’s travel through trees; like a quiet moment when you allow reflection to pass through every part of your body and note the glory of the absence of pain; like a brilliant sunset—such experiences need to be minutely embraced until the very second, and only until this second, that they let go.

  “Where’s Petey?” I asked suddenly realizing that our houseguest was missing.

  “Oh, I sent him out on the town. ”

  “By himself?”

  “No. ” Roee was enjoying his smile of self-satisfaction for a good idea well executed. “With one of Dora’s ladies. ”

  “One of Dora’s?”

  “Tracy, I think. You remember Tracy?”

  “Yes, I remember Tracy very well. How biblical of you. ”

  “What?”

  “Having the lamb lay down with the lion. ”

  “Well, I thought he was spending far too much time with the Bear Rug Program. Consider it my own blow against Veritas. ”

  “Petey seems to enjoy it. And if ever there was safe sex—. ”

  “Call me old fashioned, but—. ”

  “Roee, it was a very nice thing to do. ”

  “Maybe. But it wasn’t totally selfless. I thought we could use a night of lower decibels. ”

  “Ah. Yes. ” I paused to honor the quiet. “That is nice. Thank you. ”

  “For tomorrow?”

  “Yes?”

  “I don’t suppose I could talk you into sneaking some armaments into your luggage. ”

  “Now what would a geek scientist be doing with a semiautomatic weapon?”

  “It doesn’t have to be that. A small service revolver. ”

  “A lot of good that would do me. ”

  �
�Batsarov is a son-of-a-bitch. ”

  “Yes, but a witless one. ”

  “Which makes him even more dangerous. ”

  “But, like any dumb animal, easy to fool. ”

  “Don’t count on it. ”

  “Okay, I won’t. I’ll count on you as I have on many previous occasions. ”

  “I thank you for your confidence, but—. ”

  “Roee, we have been in dangerous situations before. ”

  “Yes, but we were in the service of something then. What are we in the service of now?”

  “Of what ever we want to be. ”

  “That’s a meaningless answer. ”

  “I don’t think so. What we were in the service of before became—corrupted. ”

  “We went along with it. ”

  “Until the breaking point. ”

  “So, you are trying to make up for—. ”

  “I make up for nothing. I apologize for nothing. I simply live. And I do what I have to do to live in the manner I desire, a manner you seem to enjoy as well. And, if, on occasion, I want to do a private job to correct an imbalance I perceive in the universe, well then that is a right I have grabbed for my own. I will always ask you to participate and I will always pay you far more than any other corrupt entity has. But you can refuse. ”

  “You know I never will. ”

  “Then this conversation is a waste of breath. ” I stood up. “The duck was fabulous. ” I left Roee and went to my room. I read for a while then went to sleep. You may think; you may very much want to think, that it was a fitful sleep. It was not. It was deep and undisturbed.

  *

  The next morning I walked into the lab to find Petey staring off into space, a dreamy look in his eyes, and a soft, yet potent, smile on his lips. “Good morning,” I said as quietly as possible so as not to jerk him away from his reverie too abruptly.

  Petey turned to me and broadened his smile. “Fixxer! Congratulate me! I’m in love!”

  “Oh. Well, Petey, you know, Tracy is not really a proper object of love. I mean, she certainly could be, but—. ”

  “Not with Tracy. With the Idea of Manhood! And I use to think masturbation was great!”

  “Oh. ”

  “I got to get me a girl, Fixxer! Two, if possible!”