Finding Ashley

by Danielle Steel

  “It’s Marla…she’s still in Scotland, there was a storm. They were night shooting. There was some kind of explosion in the scene. They finished it, and it was too snowy to drive back, so they took a helicopter to get them back to the town where they’re staying. There was a huge gust of wind, and the helicopter flipped over and hit electrical lines. It burst into flame, and crashed…they were all killed…Marla’s dead…oh, Mom, I loved her…she’s dead…how can that happen? Why did they take the helicopter in a storm? All three stars, the director, and the pilot were killed. I have to go and get her. David says he’ll stay with the kids. They want me to identify the body.” She started sobbing again, as Melissa looked at Norm and shook her head and mouthed “Marla.” But he still didn’t know she was dead. He had never met her, but Melissa had raved about her after meeting her in L.A.

  “I’ll come with you,” Melissa said immediately. “Do you have a ticket yet?”

  “No, I called you first.” She had reached out to her mother for comfort. But she’d had two mothers recently, and now she only had one, and had lost the one she knew best.

  “If you can get a flight to Boston or New York, I’ll fly to Scotland with you. We’ll do this together, Michaela. I’m so sorry. She was a fantastic person.”

  “Yes, she was.” Michaela had been orphaned twice now, which was more than anyone should have to deal with. Melissa wanted to be there for her. She knew what it felt like to lose the person you loved most. Michaela had David and her children, but Marla had been her mother for thirty-three years.

  She barely had time to tell Norm what had happened when Michaela called back ten minutes later and David had called the airline for her. She was on a seven a.m. flight to Kennedy in New York, arriving at three p.m. local time, with the time difference. And they had a five p.m. British Air flight to Edinburgh, landing at six a.m. local time the next day. And he was going to book a car and driver to pick them up and take them to the town outside Edinburgh where Marla was. The producer had been on location with them and was going to meet them. They were going to take care of booking rooms for them at a hotel in Edinburgh. David had booked Melissa’s ticket on the flight to Scotland too, so there would be no confusion about the flight. Michaela handed him the phone, and he spoke to Melissa.

  “I’ll pick Michaela up as she comes off her flight at JFK, on the way to baggage claim, we’ll go to British Air together to check in,” Melissa said.

  “Thank you, Mel,” David said, and she could hear he’d been crying too. He loved his mother-in-law, despite her quirks and Old Hollywood glamour style. She wasn’t a typical mother, but had been a good friend to him.

  Michaela got back on the phone, crying again. “I’ll meet you at JFK,” Melissa repeated. “Can you manage with carry-on? It will be faster. We’ll be tight to check in for the British flight.”

  “David asked for VIP service when I get off the flight in New York. They’ll take us to the British Air terminal in one of those carts. The press is going to be all over us in Edinburgh, and when I get back.” Melissa hadn’t thought of that, but they had that burden to carry too. She, David, and her children. “It’s going to be on the news this morning.” Michaela sounded devastated. And as soon as she hung up, Melissa told Norm the full story, or all she knew. “I’m meeting her in New York, and flying to Scotland with her.” She looked at the clock on her bed table. It was two-thirty in the morning. “I have to meet her at three when she lands. I want to be out of here by eight a.m., in case there’s snow on the road, or it snows again. I’d rather get there early than late.”

  “I’ll drive you,” Norm said. “I don’t want you driving down there alone.” It was Saturday, and he had the time. “I’ll stay at a hotel and come back tomorrow. How long do you think you’ll be there?”

  “I have no idea. Long enough to go through the formalities, and fly the body back to L.A. I guess the production company will help us. I should be back in a few days.”

  “Don’t forget your sister, she’s coming up today.”

  “Oh my God. I would have forgotten.” She texted her that she had to leave for an emergency to help Michaela, so Hattie couldn’t come up. It was three in the morning by then, and they turned off the light to try to sleep for a few more hours. Melissa set the alarm for six a.m., and went to shower as soon as it rang.

  They turned the TV on at seven, and it was all over the news. There were photographs of Marla on the screen, along with the two male stars who had died with her. They had been hired to replace the two who had been let go because of the recent sexual harassment scandals. A third actor had been hired at the last minute too, but he wasn’t working that night. The TV announcer said that the entire world would mourn Marla Moore. He said she had made over a hundred films, had won two Oscars, and was seventy-three years old. Her male co-star had just come back from his honeymoon, and the other had four children. They said that Marla was survived by a daughter, a son-in-law, and two grandchildren, but they didn’t mention their names.

  Melissa and Norm were on the road in good time. It wasn’t snowing, but the wind was strong and she was glad that Norm was at the wheel. They’d been driving for an hour when Hattie called Melissa on her cell.

  “What happened? I wanted to come to see you.” She hadn’t heard the news yet. They didn’t watch the morning news on TV at the convent.

  “Marla Moore was killed in a helicopter crash in Scotland last night. It’s very sad. Michaela called me at two a.m., hysterical. I’m meeting her at JFK and flying to Scotland with her, to identify the body. They want a family member there, if possible. She’s in terrible shape, so I volunteered to go with her. David is staying with the kids.”

  “When are you coming back?”

  “As soon as we can. I’ll stay for the funeral in L.A. I guess it’ll be a huge mess with the press. I should be back here in a week.”

  “I need to see you,” Hattie said, sounding tense.

  “Why? Is something wrong?” Melissa didn’t like the tone of her sister’s voice.

  “No. But I’ve made some decisions.” And she knew Melissa wouldn’t like them. They talked while Norm drove. “I wanted to tell you in person, but I don’t want to wait too long. I’m going to file now to be released from my vows,” she said in a calm voice. “And I’m joining a UN team in Africa. I’m leaving in about six weeks. They send over medical personnel. I don’t know where I’ll be assigned yet.” Melissa looked crestfallen when she heard the news.

  “I wish you wouldn’t do that, file the papers now, I mean. Why can’t you wait and see how you feel?”

  “I know how I feel. I want to be free now. I won’t be released for a year anyway. Mother Elizabeth says I can change my mind before that, but I know I won’t. And the job in Africa is exactly what I want to do.”

  “Can’t you do it as a nun, while you wait to see if you’re sure?”

  “I will be a nun for the next year.” She smiled that Melissa wanted her to stay in the order now, when she had been so vehemently against it nearly nineteen years before. “They won’t release me that fast.”

  “And Africa, Hattie? Really? Can’t you do something like it here?”

  “No. They have a fantastic program and this is what I want to do.”

  “At least the UN is respectable, and they’ll probably take care of you.” Hattie didn’t tell her that there were still risks involved, but Melissa knew it anyway.

  “I’ll come to see you when you get back. It’s nice of you to go,” Hattie said.

  “She’s my daughter,” Melissa said quietly. “It’s the least I can do, and I’m her only mother now. She and Marla really loved each other.”

  “You’re a good mom, Mel. You were to Robbie too.”

  “Thank you, and just for the record, I hate your going to Africa again. I wish you wanted to be a hairdresser or a librarian, or an artist or something ins
tead of risking your life in Africa.”

  “This is what I want to do. I want to work with the kids.”

  “Maybe you should have your own.”

  “I thought about it, but these are the only kids I need. We all have children in our lives in different ways. You have Michaela now, and her children. It’s not Robbie, but I guess he wasn’t meant to stay, and Michaela’s kids will need you too, and so will she.”

  “I can never measure up to Marla,” Melissa said sadly.

  “You don’t need to. You’re you. You’re different people. I’m not sure Marla would have run to Kennedy to fly over with her. She had other things to do.”

  “I have nothing else to do.” Melissa smiled at the compliment. “Come and spend a few days with me before you go.”

  “I will. I promise. I just told Mother Elizabeth. I have to give them notice at the hospital, and do a bunch of other stuff.”

  “How long are they sending you for?” Melissa was sad about it. Now that they were close again, she was going to miss her.

  “A year for now. But I can re-enlist if I like it, and I do a decent job.”

  “You will,” Melissa said confidently.

  They hung up a few minutes later, and she and Norm talked about Hattie’s decision and her plans.

  “I think she’s doing the right thing,” he said quietly. “It’s what she really wants, and she seems to be good at it.”

  “I guess so. I’m going to miss her.”

  “She’ll be back.”

  “I hope so,” Melissa said sadly, looking out the window at the winter landscape sliding by. “It’s funny, I was furious at her for years for becoming a nun, and now I’m kind of sad she’s giving it up. I’ve gotten used to it, or maybe I just don’t like change.” And this was a big one, particularly for Hattie. She was going to be Hattie Stevens again. Melissa couldn’t help thinking that life was strange.

  * * *

  —

  They got to the airport at two o’clock, and had an hour to spare. Norm came into the airport with her, and they had a sandwich and a cup of coffee to pass the time. They saw on the big board at two forty-five that Michaela’s plane had landed, and Norm walked her to where they were going to meet on the way to baggage claim. A few minutes later, a VIP golf cart appeared, driven by a ticket agent, and Michaela was on it, in a black skirt and black sweater, with a black coat on the cart next to her. Her face was pale and serious, and she was wearing dark glasses. The cart stopped and Melissa could see that she was crying behind the glasses. She had her carry-on bag next to her. Norm had to leave them then. They were going to be driven to the British Air terminal to check in. He held Melissa tightly for a minute, after telling Michaela how sorry he was.

  “Take care of yourself, Mel,” he said in a husky voice. “Let me know if I can do anything to help. I’ll keep an eye on the house,” and then he whispered in her ear, “I love you.”

  “Me too,” she whispered back, got on the golf cart next to Michaela, put an arm around her, and they took off with a wave at Norm, who stood waving at them, and then went back to the garage to get his car and drive into the city for the night. He was going to call a friend to have dinner with him.

  “Thank you for coming to meet me,” Michaela said as they went outside in the cart and crossed the airport. With the VIP service with the golf cart that David had arranged, they were able to check in for the British Air flight on time. They were escorted to a first-class lounge and given a private room out of sight, and then escorted onto the plane an hour later when it was ready to board. The airline personnel addressed Michaela with seriousness, knowing why she was going to Edinburgh. Marla was all over the news by then and had been all day.

  There were four first-class seats on the flight, and they had two of them. The service was excellent, and the food was good, but Michaela hardly touched it, and Melissa wasn’t hungry either. She covered her daughter with a blanket as soon as they boarded, and held her hand. When Michaela took her sunglasses off, Melissa could see that her eyes were red and swollen. She’d been crying since she heard the news about her mother.

  “She wasn’t like other mothers, but she was terrific and I loved her,” Michaela said softly, and Melissa nodded and tried to get her to close her eyes and get some sleep. Michaela was exhausted, and shortly after they took off, she was sound asleep with her head on Melissa’s shoulder, still holding her hand.

  Melissa stayed awake for most of the flight, to keep an eye on her, and dozed intermittently. It was a seven-and-a-half-hour flight, and they landed in Edinburgh right on time. There were two airline executives, a ground agent, most of the production crew, and an airport policeman to meet them, and a representative from the U.S. embassy in Edinburgh to assist them too. They were shepherded quickly out of the airport into a waiting van, to make the two-hour trip to the town where they’d been shooting. It was a small village, and looked surprisingly primitive and antiquated, which was why they had used it. They drove past the site of the crash, with a burned crater in the ground. Michaela gasped and burst into tears again. They were taken to the nearest hospital, where the police had brought Marla’s remains to the morgue after the crash. The other victims of the crash were there too. Their relatives were due to arrive later that day. Michaela and Melissa had been the first to arrive.

  Melissa had texted Norm as soon as they landed, that they were there safely. It was just after midnight in New York, and he was still out to dinner with his friend, but relieved to hear from her. He was worried about her. Identifying Marla’s body after the crash would be a terrible experience, and she wanted to spare Michaela from having to do it.

  The producer of the movie was very kind, and the head of the hospital had volunteered his office so they could have some privacy.

  Melissa left Michaela there, with her permission, and went with the producer to identify the charred remains. It was more of a formality, since they had gotten dental charts emailed by her dentist, and there was no question that she’d been on the helicopter and there were no survivors. Melissa felt deeply shaken by the experience, and they went back to Michaela quickly in the private office where she was waiting and talking to David on her phone.

  “Thank you,” she whispered to Melissa with a grateful look.

  The producer explained to Melissa then that they were waiting for local authorities to sign the necessary papers to release the body, so they could fly her home. They hoped to have them by that night. The pilot’s widow was just entering the hospital when they left. They were driven back to Edinburgh then, where the producer had booked a suite in the best hotel. Photographers took their pictures as they entered, and they were quickly taken to the suite. Michaela was looking dazed, and Melissa was feeling sick from what she’d seen at the hospital. Someone poured her a cup of tea and handed it to her in the suite, which had two bedrooms and a living room.

  She put Michaela to bed, and pulled down the shades, and she just lay there, staring at the ceiling, and Melissa went back to the living room of the suite to talk to the producer. He looked as devastated as she felt. He knew Marla well.

  “I can’t believe this happened,” he said to Melissa.

  “None of us can.”

  “I’ve known her for thirty years. I worked on my first movie with her. We’re chartering a plane to take her home.” The production company was sparing no expense for the most famous actress in America. It was going to be a lot easier than taking two flights to get the casket to L.A. Marla’s trusted assistants were already working on the funeral arrangements. She was going to be buried privately with her late husband. And there was going to be a private funeral service, by invitation only, with heavy security, and no press allowed at the Church of the Good Shepherd. The rest hadn’t been decided yet, except that Michaela had told David that she wanted lily of the valley and white orchids, which were Marla’s favorite flowe
rs, and her assistants were ordering them. They were doing everything possible to keep it from being a circus, which was no easy feat with the press hounding them. LAPD had put police barriers around Marla’s home, and they were keeping fans and gawkers at bay. People had been standing in her street crying since that morning, as soon as the story of her death had hit the news.

  * * *

  —

  Michaela slept for a few hours and then wandered around the suite like a ghost, but she didn’t want to leave the hotel. Fans were already gathering outside. Someone had leaked to the press that Marla’s daughter was there.

  The Scottish authorities signed the death certificate by six o’clock that night, and the paperwork to allow them to remove the body and leave the country with it. There had been no foul play, so they released it. And at nine o’clock, a chartered Boeing 737 was waiting at the Edinburgh Airport, ready to take her home. Michaela left the hotel by a back door with Melissa. The producer was staying in Edinburgh to deal with the families of the two male stars. They were sending their bodies home on commercial flights, which was more complicated. They had bent all the rules and cut through all the red tape to release Marla’s remains as fast as possible, but they weren’t able to do it for all three.

  The plane took off at ten o’clock as soon as their flight plan was approved. It was going to be a twelve-hour flight, due to land at LAX at two a.m. local time. A police escort was waiting to accompany Marla’s body in the casket to the funeral home, where she was to be cremated. A separate motorcade was waiting to take Michaela to her home with Melissa. Crowds were already gathering in the street and at the airport, to get a glimpse of Michaela, or the casket. The street where Marla lived had been closed since that morning, with thousands of people laying flowers in the street outside her home, and just standing there crying. There was a candlelight vigil that night, which the police made no attempt to stop, although it tied up the whole neighborhood for blocks, and residents who drove in had to leave their cars blocks from their homes. In her death she was being treated like royalty, and Melissa wondered what Marla would have thought of it, since she seemed like a sensible person. But she was a Hollywood legend, the last of the great, glamorous stars. Other movie stars had been interviewed all day, paying tribute to her, which they did lavishly.