The Fan Letter

by Nancy Temple Rodrigue

  He sat down opposite them as his explanation ended. He already felt better inside but knew the relief wouldn’t be complete without their absolution.

  “Are you still spying on me? Is my apartment still bugged?” a wide-eyed Leslie slowly asked.

  Wayne threw up his hands. “No! I swear! I quit a long, long time ago. I kept sending fake letters and reports to placate Sarah, but I never watched you again. Not too long ago I received my final letter from her ending our business relationship and the request for me to keep my mouth shut. Now that she’s had another baby by a different man, she doesn’t need any negative press. It could possibly do her career a lot of harm.”

  “Then she’s still married to Phillip Beck?” Janice asked.

  “No, I think they’re divorced now, and it’s kinda ironic now that his career is taking off like a rocket. I wouldn’t be at all surprised if she married her agent, Marty, my ex-friend. After all, he is the father of her second kid.”

  “Who…who else knows about my threatening correspondence, Wayne? My word! I never made it a secret that Phillip had called to encourage me.” Leslie began to panic. “I could be really hurt by the press if they knew about you! What would the studio say? What will I do?”

  Wayne went over to her and sat beside her. “Les, no one else knows what I just told you, not even Phillip. Only the three of us and Marty and Sarah know. And trust me, neither of them will ever talk about this. It would reflect badly on Sarah, not you,” he insisted, trying to take her hand in a friendly gesture, which she didn’t allow by pulling away. “You have to believe me. I didn’t have to tell you any of this. I just wanted to start my life with Janice clean before the wedding. No more secrets.”

  “It’s been years, Wayne, not weeks since you moved here. We accepted you and welcomed you and you repaid us by spying on me?” Leslie still couldn’t understand it.

  Wayne looked at Janice who had remained silent, because, thus far, the conversation had been between him and Leslie. “This has been bothering me for a long time! You both mean a great deal to me. If you want to know everything, by that I mean what I found out about you through my investigation, it only made me more interested in you. I’m so thrilled your work is getting the recognition it deserves. I only wish I could do something to help you personally.”

  Leslie dropped her eyes to the floor. She felt violated. “Are you sure no one else knows? No one in Los Angeles could ever find out what Sarah did?”

  “I swear, Leslie, no. Not unless you tell them. I’ve burned all the tapes and notes, and I sold all my surveillance equipment. I now am an honest insurance salesman just as you know me,” he said earnestly. “Now that I have a future with Janice, I want to keep it that way.”

  Janice thought of something else and asked, “What about all those times you went to L.A.? What were those for?”

  Wayne shook his head. “That dizzy model thought Phillip was sleeping with some actress, so she sent me to find out who it was.”

  “Who was it?” Janice prodded, smiling and her eyes wide.

  “There wasn’t anyone. Beck had thrown a party—or, rather, Tom and Eddie threw a party at Beck’s house—and a few of the guests had too much to drink and slept over. Apparently one of the women answered the phone when Sarah called and her nasty imagination took over,” he explained.

  “But that’s just one time,” Leslie pointed out.

  “Yeah, but Sarah kept trying to find something to pin on Phillip so she could take him to the cleaners for all he had. Which wasn’t much at that time,” he added. “But, now with her new baby, she hasn’t a leg to stand on. And Phillip’s doing great, as we all know.”

  “Boy, what a lifestyle,” whistled Janice, not even thinking about the fact that he had lied to her, too. “Did you see anything like that when you were there, Les?”

  Leslie gave a brief smile. “No. Not at all. I guess I missed all the parties.”

  Wayne cleared his throat. “I need to know if you can forgive my lies, forget my past and accept me as I am now. Janice?” he asked his fiancée.

  “Me? I thought this just concerned Leslie. You didn’t spy on me, too, did you?”

  “Not really. I followed both of you to that convention in the Silicon Valley, but I was angry at Leslie for not asking me to go along,” he confided.

  “I don’t care about your past,” she decided. “I love you as Wayne Fields, super insurance agent.”

  His load lifted a little, he smiled and turned back to Leslie. “And you, Les? Can you overlook my past?”

  She met his eyes briefly. He couldn’t tell how she felt. She still looked pale and shaken. When she did answer him, her voice was low. “I don’t know, Wayne. All my life I’ve tried to be honest with people and I guess I’m naïve to expect the same in return from everyone. I kind of wish you hadn’t told me.”

  “I had to. It’s been bothering me a lot. And, honesty? Yeah, I do value honesty and that’s why it’s been eating me up. I don’t want to lose your friendship,” Wayne claimed and then added, “Who knows? Maybe you could put it to good use as a plot in one of your next book.”

  Leslie gave a cold smile at that. “Yeah, a new squad member turns out to be a dirty double agent bent on destroying all the squad ever worked for.”

  Wayne flinched. “Well, you don’t have to make it so graphic and evil. It isn’t really that bad, is it?” he asked hopefully.

  “Right now, yes, it is,” was Leslie’s honest reply. “Tomorrow or the next day? I don’t know. Probably not.” She arose from the sofa. “You’ll excuse me if I don’t stay for cocktails. I wouldn’t want to think my hors d’ oeuvres were bugged.”

  At their hurt expressions she sullenly added, “Sorry, but I’m very uncomfortable right now. I’ll talk to you guys another time.” Leslie left the apartment and slowly trudged up the stairs to her own rooms.

  As her eyes traveled around the living room, her glance stopped on her shadowbox. She remembered that day, long ago it seemed, that the sheriff’s badge had looked ready to fall over and the music box hadn’t lined up with the dust marks. An involuntary shiver ran through Leslie as she attempted to get back to normal and went back to her typewriter to resume work on the script for SPRING COMES TO THE VALLEY.

  Her fingers shook as she attempted to type, and after correcting four errors in one line, she angrily tore the sheet out of the typewriter and threw it across the room. She knew then it would be a while before she trusted or believed Wayne again. She reflected grimly on how her roster of friends seemed to be getting shorter and shorter.

  There was a small crowd of fifty family members and friends gathered at the Amherst Gardens for the wedding of Wayne Fields and Janice Woods. Winding, grassy walkways led through flower beds of roses and azaleas and mums, past fern-lined waterfalls, and over wooden bridged streams. The white gazebo in which the ceremony was performed was overhung with fragrant lilac. A two-tiered birdbath and fountain tinkled nearby.

  Wayne had gotten his way and wore a dark suit instead of the hated tuxedo. Janice wore a tea-length white chiffon dress and a lovely brimmed hat. She carried a small bouquet of red roses and baby’s breath. As a consideration to Leslie’s feelings at the moment, they chose no attendants and stood alone in the gazebo with the minister and repeated their vows and promises with clear voices and happy faces.

  Leslie stood with her parents amongst the guests with a calm smile on her face. As the ceremony progressed, feeling her mother’s arm go through hers, she glanced over at Bonnie.

  “Are you all right, honey?” her mom whispered.

  “I’m fine, Mom.”

  Bonnie patted her arm and gave an inaudible sigh. “You know I’m happy for Janice, but I just can’t help thinking that might have been you up there,” she again whispered.

  Leslie shook her head slightly as she looked at Wayne. “No, I never felt that way towards him. He was only a good friend. That’s all.”

  Bonnie glanced at Leslie’s face and saw the sad look in
her eyes that had been present for many, many months. She patted her daughter’s arm again and was silent. She didn’t know whether to completely believe Leslie or not. She and Lou would have considered Wayne a fine son-in-law and they couldn’t understand Leslie letting him get away like that. Now it was too late. They blamed a lot on Leslie’s involvement and preoccupation with her writing for that silly television show. Leslie might have financial security, but she was still alone and obviously unhappy.

  After the ceremony, they all pushed forward to congratulate the beaming couple. Then the crowd slowly worked their way to the clubhouse for the reception.

  “Well, two more gone,” Leslie abruptly stated to Bonnie as they carefully walked over the grass, their heels sinking into the soft turf.

  Bonnie looked confused. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Gone where?”

  Leslie’s eyes indicated Wayne and Janice. “Now that they are married, I’m the last single one of the group. I’m the only one left,” she stated as more of a dull fact than a startling revelation.

  Bonnie tried to be hopeful. “Well, the next time a single man moves into the group he’s all yours!”

  Leslie smiled in spite of herself. “We all know how often that happens, Mom. Renee got married two years ago….”

  “Three,” Bonnie corrected quietly.

  “Three?” Leslie became silent as they approached the clubhouse. She hadn’t realized how quickly time had flown. Now that she no longer worked at the boutique, her time schedule revolved around television seasons and publishing dates. This would be the second time “The Time Police” would begin a season with one of her episodes, ANDREW’S REVENGE. She briefly wondered how Richard Avery liked her treatment of SPRING COMES TO THE VALLEY.

  “Leslie?” Bonnie’s voice and a tug on her arm startled Leslie. She then realized she was walking past the reception room.

  She grinned sheepishly. “Sorry. My mind was elsewhere.”

  Her mother gave her a stern look. “Give it a rest for a while. Quit viewing everything as a possible plot. This is Jan’s day. You’ve been friends since grade school.”

  Knowing her mother was right, Leslie put what she hoped was a pleasant smile on her face and joined the guests at the buffet table.

  A little later Janice came over to her and they exchanged a tight hug.

  “You look really great, Jan,” Leslie smiled. “I love that dress.”

  “Forget me,” Janice insisted as she led Leslie a ways off. “I worried about you. Wayne told me how hard you’ve been working and how rarely you get out.”

  Leslie glanced over at Wayne who was joking with Jan’s parents. “Your beloved talks too much sometimes.”

  “Oh, you’re not still mad at him, are you? I thought that was settled already,” Janice stubbornly claimed, not waiting for an answer. “He’s worried about you, too, you know. We’ll be gone for two weeks on our cruise. Will you be all right?”

  Leslie smiled indulgently, willing herself not to be touched by her friend’s concern. “Oh, I think I can manage on my own. Did you want me to come with you?” she teased.

  Janice didn’t laugh. “I’m not trying to be funny, Les. I’m serious.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t be!” Leslie declared, interrupting what she knew was coming. “This is your wedding day. You should be thinking only of Wayne and yourself.”

  “I’m going to say it anyway, Les, whether you want to hear it or not,” Janice persisted. “Call Tom. You’re miserable. I know it hasn’t gotten any easier for you as you had hoped it would.”

  “I can’t,” Leslie sighed. “He’s better off with one of his own. Not with me. I’ll feel better…. Some day,” she added wistfully.

  Janice folded her arms in a most unbridelike fashion and frowned at her friend. “So, in the meantime you plan on sitting alone in that tiny apartment of yours, pining away and turn into a mopey recluse? You know, there aren’t many people who know, but I know what you had to put up with with that lousy ex-husband of yours and how it affected you. And I think that is what is affecting your relationship with Tom. I’m sorry, but I don’t want to see that ruin your life and a great opportunity with a great man. You used to be fun, Les. You’ve changed. Your smile, like that one, always looks phony.”

  “It is phony,” Leslie admitted.

  “If you weren’t so stubborn you’d realize you could do something about it. But, you won’t, and you won’t let any of us help,” Janice pointed out.

  Leslie gave her a grin. “I’m sure this conversation isn’t what you’ll want to remember about your wedding day.”

  Wayne came over to claim Janice. “They want us to cut the bouquet and throw the cake or something, honey. You two have been gossiping long enough.”

  Leslie gave a small laugh. “Gossip?” she repeated. “Ha. Your wife here has been chewing me up one side and down the other.”

  Wayne met her eyes and gave her face a close scrutiny, not returning her laugh. “Good. I hope you listen,” as he led Janice over to the three-tiered, rose covered wedding cake.

  There was a pile of fax papers rolled on the floor when Leslie returned home after the reception. The message from New York was that Wallace wanted her to attend a “Time Police” convention in October in Rancho Blanco. Eddie Chase and Cindy Sanders would also attend and Leslie would represent the writers. She smiled. Rancho Blanco was where she and Janice had attended their first convention.

  The rest of the pile was from Richard Avery. He wanted rewrites on two scenes from SPRING COMES TO THE VALLEY, and he needed her to come to Los Angeles for some publicity shots. Since the series had won another award for its writing consistency, a group shot of all the writers was requested. He also wanted to know if she would be interested in appearing on a talk show with the entire cast that was dedicated to the series?

  Leslie faxed back yes to the September date for the photo shoot and a no for the talk show. This hadn’t been her first offer. Her agent recommended her accepting the appearances and had offered one there in New York. But Leslie was saying no to all of them. She agreed to the convention up north and let Wallace know. It would be nice to see Eddie again, she told herself.

  Leslie looked over the scenes to be changed. Neither surprised her. One of the scenes was Jack and Jane’s terrible argument that she had written when she was in a bad mood. The other was Sir Charles’s over-long, inconsolable grief after the first news of the accident that killed his fiancée. Leslie knew she had rambled on and on. The publisher hadn’t minded, but it was too much for the television show.

  After spending four hours working on the rewrites and sending the pages back to Los Angeles, she was quite weary—both physically and mentally—when she finally crawled into bed. The only cure was the oblivion of sleep.

  It felt odd for Leslie at the convention. She was on the other side now, but this time without her long-time cohort, Janice. Waiting backstage with Eddie and Cindy, they all sat at the same table as they fielded questions about the show, the scripts, and her books. She signed countless copies of her five novels and listened with interest to the compliments and the critiques. The fans asked what they could expect next and told her what changes she should make. Other than a little cramping in her hand from signing so many books, she enjoyed the first day.

  Later that evening, Eddie invited Leslie and Cindy for dinner in his suite. Shortly after the meal ended, Cindy suddenly complained about travel fatigue and excused herself. Leslie gave Eddie a suspicious look as he went over to the sofa and settled in for the evening.

  “I’m sure you planned that,” she stated after Cindy left the room.

  He grinned and shrugged. “Of course I did. I wanted to talk to you alone. Cindy understands and agrees.”

  Leslie looked over the rim of her wine glass. “Don’t, Eddie. There’s nothing left to say. Everybody else has already jumped all over me.”

  “Well,” he claimed, putting his feet up on the coffee table, “it hasn’t seemed to do any good. You
’ve never been back to the set.”

  “Sure I have,” she smiled smugly. “I was there last month to have my picture taken.”

  Eddie snorted. “Hmph. None of us were there.”

  “So write an episode and maybe you’ll be invited to sit in next time.”

  He gave her a humorless grin. “Funny. You should do a comedy act. Actually you and Tom should do one together. You’re two of the most stubborn people I have ever known!” he declared. At her silence he then bluntly asked, “Have you met someone else? Are you seeing anyone?”

  Expecting to be told to mind his own business, he instead received a dry laugh. “My last admirer just married Janice a few months ago.”

  Eddie suddenly beamed. “Janice got married! That’s great! Had I known, I would have sent something. I still can,” he decided. “Linda and I’ll send it through you, if that’s all right.”

  “Janice would love it, Eddie. That’s nice of you.”

  “Hey, I’m a terrific guy,” he declared. “You know that.”

  “Yeah. I know that. I never did thank you for being there with me when I won that award. I did really appreciate it.”

  “Well, you’ll probably be nominated again for this season, too. Especially after the SPRING script. It’s good, Les,” he told her.

  She took a sip of her wine and narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. “What’s wrong? Didn’t you like ANDREW’S REVENGE?”

  “I like this one better,” he admitted seriously, not allowing her to bait him. “It betrays a deep passion within you. Who did you write it for?” he suddenly wanted to know, hoping to throw her off track.