Taking Chances Read online

  She turned back to the computer, busied herself with a few instant replies, downloaded the rest of her mail and took a couple of videos from her briefcase ready to hand back to her assistant. They’d been sent in by a young director, fresh from film school, who’d been referred to her by an existing client. As she mainly represented directors – though she had a few actors and a couple of writers on her list too – she had taken the videos home the night before. She’d watched both short films right the way through, and in her opinion nothing in them had shown the kind of flair that would persuade her to take this newcomer on.

  She never allowed herself to become personally involved with all the rejections she sent out, if she did she’d never keep McCann Paull at the top. The article had accused her of being ruthless, but since when did that budding little profiler with her queer, fuzzy hair and red-hot freckles have to deal with a persistent bombardment from the nation’s young wannabes or sad has-beens who believed Sandy Paull was the entertainment industry’s answer to the Second Coming? Anyway, since the accusation had been coupled with a more or less flattering description of the way she looked, she was prepared to accept the remark with less indignation than the others. In fact, she had to admit she was pretty ruthless, but she’d also been the power behind a dozen or more dazzling success stories these past couple of years, not just her own. She definitely had a knack when it came to spotting talent, not only in actors but in writers and directors too. Even Michael, with his killer reputation, hadn’t launched as many careers as she had in such a short space of time, nor at such a young age, and, being Michael, he was the first to admit it.

  Waiting for the computer to search out some contract details she needed, she took a moment to turn in her chair and look out of the window. It was a beautiful morning, rich with sunlight, sharp with cold. The sky was brazenly blue and the buildings across the river looked somehow less depressed, more alive than usual. The river itself was a wide band of sludge-coloured liquid with a couple of old barge wrecks thrown up on its banks, stripped bare and left to rot like plundered chests. Sandy loved this view, night or day, rain or shine. It was her view.

  Once it had been Michael’s, before he’d gone to LA. This office had been his too, and still could be for she’d changed nothing, not even the framed photographs on the walls that showed a heartstoppingly handsome Michael with any number of famous faces. Of course Sandy was in some of them too, it would be too weird to have only pictures of Michael on her wall, she just wished there was one of the two of them together. The large mahogany desk was in the exact same position Michael had chosen, in front of the window, facing towards the inner office of the agency where bookers, secretaries, agents’ assistants, contracts managers and accounts clerks all had their desks. The agents in the offices that ringed the inner well were all agents Michael had employed. The computer terminal she used was the one Michael had used; the books on the shelves were the same, though added to now; even Jodi, Michael’s personal assistant, was still in the next room. Jodi was the agency manager now, and shared her office with Stacy, Sandy’s personal assistant, one of the very few changes that had been made to McCann Walsh when it had become McCann Paull. Dan Walsh, Michael’s brother-in-law, and the agency’s chief accountant, was still a shareholder, but he had had no problem with having his name removed from the title when Sandy and Michael had merged their agencies.

  There had been another change. A very major one in fact, and that was the acquisition of the offices on the floor below which housed the business managers, finance experts and freelance personnel of World Wide Entertainment. But other than that almost everything was the way Michael had built it and left it. In fact it was all so very reminiscent of the days he had worked there that there were even times she was sure she caught the scent of him drifting in the air like the passing of a ghost. And then the memories would come flooding in. She didn’t often think back though, they weren’t happy days, nor did they get better with the convenient gloss of time.

  Abruptly she turned back to her desk. Nesta would be here any minute. She’d deal with her then call Michael in LA. She was certain he had something big cooking for World Wide, and though she knew better than to push Michael until he was ready to tell, she was on the phone to him regularly knowing that he would include her in his plans any time. The fact that Ellen was doubtless already involved incensed her to the point of fury, but she’d have no problem walking right over Ellen when the time came, and if there was any glory being handed out she’d take whatever steps were necessary to make sure she was the one who shone in Michael’s eyes, never Ellen.

  Getting up from her chair, she kicked the bin and its magazine out of sight. There was no doubt the article was right when it said that success helped to smooth the rough edges of life: what it had failed to point out, however, was that it did nothing to lower the heat, or temper the madness of obsession.

  ‘Remind me, what time do you have to be at the airport?’ Ellen said.

  ‘Four o’clock,’ Matty answered. ‘Can you manage it?’

  ‘I think so. How long are you going to be in Florida?’

  ‘A month. Then we’re in Denver for a couple of weeks. I guess it’s a silly question to ask if you’ll be able to make it out to the set?’

  Ellen laughed, then quickly flung out an arm to prevent her cousin stepping off the sidewalk into the path of a speeding car. She was about to take the lead in a major new mini-series, so having her in one piece would be helpful.

  They were currently power-walking through the early morning streets of Beverly Hills, something they tried to do at least three times a week. Lately, if they managed one they were lucky. Still, for the time being at least, they were both in pretty good shape. Ellen’s sensuously curvy figure was enhanced by her soft mane of chestnut waves and haunting hazel eyes. By contrast Matty was much slimmer, with narrow, boyish hips, small breasts, endlessly long legs, and sleek, dark brown hair that framed her lovely face in short feathery spikes.

  ‘I had a call from your mother last night,’ Ellen said.

  ‘Mmm, me too,’ Matty responded.

  Ellen smiled. ‘It’s hard to imagine Aunt Julie being nervous about anything, but she sure sounded that way.’

  ‘Well, it’s been thirty years since she married my dad and caused a rift between him and your dad. Who’d have thought having a sister-in-law who was once a showgirl in Paris could upset Uncle Frank so much?’

  ‘Oh come on,’ Ellen laughed. ‘You know my dad. He’s as stubborn as he’s puritanical, and he’s got more pride than a congress full of hypocrites. Still, it’s good that they’re all meeting up at last. Mom is really looking forward to it. They don’t have too many visitors to the farm these days, so it’ll be good for her to have some company.’

  ‘Yeah. And it’s about time Dad and Uncle Frank got together again. Your mom says they were pretty close when they were young. I guess finding out that he couldn’t live your life for you, made him realize that he couldn’t live my dad’s life for him either.’

  ‘It’s all based in love,’ Ellen said. ‘He just wants to protect those he cares about. And finally coming to terms with the fact that I now live in LA and won’t be returning to Nebraska to marry a neighbour and take over the farm, doesn’t mean that he’s stopped worrying. About either of us.’

  ‘Tell me about it,’ Matty groaned. ‘He’s set me a dozen passages of the bible to read while I’m away, did I tell you that?’

  Ellen laughed. Then changing the subject as they crossed the road she said, ‘Did I mention we’re moving the World Wide offices over to the ATI building on Wilshire today? Michael’s going to be working from home while I run around like a lunatic making sure it all happens.’

  Matty cast her a look.

  ‘Actually, he’s pretty stressed out with everything right now,’ Ellen explained. ‘Raising development funds isn’t proving as easy as he’d hoped. And he hasn’t had a call from Tom Chambers in over a week.’

  ‘But
Tom’s in Colombia, right?’

  ‘Uh-huh.’

  ‘Tracking down his girlfriend’s killers?’

  ‘That’s right.’

  ‘The man’s got to be insane. I mean, I think it’s a great idea for a movie, but Colombia! Drug cartels! I guess he knows what he’s doing.’

  ‘I guess we have to hope so.’

  ‘Does anyone know about the movie yet? I mean apart from us.’

  ‘Just a select few. I’m not sure how hopeful Tom was about finding the killers, and if he doesn’t … Well, I guess we deal with that if it happens. For now, setting it all in motion is taking up most of Michael’s time, while I get to play mom, mistress, movie mogul and misunderstood producer.’

  Matty laughed. ‘Why misunderstood?’

  ‘It goes with the territory.’

  ‘I thought you were Head of Development?’

  ‘I’m that too. Jeez, do you think we could slow up a bit, I’m busting my buns here.’

  ‘That’s the point,’ Matty reminded her, slowing her pace.

  They rounded another corner and began heading along a beautiful, maple-lined street full of multi-million dollar homes. The sun was already hot, and the perfume of exquisitely flowering gardens was filling the air.

  ‘So tell me,’ Matty said, watching a stretch limousine drive by, ‘how does life feel when it gets to be perfect?’

  Ellen laughed. ‘Scary as hell,’ she confessed.

  Matty’s eyebrows went up. ‘So you’re prepared to admit it’s perfect?’ she challenged.

  ‘It’s good, but believe me, it’s a long way from perfect.’

  ‘Well, I’ve got to tell you, it looks pretty much that way from where I’m standing. Michael’s crazy about you …’

  ‘… and I’m crazy about him. But I don’t think we should ever take anything for granted.’

  ‘You’re right, we shouldn’t, but you’ve got to agree, you’ve got a lot more than most.’

  Ellen shot her a look. ‘Maybe I have,’ she said sharply, ‘but if you think I’m going to apologize for it just because you didn’t meet anyone since you and Gene split up, forget it.’

  They marched on in silence for a while, both wondering where the tension had suddenly sprung from, until finally they glanced at each other and started to laugh.

  ‘If you had any idea what a knife-edge I was on half the time,’ Ellen said. ‘You know what Michael’s like. He can be pretty volatile at times – and Robbie’s much the same,’ she added, referring to Michael’s five-year-old son.

  ‘But you’re all totally besotted with each other, so if you ask me the knife-edge is of your own making. Did you talk to Michael yet about me playing the part of Rachel Carmedi?’

  Ellen grimaced. ‘I mentioned it,’ she admitted.

  ‘And he hated the idea.’

  ‘No. He just said that when the time comes we should be going for big star names.’

  ‘Isn’t the time already here? I mean, if you get some development money you’ll be wanting to attach a star right away, won’t you?’

  ‘Yeah. But I think the plan is to create a much bigger part for whoever’s playing Tom Chambers than for his girlfriend.’

  ‘I thought the story was about her. After all, she was the one who was kidnapped and murdered.’

  ‘But men are bigger box office,’ Ellen reminded her, ‘and this is going to be World Wide’s first major feature, so Michael wants to play it as safe as he can. Which sounds like a pretty dumb thing to say when Tom Chambers is down there somewhere in Colombia very likely about to get his head blown off.’

  A few minutes later they jogged up to Matty’s luxurious, Spanish-style apartment complex, where Ellen went to collect her car keys from the security guard she’d left them with.

  ‘OK, I’ll be by around three thirty to pick you up,’ she promised, giving Matty a hug. ‘It’s going to be a crazy day, so wish me luck.’

  ‘You don’t need any more,’ Matty told her grudgingly.

  Ellen cast a meaningful look over her shoulder, then, reversing her car out of its spot, she headed off towards the Hollywood Hills.

  Much later that day, after dropping Matty at the airport, Ellen made a quick stop at the grocery store, then deciding not to go back to the chaos in the office, she called Michael to let him know she was on her way home.

  With its Mulholland Drive address, elegant Spanish-style architecture, stunning views of the San Fernando valley and glorious mountains beyond, the house she and Michael shared in the Hollywood Hills was without question one of LA’s more desirable residences. And since it could boast a spectacular swimmer’s pool with spa, Japanese gazebo, five bedrooms, four bathrooms, gourmet kitchen, separate guest or maid’s apartment and marble floors throughout, it was currently worth somewhere in the region of two million dollars. That was a good half a million more than Michael had paid for it just over six months ago – a staggering increase in value by anyone’s standards, but that was the way real estate was going right now.

  After dumping the groceries in the kitchen, she turned up the air-conditioning and went to find Michael. He was in the study, his head buried in the results of a recent survey they’d commissioned.

  ‘This is amazing,’ he said, sliding a hand absently along her thigh as she stooped to kiss him on the head. ‘Do you realize that three out of five people surveyed actually remember who Rachel Carmedi is, and one point five out of the remaining two caught on as soon as the Colombian kidnap and murder was mentioned?’ He looked up. ‘Can you believe that? Something that happened over three years ago, and more than three-quarters of the nation didn’t even need prompting into remembering who she was.’

  Cupping his face in her hands, Ellen kissed him lingeringly on the mouth. She knew she was biased, but with his wonderful thick black hair, dark blue eyes and exquisitely defined features, he really was devastatingly attractive. And since they’d only been living together for just over six months, the incredible passion and excitement of their relationship had yet to shift down a few gears, which was fine by them both.

  ‘If you’d been here at the time you’d have seen for yourself that it was pretty big news,’ she told him, walking over to her desk to check on her messages. ‘And what I want to know is how you get one point five of a person?’

  Michael’s eyes still showed the effects of her kiss as he laughed. ‘This was well worth the money,’ he said, indicating the survey. ‘Whose idea was it?’

  Ellen leaned forward to switch on her computer. ‘Mine,’ she airily responded.

  Michael eyed her sceptically, and waited until she started to grin.

  ‘OK, it was Rufus’s,’ she confessed, referring to one of their lawyers. ‘So, aren’t you going to ask me how the move’s coming along?’

  ‘How’s the move coming along?’

  ‘Not bad. We just need to know which office you want.’

  ‘Oh, I guess the one next to yours,’ he answered, distractedly.

  ‘Not Ted’s?’

  He looked at her, and waggled his eyebrows. ‘No, not Ted’s,’ he said.

  Laughing, Ellen clicked on to her e-mail.

  Ted Forgon was the majority shareholder of World Wide Entertainment, which would have made him president of the new company, had Michael not very neatly seized the position for himself by using the exact same tactics Forgon had so ruthlessly subjected his many rivals to over the years.

  Blackmail. It was an ugly word, and an even uglier business. But threatening to reveal Forgon’s affair with an underage girl was the only way Michael had been able to regain control of his London agency, and the burgeoning new production company, World Wide, when Sandy Paull had gone behind his back and done a deal with Forgon that had come very close to wiping Michael off the face of the entertainment world.

  Michael was fully aware that Forgon was now biding his time, waiting for the statute of limitations to expire on his crime, in order to avoid prosecution. Were Michael able to raise the capital, he’d
already have taken advantage of Forgon’s weakened position to buy the man out of World Wide completely. But since he’d already put up just about everything he owned as security against his colossal loans – his share of McCann Paull, the London agency; his penthouse apartment in Battersea, and a small, private villa in the Caribbean – he simply didn’t have the means, or the collateral, right now to force Forgon out.

  Turning to his computer he called up the latest investment reports from World Wide’s offices in New York, London and Sydney. He had yet to inform the company’s other shareholders of his intention to sink over 80 per cent of their resources into developing Tom Chambers’s script – that was a piece of news he felt it would be more prudent to deliver when he had managed to gain a similar stake from some major Hollywood investors.

  When finally he looked up again Ellen was watching him, so she saw his eyes go to the phone that was sitting apart from the others on his desk. It was the private line he’d had installed just over a week ago, for the sole use of Tom Chambers. There was an individual answering machine attached to the phone too, but lately neither the line nor the machine was getting anywhere near as much use as Michael would have liked.

  Forcing a smile, Michael said, ‘The hell-raiser should be home any minute.’

  Ellen shook her head. ‘He called at lunch-time to ask if he could go to Jeremy’s right after school. He’ll be back around seven.’

  Michael looked at his watch, then reached for another of his phones as it started to ring.