Sins of Omission (45 page)

“Ready!” came a chorus of replies.

Daniel and Reuben walked over to the parade of cars. “The studio is closed for the weekend,” Reuben shouted. “Get these cars off the lot.”

“We're waiting for Clovis,” Eli yelled from his position behind the wheel of Bebe's car. Bebe herself was in the passenger seat with her silk-clad legs hanging over the door. “Clovis, where are you?” Eli shouted.

“Clovis…Clovis, Clovis,” Bebe wailed. “Where are you, Clovis?”

“They're drunk,” Daniel said to Reuben.

“I can see that,” Reuben snapped. “Clovis left the studio a while ago,” he informed Eli.

“No, she didn't. She's gointa Frisco with us. She promised. Dinnnshe promise, Bebe?” Eli slurred. The other revelers were catcalling and hooting.

“Clovis promised, yes she did. Clovis promised to ride in our car with us,” Bebe called out. Reuben winced at the drunken silliness in her voice.

The sound of bottle after bottle shattering on the pavement echoed in his ears. Grimly he walked around to the line of cars. “Get your asses out of those cars and clean up this glass,” he ordered. “Now!”

“Don't pay any attention to him,” Eli shouted. “He's just a flunky my father hired. You don't have to do what he says. You just listen to me.”

“Is that a fact?” Reuben snarled as he lifted Eli bodily from the car. “You clean it up, then, if you don't want your drunken friends to do it. None of you belong here, this studio is closed until Tuesday morning. If you don't have a studio pass, you don't belong. Get these cars off this lot and do it now, or I'll call the police—they'll be happy to escort you off this property and off to jail. I'd say that'd be a great start for a long weekend.”

The silence that greeted his words was as thick as the fog. The mad scramble to do his bidding, after his words had registered, was worthy of the Keystone Kops. When Eli lashed out drunkenly, Reuben stiff-armed him and then twirled him about until he was outlined in the car's headlights.

Bebe untangled her legs from the car and slid over to take Eli's seat. “You spoil everything, Reuben. I'll drive us to Frisco. We'll leave your precious studio lot if that's what you want, but you remember something, Reuben Tarz—you don't own Fairmont, you just work here. Gigolo,” she muttered contemptuously.

Reuben ripped open the car door and yanked her out. She flopped about in his arms like a rag doll, which so enraged him that he shook her until he thought he could hear her teeth rattle. “I told you once before never to call me that.” His hand was raised over Bebe when Daniel shouted to him.

“Don't do it, Reuben! She's so drunk she doesn't know what she's saying. Let her go!”

Reuben grabbed Bebe's wrists and pulled her around until her face was within inches of his own. “Go home, Bebe. This is not a night to drive to San Francisco. Daniel and I will take you home, or you can come with us and I'll explain to your father in the morning. These people, these friends of yours, are drunk and so are you. What's it going to be?”

“Still telling people what to do, eh, Reuben? Well, you can't tell me what to do. In France it was different, but not here.” Bebe's face was contorted as she faced him head on. “I'm going with Eli and his friends. Dickie is expecting us. Let me go,” she continued in a harsh whisper, “or you'll be sorry.”

Reuben's eyes narrowed. Bebe acted drunk, she looked drunk, but she didn't smell drunk. Obviously she was a better actress than he gave her credit for.

“It's 350 miles to San Francisco, and it will take you all night and half of tomorrow to get there. In your condition, you might not get there at all. The coast highway will be treacherous. I've seen you drive,” he added pointedly.

Bebe pulled free of Reuben's grasp, glaring at him. “If, and I say
if,
you're so damned concerned about me, then
you
drive me. That's fair enough!” Reuben thought her beautiful at that moment, with her damp curls wisping about her forehead and ears. A Christmas angel. She wasn't angry, not really. She was issuing a challenge—and he found it compelling. Despite himself he could feel his cold reserve start to thaw.

“Don't fall for it,” Daniel growled at his side. “She's trying to manipulate you, Reuben.”

“We can't let this pack of fools out on the road in this fog. Did you ever try to reason with a drunk? If you take a good look, you'll see the whiskey and gin on the floor in the back. Eli is making a delivery. They're going to make this trip no matter what.”

Bebe hopped back in the car and let her head loll against the seat, the picture of a weary, happy drunk. Only she wasn't drunk at all; in fact, she hadn't had a drink all day. She closed her eyes. What was better: going to Reuben's apartment or having Reuben drive her to San Francisco to party all weekend? Quick as lightning she turned on the ignition, ground the gears. The car bucked forward and then stalled. The other engines came to life, their fog lights dancing crazily in the eerie mist. Bebe laughed uproariously. Reuben clenched his teeth so hard his jaw started to ache. “Get your brother in this car,” he barked. “Daniel, get in the back with Eli.”

“Reuben, you're not serious about this….” He sidled closer to his friend. “You don't even have your glasses.” His voice trembled with worry.

“You don't have to go if you don't want to,” Reuben said quietly. “I just can't let these fools go alone. Someone has to watch over them. Don't you understand, they could cause this studio one hell of a lot of trouble if something goes wrong. Are you coming or not?”

Daniel looked around at the ghostly hulks lined up as though for a parade. The chattering and laughter grated on his nerves. Reuben was right about the studio. He was soaked right down to his underwear, either from perspiration or the high humidity. This was ridiculous. He tried one last appeal, this time directed at Bebe. “Come home with us. Bebe,” he begged.

“Daniel, I don't want to make a cake. I want to go to a party. Don't you want to go to a party? Don't be a poop. Reuben's a poop. Reuben doesn't know how to have a good time. Reuben doesn't even know how to smile, does he, Daniel?” She laughed, a deep throaty chuckle. Her voice dropped several tones. “Reuben wants to run this studio and be the boss. Isn't that right, Reuben?”

But Reuben refused to be baited. Without a word he climbed in the car, pushing Bebe over as he settled his large frame behind the wheel. Eli was last to settle himself in the backseat. Horns honked as the cars and passengers hooted in excitement. The fog parted in ghostly shapes, only to return thicker and heavier. Reuben clenched his teeth again.

Bebe swung her legs over the side of the door, started to sing in a voice loud enough for the last car's riders to hear. “We're going to a party, we're going to a party.”

“I'd appreciate it if you'd shut up, Bebe, and let me concentrate on my driving,” Reuben snapped. “Go to sleep!” Oh, he was just itching for a fight, and he didn't care with whom. He glanced in the mirror. Eli was asleep, his neck resting on a carton of liquor, and Daniel…he didn't even think of picking on him at the moment. It looked like his fight would have to be with Bebe if she didn't go to sleep. Instantly his shoulders and arms stiffened in anticipation of the verbal onslaught. Bebe turned completely on her seat to stare at Reuben. In the swirling gray mist she looked ethereal. Reuben grunted as he concentrated on steering the powerful machine.

“Very well, Reuben, if you want me to go to sleep, I'll go to sleep. Good night.”

Another trick, Reuben thought in disgust. Bebe never did what she was told. He risked a quick glance over his shoulder at Daniel, who simply shrugged, as if to say there was a first time for everything.

Reuben tried to settle himself for the long drive ahead of him. Daniel thought he was crazy, and he agreed. What had possessed him to do this thing? Had he actually agreed to drive to San Francisco? No, he decided, not exactly. But he'd climbed in the car, and that had made it official. Of course, he could have driven Bebe and Eli to Benedict Canyon and just dropped them off. Now he wished he'd done just that. He looked into the rearview mirror. The other cars, swathed in the murky fog, were not far behind. This was probably one of the stupidest things he'd ever done in his life. Was he trying to make amends to Bebe? Did he want her to think he was better than that person in the barn?

The miles rumbled beneath him. After a few hours the temperature seemed to drop slightly and a soft wind whistled through the open windows. The cool air felt good on Reuben's face, but his eyes were aching with strain and his leg was starting to twitch, a sure sign of fatigue. Once again he chastised himself, the litany of grievances raced through his mind. Stupid, stupid, stupid.

A thick swirl of mist came through the open window and seemed to enshroud the girl sleeping at his side. Reuben lashed out with his arm to disperse the cloud. Bebe stirred and then settled back to sleep.

“Jesus, Reuben, that stuff looked like a bunch of fat snakes,” Daniel said in a tremulous voice. “Maybe you should close the windows.”

“I need the fresh air to keep awake. I think it's getting a little cooler. Maybe the fog will lift. It's not bad in some places and in others you can't see an inch ahead of you. I'll get us there, Daniel, don't worry about it. Haven't I always come through for you?”

“Yes, but this is different. Before you never took reckless chances. I don't understand this. We're fools, both of us. I wish this liquor weren't in the car.”

“So do I, but it'll be all right.” Reuben said tightly.

Daniel inched himself forward until he was leaning over the seat behind Reuben. “Is there any one particular reason we're on this dismal road to San Francisco, a reason I am not aware of?”

“Neither one of them was in any condition to drive. You saw how determined Bebe was to make the trip. I don't know about you, but I know I wouldn't be able to look Sol in the face if something happened to Bebe or Eli when I could have stopped it.”

“Is that the only reason?” Daniel asked quietly.

“I have a few others, but that's the main one. Why don't you try and get some sleep.”

“With this guy next to me? I trust him only as far as I can see him. When he wakes up he's going to be one angry young man. You pretty much made a fool of him back at the studio, and now you're horning in on his territory.”

The long road loomed ahead of them like a never-ending snake. Reuben settled himself as comfortably as he could for the rest of the drive. The fog was lifting slightly, allowing for better visibility. Every now and then, when the road cleared, he risked a glance at Bebe. Each time, something cringed in him at the sight of her sleeping face. She looked so…so angelic. Her brother, on the other hand, looked like the devil incarnate.

Bebe peered at Reuben through her fringe of heavy lashes. She caught each furtive glimpse he took of her as a ray of hope. If there was a way to get Reuben Tarz for her very own, she promised herself, she'd find it. More than anything else in the world, she wanted him. And one way or another she'd always managed to get what she wanted. This time wouldn't be any different. After all, she held all the cards. The day might come when she wanted or needed to deal him the joker in the deck. She smiled as she slipped into sleep. Reuben Tarz was as good as hers.

The sorry-looking caravan arrived at the Sherwood Hotel at mid-morning. Reuben was red-eyed and irritable when Bebe hopped out of the car, stretching luxuriously. “See, Reuben, you were concerned for no reason. We're here, safe and sound. Now it's time to party. Eli! Eli, wake up. We're here, toots.”

Eli struggled to wakefulness. Spittle was caked at the corners of his mouth, and his greasy hair stuck up in stiff peaks. Like horns, Reuben thought. He was wrinkled and stiff from the long trip. Red, festering blotches dotted the side of his face he'd slept on. His beady little eyes stared at Reuben. “Carry that stuff in the back and in the trunk upstairs,” he ordered Reuben and Daniel.

“You want that ‘stuff' carried upstairs, I suggest you hop to it,” Reuben said coldly. He stared at Eli until the young man looked away.

“Bebe,” he whined, “how are we going to get this liquor up to the party?”

“I have no idea, but I'd be real careful if I were you, Eli, I'm sure they're counting on it.” Bebe danced her way to the entrance.

Reuben strolled over to Eli. His voice was quiet, almost musical when he spoke. “Eli, the only reason Daniel and I are here at all is because you and your sister were too drunk to drive. I suggest you keep your nose clean while you're here. If you don't, you won't have a nose.” The moment he turned his back, Eli spit in his direction. Daniel grinned and wagged his finger at the young man, who kicked the car in rage.

“Flunky,” Eli muttered.

Reuben stopped in his tracks and turned, his eyes never leaving Eli's face. Slowly he backed Eli against the car. “What did you call me?”

“You heard me the first time,” Eli whined shrilly.

“The first time you were drunk—now you're not.”

“You work for Maxie same as I do,” Eli said belligerently.

Reuben's fist shot out. Eli went down in the gutter, his legs sprawled straight out. “What were you saying?” Reuben asked icily.

“Okay, okay, so you're not a flunky. What makes you so different from me? We both work for Maxie.”

Reuben lifted his foot and placed it on Eli's neck. “Wrong, Eli. Max works for Fairmont, and you
owe
Max. There is a big difference. If you agree to behave yourself, I'll take my foot off your neck. Just nod.” Eli nodded. “If I hear one more peep out of you this entire weekend, your ass will go back to L.A. in a basket. Do we understand each other?” Eli nodded again, and Reuben removed his foot.