Thrill! (66 page)

"Sometimes,"

she said wisely,

"money isn't everything."

He looked at her like he couldn't quite believe she was so naive.

"You really don't know what this is all about, do you?"

he said.

She summoned all the sophistication she could muster. Tve been around."

"Hey,"

he said, his attention suddenly taken by the action on the screen.

"Take a look at Mel Gibson with that insane long hair. He's really a cool dude, huh?"

"I love Mel Gibson,"

she said.

"Yeah."

Norman grinned.

"He make you cream your panties?"

"Excuse me?"

He laughed.

"Jeez! They sure make them innocent in Chicago."

ft ft ft

473 The manager knocked on the door of Norman Barton's suite. Cluny strolled over to answer it. Everybody recognized her.

"Hi, guys,"

she said, totally sanguine,

"What's going on?"

Tm so sorry to disturb you,"

the manager said, trying not to stare at her smooth brown breasts almost escaping from a skimpy little wrap dress.

"I was told two young ladies were visiting Mr Barton's suite. One of them has to go home with her father, he's here to collect her."

"Are you kidding me?"

Cluny said, hands on narrow hips.

"I want my daughter,"

Sheldon thundered, pushing forward.

"And I want her now."

"Hold it,"

Cluny said, shutting the door on them.

Tina was in the John. Cluny called out her name.

"Some old dude who says he's your father is here."

" What? Tina said, emerging.

"He's outside with the manager. We'd better get the coke off the table in case they start barging in."

"I ... I don't have a father,"

Tina said.

"My old man's long gone."

"Then it must be the other kid's."

Sheldon began hammering on the door.

"Shit!"

Tina said.

"You're right. It must be Summer's dad. What're we gonna do?"

"Quick, get rid of the coke, then we'll tell

"em nobody's here,"

Cluny said, quickly sweeping the coke into a plastic bag and shoving it in her purse. When that was done she went back to the door and opened it.

"Where's my daughter?"

Sheldon demanded.

"Um . . . Tina's the only person here,"

Cluny said.

"Tina?"

Nikki questioned.

"Where is she?"

T don't think Mr Barton would appreciate you coming up here to disturb us in the middle of the night,"

Cluny said, suddenly getting very haughty in her best supermodel way.

The manager was embarrassed. He began to apologize, but he hadn't reckoned on Nikki, who suddenly shoved past him into the suite.

Tina stared at her, startled.

9

THRILL!

"Are you Tina?"

Nikki asked.

"Uh . . . yes. Why?"

"Where's Summer?"

"Uh . . . she's not here,"

Tina started to say.

"Bullshit!"

Nikki replied.

"I saw her come in with you."

And before anyone could stop her, she marched over to the bedroom door and flung it open.

Summer dropped her joint and jumped off the bed.

"OhmiGod! What are you doing here, Mom?"

"'Mom? Norman Barton said.

"We're going home, Summer,"

Nikki said, attempting to remain calm, although she was completely unthrilled to discover her daughter sitting on a bed in a hotel room with some half-assed actor.

"And we're going now."

Reluctantly, Summer slouched to the door. She could see that her mother wasn't in the mood to argue.

"I ... I ... dunno know what to say . . ."

she mumbled.

"I'm sure you'll find something,"

Nikki said.

"Your father's here, too."

Summer stopped in her tracks.

"Oh no!"

she shrieked.

"I'm not going anywhere with him. It's over, Mom, over. I'm never going back to him."

"Why not?"

"Make him go away or I'm staying here."

Nikki frowned.

"What are you talking about?"

"Please, Mom,"

Summer said frantically.

"I can't tell you now. Not in front of all these people."

Sheldon appeared behind her at the door.

"Summer,"

he said sternly.

"What do you call this behaviour?"

"What the fuck is going on?"

Norman Barton exploded.

"Cluny,"

he yelled.

"Get rid of all these people."

The manager swept in and ushered them all out into the c°nidor, Tina too. By this time Summer was sobbing uncontrollably.

"What's the matter with her?"

Sheldon said.

"Is she on drugs?"

Tina turned on him.

"No, she's not on drugs, you filthy old Per\'. She's freaked at seeing you."

475 Sheldon went very pale.

"I suggest you hold your tongue, young lady."

"And I suggest you keep your pants zipped up,"

Tina retorted.

"Will someone explain to me what exactly is going on?"

Nikki interrupted.

"I guess Summer hasn't told you,"

Tina said, heatedly.

"And if she hasn't - it's about time somebody did."

"Told me what?"

"Your ex old man has been creeping into Summer's room ever since she was ten, doing all kinds of dirty things to her. Why do you think she's so screwed up? And how come you didn't do anything about it?"

Nikki felt the bottom drop out of her world. She looked at Sheldon. He stared at the ground, white-faced.

"Is it true, Sheldon?"

she asked, her voice rising.

"This . . . this crazy girl doesn't know what she's talking about,"

he blustered.

Nikki turned to Summer.

"Is it?"

Summer nodded, her cheeks streaked with tears.

"I... I wanted to tell you, Mom, but I couldn't. You were never there, and I didn't want to upset you, and . . . please, Mom, let me come home with you. Please! I never want to see him again."

Nikki held open her arms.

"And you never have to. That's a promise."

^^^.Jf^ RICHARD REACHED Sunset just as they were ^^^PI^PL** closing the road. Police barricades were already in place.

He leaned out of his window.

"What's going on?"

he asked a cop.

"Sorry, we're closing the highway. There's flooding and a threatening mudslide."

"I have to get through,"

Richard said.

"It's for your own safety,"

the cop said.

"It might be for my own safety, but what about my pregnant wife alone in the house?"

"I don't know about that."

"Look, I can't leave her there, she's already panicked."

"I have my orders."

"And I have my wife. I'm Richard Barry, the film director. My wife is Lara Ivory."

The cop was immediately interested.

"I didn't know Miss Ivory was pregnant,"

he said.

"I'm a big fan."

"She is, and she's alone. So if you'll lift the barricade, I'll take my chances."

"Well,"

the cop looked around.

"As long as you're careful out there."

"Of course,"

Richard said, and waited while the man summoned Bother cop to help him raise the barricade.

fr - &

477 Lara could hardly breathe, she knew if she didn't do something quickly, she'd suffocate.

Alison was sitting astride her, grinding handfuls of mud into her face. The mud was in her mouth, her eyes, her nose.

While she was doing it, Alison kept taunting her.

"Bitch!"

she yelled.

"Pretty . . . little . . . bitch\ Where shall I cut you first? Where would you like it, Miz Ivory?"

Then she'd grind another handful of mud onto Lara's face.

"What did I ever do to you?"

Lara managed to gasp.

"You wouldn't be my friend,"

Alison screamed, wild-eyed.

"You had me thrown in jail. And for that you're going to die. Do you hear me, bitch? YOU'RE GOING TO DIE!"

"fr & <&

Grabbing a flashlight from the Mercedes, Joey entered the dark house. He was sure Lara wasn't there, because what would she be doing alone in the pitch black? Cassie must have taken her somewhere and dropped her off. Maybe to Richard's. The thought filled him with rage.

He almost tripped over Lara's open suitcase in the front hall. At least that proved she'd been here.

With the flashlight guiding him, he made his way into what he presumed was the living room. Across the room a glass door banged back and forth in the wind. He moved over to close it. A jagged streak of lightning lit up the sky, and outside on the terrace, he saw Lara - his Lara - with someone on top of her, the two of them straggling on the ground.

He ran outside, frantically screaming her name. As he drew closer he could see she was being attacked by a large woman. Jesus. What the fuck was going on?

He reached them, and was about to drag the woman off Lara, when she turned and struck out with a lethal hunting knife, slashing him across the cheek. Blood began pouring from his wound. The pain was intense, but he hardly felt it. All he knew was that Lara was in danger and he had to save her.

478

He went for the woman once more, grabbing her shoulders, trying to haul her off Lara.

She roared with anger and slashed out with the knife again, this time cutting him across the left hand.

He smashed into her face with his elbow and she loosened her grip on Lara, who managed to roll out from under her.

"Run!"

Joey yelled.

"Get the hell outta here!"

if ft ft

Richard drove through the heavy storm. Once he reached the house, Lara would realize he was her saviour. She'd finally kn°w for sure how much he loved her.

It had taken him a long time to understand what true happiness was, and now that he did, he had no intention of losing it again.

Up ahead he heard an ominous rumbling. It wasn't thunder, it was a different kind of noise, reminiscent of the big Northridge

1994 earthquake.

For a moment he almost pulled the car to the side of the road to see what it was, but the rain was so strong, and sea water was beginning to creep across the highway, so he figured the safest thing was to keep going.

He did so. And as the rocks came tumbling down, enveloping his car, his last thought was of Lara.

ft ft ft

Now Joey was fighting with the woman who'd cut him. She was as big as any man, and strong, but at least he'd gotten her off Lara.

"You ignorant scum - get out of here!"

Alison screamed.

"Or I'll cut you like a stuffed pig. Out of my way, you fucker!"

He attempted to prise the knife out of her hands as they struggled Grabbing the wrist of her knife hand, he bent it back until she yelped with pain. But still she held on.

They were on their feet now, rocking toward the side of the terrace.

479 He made a concentrated lunge to get the knife. They fell against the fence, and with that, the flimsy fence - badly in need of repair - gave way, and they both began falling down the side of the cliff toward the roaring ocean below.

Joey's life flashed before him. Somewhere Lara was screaming. Desperately he tried to hold on to something, somehow or other managing to grab the branch of a tree.

Alison Sewell wasn't so lucky. He could hear her bloodcurdling screams as she smashed into the sea below.

In excruciating pain, he tried to haul himself up the side of the cliff. Below him he could hear the raging surf, waves beating against the bottom, hungry for another victim.

"Joey, Joey!"

Somewhere Lara was desperately calling his name.

"Down here!"

he yelled.

"Get a rope, a sheet, anything. Dunno if I can make it on my own."

"Joey, you've got to make it. You have to. For me!"

She was screaming over the noise of the wind. The sound of her voice gave him hope.

Then he felt the branch start to give. Was this how it ended?

Oh, sweet Jesus. Was this it?

480

ONE YEAR L^BR

^^j^^Jfl THE BEST of Hollywood turned out for Richard \^flPKL«ft Barry's memorial service. The two women he'd been married to arranged it, making sure every detail was exactly as he would have wanted. Both of them were dressed in black - a sign of respect for the man they missed. For when he was good he had been very very good. And when he was bad, he'd been a total asshole.

In April, Richard had won a posthumous Oscar for French Summer. Lara Ivory, the star of the film, had made the presentation. Nikki Barry, his widow, had accepted on his behalf. The added bonus was that Nikki also won for best costume designer. A double celebration.