Underbelly (43 page)

Grey paid a visit to a part of town even worse than the neighbourhood he was staying in and knocked on the door of a small apartment. After several minutes the door was partly opened, the chain remaining on, as a pretty redhead glanced at him. Grey recognised her from the pictures he had seen at George’s and he said, “Hello, Dora. Don’t worry, I’m not an obsessed fan who’s followed you from the theatre. I’m James Grey, I’m a friend of your father.”

Dora opened the door and said chirpily, “I wouldn’t have minded an obsessed fan, only I know I’m not that lucky. I haven’t made it big yet. Come inside.”

“
Your father’s called George and your sister’s called Maddy.” Grey saw that she looked confused by this unnecessary statement and he said, “I’m telling you this just so that you know I’m legit.”

“
I believe you.”

“
I figure I should prove it.”

“
I’m convinced. Excuse the mess,” she said, throwing a pile of dirty laundry from the sofa to give him somewhere to sit. The room was very untidy and she kicked some books across the room to give him some legroom. “Would you like something to eat or drink, James, I know Detroit’s a long journey?”

“
I’m fine thanks, I’ve been here a couple of weeks already. I saw your show last night. Very, very good,” he said, flattering her, even though she had only been part of a chorus line and appeared very briefly.

She smiled broadly as she sat down opposite him and she said, “Thank you very much.”

“
I saw it with my wife before you think that I’ve come here with dishonourable intentions after seeing how good you looked on that stage.”

“
I wasn’t thinking that at all,” she said, laughing softly. “You think I’m so suspicious and I’m not. After meeting my family I suppose you would think that. I’m the black sheep, certainly. Dad and Maddy are distrustful and I’m the opposite. They say it’ll get me into trouble. Did your wife like it too?”

“
She liked it a lot. We’ve only gone to a couple of the big shows so far and we both want to see more now.”

“
There are a lot of good ones in town now…oh no!” she said, running over to the books she had kicked across the room, picking up a script that she had damaged.

“
What’s wrong?” Grey asked as she tried to straighten the script.

“
This isn’t mine, it’s a friend’s. I’m after a part in her show and she let me borrow her copy.”

“
It’s not too bad,” Grey said, looking at the creased script.

“
Do you really think so?” she asked, biting her lip nervously. “Me and her aren’t great friends. We’ve got a joint friend, but we’re not that chummy. Would you go mental if it was yours?”

“
No. It’s hardly noticeable,” Grey said, telling a white lie to put her mind at rest.

“
Oh dear. Never mind. So how’s Dad? I haven’t seen him in quite a few months.”

“
He’s well. I haven’t seen him since January myself. He gave me some money to give to you and asked me to pop in and see you.”

“
To check up on me?” she said, remaining jovial as she knew what her father was like.

“
Maybe a little, but I’m not going to report anything back to him apart from you’re doing well.”

“
Thank you. How much money did he give?”

Grey reached into his pocket and handed her the $300, which made her face light up, money that she desperately needed. “I think I’ll definitely have to ring him up today to thank him for that,” she said, feeling on a high, gasping in delight, insisting on making him a very basic meal to celebrate. They talked of the best places in town to go, Dora recommending a swing club in Manhattan as the best place to go on a Saturday night. Grey talked a little of Germaine and their travels and told her that he was in town partly to see the great city and to perform shows too.

“
Really? Are you an actor?” she said excitedly.

“
No, I do something a bit more unusual. I’m a medium.”

“
And you’re friends with my father? That seems impossible.”

“
I can see why you’d say that and if my father hadn’t fought with George I think he’d have given me the bum’s rush. He’s been to see one of my shows and I convinced him that I was for real.” George had expressly given Grey permission to tell this untruth, aware that his younger daughter would be intrigued and encouraging of his gift. He had sent other friends to check on his daughter before and she usually found them too stodgy and made excuses not to see them; knowing of Grey’s gift would hold her attention, and would make George feel fractionally more secure about her welfare.

“
Tell me when you’re performing, I’d love to see your show. If you convinced my father you must be magnificent!”

“
I’d better warn you that my shows aren’t as glitzy as yours.”

“
I understand that, it’s probably just you on a stage, is it? I’ll definitely come. What about Maddy then?”

“
She doesn’t know about what I do.”

“
She wouldn’t believe anyway. I’m really excited about coming to see you,” she said vivaciously. “The only trouble is I work most nights. How long will you be staying in New York?”

“
We haven’t discussed it. We both really like the place, but where we’re currently living wouldn’t be good for children.”

“
Please don’t go until I get to see you perform.”

“
We’ll work something out. We certainly won’t be leaving for a while – it takes more than a fortnight to see the sights of this town.”

“
I was still getting lost after two months here. I admit that when you said you knew my father I thought you might be here to try and talk me into going home. I certainly don’t think that now.”

“
Your father’s worried about you and I can understand that, but I would never try and talk you out of following your dream. Life’s too short for settling for something you don’t want.”

“
Exactly. You’ll know about my brother, Derek. He wanted to come here too. He wanted to be a sports writer and he did get the chance to come here to work on a paper only he let Dad and Maddy talk him out of it. They said he needed a trade to fall back on and he kept studying engineering, which he was good at but his heart wasn’t in it. He became an engineer to placate them and then he was called up and…you know the rest. Derek didn’t get to live his dream and it made me more determined to live mine. I know that Dad doesn’t like it and that he worries that I’m going to end up like one of his cases, but I have to live my dream. Of course you understand – I don’t suppose your parents would have jumped for joy at your chosen career.”

“
That’s the understatement of the year.”

“
But it didn’t stop you. So many people seem to walk through their life without any dreams or ambitions and I just don’t know how, do you?”

“
I think everyone has dreams, some are just more intimate than others, seeming small scale to outsiders but momentous to them,” Grey said, smelling something burning from the kitchen, Dora smelling it shortly afterwards and she rushed through to salvage it. She still served the burnt dish, picking at her own plate, saying that she couldn’t eat much as she was watching her figure (which already seemed too lithe), when her flatmate emerged from her bedroom, having partied hard the night before. Her flatmate was a tall, leggy brunette, Grey guessing that she was a fellow actress, and she wandered around in her underwear unashamed.

“
I thought there was a fire,” she said to Dora.

“
Do you want any?” Dora said offering her some from her plate as her flatmate perched on her chair arm.

“
I’ll pass.” Her eyes glanced down at the tattered script and she said, “Meredith is going to kill you.”

“
It’s nothing,” Dora said, beginning to panic.

“
It was my fault,” Grey said.

Dora’s flatmate stared at him for a moment before looking back at Dora and she said, “She’ll go ballistic.”

“
I don’t think she’ll notice. It wasn’t pristine when she handed it to me. Anyway, James, this is Lotus Lewis, my flatmate, who was also in the show last night.”

“
I did the handstands and the cartwheels,” Lotus said proudly. “ I could…no there’s no room,” she said, prepared to show him again before realising there was insufficient space and touching her breasts she realised her loose bra wouldn’t keep them concealed.

“
Lotus, this is James Grey. He’s a medium.”

“
And you’re a small. What do you mean, Dora?”

“
Like in
Blithe Spirit
, a clairvoyant,” Dora said.

“
Really?” Lotus said, intrigued by this. “What brings you here, mystical man?” she said playfully.

“
Free food,” Grey said, continuing to eat the indigestible meal Dora had cooked, struggling to finish his plate. “I know Dora’s father.”

“
He hasn’t passed over, has he?”

“
Mediums don’t just talk to the dead, they talk to the living too,” Dora pointed out.

“
All right, don’t bite my head off. You don’t mind me having a bit of fun, do you, James?”

“
No, as long as it’s at my expense and not at the spirits.”

“
Let me think. We won’t involve your brother because that’s a bit too personal. Hmm. One of my suitors is still in the army, quite high up, and he tells me that something wasn’t quite right about Patton’s death. Can you contact Patton for me?” Lotus said.

“
It doesn’t exactly work like that. If you knew him I might be able to. I tend to find it easier to find spirits connected to people I’m with,” he said. He was able to prove his powers to her instantly by telling her that her real name was Barbara Doggett, her uncle (only 4 years her senior at 24 at the time of his death) contacting him, but he chose not to. While she claimed that she wanted to make contact with the other side she was treating the matter frivolously and wasn’t ready for him to prove it. He was not offended by her irreverence, viewing it as healthy and not disrespectful.

“
I can’t think of anyone close to me who’s died. Can’t you do celebrities instead? Leslie Howard?”

“
Did you know him?”

“
Have a look around our lovely flat – do you think we’re acquainted with movie stars?” Lotus replied.

“
I am, I once saw Joan Fontaine in the street,” Dora said proudly.

“
It so wasn’t her, she was in Hollywood at the time.”

“
No she wasn’t.”

“
That’s not acquainted anyway. What do you say, James?” Lotus asked, wanting him to adjudicate (and agree with her).

“
It’s better than I can say. Wait, I am getting a star,” he said, exciting them both, looking downwards solemnly as though in meditation or transfiguration before he growled and barked. Lotus gripped Dora’s arm excitedly and only let go when she realised that he was playing with her and she said,

“
Bloody Rin Tin Tin doesn’t count.”

“
With the box office receipts he made I think he does! Seriously though, the role of a medium isn’t to bring a spirit to the fore for strangers; it’s to help form a bridge to the other side for the bereaved or the departed. Even if I knew someone who wanted to talk to either of you now you would have to be ready for it – it’s not about inflicting things on either side.”

“
I’m not sure I’d want to know,” Dora said. “I know you were only joking but that scared me.”