Jerry demolished his plate and ordered a second helping. He was almost done with that by the time I had finished mine.
‘Dessert?’ he asked, looking at me hopefully.
‘Sure, why not?’
The food was really good, so I figured a piece of pie would be even better.
We both ordered apple, but Jerry ordered his with two scoops of ice cream, vanilla and chocolate. I took it plain.
‘OK,’ I said, over pie and coffee, ‘this is what we’re gonna do.’
Jerry stuck a heaped forkful of pie and ice cream into his mouth and gave me his full attention.
‘I have some questions to ask Judy that I didn’t think of before.’
‘Like what?’
‘Well, we need to talk to people who traveled with her, whoever made the travel arrangements. I guess that would be her manager.’
‘So who’s her manager?’
‘That’s the question,’ I said.
‘Do we have to go back?’ he asked. ‘Can’t we just call her?’
‘We could,’ I said, ‘but I’d like to check and see if Hiller has got his man in place yet.’
‘He sounded like a man who gets his job done,’ Jerry said.
‘You’re right about that,’ I said. ‘OK, we’ll go back to the cottage and call her.’ I started to slide out of the booth.
‘Wait,’ Jerry said.
‘What for?’
‘I want another piece of pie.’
I sat back down.
Finally back at the cottage, I dialed Judy Garland’s phone number. She answered on the third ring.
‘Is everything all right?’ she asked after I identified myself.
‘Fine,’ I said. ‘I just have some more questions.’
‘So ask.’
‘Who arranged your trips to Australia and England?’
‘My managers, and my tour manager.’
‘Who are they?’
‘My managers are Freddie Fields and David Begelman,’ she said.
‘Offices?’
‘Here in LA.’ She gave me the address and I wrote it down.
‘And the tour manager?’
‘Why do you need to talk to him?’
‘I’m going to talk to everyone connected with you, Judy.’
‘Not my children.’
‘No,’ I said, ‘not the kids. Don’t worry. Now, what about the tour manager?’
‘His name’s Mark Herron,’ she said, ‘and he’s a little more than my tour promoter.’
‘What’s that mean?’
She sighed into the phone. ‘It’s complicated. He produced the London show and was my tour promoter … and in a few days he’ll be my fourth husband.’
‘You’re getting married?’
‘Yes.’
That didn’t make my job much easier.
‘All right,’ I said. ‘Let me have Mark’s address, too. Since he’s family, I’ll be … gentle.’
‘Married?’ Jerry asked. ‘Again?’
I nodded. ‘Fourth time.’
‘Who’s the guy?’
‘Mark Herron,’ I said. ‘I’m not sure who he is, but we’re gonna talk to him.’
‘When?’
‘Tomorrow,’ I said. ‘Today I want to see her managers, Fields and Begelman.’
‘Where are they?’ he asked.
‘I’ve got the address here,’ I said, waving the slip of paper I’d written it on. ‘We’ll give it to Greg and he’ll take us there.’
‘Why can’t we get a car and drive ourselves?’ he complained. ‘Like a Caddy?’
‘No,’ I said, ‘Frank gave us that limo; we might as well get some use out of it and its driver. Besides, we won’t have to worry about directions.’
‘I like directions,’ Jerry said.
‘Let’s do it my way for now, Jerry.’
‘Sure, Mr G.,’ he said. ‘You’re still the boss.’
‘Let’s go out and see if Greg’s waiting for us.’