I didn’t know who Judy thought she was feeding. Even Jerry couldn’t put much of a dent in the feast she had her cook lay out for us. From fried chicken to roast beef, with plenty of mashed potatoes and other vegetables. But as much as I dug in and Jerry plowed through, Judy herself ate very little of it. She seemed nervous to me, rubbing her hands together much more often then she used them to handle utensils.
When she spoke, she spoke quickly and with passion, but it seemed she might be trying to convince herself more than us. Mostly, she talked about Mark Herron.
‘He’s a wonderful young actor, handsome and charismatic, still to be discovered, but he put his career on hold to help me. Who does that in this town? Hollywood is a me, me, me place, Eddie. Always me first, but not Mark. He’s putting my needs ahead of his own, and I love him for it.’
Well, her managers weren’t so sure that Mark Herron was putting his own needs last. I was going to reserve my opinion until we spoke to him the next day.
‘He sounds like a great guy.’
‘He is,’ she said. ‘I’ve been around a lot of great guys, Eddie. It may not be Frank’s reputation, but he’s a great guy. So is Dean, and so is Gene Kelly. I know a great one when I see him.’ She pointed to me. ‘You’re a great guy. And you—’ she started to say to Jerry, but he cut her off.
‘That’s OK, Miss Garland,’ he said. ‘Don’t say it. I ain’t no great guy. But you’re right – Mr G. is.’
‘You’re too modest, Jerry,’ she said. ‘You’re a great big teddy bear.’ She looked at me. ‘Does he always call you that? “Mr G.”?’
‘Lots of people call him that,’ Jerry said. ‘In Vegas, he’s Mr G. He’s the guy.’
‘Well, Frank thinks he’s the guy,’ Judy said, ‘and now that I’ve met you both, I’m putting my faith in you.’
The cook, a fifty-ish woman with a slight German accent, came out of the kitchen and asked, ‘What can I bring you next, ma’am?’
‘What do you say, Jerry?’ Judy asked. ‘Dessert?’
‘Hell, yeah,’ Jerry said. Then ducked his head and said, ‘Uh, sorry.’
‘Don’t be sorry,’ she said. She looked at the woman and said, ‘You heard the man, Greta … hell, yeah!’
‘Yes, ma’am.’
I had intended to skip dessert and just have coffee, but when I saw the chocolate layer cake, I had to go for a slice. Jerry had two. Judy had a sliver, and we all had coffee.
‘Judy,’ I said, ‘do you mind if I ask you a few more questions?’
‘Of course not,’ she said. ‘Ask all the questions you want.’
‘Other than your house staff, your managers and Mark Herron, who else is part of your everyday life? I mean, other than your kids, of course.’
She thought a moment, then shrugged. ‘No one – not really. I mean, I talk to some people on the phone, or I meet with studio or record execs, but no one else on a day-to-day basis.’
‘Anyone else in this house besides Harrington and the cook?’
‘No one.’
‘So there’s only Mark for us to talk to.’
‘I suppose – but he’ll probably be the most helpful.’
‘I hope so.’
She frowned. ‘What did David and Freddie tell you about Mark?’
‘Well …’
‘Nothing good, I’ll bet. They think he’s after me for his own benefit, don’t they?’
Jerry and I exchanged a glance.
‘They’re wrong,’ she said. ‘He loves me. He does!’
I held my hands out in a back-up gesture. ‘Take it easy, Judy,’ I said. ‘We’re on your side, remember?’
She took a deep breath, let it out slowly. ‘I’m sorry. I just get so tired of people …’ She didn’t finish the thought.
I washed down my last bite of cake with coffee. ‘Jerry and I have to get going.’
‘Oh, must you?’
‘Yes,’ I said, standing, ‘but we have somebody outside watching the house.’
‘Who is he?’
I hesitated. I didn’t want to tell her that we hadn’t met the man yet. All we had was the name Hiller had given me.
‘He’s a detective,’ I said, ‘a good man. He’ll keep an eye on you while we keep looking.’
‘Well, all right,’ she said. ‘If you say so, Eddie. I’ve pretty much put myself in your hands, haven’t I?’
‘Yes,’ I said, not at all sure she had done so wisely, ‘you have.’