Dander didn’t have time to fall on this dame’s shoulders. With ten more days to go, Babs needed to regroup with Guy and figure out what was the big deal about the Queen Mary.
The following morning, he arrived back at their office with boxes of personal effects and admitted he felt somewhat nostalgic. Guy brewed the coffee and asked Babs why she still insisted on targeting the countess.
“Something is up, and I know it. I overheard pieces of a conversation and have a feeling she’s behind the crimes of the missing dogs. Just like the popular jingle you hear all over the radio, I heard enough snap, crackle, and pop on that German amplification device to drown out a bowl of Kellogg’s Rice Krispies.”
“You had the Feds on your back?”
“When we have time to catch up, I’ll fill you in.”
Guy plucked the pencil from the back of his ear and scratched his head. “Maybe we should make a fresh start.”
“And do what?” she asked.
“Drop this case. Basil’s no help. We have no guarantees from the Thin Man crowd. I borrowed from my roommate to bail you out. Oh, I kept that on the Q.T. until now. Come on, Babs, this seems to be more trouble than it’s worth. Do you have any idea how I got by after I quit your agency? Sure, I went on a few auditions—nada. Not even a single, lousy callback. Jobs were harder to find than I thought.”
He concentrated on reorganizing his desk. Moments later, he broke the silence. “There are things a guy like me can do when they’re strapped for funds. Stuff on the sly, which can land me in jail, or worse. I didn’t want to go there. Life’s tough enough.”
Babs reached over and firmly clasped his hand. “Sorry, I didn’t know.”
Guy moved his nameplate back to its usual spot. “No time for melancholy, I guess.”
“A perfect title if you ever write a script. No Time for Melancholy, right?” Babs said, in an eye-opening shift of tenor. “If neither of us has a boyfriend by then, you can take me as your date to the Oscars.”
Unable to hide being over-sentimental, his eyes misted over. “You don’t give up, do you?”
“Did you know I auditioned for the Columbia Girl?”
“The Torch Lady?”
“You got it. The woman who holds the beacon of light, heralding Columbia Pictures, for the film you’re about to see. Didn’t get the part. I was too young for the original, but they considered revamping their image. For heaven’s sake, I want my Hollywood ending. What else is there to look forward to? An abusive ex-husband?”
Babs rose to her feet. “Guy, what about you? Would you dare to settle as a stock boy at your pop’s general store? Out of sight, because he’s too ashamed to have his homosexual pride and joy scare off his skittish customers. Quit being such a softy. The prize is more than money. The prize is keeping our dreams and maintaining our dignity.”
Guy also stood, but he clapped and shouted, “Bravo! Bravo!”
“Okay. Getting down from my soapbox. No one’s giving me an Academy Award for this pep talk.” Babs hung her head, now embarrassed. “Both of us have a lot of figuring out to do.”
“Chin up, as the Brits say.” He cracked a smile and apologized for his bad accent. “Talking about Brits, doesn’t Basil owe you reward money for finding Leo?”
“From what I gather, he already gave it to the police department. I suspect, however, he gave them the amount posted on his original flyers and not the amount in our private agreement. Whatever the cost, I’d never be able to get past that rabid guard dog to collect it.”
“His German Shepherd?” Guy asked.
“No, his wife.”
Guy laughed. “Why don’t I act as your Archie Goodwin? Let me do your legwork. She’s not concerned I might seduce her husband.”
“Be my guest, but don’t say I didn’t warn you. She can be vicious and full of unpleasant surprises.”
While they addressed dealing with Basil’s irritable spouse, she digressed. “You rescued Sir Henry from the pound, I hope.”
“The big furry monster gave my roommate quite a surprise when he trotted through our front door.”
“How did you get him home?”
“Took a cab both ways. If I waited to buy a sidecar, it might’ve been curtains for the poor pup. Seems like they put animals down over there.”
“I didn’t enjoy balancing on the back of your scooter.” Babs reached into her pocketbook. “If I advance your salary, would this be enough to pay for a used sidecar or a rental? Sir Henry needs to go to a vet, and I never had time to take him.”
Guy thanked her and said he’d look into what options were available.
Meanwhile, Weatherwax called asking about Asta’s status. Babs didn’t want to get into a song and dance about having to continue the hunt on her own because of her short-lived separation from her partner. Summing it up, she said she had a hot lead, but the timing would have to be perfect to make her next move.
“The producers and I are having a stand-off. They want to reassign the actors to a different project. Others, like me, want to plow ahead with our original plans. Tomorrow, we’ll start screen tests on the next Thin Man installment.”
Weatherwax explained the studio heads pressured the producers to use a replacement. Not only did he have concerns the substitute’s performance wouldn’t be equal to Asta’s, but the dog wasn’t identical. He worried others could tell the difference. “I’d like you to come to the studio and see for yourself. Maybe your presence will convince the producers to stall the production.”
She accepted his invitation. Guy agreed to meet her at the soundstage after making a stop at the Rathbones’ to collect the reward.
Babs taxied over to the studio in Culver City. A busy hair and makeup team surrounded Myrna Loy and fussed over constant adjustments. Powell found all the hustle and bustle boring and sat off on the side reading the LA Times.
Weatherwax was working out positioning and camera angles with the director of photography, so he could hide offscreen and still be within the dog’s eyeline to give commands. They were about to roll some test footage when a woman wearing a groomer’s smock rushed toward them, holding a wire-haired Fox Terrier looking almost identical to Asta. She held on to her dog’s leash while he gave the dog a quick inspection.
“I hope no one pays attention to what’s under her tail and realizes this one’s a female,” he said with a laugh. “Otherwise, she looks passable, but the actual proof will be when we see how she behaves.”
Babs came in for a closer view. “Is this the dog you’re trying to swap out for Asta?” With Myrna out of earshot, she considered asking if this was the same look-alike she used to deceive the audience at the Beverly Hills Dog Show, but tact was critical.
“Our director suggested makeup or a non-toxic impermanent dye on her fur,” Weatherwax explained.
The groomer took out an atomizer and spritzed a light spray of water on the dog. “Look!”
The temporary dye ran and stained Weatherwax’s arms. He shook his head and handed the dog back. “Tell Mr. One-Take Woody I won’t even waste my time testing her ability to perform tricks.”
Babs asked if he had heard anything connected to dogs and the Queen Mary.
He shooed her away. “What does that have to do with our next production?”
She was curious whether dogs like Asta or Toto might feel antagonistic toward their captors. Weatherwax was too busy and no longer gave her his attention.
Guy’s detour to Bel Air caused his delay. He bumped into Renfro again on the studio lot as he tried to catch up with Babs. This time, Renfro wrestled with a determined Pit Bull Terrier, who insisted he was in charge.
“Hey, you…Mr. Detective guy,” Renfro called out. “Sorry. Forgot your name.”
“Guy Brandt. What’s up?”
“Did you ever follow up with that dame looking for dogs?”
From his prior experience with the monkey, Guy stood beyond the dog’s range. “My partner and I checked her out. Don’t know why she’d need our services or anyone else’s. She had more animals than Noah’s Ark.”
Renfro’s dog seemed to be the one in control. “Oh, I wouldn’t know. Was hoping the hot tip might pay off.”
Guy backed up to make even more distance. “Looks like you’ve got a little rascal.”
“Actually, I do. He’s Petey the Pup from The Little Rascals. Retired, for the most part, and without his makeup.”
“I wondered if he’d been born with the cute little circle around his eye, or if they faked it.”
“Most don’t recognize him without it,” Renfro explained. “Someone needs to keep watch on our former doggy star. Bunch of folks coming to me asking about pit bulls and other aggressive dogs. Petey’s a gentle fellow. Many are not.”
Guy caught up with Babs as she was about to leave. He’d encountered the wrath of the Rathbones while trying to retrieve their reward. Ouida gave him a tempestuous welcome and ordered him off their property.