seven

“Let me introduce you to Christina,” said Mandy. “You’ll love her.”

I glanced over to where Christina sat. A few tendrils of her titian hair had escaped her chignon and now fanned out around her face. Her checks were flushed and her eyes were bright, either from the gold statue on the table before her or the martini glass beside it.

To one side of Christina, sat her twin brother, Sebastian. Although obviously not identical, there were some discernible similarities. They shared the same auburn hair and wide green eyes, high cheekbones, and taste in men. But whereas Christina was known for her reserved nature, Sebastian was just the opposite. He never met a microphone or camera that he didn’t like, and as such was something of a darling of the tabloids. His long frame was sprawled in his chair, his right ankle resting on his left knee, and his left arm slung causally around the back of Christina’s chair. With his right hand, he idly drummed out a rhythm on the linen tablecloth.

To Christina’s other side was a woman I didn’t recognize. Her blonde hair was arranged in a kind of puffy helmet. Her dress brought to mind a gruesome crime scene; blood red and seeming to go on forever. I guessed her to be about sixty-five, although I suspected that she’d punch me in the mouth if I actually said that out loud. Her skin had been pulled, her eyes had been lifted, and her lips had been plumped. The end result was a face that not only appeared to be at the mercy of a powerful g-force, but one that was also—and understandably—startled by the sensation.

“Who’s that next to Christina?” I asked as we made our way to the table.

Mandy’s lips twisted into a faint sneer. “That’s Janice Franklin. Christina’s mother.”

“I take it you’re not a fan?”

“Hardly,” she replied. “The woman is toxic. She’s done nothing but pimp out Christina since she was six months old. Christina didn’t have a childhood; she had a job.”

“Not exactly a unique story in this town,” I observed.

“True. But we all thought that one day Christina would come to her senses and get rid of her. But Janice still serves as her manager, publicist, and, no doubt, her accountant,” she said.

“Well, she is her mother,” I offered.

“She’s a bitch,” Mandy corrected.

I shrugged. “No one ever said the terms were exclusive.”

“What about Christina’s father?” Nigel asked. “Is he in the picture?”

Mandy shook her head. “No, and from the way Janice tells it, he never was.”

“So, it was an Immaculate Conception?” I asked, laughing. “Wow. You certainly don’t hear of too many of those these days.”

“That’s not true,” countered Nigel. “It happened to a cousin of mine.” He paused. “And now that I think about it, a few girls in high school.”

“Don’t be an ass,” said Mandy. “I just meant that he’s not a factor in their lives. I don’t know anything about him. No one does.”

Christina jumped to her feet when she saw Mandy approaching. Opening her arms wide, she cried out excitedly, “Mandy! Can you believe it? I actually won!”

Mandy laughed and walked to her, hugging her tight. “I told you you would,” she said.

“I honestly didn’t think I had a chance this year,” Christina said. “I really thought they were going to give it to Meryl.”

Mandy stepped back and playfully poked Christina in her shoulder. “Nonsense,” Mandy said. “I knew you had it sewn up the minute I saw that movie. You’re always surprised when you win, which is one of the many reasons I adore you. Now, I know you haven’t had a moment’s bit of peace tonight, but I wanted to introduce some friends of mine.” Turning to us, she said, “Christina, this is Nicole and Nigel Martini. They’re the couple that bought Frank’s old place and found the videos.”

At the sound of our names, Sebastian’s fingers ceased tapping, and Janice’s head turned in our direction as if pulled by some unseen chord. Christina gave us a bright smile. “How lovely! I was hoping to meet you tonight. Won’t you please join us?” she asked.

We said we would, and introductions were made. As we took our seats at the table, Sebastian deftly relieved a passing waitress of her tray of champagne cocktails and passed them around. I had just taken a sip of mine when Janice turned to me with a predatory smile. “I’m dying to hear all about these videos,” she said. “Where did you find them?”

“Boxed up in the attic along with some old Christmas decorations,” I explained. “They’ve just been collecting dust for the past twenty years. It’s lucky we checked them. They could have just as easily been tossed out.”

“Twenty years,” Christina repeated with a sigh. “God, sometimes it feels just like yesterday. Well, until I look in the mirror that is,” she added with a wry laugh.

“Oh, shut up,” Mandy scoffed, “You’ve hardly aged a bit. Honestly, I don’t know how you do it.”

“It’s the olive oil,” Janice said. When we looked at her blankly, she continued. “My mother swore by its benefits for the skin,” she explained. “She called it ‘youth in a bottle.’”

“I thought that’s what she called the scotch,” said Sebastian, his brows pulled confusion.

Janice shot him a censorious look. “Your Nana did no such thing,” she admonished.

“Well, mine certainly did,” said Nigel. “For a moment, I thought we might be related.”

Sebastian threw his head back and laughed. It was the same rich tenor as his sister’s. “Oh, I think I’m going to like you,” he said.

Janice shot her son a quelling look before turning back to me. “So, have you watched them all yet?” she asked. “Danielle’s videos, I mean.”

“No,” I answered, “It’s going to take some time to get through them all, of course, but we’re making progress. I’m looking forward to meeting Danielle. I’ve only spoken to her on the phone, but she said she and Frank would be here tonight.”

“I think I remember her,” said Sebastian slowly. Looking at Christina, he asked, “She was a little wisp of a thing, right? Long black hair; wore glasses?”

“That was Danielle,” said Christina nodding. “She was so shy. I don’t think I ever heard her say more than two words at a time. She reminded me of a little mouse; half the time you didn’t even realize she was there. But, she’s all grown up now. She recently started working for Frank, actually.”

“Looks just like him too,” said Janice. “It’s a shame, really because her mother, Zelda, was gorgeous.”

“She recently died, didn’t she?” asked Sebastian.

“Just last year,” Mandy said with a nod.

“Wasn’t she living in Italy?” he asked.

“In Bellagio. She moved back there after her and Frank’s divorce,” Mandy answered. “Zelda never really liked Hollywood to begin with. She only came here because of Frank.”

“Oh, that’s right,” said Christina. “Didn’t he discover her on a beach somewhere?”

“Yes,” confirmed Mandy. “In Camogli, on the Italian Riviera.”

“Was she an actress there?” asked Nigel.

Mandy grinned at him. “No, she was topless there.”

Nigel turned to me with an impish look in his eyes. “You know what I’m thinking we should do?” he asked.

“Yes,” I answered. “But we’re not.”