Страница 16 из 30
“And those entertainers were something else. Good. I mean really good.”
Charlie had not seen Junior bubbling over with such fervent good humor in months. Jewel isn’t the airhead I thought she was, he decided. If she managed to convince those two that everybody loved Mama, she ought to be made ambassador to Wallonia.
“I’m glad you liked Nor Kelly and Billy Campbell,” he said. “They looked so upset when they came out of your office that I thought maybe you’d told them you weren’t satisfied with their music.”
Charlie was immediately aware of a drastic change in the atmosphere. Junior looked at him, his eyes cold slits, his cheekbones flushed, the muscles in his neck suddenly prominent. “What did you say?” he asked, his voice chips of ice.
Nervously, Charlie glanced at Eddie, whose bovine cheeks were now rigid. The sweet sentiment evoked by Mama’s name had vanished from his eyes. His lips had become a thin, grayish-red gash across his face.
“I simply said that…” his voice trailed off… “that Nor Kelly and Billy Campbell seemed a little upset when they came out of your office after your mother’s satellite visit.”
“Why didn’t you tell us they were there?”
“Junior, there was no reason. Why would I have told you? I thought you knew.”
“Eddie, the door was open from the reception room, wasn’t it?” Junior asked.
“Yeah.”
“All right, Charlie. You should have told us they followed us in. You should have known it would be important for us to know. Now you’re going to have to make a few calls to the songbirds.” He paused deliberately. “I think you know what I’m talking about.”
I guess that’s the end of the questions and the depositions, Sterling thought as he watched the FBI perso
“Ms. Kelly, you’re sure the Badgetts didn’t suspect that you were in the room right outside their office?” Rich Meyers, the head investigator, asked again as he picked up his briefcase. “As I explained, if they knew you overheard them, you’d need to be protected immediately.”
“I don’t think they knew. From what I understand about the brothers, if they had seen us they probably would have called off their plans for the fire.” Nor readjusted the comb that was holding her hair in place. “There’s an old expression, ‘I feel like something the cat dragged in.’…
My mother used to say that, Sterling thought.
“…and that’s exactly the way I feel now. If you’re done with me, I’m going to go home, climb in the Jacuzzi, and then get a couple of hours’ sleep.”
“A very good idea,” Meyers said sympathetically. “All right. We’ll be in touch with you. In the meantime go about your business as usual.”
Sounds easy, Sterling thought. Unfortunately it’s not going to work like that.
Sean O’Brien lingered only a minute after the federal officers left. “I’ll keep you posted,” he promised.
“De
“And lose all those holiday tips? I don’t think so.” De
“I haven’t forgotten. But they’ll have to do without me. See you later.”
When the door closed behind De
“I know. Are you going to try to get some sleep, Billy? Don’t forget, we’ve got two more shows tonight.”
“Right now I have to check my messages. I talked to a couple of the guys about getting together for lunch sometime this week.”
Nor slipped her arm into her coat. “Hearing Hans Kramer’s message was the reason we’re in this mess. It would have been one thing if we could have stopped the fire, but now the prospect of being witnesses against those two scares me.”
“Just remember they have no idea we overheard them.” Billy pressed the playback button on the answering machine.
Sterling shook his head as he thought of Charlie Santoli. Maybe he won’t mention that he saw Nor and Billy, he thought hopefully. But given the future events he already knew about, he was sure that wasn’t the way things played out.
“You have two new messages,” the electronic voice began.
The first was from a friend who was organizing a lunch for the next day. “You don’t have to call back unless tomorrow doesn’t work for you.” The second was from the recording company executive who’d offered him the contract last night.
“Billy, this is short notice but Chip Holmes, one of our top guys, is coming into town unexpectedly. He would really like to meet with you today. He’s staying at the St. Regis. Can you join us for a drink around 5:30? Let me know.”
“Why do I think you can make it?” Nor asked when the message clicked off. “Chip Holmes. Billy, that’s great. If Holmes likes you, the sky’s the limit with that company. You won’t just be another singer with potential. He’ll put big money into building you up.”
“Which is exactly what I need,” Billy said, as he did a quick drumroll on the tabletop with his fingers. “I don’t want to be a one-hit wonder. You know better than I do how many guys had a little success early on, and then ended up job hunting when they were thirty-five. Let’s face it. In this business I’m already no kid.”
“I know what you’re talking about, but you’re going to make it,” Nor assured him. “Now I really will get out of here. Break a leg. I’ll see you tonight.”
At the door, she looked over her shoulder. “I always swear I won’t give you advice, but I can’t help myself. You’d better leave plenty of time to get into New York. The holiday traffic is still pretty heavy.”
“I’ll take the train,” Billy said absently, as he picked up his guitar.
“That’s smart.”
When Nor left, Sterling settled back in the club chair, his legs stretched over the hassock. He listened as Billy began plucking at the strings and softly singing words he’d written on a crumpled sheet of paper.
He’s trying out new lyrics, Sterling thought. Upbeat, but with a nice plaintive touch. Billy really is good. I always did have an ear for music, he recalled.
Forty-five minutes later, the phone rang. Billy picked it up, said, “Hello,” listened, then said, nervously, “You’re calling from Badgett Enterprises? What can I do for you?”
Sterling hoisted himself from the chair and in two quick strides was at Billy’s side, his ear to the receiver.
At the other end of the line, Charlie Santoli stood in his office, hating himself more and more with every word he uttered. “I am a representative of the company. The reason I am calling is that, as you may know, the Badgett brothers are philanthropists who have a large scholarship program for children in the local area. They thoroughly enjoyed your performance last night, and they know you have a young daughter.”
Sterling saw Billy’s forehead tighten. “What has my daughter got to do with this?”
“Her future has a great deal to do with it. The Badgetts understand how uncertain your future as a performer may be. They would like to set up a trust fund to ensure that Marissa will be able to go to a fine college in another ten years.”
“Why would they want to do that?” Billy asked, restrained anger in his voice.
“Because sometimes remarks made in jest are overheard and, if repeated, take on a life of their own. The Badgetts would be very upset if that happened.”
“Are you threatening me?”
Of course I am, Charlie thought. It’s my job. He cleared his throat. “What I am offering is to make your daughter one of the selected recipients of a one hundred thousand dollar trust fund. It would please Junior and Eddie Badgett very much if you’d accept. On the other hand, they would find it dismaying if you were to repeat lighthearted remarks that might be misconstrued.”