“Hollywood”A James Everhard Adventure by Wayne Wallace
Chapter #1It was a dark and stormy night. The rain came down in sheets and lightning flashed blindingly across the western sky. I steered my Ford coupe into the Hollywood Hills driveway that wound around plush Gardens and hedges to the covered drive in front of the enormous stone mansion. The formally attired attendant opened the Ford’s squeaky drivers’ door and welcomed me. At the huge double doors, the tuxedoed butler smiled as he accepted the embossed invitation with white Gloved hands. “Good evening sir, the Guests are assembling in the library, please follow me.” Inside, the mansion was even more impressive. I marveled at the long hallways, oak paneled walls with twenty foot ceilings, and the priceless paintings that adorned the walls. A massive crystal chandelier hung at the entrance that probably cost more than I’d make in a lifetime. It was curiosity that brought me here more than anything else. When I received the invitation last week for a weekend stay at the Vanderbilt Estate, I thought there must have been some mistake. After all, I was just a tired gumshoe, barely making a living, following cheating husbands or wives and taking a few pictures for use in the divorce cases. I had had a few good cases over the years, but lately my specialty seemed to be limited to catching bed-hopping adulterers and an occasional bail jumper. Why Mr. & Mrs. Jack Vanderbilt would invite me for the weekend was just too much of a mystery to pass up. The butler took my hat, coat and overnight bag and led me to the library. “I will have these taken to your room sir,” the butler said. The Library was filled with people, chatting and drinking cocktails. I recognized a few of the formally dressed couples from the society page of the L.A. Times. I couldn’t help but notice several breathtakingly beautiful women in the room. “You must be the detective,” a beautiful woman with sexy blue eyes and beautiful blonde hair said, as she walked up to me. “Everhard, James Everhard”, I replied, intrigued by her eyes. “Joan Vanderbilt,” she said, “I live here”. “By yourself?” I asked suggestively, arching an eyebrow. “No, with my husband, Jack,” she chuckled, “here he comes now.” The man approaching us had roguish good looks and was wearing an expensive smoking jacket. “Mr. Everhard, how good of you to come. I’m Jack.” “Jack Vanderbilt”, he said as he pumped my hand and grabbed a martini from a passing waiter and handed it to me. “Uh, a pleasure Mr. Vanderbilt.” “Call me Jack, please.” “OK Jack, nice place you got here. What’s this all about anyway?” I inquired. “Patience Mr. Everhard.” I didn’t tell him to call me James. “We’ll let you know right after dinner, I think you’ll find it to be a most interesting weekend.” He kissed his lovely wife’s forehead and disappeared into the crowd of guests. “Mingle Mr. Everhard”, “Please call me James,” I told the beautiful society doll. “There are some very interesting people here James,” the lovely Mrs. Vanderbilt said laughingly as she turned to greet another guest. “James, what a pleasure to see you again!” It was MaryJo Channell, a society babe I had worked for about a year ago. I caught her millionaire husband with his fingers in the cookie jar. When it turned out that “Cookie” was a mere 15, MaryJo netted a bundle in the divorce settlement. I gave thought many times to giving MaryJo a call, but figured a classy dame like her would just laugh at a mug like me. “Are you here for the entire weekend?” she inquired. “Yeah, isn’t everyone?” “Oh no,” she said, most of these people will leave right after dinner tonight. Only a very privileged few are invited for the weekend.” “Tell me MaryJo, what’s this all about anyway?” I asked. “It’s a mystery weekend”, she laughed, “great fun. You see, sometime during the weekend, someone will be murdered and the guests have to determine who the murderer is.” “What!” I exclaimed, instinctively feeling for the .38 in my shoulder holster. “Not really silly! It’s all just a play. You see, the Vanderbilt’s are very theatrical. They put one of these on every year. Great fun, Great fun,” she laughed. “I hope to see you later tonight” she giggled and winked at me before she turned to talk to other guests. A man dressed in khaki safari attire, wearing a pith helmet and a monocle was telling a crowd of beautiful women some sort of story. “There I was”, he described, “face to face with the raging bull elephant, with just my trusty hunting knife.....” My attention was drawn to an exquisite body that was tightly wrapped in a red sequined evening dress, I would recognize that great tush anywhere. I crowded in closely as if to listen to the story and then carefully placed my hand on the finely sculptured rear end of the lady in red. The muscled tush tensed under my touch, but did not move away. “Hello, James”, she said without looking back at me. “How’d you know it was me?” I asked. “I’d know that touch anywhere,” she chuckled. She turned and kissed me briefly, lightly, but with feeling. Her blue eyes flashed and her blond hair shone in the lights of the room. “Hello Suzi,” I said as the crowd pushed us closer together. “Is that a dangerous weapon in your pocket or are you just glad to see me?” she asked. “Both”, I answered laughing. We had been lovers, maybe we even had actually been in love, but we had drifted apart over the last few months. It had been over 6 months since Suzi and I had seen each other. “Are you here for the weekend?” I whispered in her ear, taking the opportunity to lightly nibble on her lobe. “Yes darling. I’m in the third room on the right.” I filed that information away for later and listened as the big game hunter finished his story. “...............that was when my trusty gun bearer tossed me the elephant gun and I killed the bloody beast.” Dennis Giovanni , the famous big game hunter and adventurer was entertaining the crowd with an endless array of his “true” adventure stories. He was flanked by two of the most gorgeous women I have ever seen. Dennis Giovanni had almost as big a reputation as a lady killer as he did a killer of wild beasts. The rumor was that he was endowed much the same as the raging bull elephant in his story must have been. The two curvaceous women flanked him like a set of sexual bookends. “Come girls, I need a drink”, the big game hunter told them as they headed toward the bar. “James, my sex life has gone to pot since you quit calling me!” Suzi was back and was pressing her right breast into my arm. “Oh, I doubt that Suzi”, I laughed. “Will I see you later on tonight, James?” she pouted. “Count on It Suzi”, I said, and turned to continue my tour of the room. “I will”, she said as I walked away. Another circle of people had formed around Hollywood’s favorite couple, Steve and Skye DelRio. They were both impossibly attractive, perfect hair, teeth and they were, of course, impeccably dressed. They had just released their latest film, The Dark Side of the Moon. They were the current box office champions and America’s favorite couple. There’s was the atypical Hollywood marriage in that they had been married for several years and had both apparently avoided the adulterous Hollywood Game of musical beds. It was apparent that they too would be weekend Guests. The butler who had greeted me at the door entered the room and rang a small bell. “Dinner is served in the dining room. Please follow me.” The formally dressed guests filed out the door and moved towards the dining area. In the immense dining room, the guests were seated at tables that seemed at least a block long. An engraved card indicated where I was to sit. I took my seat and looked at the diners who were seated around me. To my left sat Tom Manners, millionaire tycoon and the business partner of Jack Vanderbilt. Between them Manners and Vanderbilt owned most all of Southern California, from Fresno to San Diego, their Real Estate holdings were worth millions. Directly across from me sat Emily and “The Rock” Murphy. “The Rock”, was a professional wrestler who tipped the scale at nearly 350 pounds and was well known for breaking bones both in and out of the ring. His wife, Emily was a gorgeous creature who attracted men like ants to honey. Unfortunately for the men foolish enough to pursue her, The Rock was extremely jealous and often put them in the hospital. I chanced a quick peak at Emily’s ample cleavage. “What knockers!” I thought as I quickly looked away, hoping The Rock had not noticed. To my right was quite possibly the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. Her blonde hair fell to her creamy white shoulders and her every feature was as if carved from flawless ivory by a master sculpter. It was Donna Vadelle, the famous writer. Her latest romance novel, The Heart and Dart Tattoo was currently atop the New York Times bestseller list. I must have been staring at her in open mouthed awe because she smiled shyly at me and said, (looking at the name tag on the table) “Mr. Uh, Everhard, are you all right?” I recovered and replied, “Yes, thank you Miss Vadelle, it’s just that I’m a huge fan,” I said, and (I’d love to take you up to my room), I thought. “Thank you, Mr. Everhard.” “ Call me James, please!” “Thank You James”, she smiled. She had perhaps the most beautiful blue eyes I had ever seen. The doors to the kitchen flew open and dozens of waiters brought silver covered platters in to the room.
Hollywood Chapter 2 (June 1, 1941, 8:30 PM) As I ate a dinner fit for royalty, I continued to scan and analyze the guests. To the right of the ravishing Donna Vadelle was Ken Oldman, another ultra rich land speculator. I was a little surprised to see him because according to an article I had read in the Times, he was a major competitor of Jack Vanderbilt’s and his partner Tom Manners. They had been involved in several head-to-head competitions on land deals that had turned into bitter battles. What part of Southern California was not owned Jack Vanderbilt and Tom Manners was owned by Ken Oldman. To the right of Ken Oldman sat his mistress, Melany Marlow. She was attired in an emerald green number with a neckline so low that it left little of her ample breasts to the imagination. She was apparently angry with Ken and they were engaged in an argument during the formal dinner. It was almost to the point of becoming a scene. “I know you’re never going to leave her Ken,” the lovely woman told him. “You just keep telling me that to keep me around. I’m not going to take it anymore. I’m going to your wife, and I’m going to tell her about you and I, and exactly what it is that we do when we’re together,” she threatened. “Melany , I wish that we could discuss this some other time,” Ken replied in a lowered voice, “and if you say a word to Elenor about us, I will slit your throat,” he told her through clinched teeth. Ken Oldman was not known for making idle threats and this declaration from him, for the moment, silenced the angry beauty. On the other side of the table, and to my left sat David Gruffy, international playboy. He was rumored to have been in more Hollywood bedrooms than just about anyone. At the moment, he was very slyly placing his hand on the creamy thigh of one Mrs. Joan Vanderbilt. Both were engaged in conversations with other guests while this was taking place and neither was apparently doing anything to stop the hand’s encroachment. I wondered if this was just a spur of the moment flirtation or if the society babe was seeing the infamous playboy on the sly. At the next table I noticed another face that I recognized from my daily love affair with the L.A. Times Entertainment Section, The Montana Cowboy. Montana was a western film star and was currently starring in weekly serials that kept kids waiting in line to get in the theaters. He received an Academy Award nomination last year (1940) for a feature western he did while under contract with 20th Century Fox. He was every bit the western star, even now wearing a ten gallon hat and chaps. The truth, however, was that this “Montana Cowpoke” was actually from Chicago. He was also rumored to be quite a lady’s man. After the dinner dishes were cleared, those of us who were to stay the weekend were ushered into another, smaller library and were served brandy. MaryJo Chandell was in one corner with Dennis Giovanni, the big game hunter. Dennis Giovanni no longer had his two lovely companions in tow and he was engaged in what appeared to be an intimate conversation with the lovely fashion plate. Steve and Skye Del Rio were seriously discussing something as they sat on the sofa by a window. “Darling, if we do not pay the blackmailing bastard, we’ll be ruined!” Steve said to his wife. “I just don’t think that we should give in to a blackmailer,” Skye replied in a lowered voice. “Darling, what are we to do then?” he pleaded. “Just what we did in The Dark Side of the Moon,” she whispered. “You mean, k-kill him?” her movie star husband stuttered. “Yes!” Skye hissed, “perhaps this very weekend.” “Oh my God!” Steve muttered. Tom Manners was in a somewhat restrained argument with his competitor, Ken Oldman. “Ken, you ruthless son-of-a-bitch, that land is not worth anywhere near the price you’re asking for it!” Manners, my old friend,” chuckled Ken Oldman, “It is worth that and more for the simple reason that I own it and you and your greedy partner want it!” he laughed loudly and walked away leaving Tom Manners red faced and chomping angrily on his cigar. Emily and “The Rock” Murphy were seated were seated in a plushly upholstered love seat, quietly sipping their brandy and watching the others with interest. I chanced another quick glance at Emily’s impressive cleavage. I noticed that the sensuous Suzi was completely absorbed in a conversation with the Montana Cowboy. She was hanging on every word he said and I noticed that his hand was resting on her legendary derriere’. With Suzi, for the time being, occupied, I took the opportunity to approach the one woman in the room with whom I was absolutely smitten, the ravishing authoress, Donna Vadelle. My eyes expertly surveyed her perfect figure as I got closer, 36-23-36, I mentally measured. I hoped that I would not stutter or babble like a complete idiot when I attempted to speak to her. Her lovely blonde hair fell to her white shoulders, her beautiful blue eyes shone seductively. Her creamy white skin was contrasted by her tight, black, sequined evening gown. Our eyes locked as I approached. Without taking her gaze from mine, she excused herself from the conversation she was engaged in and started walking toward me. “Hello, Mr. Everhard,” she said to me. “James, please,” I replied. “James,” she corrected. “Quite an interesting last name, how did you come by it?” she asked. “Heredity, my father, his father, and so on,” I said. “Somewhere down the line, the Queen of England dubbed one of my ancestors Sir Everhard,” I explained. “She must have been very impressed with him,” she laughed, and I realized at that moment that I had a thousand or so years of tradition to uphold.. The doors to the library opened and Jack and Joan Vanderbilt entered the room like the Hollywood royalty that they represented. I noticed that Jack Vanderbilt briefly cast an angry look at David Gruffy as he walked past him. It was ever so brief, but my years of observing suspects had finely honed my observation skills and I instinctively picked up the hostility that the glance represented. “I hope that the evening meal was satisfactory, and I would like to tell you now why we’ve asked you to join us here for the weekend,” Jack Vanderbilt announced. “You see, someone in this room will be murdered this weekend. And someone else in this room will be the murderer.” The group of weekend guests looked at each other, studying each face.
Chapter 3June 1, 1941, 11 PM“We have gone to great lengths to ensure realism in our weekend mystery,” Joan Vanderbilt told us, “even those who will be playing specific parts in our little production do not know the solution to the mystery.” “To help you unravel the mystery, we have the famous detective James Everhard,” she said, gesturing towards me. The small crowd applauded and most turned and smiled at me.” Famous my ass” I thought, “something about this event smells like Fisherman’s Wharf in August, but I’ll just play along for now” I thought, as I smile and took a slight bow. “And now for your dancing and listening pleasure, we have a surprise for you” Jack Vanderbilt announced and pulled a lever which put the north wall of the room into motion, opening to reveal a large dance floor and a full orchestra. There was also a long bar with tuxedoed bartenders and an enormous champagne fountain. The orchestra began playing a swing tune and the delighted guests applauded wildly. “Enjoy, please!” Jack Vanderbilt encouraged, and the weekend guests moved toward the ballroom. A slow song began to play and I was making my way towards Donna Vadelle to ask her for the next dance, when I felt a hand grab my coat tail. “What’s your hurry, lover?” Suzi purred as I turned to face her. “I thought you would be back at the old bunkhouse with The Montana Cowboy by now, breaking him to a saddle” I kidded her. “No,” she whined, “he seems to have more than a casual interest in the singer with the band. A girl named Terrye, who is the current Miss Alabama. Friggin’ beauty queens!” she cursed, “guess you’ll just have to keep me entertained tonight, James, just like old times.” She kissed my cheek. I watched as Donna Vadelle took to the dance floor with David Gruffy. I felt an unmistakable pang of jealousy. Suzi had a way, however, of making me think with a different head, so to speak, and I was urged to the dance floor by her. “There’s that blackmailing bastard now Skye DelRio whispered into her husband’s ear as they danced gracefully across the floor. “Just laughing and dancing and having a wonderful time” she said through clenched teeth. “Darling, we cannot do anything rash” her husband Steve whispered back. “Paying the prick is rash” she replied. Well, would you rather he told the Times about what happened back in Kansas?” he asked. “Of course not, Steve, but I don’t want to pay him either” she snapped. “Well, we cannot have it both ways” he said. “Oh, I think we can!” she smiled an evil, little smile, “I think we can…” The Rock, not being much of a dancer, stepped on his wife Emily’s toes repeatedly as he tried to catch men looking at his wife’s finely sculptured rear end. “Rock, you are killing my feet. Can we just sit this one out?” Emily asked. “Sure, honey, I was just trying to help you have a little fun” the giant replied. As they were leaving the dance floor, The Rock bumped into David Gruffy and Donna Vadelle, nearly knocking them down. “’Scuse us” The Rock grunted as he pulled Emily past the couple. David Gruffy took advantage of the collision by placing his hand on Donna’s black sequin-covered posterior as if his hand had been knocked there by the bump. “Remove your hand or I will have to break it” the lovely Miss Vadelle said, smiling warmly. “Sorry, an accident” David Gruffy feigned an apology, “but, I must warn you. I do not take rejection well.” “That’s funny, I would have thought that a man with your looks and talents would be used to it” Donna quipped, still smiling warmly. At the bar, Dennis Giovanni was explaining in detail the Bwansani tribe’s fertility ritual to the ravishing Mary Jo Chandell. “Actually my dear, it is something that I would need to show you. It loses something in the translation when I merely attempt to explain it. Shall we go to my room?” he asked. “Absolutely, darling. I thought you were never going to ask!” was her reply, and together they moved towards the spiral staircase to the bedrooms on the second floor. At the other end of the bar, Tom Manners and Jack Vanderbilt spoke in hushed tones. “That lousy bastard Ken Oldman is trying to hold us up on that Redondo Beach property. He knows we want it and he’s got us by the balls, Jack!” Manners told his partner. “If it were not for him, I could get that beach area from his board of directors dirt cheap.” He continued. “Then you know what we must do” Jack Vanderbilt stated as he drained his martini glass. “Ken, are you still gonna take me to Hawaii in December?” Melany Marlow asked coyly as she and Ken Oldman danced to a slow number. “Yes, my love, our ship will dock at Pearl Harbor on December 7th. That is, if you quit talking foolishly about telling my wife about us” he added. “Oh I will honey. I wish you would just hurry up and leave her so that you could be all mine, all the time.” Actually, he had no intention of ever leaving his wife, whom he had also promised to take to the islands in December. He had to think of a way to get rid of Melany Marlow, she was becoming too much of a liability. Whatever he was going to do, he had to do it soon. At the bandstand, where the lovely singer, Terrye, the reigning Miss Alabama, was taking a break, The Montana Cowboy was hard at work. “Darlin’” he drawled, “yer as perdy as a new born heifer.” “Oh, Cowboy, I betcha tell that to all the gals,” she replied shyly. “Naw, I save that line fer just my very special gals. Hows about you and me moseying on up to my room where we can talk more about Montana” he suggested. “OK, Cowboy, just let me tell the bandleader that I’m leavin’” she giggled. “Jack, darling, it was just a silly, frivolous thing. I moved my leg and he took his hand away. It’s nothing to get upset about. You are the only one, you beautiful hunk of humanity you” Joan Vanderbilt told her husband. Then she kissed him hard and deeply to add emphasis to the “you’re the only one” part of her reply. Jack Vanderbilt still could not let the incident go. He would confront David Gruffy about it. As I danced with Suzi, I couldn’t help but notice Donna Vadelle dancing closely with David Gruffy and smiling warmly at him as they spoke. I wanted to get to know this mysterious, spellbinding authoress, to take her in my arms and hold her closely, but I was not sure just how I was going to pull it off. It was during these thoughts that Suzi said, “Oh, James, I believe that dangerous weapon is at it again! You are such a naughty boy!” Suddenly, thunder crashed and the lights went out in the mansion. The women screamed and the orchestra stopped playing. “Don’t be alarmed,” Jack Vanderbilt shouted, “it must be a blown fuse. Alan, please see to it as soon as possible.” “Yes, sir” Alan, the faithful butler replied, and hurried away into the darkness.
CHAPTER 4June 2, 1941 12:30 AM Alan, the Vanderbilt’s head butler returned with a double armload of candle sticks and candles. “I am afraid sir, that the problem is much worse than we suspected,” he told Jack Vanderbilt. “The electricity and phone lines are down from the winds of the storm, and the road is washed out to the highway. I’m afraid there is no way in or out of the estate until repairs are made.” A murmur came from the small crowd of guests. “It is all right my friends, we can use the candles Alan has brought us. It might even be fun.” Jack Vanderbilt suggested. Alan handed out the candles to the guests. The band played on, the room eerily lit by dozens of candles. Light and shadows flicked and jumped all over the large ballroom. Dennis Giovanni the big game hunter and Mary Jo Chandell came down the spiral staircase, smiling and laughing. He had lipstick smeared all over his face and her hair was just slightly askew. Mary Jo reached the bottom of the stairs, gave Dennis Giovanni a playful kiss and headed down the candlelit hallway to the lady’s powder room. Dennis Giovanni headed to the dance floor and tapped me on the shoulder. “Mind if I cut in Mr. Everhard,” he asked, “I’ve had my eye on this young woman all evening,” he said with his eyes glued to Suzi’s. “Grrrrrr,” Suzi playfully growled as she took the hunter’s hand and they began to dance. I searched for Donna Vadelle and found her at the bar chatting with Steve and Skye DelRio. I walked up to her and asked if she would like to dance. “Certainly James” she smiled, “I had hoped we would get to talk some more.” We danced and talked for a long time; minutes, hours, neither of us knew how long, we were totally absorbed by each others’ presence. We talked about our pasts, or futures and when we stopped talking, we kissed, sweetly, and passionately. We both knew that this was just the beginning of a long, wonderful night to come. “Thank you folks, that was the last song,” the orchestra leader announced. Donna and I released our tight embrace, turned to applaud the orchestra and realized that we were the only couple left in the huge room. Everyone else had gone upstairs to bed. The orchestra was packing up, they were going to stay overnight in the large, mostly vacant, servant’s quarters behind the huge mansion. We looked around, a little embarrassed, we had been so absorbed by each other that we had not even noticed everyone else leaving. “Let’s go to my room James,” she suggested. We turned, and retrieved our candles from the table, they had burned down three fourths of their length. We climbed the stairway to her room. Once inside, I took her in my arms and kissed her hard and deeply. I unzipped the back of the black sequined gown. It slid to the floor. She wore nothing underneath. I gasped at her goddess like beauty. She pulled off my jacket and tie and began removing the button studs from my shirt when we heard the scream......and then the gunshot.... “Stay here,” I told Donna and instinctively pulled the .38 from my shoulder holster. “James, don’t shoot anyone dear. Remember, it’s just a play.” Donna laughed, “And hurry back.” I put the gun back in the holster and went into the hall. I went down the stairs and found the butler, Alan, standing over a body stretched out on the sofa. He turned and looked at me as I approached. “It appears that she has been shot, sir. I looked at the body, it was Skye DelRio. A neat .22 caliber bullet hole at her temple with a single trickle of blood escaping from it. “I heard a scream and a shot and came right away from my quarters.” Alan explained. “I saw someone run down that corridor but It was too dark to see who it was,” he added. I put my finger on the carotid artery of Mrs DelRio checking for a pulse. Then I ran my hand down her back and pinched her sequin covered butt. “Ouch, dammit, what the hell!?” she sputtered as her eyelids flew open. “Don’t worry, I won’t give you away,” I told the shocked performer. She smiled and closed her eyes again. Joan and Jack Vanderbilt came running down the stairs in matching velvet robes with a large script “V” on the breast pocket. They were followed closely by Tom Manners and Ken Oldman, all dressed in bedclothes and robes. “What happened?" Jack asked. I played along. “Mrs DelRio has been shot," I said, probably being over dramatic. I gave the small assembled group the facts that I had been able to get from Alan. “Who could have done it?” the beautiful Mrs. Vanderbilt also over dramatized. “Alan and I will search the ground floor the rest of you wait here.” I told them. Alan and I conducted a brief search of the kitchen where we each ate ham sandwiches and drank beer. We returned to the drawing room and the assembled group. “No sign of anybody,” I said. “We cannot call the police until the telephone lines are repaired. So I will have Alan put the body in the walk-in cooler until morning.” Alan effortlessly picked up the actress and put her over his shoulder. “All we can do now is go back to our rooms and try to get some sleep,” I told the group, “and lock your doors!” I added with a dramatic flair. “We’ll wake Steve and give him the bad news,“ Joan sighed. “She would starve to death as an actress,” I thought as the group walked up the stairs. I looked into the hallway and finding it deserted, I went to Donna’s room and opened the door. She was waiting for me just as I had left her, in the large, canopied bed. I went to the bed and knelt to kiss her when suddenly, the silence was broken by a blood curdling scream.........
CHAPTER 5 June 2, 1941 2:00 AM Again, Donna Vadelle and I were interrupted at the brink of really getting somewhere by another, “blood-curdling scream." I started to ignore it in favor of the activity that was trying to take place in the canopied bed, but my detective’s curiosity just would not let me do so. I opened my mouth to speak, but she beat me to it: “I know, stay here, you’ll be right back,” she said, somewhat disgusted. “I’m getting a little tired of all these dramatics myself,” I told her, “this shouldn’t take too long,” I lightly kissed her and headed for the door. In the hallway I ran into a shaking and nearly hysterical Suzi. “Oh James, I’m so glad it’s you!,” she panted breathlessly as she ran into my arms. “Suzi, what’s the matter?” “She’s dead James, it’s horrible!” she exclaimed. “Who’s dead, where?” I asked. “Come, I’ll show you.” She took my hand and led me down the stairs to the cavernous entry hall. Then I saw her, silhouetted by the light of a candelabra in the hallway. The light showed through her filmy peach colored negligee. The beautiful woman was dead. She’d been hanged with telephone cord, her eyes bulged in their sockets. Her lips and cheeks looked blue and her eyes stared lifelessly. It was Melany Marlow, the beautiful mistress of Ken Oldman . Suzi touched my arm and asked, “Is she really dead, James?” “If she’s not, Jack Vanderbilt is a master of special effects.” I answered. As if on cue, Jack and Joan Vanderbilt came down the stairs followed closely by the Montana Cowboy and Ken Oldman. “Mr. Vanderbilt, this looks just like the real mcCoy to me,” I deadpanned. “This uh, well, it’s not in the script. I don’t know what’s going on here.” Jack Vanderbilt stuttered. Joan Vanderbilt looked at the young woman’s face and fainted, falling into her husband’s arms. “Holy Crap!”, the Montana cowboy exclaimed, completely forgetting his drawl, “She's really dead!” “Oh, no, baby what have you done?” Ken Oldman sobbed. I reached up and cut down the woman’s body from the chandelier. I felt for a pulse; there was none. We were joined in the hallway by Steve and Skye DelRio who began consoling the sobbing Ken Oldman. I noticed a note pinned to the hem of the dead woman’s negligee, which was at about mid calf on the deceased. I read the note without touching it. “What does it say?” the cowboy asked, still without a trace of his drawl. I read it aloud: “My dearest Ken, I do this because I know that I can never be yours. You are obviously still in love with your wife. I cannot, and will not, live without you. Good-bye!” Ken Oldman sobbed loudly and embraced Skye, the actress who no longer had any sign of a bullet hole in her temple. “We must inform the authorities immediately!” Steve Del Rio said. “Can’t, the phone lines are still down, the electricity is out and the road to the highway is washed out,” It will be hours before we can even attempt to get to the highway.” I told him. “Please don’t touch anything here,” I asked the assembled group. The overturned chair that Melany Marlow had apparently used to step up to the chandelier would need to stay right where it rested. “We will need to put her body into the walk-in cooler, however,” I told them. “Where is Alan?” “Right here sir,” said the butler as he eerily stepped out of the darkness. He carefully wrapped the body in a sheet and carried it to the walk-in cooler. “We should all get some sleep.” I told them, “In the morning, we’ll see about getting to the highway for some help.” The group moved up the stairs to their rooms. I escorted Suzi back to her room. “James, I am so scared," Suzi said, clinging tightly to my arm, “please don’t leave me now.” “I thought you were in the tender loving care of care of Dennis Giovanni, the big game hunter,” I teased as we entered her room. “Ha!” she laughed, “We got to his room and he fell sound asleep in the middle of one of his stories. He is all bark and no bite! I just tucked him in and left. Then I went looking for you. You were not in your room, so I thought I’d look in the kitchen. That’s when I found Melany Marlow hanging there.” I thought for a moment and then asked the blonde beauty, “You passed through the hallway on your way to the kitchen?” “Yes,” she replied, “and she was not there then?” “Why, no, she wasn’t," Suzi told me. “How long were you in the kitchen?” I asked. “Only a couple of minutes” she replied. “And she was hanging from the chandelier when you came back?” I continued. “Yes,” Suzi answered. “Was she kicking or struggling or anything?” I asked. “No, still, very still,” she replied, looking at me quizzicly. “Why James, what’s the matter?” “There is something very strange about this suicide,” I told her, “but right now, I want you to get some sleep,” I said, lightly kissing her. “James, please don’t leave me, I’m so scared,” she pleaded. I thought about Donna Vadelle waiting for me in another room right down the hall, but I could not leave my old friend and lover alone when she was this distraught. I held Suzi in my arms and rocked her slightly until her steady breathing indicated that she was asleep. I carefully lifted her to the bed, kissed her gently and slipped out of the room. At Donna Vadelle’s door, I knocked quietly. There was no answer. I opened the door and went into her room. She was gone. The room was a mess. The chairs were overturned, the bed sheets were pulled from the bed. It looked as if there had been a fierce struggle. Where was she? What had happened to her? Who had taken her? And why?
Chapter 6I knew that whomever had taken Donna from her room had to still be in the mansion. The storm was still raging outside and the roads were completely impassable. But where? The mansion was enormous. Where would I start my search? I would need some help. I ran back to Suzi’s room and woke her. “Come on, I told her, someone has taken Donna, we have to find her.” “James, she looked into my eyes, “are you in love with her?” Suzi asked me straight out, it was her style. “Yes,” I told her honestly, because that was my style. I read a brief wince of pain in her eyes as I told her. “Then let’s go find her,” she said, pulling on her robe. We went down the stairs to find the one person who could help us find our way through this stone maze. I knocked on the door of Alan’s quarters. “One moment please,” replied his voice from the other side of the door. The door opened and there stood Alan, still impeccably dressed in a tux. His hair was mussed however, and he had visible lipstick smears on his face. I told the butler that Donna Vadelle had been abducted and that we needed to search the mansion quickly. “Alan, come back to bed, pleeeease,” a feminine voice came from his room. I glanced in and saw the ravishing Mary Jo Chandell sitting up in the bed, the covers not quite covering all of her charming features. She was admittedly one of the most gorgeous creatures I had ever laid eyes upon. Medium length brown hair that cascaded down to her beautifully rounded shoulders. She had an all over tan and for just a moment, I was held breathless. “Hello, MJ,” I said, across the room to her. “Hello James, she said. I composed myself and managed to utter, “I’m sorry Alan,” and I truly meant it as a sincere apology to the handsome butler. “It is all right, sir, I understand, duty calls." “What a trooper”, I thought. Art quickly divided the mansion into two search zones for us. He would go one direction, Suzi and I the other. He had provided us with powerful flashlights. I gave Suzi the .22 caliber automatic that I always kept in an ankle holster. I checked my .38, 5 rounds. I asked Alan if he was armed and he pulled a long barreled .44 magnum out of his coat. “This should be sufficient sir,” he said. “ I guess so!” I replied. Alan headed towards the west wing, lower floor, while Suzi and I headed towards the basement. The basement consisted mostly of huge storage areas and at the far end, a gymnasium and work out room. We quickly searched the pitch dark storage rooms with flashlights, finding nothing but banquet tables and chairs and other paraphernalia including an enormous moose head laying in a dark corner. It’s glassy eyed stare scared us both so badly that we nearly riddled it with bullets. We moved down the hallway to the exercise room. The room was totally dark, but we heard a very strange “whooshing” sound coming from one corner of the room. “Stay here,” I ordered Suzi, “and if there’s any trouble, run and get Alan” I told her. “But James,” she protested, “no buts” I said and squeezed her hand as I entered the room. The flashlight I held illuminated the workout room one large circle at a time. I saw the free weights and lift bars lining the wall, the weight benches, the rowing machines, other various and sundry devices designed to melt away pounds and inches and tone the muscles. Ever present was the very odd whooshing noise, what was it? “Whoosh, whoosh.” Then I saw it. It was an older type steam cabinet. They had been very popular during the 20s and 30s. A water system was gravity fed from top to bottom and the water was continuously run through the pipes and was heated by a natural gas flame that caused steam to be released into the cabinet. The person using the cabinet would sit on a bench inside and close the doors with only their head sticking through a hole in the top of the cabinet. Donna Vadelle’s head was sticking through the hole in the top and her mouth was taped. She was struggling and trying to scream. Her face was crimson. Her beautiful blonde hair hung limply against her head, she was covered with sweat. “Donna !” I yelled, and ran to her. I tried to open the doors and take her out of the “pressure cooker” but a solid steel padlock blocked my progress. I noticed that the thermostat had been turned up as high as it would go and the knob removed. Donna was being cooked alive like a lobster and there was nothing I could do about it. I tore at the doors, kicking them, pulling on them, frustrated. Panic stricken, I took the .38 out of my shoulder holster and pointed it at the padlock. I started to squeeze the trigger when I heard Suzi yell, “James, watch out!” Suddenly, I felt a blinding pain at the back of my neck, and stars or more precisely, pinpoints of light appeared. Then I heard two gunshots and a pain induced scream, the sounds seemed far away, surreal. I fell, unconscious, to the floor. “Well, your new boyfriend won’t be much help to you Donna,” David Gruffy laughed. “And I plugged that nosy blonde too. Oh don’t worry Donna, no one could hear the shots, room’s soundproof, no expense spared, all those noisy machines you know, “ha ha ha," he laughed evilly. He walked over to Donna and ripped the tape from her mouth. “Why is all this necessary?” she asked him, sweat pouring from her wet hair. “You have the Kansas newspaper clippings on Skye DelRio that you stole from my apartment, you bastard! I wasn’t going to use them in my book, I was going to destroy them!” “Which is exactly why I took them my dear. You see, you obviously didn’t see the market value that a story of the sexual abuse of a young stepdaughter and the resulting murder of the stepfather would have, when the object of the story is a silver screen idol. This story is worth millions!” “You animal," she spat, getting weaker. “Now, now, Donna, you haven’t always felt that way about me. We had some good times,” he laughed. “That was before I knew what a creep you were," she said weakly, her body temperature now over 103 degrees. “We’d still be together if you hadn’t threatened me with the police!” he cackled. “Never,” she said, nearing unconsciousness. Suzi, crawled up the stairs. The bullet wound in her chest felt like white hot metal burning inside her and she had lost a lot of blood. She had to get help. Then, at the top of the stairs she saw him, his huge shadow covered her as he looked down at her. “Help, please," she said, not much louder than a whisper. I started to come around. I heard voices, and as my vision slowly refocused, I saw David Gruffy. His back was to me and he was holding a .45 on Donna who was still in the steam cabinet. She looked barely alive. I had to help her. I tried to move, but my brain could not get the message to my legs as yet. I must have moaned with pain and frustration because David whirled around and leveled the .45 at me. I knew that I was just seconds from death. Suddenly, the look in Gruffy’s eyes changed from one of evil to one of stark fear. 350 + pounds of “The Rock” charged David Gruffy clotheslining him with a tremendous forearm. Gruffy was taken completely off his feet and his gun went flying across the room. Then the giant wrestler jumped straight up into the air and brought his body crashing down on the prone body of the man who weighed roughly half as much as he. The sounds of bones breaking and Gruffy creaming in agony were what I heard next. Then the giant turned to the steam cabinet and yelled at the top of his lungs, “Aaaaahhhhheeee," with this, he tore the lock from its steel hasp. The metal screeched in protest but was no match for “The Rock’s” enormous hands. He threw the doors open and retrieved the naked, beet red, but still breathing, novelest from the torture chamber. I was finally able to stand. Still wobbily, I went toDonna. She was burned and in pain, but she would survive. I kissed her and wrapped her gently in a soft blanket. My mind screamed out in silent panic, “Where is Suzi? How is she?” I had to find her......
Chapter 7 June 2, 1941, 3:00 AM I found Suzi at the top of the stairs where she had summoned the help of “The Rock” . Her wound was bad, very bad. “Hang on baby, we’ll get you to the hospital,” I pleaded with her. She smiled a weak smile and said, “It’s too late for that. But I need to know something James.” I knew that saying each word was extremely hard for her, she had lost so much blood! “Anything, baby,” I replied to her. “I know that we were never really in love with each other, but what was it that we did have?” she asked me, her voice just above a whisper. I thought for a moment, tears coming to my eyes. “I just loved to love you, Suzi," I told her honestly. She smiled weakly, “And I loved to love you James." She smiled again, “That was it James, we loved to love each other.” We left it at that, no further explanation was necessary. I held her closely. “How is Donna?” she asked. “She’ll be okay, thanks to you “, I told her, “We both owe you our lives.” “Be good to her, she loves you James“ Suzi said. A tear rolled down my cheek. She coughed a fine spray of blood. “Suzi, no.....!” and I felt her body go limp in my arms. I closed her eyelids and wept.
At first light, the gardener and his crew
completed a makeshift bridge across the washed out road. By 7:00
am, several police cars, two ambulances, and the coroner had arrived.
One ambulance took Donna to L.A. Receiving Hospital, where her doctors
said that she was going to be all right. The other ambulance took
David Gruffy to the L.A. County Jail Infirmary where he was treated for
multiple rib fractures and a punctured lung. He would survive to
face a long prison term. The coroner took Suzi and Melany Marlow.
Detective Lieutenant Will Chapell was questioning the rest of us.
Chapell and I had worked together on cases in the past and we shared a
mutual respect for each other’s competence and ability. “This was
not a suicide Will ," I told the stern looking cop. “What
makes you say that, Everhard?” he asked, eyeing me cautiously.
“Three reasons,” I answered. “Number 1: Jilted lovers don’t
normally hang themselves. It’s something psychological, they
usually swallow a handful of pills, usually hoping to be saved at the
last minute by the jilter, who will then take them back.” The
tough Lieutenant cut in, “Yeah, I know, but that’s not enough to
......”. Detective Lieutenant Will Chapell . looked at me thoughtfully for just a moment before he turned to Ken Oldman and said, “Mr. Oldman you are under arrest for the murder of Melany Marlow. Ken Oldman’s face turned ashen. “It wasn’t me. I was out cold. I think someone drugged me. When I woke up, she was gone. Noooo, you’ve made a terrible mistake.!” Two uniformed L.A. cops began to cuff the millionaire land developer. “Sir, if you please," Alan, the butler intoned, “the gentleman is telling the truth.” All eyes in the room focused on the tuxedoed butler. “I saw the man who murdered Melany Marlow pin the note to her negligee. Then he ran away, down the east wing corridor right before Miss Suzi came through the hallway, and Mr. Oldman was not that man.” “Well? the Lieutenant queried, who was it then?” Alan pointed his white gloved finger at Tom Manners, It was Mr. Manners, sir.” “Wait, it wasn’t my idea,” a stunned Tom Manners shouted. “Jack Vanderbilt planned the whole thing to frame Ken Oldman so we could get the Redondo Beach property!” “Shut up you fool!” Jack Vanderbilt shouted as he lunged at his business partner. The uniformed officers grabbed the two men and put them in handcuffs. Joan Vanderbilt fainted again. Alan picked her up and carried her to the couch. He patted her hand, and fanned her face. Mary Jo Chandell took Alan by the arm and said, ”Come on Alan baby, you don’t work here anymore. I need someone who can keep me satisfied and help me spend my money. You are just the man who can do it.” Alan bowed slightly and said, “Delighted to be of service madam.” He dropped Joan Vanderbilt’s hand like a hot rock. As he walked away with Mary Jo Chandell, he smiled at me and winked slyly.
EPILOGUESix months later, December 7, 1941. Ken Oldman stood on the deck of his private yacht the “Pacific Pride” as his crew docked it at Pearl Harbor. He looked at all the massive battleships in the harbor as the rising sun shone on them, and reflected on the past six months of his life. “What a lucky guy I am”. He thought, “I got rid of my two business rivals. I was able to get a lot of their holdings for a song while they were tied up with their trial. I got rid of a very troublesome mistress without even getting my hands dirty. I am so lucky, I always seem to be in the right place at the right time, it’s just so ironic!” The last thought that ever entered Ken Oldman’s head was, “What are all of those planes doing coming in from the East? A Japanese Zeros’ machine guns rattled and both the oak railing on which he had been leaning and Ken Oldman were cut in half. Donna and James Everhard stood over the simple gravesite. The stone read simply: “Suzi Wilkerson, born 1912, died 1941, Too soon we lost her ...” With tears in her eyes, Donna turned to me and said, “She loved you James.” I turned to my new bride and softly kissed her. “No Donna, she just loved to love me, and I loved to love her.” I patted my wife on the slightly protruding abdomen. “If it’s a girl, I have an idea for a name, ”I said. She finished the thought for me. “Yes James, it’s a wonderful idea. We’ll call her Suzi.” I put my arm around her and we walked away together.
THE END
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