theatrical performances in prison?"
I leaned down conspiratorially. "You have a booger
hanging from your left nostril." She rubbed furiously at
her nose with the back of her hand as the line forced her
forward.
Harold Erkwell, a former suitor and good friend,
merely kissed my cheek as he passed. His eyes, normally
an ice blue, told me that he was sorry for what I was
going through. The line moved on.
The minutes dragged as I listened to the compliments
and the snide remarks from my fellow townsfolk. At last I
saw a chance to slip away. I made it out the side exit and
into the night. I'd barely had time to think about the cigarettes I'd given up when the door opened.
Graf was silhouetted in the rectangle of light. He saw
me and strode over. "You were even better tonight, Sarah
Booth. Listen, when this show is over, I'm headed to
Hollywood. I have a contract to do a movie with Paramount. It's a marvelous script, and Renata had the female
lead. It's a perfect character for you."
"Hollywood?" The offer was incredible. Actually more
than I could take in. "You want me to go to Hollywood
and be in a movie with you?" I wanted to be sure of what
he was offering.
"Yes. That's exactly what I want. We have something together, something special. As good as it is on stage, imagine what a camera could do-the intensity and close-ups."
"That's a sweet offer---"
"I'm not being sweet" He grasped my hands and held
them against his warm chest. "This is my big chance,
Sarah Booth. Probably the last chance I'll have to move
from the stage to the silver screen. As much as I love
Broadway the money is in movies. We could do this together. They were paying Renata a million dollars. You're
an unknown, but once they see you .. "
I didn't hear any more. A million dollars. For a movie.
Flash images danced through my head-the deed for
Dahlia House in my hand, Dahlia House with a new coat
of paint, a glistening white fence around Reveler's paddock, a new Hermes Steinkraus saddle, money in my billfold.
"Sarah Booth!"
"What?" I returned to the moment with a crash. Graf
had been steadily talking and I'd been in a dream world.
"As soon as the play ends, we need to fly to Hollywood
and arrange a screen test for you"
"You're serious." I was amazed.
"As a heart attack. This could be the biggest thing that's
ever happened to both of us. The chemistry we have together-if it translates to the screen, we could be Tracey
and Hepburn. Imagine, a house on a cliff with the Pacific
pounding below. A warm bed, our bodies together." His
palm cradled my cheek. "I'm in awe of you, Sarah Booth."
"She won't be going anywhere" Coleman stepped out
of the dark. "She's charged with murder, and she can't
leave Sunflower County."
"That sounds exactly like something a redneck sheriff
would say," Graf drawled. "Hell, I could have killed Renata. So could every member of the cast. Or how about
Keith? He hated working with her with a dedicated passion. Ask any member of the crew. He's threatened to kill
her a thousand times. Or what about that makeup girl,
Bobbe Renshaw? Renata cost her a great job in New York
with ABC. Bobbe could have stayed in the city with her
young son and husband. When Renata lied as one of
Bobbe's references and said the girl was a thief, ABC
withdrew the job offer. If anyone had reason to kill Renata, it was Renshaw. And she had access to Renata's
makeup a lot more than Sarah Booth."
In the dim light spilling from the open door, I could
barely see Coleman's expression. What I did see made me
furious. "After all that's happened between us, you seriously think I killed a woman" I stepped up to him and
slapped him hard across the face. "I loved you, Coleman.
The only thing I'm guilty of is being the biggest fool in
the state"
I walked back into The Club, leaving both men in the
night.
Jitty paced the kitchen, the full skirt of a greensprigged dress swinging into the cabinets and
I leaned down conspiratorially. "You have a booger
hanging from your left nostril." She rubbed furiously at
her nose with the back of her hand as the line forced her
forward.
Harold Erkwell, a former suitor and good friend,
merely kissed my cheek as he passed. His eyes, normally
an ice blue, told me that he was sorry for what I was
going through. The line moved on.
The minutes dragged as I listened to the compliments
and the snide remarks from my fellow townsfolk. At last I
saw a chance to slip away. I made it out the side exit and
into the night. I'd barely had time to think about the cigarettes I'd given up when the door opened.
Graf was silhouetted in the rectangle of light. He saw
me and strode over. "You were even better tonight, Sarah
Booth. Listen, when this show is over, I'm headed to
Hollywood. I have a contract to do a movie with Paramount. It's a marvelous script, and Renata had the female
lead. It's a perfect character for you."
"Hollywood?" The offer was incredible. Actually more
than I could take in. "You want me to go to Hollywood
and be in a movie with you?" I wanted to be sure of what
he was offering.
"Yes. That's exactly what I want. We have something together, something special. As good as it is on stage, imagine what a camera could do-the intensity and close-ups."
"That's a sweet offer---"
"I'm not being sweet" He grasped my hands and held
them against his warm chest. "This is my big chance,
Sarah Booth. Probably the last chance I'll have to move
from the stage to the silver screen. As much as I love
Broadway the money is in movies. We could do this together. They were paying Renata a million dollars. You're
an unknown, but once they see you .. "
I didn't hear any more. A million dollars. For a movie.
Flash images danced through my head-the deed for
Dahlia House in my hand, Dahlia House with a new coat
of paint, a glistening white fence around Reveler's paddock, a new Hermes Steinkraus saddle, money in my billfold.
"Sarah Booth!"
"What?" I returned to the moment with a crash. Graf
had been steadily talking and I'd been in a dream world.
"As soon as the play ends, we need to fly to Hollywood
and arrange a screen test for you"
"You're serious." I was amazed.
"As a heart attack. This could be the biggest thing that's
ever happened to both of us. The chemistry we have together-if it translates to the screen, we could be Tracey
and Hepburn. Imagine, a house on a cliff with the Pacific
pounding below. A warm bed, our bodies together." His
palm cradled my cheek. "I'm in awe of you, Sarah Booth."
"She won't be going anywhere" Coleman stepped out
of the dark. "She's charged with murder, and she can't
leave Sunflower County."
"That sounds exactly like something a redneck sheriff
would say," Graf drawled. "Hell, I could have killed Renata. So could every member of the cast. Or how about
Keith? He hated working with her with a dedicated passion. Ask any member of the crew. He's threatened to kill
her a thousand times. Or what about that makeup girl,
Bobbe Renshaw? Renata cost her a great job in New York
with ABC. Bobbe could have stayed in the city with her
young son and husband. When Renata lied as one of
Bobbe's references and said the girl was a thief, ABC
withdrew the job offer. If anyone had reason to kill Renata, it was Renshaw. And she had access to Renata's
makeup a lot more than Sarah Booth."
In the dim light spilling from the open door, I could
barely see Coleman's expression. What I did see made me
furious. "After all that's happened between us, you seriously think I killed a woman" I stepped up to him and
slapped him hard across the face. "I loved you, Coleman.
The only thing I'm guilty of is being the biggest fool in
the state"
I walked back into The Club, leaving both men in the
night.
Jitty paced the kitchen, the full skirt of a greensprigged dress swinging into the cabinets and
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