Read Online Stone Barrington 36 - Scandalous Behavior by Stuart Woods - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stuart Woods
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they’ve brought pressure to bear on people they believe to be a danger to them, they’ve always managed to seem to be freshly scrubbed and all-American when the police showed up at their door, and they’ve given television interviews that reinforce that appearance.”
“What are they called?”
“The Chosen Few,” Billy said. “They’re led by a man named Don Beverly Calhoun, or Dr. Don.”
“That is a vaguely familiar name,” Stone said. “Where have I heard it?”
“Dr. Don was the pastor of a church in Atlanta that grew into the sort of organization that congregated in basketball stadiums, instead of a church. He first got noticed when he opposed former president Will Lee in his first run for the Senate, more thantwenty-five years ago. The whole thing crumbled when a mixture of financial, sexual, and political scandals converged, and Dr. Don experienced the modern media equivalent of being tarred, feathered, and ridden out of town on a rail. He disappeared for a while, then finally reappeared in New Orleans, then Albuquerque, only to be run out of town again, and, finally, in L.A. about eight years ago. According to one article I read, he hung on to his mailing lists from his old church, particularly one containing the names of his most rabid parishioners, a few dozen of whom followed him wherever he went. The author of the magazine piece was killed in a car crash on the freeway that was very suspicious, but the police never made an arrest.”
“I’ve been out of the country for the past three weeks,” Stone said, “and I haven’t had a chance to call Peter since I got home Monday night. When does his film open?”
“This weekend, on twelve hundred screens. Centurion Studios has been spooked by the whole thing, and they’ve cut the number of screens by a thousand and the promotion budget in half, hoping that it will open quietly, then grow slowly on word of mouth.”
“Is Peter going to be in L.A. for the opening?”
“We all flew in last night on the Centurion jet—Peter, Ben, and their girlfriends and my wife.”
“Is there a formal premiere?”
“No, that was going to happen in L.A. but Centurion canceled it, and they haven’t scheduled any New York publicity for Peter, either.”
“Where are they staying?”
“At the Carlyle.”
“Why didn’t they stay here?”
“Peter didn’t really want you to know about all this, and anyway, Centurion is paying, so why not?”
“I guess the room service is better at the Carlyle.”
“I expect so.”
Stone reached for the phone.
“Please, don’t call Peter,” Billy said.
“Why not?”
“Because then he’ll know that I told you about this, and he already thinks I’m an alarmist. He’ll call you, don’t worry.”
“Do you have some plan for dealing with this, Billy?”
“If it were up to me, I’d put a bullet in the head of Dr. Don some dark night, but as it is, I think we’re going to have to wait for developments, then fight back the best way we can. Peter doesn’t even want to think about it, so I’ve pretty much shut up.”
“Do you think these people pose an immediate threat to Peter and Ben?”
“I think they’re capable of anything,” Billy replied, “but I can’t predict what.”
“I think, perhaps, we should get the kids out of the country.”
“I’ve suggested that, but Peter is not in a mood to run from the situation.”
“Maybe what he needs,” Stone said, “is a situation to run to.”
15
P eter finally called after lunch. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, there, kiddo. I was about to call you. How are things in L.A.?”
“I’m in New York, for a screening—so are Ben and Billy and theirs. The studio put us at the Carlyle, so we didn’t trouble you.”
“I got in from England Monday night.”
“What were you doing in England?”
“I was finding you a country estate location for a movie.”
“Well, that’s interesting, I’m working on something I’d like to shoot in a place like
“What are they called?”
“The Chosen Few,” Billy said. “They’re led by a man named Don Beverly Calhoun, or Dr. Don.”
“That is a vaguely familiar name,” Stone said. “Where have I heard it?”
“Dr. Don was the pastor of a church in Atlanta that grew into the sort of organization that congregated in basketball stadiums, instead of a church. He first got noticed when he opposed former president Will Lee in his first run for the Senate, more thantwenty-five years ago. The whole thing crumbled when a mixture of financial, sexual, and political scandals converged, and Dr. Don experienced the modern media equivalent of being tarred, feathered, and ridden out of town on a rail. He disappeared for a while, then finally reappeared in New Orleans, then Albuquerque, only to be run out of town again, and, finally, in L.A. about eight years ago. According to one article I read, he hung on to his mailing lists from his old church, particularly one containing the names of his most rabid parishioners, a few dozen of whom followed him wherever he went. The author of the magazine piece was killed in a car crash on the freeway that was very suspicious, but the police never made an arrest.”
“I’ve been out of the country for the past three weeks,” Stone said, “and I haven’t had a chance to call Peter since I got home Monday night. When does his film open?”
“This weekend, on twelve hundred screens. Centurion Studios has been spooked by the whole thing, and they’ve cut the number of screens by a thousand and the promotion budget in half, hoping that it will open quietly, then grow slowly on word of mouth.”
“Is Peter going to be in L.A. for the opening?”
“We all flew in last night on the Centurion jet—Peter, Ben, and their girlfriends and my wife.”
“Is there a formal premiere?”
“No, that was going to happen in L.A. but Centurion canceled it, and they haven’t scheduled any New York publicity for Peter, either.”
“Where are they staying?”
“At the Carlyle.”
“Why didn’t they stay here?”
“Peter didn’t really want you to know about all this, and anyway, Centurion is paying, so why not?”
“I guess the room service is better at the Carlyle.”
“I expect so.”
Stone reached for the phone.
“Please, don’t call Peter,” Billy said.
“Why not?”
“Because then he’ll know that I told you about this, and he already thinks I’m an alarmist. He’ll call you, don’t worry.”
“Do you have some plan for dealing with this, Billy?”
“If it were up to me, I’d put a bullet in the head of Dr. Don some dark night, but as it is, I think we’re going to have to wait for developments, then fight back the best way we can. Peter doesn’t even want to think about it, so I’ve pretty much shut up.”
“Do you think these people pose an immediate threat to Peter and Ben?”
“I think they’re capable of anything,” Billy replied, “but I can’t predict what.”
“I think, perhaps, we should get the kids out of the country.”
“I’ve suggested that, but Peter is not in a mood to run from the situation.”
“Maybe what he needs,” Stone said, “is a situation to run to.”
15
P eter finally called after lunch. “Hi, Dad.”
“Hi, there, kiddo. I was about to call you. How are things in L.A.?”
“I’m in New York, for a screening—so are Ben and Billy and theirs. The studio put us at the Carlyle, so we didn’t trouble you.”
“I got in from England Monday night.”
“What were you doing in England?”
“I was finding you a country estate location for a movie.”
“Well, that’s interesting, I’m working on something I’d like to shoot in a place like
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