“This is copyright 1979. Mike would have been
twelve. How old do you figure Winifred is now?”
Renie screwed up her face. “It’s hard to tell. Fortyish? She would have been in her late teens back then.
But maybe it’s not her.”
“And if it is,” Judith noted as she slipped the liner
notes back inside the plastic tape container, “so what?”
“So how do you go from being Ramona Pomona’s
backup with one hit single to Bruno Zepf’s assistant?”
Renie mused.
“Over twenty years,” Judith said. “A lot of things
can happen in that time, especially in a place like Hollywood.”
“There’s one way to find out,” Renie said.
“How?”
“We could ask Winifred.”
“Oh.” Judith felt almost disappointed. “We could at
that. I’ll do it now, before they leave for dinner.”
After depositing the dirty glasses and garbage in the
kitchen, she headed up the main staircase for the second floor. Winifred was in Room One just off the landing.
A double rap on the door brought an immediate response. Judith was relieved; it seemed as if every time
she knocked on a door, an anxiety attack ensued.
“What is it?” Winifred asked in an irritable tone.
“I wanted to show you something,” Judith said,
clasping the tape in her hand. “It’ll take just a moment.”
Warily, Winifred opened the door a scant four
inches. She was wearing her dark blue bathrobe and
her face was covered with cream. “What is it?” she repeated.
Judith wore her most ingratiating expression. “I
think my son may be a fan of yours. Or at least he was
several years ago.” She opened her hand to reveal the
tape. “Is this you?”
Winifred recoiled. “Oh, my God! Where did you get
that?”
“It was in our collection,” Judith replied equably.
“Mike—my son—left some of his belongings here
with us.”
“You’re lying.” The astonishment on Winifred’s
face had been superseded by a steely-eyed look.
“Where did you really get that?”
“I told you,” Judith persisted, “in with our other
recordings in the living room.”
“That’s impossible. This tape’s a demo. It was never
released.” Without opening the door further, Winifred’s
slim arm reached out to grab the tape.
But Judith pulled her hand back. “I’m sorry. I don’t
understand. Is this you on the tape? Is that why you’re
upset?”
But Winifred’s lips clamped shut as she slammed
