Not fazed by this at all, Blainey smiled insinuatingly. 'Trying to up the ante, eh? Sweetheart, you're out of your league. You're playing with the big boys, here.'
I was fast getting jack of this bloke. 'You're wasting your time. Kendall & Creeling's property is not for sale. Doesn't matter what you offer. Doesn't matter what you say.'
His face darkened. He stepped too close to me and jabbed a forefinger in my face. 'A friendly warning-I play hardball if I have to. If push comes to shove, you'll soon find yourselves begging me to buy you out.'
I grabbed his wrist and forced his hand down. 'Rack off,' I said.
Blainey pulled himself free, his face mottled with rage. 'Bitch,' he snarled. 'I'll have you fired from the cast.'
'Jesus, Norris! Get the hell out,' bellowed Garfield. 'I'm creating a show here. I don't need you interfering.'
The commotion woke Darken up. She got to her feet as, literally trembling with rage, Blainey stalked over to Earl Garfield. 'Don't you
Darleen's lip curled, displaying sharp white teeth. Her growl was low and threatening. Dingo tightened his hold on her collar.
'Shit!' Blainey stepped back hastily. His panic subsided when he realized Dingo had Darken under control. 'That dog's a menace,' he said. 'She should be put down. Exterminated.'
Then he turned on his heel and exited with as much dignity as he could muster.
Unhappily, the afternoon shoot resembled the morning. Dustin argued over every line, the director spewed vitriol in all directions, and the crew gritted their collective teeth.
During a break, Dingo left Darken with her groomer and took me aside. 'I can't go on this way, Kylie. Darken senses the tension. It's affecting her work. And that bastard, Blainey, he'll make good on that threat. He'll have her killed.'
I would have liked to reassure him that it was unlikely Darken would be harmed, but Norris Blainey was clearly capable of almost anything, although I reckoned he was the type to always get someone else to do his dirty work, Quip being the perfect example of this.
His face stern with purpose, Dingo said, 'If anything happens to Darken, I'll deal with that bastard personally.'
As he turned to go back to his charge, I said, 'I'd be really pleased if you'd ring your parents and tell them you're OK. If nothing else, it would get Aunt Millie off my back.'
Dingo grimaced. 'I can't think about that now, not with Darken and all.'
'Take my cell phone number,' I said, pressing one of my new business cards into his hand. 'If you want to talk about it, call me.'
We were about to begin the scene yet again, so Dustin and I took our positions facing each other. Darken, looking bored, had been put at Dustin's feet. I was ready to clasp my hands to my bosom and deliver my opening line, which had been rewritten several times and was now 'Leaping lizards! Timmy! Fair dinkum, is it you?' when a minor commotion occurred off set.
Darlene got to her feet and stared in the direction of the disturbance. I caught a glimpse of iridescent green, then Pauline Feeney came into full view. Beside her Jason, the brooding bloke, had Upton and Unity more or less under control. Sailing along at the rear in pink-and-white glory was Ursula Jaeger.
Garfield took one look at the poodles and bellowed, 'Christ! Get those dogs out of here!'
Darlene's hair rose on her neck. For the second time that afternoon her impressive teeth came into view as a snarl vibrated in her throat. Both poodles recoiled. Upton even gave a frightened yelp.
'Gutless wonders,' declared Ursula with scorn. 'I told you, Pauline, they're good-for-nothing girly dogs.'
Pauline gestured imperiously for Jason to remove Upton and Unity to a safer location, then turned to Earl Garfield with an ingratiating smile. 'Mr. Garfield, it's so wonderful to meet you,' she gushed. 'I've long admired your work.'
From the incensed expression on his face, the director had recognized her. 'Get off the set,' he hissed, 'or I'll have you thrown off it.'
'But-'
'Giles! Where the hell are you? Get security to escort this woman out.'
Ursula pushed her not inconsiderable self in front of Pauline. 'You don't mean that, Earl,' she said. 'Pauline Feeney's a close personal friend of mine. I'd be very unhappy if she's not treated well. Dustin would be unhappy, too.'
'Yeah,' said Dustin, putting in his bit.
She stood waiting, one hand on a plump hip, her mouth in a triumphant half smile. An array of emotions flowed across Earl Garfield's face, most suggesting he'd happily tear Ursula's head from her body and drop-kick it off the set.
Then the reality of the situation hit him. 'Any friend of Ursula's is a friend of mine,' he managed to get out in a strangled tone.
In the crew there were amazed looks all around. I reckoned no one had ever seen Garfield back down before.
Dustin took this moment to cop a feel. 'Want to lose an arm?' I murmured.
His lewd grin wavered. 'What?'
'I'll rip it off and beat you to death with it.'
'What are you doing, Dustin?' his mother asked in a stentorian voice.
He stepped away from me. 'Nothing.'
I was just thinking how refreshing it was to have someone discipline the little twerp when Ursula looked me up and down and shook her head. 'You can do better, Dustin. Much better.'
Except for Julia Roberts, the place was empty when I got back to Kendall & Creeling. She was miffed because, as she made clear to me, I was late with dinner
'Fair crack of the whip, Jules. You almost always get your dinner on time.'
She didn't look convinced, so I gave her a can of Fancy Feast chicken and liver, her favorite, as a peace offering.
Melodie had left three messages for me. I was to call Aunt Millie the moment I got in because it was 'real important.' The other two were mundane: confirmation for a dental checkup and a reminder from a specialist service for classic cars that Dad's Mustang was due for an oil change. There was no urgent message from Mum, which was strange. And, although I really didn't expect it, nothing from Ariana. Maybe she'd call later.
To prepare for the rigors of a conversation with Aunt Millie, I had a shower, changed into ancient sweats, and got myself a glass of wine. Thus fortified, I dialed the international code for Oz and then her number.
'What's the latest about Dingo?' she demanded as soon as I'd said hello. 'Harriet and Gert are beside themselves with worry because they still haven't heard a word from him, but someone from the government called by, asking lots of questions.'
'What sort of questions?'
'Who were Dingo's friends, whether he belonged to any groups or clubs, why he wanted to go to the States-all that sort of stuff. Gert got quite short with him. Told him he had no right prying into people's private lives.'
As far as I knew, Australia didn't have the equivalent of Homeland Security, but I was betting this bloke was from one of the intelligence services. 'He didn't say what government department he was from or show any official identification?'
Aunt Millie snorted-her first this conversation, but I was sure not her last. 'He probably did,' she said, 'but you know Gert and Harry. Totally scatterbrained, the two of them. No wonder Dingo's turned out nutty as a fruitcake.'
