Swimming to Catalina (Stone Barrington 4)

“What did she have to say?” Stone asked.

“Everything is all right. She had been worried about my reaction to having a child, and she just needed a few days alone.”

“Where has she been?”

“Staying with a friend out in the Valley.”

“So she’s home?”

“She will be in a day or two. She’s helping her friend with some personal problem.”

“Well, I’m relieved to hear that, Vance. She apparently tried to call me last night, but I wasn’t in at the time.”

“Yes, she mentioned that; she was embarrassed that you’d made a trip out here for nothing, and she wanted to apologize. She sends her love.” He clapped Stone on the shoulder. “Well, old man, thanks for everything; we’ll call you when we’re in New York. Oh, Betty will take you to the airport.” He clapped Stone on the shoulder again and went to take his place on the set.

Stone stood there, puzzled. Betty walked up.

“Your plane leaves in an hour and a half,” she said, handing him a ticket. “I’m afraid the Centurion jet wasn’t available; you’ll have to make do with first class.”

“I guess I can stand that,” Stone replied.

“And here,” she said, handing him an envelope, “is your paycheck; don’t spend it all in one place. Oh, and Mr. Regenstein said to keep the clothes—a personal gift from him.”

“That’s very kind of him.”

“Come on, let’s get to your dressing room and get that makeup off.”

As they left the set he saw a man standing at the rear wearing a suit identical to his own. He hadn’t been aware that he’d had a stand-in. He followed Betty to his RV, where he found the wardrobe lady packing the suits and shirts he ha

d worn in the film into a handsome, old-fashioned leather suitcase. He gave her the suit he was wearing and started rubbing on cold cream. Ten minutes later, they were on the way to the airport, with Betty at the wheel of Stone’s temporary car, Vance’s Mercedes SL600. Stone turned in his studio pass at the front gate, and soon they were on the freeway.

“I have to pick up my clothes at the Bel-Air,” he said.

“They’re in the trunk; the hotel packed for you,” she said. “You know, I think the very least you could do would be to return the favor of last night. Loving and leaving a girl, as you are.”

Stone laughed. “I’d be delighted, but not on the freeway. You have no idea how close we came to death last night. You’ll have to come and see me in New York.”

“Maybe,” she said.

They were quiet for a while as they zipped along in moderate traffic. “Betty,” he said as they neared the airport, “what’s going on?”

“Going on?” she asked innocently. “I can’t imagine what you mean.”

“I mean why am I being rushed out of L.A.?”

“Rushed?”

“Rushed. And after the big push to get me to act in Vance’s movie, why was there an actor on the set wearing the same suit as mine?”

She glanced at him. “You’re very observant.”

He thought he noticed a hint of a blush. “So?”

She pulled up at the airport setdown. “So, I don’t know what’s going on. I honestly don’t.”

“Vance said Arrington called him last night, and that she’s fine.”

“I have no reason not to believe that,” she said.