“Why don’t I take you out? You book us a table somewhere you like.”
“Good idea; I’d like to change out of my working togs, too.”
Stone went into the bathroom, threw some cold water on his face, and combed his hair, then got into one of his new Ralph Lauren Purple Label suits and went downstairs.
Betty came down in a little white dress, very short, and slipped a hand into his. “We’ve got a table at Maple Drive,” she said. “That’s a restaurant, as well as a street. Let’s take your car; I hope you like jazz.”
“You bet.”
They had a table near the piano player, who was very good. “Dudley Moore and Tony Bill own this place,” she said, sipping her drink. “Dudley comes and plays sometimes.”
“Sorry I missed him; I like his piano. How was your day?”
“Long; they’re still shooting on Stage Twelve, redoing your scenes, so we can be sure Vance won’t turn up here. It’s a favorite of his.”
“I must have been pretty bad, huh?”
“Not in the least; I saw all your dailies, and you were very good indeed. I told you about the female reaction.”
“So why would they go to all the trouble to get me to do that, then hire somebody to do it over?”
“The word on the lot is, the actor they wanted was unavailable, then suddenly he was available.”
“Do you buy that?”
“It’s not the first time it’s happened.”
“I don’t buy it.”
“Okay,” she said, downing the rest of her martini, “what’s your theory?”
“I think they were trying to keep me busy so I wouldn’t be looking for Arrington.”
“So they tie up a whole company and a soundstage filming you, just to keep you off the streets? That’s not how the movie business works, Stone; they don’t waste that kind of money.”
“Are you kidding? From what I read in the papers, they waste a lot more than that on a lot of films, and for less reason.”
“All right, I’ll grant you that; I’ve just never seen Lou Regenstein do it. I think he really wanted the other actor. Can I have another martini?”
Stone signaled a waiter for another round; he brought the drinks, and they ordered dinner.
“Did Vance say anything about Arrington today?”
“He said she was still visiting her family in Virginia.”
“Funny, he told me she was staying with a friend in the Valley.”
“This is all so weird,” she said.
“Did you pick up on anything helpful today?”
“He talked with both Lou Regenstein and David Sturmack this morning.”
“Did you overhear any of it?”
“No.”
“Hear anything about Ippolito?”