Xanax, hadn’t it?
“It’s what my dear sister told me, anyway. They hadn’t even taken my mother out of the room, Marvin. And there she was, telling me I’d been adopted.”
Her own sister saying those things, hissing at her, following her out into the hallway, impossible, of course, but of course it explained so much.
“You see,” she told Marvin, “My mother couldn’t have any children, or so she thought, so they adopted me. And four years later, Barbara came along. What do you think of that, Marvin?” It sounded positively logical. And her voice echoed
Blithe Spirit
in her ears.
I could play any part
, she thought.
Any part at all
.
Only hissing, crackling noises at the other end of the line. Three thousand miles of amazement whispering back at her.
“Jesus God,” Marvin said finally. “Is it true?”
“So my sister says,” Paige answered. “Or should I still call her that?” She took a deep, shuddering breath. Though she had not smoked a cigarette in more than fifteen years, she longed for one now.
She pulled her hair back in one hand, stared at herself in the mirrored wall. She noted that she’d gone to sleep without wearing anything, something she rarely did. Breasts, belly, pubic hair. There’d been men who’d found these things attractive. Now she felt like a stranger in her own body. “So why were you calling me, anyway, Marvin?”
Another major hesitation. Actors
used
these moments, she thought. Civilians gave themselves away.
“Just calling,” he said. “To check in, see how you were doing.”
“Marvin,” she said. “Don’t bullshit me. This is not the time.”
“You’re not as tough as you try to be,” he said quietly.
“It’s the Brits, isn’t it?” she said.
“Paige…”
“I know, being the kind of people they are, it tore them up, having to tell you.”
“The deal’s not dead yet, Paige.”
She couldn’t hold back her laughter. Not really laughter, of course. A harsher, more bitter sound than that.
“You know how these things go,” he said. “They brought a new partner in…” He trailed off. “Tomorrow it could turn around again. They’ll be begging.”
“It’s okay, Marvin,” she said, glancing in the mirror again. Who was the woman there, wild-eyed and naked, squatting on a rumpled bed? “I’m doing fine down here.”
“It’s lousy timing, I know,” he said. “And this thing with your sister. It sounds pretty strange to me…”
She laughed again. “That makes two of us, Marvin.”
“I think you need to get right back out here after the funeral,” he said. “Get your feet on solid ground,” he said. “We’ll talk. We’ll get you together with the new people…”
“I’m going to take some time away, Marvin,” she said. She was up and off the bed now, the phone set in her other hand, while she traced the cord to its source. “I think I’m going to need that.”
“Sure,” he said. “I’ve still got the place in the desert. A couple of weeks out there, you’ll be raring to go.”
“
Away
, Marvin,” she repeated. “I’m going to be away for a while. But I’d like to feel I could call you. If I had to, I mean.” She’d found it now, a little plastic plate hidden behind the night-stand, the cord snaking in there, snugged by a plastic clip.
“Paige,” he said. “I don’t like the sound of this…”
“I’ll call you, Marvin,” she said. “I’ll call you when I can, okay?”
Her hand followed the cord down behind the stand until her fingers found the clip. Marvin was still talking, his voice imploring, his words wafting out into the ether. Good old Marvin. Dear Marvin. She tugged once, then twice, at the cord, and finally she was on her own.
Chapter 13
“I heard from Paige today,” Mahler said. He was at the sideboard of the sitting room, pouring a scotch. He was about to settle for half a tumbler, then added a little more. End of a trying week, he deserved something extra.
Rhonda sat unmoving
“It’s what my dear sister told me, anyway. They hadn’t even taken my mother out of the room, Marvin. And there she was, telling me I’d been adopted.”
Her own sister saying those things, hissing at her, following her out into the hallway, impossible, of course, but of course it explained so much.
“You see,” she told Marvin, “My mother couldn’t have any children, or so she thought, so they adopted me. And four years later, Barbara came along. What do you think of that, Marvin?” It sounded positively logical. And her voice echoed
Blithe Spirit
in her ears.
I could play any part
, she thought.
Any part at all
.
Only hissing, crackling noises at the other end of the line. Three thousand miles of amazement whispering back at her.
“Jesus God,” Marvin said finally. “Is it true?”
“So my sister says,” Paige answered. “Or should I still call her that?” She took a deep, shuddering breath. Though she had not smoked a cigarette in more than fifteen years, she longed for one now.
She pulled her hair back in one hand, stared at herself in the mirrored wall. She noted that she’d gone to sleep without wearing anything, something she rarely did. Breasts, belly, pubic hair. There’d been men who’d found these things attractive. Now she felt like a stranger in her own body. “So why were you calling me, anyway, Marvin?”
Another major hesitation. Actors
used
these moments, she thought. Civilians gave themselves away.
“Just calling,” he said. “To check in, see how you were doing.”
“Marvin,” she said. “Don’t bullshit me. This is not the time.”
“You’re not as tough as you try to be,” he said quietly.
“It’s the Brits, isn’t it?” she said.
“Paige…”
“I know, being the kind of people they are, it tore them up, having to tell you.”
“The deal’s not dead yet, Paige.”
She couldn’t hold back her laughter. Not really laughter, of course. A harsher, more bitter sound than that.
“You know how these things go,” he said. “They brought a new partner in…” He trailed off. “Tomorrow it could turn around again. They’ll be begging.”
“It’s okay, Marvin,” she said, glancing in the mirror again. Who was the woman there, wild-eyed and naked, squatting on a rumpled bed? “I’m doing fine down here.”
“It’s lousy timing, I know,” he said. “And this thing with your sister. It sounds pretty strange to me…”
She laughed again. “That makes two of us, Marvin.”
“I think you need to get right back out here after the funeral,” he said. “Get your feet on solid ground,” he said. “We’ll talk. We’ll get you together with the new people…”
“I’m going to take some time away, Marvin,” she said. She was up and off the bed now, the phone set in her other hand, while she traced the cord to its source. “I think I’m going to need that.”
“Sure,” he said. “I’ve still got the place in the desert. A couple of weeks out there, you’ll be raring to go.”
“
Away
, Marvin,” she repeated. “I’m going to be away for a while. But I’d like to feel I could call you. If I had to, I mean.” She’d found it now, a little plastic plate hidden behind the night-stand, the cord snaking in there, snugged by a plastic clip.
“Paige,” he said. “I don’t like the sound of this…”
“I’ll call you, Marvin,” she said. “I’ll call you when I can, okay?”
Her hand followed the cord down behind the stand until her fingers found the clip. Marvin was still talking, his voice imploring, his words wafting out into the ether. Good old Marvin. Dear Marvin. She tugged once, then twice, at the cord, and finally she was on her own.
Chapter 13
“I heard from Paige today,” Mahler said. He was at the sideboard of the sitting room, pouring a scotch. He was about to settle for half a tumbler, then added a little more. End of a trying week, he deserved something extra.
Rhonda sat unmoving
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