over there and kill him,” she muttered.
“Look, Gil,” Lyon said in an easy voice, “I know it’s not really your concern. Technically you’re in the clear, If the boys promised you they’d take care of their partner, quite naturally you believed them.”
Anne saw him staring at Neely. She knew he was stalling for time. He put his hand over the phone again and whispered, “Neely, how old are you? Truth!”
“Nineteen—”
“She’s seventeen,” Anne hissed.
“I have to say I’m nineteen to work in some states,” Neely argued.
Lyon’s face broke into a victorious smile. “Look, Gil,” he said cheerfully. “We certainly don’t want any trouble. We have Helen Lawson in the show, plus the choreographer and Jennifer North. It’s to our advantage to have everything run smoothly. The last thing any of us wants is a lawsuit. Yes, I said lawsuit. Gil, this little partner The Gaucheros brushed off is only seventeen. And these chaps have been trotting her across the country for some time, lying about her age. Now if she wanted to sue them it could get messy. I imagine the contract is just for The Gaucheros . . . nothing about an agreement to dissolve the current act. Gil, I know they told you it would be all right—but the fact is, it isn’t all right. How do I know she’ll sue? Because she’s sitting right here.” He winked at Neely and leisurely lit a fresh cigarette.
“Now Gil, of course I know it’s rough to start looking for a new dance team. But I think we can solve things right on the phone. The Gaucheros have a standard Equity contract for five hundred, right? You can drop them any time during the first five days without paying them a dime, right? Then just give them the facts of life and issue them a new contract for four hundred, then issue another contract to their little partner for one hundred. Put her in the chorus, let her understudy, do bits—anything, just so long as she’s in the show. It doesn’t cost you an extra penny and everyone’s happy. . . . Of course. Yes, I’ll tell her to report back to rehearsal tomorrow. . . . Delighted The Copa? When, tonight? Love to join you. All right, see you there.”
He hung up and smiled at Neely. “Young lady, you are in the show.”
She crossed the room and threw her arms around him in a spontaneous burst of gratitude. “Oh, Mr. Burke . . . golly, you’re terrific!” Then she rushed back to Anne and hugged her. “Oh, Anne, I love you! I’ll never forget this. You’re the only friend I have. Even my brother-in-law turned against me. And my sister—that louse musta known about it! Charlie wouldn’t dare pull this whammy without letting her know. Oh, Anne, if I ever make it—or get anywhere—or if you ever need anything, I’ll repay you. I swear, I’ll—”
Anne gently released herself from the frenzied embrace. “I’m glad for you, Neely. Really I am.”
The phone buzzed. Lyon picked it up. “It’s Gil Case again,” he whispered, one hand over the mouthpiece. Anne felt a lurch of apprehension until Lyon laughed.
“I don’t know, Gil.” He turned to Neely. “By the way—what is your name?”
The childish eyes opened wide. “It’s Neely.”
“Neely,” Lyon repeated into the phone. “Yes, N-e-e-l-y.” He looked back to Neely for confirmation. She nodded vaguely. Then he asked, “Neely what?”
She stared at him. “Oh gosh . . . I don’t know. I mean, I’ve never had to bother with a name because I’ve been one of The Gaucheros. I can’t use Ethel Agnes O’Neill.”
Lyon placed his hand over the phone. “Shall I tell him to wait until tomorrow, until you come up with something?”
“And give him a chance to change his mind? Not on your life! Anne, what shall I call myself? Can I use your name? Neely Welles?”
Anne smiled. “You can think of something more exciting.”
Neely looked at Lyon wildly. “Mr. Burke?”
He shook his head. “Neely Burke has no magic.”
Neely stood still for a
“Look, Gil,” Lyon said in an easy voice, “I know it’s not really your concern. Technically you’re in the clear, If the boys promised you they’d take care of their partner, quite naturally you believed them.”
Anne saw him staring at Neely. She knew he was stalling for time. He put his hand over the phone again and whispered, “Neely, how old are you? Truth!”
“Nineteen—”
“She’s seventeen,” Anne hissed.
“I have to say I’m nineteen to work in some states,” Neely argued.
Lyon’s face broke into a victorious smile. “Look, Gil,” he said cheerfully. “We certainly don’t want any trouble. We have Helen Lawson in the show, plus the choreographer and Jennifer North. It’s to our advantage to have everything run smoothly. The last thing any of us wants is a lawsuit. Yes, I said lawsuit. Gil, this little partner The Gaucheros brushed off is only seventeen. And these chaps have been trotting her across the country for some time, lying about her age. Now if she wanted to sue them it could get messy. I imagine the contract is just for The Gaucheros . . . nothing about an agreement to dissolve the current act. Gil, I know they told you it would be all right—but the fact is, it isn’t all right. How do I know she’ll sue? Because she’s sitting right here.” He winked at Neely and leisurely lit a fresh cigarette.
“Now Gil, of course I know it’s rough to start looking for a new dance team. But I think we can solve things right on the phone. The Gaucheros have a standard Equity contract for five hundred, right? You can drop them any time during the first five days without paying them a dime, right? Then just give them the facts of life and issue them a new contract for four hundred, then issue another contract to their little partner for one hundred. Put her in the chorus, let her understudy, do bits—anything, just so long as she’s in the show. It doesn’t cost you an extra penny and everyone’s happy. . . . Of course. Yes, I’ll tell her to report back to rehearsal tomorrow. . . . Delighted The Copa? When, tonight? Love to join you. All right, see you there.”
He hung up and smiled at Neely. “Young lady, you are in the show.”
She crossed the room and threw her arms around him in a spontaneous burst of gratitude. “Oh, Mr. Burke . . . golly, you’re terrific!” Then she rushed back to Anne and hugged her. “Oh, Anne, I love you! I’ll never forget this. You’re the only friend I have. Even my brother-in-law turned against me. And my sister—that louse musta known about it! Charlie wouldn’t dare pull this whammy without letting her know. Oh, Anne, if I ever make it—or get anywhere—or if you ever need anything, I’ll repay you. I swear, I’ll—”
Anne gently released herself from the frenzied embrace. “I’m glad for you, Neely. Really I am.”
The phone buzzed. Lyon picked it up. “It’s Gil Case again,” he whispered, one hand over the mouthpiece. Anne felt a lurch of apprehension until Lyon laughed.
“I don’t know, Gil.” He turned to Neely. “By the way—what is your name?”
The childish eyes opened wide. “It’s Neely.”
“Neely,” Lyon repeated into the phone. “Yes, N-e-e-l-y.” He looked back to Neely for confirmation. She nodded vaguely. Then he asked, “Neely what?”
She stared at him. “Oh gosh . . . I don’t know. I mean, I’ve never had to bother with a name because I’ve been one of The Gaucheros. I can’t use Ethel Agnes O’Neill.”
Lyon placed his hand over the phone. “Shall I tell him to wait until tomorrow, until you come up with something?”
“And give him a chance to change his mind? Not on your life! Anne, what shall I call myself? Can I use your name? Neely Welles?”
Anne smiled. “You can think of something more exciting.”
Neely looked at Lyon wildly. “Mr. Burke?”
He shook his head. “Neely Burke has no magic.”
Neely stood still for a
Similar Books
