Free The Retrieval by Lucius Parhelion Page A

asked Jake, who was stowing the suitcase in the rumble seat.
    “Uh-huh. A birthday present from Laura, of course, for our twenty-fourth. She really went overboard, but I think she felt guilty about what happened to my jalopy after I drove down to Tijuana to help give her boyfriend the old heave-ho. He thought they were getting married and meant to make clear before the wedding bells who would wear the trousers. What a jerk.”
    “Which jerk was he?” Charlie glanced briefly at the passers-by, all potential eavesdroppers. “That famous, well-muscled movie star she wrote me about?”
    “Not him, the band leader. Mr. He-Man is okay if you ignore him believing in his own Photoplay articles. If I ever catch Laura starting to do that, there’ll be hell to pay. But she won’t.”
    “No, she won’t,” Charlie agreed. Laura was Jake’s fraternal twin, so he likely understood her as well as any male ever would. Even Charlie, who’d only known the pair of them since they were both sixteen, thought Laura too practical to buy into most of the nonsense that went along with Hollywood stardom. She was still as much a Broadway canary as a movie star who sang, and singers tended toward realism.
    Jake, who’d slipped into the driver’s seat as Charlie climbed into the roadster beside him, now gripped the steering wheel with both hands and sighed instead of reaching for the starter.
    Charlie felt himself frown. “Permit me to return our conversation to that favor you want. Given how you’re behaving, it must be a wonder.”
    “Oh, it’s a lollapalooza, all right. Particularly since I was supposed to be the one doing you a favor, looking around for places you might like. I meant to show you a lot of nifty real estate today, not too far from Cosmic in case they force you to come in and work on screenwriter’s row. Then I thought we could catch up on the news before we headed over to Laura’s for dinner. Afterward, we’d decide where to store those trunks you shipped, and then she’d refuse to let you use the hotel reservation I’d bet you didn’t make in the first place.”
    “No, I didn’t bother. By this time, I know better. The favor?”
    “Two favors. Okay, three favors, but you could enjoy the third one, so it might not count.”
    After pursing his lips to hide his amusement, Charlie said, “I feel compelled to point out that you’re not getting anywhere with all this stalling.”
    “Yes I am. A passing airplane might crash into us before I have to explain.”
    That earned Jake a snort.
    A smile flickered on Jake’s lips, but it was gone before he said, “Anyhow, all three favors are related. First, or maybe third, Laura wants you as her escort this evening. She’s going to a birthday party for Henry Lowery, who’s a big noise at Cosmic. You’ll have to be sophisticated, witty, and charming after a long train trip, but you’re familiar enough with that brand of baloney to slice it in your sleep. So you might have fun.”
    “Have fun talking in my sleep. And I suppose I’ll be well fed, too. As I slumber.”
    “The food will be about as good as it gets in Los Angeles.”
    “How lovely. And where will you be during this whoopee-fest?”
    Jake grimaced. “Right alongside you, pal. Mrs. Henry Lowery likes having me at her table to even up the girl-boy numbers although I don’t know why. Do I look like a movie star?” He’d taken one hand from the steering wheel to jab a thumb into his own chest, right over his only-slightly-atrocious tie.
    That was the cue for Charlie to consider Jake at length. It was a pleasant task, especially given the eight months that had passed since their last meeting.
    Jake kept himself lean and fit, although his tanned complexion was a gift to him from the Southern California sunshine. Whenever his hair looked this good, Laura had made him get a haircut, but the combed-back dark waves were attractive nonetheless. Charlie also knew Jake had the long fingers that hinted at