Free G'Day USA by Tony McFadden Page A

Leone gunfight.
    ‘ No. Do not touch. Do whatever you want later tonight but right now, do not touch.’ She held out a hand and helped me out of the chair. ‘Have a fantastic night tonight. You’re going to be fine. The movie is going to do great and one day soon I’ll be pointing at you on TV and telling my grandkids “I used to make up her face”. Go have a bunch of fun and don’t forget the dress. I’m too short and fat for it. And red doesn’t look good on me.’
    I thanked her, was rebuffed when I tried to kiss her on the cheek and laughed as she scolded me for forgetting already. Now it was home and change and hope Marty wasn’t in a prankster mood with the limo.
    From Glendale back to my apartment was about thirty minutes. Marty would be showing up in a bit over an hour. Cutting it close. I pushed it a little on the I-10 and was edging Culver City when my phone rang.
    ‘ Ellie speaking.’
    ‘ Hi, Ell. Cathy here. I got your message. Wow. The premiere’s tonight?’
    ‘ Where the hell have you been? I’ve been trying to reach you for ages. The tickets will be there. Can you make it?’
    ‘ I’d really love to, but we’re in Branson.’
    ‘ Missouri?’
    ‘ I don’t think there’s another one. We’re flying in late tonight. Back in LA in the morning. We need to catch up. It’s been too long.’
    ‘ It has. Still with dip shit?’
    ‘ Come on, Ellie. Bernie made a mistake. He apologized a hundred times. Let him be, okay? When are you free to come by for a barbecue? Just like old times. Eat a little food, get a little drunk, have a lot of fun.’
    I thought about my schedule. ‘Not trying to blow you off, Cath, but I’m completely booked with publicity gigs all over the US for the next two - almost three - weeks. It’s “g’day LA” tonight and “g’day USA” for the rest of the month. If it’s any consolation, I’m not going to be having any fun doing it.’
    ‘ Right. Flying first class, best suites, pampered like a princess.’ She chuckled. ‘I’d hate it too.’
    ‘ Oh, you know what I mean. No time is mine. It’s like a three-week long choreographed play with no intermissions. Tons o’ fun. Hey, you want to come along? I could use a friend by my side.’
    ‘ Shit, that would be awesome, but no. Rehearsals start next Monday at the Los Angeles Shakespeare Theatre. You know, the one in Topanga Canyon. I’m Beatrice in Much Ado and Bernie is stage managing. You’ll have to come see it. It runs for a couple of months.’
    ‘ Yup. I can see you as a Beatrice, never shutting up. Suits you.’ I swung on to the PCH. Two minutes to home. ‘Listen, Cath I really miss hanging with you. Damn shame you can’t make it. We could play sisters again. We had them convinced before.’
    ‘ We’re almost identical twins, except I’ve got about twenty pounds on you.‘ Cathy paused. ‘What a shame. Our lives are too busy.’
    ‘ I bet you wouldn’t want to change anything.’
    ‘ You’re right. I’ve got to take it while it’s being handed to me. I’ve got to get going Ellie. We’ll catch up soon.’
    She hung up before I could reply. I really missed her. It had been too long. But I had to shake it off. Marty and his ride would be by in far too little time, and I had a movie to go see.
    Tonight would be an event which would alter the course of my life.

 
    Chapter Eight
     
    Perkins leaned back in his chair, scratching his head. ‘Dog-show, this is troubling me.’
    Sampson dropped the magazine he was reading. ‘Something is always troubling you, Perk. What this time?’
    The Sergeant slid the ME’s file on his desk. ‘Time of death narrowed down to closer to 8:00pm.’
    ‘ Yeah, I read that.’
    ‘ Make any sense to you? The cook at the restaurant told me the order for breakfast was placed just after he arrived, a bit after 6:00 p.m.’
    ‘ Got that too. Where’s the conspiracy this time?’
    ‘ Why would someone bother killing themselves less than two hours after