Free Celluloid Memories by Sandra Kitt Page B

or had met her afterward?
    It was necessary for Savannah to shift her chair several times as the sun crossed the sky and the day slipped away. She ignored the telephone when it rang twice as she was reading. She distantly heard the front doorbell but made no attempt to find out who the caller was. She gave no thought to the chores she’d lined up for the day, and it never once occurred to her to put the documents aside, even for an hour or two. She was riveted by the unveiling portrait of a young Hollywood hopeful who was desperate for recognition from film power brokers, but who lived under some sort of cloud of uncertainty and fear.
    When her cell phone rang around four o’clock, Savannah reached for the unit, conveniently placed on the flagstone patio next to her chair. She quickly tried to finish a sentence in which it was reported that Rae Marie was suspected of having an affair with one of Warner Brothers’ hot young male properties, a blond former athlete with action-film aspirations.
    â€œHello?” Savannah answered absently.
    â€œWhere are you? I thought you were going to call me this morning.”
    Savannah’s concentration was abruptly broken. “Harris. I’m so sorry. I forgot all about calling.”
    â€œThanks a lot,” her brother said dryly. “I hope you had a good reason.”
    â€œI don’t know about that. I was going through some of Daddy’s papers. I didn’t want to just throw them out.”
    â€œSure, I understand. Find anything important?”
    Savannah gnawed the inside of her jaw. “So far, the usual stuff. Plus, there are a lot of things from his career. Maybe not so much important as interesting. How are you?”
    â€œGreat. On my way to Germany.”
    â€œReally? What’s in Germany?”
    â€œI’m going over to work with the foreign service contingent to train them in new government procedures.”
    â€œWell, that sounds like fun,” she said.
    â€œIt’s not, but it is Germany. It’ll be my first time there. Just wanted to check in with you to see how it was going before I go.”
    â€œIs Janet going with you?”
    â€œNot this time. I’m only going to be away two weeks, and the boys are close to the end of the school year. She wants to be around for last-minute tests and projects.
    â€œI thought I might fly out and see you when I get back. Maybe for a long weekend. Is that okay with you?”
    â€œThat would be great.”
    â€œWe can take care of whatever else needs to be done about Dad’s affairs and spend some time together. Must be a little hard living in the house now that he’s gone,” Harris observed.
    Savannah sighed and tilted her head back against the cushioned lounger. “Not as bad as I thought it would be. I love the house, Harris, but right now it still feels like I’m just a visitor. I’ve decided it’s time to put Daddy’s things away. Since I’m going to stay in L.A., I don’t want this house to look like a shrine. Have any thoughts about what I should do with everything?”
    â€œI’d like to have some of the photographs, especially those of him with Poitier, Sammy Davis, Jr., and I think there was one with Lena Horne. Oh, and can I have any scripts you find?”
    â€œSure. What else?”
    â€œThat’s all I can think of for the moment. But keep anything else that looks interesting until I come out.”
    â€œI will. Harris, I have to ask you something. Do you know if Daddy was involved with anyone else? I mean, romanticwise, after he and Mommy separated?”
    Harris laughed. “Are you kidding? The man was a good-looking dude. I’m sure there were lots of women who wouldn’t necessarily kick him out of bed.”
    â€œYeah, but, do you think there was anyone in particular?”
    â€œProbably more than one over the years, but he never talked about anyone special to me. Why all these