Scatter the Stars, page 49
‘Jesus, Randy!’
‘Ariel, my nightmare is over. I’m home and free, on the other side of the river.’
He linked arms between Sibyl and Ariel and headed back to the dressing room. ‘I think I need a heart-starter.’
‘More than you can imagine, babe,’ said Ariel, giving his arm a squeeze. ‘And I’ve got some news on your blackmailer, too. My connections have come good with some startling information about this guy. He’s got a record as long as the Golden Gate Bridge. He’s been in and out of Aussie prisons almost non-stop for everything from selling drugs to doing banks.’
Randy stopped and looked at her in astonishment. ‘You fair dinkum?’
‘Fair dinkum,’ said Ariel grinning, knowing that this was the ultimate confirmation for an Australian. ‘I know I said I wouldn’t interfere . . . but this was kept close to the chest, believe me. I was hoping to get to you with the info before you went on stage, but I couldn’t get through the crowd and missed by a few seconds. Probably why I’ve always been an agent rather than an actor . . . never been good at timing my entry right.’
Randy swept her up in a hug and kissed her cheeks. ‘This time you got your timing spot on. Believe me, you got it right. I couldn’t take a chance on you stopping me from saying what I had to say. Isn’t that so, Sibyl?’
Ariel shut the dressing room door behind them. ‘Let’s have that drink.’
In the theatre, the stunned studio chiefs who’d been kept in the dark went berserk, the senior executives hurrying backstage as the MC tried to re-gain the audience and introduce the film of the world’s greatest lover that they’d all come to see. In the lobby and corridors, media representatives were frantically working the cell phones and at the same time trying to find out how to get to Randy through the closed doors protected by burly security guards who wouldn’t give ground. CNN was replaying the confession across the country within minutes and newspaper editors were reshaping their front pages.
The film was a smash hit with the audience and the critics and so was the ball that followed. It was, as Ariel put it, ‘The best party in this town for a long time . . . probably the best of the millennium.’
Reluctantly, Randy was persuaded to keep to his role for the night and attend the grand ball. On one arm was Sibyl as a royal courtesan in a simple but pretty costume of the period, soft grey and lilac wisps of fabric, sprinkled with small sparkling gemstones, a moonstone necklace and a mask like a spider web studded with tiny stars, and on the other Ariel as Madame Pompadour, the folds of her flesh in billowing satins and a huge powdered white-curled wig. They made their grand entry to the ballroom, as scripted by the function organisers, to another standing ovation.
They joined Michael, Janie, Shana and film friends at Randy’s table as the band struck up a Viennese waltz. Randy, looking perfectly at ease in his ivory satin, tight-legged pants, white stockings and white shoes with gold buckles, topped by sky blue embroidered fitted jacket and dashing lace and silk bow at his throat, bowed to Ariel and led her towards the band. As they circled the dance floor, Randy whispered near her ear, ‘Thanks for sticking with me all these years. I was really a lousy deal for most of the time, wasn’t I?’
She smiled back. ‘That’s a matter of opinion, sport. It depends whether you want to judge someone as a client or a friend. The real value in you, Randy, has been as a friend. But I’m not knocking back the cash dividend I see coming over the horizon if you can get yourself out of this mess.’
Late in the evening, although the festivities showed no sign of abating, a journalist pal of Michael’s from the TV studios caught his eye and they met outside the ballroom.
The journalist raised his eyes in humorous admiration of Michael, dressed in a rich red velvet jacket embroidered with gold and silver thread, and black pantaloons, slashed with gold. Hastily he got to the point. ‘The story is they’ve nabbed the guy. He’s spilling the works.’
‘How come? How’d they get him?’
‘Seems Randy’s agent had one of the Feds, friend of hers, shadow Randy over the last couple of days. Randy left something for the guy in a bookshop and the Feds watched the guy do the pick-up. They were following him, hoping for a red-handed catch when the money changed hands. The agent organised for them to have access to the premiere and they nabbed him as he skipped out of the theatre after Randy’s bombshell speech. Great story, hey.’
‘Fantastic. Has he confessed?’
‘Sang like a canary once they laid his record on him. The letter and the phone calls to Randy are enough to put him away for extortion. And when he knew the game was up, he confessed to the Aussie murder. I got it from an inside source, my little deep throat. Thought you might like to tell your pal. Don’t spread it around too far, though. We’re in front with an exclusive at the moment. Here’s my cell phone number. Get Randy to give me a call with a brief comment, will you? That’s the pay-off, okay?’
‘Done. Thanks, buddy.’
Michael returned to the ballroom. Seeing Randy on the dance floor, he went first to Ariel and lifted the bottle of champagne from its bucket. ‘You might like to top up your glass.’ He leaned forward and whispered the news.
For once there was no exuberant reaction. Her eyes closed briefly. ‘Thank God. Or whoever it is up there.’ They clinked glasses.
‘To Ariel. The protector,’ said Michael.
‘Mazel tov.’ She grinned. Quietly he went to the others and whispered the news as best he could above the music.
Janie’s eyes glowed as he told her. ‘Oh, that’s wonderful. I’m so relieved.’ He kissed her quickly and she caught his arm. ‘Michael, when are we going to tell everyone our news?’
‘About the baby or getting married?’ He smiled.
‘Well, if we leave it too long, it won’t be much of a surprise. I’d rather not waddle to the altar in a maternity bridal gown.’
‘This is Randy’s night. Our news can wait a little bit longer.’
She gave a cheeky smile. ‘Are you sure you still want to marry me? Us?’
He kissed her again. ‘I’ve never been so sure of anything. I love you . . . and our baby of Paradis.’
Randy, still the centre of everyone’s attention, was dancing close with a glamorous actress, flirting outrageously with her. She had that look on her face that Michael realised every woman he met must give him.
Michael glanced at the table where Ariel sat, quietly sipping her champagne and watching Randy as he talked softly to the woman in his arms. There was a momentary flash of pain across Ariel’s face, then a veil dropped and she turned to Michael with her usual cheerful demeanour.
‘Hey, Michael. Let’s you and I dance. We’d better tell him the news, eh? Doesn’t look like he’ll be heading this way for awhile.’
He glanced down the table to where Janie was deep in conversation with Pat Jordan who’d joined them to share the news. ‘Sure. We can then swap partners with Randy and you can tell him.’
They moved onto the floor. ‘Ariel, can I say, I think you are magnificent.’
‘Born a century too late, huh?’ She patted her wig.
‘No, I mean what you’ve done for Randy. I’m just starting to learn about things like unconditional love, being true to yourself, giving of oneself.’ Haltingly he added, ‘You’ve made his life very rich. I guess in his own way he knows it. You were there at the start when he was nothing, and all the way to this pinnacle. You’ve made his star shine.’
She bit her lip. ‘Thanks for them kind words, dear sir. You know, I’ve always thought that Randy epitomises a line from Sufi poet and mystic Rumi . . . “we come whirling out of nothingness, scattering the stars like dust . . .” Someone has to clear a path through the heavens for him. I guess that’s my job.’
Michael gave her a hug, his heart aching for this big, gutsy, wonderful woman. As they moved through the dancing crowd towards Randy, she spoke softly, ‘I’m all right, Michael. My turn will come. Maybe in my next life.’
Then Ariel threw back her head and laughed. Michael turned and bowed towards the woman in Randy’s arms. A few words of polite request and the exchange of partners was executed to the beat of the music and with a flourish of almost choreographed steps that had both couples laughing. Randy and Ariel immediately settled into their understood style. Randy saw the sparkle he knew so well in Ariel’s eyes. He gave her his lopsided grin and a questioning ‘So what now?’
Ariel returned the smile. ‘So, Richard Leyton, listen to your agent, already. Have I got a future for you . . . ’
Di Morrissey, Scatter the Stars
