Carrion by Gary Brandner

Author:Gary Brandner [Brandner, Gary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781440558412
Publisher: Prologue Books
Published: 1986-07-15T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 16

The Beverly Towers Hotel made it into Beverly Hills just barely, being on La Cienega and Wilshire, far from the glitter of Sunset. As for towers, that was open to doubt in the high-rise 1980s, when twelve stories was not in the towering class.

Nevertheless, the two-room suite rented by Barry Lendl looked good to Mac Fain when he moved in. There was an oversized sitting room with comfortable chairs, two sofas, impressionist prints on the walls, and a wet bar. The bedroom had a king-size bed with soft indirect lighting and a television set built into the wall. A considerable step upward from the Echo Park apartment.

“How much is this costing me, Barry?” he asked when Barry Lendl moved him in on Tuesday.

“Not to worry,” Lendl said airily. “I’ve got a deal with the management, so they’ll wait till we start cashing in on you.”

“Let’s hope they don’t have to wait too long.”

“Let me do the worrying,” Lendl said. “You relax tonight, and tomorrow we go to work.”

That night Fain slept alone, and he slept badly. Jillian was again tied up, she said, with an acting-class project that would last quite late and leave her too tired for anything but sleep. He next called Ivy, but she was anxious to finish an outline for Bantam Books so they could start negotiations on the advance. As he lay wakeful in the big bed, Fain had time to wonder if loneliness was part of the success package.

The next day he forgot all about being lonely. Barry Lendl was there early, closely followed by reporters, cameramen, hustlers, con men, crackpots, and a lot of people with no apparent reason for being there except curiosity. While Fain watched Lendl trying to restore some semblance of order, a smooth young man in a cashmere jacket maneuvered him to one side of the room.

“I’m Warner Echols,” the young man said. “Federated Artists. You have heard of us?”

“I think so,” Fain said.

“Most people have, even people not in the business. We’re easily the strongest, most respected talent agency in town. I could reel off a roster of our clients for you, but why take up our time with bragging, right?”

“Right,” said Fain on cue.

“To get right to it, Mac, we want to represent you. I don’t have to tell you that F-A can do things for you that no other agency can touch.”

“You want to represent me in what?”

“In all areas, Mac. F-A will take over every detail of your career, steering you steadily up the mountain, while you concentrate on … doing what you do.”

“The thing is,” Fain said, “I have kind of an understanding on that with somebody else.”

Echols smiled indulgently. “Yes, I know. Barry Lendl, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

Echols looked over to where Lendl was trying to keep out a large woman at the door waving an Instamatic. “I saw him when I came in. I admire your loyalty, Mac, but I’ve got to be frank. Lendl’s clients are losers and second-raters. You don’t belong with him.

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