Where the Truth Lies by Holmes Rupert

Author:Holmes Rupert [Rupert, Holmes]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-03-30T21:28:09+00:00

“Oh, please—” Lanny groaned.

“Owing to the table-for-four seating in first class, I ended up having dinner with Lanny, his manager, and his valet. They asked me my name. Vince, I had just finished reading the first chapter of Lanny’s autobiography, obviously a rival work. His lawyers had let me see it in the hope of discouraging our own project. As a reflex, since he probably viewed me as ‘the enemy,’ I gave Lanny not my real name but that of a friend of mine whose apartment I was going to stay at in Manhattan. In other words, I lied to him, and I’m responsible for what came out of that lie. I thought at the time I simply had to get through the awkwardness of the flight itself, but the trouble is that Mr. Morris, as you know, is quite the self-promoter. We went to a ball game the next day, where he’d arranged to sing for a sell-out crowd at Shea Stadium. Then he flew me by helicopter to a rooftop in Manhattan, bought out a room at a restaurant so we could sip immense martinis in total privacy, took me on the mandatory hansom-cab ride through Central Park, and Vince, by the time we were back at his hotel, I admit I was completely starstruck, suckered, and schnockered.”

Vince nodded. “You slept with him.”

Lanny spoke up. “I think her words, Vince, were‘Oh, take me, please!’ ”

I shook my head. “I swear I never said that.”

And Icould swear, because what I’d said was “Oh … of course, yes, have me. By all means,” which was, of course, very different by the Spiro Agnew Standard of Nondenial Denial. I added, “But honestly, I don’t remember much of what happened after that.” Immense lie. I remembered everything, vividly. I’d hoped and expected it would happen again and again, if only Lanny hadn’t revealed himself to be the world’s biggest bastard. But Lanny couldn’t be inside my brain, wouldn’t know how much the night had meant to me, how much I’d fallen asleep thinking I’d awaken to a new phase of my life, so there was no way he would know what a lie this was. “All I can tell you is the next morning, I found that Lanny had left town without explanation. He never contacted me again. Today is the first time I’ve seen him since that evening. And that, Vince, is the truth.”

Lanny turned in a small circle. “Vince, she’s so full of crap I can’t even begin.”

Vince nodded. “Okay. What did she lie about?”

Lanny sputtered. “It’s the way she’s presented it. She’s one shrewd bitch, Vince. You can’t give her your trust. Understand? That’s the only reason I brought her here. To warn you.”

Vince withdrew a pack of Viceroys from his pocket and lit one with his gold stick lighter. He exhaled and looked at me. “So. You slept with my ex-partner.”

Oh God. What could I say? “Technically, yes.”

“Doesn’t sound like things were particularly technical.” He half-smiled. “I don’t suppose he forced you to do anything? I mean, it was all voluntary on your part.

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