“But Louella...” I spoke slowly, as I still didn’t understand. “She wanted the diary, too. She’d set me up to keep Roy busy. Why?”
“She must be the one who searched Lester’s office,” Oscar said.
Max snapped his fingers like it all made sense now. “Because Hearst and Louella, they weren’t working together. Hearst didn’t tell Louella what he was doing because he wanted the diary all to himself.”
I have Mr. Hearst right in my pocket.That’s what Louella had said. “And Louella didn’t tell Hearst because she wanted to have something on him.” I’d been such a fool. “They didn’t just want to stop Lester blackmailing them.” I looked at the book in Max’shands. “From what’s in there, both of them wanted something on the other.”
Oscar rubbed his face. “Then Alonso sent the note and they both wentloco,sí? Trying to find out who had the diary. The police, the newspapers, the reward for Minerva—” He looked at me. “They must have thought you had it when they didn’t find it on Feng.” He paced to the window and looked out anxiously. “Nobody can know we have it or have even seen it. Or that Alonso had anything to do with it.” He turned back to them. “We give it to Brody. Get rid of—”
“No,” Max interrupted. “We use it. Prove Mina is innocent.”
“Wait.” I stopped them both, holding up my hand. I had an idea taking shape and needed a minute. “Let me think.” I’d been in the wrong place at the wrong time. But now... now maybe I was in the right place and the right time to do the right thing. If I could figure a way.
I paced to the hallway and back. I couldn’t bring Roy Lester back from the dead or turn back the clock and do everything over. I couldn’t mend my heart or Max’s—that was done and there was nothing for it. But I could—with some luck and a prayer—do something for Angel and Roman. The details were hazy, but it was coming together. A Plan. And if it worked, I might balance my ledger. At least some.
I stopped in front of Oscar. “This Detective Brody,” I said. “Do you trust him?” We’d need his help.
Oscar paused. “I think so.”
“What are you thinking?” Max asked, a worried look in his eyes. If Max would cooperate, we had half a chance.
“Max.” I tapped the little book. “Everybody in Hollywood is looking for something, right? Including our friends Hearst and Louella.”
He gave me the look that said he was listening.
Sink or swim, I figured, and this time it was for real. “You and I are going to give them what they’re looking for.” I turned to Oscar. “And they’re going to give us what we need to get your brothers back home safe and sound.”
——————
In no time flat, we were sitting at the corner table in the Brown Derby—Oscar and Detective Brody on my left, Max on my right. Two seats empty and waiting. My hand rested on the slick tabletop, icy cold.
It was showtime.
Max cupped his hand over mine, the way he used to, and my heart gave a little jump. “You sure about this?”
I smiled with as much moxie as I could muster. “Sure I’m sure.”
I wasn’t sure—not by a far cry—and my nerves were stretched as tight as a rubber band. But it was the only chance. For all of us. I couldn’t go back and rewrite the story no matter how much I wished I could. But maybe, with a little luck, I could change the ending.
Back at the bungalow, I’d sat down and worked it all out. I told Max what we were going to do. He looked worried, but he didn’t object. Maybe because I threw in a happy ending for me, even though I had no intention of being around to see it.
“Oscar,” I said, “call Brody. Tell him to meet us at the Brown Derby at noon.”
Then I sent Max to Bullock’s. He came back in a jiffy with just what I needed. Then, after a cigarette to steady my nerves, I made two more calls and it was done.
I cleaned up and smoothed my hair. Max had brought me asophisticated navy gabardine suit with ivory silk lapels and a pair of navy pumps. An ivory cloche with a petal brim hid a good portion of my face. He’d even got my favorite color lipstick and a cake of mascara.
When I was ready, he gave me the once-over and a nod. “Mina.” He shut the door of his bedroom, so I figured it was something serious. “I need to ask a question, and I want a straight answer.”
My heart fluttered. He couldn’t know the last secret, the one I had to keep from him.
“If this all works out... is this really what you want?” He waved toward the city. “Films, this life... making it in this town?”
I had to think fast, and it was hard with the way he was watching me. I couldn’t tell him what came after this—what I’d known since I sat down on that bench in the rain. I didn’t want to lie to him again, but what else could I do? “Sure it is.”
“You don’t want to start over, somewhere else?”
With him, is what he meant. But I couldn’t do that. Not now. “Being in films, it’s what I’ve always wanted, Max. You know that.” I couldn’t tell if he was disappointed or relieved, and I guess it didn’t matter since I didn’t mean a word of it.
