He sat for a few more minutes, trying to think. The list wasn’t supposed to stop at Danny’s mailbox. But nobody had moved yet, playing safe. He had to make them come for it. Something public, a spotlight they’d have to put out. Another car was coming up the hill, grinding slowly around the curves, the sound muffled, a little like the newsreel cameras. For a second he was back in the hearing room and then he was looking across to the press section, Ostermann watching quietly and Polly scribbling beside him.
He found Lasner with the lawyers finishing lunch at Ristorante Rex, the kind of place where they usually brought clients to celebrate deals, all black enamel and art deco ocean-liner trim. Today the mood was anxious, Lasner fidgeting, impatient.
“Where’s Bunny?” he said when Ben took a seat.
“Something came up.”
“Serious?”
Ben shook his head, knowing Lasner meant a studio problem. “He’ll be here later,” he said vaguely.
“So will we, by the looks of it,” Lasner said, glancing at his watch. “The goyim like a long lunch.”
“You should eat something yourself,” Fay said.
“Talking to Hal like that. He’s a Commie, his sister’s a Commie. Hal. He couldn’t wipe Hal’s shoes.”
“Nobody cares about Hal,” one of the lawyers said, an attempt to smooth things over.
“I care about him,” Lasner said.
“I didn’t mean that. I just meant he won’t be that way with you. He’ll want to play it friendly.”
“While he’s stabbing me in the back.”
“Where?” Fay said, running her hand over it, a calming smile.
“You hit the studio, you hit me. I built the studio.”
“He’s not hitting the studio, Sol,” the lawyer said patiently. “I told you. He’s making some noise. In a day or two, he’ll take it somewhere else.”
“Already we’re getting calls from the exhibitors. What’s going on? Why all these people from Continental? You know we depend—we don’t have our own theaters.”
“Well, neither will anybody else, the way things are going,” the lawyer said.
“They get nervous, we’re the first people they say no to. They’re going to fuck Mayer?”
“Some language. That’ll sound wonderful in there,” Fay said.
“He sends Eddie Mannix,” Sol said, ignoring her. “All the sudden they’re booking musicals again.” He paused. “You know how long I know Hal? His father was cutting for Sennett. Sennett, for chrissake, before that nose wipe was even thought of.”
“Well, they’re thinking of him now,” the lawyer said. “And listening, so let’s all just take it easy. You know what to do.”
“Yeah, I know,” Lasner said, still with a hint of defiance, but Ben could hear the nervous tremor under the bravado, as wary as anyone brought before a judge. “I never knew Milt Schaeffer was a Red. I’m as surprised as anybody. I would never have hired him. Continental doesn’t hire Reds. We’re certainly going to be more careful from now on. Thanks to you, Congressman. You want to see me hit my marks, too?”
They took studio cars the few blocks back.
“What’s with Bunny?” Lasner asked Ben.
“A little fire to put out. You know.”
“Everything’s a crisis with him. Sometimes you have to step back. See the whole thing.”
“That’s what you should do, step back,” Fay said. “You’re getting all excited.”
“You see Hal’s face?” he said quietly. “Why would you do that to him? Guy like that. You know him,” he said to Ben. “He try to sign you up for the Party? Labor agitator yet. Where? Fort Roach? You see the way he looked?”
The car pulled up to the curb.
“There’s Polly,” Ben said. “I’ll meet you inside.”
“That bitch,” Lasner said.
“Wonderful,” Fay said. “Be sure to say that when you’re on.”
Polly was surprised, then skeptical. “What kind of drink?”
“To talk. I have something for you.”
“What, something you tried to peddle to Ken? You’re not exactly flavor of the week there.”
“He didn’t level with me. He’s not leveling with you, either.”
She looked up at this, caught, suspicion part of the air she breathed. “What do you mean?”
“Six thirty?”
She hesitated for a minute, then started to turn. “Don’t waste my time. I’m not Ken. I’ve been doing this a lot of years. You have something for the column, call my assistant. It doesn’t check out, don’t call twice. I don’t just print things, they have to check out. Then we’ll see.”