"Woods, Stuart - Dead Eyes" - читать интересную книгу автора (Woods Stuart)

"Anything at all happens, you hit any two buttons on the keypad, and we'll have a call in to the police within ten seconds. Response time out here is two minutes or less, usually. Of course, depending on what's happening in Malibu, it could take longer."

"Mel, I'm very protective of my privacy, and I don't want anybody in your firm to have my street address or phone number, unless it's absolutely necessary."

"I understand your concern," he replied, "but at any one moment, there are three operators sitting staring at computer screens at my office in Santa Monica. When an alarm goes off, if it's not a panic, the operator will immediately call your phone number. If there's no answer, he'll call the police; if you answer, he'll expect you to give him a verbal code, which you will select. If you don't give the code, or if you give the wrong code, he'll assume you're under duress, and he'll call the police."

"That sounds all right."

"My point is, all the operators on all the shifts will have your address and phone number right there in the computer. You should know, however, that I thoroughly investigate the background of every person I hire, and I don't take anybody with a criminal record or any kind of questionable past. Some of my people are former cops, and they know what to do in an emergency."

"Well," she sighed, "I guess I can't go through life without somebody knowing where to find me."

"That's right, but at least you can exercise some control over who knows.."

I wish that were true, she thought to herself.

When she got back to the house there was another letter in her mailbox.

That made three in one day.

'I can't seem to stop thinking about you,' the last line read.

CHAPTER 3

On Friday morning, Chris attended the first reading of the final script of her new film, Forsaken, her first western. This was not the hot role she was looking for, but she was playing opposite Jason Quinn, a rising young actor, and the word was that this movie would make him a big star. Once again, she was riding on somebody else's coattails, but, although Quinn's role would dominate the film, she had four very good scenes, including her fight.

The cast had been studying a draft of the screenplay, and this was the first time any of them would see the final. Everyone was keyed up, but as they settled around a long table, set up on an empty sound stage and began to read their parts, it was clear to everybody that what they were reading was a big improvement on what had come before. ' Chris was delighted to find that her part had been expanded, and she had a new scene with Quinn was better than anything she had bargained : for.

When they finished at lunchtime, Jason Quinn the director, Brent Williams, took her aside, which made her nervous. Like any actor, Chris was rattled by criticism, and she knew that if these two men didn't like what she was doing, she COULD be replaced on short notice.

"Chris," Brent began, "I want to tell you that this was the best first reading of a script that I have ever attended, and Jason and I think you are going to be brilliant in this film."

Quinn spoke up.

"I can't think of any other actress who could do what you are doing with this art," he said.

"And Graham Hong tells me that you really going to look good wiping the floor with the bad guy."

"Well, thank you, Jason." Brent," Chris said, trying not to sound flustered't his unexpected praise.

"I'm really looking forward to shooting."

"I know this is supposed to be the final screenplay," Brent said, "but there was a scene we cut out early on because we didn't think any actress could bring it off, and now Jason and I want to put it back in. Chris, I'm not exaggerating when I tell you that is Academy Award material. The studio is very excited about this film; they loved your test for the part, and they're going to pump up the opening from eight hundred to twelve hundred screens--if they like the finished product."

"And they're going to love the finished product," Jason said, displaying a large amount of Beverly ills dental work.

"I think you and I are really going to work up some chemistry on. this one."

Chris thanked them again, and Jason went back to his dressing room, leaving her alone with the director.