〃But； Jonas。 I brought Bonner into New York。〃
〃That's fine；〃 I said。 〃But you get him back to the studio and tell him I'll see him there。 That's the only place to handle a picture。〃
〃O。K。； Jonas；〃 he said； a faint disappointment in his voice。 〃You flying out？〃
〃Yeah。 I think I can make the ICA two…o'clock flight。 That way； I'll be in California tomorrow morning。〃
〃Give Rosa a call； will you； Jonas？ She'd be pleased to hear from you。〃
〃I will； David；〃 I said。 〃By the way； how do I get in touch with that Jennie Denton？ I think I ought at least to meet the girl who's going to play the lead in The Sinner。〃
〃She's in Palm Springs； at the Tropical Flower Hotel； registered under the name of Judy Belden。〃
〃Thanks； David；〃 I said。 〃Good…by。〃
〃Have a safe trip； Jonas。〃
It was 11：30 a。m。； California time； the next day； when I parked my convertible in the driveway of the Tropical Flower Hotel in Palm Springs。 I checked at the desk and walked down to Cottage No。 5。 When I knocked on the door； there was no answer。 But the door was unlocked； so I walked in。 〃Miss Denton？〃 I called。
There was no answer。 Then I heard the shower running in the bathroom。 I walked through and opened the bathroom door。 I could see the outline of her body against the opaque shower curtain。 She was singing in a low； husky voice。
I closed the bathroom door behind me and sat down on the can。 I lit a cigarette while I watched her through the shower curtain。 I didn't have to wait long。
She turned off the water and I could hear her sniff at the cigarette smoke。 Her voice； from behind the curtain； was calm。 〃If that's one of the bellboys waiting out there； he'd better go before I e out；〃 she said； 〃or I report him to the desk。〃
I didn't answer。
She stuck her head through the shower curtain； groping for a towel。 I reached over and put one in her hand。 Through the curtain； I could see her wrap it around herself； then the curtain slid back and she stared at me。 Her eyes were dark gray and unafraid。 〃The bellboys in this hotel are the worst；〃 she said。 〃They walk in on you at the oddest times。〃
〃You could try locking your door。〃
She stepped out of the tub。 〃What for？ They all have passkeys。〃
I got to my feet。 〃Jennie Denton？〃
〃It's Judy Belden on the register。〃 A questioning look came over her face。 〃You the law？〃
I shook my head。 〃No。 I'm Jonas Cord。〃
She looked up at me； a slow smile spreading over her face。 〃Well； hey！ I've been waiting to meet you。〃
I smiled back at her。 〃What for？〃
She came very close to me and reached up to put her arms around my neck。 She drew my face down and the towel slipped from her body to the floor as she stretched up to her tiptoes and kissed me。 Then she leaned her head back and looked up at me with mischievous； laughing eyes。
〃Boss；〃 she whispered； 〃ain't it about time you signed my contract？〃
6
IT WAS THE SAME BUNGALOW OFFICE I'D USED TEN years ago； when we were making The Renegade。 Nothing had changed except the secretaries。 〃Good morning； Mr。 Cord；〃 they trilled in unison as I came in。
I said good morning and walked through to my office。 Bonner was pacing up and down nervously。 Dan Pierce was seated on the long couch underneath the window。 I looked at him for a moment； then without speaking； walked behind my desk and sat down。
〃I asked Pierce to e over and help convince you；〃 Bonner said。 〃You can't make a picture costing this much without a name。〃
〃Dan couldn't convince me to go to the can if I had the runs。〃
〃Wait a minute； Jonas；〃 Dan said quickly。 〃I know how you feel。 But believe me； I'm only looking out for your good。〃
I turned to him。 〃Like you did when you sold your stock to Sheffield without checking with me？〃
〃The stock was mine；〃 he said hotly。 〃I didn't have to check with anybody。 Besides； who could get in touch with you？ Everybody knew that you didn't give a damn about the pany； that you were unloading part of your own stock。〃
I reached for a cigarette。 After a moment； I nodded。 〃You're right； Dan；〃 I said。 〃The stock was yours； you didn't owe me anything。 You did your job and I paid you for it … in full； for the five years your contract still had to run。〃 I leaned back in the chair and dragged on the cigarette。 〃I just made a mistake。 You were a good agent when I met you。 I should have left well enough alone。〃
〃I'm trying to keep you from making another mistake； Jonas。 When the script of The Sinner was written； it was a vehicle for a big star … Rina Marlowe。 She was the biggest there was。 You can't just take a girl with no experience； and who nobody's heard of； and put her in a picture without stars to support her。 They'll laugh you out of the theater。〃
I looked up quizzically。 〃What do you think I ought to do； then？〃
I could see the quick look of confidence e into his eyes。 〃Get a couple of big names；〃 he said。 〃Use the girl if you want but back her up。 Bogart。 Tracy。 Colman。 Gable。 Flynn。 Any one of them insures it for you。〃
〃I suppose you can get them for me？〃
He missed the sarcasm。 〃I think I could help；〃 he said cautiously。
〃Well； bless your little bleeding； ten…per…centing heart。 That's very kind of you。〃 I got to my feet。 〃Get out； Dan。 Get out before I throw you out。 And don't ever e back on this lot while I'm on it。〃
He stared at me； his face turning white。 〃You can't talk to me like that；〃 he blustered。 〃I'm not one of your flunkies who you can buy and sell。〃
〃I bought you and I sold you；〃 I said coldly。 〃You're the same guy you were when you tried to dump Nevada's show for Buffalo Bill's。 You'd sell your own mother if there was anything in it for you。 But you're not selling me any more。 I'm not buying。〃
I pressed the buzzer on my desk and one of the secretaries came in。 〃Yes； Mr。 Cord？〃 she asked from the open doorway。
〃Mr。 Pierce was just leaving… 〃
Dan's face was livid with rage。 〃You'll regret this； Jonas。〃
The door slammed behind him and I turned to Bonner。 〃I'm sorry； Jonas；〃 he stammered。 〃I… didn't know… 〃
〃That's O。K。；〃 I said easily。 〃You didn't know。〃
〃But the way the picture is shaping up now； it's going over three million dollars。 I'd feel better if we had some stars in it。〃
I shook my head。 〃Stars are great； I'm not fighting them。 But not this time。 We're doing a story based on the Bible。 When somebody looks up at that screen at John or Peter； I want them to see John or Peter； not Gable； Tracy or Bogart。 Besides； the girl is the important thing。〃
〃But nobody ever heard of the girl。〃
〃So what？〃 I asked。 〃What have we got a publicity department for？ By the time this picture es out； there won't be a man； woman or child in the world who won't know her name。 You thought enough of her to make the test； didn't you？ And all you knew about her was that she was a girl you met at a party。〃
A curiously embarrassed look came over Bonner's face。 〃That was different。 It was almost a gag。 I never thought anybody would take it seriously。〃
〃David saw the test and took it seriously。 So did I。〃
〃But a test isn't a whole picture。 Maybe she can't sustain… 〃
I cut him short。 〃She'll sustain；〃 I said。 〃And you know it。 You knew it when you asked her to make the test。〃
He looked at me with his ugly horse face。 Nervously his hand scratched at himself。 〃She… she told you about the party？〃 he asked hesitantly。
I nodded。 〃She told me how you'd watched her all evening； how you came over and asked her to take the test。〃 I laughed。 〃You guys beat me。 You find a Lana Turner at a soda fountain。 You find Jennie at a dinner party。 How do you do it？〃
A puzzled look came into his eyes。 He started to say something but the telephone on my desk rang。 I picked it up。 It was one of the secretaries。 〃Miss Denton is finished in Hairdressing。 Do you want her to e down？〃
〃Yes。〃 I put down the phone and turned back to Bonner。 〃I sent Jennie up to Hairdressing。 I had an idea I wanted to try out。〃
The door opened and Jennie came in。 She moved slowly； almost hesitantly； to the center of the office。 She stopped in front of my desk。 She spun slowly； her long hair no longer a pale brown but a sparkling champagne。 It swirled down around her neck and shoulders； spilling a translucent radiance around her tanned face。
Bonner's voice was an eerie whisper。 〃My God！〃
I looked at him。 There was a strange look on his face。 His lips moved silently； his eyes were fixed on her。 〃It's as if… as if she was standing here。〃
〃That's right；〃 I said slowly。 I looked back up at Jennie。 I began to feel a pressure in my heart。 Rina。
〃I want Ilene Gaillard to dress her；〃 I said softly to Bonner。
〃I don't know；〃 he said。 〃She's retired。 She's moved back East。 Boston； I think。〃
I remembered the forlorn； white…haired figure kneeling by Rina's grave。 〃Send her a picture of Jennie。 She'll e。〃
Bonner walked over to the desk and stood next to Jennie； looking down at me。 〃By the way； I heard from Austin Gilbert。 He likes the script。 He's ing over to see the test this afternoon。 If he likes the girl； he'll do the picture。〃
〃Good；〃 I said。 That was the way it was with big directors。 The two hundred grand you paid them meant nothing； they could get that on any picture。 The important thing was