im； I killed him！ I killed him like I killed everyone who ever loved me。' Then she began to scream。〃 Ilene put her hands up over her ears。
David looked down at his glass。 It was empty。 Silently he got up and refilled it。 Sitting down again； he looked into the amber liquid reflectively。 〃You know；〃 he said； 〃what I can't understand is why she ever married him。〃
〃That's just the trouble；〃 she said angrily。 〃None of you ever tried to understand her。 All she ever meant to any of you was a ticket at the box office； money in the bank。 None of you cared what she was really like。 I'll tell you why she married him。 Because she was sorry for him； because she wanted to make a man of him。 That's why she married him。 And that's why she's lying there in her bedroom； crying even though she's asleep。 She's crying because she failed。〃
The telephone rang。 It rang again。 David looked at her。 〃I'll get it；〃 he said。
〃Hello。〃
〃Who is this？〃
〃David Woolf；〃 he said automatically。
〃Jonas Cord；〃 the voice replied。
〃Mr。 Cord；〃 David said。 〃I'm with Norman… 〃
〃I know；〃 Cord interrupted。 〃I remember you。 You're the young man who does all the trouble…shooting for Bernie。 I just heard over the radio about the accident。 How's Rina？〃
〃She's asleep right now。 The doctor knocked her out。〃
There was a long； empty silence on the line and David thought they might have been cut off。 Then Cord's voice came back on the line。 〃Everything under control？〃
〃I think so；〃 David said。
〃Good。 Keep it like that。 If there's anything you need； let me know。〃
〃I will。〃
〃I won't forget what you're doing；〃 Cord said。
There was a click and the line was dead。 Slowly David put down the telephone。 〃That was Jonas Cord；〃 he said。
Ilene didn't raise her face from her hands。
He turned and looked back at the telephone。 It didn't make sense。 From what he'd heard about Cord； he wasn't the kind of man who spent his time making sympathy calls。 If anything； he was exactly the opposite。
Unconsciously he glanced at the closed door to Rina's bedroom。 There had to be more to it than that； he thought。
It was four months before he saw Rina again。 He looked up from the couch in his uncle's office as she swept into the room。
〃Rina； darling！〃 Bernie Norman said； getting up from his desk and throwing his arms around her enthusiastically。
The producer stepped back and looked at her； walking around her as if she were a prize heifer in a cattle show。 〃Slimmer and more beautiful than ever。〃
Rina looked over。 〃Hello； David；〃 she said quietly。
〃Hello； Rina。〃 He got to his feet。 〃How are you？〃
〃I'm fine；〃 she answered。 〃Who wouldn't be after three months on a health farm？〃
He laughed。 〃And your next picture will be another vacation；〃 Norman interrupted。
Rina turned back to him； a faint smile ing over her face。 〃Go ahead； you old bastard；〃 she said。 〃Con me into it。〃
Norman laughed happily。 〃For a minute； I was wondering if it was my old girl who was ing into the office； so nice she was！〃
Rina laughed； too。 〃What's the vacation？〃 she asked。
〃Africa！〃 Norman said triumphantly。 〃The greatest jungle script I read since Trader Horn。〃
〃I knew it；〃 Rina said； turning to David。 〃I knew the next thing he'd have me do would be a female Tarzan！〃
After she was gone； David looked across the room at his uncle。 〃Rina seems quieter； more subdued； somehow。〃
Norman looked at him shrewdly。 〃So what？〃 he said。 〃Maybe she's growing up a bissel and settling down。 It's about time。〃 He got up from his desk and walked over to David。 〃Only six months we got to the stockholders' meeting next March。〃
〃You still don't know who's selling us short？〃
〃No。〃 Norman shook his head。 〃I tried everyplace。 The brokers； the underwriters； the banks。 They tried。 Nobody knows。 But every day； the stock goes down。〃 He chewed on his unlit cigar。 〃I bought up every share I could but enough money I ain't got to stop it。 All the cash I could beg or borrow is gone。〃
〃Maybe the stock will go up when we announce Rina's new picture。 Everyone knows she's a sure money…maker。〃
〃I hope so；〃 Norman said。 〃Everywhere we're losing money。 Even the theaters。〃 He walked back to his chair and slumped down into it。 〃That was the mistake I made。 I should never have bought them。 For them I had to float the stock； borrow all that money from the banks。 Pictures I know； real estate； phooey！ I should never have listened to those chazairem on Wall Street； ten years ago。 Now I sold my pany； the money I ain't got no more。 And I don't even know who owns it！〃
David got to his feet。 〃Well； there's no use in worrying about it。 There's still six months till the meeting。 And a lot can happen in six months。〃
〃Yeah；〃 Norman said discouragingly。 〃It can get worse！〃
David closed the door of his office behind him。 He sat down at his desk and ran down the list of enemies his uncle had made in the course of his life。 It was a long list but there wasn't anyone who had the kind of money this operation required。 Besides； most of them were in the picture business and they had done as much to his uncle as he had done to them。 It was a kind of game among members of a club。 They screamed and hollered a lot but none ever took it seriously enough to carry a grudge like this。
Suddenly； he remembered something … Rina。 He glanced at the door； his hand going automatically to the telephone。 He pulled his hand back sharply。 There was no sense in making a fool of himself。
But he had a hunch。 How right he was he wasn't to know until he had Ilene sign Rina into the hospital under a phony name six months later。 She was just back from Africa after shooting The Jungle Queen； and suddenly took very sick。 He hadn't wanted the press to find out until after the picture was released。
21
〃JONAS CORD；〃 NORMAN SAID BITTERLY。 〃Jonas Cord it was the whole time。 Why didn't you tell me？〃
David turned from the hotel window looking out over Central Park。 〃I didn't know。 I was only guessing。〃
〃Know； not know；〃 the producer said； chewing on his dead cigar。 〃You should have told me； anyway。〃
〃What good would it have done？〃 David asked。 〃I couldn't have proved it and even if I had； you didn't have the money to fight him。〃
Norman took the cigar out of his mouth and looked at it glumly。 With an angry gesture； he threw it on the rug。 〃What did I ever do to him he should want to ruin me？〃 he asked angrily。
David didn't answer。
〃Nothing！ That's what I did。 Only made money for him。 More money that he should use to cut my throat with！〃 Bernie took a fresh cigar from his pocket and waved it in front of David's face。 〃That should be a lesson to you。 Never do a favor for anybody； never make money for anybody； only yourself。 Otherwise； you'll find a knife in your back made of your own silver！〃
David looked at his uncle's angry purple face； remembering the scene that had taken place at the stockholders' meeting。
Norman had gone into it； feeling more confident than he had at any time during the past few months。 The percentage of proxies that had been returned was about what they got every year。 Only about twenty…five per cent of the stockholders ever bothered to send in their proxy forms。 All they were interested in was when they'd begin receiving dividends again。 But those proxies； plus the eight per cent of stock that Norman had in his own name； gave him a fortable thirty…three per cent of the stock to vote。
The attendance at the meeting was the same as usual。 A few retired businessmen and some women who wandered in off the street because they owned ten shares and it gave them something to do； those directors of the pany who happened to be in town and the pany officers from the New York office。
It was only after the formalities of the meeting were over and Norman was asking for nominations for the board of directors that he sensed there was something wrong。 As he was speaking； Dan Pierce； the agent； and another man； whose face was familiar but whose name Norman couldn't remember； came into the room and sat down in the front row of the small auditorium。
A vice…president in charge of sales dutifully read off Norman's approved list of nominations for directorships。 Another vice…president； in charge of theater operations； dutifully seconded the nominations。 A third vice…president； in charge of foreign operations； then dutifully moved that the nominations be closed。
At that moment； Pierce got to his feet。 〃Mr。 President；〃 he said； 〃I have several more nominations to make for directors of the corporation。〃
〃You got no right；〃 Norman yelled from the podium。
〃According to the bylaws of the pany；〃 Dan Pierce retorted； 〃any stockholder of record may nominate as many persons for directors as there are directors in the corporation！〃
Norman turned to his vice…president and general counsel。 〃Is that true？〃
The attorney nervously nodded。 〃You're fired； you dumb bastard； you！〃 Norman whispered。
He turned back to Pierce。 〃It's illegal！〃 he shouted。 〃A trick to upset the pany。〃
The man seated alongside Pierce got to his feet。 〃Mr。 Pierce's nominations are perfectly in order and I； personally； can attest to his legal right to make them。〃
It was then that Norman remembered the name