Chapter 3 Chapter 3 Santa Claus
In Hollywood's casting center, Bo did not find a person surnamed Sean, but found three Kellys.He looked at the photographs of the three of them, Kelly Eccles, who was black; Kelly St. Alban, an elderly character; and Kelly Rand, a young girl. dragonfly.
She is beautiful.A pair of light-colored eyes are staring at him from the photo, and they are like freshly bottled champagne, sparkling with excitement and enthusiasm; a slightly concave chin in the middle; a slightly upturned nose; soft and curly His black hair...beautiful, indeed.
Beau compared Kelly Rand to the photograph he had found of a young Kelly Sean, and there was no doubt that they were the same person.
However, he still had to confirm it.
He obtained an address and telephone number on Argyll Avenue from the attendant at the Casting Center, and he dialed the number.
It was a woman who answered the phone, and Beau put on that impatient voice, calling herself the "Casting Center" and calling Keri Rand on the phone.The woman said: Kelly Rand is shooting an exterior scene in a certain place, and it will take two months to shoot, what's the matter?Oh, she'll be back in two days.After finishing speaking, the woman put down the phone with a "snap".
Back at the hotel, Beau looked himself over from head to toe and decided that the outfit was shabby enough that even a Hollywood landlady wouldn't be suspicious.
So he settled his bill with the hotel, picked up his battered duffel bag, and headed for Argyll Avenue.
This is an apartment house with a rough concrete exterior wall. The walls are full of cracks. It can be imagined that it has not been repaired for a long time. It is stained and shabby. The house was just as bleak, dirty, and lifeless.
At this moment, Bo suddenly felt like Santa Claus.
He rang the doorbell, and a woman answered the door and let him in.
The woman was shapeless, wearing an old-fashioned dining gown and bedroom slippers.
"I want a room," he said.
"Is it an extra?" She looked at him unkindly.
"I'm on my way to find a job at the studio," Beau admitted.
"Six dollars in advance. Bring your own soap and towels." The landlady was not going to evade, but stood there motionless, watching Beau pull out and open his wallet, and look into the bulging wallet, " Ah, newcomer here. Well, I'll guide you as far as I know. Want to throw a few parties?"
"I don't know anyone in Hollywood," Beau said.
"You have so much money, you will know a lot of people in a few days."
"I'm a decent man, and it would be nice if you didn't mean anything like that."
"Remember, I also own a decent apartment. Name?"
"Quinn. Ellery Quinn."
She shrugged displeasedly and went up the stairs.She showed him several rooms indifferently, and he was critically dissatisfied.He noticed the cardboard owner's name card on each door.When he saw a card that said "Carrie Rand - Violet Day", he chose the closest one on this floor and paid a week's rent in advance. Settle down and just wait for Cadmus Cole's niece to return.
That night, he sneaked into the bedroom shared by Kelly Rand and Violet Day, and made some unscrupulous exploration in the dark.
It was a mediocre, crude room, not unlike his own.
A crooked dresser, covered with a cheap linen tablecloth, with a stained corner where lipstick and powder compacts were piled; I made simple clothes hangers; a lame, leaning mirrored wardrobe; some frameless 8x10 "stills" of Kelly on the wall, and a picture of that other girl—seemingly, It was a fair-haired, blue-eyed, fair-skinned, long-legged girl with a grim and world-weary expression on her face; there were two low, undulating iron beds in the room.
A bed that smelled heavily of perfume. This must be Violet Day's bed, Beau thought contemptuously.On the other bed, there was a faint fragrance of freshness and cleanliness—it was obviously Kelly's bed.
Poor boy.
Beau muttered to himself indignantly.Such a little girl, flaunting her abilities and dreaming of becoming a famous star, even made seductive and provocative eyes... How crazy!Oh, of course, here it is, she's going to get a lot of money--more than all the money I've ever seen put together!
His heart was filled with uncontrollable restlessness and longing, eagerly looking forward to meeting Kelly Sean.
After four days, he finally saw her.He heard a taxi pull up outside, followed by cheerful laughter and light footsteps.
He hurried out of the house and waited at the top of the stairs.He felt his own violent heartbeat.
The tall, cold-faced blond lady appeared at the bottom of the stairs, carrying two large pieces of luggage like a porter.Following her was the slightly brown girl, dragging a suitcase, talking and laughing constantly.Immediately, the normally dirty and dark hallway and corridor also showed warmth and joy.
"Come on, V!" Callie yelled, racing up the stairs.
At the top of the stairs, Beau was standing there, staring at her intently.
"Oh," Kelly said, bumping into him suddenly in the half-light, "Hello!"
"Hello!"
"You're new here, aren't you?"
"It can be said to be reborn!"
"What did you say? Vi, look what a fun guy! My name is Carrie Shaw - oh no, I mean, Carrie Lander. This is my roommate - Violet ·wore."
"My name is Quinn, Ellery Quinn." Beau kept looking and looking at her, and looking and looking at her.
"I'm talking to you now," said the blond girl, staring at Beau. "Look, he's about to ask you to borrow five bucks. Come on, Kelly, I'm My feet hurt like hell."
"He's a nice guy," Kelly said, smiling at Beau. "Look at his hair, Vi! He looks like Bob Taylor, don't you think?"
The two of them walked away, and Bo stood alone at the dark staircase, with a smile on his face.
Ten minutes later, he knocked on their door.
"Come in!" Callie called.
She wore a dressing gown with red flowers and a zipper, her tiny feet were bare, and her hair was beautifully loose.The suitcase was open on the bed—the very scented bed, and Beau was vaguely satisfied—and she was taking her black panties out of the case and putting them in a wardrobe drawer. .
"Hey, here he is again," said Violet Day, who was lying sprawled on the bed that smelled of strong perfume, her bare feet swaying contentedly, "Kelly, you're not shy." Huh? Shake out all your boudoir secrets."
"Hi." Beau greeted, still smiling.He felt fine, and he didn't know why, as if he'd just had five glasses of wine.
"Fuck you," said the blond girl, "this girl is destined to be a Boy Scout, and it's my duty to protect her from those Taylor's injury."
"Ve, stop talking," Kelly said, "come in, Quinn. We won't bite you! Have you got whiskey?"
"No, but I know where to get it," Beau said.
"You still think this is New York. Tell me! I'll get them all back." Wei sat up from the bed as he said, "Where are they?"
"I'm kind of a stranger in Hollywood," Beau said. "You know, I'm alone."
"He's all alone!" the girl giggled, "but he knows where to get whiskey. Kelly, he does look like Taylor, can you see that?"
Beau ignored her, and went on: "Miss Rand, would you do me the honor of having a simple dinner with whiskey?"
Vee sat on the bed with his knees folded and said, "Alone—dinner—whiskey, hey! What movie is this, is it The Happy Widow? I bet, Kelly, it won't make it through tonight, he Will show you his muscles."
"That's how we like it," Kelly said, and she said "we" with a barely audible emphasis, "I know exactly how you're feeling right now, Quinn. It's a date!— — our date."
"The two of us?" "Mr. Quinn" asked dejectedly.
"But we pay our bills ourselves."
"What words! Who do you think I am?"
"Pay your own, or you eat," Kelly said firmly. "You're not going to run out of money, are you, Ellery? Besides, we just got a two-month Steady extra work. This time we're playing Hawaiian. Is it Hawaiian, Vi?"
"I don't know either," Vi said.
"Okay, give us half an hour first, we have to take a shower and change clothes," when Kelly said this, a bright smile appeared on her face, like a flying arrow, suddenly Stabbed Mr. Rumel, "Then we will be yours." As she said, she walked towards the door, stood very close in front of him, and looked at him with a smile.
He fell into some abnormal state, as if he had a sudden heart attack.What the hell is going on?He suddenly realized that he was leaning against the wall in the dim corridor.
He stood there for a moment, wiping the sweat from his brow.Oh yes!He hurried to the pay phone downstairs and sent a telegram to Mr. Quinn, which still ended with an "exclamation mark".
They ate at the Coconut Garden Restaurant in the Ambassador Hotel, which was still hosted by Mr. "Quinn".
Beau took turns dancing with Kelly and Vi.Vee was dancing, and Kelly was just swaying leisurely to Beau's footsteps.In fact, Beau enjoyed dancing for the first time in his life.
Violet Day suddenly said that she had a headache, and went away without listening to Kelly's persuasion.
Kelly smiled and said, "You have permission, sir, do you know what that means?"
"What's wrong?"
"Wei's head hurts as soon as it hurts, just as long as it's okay, like a faucet. The reason she left me to do with you is because she thinks you are reliable."
"Then what do you think?" Bo leaned forward and asked bluntly.
"I'm not that naive. You look cute, but what does the book say? I'll get to know you better when you take me home later."
Bo looked disappointed: "Tell me about yourself."
"There's nothing to tell."
"Have you been friends with Vi for a long time?"
"I didn't know her until I was in Hollywood." Kelly twirled the glass of absinthe with her slender fingers. "Since my mother passed away last year, Vi has covered her wings like a hen. Watching me, protecting me. I thought, I might be like a hopeless egg that will never hatch."
"Oh, I'm sorry, you said your mother, huh?"
"She had pleurisy and pneumonia at the same time, and was so weak that she died before treatment. She wasted herself trying to turn a little fool into a star like Garbo," Kelly said hastily. "Let's talk about something else." Yes."
"It seems that your life has been quite difficult in the past."
"It's not as sweet as honey almond ice cream anyway. Monica—"
"Monica?"
"That's my mother, her name is Monica Cole Sean. My real name is Sean. Monica has worked like a cow all her life just to see the amazing person I become one day , and I still feel pain in my heart, because... Well, let's not talk about anything else, how did we talk about this topic? You know, I have an uncle, he is the most despicable villain, my mother has Suffering and hardship are really all caused by him. But, I don't understand why you—"
"Monica Cole Sean," Beau said, "you know, that's interesting. Is your uncle's last name Cole?"
"Yes. His name is Cadmus Cole. What's the matter?"
"His name has appeared in the newspapers. So you are his niece!"
"Newspaper? I haven't read a newspaper in two months. What's he doing now—was he shooting at the Marriage Registration Office with a machine gun?"
Bo stared at her: "Then you don't know that your uncle just passed away?"
She was silent for a while, with a little paleness on her face: "No, I don't know. Of course, I feel sad too. But it's really hateful for him to treat my mother like that. I'm afraid I won't cry for him. I've never even met him." She said, frowning, "How did he die?"
"He had a heart attack on a Caribbean voyage. He was buried at sea. It was his own speedboat, you know."
"Yes. Occasionally I read something about him in the newspaper. It is said that he is very rich." Kelly curled her lips, "And he has always spent money on speedboats and mansions, but my mother has worked hard Till I die, living in a hall or a small partitioned room at the end of a hallway, cooking Sunday breakfasts over a gas fire--that's got to be something to cook... When I was sixteen I found a a job because I can't bear to see her work for me all her life. But nothing changed, she still did, and worked hard until she passed away last year - at the time, she was fifty-two years old My venerable uncle Cadmus would have spared her so much suffering—if he hadn't been such a madman in marriage! My mother married, and then my father died, and she wrote to Cadmus at that time, and I still have his reply." Kelly's lips trembled slightly, "Hey, I say, you Have I said enough, Mr. Spy? I know, and I'm about to cry on your shoulder."
"You promise that?" Beau said. "Carrie, I have something to confess to you."
"Looks like it was a sad night."
"I'm a dishonest person."
"Mr. Quinn, thank you for your warning."
"I mean, I'm an imposter, I'm not an extra, I'm not in Hollywood to get a job, I'm here for the sole purpose of finding you."
She looked greatly puzzled: "Looking for me?"
"I'm a private detective."
"Oh," she said.
"Quin's office accepted your uncle's employment before his death. Our task is to find his heir after his death."
"His... heir? You mean, he died and left—me—a sum of money?"
"Exactly, Kelly."
Kelly clung to the table tightly: "He thinks he can buy me, right? Because he killed my mother, he feels bad conscience, so he can give me a penance money to balance his mind, right? "
"I understand how you feel." Beau said, stretching out one of his big paws to cover her cold little hands, "but don't do stupid things. What has been done has been done, Irreparable; he's dead and left a lot of money to give to you and to a cousin of yours - if she can be found. Her name is Margot Cole, daughter of your Uncle Huntley. The money It belongs to both of you."
She was silent.
"Anyway, if your mother is still alive, she's got her share of the money. Well, then, what's wrong with accepting the money? You can't bring her back from the dead, but you can enjoy it Your own life. Like Hollywood?"
"I hate it here," she whispered, "because it's a place that's all about talent, and I don't have much talent. Maybe I'll work my butt off and end up with a few small roles, but I'm not a female lead." I'm not kidding myself. I'm going to be like Vie from now on—living in a cheap apartment; going on a hunger strike; mending the flicks in my stockings because I can't afford new ones..." she said, trembling.
"Want to continue listening?" Bo asked.
In an instant, a smile appeared on her face, and she withdrew her hand: "Okay, Dick Tracy, fight it out, and you can tell it all."
"Kelly, your uncle Cadmus was a multi-millionaire when he died."
"It's a—what?" she screamed, startled.
"You don't know how rich he is, do you?"
"Yeah, but I think—"
"His estate is estimated to be worth fifty million dollars."
"Five thousand—" Her tongue and lips seemed less flexible.
It was like a child opening a Christmas box, and her breathing became short of breath.
"Have another drink. Here, wait! Rye or Scotch?"
"Oh, Scotch, have a big glass! Tell me more about it. Did you say fifty million? Didn't you mean it? Did you mean fifty thousand? Fifty million?"
"Hey! Take it easy. You can't get fifty million dollars."
"But I guess, since you say--hey, I don't care! Anyway, nobody can spend that much. So how much?"
"Let's do the math." Beau scribbled on the tablecloth. "The inheritance is about fifty million. Your uncle didn't use the clever tricks that ordinary rich people usually use to avoid taxes, that is to say, he didn't use transfers." To deceive the authorities by means of their own share. In this way, almost 35 million will be handed over in inheritance tax."
Kelly closed her eyes: "Go on. Why should I care how much I have to spend?"
"The handling fee and various expenses may cost 500,000 yuan. This leaves 14.5 million yuan. If you invest this money in bonds with no risk, the annual interest rate is, for example, 4% Well, then you can get $580,000 a year in benefits."
"What?" Kelly opened her eyes blankly.
"You don't understand these things about property management. I'll explain to you later. Well, now it's the two of you who can share the proceeds—your cousin and you."
"Hello, Margot," Kelly said, writhing happily, "shall we both get a big tub with gold pipes?"
"You mean--but you must have never seen her. Anyway, your own half gets two hundred and ninety thousand a year. Of that, there's sixteen thousand in income tax, so you're You can get 130,000 a year."
"How much is that per week?" Carrie muttered. "That's all I want to know. I've been terrible at arithmetic in the past."
"Every week," Beau said, working out the final figure on the tablecloth, "twenty-five hundred dollars."
"Two thousand five—every week? Every week, every week?"
"yes."
"Whoa, that's better than being a star!" Callie exclaimed. "Twenty-five hundred a week! I think I'm dreaming. It's a beautiful dream. It's a beautiful dream. Pinch me, put me down." Wake up."
"It's true. But—"
"Oh," Kelly was slightly surprised, and then sighed, "There is still trouble."
"Well... there are some additional conditions. By the way, I have been commissioned to provide you with the money you need before you arrive in New York. It will be paid out of the $2,500 per week. That is to say, If you can live with the strings."
"Well, tell me what the conditions are," Kelly said dryly. "Knowing the worst-case scenario may not be a bad thing."
"First point," Beau said, "have you ever been married?"
"No, but I'm old enough to marry. Are you trying to take advantage of this opportunity to try to trick the heiress? What do you mean?"
"Don't worry about me." Bo's face turned red, "So is it possible for you to get married in the near future? In other words, are you engaged, or do you already have a boyfriend?"
"I'm single, innocent, and I'm just twenty-one."
"In that case, at least half of the estate will go to you if you accept your uncle's terms. Well, now for the terms. The first is this: You must agree to a relationship with an heiress—according to As far as we know, it must be just the two of you—to live together in your uncle's big estate in Tarrytown on Hudson. As an inheritance, the house will be kept for a year, and during this year, you can only Live there, not anywhere else. After a year you'll be free to live wherever you want."
"Well," Kelly said, "I was really worried just now. What's the matter, what's the condition, it's a great thing. Nice house, car, too many good clothes to wear , I have a maid combing my hair, and two cooks cook us three delicious meals a day...Sir, that is heaven. Let’s talk about other conditions!"
Bo took out a piece of paper from his pocket, "I'll read it to you," he said slowly, "this is a photocopy of your uncle's will." He read:
As to the second restriction to which my heirs must accept, I thought it necessary to warn them against that sinister, depraved and deadly practice in human interrelationships called marriage, and not to harmed by this practice.I've been married, so I've experienced it too.At its best, marriage is a dreary, life-threatening prison; at its worst, it's hell.I have been celibate since my divorce; I shall die a bachelor, too.To my only friend, Edmond de Carlos, I propose in this will that I bequeath him a million dollars and a house in which he may live if he chooses; he is and always will be is celibate.
We have discussed this subject many times, and we have agreed that most of the evils in the world, if traced, may have been caused by marriage, or rather by the effects of marriage on the individual .Marriage makes men and women greedy; it inspires people to commit heinous crimes; and historically, it has led to wars and treachery between nations.I am an old man; and my heirs, if they live, are young.I think I have to subject them to the experience of my life.Of course, they can refuse my advice, but at the cost of not bequeathing them my property...
Beau put the paper back in his pocket. "It said something like that. But I think you'll see what he means."
Kelly showed a very surprised expression: "He is simply crazy!"
"No," said Beau impassively, "he's sane--legally, and we've got to believe in medicine. He just has an uncharacteristic aversion to it, and a vehement one." Kind of freaky. I think it goes back to around 1902, when his wife betrayed him, and that's how he became. Anyway, he had a strong aversion to marriage, and that's how he got you. The problem is tied to this matter."
"I'm a little less—"
"It is stipulated in the will that if or when any of the heirs gets married, then the part of the inheritance income that should be given to her will be automatically stopped. And, from then on, all her rights to her part of the inheritance will be completely forfeited .”
"You mean," cried Kelly, "that if I accept this inheritance, I'll never be able to marry?"
"No, if you still want to get 2,500 yuan every week."
"Suppose I reject the whole thing now, or accept it first, and then marry?"
"Then, your cousin Margot, if she qualifies, she will be the sole heir. Your share goes to her. Or, if neither of you qualifies, the will states that proceeds from the estate, Donated by the trustees of the estate to those charities they see fit, while they remain trustees. Or, if two heirs are eligible, and one of them dies, then all proceeds go to the living one .And if the living one dies later, the proceeds go to charity. You see, death and marriage are really the same thing in your Uncle Cadmus' eyes."
Kelly was silent for a long time.While the band was playing and people were dancing under the colorful lights, she remained motionless, letting the shadow of the trombonist dangle across her face.
Beau waited for her decision with curious eagerness.It was impossible for her to say no.
If she refuses, she ceases to be human.However, she is a real person, and he has already confirmed this when he hugged her and danced just now.
It might be easier for Cole to accept the conditions set by another girl.And Kelly is not the kind of person who can accept or abandon love at will, unless there are serious and legitimate reasons.For her, there was only an either/or choice - either money or her happiness.
He knew what she was thinking at the moment.She was not in love with anyone at the moment, and perhaps she had never been in love.Although with her figure and beauty, there will definitely be men who will pursue her—even there will be many such men, but none of them are to her liking.It might also be because she has always been a little distrustful of men.If this is the case, what can she give up?Perhaps, what she gave up was only something that didn't exist, but what she got at the same time could immediately become a wonderful and rich life, and it was a life she had never had and enjoyed.
Kelly laughed, short funny trembling laughs: "Well, Uncle Cadmus, you've won. I'll live a virgin until I die. There are women like that. Maybe I can To be a saint. Isn't that ridiculous, Ellery? Virgin Kelly. All the virgins will light candles and pray before my idol."
Bo said nothing.
Kelly said vehemently, "I can't say no to that money. I can't! No one can. Can you?"
"It's not a problem for me." Bo said indifferently.
She met his eyes. "It's the same with me. But I think we're talking about different things."
"Congratulations," Beau said.
This result is inevitable.And she's definitely right.He knew what it all meant--to starve, to be at the mercy of others, to long for life in the midst of hardship and danger.
With a smile on Kelly's face, Huo Di got up from the chair, walked around the table, stood beside him, and leaned towards him.She was so close to him that he could smell the aroma of her skin, something like clover he'd once smelled.
"Mind if I kiss you sweet Santa?"
In this dimly lit corner where they were, she kissed his lips softly.But he carefully closed his cold and stiff lips.And his voice became hoarse and indistinct: "You shouldn't be doing this, Kelly. Hell, you shouldn't be!"
"Oh, so you're still in charge of my virtue?" She kissed him again, and then said with a smile, "Don't worry, old man. I won't love you!"
Bo stood up abruptly from his chair.The movement was so violent that the chair fell to the ground with a bang.Kelly stared at him in shock.
"Come on, Mrs. Millionaire," he cried, "let's go tell your girl the good news. I bet she'll faint."
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