“It’s not right.” Stella looked up at Mummy. “Cy discovers him in a small Spanish town, promises him the Earth. Drags him all this way, far from his home, and then tells him he’s not a star after all. Now Juan doesn’t know what to do. I think he’d like to go home but Cy has him under contract. He has us all under contract—me, Craig . . . we’re all his puppets, you know.”

“Could Cy’s change of heart have more to do with your interest in Juan than his accent?” Mummy asked. “I get the feeling he doesn’t like to share his possessions.”

Stella and Mummy exchanged a glance. “I must admit I am tempted,” Stella said. “I mean, I’m eternally grateful to Cy for everything, but you have to admit it. He’s old. And Juan—I mean, my God, what a body. I bet he’s a raging bull in bed.”

They looked back and saw that I’d overheard. I pretended to find a magazine and went to sit on a sofa but I could still overhear perfectly well.

“That was one of the things Cy accused me of in our little dustup just now,” Stella said. “Thank God you left. It wasn’t pretty. I think ‘catfight’ probably describes it. God, that woman is poison. I think she just came here to make trouble—I can’t think why else. She hates the West Coast.” She paused to light a cigarette, then took a long draw on it before she went on. “She won’t live with him. She won’t share his bed but she won’t let him go. Someone should push her off a cliff and have done with it.”

“Or feed her to the lions?” Mummy asked.

She and Stella exchanged a wicked smile.

Then the Goldmans came in together, giving every appearance of being a happy couple. “Ready for dinner, everyone?” Cy boomed in his loud voice. “Eat hearty tonight because tomorrow it’s going to be work, work, work for most of you. I want this movie shot on time. I promised Claire I’d be done with her on schedule and by God I intend to be. Come on. This way.”

He led us through double doors at the end of the Versailles room. A long dark wood table stretched the entire length of the chamber. Along it were tall candlesticks, each flickering with light. Two chandeliers hung from a wood-paneled ceiling. Small paned windows looked out onto the hillside. It was like stepping back into medieval times. There were banners and crossed weapons on the walls. Yet another suit of armor in the corner.