“But he took it seriously?”

“He seemed to. Then I started rehearsals for the show, and I used that as an excuse not to accept any more dates with him. Then, without my knowledge, he sought out our producer and invested some money in the show, apparently so he could attend some rehearsals and see me.”

“Sounds like it was a good investment. He should be pleased.”

“Yes, but now that the show has opened, he’s started a new campaign to see me. Flowers and gifts arrive, and the gifts were embarrassingly expensive, so I sent them back to him. I also wrote him a tactful letter explaining that, while I thought he was a nice fellow, I didn’t want to see him anymore.”

“That would have been my first piece of advice,” Stone said. “How did he take it?”

“Badly,” she said. “He called this afternoon and was very angry. How could I string him along? I didn’t. I finally said I wasn’t listening anymore, and not to call me anymore, then I hung up—right after he threatened me.”

“Tell me exactly what he said.”

“He said that I would soon learn that women don’t get away with ill-treating him, that I would regret it.”

“All right,” Stone said, “it’s time for your attorney to write the next letter.”

“I don’t have an attorney.”

“You do now,” Stone said. He picked up a pad and got out his pen. “What’s his name?”

“Ed Abney.”

“What does he do?”

“He has a publicity agency, specializing in Broadway and off-Broadway shows and theater people. He seems to be pretty successful.”

“What’s the name of the agency?”

“Bright Lights, Ink. He has offices on Eighth Avenue—I don’t know the number.”

“I’ll get the address and have a letter hand-delivered tomorrow morning.”

“What are you going to say in the letter?”

“That Ms. Marla Rocker would not like to see him or hear from him again, and that any further advances or gifts from him would be unwelcome, and that any further communication must be through your attorney.”

“And what if it doesn’t work?”

“Then we go to a TRO, a temporary restraining order.”

“Will that work?”

“If he ignores it I’ll haul him in front of a judge, and if he continues after that, he could end up in jail.”

“What’s to keep him from killing me?”

Stone put down his pad and turned toward her. “What reason do you have to think that he might become violent?”

“I didn’t tell you about this, but he was at our opening party, at Sardi’s. I saw him across the room with a woman who looked familiar, and when I went to the ladies’ she followed me. She told me that I should be careful with him, because he has a history of violence with women. I asked if that was the case, why was she seeing him? She said because she was afraid not to, and that she was leaving town, moving away from New York to get away from him, and she wasn’t telling anybody where.”