Nothing but Trouble_ A Kevin Kerney Novel - Michael Mcgarrity [118]
He was about to take Patrick to the nanny when Johnny Jordan came up behind him.
“This must be your son,” Johnny said, reaching out to rub Patrick’s head, which earned him a quizzical look. “Good-looking kid. Where’s your wife?”
“This is Patrick,” Kerney said, although Johnny clearly didn’t care what his son’s name was. “Sara couldn’t make it.”
“That’s too bad. I wanted to meet her.” Johnny plopped down on the bench next to Kerney. “I hear Dale had to bail out because Barbara got sick.”
“Emergency appendectomy, but she’s going to be fine. Where have you been?”
“L.A.,” Johnny replied, looking pleased with himself. “I drove all night to get here. I’ve got big things happening, Kerney. Couple of deals in the works. Can’t tell you about it yet, but I’m moving to Hollywood after we finish the picture.”
“So you’re going to be a movie mogul.”
Johnny grinned. “Something like that.” He was full of nervous energy, thumping the heel of his boot against the bench leg as he talked. “The talent in L.A. is incredible, man.”
“I’m sure lots of creative people live there.”
Johnny chuckled as he scanned the people in the breakfast buffet line. “I’m talking about the women, Kerney. They’re unbelievable. Have you seen Susan Berman?”
“No. What can you tell me about Walt Shaw?”
“Why? Did you have a run-in with him?”
Kerney shook his head. “Have you?”
“Nope. My parents swear by him, and for a time I thought he and Julia were going to be a serious item, but I can’t tell you more than that.”
“Where are Joe and Bessie?”
“Off at their cabin in Ruidoso for the duration, and I’m glad they’re gone. The last thing I need is to have the old man bitching at me about how much he dislikes seeing his ranch turned into a movie set. He’s getting a chuck of money out of it, plus some improvements to the ranch, which you’d think would make him happy.”
“I guess,” Kerney said noncommittally, thinking back to Julia’s comment about all the money Johnny had borrowed from Joe over the years and never repaid.
Johnny got to his feet and flashed one of his patented smiles. “Gotta go.”
Prepared to give full value for his consultant services, Kerney spent the morning on location at the ranch and soon realized that he had little to do. At sunrise the shot of the police cruisers speeding down the ranch road, with emergency lights flashing through a haze of dust and a brilliant dawn breaking over the mountains, was captured on film in one take. At the ranch headquarters Usher got the initial confrontation between the rancher and the police out of the way and then ordered multiple takes of emotional interactions between the leads.
Kerney had sometimes seen military or law-enforcement technical advisors listed in movie credits and had wondered why the films were so inaccurate. Now he knew. In moviemaking action and drama trumped authenticity every time.
After a catering truck arrived with lunch, Kerney sought out Susan Berman and asked if there was anything she needed him to do for the rest of the day.
Berman flipped through some papers in a three-ring binder. “Not really. You’ll be a cowboy in the cattle-drive sequence, but we don’t start filming at the Shugart cabin until the day after tomorrow. I do know Malcolm wants you nearby when we’re shooting at the smelter, and he may have some technical questions for you during the courthouse sequence scheduled for next week.”
As if she’d read his mind, she said, “If you’d like to spend some time with your son, I can always reach you on your cell phone in case you’re needed.”
“I’d like that very much,” Kerney replied.
When Kerney arrived to pick up Patrick, he found the door to the house open and the playroom empty. He called out for Libby and Patrick and got no response. Through the kitchen window he spotted Libby reading a book to the other four children as they sat on the backyard lawn under a shade