June shook her head again.
Damn it all! She should’ve known better than to think June would take Eva’s request on her behalf seriously. June was like a cross between a fairy godmother and a general when it came to Elwood and his care.
Melanie pushed the door open all the way and strode across the patio and the grass. She was wearing a thin negligee and matching robe, but the early morning air was surprisingly dry and hinting of coming warmth. A frolicking gust kicked up the opaque fabric and swirled it about her ankles.
As she closed in on them, Eva was swiveling to return to the house, obviously unsuccessful, and June was moving away from the fence, too.
“Wait!” Melanie called out. “Wait, June. Please.”
June turned back around.
“I won’t need more than just a few minutes of Elwood’s time. It really is quite important. And he’s the only person I trust. He’s the only person I know right now who can help me. Please?”
June’s countenance seemed to soften a bit. “He’s…he’s just not been himself lately, Melanie. And he’s not…he’s not been taking calls. I can’t force him to speak with you.”
“Yes, I know he has his bad days and all, but—”
“It’s worse than usual, actually.” June rubbed a bit of soil on her face with a dirty hand, making the smudge even bigger. “It wouldn’t be kind of me to insist he take your call. It just wouldn’t. My first responsibility is to him. I’m sorry.”
June turned from her, and Melanie rushed a step forward and grabbed at the fence, as though that would keep her neighbor from going back inside the house. A splinter slid its way under the skin of her ring finger, but Melanie barely noticed.
“I have an important call this morning, June! From the people in Washington who are ruining my life. They are going to ask me questions. They’re going to want information from me. They’re going to insist I tell them what they want to hear! I need to know what I should do. I need Elwood to tell me what I should say.”
June pivoted back around, a slight frown etched on her face. “Shouldn’t your lawyer be the one telling you what to say?”
“My lawyer isn’t thinking about how to win back my career. He is only concerned with keeping me out of trouble.”
“More like keeping that Edwards fellow out of trouble, you mean.”
Melanie stared at her, wordless.
“I’m sorry, but it’s been impossible not to overhear your conversations with Elwood. Carson Edwards chose your lawyer, right? And is paying his fees? Even I can see how that looks.”
Melanie was taken aback for a moment. June had never so much as even hinted that she had an opinion regarding Melanie’s dilemma. But then she didn’t speak to June much. It was only Elwood she’d ever sought counsel from, not his sister-in-law.
“I can’t afford my own lawyer,” she said after a beat. “The only movie that ever made me any real money isn’t playing anywhere anymore. Please, June. Let me talk to him.”
June inhaled deeply and then let the breath out. She gazed up at Elwood’s bedroom window again. Her face seemed to shift from tired annoyance to something like compassion or sadness, and for a moment Melanie thought she’d won her over. But when June turned to look at her again, Melanie could see that she had not.
“If I asked him about this, you and I both know what he would say,” June said. “He’d tell you to share what you know if you want those people to know it. He’d say whatever information you have belongs toyou. If you want to give it to them, give it to them. If you don’t, then don’t.”
“It’s not that simple!” Melanie gripped the fence harder. “They want names! They want me to turn on the people who can help me get my career back when all of this is over. No one likes a traitor, June! What studio will want to cast a lying snitch no one likes or trusts? What actor will want to work alongside one? I’d never get another role. Never!”
Tears began to sting the corners of Melanie’s eyes. With her years as an actress, she could have summoned faux tears if she’d wanted to, but these were real. Being a movie star was the only career she’d ever dreamed of having.
June looked at her thoughtfully for a moment but then shook her head. “But we don’t always get to have what we want, no matter how much we want it. No matter how much we might even deserve it.”
Melanie wanted to scream in the direction of the barely open window; yell Elwood’s name to see if he’d come to the glass, raise the frame, and speak to her. She didn’t care that she might wake the entire street. She turned her head toward the upper story, and June must’ve thought she was actually going to do it.
“Fine. I’ll ask him for you,” June said. “I’ll let you know later if he has any advice for you.”
“Later will be too late! I need to know now. They’re calling me this morning.”
June again took in a breath and let it out slowly. “Then I’ll go in now. If he’s awake I’ll ask him. If he has anything to say to you about this, he can tell me, and I can tell you.”
“Please just have him call me. Why can’t he just call?”
“Because he won’t right now!” June shouted. “All right? He can’t. You’re not the only person in the world with troubles. Now please just go back inside your house and if he has something to say, I’ll let you know.”
