“Here you go.”
Yolanda took the cup. “Thank you.” She looked up at Sonya. “Eddie was more than just another cast member. More than just a co-star. He was a friend.”
Surprised, Sonya pulled a chair from the dinette table and sat across for Yolanda. “I have to admit, I’m a little surprised to hear that. Eddie seemed so aloof. He didn’t really mingle with the cast. I think he’s barely spoken to me at all since this production began.”
“Yes. He seemed aloof. Thing is, despite being an actor, Eddie was actually quite shy...introverted. He liked to keep to himself. That and the fact that he really did immerse himself in his role.”
“Then how were you two friends?”
Yolanda took a sip of tea then carefully set the cup down on the nightstand. “He saw me once...with Zwick.”
“Oh. He knew about you two?”
She nodded. “Even though I never said anything to him about it...about Zwick, he saw how uncomfortable I was with the situation, and he tried to intervene.”
“How?”
She looked squarely at Sonya. “He went to Zwick. He told him what an old fart he was. He told him to find someone his own age and to leave me alone.”
“I take it Zwick didn’t appreciate that very much.”
“He was furious. When I next saw him, he raged. How dare some nothing of an actor tell him what to do. Despite the tight filming schedule we had, and the important role Eddie had, Zwick threatened to have him replaced. ‘Everyone is replaceable,’ he said.”
So, Eddie was getting in Zwick’s way. He’d become a problem. Sonya looked at the young woman, wondering if they were thinking the same thing. But she didn’t want to say aloud what she really thought.
And Marion? Was Yolanda aware of that death as well?
She pressed a friendly smile. “Your makeup is all runny.”
Yolanda smiled back as she wiped her cheek.
“You do a very good job with your makeup.”
“I do my best. I don’t have all the equipment and all the powders and stuff, but...”
“Why don’t you just go and get your makeup done by Marion? She’s paid to do it, and...” Sonya pointed to her own bird face. “The woman is a miracle worker.”
Yolanda smiled, more broadly this time. “Yes. I know. She really is quite talented, but...”
“But, what?”
“For all her talent, she’s got a short fuse.”
“Marion? I never saw her get upset. Not even when she was being rushed by Betty.”
“That’s probably because you’re the big star of the show and she wouldn’t dare raise her voice to you. But me?”
“What happened?”
Yolanda shrugged and took another sip of tea. “I’m not even sure. Something I did must have upset her because she was just mad at me for no reason. I walked into the makeup room yesterday and sat down. I don’t know. Maybe I said something that she didn’t like. But all of a sudden she was telling me to get out, that if I didn’t like it I could do my own makeup and see if I could do a better job. I don’t know. Maybe she’s having her period or something.”
“I know she was, uh, sheisa bit of a perfectionist. She likes to do things her way. I’ve seen the way she can turn a regular man into a monster with a variety of prosthetics. And her way with colors for this bird makeup is unbelievable.”
Yolanda bit her bottom lip. “Yes. But she’s also a very jealous woman.”
“Jealous?”Now we’re getting to the heart of the matter.Why didn’t you say that to begin with?
“I think she might have seen me with Zwick.”
