“Two.”
“Two with class tonight. And where are you, may I ask, tonight?”
“Tucson.”
“Why not,” Herbie said. I could hear his pen scratching on a pad. “Two with class tonight in Tucson. Will it be one night only?”
“Let’s leave that open.”
“Open costs more.”
“Herbie...”
“Okay, leave it open. Do we have any special preferences?”
“Tall blonds.”
“Two tall blonds with class tonight in Tucson. Do we have any special requirements?”
“Like what?”
“Like acts, parties, dogs, whatever.”
I wondered briefly what thewhatevercovered. “Well, look,” I said. “I don’t know, but you better send me versatile performers.”
“Now, Harvey,” Herbie said sternly. “You know as well as I do that class is not versatile. Class is class, and it doesn’t go in for your rough stuff or your dogs or your acts. Now you got to make up your mind.”
“Class,” I said.
“I got just what you need. It’ll be a thousand and expenses for the night from you, and tips are tips. Deal?”
“Deal.”
“One last thing,” Herbie said. “You got any call for a boyish figure? I have a terrific blond with a boyish figure.”
I wondered about that. Robinson was supposed to be so freaky. But I decided to play it safe. “Showgirl types,” I said. “But with class.”
“You keep saying that word, Harvey. Trust me.”
“I trust you.”
“There’s a Vegas plane puts them in Tucson at five thirty. Can you take it from there?”
“Sure.”
“Bye, Harvey.”
“Bye, Herbie.”
I made a note that it would be a thousand dollars plus travel and other expenses. That would be a budget item, of course. It would go down somewhere between “Transportation” and “Electrical,” a thousand-dollar expense that would be called cables or something but actually represent two escorts who flew out from Vegas for a day for studio executives.
You may find this a little unsavory. I find this a little unsavory. But it goes with the job, and there is a certain art to it, which I’ll explain in a minute.
After calling Herbie, I called the hotel and reminded them that Mr. Greenblatt was head of production and Mr. Robinson was president of the company, and it might be a nice gesture to have some little welcoming flowers or fruit or something, and if there was any problem, they should make the rooms ten bucks more for the night. The manager said there was no problem.
Then I went to see Perkins.
* * *
