Barbara Wilkins - Elements of Chance

In Valerie’s bathroom next door, a room almost as big as some of the living rooms in Beverly Hills, was a sink of shimmering white marble, with a matching white marble floor. Victor and Valerie occasionally drank champagne in the big Jacuzzi, or made slow, exacting love while they watched themselves in the mirrored walls. The fluffy towels and washcloths were all white, the monograms on everything VPV .

The different cosmetics in the drawers of the makeup table, with its large mirror framed with lights, were all for Valerie’s public face. When the two of them were alone, Valerie’s face was scrubbed and clean the way Victor wanted it.

She stood in the middle of the bathroom as Mary helped her out of her dress.

“It doesn’t look good, does it, Mary?”

“You wash your face,” Mary said soothingly. “I’ll go find you a nightgown.”

“I don’t think Victor was on that plane,” Valerie continued. “I think he’s been kidnapped by some terrorist group. It happens everywhere in the world, Mary. Why not New York? There’ll be a phone call, asking for ransom. I just know it.”

“You wash your face,” Mary repeated. “I’ll be right back.”

Yes, kidnapping was a possibility, Mary thought, opening the closet in which Valerie’s nightgowns hung. Anything was a possibility when it involved somebody as rich as Victor Penn. Rich people. God, it seemed that she had spent her entire life catering to them.

First there was the count. Mary had been a showroom model in New York when fat little Enrique had come in to pick out a few things for another girl. Each of the models, herself included, was after a rich man. Mary hadn’t been able to believe her good luck when Enrique picked her out of all of them. On the second night he took her out, he gave her a diamond bracelet. He had money, and a title, too. They drove up to Connecticut and married the next weekend, which made all the papers, of course.

Mary loved what the money would buy. The trouble was that the money came attached to Enrique, who, it turned out, drank too much and who, after two months, didn’t seem to remember that he had gotten married. Mary began to play around, too. Quietly at first, and then blatantly. Enrique was enraged, but relieved that he had an excuse to divorce her. What little money she had was soon gone. She became a floating houseguest, kissing up to the lady of the house and fending off the passes made by most of the husbands. With her blond hair in a pageboy showing streaks of gray even though she was only in her mid-thirties, and a taste for simple clothes and very expensive walking shoes, Mary always looked as if she had come straight from a stroll with the queen and her corgis. And she was so helpful, arranging parties and shopping trips, dealing with difficult guests and the household details, that she never wore out her welcome. But it was a precarious life. Awful, until Victor had hired her. Now she toadied to Valerie, but at least she went home to her own apartment, to her own life.

Mary regarded Valerie as a demanding, spoiled little girl. A toy who didn’t even know she was a toy. A collectible, like Victor’s many other collectibles. She was a magnificent musician, though. She could have gone on to become a top professional. But no. As soon as Victor had appeared in her life, that, essentially, was that. True, she practiced all those hours every day, and she had her lessons with Kyle. But the music was just for Victor, who of course had to have a wife who was more than just beautiful, chic, and charming. She had to be accomplished, too.

Reaching into the closet among the flowing peignoirs in whites, ivories, lavenders, and lilacs, the nightgowns in either black, white, or ivory that Valerie wore depending on Victor’s mood, Mary picked out a white cotton nightgown, cut low, with lace at the bodice. What would happen to Valerie if Victor were dead? Mary wondered, walking back toward the bathroom. Valerie had a few shocks coming, that was for sure. More important, what would happen to her? Oh, God, she thought suddenly, let Victor be alive.

Valerie was standing in front of the sink where Mary had left her. “I’ll just be a minute,” Valerie said, taking the nightgown from Mary’s hand. “Would you mind closing the door?”

That little-girl thing, Mary thought, as she waited for Valerie to reappear. So oddly shy. In all of the years Mary had worked for Valerie, she had never seen her nude.

After changing, Valerie went to the phone beside the bed. In a moment, Mary heard her. “No, no. Daddy isn’t on the plane, Raymond. He’s been kidnapped, darling. And when they get their ransom money, they’ll let him go.”

Valerie was silent for a moment, leaning against the silken pillows. “But darling, they have to let him go. Don’t you see? If they did anything to him, it wouldn’t work the next time. Now, how’s Alexandra? Is she terribly upset? Give her a hug for me. Darling, I’ll call you as soon as I know anything more. No, there’s no reason for you to come home. Everything will be fine, just fine. Good-bye sweetheart. I love you very, very much. Good-bye, Raymond, darling.”

Dr. Feldman, carrying his bag, came through the door. Impulsively, Mary leaned over and kissed Valerie on the forehead before she left him to tend to his patient.

When Mary returned to the music room, she saw that John O’Farrell was on the phone in a corner, while Kyle had moved to the chintz-covered sofa in front of the television set. He sat smoking, nervously swinging one crossed leg.

“Anything new?” she asked.

“You mean has Victor walked out of the jungle?” said Kyle. “No, that hasn’t happened.”

“He’d better walk out of the jungle.” Mary walked over to the tea caddy and poured herself a stiff scotch and water.

“I’ll second that,” Kyle said. “I’m too old and too spoiled to go to work.”

“Perish the thought.”

“Perish is the right word.”

“Well, it’s not over until it’s over,” Mary said. “Valerie thinks he’s been kidnapped.”

“How is she?”

“Shaken, but Elliott is giving her a shot. She called the children and told them everything is going to be fine.”

“If that’s what Elliott’s shots do for you,” Kyle said, “maybe I should get one, too.”

John hung up the phone. “That was Raymond,” he said. “He’s on his way to Acapulco.”

“Better there than here,” Kyle breathed.

“What does he think?” Mary asked.

“Well, he’s taking Victor’s dental records.” John shrugged. “I’m going to stay here, at least for tonight.”

“Maybe I’d better stay too,” Mary said. “Valerie may need me. Isn’t it funny? I can’t think of one friend Valerie has to call.”

“Just us, the loyal employees,” Kyle said. “Kind of sad.”

“I’m going to send Daniel over to my place to pick up my shaving things,” John said.

“Maybe he could stop and get some things for me, too,” Mary said, reaching for her handbag to make a list.

“And a copy of the classifieds,” Kyle added. “Or maybe I should just get on the phone to a publisher with the real story of Victor Penn.”

“And what would that be?” John asked.

“Aren’t you supposed to read me my rights or something?” Kyle asked. “It’s a joke, John. Lighten up.”

Elliott popped his head in the door to say that Valerie was asleep and he would stop by again in the morning.

“What I can’t figure out is how that plane got to Mexico,” Mary said after he was gone.

“Simple,” Kyle said. “Victor knew the feds and the bank examiners and the IRS were moving in, so he picked up a billion dollars or so, threw it on the plane, and split.”

“Without Valerie?” asked Mary.