Felix Driscoll Redux

I started searching for Bobby. It didn't take long to find him. He shouted my name and it bounced off the high cinderblock walls and among the scenery flats. "Up here," he bawled.

Twenty-five feet above me he perched on a scaffold loaded with coils of black cable and crowded with stage lights. "Get down from there," I called to him.

"Never happen," he shouted back with glee.

"You're drunk," I said.

"I can hold my liquor!"

"Yeah, I can tell, you crazy ape!" Iron rungs set evenly apart in the wall led up to the scaffolding. I approached them never taking my eyes off Bobby.

"I'm gonna jump if you act like you're gonna climb up here."

I stopped in my tracks, "What the hell for? With your clout in this town you won't serve a day behind bars."

"I'll still be charged with attempted murder!"

"Your old buddy Felix isn't going to press charges. Come on down here."

"It won't stop Robin's hotshot lawyer from dragging me into court and ruining my reputation."

"Climb down and let's talk it over over a glass of Scotch."

"You said I was drunk!"

"Falling from your chair to the floor won't kill you," I shouted, "the one from that height will. Come back down, I'll help you."

As I took a step toward the rungs in the wall Bobby yelled, "I'll jump, I swear to God, Felix, I will jump."

"It's not worth it, Bobby. Climb back down. Please!"

"Life ain't worth living without Alena, amigo."

I screamed, "No!" as he dove head first off the scaffolding into the concrete floor. His body made a sickening crunch as it struck. Cast and crew flowed by me in morbid fascination. I turned away in shock. I had no need to see for myself, I knew that fall crushed the life out of my friend. I didn't want my last memory of Bobby to be that of his broken body.

I have very little recollection of wandering in a daze through the soundstages and across the way back into what used to be Bobby's office. No sign of the goons. No sign of anybody. I sank into the swivel chair and upended the bottle of Scotch still on the desktop, concussion or not. I set it down empty.

The phone rang. I looked at my watch. Ten to ten. It seemed a lot later at night than that. The ringing hurt my head so I picked up the phone.

"Hello," I said.

"Bobby?" asked a woman's voice.

"Is this Alena Dell?" I asked.

"Yes. Who is this?"

"An old schoolmate of yours," I said quietly, "Felix."

"Felix Driscoll?"

"Yes."

"How are you?"

After a long pause I told Alena it had been one of the longest and worst days of my life. I didn't tell her I had lost two friends: first Robin, if ever she had been a friend; and then Bobby, who definitely qualified as one. His missing me with the Rolls proved it to me.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but is Bobby there, Felix?"

I swallowed, I couldn't answer her. My reflection in the movie poster above the sideboard looked like hell. I dug around in my jacket for a handkerchief, dabbed at the dried blood on my face.

"Let me talk to Bobby," said Alena. "I need to speak to him."

"Aren't you and he on the outs?"

"Something happened, Felix, just today. Something happened to change my mind."

"What happened?" I asked, my voice a whisper, although I well knew what had happened and what she'd seen at the house over in Pasadena.

"Where's Bobby? I want to tell him personally," she purred into the phone. "Felix? Felix, are you still there?"

"Yeah, I'm still here, Melissa."

Alena laughed shortly, "Nobody calls me that anymore, not even my mother. Listen, Felix, please put Bobby on."

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"He's . . . he's . . ." the words stuck in my throat.

"He's what, Felix?"

"Bobby's across the street," I managed.

"Have him call me when he gets back, would you?"

"Is there any message you want to leave?" I marshaled all the strength remaining in me to keep my voice from shaking.

"I called to tell him I'm sorry. And that I love him."

"You love him?"

"Of course, silly. But keep my change of heart a secret. We've been quarreling and I want to tell him myself. Okay? It'll be our little secret, just between us, Felix. Okay? Are you there, Felix? Felix!"

"Yeah," I finally said, "our little secret."

I hung up.

Sat there staring at my reflection in the poster.

For the longest time I didn't notice that I was crying.