Shadow Games by Ed Gorman

visit the long-ago day he'd brought Cobey back from the asylum in St. Louis.
    But she remembered him at once. "Wade, this is the private investigator who helped us with Cobey that time."
    Puckett and Preston shook hands. "Is it all right to say that you were one of my heroes?" Puckett asked and smiled.
    "I'm just gratified to know that at least some of the kids who grew up watching my movies went to work for the right side of the law," Preston said. "Unfortunately, I get a lot of prison mail from my little buckaroos. Seems not all of them trod the path of right and justice." His last words mocked themselves—a 1950's movie- and TV-star now mocking some of his old and very corny dialogue. Puckett liked the guy and, idiotic as it seemed, was thrilled to meet him.
    Things didn't go so well with Lilly and Anne. She said, "And this, Wade, is Anne Addison, who wrote that very heavy-handed psychoanalytic article about Cobey that time. For Movie Talk , remember? I nearly had to get an injunction to force her to leave him alone."
    Even in the shadows of the small hallway they were standing in, Puckett could see Anne blush.
    Puckett started to say something but Preston said it for him.
    "Now, Lilly, we're all here to celebrate the fine things that are happening to Cobey these days. Let's not let past history spoil the night. I'm sure that Ms. Addison's intentions were honorable."
    And with that, he gently touched Anne's elbow and smiled at her. "Thanks for coming this evening, Anne."
    She nodded, obviously thankful that he had so skillfully changed the moment into a pleasant one.
    Puckett made note of the good cop-bad cop routine for which International was famous. With his handsome, Roman senator head and courtly bearing, Wade Preston of the dark suits and brilliant white shirts, shining gold cufflinks and honest blue eyes—Wade Preston could never be anything except the good cop.
    The bad cop role was left to Lilly Carlyle who, industry gossip had it, relished the part. Usually it worked opposite tonight's sequence. Usually, Preston tried to talk an uncooperative client into doing the proper thing. Sweet talk, that is. Using words such as right and honor and best intentions. And if that failed, then plump but beautiful Lilly in her $3,000 Rodeo Drive suits came at you. And the words she used were far different. Motherfucker. Asshole. Never work in this town again. And with a few cocksuckers and rip-your-balls-off thrown in for good measure.
    "You're here to see Cobey , I take it?" Preston said.
    "Just to say hi, see how things are going," Anne said, speaking directly to Preston and not even looking at Lilly. "I want to ask him if he'd let me do a piece on him. The magazine contacted your office, Ms. Carlyle, several times. But we got no answer."
    Preston did not look happy. "Which magazine is it, my dear?"
    " Pinnacle ."
    "And Lilly didn't get back to you?"
    Preston looked most unhappy. He shot a nasty little glance at Lilly and then turned his attention back to Anne. " Pinnacle is a very important magazine in our industry."
    "It's probably the best," Puckett said.
    "And we'd be very happy to have Cobey be in it," Preston soothed. "But, really, the decision is his." He shot his sleeve and consulted his watch. "Lilly and I have a dinner engagement and we're going to be late if we hang around here anymore. Why don't you give our best to Cobey —and then ask him yourself about the article?"
    Anne smiled, obviously pleased at the turn this conversation had taken.
    Lilly glared at her, not even trying to hide her displeasure.
    "Good night, Ms. Addison."
    "Good night, Mr. Preston. It was really nice to meet you." Anne laughed. "I wanted to say the same thing Puckett did. I grew up watching your movies, and your TV series, too. I had this terrible crush on you for years."
    Preston tapped a forger to his forehead. "Music to a former matinee-idol's ego." He nodded to Puckett. "Good night, Puckett. Nice to meet you."
    The two men shook hands