Stuart Woods_Stone Barrington 21

buzzed Joan. “I want to messenger something to Janklow & Nesbit, a rush.” She came in and he gave her two discs.
    “You’re sure Mr. Janklow is better than someone on the coast?” Peter asked.
    “He has a deal with Creative Artists Agency. If he feels they can help, he’ll go through them, but I thought I’d leave that up to him.”
    “Okay,” Peter said. “Now I’m starting to get nervous.”
    “Don’t be. You already know that Leo wants your film. The rest is haggling.”
    Peter laughed. “Oh, something I forgot. If the film is released, I think we’ll have to come to some arrangement with the various unions and pay the actors and others at least union scale. I paid each actor a hundred dollars and got a release from everybody.”
    “Smart move,” Stone said. “The studio will know how to handle that.”
    Peter stood up. “I’ve got some reading to do,” he said. “I’ll see you at supper.”
     
     
    At half past five Joan buzzed him. “Mr. Janklow on one.”
    “Hello, Mort?”
    “Stone, I’ve watched the first twenty minutes of the film, and I’m rapt. And, guess who just called me about another matter? Leo Goldman. I mentioned that I have a new client, and when he heard who, Leo went quietly nuts.”
    Stone laughed.
    “I’m overnighting the DVD to him, but he’s already made an offer, which I did not accept.”
    “What’s the offer?”
    “Ten million dollars for all the rights, plus five percent of the gross. Don’t worry, when he sees what I’m seeing, with titles and a score, we’ll do better.”
    “What did he say about a limited license?”
    “Exactly what I thought he’d say, but wait until tomorrow. I’ll hear from him by noon his time, maybe sooner, if he’s really excited.”
    “When you talk to him again, tell him he has to make the various unions happy about the release, at his expense, and he has to pay Hattie Patrick, who wrote the score.”
    “Good point.”
    “Thank you, Mort. I’ll look forward to hearing from you.”
    “How old is your boy?”
    “Eighteen.”
    “I want to meet him.”
    “Of course; we’ll arrange that.”
    “He must be very smart, if he got into Yale.”
    “You have no idea,” Stone said.

62
    S hortly after noon the following day, Stone got a call from Morton Janklow.
    “Leo got back to me,” Janklow said. “We’re at twenty million and ten points.”
    “Wonderful. How about the rights issue?”
    “Seven years. I think that’s good. Peter will end up owning his film outright.”
    “That’s perfect, Mort.”
    “Leo is okay with dealing with the unions, and he likes the score, so he’ll pay Hattie Patrick a hundred grand. If Peter wants to give her or anybody else points, it has to come out of his end.”
    “You’ve done a great job, Mort.”
    “I’ll send Peter our representation contract to sign, and make sure he understands our commission is fifteen percent.”
    “I’ll explain the facts of life to him.”
    “If I know Leo, we’ll have contracts in a couple of weeks, and after we iron out the fine print, we should have a check in a month or so.”
    “Thank you again, Mort.”
    “When the contract is finalized, bring Peter to my office to sign, and he can meet some of our people.”
    “I’ll do that.” Stone said good-bye and hung up.
    Joan came in holding a letter. “This came from Bill Eggers,” she said, handing it to Stone.
    “This is an outline of Arrington’s estate,” Stone said.
    “That number,” Joan said. “Is that now yours?”
    “Yes, except Peter gets it when I die.”
    “Then I never have to worry about paying your bills again?”
    Stone chuckled. “I’m sorry, but you do. I’m not touching this money.”
    “I always thought you were nuts,” Joan said, “but now I know it.”
    Stone laughed. “I want these numbers kept strictly between you and me,” he said. “I don’t want anyone else to see them.”
    “Sure thing,” Joan said, then returned to her office.
    Stone called Bill Eggers. “Thanks for your letter, Bill,” he said.
    “It’s just a summary of what I talked about with you and Peter.”
    “I don’t want the money,” Stone said.
    Eggers was quiet for a moment. “Stone, listen to me: I understand that your feelings are still raw about Arrington’s death and that you feel you shouldn’t profit from her passing.”
    “That’s very understanding of you, Bill. It’s exactly how I feel.”
    “There’s something you’re not considering,