Table for Two: Fictions

Olivia goes to church on Sunday morning at Eve’s insistence, trying to leave the issue of the photographs in Eve’s hands. Olivia remembers going to church as a child with her younger sister, Joan. Joan hated church, but Olivia found peace in the solemn processions and architecture. She valued Christian ideals, and the virtues of humility and patience helped her endure the abuse of her stepfather, as well as the instructions of her mother. These virtues helped her acting, too, earning her seven-year contract with Jack Warner.

In church, Olivia sits away from the other parishioners, and she thinks about the photos. Though the nudity and uncertain source of the photos unnerves her, she is more disturbed by her appearance in them—she has lost weight over the last year. The fortune envelope Eve gave her at the pier read, “Resist the Temptation” (339). Now, Olivia feels that she needs to change her pattern of behavior, rather than remaining a subdued, patient woman: Serious actresses play bolder and more daring roles, and Olivia wants to follow their example. The fortune prompted Olivia to pester Jack Warner and his wife until they gave her the lead role of Melanie in Gone with the Wind.

Prentice does not eat breakfast on Sunday morning. He assures Eve that he is prepared to infiltrate the Hacienda, Freddie Fairview’s home. As Prentice gets into Billy’s vehicle, he sees Eve say something to Billy. As Billy drives, Prentice knows that this moment is his destiny. Only he could have identified the bathroom of the Hacienda, and his trip into Eve’s room, where he met Charlie, was the result of chance.

At the Hacienda, Prentice goes around the back of the house to find the party. There, he laments that people look at him as though he is no longer important. Finally he finds Freddie, who is under the mistaken impression that Prentice has been travelling for the past few years. When Prentice assures him he has not left Beverly Hills, Freddie dismisses Prentice, suggesting he get something to eat. Prentice enters the Hacienda, dodges a waiter, and goes to Freddie’s room. Finding nothing in cabinets, drawers, and closets, Prentice almost gives up the search for the pictures. But, thinking of Olivia, Prentice regains his resolve and eventually finds, in a collection of Shakespeare’s plays, photos of dozens of women. Prentice secures the books in one of Freddie’s bags, and narrowly escapes the majordomo on his way out. Prentice gives Billy the bag, but instead of leaving quickly, he decides to go back to the Hacienda after recognizing a young starlet.

Back at the party, Prentice embraces his own unimportance, weaving through the crowd to get to the restroom where the photos were taken. After using a stone to break the handle on a door behind the restroom, he finds a camera in the room on the other side of the women’s bathroom mirror. Prentice turns on the light in the room with the camera, then turns off the bathroom light, revealing the camera to the women within. The women exclaim, and Prentice leaves. When he later realizes that he forgot his cane, Prentice relishes the thought of Freddie finding the cane and knowing Prentice has ruined his reputation.

Charlie arrives at Olivia’s hotel room on Sunday morning. Eve is there, but Olivia is away. Charlie is glad that Eve seems collected. While they wait for the blackmailers to call, Charlie asks about Eve’s past in New York City. Eve reveals that she was in a relationship that was not satisfying, but had a fun best friend. However, Eve is glad to be away from New York. Charlie appreciates her outlook on life. The phone rings, and Charlie immediately realizes that the blackmailers are amateurs: The voice on the phone is uncertain, arranging to pick up the bag of money from a diner, and then promising to send the photos of Olivia to the hotel later. Charlie writes a note for Eve to ask how they know the blackmailers will deliver the photos. In response, the caller confers with someone else and says they plan to use Olivia as an example as they blackmail other women. Charlie thus knows that the man on the phone is not in charge, and that the head blackmailer will likely keep some photos to make more demands later.

Wendell waits for Litsky’s call in a telephone booth on Sunday morning, lamenting telling Litsky about the photos. Wendell worked as a photographer for movies for seven years, and he thinks about the skill it takes to convey motion and emotion in a still photograph. However, people did not respect him when they found out the nature of his job. During one session, while Wendell took additional photos of an actress, he saw the actress’s true beauty in his shots. After the shoot, Wendell waited outside her trailer and told her she was beautiful when she left. Though it seemed like she appreciated the compliment, Wendell was fired that night for his comment and banned from working at any other studios. He soon developed a dependence on alcohol.

After he was fired, Freddie Fairview approached Wendell to take photos of women through the two-way mirror at the Hacienda. Wendell has taken pictures of over 80 women, only some of which Freddie has had developed. Freddie told Wendell to destroy the negatives, but Wendell kept some of them, feeling disgusted with himself. One night, over drinks with Litsky, Wendell confessed about the photos, and Litsky suggested blackmailing the actresses whose pictures Wendell took.

At the telephone booth, Wendell worries that Eve has called the police or that the $5,000 will be traceable. Litsky calls and gives Wendell the all-clear to go to the diner, which should not be busy. At the diner, Wendell sees two teenagers and an old man; he goes to the agreed upon booth and finds the purse with the cash inside. Feeling nervous, Wendell orders and eats a sandwich before leaving. Wendell checks that no one is following him, but then hits a bicyclist turning a corner. Wendell gives the young man $40 from the purse and continues driving, failing to notice a car pulling onto the road behind him.

As Charlie waits in his car near the diner, watching for the bagman, he notes that the decision-making blackmailer chose a good location for the drop, with empty streets and office buildings around the diner. Most police officers resent stakeouts, feeling that searches and interrogations are more effective. To explain why stakeouts matter, Charlie used to tell younger officers about the Windsor case.

In 1926, Mr. and Mrs. Windsor planned a trip to Palm Springs with their friends, Mr. and Mrs. Baker. Mrs. Windsor stayed home feeling sick; she was found murdered in her home when Mr. Windsor returned the next day. The police initially suspected a jewelry thief, as the only goods stolen were jewelry, but Charlie and his partner suspected Mr. Windsor of killing his wife, though he had an alibi. The Windsors’ housekeeper revealed that a piece of lingerie was also stolen from the house. The police chief assumed this meant the initial robbery theory was correct, but Charlie and his partner decided to watch the house for four weeks. Two days before the end of the stakeout, Charlie discovered a bicycle by the house—Windsor was having an affair with the Bakers’ daughter, Lucy. Charlie and his partner brought Windsor in for questioning, assuming Windsor told Lucy where to find the gun and jewelry, but Windsor claimed he was not involved in the crime, calling Lucy crazy. Charlie, his partner, and Windsor lured Lucy to the house, where she confessed to killing Mrs. Windsor to be with Mr. Windsor, without Mr. Windsor’s knowledge.

Outside the diner, Charlie watches the two teenagers, the old man, and Wendell enter the diner at different times. He waits for Wendell to hit Billy on the bike, noting Billy use a hammer to smash Wendell’s windshield. Then Charlie drives past Wendell at a gas station. After Wendell drives away, Charlie follows him to a residential neighborhood and waits a minute before approaching the house into which Wendell goes. Before getting to the house, Charlie investigates a shadow.