Chapter 4: Site Visit

Judy Olsen exited the yellow cab and looked at the huge mansion with trepidation. Her own house, the one that she and Donald had built, would easily fit inside the four-door garage to the left. She was way over her head here.

With determination, she straightened and walked toward the iron gate. There was a bell button with the name "Hartwell" beside it, and another one labeled "MR". She pushed the second button and looked straight into the security cam. Seconds later, a voice sounded through the intercom.

"Please come in. Take the path to the right and follow it to the small house in the rear."

The buzzer sounded and Judy opened the gate door. She followed the path as told, and after thirty yards found herself standing in front of a modernistic two-story house. The front towards the garden path was all glass with a flat portico providing shade. The upper floor was also all glass towards the garden and slightly set back, obviously creating a wide balcony for the upstairs rooms. Before she could find the bell button, the door opened and Melanie Renault beckoned her in.

"Please, come in. I've readied an upstairs bedroom for you. David is in the middle of a session with his therapist and I'd hate to interrupt. So let's sneak upstairs first and you can have a shower."

The girl was whispering, but still talking a mile a minute. Judy followed the petite brunette, who was barefoot and wearing just shorts and a much too long men's shirt, to the upper floor. The room was not huge but not cramped either, and the window offered a beautiful view over the property.

"I hope you'll like it. We had to furnish the house from scratch. The old stuff was just garish and it didn't really fit the style of the house. We got the stuff from the IKEA outlet 'cause we were in a bit of a hurry, but it's not too bad, is it?"

Judy found the furniture appealing, with white surfaces and birch wood trimmings. The bed was in the French style, essentially a double, but with a metal frame made from two-inch, raw iron tubing. There was a desk with a very modern swivel chair, a chest of drawers, and a sliding door wardrobe.

"It's nice. I appreciate the hospitality. This house, it's so ... I don't know."

"It's from the fifties. When Uncle Josh bought the property, he had to sign a contract that he would preserve it. It was built after a plan by a famous architect, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. Uncle Josh lets me rent it and it's just great!"

"Why didn't your uncle use it?"

Melanie made a face. "I don't know exactly. I guess his fiancée wanted a big mansion to entertain guests, and he went along. The big house wasn't even finished yet when she dumped him and he just moved into the place so he'd not look like a fool."

"He didn't strike me as a fool," Judy contradicted.

"He isn't! He's a great person. He's been so helpful and I owe him so much! But then I owe you so much!"

"Me?"

The girl turned sober in a second. She only whispered. "I was really going to jump. I saw no use in myself anymore. Everybody hated me. And then you showed me a purpose."

"I was doing everything wrong! I should have never yelled at you or berated you."

"It worked, didn't it? I wasn't faking it to get your sympathy. I was going to jump and you kept me from doing it. Thank you."

"Wow. My good deed for the month of June. So, while it's just us two, what was the deal with that rehab clinic?"

With incredulity, Judy heard the story of David's dirty diapers and of the situation at the clinic. She nodded a little when Melanie explained the reasoning for moving David to Josh Hartwell's property, and she nodded some more when Melanie explained the schedule of exercises and therapies.

"So basically, he's getting twice the therapy, better food, regular care, plus a gofer," she summarized. "How long do you think you can keep up with all this?"

"For as long as needed. He'll leave this place walking on his own two feet," Melanie answered with determination. "He's my responsibility and I'll take care of him."

"What about your life?"

"My life is so much better already, it's not even funny. I have a task, I have a great person for company. I even have a goal. I'm changing majors. I'm loading up on science classes so I'll qualify for medical school after graduation. There's a lot to catch up, but David's helping me some, and I get other tutoring too."

"Why medical school?"

The girl smiled a happy smile. "Because my mother doesn't have a say anymore. I always liked the science classes in high school better than arts and literature. My mother made me sign up for a performing arts major, but I was already aiming for a minor in life sciences. It means I have all the liberal arts credits already and I can focus on science classes."

"Melanie, you're not doing this with the idea to take care of David for eternity? To develop a cure for paraplegia?"

"Yeah, it sort of sounds like it and I had to convince David that it's really something I want to do for myself. This has nothing to do with my guilt trip."

"Okay. To each his own I guess. So tell me, where did Mr. Mies van der Rohe put the bathroom in this house?"

"Oh, of course. It's to the left, the last door. I put in fresh towels and a bathrobe. There's a one-piece suit too that should fit you. We'll have lunch by the pool."

"The pool?"

"Yeah, isn't it great? We can even rig a big tent over if for the winter."

"Winter?" Judy asked. "Here?"

"Oh. Of course. For you that's not winter. But the tent will allow David to continue the water exercises. You'll see. It works great. It'll take the weight off his legs once he starts moving them again."

It was impossible to stay unaffected by Melanie's enthusiasm and optimism.

"You really have changed."

"I had to. I hated who I was," the girl answered evenly.

"What'll happen to your acting career?"

"It's pretty much circling the bowl. I got a letter from my agent telling me I was done. I'm officially blacklisted for ratting out Brentano. The funny thing is, I don't give a shit. Maybe in a few years I can walk down a street without some low-life shoving a camera into my face."

"They're blacklisting you because... ?"

"Yeah. Brentano is making money for the studios and the networks. If he goes to jail, they will make less money, so they hate me. Sure, rape victims are great vehicles for Best Actress Awards, but the bottom line is always money. Uncle Josh is suing my agent for breach of contract, but I still won't get another role."

"That's sad."

"Yes, but it suits my plans. I'll leave you now. Lunch is at one o'clock. David will be finished by twelve."

"Thank you. I'll go and freshen up before I see him."

A quick shower later, Judy walked down the stairs and into the backyard. She sat by the 50-foot pool and enjoyed the sunny weather. With her deep tan acquired in the high altitudes of Montana, she had no compunctions to sit with her face in the sun, squinting a little and smiling with relaxation.

This was how Josh found her.

Josh had spent almost his entire life in LA and being a successful lawyer, he'd had his share of trophy girlfriends. Most were aspiring actresses, writers or production assistants who were quite happy to make the house in Beverly Hills their temporary base camp in their quest for stardom. Accompanying Josh to dinners and premieres where they could meet A-list directors and actors very much added to Josh's personal appeal. The affairs all ended when Josh had served his purpose as a step on the ladder to success. He was just a part of the "Tinsel Town" food chain, a small shark in a sea owned by the Great Whites.

Josh profited too. Some of them had made it big time, and now he represented them in all contract negotiations, charging hefty fees that his former girlfriends had to pay.

Still, he had grown increasingly dissatisfied with this lifestyle. It seemed that they all wanted the same – a stepping stone. Now, having just celebrated his fiftieth birthday, he was growing tired of perfect faces and teeth, of seeing woman after woman with the same designer noses, the same silicone lips and tits. Yet, he did not even know what he wanted instead.

Then, coming home early on this Friday to enjoy a long weekend, he chanced on Judy Olsen squinting into the California sun and scrunching up her nose, not giving a damn about lines, wrinkles or sun spots. Josh was instantly smitten. Before, when he'd seen Judy Olsen, it had been in hospital rooms with unflattering light, and she had been tired and worried about David. Here, sitting by his pool, he suddenly saw her for a beautiful, middle aged woman. More so, a woman who was independent, strong and compassionate. A woman who did not need him for her career.

"Hr-hm! Mrs. Olsen? Welcome back to LA," he managed to say.

She turned her head and looked at him with a look of pleasant surprise. "Hi, Mr. Hartwell. Melanie told me to wait here. I hope that I'm not intruding?"

"Not in the least!" Josh protested. "How do you like David's new rehab facility?"

Judy shook her head. "It's almost too good. I must really thank you for taking such good care of my son."

"Melanie brooked no resistance when she found him in that dismal place. Before I even knew what and when she had found ambulatory care nurses and a professional trainer. Then she roped in Mrs. Ling, and all I could do was to stay out of her way."

"She's really not a bad girl," Judy opined.

Josh nodded sagely. "She's grown up in the last weeks. She had to. She'll testify against Brentano, and that's going to be a madhouse. It's a good thing that my sister's lover at the time corroborated a crucial part of Mel's testimony. My sister will go down too. She waited too long to turn witness, and now the DA can do without her. Plus, they have her already for letting Mel drink alcohol. That's another slam dunk for the DA's office."

"Is that a problem for you?" Judy asked without rancor.

Josh shook his head. "After what she did to her daughter, I have no sympathy left for her. We had a meeting at my office last week, Lana, Mel and I. It was all, 'How could you do this to me after all I've done for you?'. Not a single use of the word 'sorry'. For her, Mel's rape was just part of being in the business."