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talking awards at Cannes. Not for the movie, but for you . Did you hear me? You could be nominated for Best Actress at Cannes, Pagan! Somehow you’re moving away from movies like Beach Bound Beverly into A-list material with the best writers and directors. It’s a miracle! Don’t do this turd of a script and mess it all up. I’m begging you.”
    â€œMost people don’t yell when they beg,” Pagan said. What he said made her uneasy. “You really think one mediocre movie could cancel out the good ones?”
    â€œThis could cost you the award at Cannes,” he said. “And, I didn’t want to say anything, but they’re talking about a possible Oscar campaign, too.”
    Once upon a time, getting an Oscar had been Pagan’s biggest dream. But now, when she weighed that against the chance to find out more about her mother, to help her country, to catch a Nazi who probably escaped from justice? The awards seemed like Tinkertoys.
    Time for the trump card. “Do you remember our friend Devin Black?”
    Silence. Then a thump and a squeak of chair springs as Jerry sat back down. Jerry had caved in to Devin before, when he’d negotiated Pagan’s contract for Neither Here Nor There in Berlin in August. Pagan had never learned exactly what hold Devin had over Jerry, but it seemed to involve blackmail. Jerry probably didn’t know who Devin worked for, but he was no fool. “Devin Black’s involved in this tango turd?”
    â€œHe asked me to do it. And I want to do it,” Pagan said. And waited.
    Another silence. “Okay. So. You’re doing it,” Jerry finally said. “But if at any point you or Mr. Black wish to extricate yourself from this awful picture, you let me know. It’ll be worth the penalties to your contract.”
    â€œThanks, Jerry,” Pagan said.
    â€œYeah, yeah.” He paused. “The studio’s going to owe you big for this one. Anything special you want during the shoot I can demand? Caviar every day, maybe? A personal masseuse?”
    Pagan glanced over at Mercedes, who was underlining something in her book. “I want to bring my best friend along with me for a week. They could pay for a nice hotel suite for the two of us, and her airfare as well as mine. If you think you can manage that.”
    â€œBest friend, airfare, hotel suite,” he pronounced, as if writing it down. Sharply, he added, “Is Devin Black okay with her being there?”
    Pagan hadn’t thought of that. The CIA might not want her to have someone living in her suite with her, for secrecy’s sake. Well, that was too bad. “If anyone kicks back over her being there, you tell them she comes or I’m out.”
    â€œIf we’re lucky, they’ll kick back,” Jerry muttered. “When producers ask me about this horrible movie later, can I tell them you were back on the bottle when you agreed to do it?”
    â€œJerry!” Pagan scolded.
    â€œYeah, yeah, that would be even worse for your rep. I know.” He sighed heavily. “You really okay with this, kid?”
    Which was as close as Jerry Allenberg would ever come to making sure Devin Black wasn’t blackmailing her into doing this movie.
    â€œI’m great, Jerry. Really. If we’re lucky maybe the movie will be so bad they won’t release it.”
    â€œYour lips to God’s ears,” he said.
    â€œHave the studio’s dancing instructor call me so I can brush up on the tango, okay?”
    â€œSure, sure.” And he hung up.
    â€œJerry doesn’t think it’s a good idea,” Pagan said, setting the handset back in the cradle of the phone on the kitchen wall.
    Mercedes didn’t look up from her astronomy book. “Too late. You’ve crossed the event horizon.”
    â€œIs that a tango step?” Pagan grinned.
    â€œIt’s a boundary that surrounds a black hole.” Mercedes looked up from