Read John Shirley - Wetbones for Free Online Page A

your fucking movies are predictable. Out loud he said, "It's a question of how it'll be carried off. They're on foot, they're part of the neighbourhood, and walking a beat is different to being in a cruiser, gives them a
    feeling of family with the people' they protect. And there'll be some plot twists. I've got an outline right now, hasn't got all the plot points but it's basically there. I see it as having the appeal of Alien Nation - only it's funnier, and it's men and women. Men and women are alien to one another when they're thrust into this kind of situation. We play it for laughs." Alien Nation? A pretty dumb comparison. Get your shit together, Prentice!
    Prentice waited. He'd shot his wad, he decided.
    After a moment of staring glaze-eyed at a Grammy on a shelf of otherwise mostly minor awards - he'd started out in record production - Arthwright nodded sharply, but contradicted the nod by saying, " Broken Windows didn't work out too well. That was a cop thing too. Might be hard for me to sell you after that."
    Meaning sell him to the Studio. Convince them to do it. Which was bullshit. Arthwright could do what he wanted, now, if he really wanted to do it.
    What had he said? A cop thing too . Like A Cop Named Dagger, like Broken Windows . Cop Things, everything seemed to be Cop Things.
    " Broken Windows was a straight ahead drama," Prentice pointed out, hoping he didn't sound desperate. "Not my forte. I shouldn't have tried it. I can't pull it off without comedy in there too. That's where I shine. I had two hits." And a flop, and one so-so. "And you might point out to the studio that Broken Windows wasn't really a cop thing. It was about burglars, it was mostly from their side, so it was a problem of antiheroes. This wouldn't have that problem."
    His back was sticking to his shirt with sweat. When you had to apologize and explain, backing and filling, it wasn't going to fly. Shit.
    Arthwright said, "Okay, well, have Buddy messenger the outline over to me and I'll take a look. Has this baby got a name or are you just calling it Junior?"
    Prentice laughed nervously. "I'm calling it Tenderloin Seven right now. It's set in San Francisco."
    'You're from San Francisco originally, aren't you?" Arthwright asked abstractedly, standing. Standing up was a way of telling him he was expected to leave without actually having to say it.
    They shook hands. Prentice said, "I grew up in San Francisco. How'd you know I was from there?"
    "The 49ers shirt might have done it," Arthwright said, letting his hand drop, grinning.
    "Oh yeah. I forgot to change back to the Clark Kent suit."
    Arthwright faked a chuckle. He was checking his calendar, as he added, half to himself, "And Amy mentioned it."
    Prentice stared. "Amy? My wife Amy?"
    "Uh huh. I -" Arthwright looked up at Prentice blankly. Hesitation. Just a fraction of a second. Arthwright hadn't meant to bring this up, apparently. "She was out at a party in Malibu. Judy Denver's place. I talked to Amy a little. She had a high opinion of you. She was a sweet girl."
    So Buddy had told Arthwright that Amy had died. Unless he'd heard it somewhere else.
    Had he got the appointment out of charity, because of Amy's death? Christ. I'm climbing on Amy's body.
    And Amy had met Arthwright. And Arthwright was working with Jeff. The world wasn't just small, it was cramped.
    ''Yeah. Yeah, she was . . . a sweet girl," Prentice managed.
    "Yes. Well. I've got a late lunch . . ."
    "Right. I'll ask Buddy to get that outline to you. Take it easy."
    "Whenever I can. Talk to you later, Tom."
    Prentice hurried out, as Arthwright left instructions with his secretary.
    Outside, the day seemed brutally warm after the over zealous air conditioning. But he strolled round a little, thinking. Suppose the deal with Arthwright didn't come off? What then? Arthwright had been discussing Jeff Teitelbaum. By God, Jeff might just be able to help him.
    Prentice paused to frown up at one of the tenement facades. All the