You're a rich man because of him.
And you knew by the time Bonner came that you were an agent, not a producer.
The whole industry knew it."
"Only because he never gave me a chance." Dan grinned mirthlessly. "Now it's his turn to sweat a little.
I'm waiting to see how he likes it." He walked angrily to the door but by the time he turned back to David, his anger seemed to have disappeared. "Keep in touch, David.
There's an outside chance I could spring Tracy and Gable from Metro on loan if you came up with the right property."
David nodded as the agent walked out.
He looked down at his desk. Business as usual, he thought bitterly.
Pierce would think nothing of setting up a deal like that and handing the company a million-dollar profit. That was his business.
It had nothing to do with Jonas Cord personally.
But the sale of his stock in the company was another matter.
He picked up the telephone on his desk wearily.
"Yes, Mr. Woolf."
"Call Bonner's office and find out if I can see him right away."
"In your office or his?" his secretary asked.
He smiled at himself.
Ordinarily, protocol dictated that Bonner come to him.
But it was amazing how sensitive the studio grapevine was.
By now, everyone was aware that something was up, and even his secretary wasn't completely sure of his position. This was her way of probing.
"My office, of course," he said testily, putting down the telephone.
Bonner came into his office about three-quarters of an hour later.
It wasn't too bad, considering their relative importance.
Not too long to appear rude, not too quickly to appear subservient.
He crossed the room to David's desk and sat down.
"Sorry to disturb you, Maurice," David said politely.
"That's quite all right, David," Bonner answered, equally polite. "I managed to finish the morning production meeting."
"Good. Then you have a little time?"
Bonner looked at his watch.
"I do have a story conference due about now."
David smiled.
"Writers are used to waiting." Bonner looked at David curiously.
Unconsciously, his hand crept inside his jacket and he scratched his shirt. David noticed and grinned. "Got a rash?"
"You heard the story?" Bonner asked.
David nodded.
Bonner grinned, scratching himself overtly now. "It's driving me nuts. It was worth it, though.
You got to try Jennie sometime.
That girl can make your old fiddle twang like a Stradivarius."
"I'll bet.
I saw the test."
Bonner looked at him.
"I meant to ask you. Why did you pull all the prints?"
"I had to," David said.
"The Sinner isn't our property. It belongs to Cord personally.
And you know how he is.
I wasn't looking for any trouble." Bonner stared at him silently.
There wasn't any point in beating around the bush, David decided. "Sheffield showed me your commitment to sell him your stock."
Bonner nodded. He wasn't scratching now.
"I figured he would."
"Why?" David asked.
"If you wanted to sell, why didn't you talk to Cord?"