The news hit
hard yesterday.
Sir Sean Connery,
passed away at age 90.
This actor
was the epitome of cool. He commanded every role he played and knew exactly how
to make the audience stand up and take notice. In my eyes, he always was and
always will be “Bond. James Bond.” I don’t
care who else attempts to fill those shoes. They’re just shadows, following in
his footsteps.
Connery won
recognition and awards for his hard work. He captured my imagination with his
portrayal of many roles, beyond Bond.
After all, he was Henry Jones, Sr.
in “Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade”, John Mason in “The Rock”, Captain
Ramius in “The Hunt for the Red October”, Jimmy Malone in “The Untouchables”, Robert MacDougal in “Entrapment” and many more.
Ironically I
watched a clip from “The Rock” on Friday, still smiling at his power in that
role, just hours before learning of his death.
Rest in
peace, Sir Sean Connery. Your talent
will continue to entertain and enthrall generations to come.
I tried to capture some of his traits for a character in “Fleeing Beauty”. In this scene, Jamie is trying to get a lead on a stolen piece of the art collection from her late father’s studio. That leads her and Linda to a meeting. Here’s an excerpt from the story.
We arrived at the Townsend Hotel five
minutes early. Something told me that Harrison Mundy was not the type of man
who would like to be kept waiting. The receptionist directed us to the Rugby
Grille. As we approached, I could see the place was about a third full. Maybe
it was too early in the evening for society’s elite to have dinner. There was also a bar at the other end of the
hotel that seemed to be doing a brisk business.
At the hostess stand, an attractive young woman wearing way too much
makeup and perfume gave us a vague smile.
“Are one of you Miss Jamie Richmond?”
she asked in a breathy voice, as if she’d just run up two flights of stairs
wearing stiletto heels.
“That’s me. We’re supposed to be
meeting someone.”
She nodded twice. I noticed that her
hair didn’t move when she did that. “Your party has already arrived. Right this
way.”
We followed her across the room to a
private corner table. I noticed there was no one else within twenty feet of it.
A distinguished looking man with a full head of silver hair was already seated.
As we drew closer he rose smoothly and extended his hand.
“You must be Miss Richmond.”
“Please, just call me Jamie,” I said,
lightly taking his hand.
“Thank you, Jamie.” He turned
smoothly to Linda. “May I presume that you are Miss Davis?”
She took a step back in surprise
before taking his hand. “I prefer Linda.”
He flashed a charming smile at both
of us. “I would be pleased if you will call me Harry. Let us sit down.”
I noticed the place setting that was
to the right of his chair was disturbed. Linda took the seat on his left and I
took the one opposite him. Before we were settled, an exotic looking beauty
with silky black hair came over from the bar and took the empty seat.
“This is Jocelyn.”
She smiled and nodded. A waiter
appeared with a tray of food.
“I took the liberty of ordering a few
simple dishes to go with our conversation.” He glanced up at the waiter. “What
did you bring us, Phillip?”
The waiter gave a quick nod. “We have
chilled prawns, foie gras and duck tacos. These are specialties of the house.
I’m sure you’ll enjoy them.”
“Perhaps a drink would be in order?”
Mundy said.
I ordered tonic water and lime. Linda
asked for a glass of chardonnay.
“How did you know who I would bring
along?”
Mundy flashed a smile at me that was
almost blinding in its brightness. “I prefer to know as much as I can about the
people I am meeting. Even though I am retired, I like to keep my senses sharp.”
“So you’ve retired from a life of
crime?” I asked.
“Really, Jamie, you know I am not a
criminal. I was never convicted or even accused of an illegal act. I have many
interests that have been cultivated over the years. Is there a particular area
of my expertise that appeals to you?”
I took a moment to study him while
phrasing my response. He was very handsome, with the dazzling smile, smooth
complexion, and thick silver hair. He was fit and trim, perhaps a little taller
than me, which would put him about five-foot eight-inches tall. I had no doubt the suit he was wearing was
tailor made for his frame. He spoke with an educated tone. His nails were
manicured. Jocelyn motioned to Linda at
the food before us. She sampled the foie gras.
“I would like to know about art
thefts, particularly the best way to do it. Did you always have a buyer in
mind?”
He chuckled dryly. “Jamie, what makes
you think I know anything about thievery?”
“Perhaps in your studies of the
subject, you learned how thieves work.”
“That is a very good answer,” he
said. “May I presume your interest stems from the recent discovery of your
father’s work?”
“He really did do his research,”
Linda said quietly.
“You may,” I replied somewhat
sullenly. It dawned on me that I was mimicking his precise way of speaking.
This wasn’t like me at all. And it was obvious that Mundy was in complete
control of the conversation and the situation. Disgusted with myself, I speared
a prawn with my fork and focused on sawing it into bite sized pieces.
“Miss Davis is quite correct. Before
I accepted your inquiry, I researched your background. It is somewhat
unsettling to discover how much information can be so readily available on the Internet.”
While nibbling a chunk of prawn,
which was incredibly good, I saw Jocelyn carefully put a sample of each
appetizer on a plate and hand it to Mundy. He smiled his thanks, gently
squeezed her hand, and set the plate squarely before him. Before tasting
anything, he sipped from a highball glass filled with a clear liquid and ice. I
caught a whiff of juniper.
“How’s the gin?” I asked.
“Smooth as always.” He tasted a duck
taco and lightly patted his mouth with the linen napkin. “Shall we dispense
with the formalities and the subterfuge?”
“What the hell. I’d appreciate that.”
“Then tell me what it is you are
really interested in?”
“If you were going to steal some of
Peter’s artwork, how would you do it?”
Mundy leaned back in his chair. He
took another sip and carefully set the glass down beside his plate. He glanced
at Jocelyn. She held his gaze and gave a tiny nod of her head.
“Suppose I give you a hypothetical
example of the theft of some artwork. Would that be helpful to your situation?”
“That’s exactly what we want to
know,” Linda said. “If you were going to do it, how would you manage it?”
Mundy began to weave a tale that
sounded like something out of Hollywood. After being trained by his father and
grandfather on the basics, he utilized technology to beat the latest security
systems. Mundy turned his attentions to insurance companies and collectors,
using his skills to recover stolen pieces of priceless art and jewelry and
return them to their rightful owners. It was his claim that such work was in
high demand and that the commissions on the recoveries paid him well. There was
still a great deal of risk involved, since many of the people he’d retrieved
pieces from were less than honorable.
“So hypothetically, how would you get
away with it? I mean, surely the people you stole from would be suspicious when
the artwork or jewelry that was supposedly safe in their possession suddenly
disappeared,” I said.
Linda had been engrossed in his tale
and was anxious to join in. “In some situations, it would be weeks after a
recovery before the person would realize the item was gone, if it was jewelry
locked away in a vault or a painting stored at a summer house. But that
couldn’t have been the case every time,” she said.
Mundy took his time studying each of
us before turning to Jocelyn. “Your perceptions were extremely accurate. Not
only are they both beautiful, but highly intelligent as well.”
She flashed him a delighted smile.
“It would be in your best interest not to underestimate them, especially Miss
Richmond. I understand she can be quite…determined.”
Mundy gave me a gentle nod. “I must admit a certain degree of pleasure in
meeting you. I have read some recent accounts of your escapades as they were
described in the media. The actual police reports were very enlightening as
well.”
“How did you get copies of police
reports?” I asked.
Mundy smiled and lifted his palms
lightly from where they rested on the table. Maybe it was his version of a
shoulder shrug. “My network of resources
is quite extensive.”
“So if you were hypothetically going
to steal some of Peter’s artwork, how would you go about it?”
“There are many ways to execute a
perfect crime. But each one takes a great deal of careful planning and
preparation. Contingencies must be calculated as well.” Mundy paused to sample
the foie gras. He gave a single nod of approval. “Tell me about the building.”
Linda and I took turns describing the
structure. I was surprised how much detail she was able to give, knowing she’d
only been there today. But Linda is extremely observant. I described the
minimal security system. Before I could tell him what had been stolen, Mundy
raised a hand.
“Pardon me, Jamie, but I do not want
to know what is missing. You are asking me to postulate a hypothetical robbery.
I will need some time to consider various options. I must ask your indulgence.”
Puzzled, I glanced across the table
at Jocelyn. She smiled and rose smoothly from her chair. I realized Mundy was now
on his feet as well.
“You’re leaving?”
Harrison Mundy dropped his linen
napkin on the table. I noticed his glass was empty and the appetizers were
gone. He shot his cuffs.
“Our meeting was for one hour. That
time has passed. Jocelyn and I have another commitment.” He turned slightly
toward Linda and lifted her hand. Smoothly he bent forward and grazed his lips
across her knuckles. “It has been a delightful pleasure to meet you both.”
Linda’s cheeks flared red. “Thank
you,” she stammered.
Mundy turned to me. I was standing
now, trying to figure out how to prolong the conversation. His eyes were twinkling as he looked at me.
“Your reputation is well deserved,
Jamie. I must admit to be intrigued by your—situation. When the time is right, I will be in
touch.” With that he gently, but firmly,
took my hand and did the knuckle grazing kiss.
I felt a flush run through me. Who was this guy?
Dumbfounded, I stood there, watching
Jocelyn and Mundy leave the bar. Automatically she linked her arm through his.
Linda appeared beside me.
“What just happened?” Linda asked.
“It beats the hell out of me.”
Phillip appeared and began to briskly
clear the table. For a moment I thought Mundy had stuck me with the bill, but
the waiter only smiled and shook his head.
“That was taken care of before you arrived.”
Linda stared at me. “Who was that
guy?”
“He certainly wasn’t what I
expected.”
We headed for the door. There was no
sign of Harrison Mundy or the exotic Jocelyn. We exited the hotel lobby and
stood for a moment on the sidewalk, waiting for the valet to bring up my car.
“I don’t know about you, Jamie, but
I’m starving. Those tasty little treats inside just woke up my appetite.”
“You expect me to feed you now?”
She fluffed back her curls and struck
a pose. “I am all dolled up and we are in downtown Birmingham. The very least
you could do is take me to dinner.”
“I think there’s a hot dog place nearby.”
“You’re not getting off that easy.”
I shook my head as we got into the
car. “You’re such a pricey broad.”
“You’d better believe it.”
No comments:
Post a Comment