A Memory of Love

By Frank Hajek

Barbara Collins had reached the pinicle of her profession, the most bankable, most sought after female lead of her era. Beautiful, brilliant and sexy, her talants included an ability to emote real passion, real sorrow and real tears. She even had a good ear for song and a passable voice to perform it. Then she up and quit, disappearing from view until forty years later when Gretchen Schneider has a chance to tell every reporter's most sought after story. What really happened to Ms. Collins?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Frank Hajek
• Release date: Dec 24, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370385706

Frank Hajek

AUTHOR Frank Hajek spent his career working within the design and advertising communities, owning an advertising agency for more than thirty years. He has written throughout his life for print and television, including screenplays. Presently he lives and works in the Philippine Islands.

Book preview

A MEMORY OF LOVE

A Novella

A Memory of Love

Copyright 2017, Frank Hajek

ISBN: 9781370385706

This is a work of fiction. Characters, companies, organizations, and agencies in this novel are either the product of the author's imagination or, if real, used fictitiously without any intent to describe their actual conduct.

Published by Frank Hajek at Smashwords

Distributed by Smashwords

Smashwords Edition, License Notes

Thank you for downloading this ebook. This book remains the copyrighted property of the author, and may not be redistributed to others for commercial or non-commercial purposes. If you enjoyed this book, please encourage your friends to download their own copy from their favorite authorized retailer. Thank you for your support.

Other books by Frank Hajek

The Shepherds of Asia

Starlight Serenade

The Operative's Portrait

Lightning and Other Thrills

A Day Waits for No One

TABLE of CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE • A Call from Whom?

CHAPTER TWO • A Ride Uptown

CHAPTER THREE • Is That Really You?

CHAPTER FOUR • The Ground Rules

CHAPTER FIVE • The Story Before Dinner

CHAPTER SIX • What Could Go Wrong?

CHAPTER SEVEN • Sir Allen

CHAPTER EIGHT • Sneakin' In The Back Way

CHAPTER NINE • Dinner With Babs

CHAPTER TEN • Three Days of Bliss

CHAPTER ELEVEN • The Plot Thickens

CHAPTER TWELVE • The Pain that Remains

CHAPTER THIRTEEN • The Great Reveal

CHAPTER FOURTEEN • To Close The Book

CHAPTER FIFTEEN • Someone Waits Below

CHAPTER SIXTEEN • Knowing and Not Knowing

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN • The Second Time for Love

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN • A Review and a Revelation

EPILOGUE

AUTHOR

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CHAPTER ONE

A Call from Whom?

Gretchen Schneider prepped herself in front of the ladies room mirror. Straightening her silk collars and squaring the shoulder pads under her dark blue jacket she adjusted the brooch flower pin on her left lapel with a nervous tug. Leaning close Gretchen adjusted her lipstick and finished with a touch of blush makeup to each cheek. 'Perfect' she thought, beautiful but very business-like. This was going to be an important day in her young life and she would leave nothing to chance.

Two floors above her Paul Drago, Editor and Chief of the New York Examiner was unaware of the scoop she had just arranged over the phone. His day would be a buzz of deadlines and crises happening around the city and the world. He would never get to see the woman of the age, but later, if Gretchen handled herself properly, he would be able to read her most intimate story. At least that was what Barbara Collins had promised Gretchen when she called.

Barbara Collins had reached the pinnacle of her profession in the late sixties. Just a few years after the old Hollywood Star System had crumbled and studio chiefs lost control of their properties. Her star would rise above all else. She had been the most bankable, most sought after female lead of that era. Beautiful, brilliant and sexy, her talents included an ability to emote real passion, real sorrow and real tears. She even had a good ear for song and a passable voice to perform it. Nothing seemed beyond her skills and every leading man in the industry wanted to pair with her for, well frankly, anything they could get. Comedy, drama, adventure, every venue was open and desired. They made no bones about it. Babs, as she was called, could pick and choose any script, and any co-star she wanted. Then she up and quit.

That was forty years ago, Gretchen realized, as the enormity of her next appointment began to sink in. Babs had gone underground, becoming a recluse who lived in her Upper East Side stronghold, and shunning every social contact the city had to offer. In fact, she had not been seen in months nor photographed in years even though the paparazzi parked on her block 24/7. Her eremitic ways had spawned rumors of a kidnapping; her loss in the jungles of Brazil, even her death was prophesied by some forty-ninth street swami. This was going to be one hell of a day.

The newsroom was bustling as Gretchen pushed her way through the rear door and headed for the assignment desk. Coleen McTigeen was operating a multi line phone system as she approached. A mid-sized, middle-aged maven, Colleen had been through enough hard times and bad experiences to smother a Clydesdale, yet she kept on keepin' on. Most of the staff loved her 'take no prisoners' stories of hotshots gone by, but more than anything they loved her Irish humor. Always with a joke or some Gaelic wisdom, Colleen was a bright spot in the grayness of everything news.

Got an appointment uptown Coh, and I won't be back for a few hours at least.

Coleen looked up from the switchboard, and over her glasses.

Anything you want to share, or another 'Fu Man Chu' mystery sweety?

Got an interview that might become dynamite. Gretchen smiled, and with a wink placed her logout card on the counter. That's all I'm going to say.

Coleen scooped up the card as another line lit up on her board.

Wish me luck Coh, this could be big.

McTigeen punched a button on the board and, covering the microphone that swung out from her earpiece called to Gretchen.

Go get em' kid.

CHAPTER TWO

A Ride Uptown

Before leaving her desk Gretchen had logged on to the archives and downloaded everything available on Barbara Collins. She had dumped the files to the iPad now hanging from her right shoulder as she tried to flag a cab. It was two in the afternoon and traffic had already begun to jam up along Madison Avenue. Remembering it was the beginning of a three-day weekend, Gretchen knew it would be far worse than the usual calamity. This being Friday meant everything would really grind to a standstill in a few hours when the 'Thank God it's Friday' minions