One of England's leading composers, Richard Harvey, a cricketing team mate, just happened to be off to Los Angeles to work on a film score with his friends Nick Glennie Smith and Hanz Zimmer. We agreed to meet when his schedule permitted. As it happened, I spent a lot of time with him. Ged and Jane were my hosts as usual, but barely saw me. I still feel guilty about that. On the first Saturday, there was a party next door to Ged and Jane's house. There I met Eli and his new bride Blythe. Blythe had been the subject of his ardour when I first met him, but she didn't want to know. I'd counseled him to look elsewhere, but he'd stuck to his guns and finally broken her resistance to him. Blythe was upset because that day Eli had accidentally killed her pet spaniel, whilst reversing their Bronco. I consoled her, as did all her friends, then went to Eli to offer my sympathy. "Too bad about the dog Eli", I said. His response was the first time I'd ever heard the phrase, "Hey shit happens!" I grew to love the phrase and use it often when something has gone wrong. It helps put it in perspective. During the party, Ged told me Richard had called to say he'd arranged a cricket match for the next day. As I didn't believe him I enjoyed the party to the utmost, finally staggering into bed way after midnight. You can imagine my horror when I awoke to find a message from Richard confirming the game was to start at 10.00 that morning. It was an extremely hung over "athlete," who toiled all day under the hot sun in pursuit of a little red leather ball. Richard then broached the idea of a trip to Mexico, because he'd been released by the studio until incomplete parts of the film were ready for music to be added. I readily agreed to his suggestion.
Mexico Por favor
During our two day trip to Mexico, Richard and I discussed my future. I told him of my plans to return to Los Angeles once the court case was done and write my book. His response was to tell me he thought I should write in Antigua! As it happened, another cricketing friend of ours was negotiating the lease on a beach hotel. Richard thought it would be ideal if I were there to take care of maintenance, in return for board and lodging. The idea appealed to me, so I agreed to help our friend, if that was what was required. It didn't matter to me where I was, as long as I had the time and space to write.
Final Persuasion
On the last day of my trip, I went to dinner with RObin Hild and Sue, his lady of the timein their house on Malibu Lake in the Malibu Mountains. We enjoyed a wonderful evening and chatted until about eleven. I left to take the drive back to Ged and Jane's house some five miles away. They were out of town for the weekend. As I came to a junction, I turned right onto the mountain road. For whatever reason, perhaps the wine, I lapsed into the English way and began driving on the left hand side of the road. After about a mile, I saw a pair of head lights rounding a corner on the same side of the road as me. Cursing them, I suddenly realized I was at fault and switched lanes. As we passed each other we locked eyes. As I drove on, I looked in the mirror to see them swerve and stop on the side of the road. They turned round. The chase began. Together we sped through the twisting mountain roads in pitch darkness, until I managed to elude them. My heart pounded as I decided then and there, I would not return to write my book in Los Angeles.
Back in the UK, the final acts of the court case were about to unfold.