Summary

A woman named Tommy prepares for the arrival of an actor to her newly acquired home. Tammy has inherited an exquisite home from the late author Mort Lear (who she refers to as Morty). Morty’s life was to be turned into a movie with himself being portrayed by the actor Nicholas Greene. Tommy is overwhelmed by everything Morty left for her, including a list of things to do after he died. The reader learns he died accidentally after falling on flagstones.

The narrative shifts to Nicholas (Nick for short) as he prepares to visit Tommy’s house. He wants to learn everything he can about Morty’s life so he can portray the author in the upcoming movie. He thinks about a woman named Deirdre who has acted as a mother to Nick during his time in Hollywood. He thinks about his oscar...