‘No,’ Danny said before I could respond, ‘she’s not. I’ll be staying here, too.’
‘And what will the sleeping arrangements be?’ Ava asked with a grin. ‘You and Penny in her bed and me on the sofa?’
‘No,’ Danny said, ‘you could share the bed with Penny, or you could have the bed, Penny will take the sofa and I’ll take the floor.’
‘Or—’ Ava started, but I cut her off.
‘You three can work that out,’ I said, ‘and I’m hoping it won’t be more than one night. If Momo is true to his word, that is.’
‘I’ll go help Penny and get acquainted, then,’ Ava said. ‘I’ll see you boys later.’
‘That was good thinkin’, Danny,’ I said.
‘You had a good idea, Eddie, bringin’ her here, but you didn’t think it through, and neither did I, until now.’
‘You’re right,’ I said. ‘I don’t know what I was thinkin’.’
‘Well, we’ve got it straight now,’ he said. ‘You and Jerry go and do what you gotta do. We’ll just wait here for the good word.’
‘OK,’ I said.
‘Remember,’ Jerry said to Danny, ‘she’s a lady.’
‘You mean a threesome is out of the question?’
Actually, knowing Ava, I didn’t think it was, but I dragged Jerry out of there before he could belt Danny.
When we got to the front stoop Jerry stopped and looked around.
‘Were we followed?’ I asked.
‘No,’ he said. ‘I’m sure we weren’t. I’m just bein’ careful.’
‘And to that end,’ I said, ‘we should find a place to drop you off while I go back to the Sands.’
He grinned.
‘I know just the spot.’
I dropped Jerry at Benny Binion’s so he could eat at their coffee shop, then drove to the Sands. A couple of stacks of pancakes would keep him busy.
Jack was waiting for me in his office. His girl didn’t bother looking up at me.
I walked to his desk and dropped the rings on it, next to a jar of Momo’s sauce, which was still there.
‘You know what these are?’ I asked.
‘Rings?’ He picked one up, looked at it, and set it down.
‘One of the two guys who beat up the cabbie in L.A. wore one. And two other Chicago goons who came after me wore them.’
‘Two others? There were four altogether?’
I held out my hand, fingers and thumb extended.
‘Five?’
‘But only three wore these rings.’
‘Wait a minute,’ he said. ‘What happened to the five men?’
‘They’re dead.’
‘You?’
‘Jerry,’ I said. ‘And Ava.’
‘Ava?’ He dry washed his face with his big hands several times. ‘This is gettin’ way out of hand.’
‘Getting?’ I asked. ‘It’s got. But Momo’s gonna take care of it, right?’
He looked uncomfortable.
‘Isn’t he?’
‘He wants to,’ Jack said, ‘but I got a call this morning.’
‘What about? Is Momo—’
‘No, not that,’ he said. ‘Napolitano, he’s gone.’
‘Whataya mean, gone?’
‘Disappeared,’ Jack said. ‘Left Chicago.’
‘To come here?’
Jack shrugged.
‘Momo thought I should warn you. He said he was sending some guys.’
I sat down heavily.
‘Yeah? When will they get here?’
‘Any time now.’
‘Any time could be too late.’
‘Is Ava safe?’
‘Yes, but any time I say that, something happens.’
‘Meaning?’
‘Meaning somehow they always find us,’ I said. ‘How does that happen?’
‘I don’t know. Momo is probably bugged.’
‘Momo didn’t know where we were.’
‘Then who did?’
‘Nobody,’ I said. ‘Nobody but me, Jerry and Ava.’
‘And Tony.’
‘Tony only knew I asked for the key,’ I said. ‘He probably thought I was taking a girl there.’
‘So? He could’ve told somebody.’
‘I don’t think—’
‘Ask ’im’ Jack said. ‘See what he tells you. Sometimes the simplest answer is the best, Eddie.’
‘But not always . . .’ another voice said.
Jack abruptly looked past me. I turned in my seat, saw a man in his fifties standing in the doorway, wearing a very expensive black suit.
‘Napolitano,’ Jack said.
‘Tony Napolitano?’ I asked.
‘Antonio,’ the man said. ‘Don Antonio Napolitano, at your service.’
He stepped into the room, hands in his trouser pockets. Behind him two men came in, with Jack’s girl between them, looking very frightened. Both men had guns. One of them was wearing a silver snake ring.
Great, I thought, just fuckin’ great.
SEVENTY-TWO
‘I’m surprised it was so easy for us to walk in here,’ Napolitano said.
‘This is a casino,’ Jack Entratter said, ‘not some Mafia enclave that needs to be guarded.’ I had heard Jack wax eloquent before, so it didn’t surprise me.
I also knew Jack had a gun in his top drawer. And I had Ava’s in my pocket. Was I waiting for him to make a move, or was he waiting for me? Make a move? Why did I sound like a bad movie in my head? My hands began to sweat, and I could feel the perspiration at the small of my back.
‘What do you want, Napolitano?’ Entratter asked.
‘What do I want?’ Napolitano asked. He was walking around Jack’s office, looking at things. His hands still in his pockets. ‘I want the bitch who killed my son. I want the whore who has caused the death of five of my men. I want Ava Gardner.’
‘I don’t know where she is,’ Entratter said.
‘You’re probably telling the truth,’ Napolitano said. He took his hands out of his pockets and pointed at me. ‘But he does.’
On the third finger of his right hand was a gold snake ring.
Up close I could see he was closer to sixty than fifty. His hair looked as black as shoe polish.
‘Where is she?’ he said, looking directly at me for the first time.
‘Let this girl go,’ I said. ‘And Jack.’
‘And then you’ll tell me? Is that your bargain?’
‘No,’ I said. ‘This is my bargain. Let them go and I’ll see if I can stop Sam Giancana from killin’ you.’
‘Sam can do what he wants to me,’ Napolitano said, ‘after I’ve avenged my son’s death.’
‘What makes you so sure she killed him?’ I asked.
‘She came to Chicago and beguiled him,’ he said. ‘Plied him with sex and drink and then killed him. The only reason she is still alive is because of you. And yet,’ he added, with a shrug, ‘if you give her to me, I will let you live.’
The only thing I could think to do was keep talking.
‘You’ve managed to find us every time,’ I said. ‘How did you do that?’
Napolitano smiled.
‘It was not hard to find her in L.A.,’ he said. ‘What other hotel would a woman like her stay in? But after we heard that you were coming to help her, we knew we had to do something.’
‘So you sent two men to the Beverly Hills Hotel to put me in the hospital, only they got the wrong guy.’
‘That was unfortunate,’ he said, ‘but after that we assumed you would come to Las Vegas.’ I wondered who the ‘we’ was he kept referring to, or if he really used the royal ‘we’ when referring to himself?
‘You managed to kill two of my men and disappear again.’
‘But you found us again.’
‘And, since I have not heard from those three men, I assume they are dead, as well. You and the woman have cost me a lot.’
‘I think you got it wrong, Napolitano,’ I said. ‘Ava didn’t kill him, an
d you’ve wasted your time and your men tryin’ to kill her.’ Whether she did or not, this man needed to be convinced she didn’t. He could reach out for her even from behind bars,
‘No,’ Napolitano said, ‘you can’t deter me with lies.’
Entratter slammed his hand down on his desk top, getting everyone’s attention.
‘You have somebody in my hotel and casino, don’t you?’ he demanded.
Napolitano smiled at Jack.
‘That’s right,’ I said, ‘the man who slid the message under my door. Did he find out from Tony LaBella that I’d gotten his cabin key?’ I stood up. ‘Did you do anything to Tony?’
‘Sit down, Mr Gianelli!’ Napolitano roared. He startled not only Jack’s girl, but his own two men. However, I was too mad to be startled. If they had hurt Tony LaBella it was my fault.
I turned my head, spotted the two rings I’d left on Jack’s desk.
‘What’s with the tacky silver rings, Napolitano?’ I asked. I walked to Jack’s desk, picked one up. ‘I notice you wear a gold one. What is it supposed to be, some kind of badge of honor?’
‘I give them to men who have been loyal to me,’ he said.
‘Yeah, well, they can’t be very good men, can they? I mean, I’m just a casino pit boss, yet I have three of their rings right here.’ I picked up the others, held them all in my palm and rattled them at him. I noticed there was a line of Momo’s sauce down the side of the jar that had made a small pool on the desk.
‘Give them to me!’ Napolitano said, his eyes flashing.
‘Yeah, sure, here ya go,’ I said, tossing them to him.
He put his hands out to catch them. As he did I grabbed the jar of sauce, flipped the lid off and tossed the contents into Napolitano’s face.
His two men were stunned by the move, didn’t know where to look or what to do. They did release the girl’s arms and she slid to the floor, unable to stand.
Jack had opened his top drawer when I moved and grabbed his gun. At the same time I pulled Ava’s little gun out of my pocket.
Jack stood up, extended his gun and fired twice at Napolitano’s men. The sound was deafening within the confines of the office.
I moved in on Napolitano, who was still wiping sauce from his eyes. I jammed the barrel of Ava’s gun right under his chin.
‘Eddie! Don’t!’ Jack shouted. He obviously thought I was going to pull the trigger.
Napolitano dropped his hands and looked at me from behind a marinara mask.
‘Go ahead, pull the trigger. I am done, anyway. If you don’t kill me I’ll keep going after the woman, and you.’
‘I don’t think so, Napolitano,’ Jack said. ‘For one thing I don’t think you’ve got many more men.’
‘For another, I’m still gonna prove that Ava Gardner didn’t kill your son,’ I said.
‘Then who did?’
‘That’s what I’m gonna find out.’
‘As well as who the traitor in my house is,’ Entratter said.
‘That I will not tell you,’ Napolitano said. He licked some sauce from his chin. ‘What is this?’ he demanded.
‘Sam Giancana’s marinara sauce,’ I said. ‘You owe me a new jar.’
SEVENTY-THREE
Jack had to call the cops.
I had no choice but to stay and wait for them. Napolitano was sure to tell Hargrove I was there, and then he’d be looking for me – again.
Jack took his girl out to her desk, made her sit down and gave her a small brandy. She insisted she was fine and he told her she was a trooper.
I kept Napolitano company until Hargrove arrived with three uniforms and they took him into custody.
‘What is all this?’ Hargrove asked, looking at the orange stains on Napolitano and the floor. ‘It doesn’t look like blood.’
‘Marinara,’ I said.
‘How the hell—’
‘We’ll tell you the whole story,’ Entratter said, coming back into the room.
‘You two?’ Hargrove asked, folding his arms. ‘That will be a switch.’
‘Where’s Ava Gardner?’ Hargrove asked.
‘She’s someplace safe.’
‘With your buddy Jerry?’
‘No, with my buddy Danny.’
‘Hmph, Bardini.’ He was almost less of a fan of Danny’s than he was of me. ‘Well, I’m going to have to talk to her.’
‘Have to, or want to, Detective?’ I asked.
‘I ain’t a starry eyed movie fan, Eddie,’ he said. ‘I’m just tryin’ to do my job.’
‘OK, but I can’t tell you where she is. I’ll bring her to your office.’
He was about to object, but I’m sure what went through his mind at that moment was having Ava Gardner show up at the police station, asking for him.
‘OK,’ he said. ‘Today.’
‘Sure.’
‘I got a statement from your secretary, Mr Entratter,’ Hargrove said. ‘She’s pretty shook up. You might want to send her home.’
‘Yeah, I’ll do that,’ Jack said.
‘And I’ll need you to come to headquarters with me,’ he said. ‘As long as you’re stickin’ to the story that you pulled the trigger.’
‘I did pull the trigger,’ Jack said.
Hargrove looked at me.
‘I threw the sauce,’ I told him.
When I picked Jerry up he said, ‘You got sauce on your sleeve.’
Leave it to him to immediately recognize the red stuff for what it was.
‘Come on, I’ll tell you about it in the car.’
By the time we arrived at Penny’s I had filled him in. Now I was going to have to repeat it for Danny, Ava and Penny.
‘That was pretty smart,’ Jerry said, as we got out. ‘And lucky.’
‘I know,’ I said. ‘About the lucky part, I mean.’
We went up to Penny’s place and she opened the door.
‘Thank God,’ she said. ‘We’re losing all our money in gin.’
‘I shoulda warned ya not to play with her,’ Jerry said.
‘Hey, look who’s back!’ Danny said, from the kitchen table.
‘How did everything go?’ Ava asked.
‘Actually, it went pretty good,’ I said. ‘We got Napolitano.’
‘How’d you manage that?’ Danny asked.
I told them the story. Ava actually laughed when I got to the part about throwing the jar of sauce.
‘So that’s what’s on your sleeve,’ Danny said.
‘I spotted it right away,’ Jerry said, proudly.
‘You would,’ Danny said.
‘So it’s over?’ Ava asked. ‘Napolitano is the one who’s been trying to have me killed?’
‘He’s the one,’ I said, ‘but we still don’t know who killed his son.’
‘How about Giancana?’ Danny asked.
I frowned.
‘That would mean he was willing to let Ava take the blame,’ I said. ‘Since Frank’s his friend, would he do that?’
‘That animal always hated me,’ she said. ‘Probably because I hated him. I can believe he’d let me take the rap.’
‘I guess that makes sense,’ I said.
‘Can’t prove it, though,’ Danny said. ‘Maybe you can get Giancana to admit it to you, but you still wouldn’t be able to prove it.’
‘You could tell Mr S.,’ Jerry said.
They all looked at him.
‘I mean, then he’d have to explain himself to Mr S.,’ the big guy said.
We all thought that over for a few moments, and then Ava broke the silence.
‘As much as I used to try to get Frank to dump Momo,’ she said, ‘I don’t like that idea.’
‘Why not?’ I asked.
‘It would hurt Frank to know what Momo did,’ she said. ‘And like Danny says, we don’t have proof.’
‘OK’ I said, ‘nobody says anything to Frank.’
‘So what do we do now?’ Penny asked.
‘The cops want to talk to you, Ava,’ I said. ‘T
hey want me to bring you to headquarters.’
‘What should I tell them?’
‘Almost the truth,’ I said.
‘How much is almost?’ she asked.
‘I’ll coach you on the way.’
SEVENTY-FOUR
Hargrove was a damned liar.
When Ava Gardner walked in he jumped to his feet and gushed.
‘We can use my Lieutenant’s office,’ he told us. ‘Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea?’
‘No,’ she said. ‘I’m fine.’
‘I’ll have some coffee,’ I said.
‘Forget it!’ Hargrove said. ‘And you stay out here while Miss Gardner and I have a talk.’
She looked at me and said, ‘I’ll be all right.’
There was no reason why she shouldn’t be all right. We had all coached her on the way. I had left Danny and Jerry off at a bar down the block. I didn’t remember if the two of them had ever spent anytime together, alone. I hoped they would get along.
Hargrove closed the door of his Lieutenant’s office, leaving him and Ava alone. Entratter was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed he had made his statement and gone home. Of course, he could have been in a cell. I had no idea if the gun he’d used in his office was registered or not. Meanwhile, Danny was going back to his office after dropping Jerry off at the Sands.
I sat in the chair next to Hargrove’s desk. On the desk I saw a plastic evidence bag with the two silver snake rings, and the gold one.
If Entratter was back at the Sands he was probably already looking for the man Napolitano had somehow inserted in to his Sands staff. It was because of that man I still wouldn’t be able to take Ava back to the Sands when Hargrove was done with her.
I spotted a coffee pot across the room, so I got up and poured myself a cup. Nobody tried to stop me. I went back to Hargrove’s desk and sat down. His partner came over and sat at the desk closest to me.
‘So, what happened to Hargrove’s other partner?’
‘The negro?’ he asked. ‘He’s moved on to other employment.’
I guess if I cared I would have asked what that meant.
‘You’re supposed to be a pretty big shot in this town,’ he said.
‘I’m just a casino pit boss.’
‘That’s not what Hargrove says.’
‘Hargrove isn’t the detective he thinks he is.’
‘I’ll tell him you said so,’ he said, with a grin.
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