You Make Me Feel So Dead

by Robert Randisi

  ‘Ain’t I gonna stand out in an arcade?’

  I smiled at him and said, ‘Not on Fremont Street, big fella.’

  FOURTEEN

  We left the Horseshoe, crossed the street and walked to the arcade. It was not the kind of arcade you would see small kids in. There were bells, whistles, lights, street walkers, hustlers, homeless people and the occasional tourist who had wandered in carrying gross misconceptions with them. Not a pinball machine in the place, with some dubious items up for sale.

  ‘Hey big boy,’ a teenage hooker said to Jerry, ‘lookin’ for somethin’ to do?’

  ‘Get lost, honey,’ he growled at her in a tone that had her scampering away.

  We took up positions on either side of the entrance, from where we could easily see the front of Danny’s building, and the doorway to his office.

  Some of the pickpockets who were taking a break from working the casino crowds decided to leave when they saw us, probably thinking we were cops. That actually worked in our favor, keeping any of the other street girls from approaching us.

  After about forty minutes Danny came out the door. I checked the window that overlooked the street and didn’t see Penny there, so I stepped out and waved at him.

  ‘Hey, big guy,’ he said, when he saw Jerry.

  ‘Shamus.’

  ‘What’s he doin’ here?’ he asked me, keeping his voice low.

  ‘I’m gonna use him for the Elvis thing,’ I said. He nodded, accepting that. ‘Is Penny inside?’

  ‘Yeah. Did you follow her yesterday?’

  ‘I did, but all she did was run errands and grocery shop.’

  ‘She’s not very talkative today,’ he said. ‘That’s another tip-off that somethin’s goin’ on.’

  ‘Danny, what about just askin’ her?’

  ‘You could do that, maybe,’ he said. ‘Not me. She’d think I don’t trust her.’

  I didn’t point out that it seemed like he didn’t.

  ‘What’s on the agenda today?’ I asked.

  ‘Same as yesterday,’ he said. ‘She’s supposed to do some paperwork and stay in.’

  ‘And you?’

  ‘I’ll be gone all day.’

  On the spur of the moment I said, ‘Give me a key to the office.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘I want to take a look at her desk.’

  ‘Yeah, OK.’ He took two keys off his key ring, one for the downstairs door, and one for the door to the office.

  ‘OK,’ I said. ‘I’ll be in touch.’

  Danny tossed Jerry a wave and took off. I walked over to stand next to Jerry.

  ‘I’m gonna get the car and bring it around the corner. Yesterday I got lucky and found a cab. I don’t want to take that chance today.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘I won’t be long, but if she comes out while I’m gone, tail her.’

  ‘OK, Mr G.’

  I left the arcade and rushed to the rear of the Horseshoe to bring the Caddy around. When I got back to the arcade my heart sank. Jerry was gone. Penny must have wasted no time after Danny left. I took a quick look up and down the block, hoping to spot Jerry’s houndstooth coat, but to no avail.

  They were gone.

  I let myself into the offices of Bardini Investigations.

  Penny’s desk was right out front. The door to Danny’s office was open, and I could see a mess on top of his desk, but that was his business. I crossed the room and sat myself down behind Penny’s desk. I went through the drawers, found a lot of candy but otherwise nothing incriminating. I checked her calendar, which was meant to hold appointments for Danny. I checked the past month, though, to see if she might have made some notes for herself. I found a few references to someone with the initials R.F. I wrote down the initials, the dates and times in a small notebook I carried. I went through her Rolodex, did not find any numbers for someone with those initials. Before leaving, I checked the top of her desk, including her blotter. Not finding anything tucked into the sides, I lifted it and peered underneath. There I found a slip of paper with a series of numbers on it. The grouping told me it was not a phone number. I wrote them down in my notebook.

  I did a quick circuit of the room, didn’t find anything on the walls or the tops of the file cabinets. The last thing I did was check the wall calendar. Obviously, she made all her notations on her desk calendar.

  I left the office, careful to lock the door behind me. When I got down to the street I peered out first to make sure I didn’t walk into Penny, then stepped out and locked that one, as well.

  There was nothing else I could do about Penny except wait to hear from poor Jerry, who was on foot and didn’t even know if he had a hotel room yet. I decided to go to the Sands and make sure that when he needed it, he did.

  FIFTEEN

  At the Sands I went right to the front desk and arranged a suite for Jerry. Then I had a bell boy – one of the bigger ones the hotel had – take his bag up to it.

  After that I took the elevator to the office floor. I figured if Jerry was going to call me he’d call Entratter’s office and leave a message. That meant I had to check with Jack’s girl, who hated me.

  As I entered the outer office she gave that look she reserved especially for me. I never try to describe it. I just know it always made me feel cold inside.

  ‘I was wondering if you had any phone messages here for me?’

  ‘No,’ she said, coldly.

  ‘Is Jack in?’

  ‘Yes.’ She picked up her phone. ‘Mr Gianelli is here.’ She hung up. ‘Go in.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  I shook off the icicles and entered Jack’s office.

  ‘What’s going on?’ Entratter asked as I approached his desk.

  ‘Can I sit?’

  ‘Go ahead,’ Entratter said. He had a cup of coffee at his elbow. ‘Want somethin’?’

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘I won’t be here that long. I was really just checking for messages.’

  He raised his eyebrows. ‘Are we your message center now?’

  ‘I lost contact with Jerry,’ I said. ‘I thought he might call here to check in.’

  ‘You talk to the girl?’ I don’t think I had ever heard her name. I could be wrong.

  ‘I did,’ I said. ‘I got no message and the cold shoulder.’

  ‘What are you and Jerry doin’?’ Entratter asked. ‘Elvis ain’t in town yet, is he?’

  ‘No,’ I said. ‘I think he might be coming tomorrow, but I haven’t heard, yet.’

  ‘Should I alert my girl to take that message, too?’ he asked.

  I almost said no, but instead said, ‘You know, maybe you should.’ I wondered what the Ice Lady would do if she picked up the phone and Elvis Presley was on the other end, again?

  ‘Yeah, I suppose so,’ he grumbled. ‘What about the Colonel?’

  ‘Still on the lake, I guess.’

  ‘And Frank?’

  ‘In his suite,’ I guessed. ‘He says he’s gonna hang around to go to Elvis’ show.’

  ‘That should be interesting.’

  ‘Yeah, Elvis says he’s gonna introduce Frank.’

  ‘That should be interesting,’ Jack said again, with a different inflection.

  Entratter’s phone rang several times, but his girl did the answering.

  ‘So why are you still here?’ he asked.

  That was my cue. I stood up.

  ‘Keep me up to date on where you are and what you’re doin’, Eddie,’ Jack said. ‘And try to stay out of jail.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’

  ‘That means that when you and Jerry and your friend Danny mix, one of you always ends up in jail.’

  I couldn’t argue with that.

  But …

  ‘What makes you think Danny’s involved?’

  ‘History,’ Entratter said.

  I couldn’t argue with that, either.

  ‘I’m out of here,’ I said.

  ‘Good,’ he said, and turned his attention back
to whatever was on his desk.

  When I got to the outer office his girl looked up at me. She seemed to have something to say, and was unhappy about it.

  ‘You do have a telephone message, Mr Gianelli,’ she said. ‘It came in while you were with Mr Entratter.’

  ‘Thank you,’ I said. I waited, and she finally handed me a slip of paper from a pink message pad, with a pained look on her pretty-but-stern face.

  That done, she immediately put me out of her mind.

  I took the message out to the hall with me, just to get to a warmer climate. I looked at the slip, expecting it to be from Jerry. It wasn’t.

  ‘Please come to my suite as soon as you get this,’ it read.

  Underneath was the name of the person who had left the message: Frank Sinatra.

  I went directly to the elevators and took one to Frank’s floor. When the Chairman of the Board calls, you answer.

  SIXTEEN

  This time when Frank offered me a drink I accepted. In minutes we each had a bourbon in our hands, although Frank would have preferred a Martini or a Manhattan.

  ‘I heard from the Colonel,’ Frank said, leaning on his side of the bar. ‘So far he’s pretty happy with you.’

  ‘Is he?’ I asked. ‘I haven’t done anything, yet.’

  ‘He heard you went to Graceland,’ Frank said. ‘Elvis liked you. What did you do there?’

  ‘We shot targets, ate, and watched movies.’

  ‘Interesting,’ Frank said, sipping his drink. ‘I’ve never been there.’

  I didn’t know what to say to that, so I sipped my drink, too.

  ‘The Colonel said that Elvis is comin’ in tomorrow.’

  ‘I thought one of them would call and let me know,’ I said.

  ‘Parker said Elvis tried to call you at home,’ Frank said. ‘So the Colonel decided to call me and leave you a message.’

  Apparently Frank didn’t object to being a message center the way Entratter did.

  ‘He’ll be at the Riviera,’ Frank went on.

  ‘I’ll call the hotel and see when he’s gettin’ in,’ I said. ‘I’ll be there.’

  Frank eyed me for a minute and then said, ‘What’s goin’ on?’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘There’s somethin’ else on your mind besides Elvis Presley.’

  ‘What makes you say that?’

  ‘Come on, Eddie,’ Frank said. ‘We’ve been friends long enough. I can tell when my friends have somethin’ on their minds.’

  ‘Speaking of friends I heard Dino’s comin’ to town,’ I said.

  ‘Don’t change the subject.’

  Caught.

  ‘My buddy Danny Bardini’s havin’ some trouble and I promised to help him out.’

  ‘So you’ll have to split your time between Elvis and Danny?’

  ‘Looks like.’

  ‘Get some help,’ he suggested. ‘I’ll fly Jerry in for you, if you want.’

  ‘Actually, Jerry’s here and he’s already on the job.’

  ‘Well, that’s good.’

  ‘It should be, but I’ve already lost track of him.’

  ‘He’ll turn up,’ Frank said. ‘Jerry can take care of himself.’

  ‘I know that,’ I said, ‘it’s just that he hasn’t even had time to settle in, yet.’

  ‘Well,’ Frank said, ‘you’ve got the rest of the day to find him and make your arrangements for tomorrow.’

  ‘Then I better get to it.’

  I sipped the drink again and put the glass down. Frank walked me to the door with his arm around my shoulder.

  ‘Let me know if you need any help,’ he said, as we opened the door, ‘with either problem. I’m available.’

  ‘I’ll remember that, Frank.’

  ‘And yes, Dino is comin’ in. In fact, he’ll be here tomorrow night.’

  ‘Good,’ I said, ‘I haven’t seen him in a while.’

  ‘Let’s try to all have dinner,’ Frank said, ‘if you can squeeze us in.’

  ‘I’ll try,’ I promised.

  ‘See ya, Eddie.’

  He closed the door and I went to the elevator. I had the rest of the day to find Jerry, and had no idea where to look.

  SEVENTEEN

  I went down to the lobby and checked with the front desk for messages. Finding none, I asked the desk clerk – who had the name ‘DEREK’ on his name tag – ‘Can I use your phone?’

  ‘Sure, Mr G.’

  He turned the phone around to me so I could make an outside call. I knew if Elvis was checking into the Riviera the next day they’d know exactly when he was coming in. I knew the concierge at the Riviera because he had once worked at the Sands.

  ‘Hey, Eddie G.,’ Tommy Harper said, glad to hear my voice. ‘What’s shakin’?’

  ‘Hey, Tommy, how you doin’?’

  ‘Can’t complain,’ Harper said. ‘What can I do for you?’

  ‘I need a favor, man.’

  ‘Sure, anything,’ Tommy said. ‘But I can’t believe that Eddie G., who’s got this whole town wired, needs my help.’

  ‘This has to do with a famous guest of yours,’ I told him.

  ‘Uh-oh,’ he said, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial tone, ‘don’t tell me it’s about Elvis Presley.’

  ‘It is.’

  ‘Eddie, man,’ he said, ‘I can’t give out any information about that.’

  ‘I’m supposed to meet with him at your hotel,’ I said. ‘I only need to know when he’s comin’ in. He tried to call me at home and I wasn’t there.’

  ‘Elvis calls you at home?’

  ‘This would’ve been the first time, but yeah.’

  He hesitated, then asked, ‘Is this on the level, Eddie? Because it could cost me my job.’

  ‘It won’t,’ I said. ‘It’s totally on the level. All I need is his time of arrival, so I know when to be there myself.’

  He hesitated again, then said – lowering his voice – ‘OK, it’s noon. He’s due to check in at noon.’

  ‘Thanks, Tommy.’

  ‘Don’t hang me out to dry, Eddie,’ he said. ‘If I see photographers here—’

  ‘You won’t,’ I said. ‘Not because of me, anyway.’

  ‘Yeah, I know,’ Harper said, ‘it’ll leak out, anyway, but …’

  ‘I won’t say a word, Tommy,’ I promised. ‘I swear.’

  ‘OK, Eddie.’

  ‘Thanks for helpin’ me out,’ I said. ‘Now I owe you one.’

  ‘I’ll call it in,’ Harper said. ‘Take care.’

  I hung up and said to Derek, ‘Thanks for the use of the phone.’

  ‘Any time, Mr G.,’ he said. ‘Hey, how come they don’t give you an office?’

  ‘Pit bosses don’t get offices,’ I said, ‘but thanks for the thought.’

  I took a walk through the casino floor, exchanged some greetings with Red Skelton, who was not playing the Sands but had chosen to gamble there, and Alan King, who was watching.

  I went to the Garden Room for coffee, then checked back with the desk for messages. I was hoping Jerry would simply call the hotel, and not Jack Entratter’s number. Or maybe he’d call Frank, who would then call down to the desk looking for me.

  I went back to the Garden Room and decided to have a piece of pie this time with my coffee. I was finishing the last bite when the waitress came over with a phone, plugged it in and set it down on the table.

  ‘A call for you, Eddie.’

  ‘Thanks, Kitty.’

  She smiled and walked away. I watched her swaying butt as I picked up the receiver.

  ‘Yeah, this is Eddie.’

  ‘I told you,’ Jack Entratter said, ‘didn’t I tell you?’

  ‘Tell me what, Jack?’

  ‘Your buddy Jerry called here lookin’ for you.’

  ‘You should’ve told him to call down to the front desk,’ I said. ‘He would’ve found me.’

  ‘Well, he couldn’t do that,’ Jack said. ‘You see, he’s only allowed one phone
call.’

  ‘One call?’

  ‘That’s right,’ Jack said. ‘He’s in jail.’

  I closed my eyes and thought, Jesus.

  ‘For what?’ I asked.

  ‘No half measures for your good buddy,’ Jack said. ‘He’s been arrested and charged with murder!’

  EIGHTEEN

  Detective Hargrove had a self-satisfied look on his face as he came to fetch me from the front hall of police headquarters.

  ‘So, one of you finally did it, huh, Eddie?’ he asked.

  ‘I’ll need to see the evidence, detective, before I agree to that.’

  The look slipped and I knew he didn’t have the evidence he needed to make the charge stick.

  ‘Come with me,’ he said.

  I followed him down several familiar halls. We were headed for the interrogation rooms. I’d been in them enough times before to know.

  He stopped in front of a door and turned to face me.

  ‘OK, your buddy’s inside,’ he said. ‘It would benefit him if you could get him to talk.’

  ‘Benefit you, you mean.’

  ‘You want to talk to him, or not?’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘Then be smart, Eddie,’ Hargrove said. ‘I knew one of you would slip up one day. I sort of hoped it would be you, though.’

  He opened the door and allowed me to enter the room.

  ‘Hey, Mr G.,’ Jerry said. He was sitting at an interview table, and I noticed he was not handcuffed.

  ‘Hey, Jerry,’ I said. ‘What’s goin’ on?’

  He shrugged and said, ‘The usual.’

  I sat opposite him.

  ‘Can we talk here?’ I asked.

  ‘Nope.’

  ‘Have they charged you?’

  ‘Nope.’

  ‘Is there anything you can tell me here and now?’

  ‘Yeah,’ he said, ‘I didn’t kill anybody.’

  ‘Who got killed?’

  ‘Some guy.’

  ‘You don’t know him?’

  ‘Never met him,’ Jerry said, ‘never saw him before. They can’t pin this on me. No motive.’

  ‘So what do we do now, big guy?’

  ‘We wait,’ Jerry said. ‘They gotta let me outta here sometime.’