The Way You Die Tonight

by Robert Randisi

  ‘Yeah, OK,’ Jack said. ‘How does it look, so far?’

  ‘Like an inside job,’ I said. ‘I mean, I can’t be sure, but—’

  Entratter spread his arms and said, ‘Somebody I hired killed her?’

  ‘Jack—’

  ‘When I find out who it was—’

  ‘Don’t take it so personally,’ I said, knowing that wasn’t going to fly with him. ‘Somebody could’ve got into the building …’

  ‘You don’t believe that,’ Jack said. ‘You think somebody who works for me killed her. Goddamnit! That’s such a … a … betrayal!’

  ‘Take it easy,’ I said, ‘we’ll find out for sure.’

  ‘Yeah,’ he said, fuming, ‘yeah, OK, I’ll take it easy. What about Eddie?’

  ‘I’m gonna get him into some private games so he can watch,’ I said.

  ‘Make sure nothing happens like the last time,’ Jack said. ‘We don’t need Edward G. Robinson to be around when there’s a hold up.’

  I didn’t mention that it was up to him to beef up security, not me.

  ‘I’ll talk to Billy about it,’ he added. Billy Pulaski was an ex-Chicago cop Jack had hired several years ago to oversee security. After the hold-up he almost fired him, so I knew Billy would be putting the hammer down.

  ‘I’ll check in with him before I take Eddie anywhere,’ I said.

  ‘You call Mr Robinson “Eddie”?’ Jerry asked, looking confused.

  ‘I’ll fill you in later,’ I told him.

  ‘Get out of here,’ Jack said. ‘Get it done.’

  ‘Have you heard from Hargrove again?’ I asked.

  ‘No, not a word.’

  I stood up. ‘I can’t believe he’s really callin’ it a suicide.’

  ‘You think he’s playin’ us?’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘Then you better be careful,’ Jack said. ‘Don’t step on his toes.’

  ‘I’d like to step on his head,’ Jerry said.

  ‘And keep him under control.’ Jack pointed at the big guy.

  ‘I’m always in control,’ Jerry said.

  ‘Last time you were here you got arrested in the first hour,’ Jack reminded him.

  ‘Not my fault.’

  ‘Go on,’ Entratter said, ‘go!’

  Jerry and I started for the door.

  ‘Hey, Eddie?’

  ‘Yeah, Jack?’

  ‘Have you heard from Hughes again?’

  ‘No,’ I said.

  ‘Do you expect to?’

  ‘Oh, yeah.’

  ‘What’re you gonna tell ’im?’

  ‘I’ll figure it out.’

  ‘Let me know what happens.’

  ‘I will.’

  We left.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  ‘I don’t get myself in trouble,’ Jerry grumbled in the elevator.

  ‘Relax,’ I said, ‘he’s stressed out.’

  ‘Where we goin’?’ he asked.

  ‘We’ve got to meet Danny in the lobby.’

  ‘Not at the Horseshoe?’

  Jerry really liked the coffee shop at the Horseshoe, and I didn’t blame him. It was probably the best one in town.

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘Danny needs to get started here, askin’ questions. Besides, we just had breakfast.’

  ‘Like an hour ago,’ he grumbled.

  ‘Settle down.’

  We exited the elevator just as Danny was coming through the front door. He waved, and when he reached us he and Jerry shook hands.

  ‘You’ve got carte blanche to go anywhere,’ I told Danny. ‘Ask all the questions you need to.’

  ‘What about Entratter?’

  ‘What about him?’

  ‘I’ve got to start with him, Eddie.’

  ‘Why not start with me, then?’

  ‘You didn’t do it, brother.’

  ‘Jack didn’t do it, either, Danny.’

  ‘But he may know somethin’,’ Danny said. ‘Somethin’ you don’t know about the victim.’

  ‘Yeah, OK,’ I said. ‘He’s in his office now.’

  ‘Where’ll you be?’

  ‘I’m gonna check with Eddie Robinson, see if he wants to do anything today. And I’m gonna try to get him into a private game tonight, which means I’ve got to check in with Billy Pulaski.’

  ‘What about Howard Hughes?’

  ‘I’m just waitin’ for him to contact me again,’ I said.

  ‘What are you gonna tell ’im?’

  ‘Still not sure,’ I said. ‘I’m thinkin’ about it.’

  ‘OK,’ Danny said, ‘well, I better get started.’ He headed for the elevator, then turned and said, ‘I am gettin’ paid, right?’

  ‘Definitely,’ I said, even though I’d forgotten to bring that up with Entratter, ‘gettin’ paid.’

  He gave me a thumbs up and went to the elevators.

  ‘Mr G.?’ Jerry said.

  ‘Yeah?’

  ‘Remember what you said about keepin’ the cops in the dark as long as we could about me bein’ here?’

  ‘Yeah,’ I said, watching Danny get into an elevator, ‘so?’

  ‘That’s gonna be harder than we thought.’

  I turned and looked at him, then followed his hand to where he was pointing. Detective Hargrove had just come through the front doors and he was heading right for us.

  TWENTY-SIX

  ‘Well, well …’ Hargrove said.

  I wondered if he had also seen Danny coming into the hotel.

  ‘Didn’t take you long to send for the Brooklyn Bruiser, did it?’

  ‘Hey,’ Jerry said, ‘I like that.’

  ‘It wasn’t a compliment,’ Hargrove said.

  ‘I know,’ Jerry said, ‘but I still like it.’

  ‘Fine,’ Hargrove said, ‘use it with my blessing.’ He turned to me. ‘I was looking for you.’

  ‘You found me.’

  ‘Someplace we can talk?’

  ‘Right here suits me.’

  He looked around the lobby, off into the casino. There was a lot of activity, people coming and going, and nobody was paying any attention to us.

  ‘OK,’ Hargrove said, ‘your buddy Bardini’s been nosing around.’

  ‘Isn’t that his job?’

  ‘Don’t be a smart ass. He’s been nosing around this case.’

  ‘What case?’

  ‘Come on, Eddie, don’t play dumb.’

  ‘What makes you think I’m playing?’

  He poked me in the chest with his forefinger and said, ‘I didn’t come here to fence with you.’

  ‘Hey!’ Jerry said.

  ‘What? Hargrove said.

  ‘No poking.’

  Hargrove took his finger off me, but left it extended.

  ‘What are you gonna do about it, Epstein?’

  ‘Well,’ Jerry said, ‘I could break it off. Wouldn’t take much effort. But then I guess I’d get myself arrested.’

  ‘Sure as hell would.’

  ‘But you’d be missin’ a finger,’ Jerry said. ‘It might be worth it.’

  Abruptly, Hargrove’s finger disappeared into a fist, which he then dropped to his side. Then he looked at me again.

  ‘I checked Bardini’s office and he isn’t there,’ he said. ‘His secretary wouldn’t give me anything.’

  ‘She’s a good girl,’ Jerry said.

  ‘But I wouldn’t call her a secretary to her face,’ I advised.

  ‘You tell Bardini to stay out of my case,’ Hargrove said, ‘and if I catch him impersonating a cop it’s gonna go bad for him.’

  ‘You mean the case you’re calling a suicide?’ I asked. ‘That case?’

  ‘And he’s probably poking around in it for you,’ Hargrove went on. ‘So call him off, Eddie, or it’s both your asses.’

  ‘You did say you were calling it a suicide, right?’

  He looked at Jerry, stuck his hands in his pocket, then turned and walked out.

  I looked at Jerry.

  ‘You really could�
��ve snatched his finger off that easy?’

  ‘Pops right off,’ he said, ‘at any joint.’

  ‘That’s interesting,’ I said.

  ‘What do we do now?’

  ‘We’re lucky Hargrove didn’t go upstairs and catch Danny talking to staff,’ I said. ‘I better warn him.’

  ‘We goin’ back up?’

  ‘I’ll call Jack’s office,’ I said. ‘Danny should still be there.’

  He was, and Jack handed him the phone. I told him about Hargrove showing up, looking for him.

  ‘Damn,’ he said, ‘somebody at Helen’s building must’ve snitched.’

  ‘You weren’t impersonating a cop, were you?’

  ‘I never tell anybody I’m a cop,’ Danny said, firmly.

  ‘Yeah, but you don’t tell them you’re not, either.’

  ‘Well, now you’re just quibbling.’

  I let him hang up and get back to what he was doing.

  ‘Now what?’ Jerry asked.

  I was about to answer when I saw a man come through the front doors.

  ‘I don’t think we’re ever gonna get out of this lobby!’

  ‘Who’s that?’

  ‘That’s Robert Maheu, Howard Hughes’ right-hand man, coming toward us.’

  ‘No shit?’ Jerry said. ‘Howard Hughes?’

  ‘Ah, Mr Gianelli,’ Maheu said. ‘I was, uh, looking for you.’

  ‘You found me,’ I said, telling him the same thing I had told Hargrove, but not with the attitude.

  Maheu looked at Jerry.

  ‘This is my friend, Jerry Epstein,’ I said. ‘Jerry, this is Robert Maheu.’

  Maheu nodded at Jerry politely, but said to me, ‘Can we talk?’

  I was tempted to stay in the lobby, as we had with Hargrove, but decided Maheu didn’t deserve the same treatment I gave the cop.

  ‘Sure, but not here,’ I said. ‘Let’s go next door and get a drink.’

  ‘Next door?’

  ‘The Flamingo.’

  ‘Ah, yes … Bugsy’s place.’

  ‘Once upon a time,’ I said. ‘Is that all right with you, Mr Maheu?’

  ‘That’s fine.’

  We started for the door, Jerry with us. Maheu stopped and looked pointedly at the big man.

  ‘Oh, don’t worry,’ I said to Maheu, ‘anything you have to say to me you can say in front of Jerry.’

  Maheu looked at Jerry again, who said, ‘I know how to keep my mouth shut.’

  ‘I see,’ Maheu said.

  ‘So, we’re still going?’ I asked.

  ‘Um, yes,’ Maheu said, slightly unsure, ‘to the Flamingo.’

  Maheu went out the door and Jerry gave me a look behind his back.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  We got a table in the Driftwood Lounge. Since Morris Landsburgh sold the Flamingo in 1960 – a deal brokered by his friend Meyer Lansky – they had added 200 hotel rooms, and pretty much become a jazz destination. At any time you might find Lionel Hampton, Della Reese, Harry James, Fats Domino or Sarah Vaughan playing the lounge. (That said, don’t ask me why Robert Goulet made his Vegas debut in 1963 at The Flamingo, right from his Broadway stint in ‘Camelot.’). Just the previous year, much of the Elvis film Viva Las Vegas had been shot at the Flamingo, mostly exterior shots.

  We settled in and ordered drinks from a waitress. At that hour the lounge stage was empty, and it was fairly quiet.

  ‘What’s on your mind, Mr Maheu?’ I asked.

  ‘Mr Hughes was wondering what you had decided?’

  ‘Well, to tell the truth, I’ve been a little busy,’ I said. ‘We had an employee murdered at the Sands.’

  ‘Yes, I heard about that. Terrible thing. But I thought the woman hanged herself?’

  ‘The police may think that,’ I said, ‘but those of us who knew her doubt it.’ That was pushing it, but I figured I might as well let Maheu think we were all family at the Sands.

  ‘Well,’ Maheu said, looking around, ‘I thought perhaps you had brought me here because you were going to recommend it to Mr Hughes as a place to purchase.’

  ‘I doubt this would be available,’ I said. ‘It was bought only four years ago.’

  ‘Then you have no suggestions as yet?’

  ‘To tell you the truth, Mr Maheu,’ I said, ‘I don’t think I’d be comfortable working for Mr Hughes.’

  ‘And why is that?’

  ‘Well, like I told you, I’m pretty busy. And, as part of the Vegas community, I’d feel pretty disloyal helping Hughes pick a place to take over.’

  ‘Take over?’

  ‘Isn’t that what he does?’ I asked.

  ‘Sometimes,’ Maheu said, ‘but here in Vegas he’s simply looking to make a reasonable offer to someone.’

  I’d already learned from talking with Hughes that he wasn’t quite what his reputation made him out to be, but still, it didn’t seem to me he made reasonable purchases. I thought he was pretty ruthless when it came to getting what he wanted.

  ‘Please pass along my regrets to Mr Hughes,’ I said to Maheu.

  ‘Are you sure?’ he asked.

  ‘Very sure.’

  Maheu sat back.

  ‘I don’t think Mr Hughes will be very happy with that answer.’

  ‘As I said,’ I repeated, ‘apologize for me.’

  ‘I’m afraid that might be something you’ll have to do yourself.’

  ‘Well,’ I said, ‘I don’t really have time—’

  He cut me off by standing, doing up one button of his jacket, and saying, ‘Good day.’

  ‘I don’t like that guy,’ Jerry said, watching Maheu walk away.

  ‘He used to work for the Feds.’

  ‘That explains it, then. You really gonna turn down Howard Hughes?’

  ‘I think I just did.’

  ‘Didn’t he offer you a buttload of money?’

  ‘We didn’t talk specifics,’ I said, ‘but I think a “buttload” was implied.’

  ‘I gotta give you credit, Mr G.,’ Jerry said. ‘Don’t know if I could turn that down.’

  ‘Somehow I don’t think you’d have a problem turning money down, Jerry,’ I said. ‘I don’t think you do what you do strictly for money.’

  ‘I do lots of things for money, Mr G.,’ he said. ‘But forget about that. It sure sounds like he don’t think Hughes is gonna be real happy.’

  ‘Fuck it,’ I said, ‘I’ve got too much to do to help him take over somebody’s casino, because you know that’s what he wants. He wants me to tell him what property is ripe for the pickin’. These people in Vegas are my friends, Jerry. Howard Hughes is nothing to me.’

  ‘Well,’ Jerry said, ‘I just hope he takes your turn down in stride.’

  ‘What’s he gonna do, send some muscles to convince me?’

  ‘I dunno, Mr G.,’ Jerry said. ‘Does Howard Hughes hire muscle?’

  I shrugged.

  ‘Well, then we better keep our eyes open,’ he said. ‘It’s a good thing you called me.’

  ‘Never mind Howard Hughes,’ I said to him. ‘How would you like to meet Edward G. Robinson?’

  ‘I would love that,’ he said, his eyes going wide. ‘Him and Cagney – and Bogey, of course – they’re the best!’

  ‘OK, then,’ I said, ‘let’s go and get that done right now.’

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  ‘I thought we were gonna meet Mr Robinson,’ Jerry said as we entered his suite.

  ‘I’ve got to make some calls, first,’ I said. ‘I don’t want to go to the fourth floor to use the phones, I don’t want to use the phones in the lobby because it’s too much like Grand Central Fucking Station, and I don’t want to go home.

  ‘I was just askin’.’

  ‘It’s OK,’ I said.

  He went to the bar and I went to the phone.

  ‘I just have to set it up for Robinson to watch a poker game tonight.’

  ‘That’s what he’s here for, right, just to watch?’

  ‘Watch, observe, learn,’ I sai
d.

  ‘A movie with him and Steve McQueen oughtta be real good,’ Jerry said. ‘Especially with Ann-Margret in it. Hey, is she gonna—’

  ‘You met her last year,’ I said. ‘You’re not gonna get that lucky two years in a row.’

  ‘Just askin’,’ Jerry said, as I dialed. ‘Want a drink?’

  ‘Uh, yeah, I’ll have a beer.’

  Jerry brought me a bottle of Piels while I talked on the phone. I knew there was a high-stakes game in the hotel again that night. What I needed was permission to bring Edward G. Robinson up to watch. I started with Billy Pulaski, Jack’s Head of Security.

  ‘I don’t know, Eddie,’ he said. ‘After what happened with Kendrick the other night—’

  ‘What did happen with him?’ I asked. ‘I mean … did you fire him?’

  ‘Oh yeah,’ Pulaski said, ‘so I’ll be sittin’ in on this game myself until I hire a new man.’

  ‘Well, that’s great, Billy,’ I said. ‘With you there we know things’ll go OK.’ I didn’t mention the fact that it was me who kept the game from being robbed the other night.

  ‘I think I gotta check with Jack, Eddie.’

  ‘Sure, you do that.’ I knew Jack would tell him to make it happen.

  ‘And the players?’

  ‘They wouldn’t care as long as they get to play.’

  ‘Do that, too, and I’ll get back to you,’ I said, and hung up.

  ‘Problem?’ Jerry asked. He was standing behind the bar with a bottle of beer in his big hand.

  ‘Security,’ I said. ‘I told you about the attempted robbery. Pulaski is worried about it. He thinks bringing Robinson to the game might be a risk.’

  ‘Ain’t you his boss?’

  ‘No,’ I said. ‘Jack’s his boss. He’ll call Jack, and Entratter will tell him it’s OK. Then he has to check with the players.’

  ‘Well, they won’t say no to Edward G. Robinson, right?’ Jerry asked. ‘Rico?’

  ‘I hope not,’ I said.

  ‘So what do we got to do until then?’ Jerry asked. ‘Get somethin’ to eat?’

  It had been a few hours since breakfast, so I said, ‘Yeah, sure, let’s go downstairs and get something to eat.’

  He went to the Garden Café. I didn’t want to leave the building until I talked to Billy again. Or maybe I should have called Jack and suggested that he call Billy. No, that might make Billy think I was going over his head.