by Joe Corso
Then, her attention turned to Red. She wondered who this man was. This suave, always-in-control man was a man who appeared to hold the destiny of so many men’s lives in his hands. He said that he was a businessman, but he had to be more than that. His men adored him and from what she could see, his enemies feared him. And when he looked at her, she could see desire in his eyes and yet … he never tried to hold her, or kiss her. These thoughts were swirling through her mind as the two men talked about what transpired today, almost unaware she was sitting there. Red caught her looking at him and was a little embarrassed. “Sorry, Marilyn, we got carried away. I didn’t mean to exclude you from our conversation, but it is important that Trenchie knows what happened today.”
“I understand,” she replied. Then, she smiled that beautiful radiant smile of hers that could light up a room and said, “Red, I want to help you. If it’s all right with you, I’d like to do a movie for your company.”
Red was speechless. He sat back in his seat, unable to say a word. He didn’t know how he would bring up the subject of asking her if she would consider making a movie with his company without appearing as if he were taking advantage of her. She took the pressure off him by saying it for him.
Trenchie looked at her and slapped Red on the back. “This kid’s all right.”
Marilyn beamed. These men weren’t impressed with who she was or what she was. They liked her for herself and she liked that. She was down to earth and she felt real good having the big man respect her like he did.
“I have to be honest with you, Marilyn. I would love for you to make a picture for my studio. I wanted to ask you, but I didn’t know how to bring up the subject without offending you. But it’s a great idea and I’m looking forward to you doing it.”
Marilyn looked deep into Red’s eyes and told him, “I have my own production company now. I can make movies for whomever I want, and I want to make a movie for your company. You know, Red, most movie producers try to take advantage of me. I’m always on my guard and very insecure dealing with them. I never know whom I can trust. With you, you’re not looking for anything from me.”
Red nodded, agreeing with her. “All I want to do is to protect you.”
“I know. And that’s why I want to make this picture for you, and don’t worry; I promise I’ll be on the set on time. Lately, I’ve been so confused, so insecure. It’s gotten so bad, that I dread leaving my home to go to work. But I’ll be there for you just like you’re here for me.”
Trenchie looked at Red. “I was wrong about this girl. She’s just a scared kid, but I still like her.” He looked over at Marilyn. “Don’t you worry about anything, hon. Nobody is gonna hurt you while ol’ Trenchie is protecting you.”
She felt good when he said that. She wanted to make the movie for Red now more than she ever wanted to make any film before. “Find a good script for me, Red. Preferably a light comedy. If you bring me more than one, I’ll read them and I’ll tell you which one is the right vehicle for me.”
Upon arriving at their hotel, Red remarked at what a beautiful balmy night it was. It felt good being under the palm trees. It reminded him of his trip to Florida with Jimmy the Hat and the two beautiful girls they met at the Elbow Room in Fort Lauderdale: Iris and Tiffany. “Care to take a dip in the pool, Trench? We hardly ever get a chance to do this.”
“Well I did bring my bathing suit, so why not put it to good use? Sure, let’s go for a dip.”
“Marilyn, I know you bought a bathing suit today. Did you bring it with you?”
“Yes. As a matter of fact, I’m wearing it under my dress.” She removed her dress and sure enough, she was wearing the bathing suit under it. The men gaped at how lovely she looked in it. Her figure looked like a Greek statue that had come to life. That same figure lived in the minds of men all around the world. It aroused desires that none of them would ever realize and here she was about to take a swim in the pool, acting like a little girl. She knew that men desired her and it was hard living up to her sex goddess image. It wasn’t always easy being Marilyn Monroe. But with these men, she could turn back time and for a little while become Norma Jean Baker once again.
“Come on. Let’s sit at the table that faces the pool by the door. You guys have a seat and I’ll order the drinks,” Red said. A short while later, Red came through the door, carrying a tray with three rumrunners on it.
“What kind of drink is this?” Marilyn asked.
“It’s called a rumrunner and it’s very refreshing, but a word of caution. Do not drink more than one. It’s liable to knock you off your feet. You have to get used to them before having a second or a third one.”
They laughed and sat back in the lounge chairs, sipping their drinks until Trenchie said, “I didn’t put on my bathing suit just to sit here sipping drinks. I’m going for a swim. He took off his robe and Marilyn couldn’t help staring at the body on this man. Trenchie could have entered a Mr. America contest because that was how perfectly formed his body was; the result of the many hours each day in the prison yards working out. His body was perfect except for the two little puckered up bits of skin on his chest caused by gunshots and a long scar that ran across his chest from a knife fight. He dived into the clear water of the pool easily, swam to the deep end, and he just hovered there. He shook his head once to clear his hair from his eyes, then he just remained there floating as if he was in deep thought.
Red took off his robe. He had managed to rehabilitate his body so that it was becoming toned and it didn’t look anything like it did when he first had recovered from the gunshot wounds received at the Starlight Club.
She put her palm over the five scars the bullets had left. “Is this where you were shot?”
He looked down and gently put his hand over hers. “Yes, that was where I was shot.”
“It’s a wonder you survived.”
“Yes, I was very lucky. I was lucky in more ways than one. I was lucky Moose was with me. He saved my life. He dragged me out of the place and took me to the safe room, the same room you’re staying in. Moose stayed with me day and night. He changed the plasma packets, made sure I took my medications, and eventually he nursed me back to health. I’m fortunate to have good friends, Marilyn.”
She whispered to him softly, “I only have one good friend and that’s … Joe.” Her hand lingered over his scars and his hand remained over hers. Her face was close to his, almost brushing it. He turned to say something, but their lips touched and he kissed her tenderly. The kiss lingered longer than either of them expected. He didn’t want the kiss to end, but he broke away.
“Sorry, Marilyn. I couldn’t help myself. ”
“Don’t be. I was wishing you would do that. I was beginning to think I looked like a block of wood or maybe something worse.” She looked up at him. “Do you think I’m attractive?”
“No,” he said. For a moment, his words crushed her, but she didn’t say anything. And then, he added, “No, I don’t think you’re attractive. On the contrary, I think you’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. More beautiful in person than you are on the screen.”
Her heart fluttered when he said that. “You . . .you really mean that?”
“Yes, I do. But I also think you’re a little out of my league. You’re the most beautiful, the most desirable woman in the world and I’m just a mug from Queens. We don’t belong together. We’re like oil and water. We don’t mix.”
“Hush,” she said. “Come to my room tonight and stay with me. I’m frightened and I don’t want to be alone. Will you do that for me?”
“Yes. I will.”
“Promise.”
“Yes, I promise.”
“Good. Then I’ll look forward to your visit tonight. I’m going to leave you gentlemen now and go to my room.” She looked directly into Red’s eyes and said, “I want to look special for you tonight.”
Red thought to himself, She’s looking forward to my visit tonight. She’s got that a little backwards because it�
��s me who can’t wait to be with her tonight.
It was as if this was a fairy tale and he had made a wish to his fairy godmother and she had listened. Tonight, when he was with Marilyn, his wish would come true.
CHAPTER 14
Robert Kennedy wasn’t a murderer, but on the other hand, he had no choice in what he had to do. He couldn’t let a neurotic actress destroy the presidency. It was his duty to protect it. Protecting the presidency was his job and Marilyn was forcing him to do things that weren’t in his nature. Sure, he was aggressive and unrelenting when bringing hoodlums and lawbreakers to justice, but he wasn’t a murderer. This foolish actress put him in a bad mood, forcing him to take drastic measures. He called Emil Reynolds into his office. “How could this have happened to us?”
Reynolds took a deep breath and started to explain all that happened. “Everything was going just as we planned, when out of nowhere these mobsters showed up and took control of the situation. More specifically, they saved Miss Monroe and took her with them.”
Kennedy jumped up from his seat. “Do you realize that her bodyguard was killed for nothing and we still don’t have the woman? To make matters worse, we had to cover up her bodyguard’s death by placing the blame on a few disgruntled gang members.” Emil agreed. “I was almost afraid the police wouldn’t buy it … but having nothing else to go on, they finally bought the story.” “I’m relieved that the police blamed the gang members, but it still doesn’t tell me where Marilyn is. Where do you think they’re hiding her, Emil?”
Reynolds thought a moment and finally said, “Our files show that Big Red Fortunato’s organization consists of over one thousand men and countless businesses. They could be hiding her at any number of places; one of their bars, or possibly one of their restaurants. She could even be in one of the vacant homes he owns. I don’t see how we could find her this way. We’re dealing with mobsters, killers—people who will not be pushed around without pushing back. You must ask yourself if this is something that you want to pursue when there are other avenues open to us.”
That got Kennedy’s attention. “Go ahead Emil- explain what you mean by ‘other avenues.’”
“Well, instead of going after Marilyn, why not play the waiting game? Big Red’s men can’t hold her forever, and while she’s with them, they can’t make any money . . . and she won’t turn to the media. When they feel it’s safe, or they get tired of their revenues dropping, they’ll let her go, and when they do … we’ll grab her.”
Kennedy sat up. “How long would you estimate it would be before they allow her to leave?”
“They’re businessmen. I’d give them two weeks, maybe a month, but no more than that. They have to get back to earning money again. Give them a month. Let them think they’ve won. And when they feel the danger is past and it’s safe to let her go, we’ll grab her.”
“I’ll go along with that, but get a team out to their headquarters right away. Have your men monitor the place. But, Emil, a word of caution. Tell your men not to use force unless it’s absolutely necessary, I don’t want another Lonegan incident where another innocent person gets killed. It’s bad press.”
Marilyn woke up to find Red gone. She showered, dressed, and quickly put on her make-up. Then, she tapped on the door to the next room. The door opened and Trenchie’s large frame filled the doorway. He stepped aside to allow her to pass. “Coffee’s ready,” he informed her. “And there’s Danish on the dresser.” He added, “Red is on the patio. Go join him and I’ll bring you a cup of coffee. Do you want a Danish to go with it?”
“No, coffee will do fine, Trenchie, thank you.” She walked out onto the balcony and sat beside Red. “You were up early. Couldn’t sleep?”
“No, I’m an early riser. I don’t like to waste my day sleeping. Besides, I had to make a few phone calls.”
Marilyn poured a drop of milk into her cup with one sugar, took a sip of her coffee, and then she set the cup on the table. “What a beautiful morning this is. I hope it stays like this all day.”
Red looked at her and remarked, “Last night wasn’t bad either.”
She smiled. “It was nice wasn’t it? I behaved like a hussy, didn’t I?”
“No, you didn’t; you behaved like a woman who was enjoying her evening.”
“Thanks for staying with me last night,” she said to him softly. “I really needed to feel you close to me after the day I had. Last night was the first night since my bodyguard was killed that I felt safe.” She looked wistfully at him and said something very odd. “I don’t know why, but I don’t think I’ll live to be an old lady.”
Red was surprised at how frankly she could talk about dying young. “Don’t worry about anything. As long as you’re with me, I won’t let anything happen to you.”
She gave him a sad smile. “Thank you, Red. That was sweet of you.” She looked around the room for the phone, then she spotted it on the corner of the bureau. “Excuse me a minute. I have to call Paula and let her know that I won’t be attending her class this week.”
“Sorry, Marilyn. I can’t allow you to use the phone; it’s too dangerous.”
Marilyn’s temper flared for just a moment. She wasn’t used to anyone telling her what to do. But she quickly calmed down as she realized that Red was only trying to protect her. “Red, there’s something you should know. I promised Frank I’d be at the opening of his Cal Neva night club in Nevada on April second.”
Red just smiled and said, “That’s a little ways off yet. Who knows what’ll happen during that time? But don’t worry about anything. I’ll take a couple of my men and we’ll go with you. We’ll make sure nothing happens to you. Now come outside on the patio and sit with me while I enjoy my morning coffee.” Red was happy to be sitting on the patio on a pleasant sunny morning with this beautiful woman with whom to share his coffee. He wasn’t worried about her going to Nevada. He’d make sure nothing happened to her. He turned to look at her and she seemed to be daydreaming. He asked her about it. “For a few moments there I lost you. You were just staring blankly at the sky. What were you just thinking of?”
“It’s something Bobby told me. It’s been on my mind for a while now. It’s one of the things I remembered that got me in trouble with Jack and Bobby. I don’t like to talk about it, but I’ll tell you if you really want to know.”
Red lifted his eyebrow. “Of course I want to know. How am I going to protect you if I don’t know why they want to harm you?”
“I was at a party with the president and he had a little too much bubbly and he said things to Bobby in front of me that he wouldn’t have said if he were sober. I don’t think he even knew I was there. That’s how much I meant to him, I guess.”
Red was getting a little impatient. “I know it’s bothering you so . . . just tell me what he said. Maybe it’ll take some of the pressure off of you.”
“Well, you know after Jack said it, he realized it was something he shouldn’t have mentioned it in front of me. He had a look on his face as if he was wondering what to do with me now that I knew about it.”
Red’s curiosity got the better of him and he was losing his patience. “Knew about what? Now you have to tell me what Jack said. What was it that you knew about?”
Marilyn looked unsure. She wanted to tell him, but she was afraid Jack would find out. Oh, hell, he’s trying to kill me anyway, so why not tell Red? she thought. “Richard Nixon is scheduled to speak at the Republican National Committee’s fund raising event at Madison Square Garden and that’s when some people may try to kill him. I know it’s not Jack’s doing. It’s someone else. Bobby might have an idea who it is. Maybe Bobby himself is involved. I don’t know.”
Red was suddenly on his feet. “You’re sure about this?”
“Why, yes.”
Red’s blood pressure almost went through the roof when he heard there might be a contract on Richard Nixon, the Republican presidential frontrunner in the upcoming election.
Marilyn remembered another par
t of the conversation. “There’s something else. I heard them talking about: Nixon’s two daughters, but they dismissed them, saying they were only 11 and 13 years old.”
“Are you sure they dismissed the girls?”
“Yes. Why?”
“I don’t think it’s anything,” Red said. “But just to make sure, I’ll send some men to see that they’re not touched. Then I have to make some arrangements at Madison Square Garden with a friend of mine.”
At the end of his term of office as vice president in January 1961, Nixon and his family returned to California, where he practiced law and wrote a bestselling book, Six Crises, which included coverage of the Hiss case, Eisenhower's heart attack, and the Fund Crisis, which had been resolved by the Checkers speech.
Red picked up the house phone and called Moose in California. “Moose? Red. I want you to look up the address of Richard Nixon’s law firm. Once you have it, I want you to go there and wait for him to leave work. Then you are to follow him wherever he goes. Lastly, set up surveillance outside his home. There may be an attempt to kidnap his wife or daughters. I don’t think that’s likely, but I’m not taking any chances. I’m calling Tarzan and telling him to send some men out to California tonight on the red eye to help you. I’m putting you in charge of this operation, so organize a team to cover Nixon’s family around the clock, understand?”
“Yeah, I understand. Red, Gonzo and Henri are here for a screen test.”
Red paused a moment. “Are they with you now?”
“Yeah. They’re out in the back right now. I could take them with me. These guys could take care of themselves and they would be a big help to me, until the guys you’re sending get here.”
Red didn’t want his fighters involved in this mess, especially Swifty, who was in training for a title shot, but then he realized that all they would be doing is observing. Moose was there to act as the enforcer if it were necessary. “Moose, I have to finish my business in Hollywood. This may be nothing, but if there is something to it, I know that you can handle it. Okay, use the three of them until our men get here tomorrow morning.”