I'm a Fool to Kill You (16 page)
Read I'm a Fool to Kill You Online
Authors: Robert Randisi
âNo,' Jerry said, starting the engine.
âNext stop, Vegas,' I said.
FORTY-TWO
I
had the length of the drive from L.A. and Vegas to decide where to put Ava. In the end, it was Jerry who came up with the answer. More than once Jerry had proven to be not just muscle, and it was usually when he came up with the simplest of answers.
had the length of the drive from L.A. and Vegas to decide where to put Ava. In the end, it was Jerry who came up with the answer. More than once Jerry had proven to be not just muscle, and it was usually when he came up with the simplest of answers.
âTake her to your house,' he said. âNobody's gonna look for her there.'
âAnd you'll be there with her.'
âRight.'
I turned my head and looked at Ava.
âI'd love to see your house,' she said.
âIt would fit into one room of yours,' I said.
She shrugged.
âAnd my house would fit into one room of my villa in Spain,' she said. âIt's all relative.'
I turned back and looked at the road.
âHow come I can't sit in the front?' Ava asked.
âBecause I called shotgun,' I said.
âBoys and their stupid games.'
As we approached Vegas Jerry said, âYou callin' yer buddy Bardini into this?'
âYeah,' I said. âI need a P.I.'
âAnd he's the one?' Ava asked from the back seat.
âHe's a good one,' I said.
âAnd a pretty good guy,' Jerry said.
âReally?' I asked.
âYou never noticed?' Jerry asked.
âYou know,' I said, âDanny says the same thing about you.'
âThat's nice.'
âWhat are you going to have your friend do?' Ava asked.
âHe's gonna find out what happened during your missing hours, Ava,' I said.
âWill he be discreet?' she asked. âMy experience with detectivesâ'
âHe's not only good at his job,' I said, âhe's also my friend. And he's a movie buff. As long as he gets to meet you he'll be fine.'
âHe'll expect you to fall for him,' Jerry warned her.
âOh, one of those men?' Ava asked. âI can handle him.'
âThis should be real interesting,' I said.
âHey, Mr G.,' Jerry said, âthink we can get to a book? I wanna make a bet on the Liston-Patterson fight. I think Liston's gonna flatten him.'
âNo way,' Ava said. âPatterson will box his ears off.'
âNo chance, Jerry,' I said. âBut bet with Ava. Maybe you can make back some of your gin losses.'
They started discussing terms.
Jerry drove directly to my house without asking me for directions.
âCute,' Ava said, as we got out.
Jerry got the bags out of the trunk while I unlocked the front door.
âGotta open the windows and let some air in, Mr G.,' Jerry said.
âDo it.'
Since meeting Frank, Dean and the rest of the guys I'd been beaten up in my house, Frank had make coffee in my kitchen, and Sammy Davis had shot a man in my living room.
Now Ava Gardner was in my house.
âMy room is your room,' I said to Ava.
âThat's very kind,' she said. âWhere will you sleep?'
âI probably won't be here very much,' I said. âJerry will sleep on the couch. He's done it before.'
âWill you go and see Frank now?' she asked.
âLater tonight.'
We'd gotten an early start that morning. Even with the 300 mile drive it was still pretty early for Vegas.
Jerry looked at me and asked, âCan we eat first?'
FORTY-THREE
I
went out, got some food and brought it back to the house. I had a bite and left Ava and Jerry still digging in. When she was hungry she had quite an appetite, almost but not quite matching his.
went out, got some food and brought it back to the house. I had a bite and left Ava and Jerry still digging in. When she was hungry she had quite an appetite, almost but not quite matching his.
I left the house, drove the car directly to a gas station to gas up. While I was waiting I thought about what I was going to say to Frank. How would I explain that I couldn't tell him where Ava was? I was going to need Jack Entratter's help for that.
As I drove down the strip toward the Sands I got my usual kick out of reading the various marquees. Alan King at the Riv, Buddy Hackett at the Sahara, Louis Prima and Keely Smith at the Desert Inn. After almost 14 years in Vegas I still got a kick out of it like no other town, not even New York.
I parked at the Sands and entered by the back way. The Sands was a special place to me. I couldn't walk ten feet without bumping into somebody I knew, exchanging a friendly greeting. The amazing thing about my time there was that there was no one employee I actively disliked. Think about all the jobs you've held? How many times can you say that?
OK, there was Jack's girl, but she had a chip on her shoulder. I didn't dislike her.
I entered the office and asked her. âIs he in?'
She looked surprised that I'd even asked.
âYes, he's in.'
I went into his office without another word.
âWhy don't you ever let her announce you?' Jack asked from behind his desk.
âThat would just disappoint her,' I said, sitting across from him
âOK, so you're back from L.A.,' Jack said. âWhat's goin' on?'
âHave you talked to Frank?'
âOnly to find out that he sent Jerry to L.A. to help you. Is he with you?'
âYes.'
âAnd Ava?'
âShe's with me too.'
âGood,' Jack said. âWhere are they?'
âI don't know if I can tell you that.'
He glared at me. âWhat?'
âBefore I tell you where she is I need some assurances from you.'
âWhat?' he asked, again.
I started to talk and he said, âWait a minute.'
He opened a drawer, took out a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. He poured two fingers into each glass, pushed one over to my side of the desk. He downed his, so I picked mine up and did the same.
âOK,' he said, âI thought I needed a drink before I heard this. Go ahead.'
âIf I tell you where Ava is,' I said, âI don't want you to tell Frank.'
âWhy the hell not?'
âBecause something happened to Ava that she doesn't remember,' I said. I explained about the missing forty hours.
âSomebody may be after her, and you don't want me to tell Frank?'
âExactly.'
âAre you nuts?'
âThat's what Ava wants,' I said. âShe doesn't want her trouble spillin' over on to Frank. She's tryin' to protect him, Jack.'
âWell . . .'
âIs Frank still in town?'
âHe's in Tahoe, at the Cal-Neva, in a lodge,' Entratter said. âHe finished his engagement here and his family went home. So he went to Tahoe, and he wants me to call him, or you to call him, there.'
Well, at least I wouldn't have to face Frank. That was something.
âI don't know about this, Eddie,' Jack said. âFrank's not gonna stand for it.'
âWe have to convince him, Jack.'
âWe?'
âI need your help on this,' I said. âWe either have to convince him, or lie to him.'
âYou want me to lie to Frank Sinatra?'
I didn't blame him. It's not something I wanted to do, either. Then I got an idea.
âIs Dean still in town?'
âYeah,' Jack said. âHe wants to get in some more golf. He's stayin' in his suite.'
âOK,' I said, âlet's get him to help.'
âSo you want Dean Martin to lie to Frank.'
âDean won't have to lie,' I said. âHe'll be able to convince Frank that we're doin' the right thing in not tellin' him. I think if Frank will listen to anyone, it's Dean.'
Jack Entratter thought that over, then said, âYou might have a point there.'
FORTY-FOUR
D
ean was on the golf course, and since it was late in the day I didn't want to bother him. I figured I'd let him finish his round and then catch him when he came back. Instead, I went down to the lobby and used one of the desk phones to call Danny Bardini.
ean was on the golf course, and since it was late in the day I didn't want to bother him. I figured I'd let him finish his round and then catch him when he came back. Instead, I went down to the lobby and used one of the desk phones to call Danny Bardini.
âHow's your case load these days?' I asked when he picked up.
âI answered my own phone, didn't I?' he asked.
âI noticed that. Where's Penny?'
âGone for the day. Not enough for her to do.'
âWell, I got a job for you, but it might involve some traveling?'
âAll expenses paid?' he asked.
âOf course.'
âWhere to?'
âWell, L.A., New York . . . and probably Spain.'
âSpain? Are you serious?'
âI am.'
Danny hesitated, then said, âThis has got somethin' to do with them, ain't it?'
âIt kinda does.'
âWhat does “kinda” mean, Eddie?'
âI'm sort of doin' a favor for a friend of a friend.'
âLike with Marilyn Monroe?'
âLike that, yeah.'
âOK,' he said. âWho's the client?'
Now it was my turn to hesitate before I said, âAva Gardner.'
âYou better not be kiddin', bud.'
âI'm not kiddin', Danny.'
âWhere do I sign up?'
âSilver Queen Lounge, half an hour.'
âMake it the Garden Room and a meal and you got a deal,' he said.
âBe there,' I said.
Half an hour later we were sitting in the Garden Room Restaurant of the Sands, Danny with a burger and fries in front of him, me with coffee. Danny was a man of simple tastes.
âYou're not eatin'?' he asked.
âI've been eating too much lately.'
He stopped chewing for a moment, then smiled and said, âDamn, Jerry's in on this, ain't he?'
âHe is.'
âIs he in town?'
âHe is.'
He leaned forward and lowered his voice.
âAnd is she in town?'
I lowered my voice and said, âShe is.'
He popped a fry in his mouth and said, âOK, I'm gonna eat now and listen. Go.'
I told him the story from the start, and I didn't leave anything out. Danny was my oldest friend in the world â my big brother's best friend when we were kids â and I trusted him like I trusted nobody else.
He listened intently and didn't stop me with any questions. He had one of the sharpest minds I'd ever encountered, hid it behind what some people called âchildish bravado.'
When I was done he shook his head and said, âAva Gardner. Hot damn. Do I get to meet her?'
âOf course.'
âIs she like they say?'
âShe's exactly like they say,' I answered, âand much more.'
He ate his last fry and asked, âShe's at your place, isn't she? With Jerry?'
âNow how'd you know that?'
He smiled.
âLast place anybody's gonna think you'd put her, my friend,' he said. âIt would be too dumb.'
âYes, it would.'
âAnother foolhardy idea would be to try lying to Frank Sinatra.'
âThat's why I'm gonna enlist Dean's help to get Frank to go along with Ava's idea.'
âAnd you think he will?'
âI don't know,' I said, âbut he always listens to Dean.'
âI'd tend to agree with that. When are you gonna talk to Dean?'
âRight after I finish feeding your cheap ass,' I said.
âI am not cheap,' he said, âI'm broke.'
âYou been payin' Penny?'
âShe insists on it. I've been writin' her pay checks every week.'
âShe been tearin' up the checks?'
âYes,' he said, smiling. âShe insists on it.' He sat back in his chair and sighed. âOK, tell me what you want me to do.'
FORTY-FIVE
I
left a message for Dean. I also told the front desk where I'd be: on the casino floor, even though I was technically off duty.
left a message for Dean. I also told the front desk where I'd be: on the casino floor, even though I was technically off duty.
I strolled through the casino, talking to some of my regulars, patting the butts of some of the waitresses â which was allowed back then â exchanging greetings with a celebrity or two; Nat King Cole, for one, who had come in right after Frank and Dean.
We talked a few minutes and he said, âHey, I understand Tony LaBella's going to be in the lounge. Now, there's a cat with some pipes.'
âI bet he'd love for you to come and see him, Nat.'
âYou know what, Eddie? I'll do that.'
It was because of Frank and Dean that Sammy Davis, Nat Cole and other black performers were being allowed to stay in the same hotels they played. Just one way they had changed Las Vegas.
I had just finished talking with Nat when one of the desk clerks came up to me and said, âMr Martin picked up his messages, Eddie. Says you should come on up.'
âThanks, Harry.'
I walked back to the lobby with him, then took the elevator up to Dean's suite.
Mack opened the door and said, âCome on in, Eddie. He'll be right out.'
He walked to the bar.
âBourbon?' he asked.
âSure,' I said, ârocks.'
He poured a bourbon for me and a ginger ale for Dean. The ever-present comic books were on the coffee table in front of the sofa â Dean's, not Mack's.
As he passed me the drink Dean came out, his black hair wet from a shower.
âHey, Pally,' he said. âGood to see ya.'
He sat on the sofa. Mack walked over and handed him the ginger ale.
âThanks, Mack.' Dean moved the comic books on the table around so he could see the covers. That led me to believe Mack had bought them and put them there for him. I could see a lot of color, but not what the books were. Or maybe I just wasn't that interested.
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