Cold Blood (31 page)

“Sit down, boy, sorry to change the meeting place but I had a round of golf this morning that hadda continue. I made five birdies, five. Thank you, Imelda, honey.”

Dulay touched the maid lightly with his big wide hand, and she smiled, eyes downcast, almost too demure, too beautiful. Caley knew she was probably Dulay’s mistress; he was famous for keeping them

“in house,”

and perhaps in this case, on display to his guests.

“How’s Elizabeth?”

Dulay asked as he removed the cover from one of the dishes and forked a large portion of Charentais meloij and berries onto his plate.

“She’s fine, Lloyd, be out soon.”

“I sincerely hope so. Carnival wouldn’t bAie same without her, and we got some fine entertainment this year.”

W

Lloyd went on to discuss the floats, the big parties and masked balls that different krewesthe local name for Carnival organizations planned to hold, the new King of Carnival and the young society girl who would be presented as his Queen. Then, seated in his thronelike Carver chair and gesturing expansively, he eulogized about the time his own daughter was presented as a maid of Rex, his voice booming around the vast cavernous room.

“Saffron looked more beautiful than ever that day. I tell you, Robert, that girl could have had her pick of any man falling at her pretty little feet, begging her for a dance. You know, I even offered her, offered, ten million dollars if she got herself married for long enough to give me an heir. That is one of the blights of my life.”

Caley chewed his lip. He couldn’t recall how many times he’d sat opposite this bully of a man, forced to listen to his loud adulation of his whore of a daughter. He even wondered at times if he wasn’t in some

196 roundabout way hinting that Caley should fuck his daughterwhich Robert and almost everyone else hadbut if he knew her reputation, Dulay never gave so much as a hint. He just seemed to enjoy the sound of his own raspy voice, and not until he had finished his fruit, sausage patties with a variety of savory confits and old-fashioned Southern biscuits did he fall silent.

As though summoned by telepathy, Imelda reappeared and cleared the table, and again Caley saw that big hand stroke his little

“in house”

woman. He was sure that if he didn’t have a legitimate heir, he most certainly had a number of illegitimate kids. Rumor had it to be around ten or eleven.

Dulay looked over the cigar box held out for him by Imelda. He chose one, sniffing at it with his big hawk nose, then she clipped the end, brought to the table an antique silver perfume bottle remodeled into a lighter, and slipped out. Not until the cigar smoke rested like a halo above Dulay’s head did he focus his beady, ice-blue eyes on Caley.

“The Mayor’s meeting with the Governor and some of the legislative leaders in Baton Rouge sometime this week. Way I see it, he ought to save himself the tripwhat we got to worry about is right here in New Orleans. Some people just seem to want to stand in the way of change until it rolls right over them, though it seems like there might be something in all this federal-law stuff. Or so my attorney is bleatin’.”

“That’s bullshit, Lloyd, and you know it. They’re just trying it on.”

“Robert, you’re not hearing me. It’s the delay. Don’t you see, the more they delay granting you the go-ahead, the longer it drags outand no matter how much you kick against it and say it’s not you they’re turning up their noses at, nobody’s gonna believe it.”

Caley sat back. Even in the chill of the air-conditioned room he could feel the sweat break out on his body; he knew that Dulay had brought up the zoning objections purely as a pretext to cover some move of his own.

“So are you pulling out?”

he said nervously.

“Hell, no, I am right behind you. But you are gonna have to give me some proof that it’s not just me in deep in this.”

“Right now, Lloyd, the only person in deep is me. It’s my own money that’s bought those leases. So far you haven’t put in so much as a cent.”

Dulay stared hard at him and his eyes seemed to shrink.

“No, Robert, you got my name attached, and here that means something, understand me? My name carries a lot of weight in these parts.”

“I know, I know … sorry, but right now, Lloyd, I’m being squeezed, you got to know that.”

“Sure, I do, nobody likes their balls held in a vise, but at the same time you’re gonna be the man who makes the most, so unless you want to carve up your interest-?^’

“I don’t.”

“Maybe not now, not today, but perhaps you should give it some thought. If you’re gonna go belly up, then nobody’s gonna back your development, even if the land you got is worth something.”

“More than something, Lloyd.”

“Right, right, but can you keep afloat?”

“Depends on how long. What’s friend Siphers doing in Baton Rouge?”

Lloyd shrugged.

“They have to go through some sort of little pantomime of discussing the Doubloons proposal crease the pages before they toss it out.”

“You’re sure the Governor is going to toss it out?”

Lloyd pushed back his chair.

“Sure. This is your show, Robert. You’re the one who made the commitment and got ground broken people said couldn’t be broke. A bunch of guys trying to jump on your bandwagon will just find they fall off on their ass.”

“So when do you think we might get a yea or a nay?”

“Oh, any day now, Robert, and you’ll be the first to know. As you know, the Governor is a personal friend,”

Dulay said silkily.

There was something in his manner just a shade too smooth to trust, but Caley was too tired to press the old man further and stood up, forcing himself to smile.

“I’ll look forward to it, Lloyd.”

f.

“You count on it,”

Dulay said, and gestured toward the door. The meeting was over. He paused as they walked out into the huge entrance hall with its bronze menagerie.

“They found your little girl yet?”

Caley shook his head.

“No, but Elizabeth has hired a new agency. They’ll maybe get some results, they seem very capable.”

Lloyd glared.

“Capable? Holy Jesus, Robert, she’s your daughter! You just hired capableYd leave no stone unturned if it was my little girl, I’d hire the best this country has.”

“We did,”

Caley said flatly.

Dulay held out his arm and it felt like a dead weight on Caley’s shoulders.

“You sure you can keep going? Moneywise?”

Caley nodded, and the big man hugged him close.

“I feel for you and my lovely Elizabeth, she must be going through hell.”

“She is.”

Now all Caley wanted was to get out, but the big man’s arm held him like a vise.

“You call on me, Robert, I mean it. You’re like family to me and that sweet child keeps me awake at night. What do these agencies think might have happened?”

Caley stepped aside.

“That she could have been abducted, you know, kidnapped by the opposition, maybe to stop me from opening up.”

“Bullshit, they’re too big to play that kind of game. Jesus, I know every man on the Doubloons board, lot of old friends, some I was in knickerbockers with, and I can tell you every man is a gentleman.”

“Why didn’t you kick in with them?”

Caley asked quietly.

Dulay shrugged and walked into the marbled hallway.

“I wasn’t asked … and I like to be asked. I’m not a man that barges in on anybody’s deal, they gotta come to me. With my kind of capital I don’t get into anything without being shown a little respect.”

He towered above Caley.

“You’ve always shown me respect, Robert, and for that reason alone I’m with you on this deal. You’re a man that’s climbed up from nothing and I admire you. I also care about that wife of yourswe go back a long ways, and I look forward to seeing her soon as she arrives. My house is yours, you know that, Robert.”

Caley looked back at the huge house, riding like an ocean liner above the smooth lawns, and Dulay’s empty words rang in his ears.

“My house is yours, you know that, Robert.”

What a joke! Dulay was squeezing for a much bigger chunk, it was obvious, squeezing and waiting like a shark to step in and offer to bail him out for a percentage that Caley could see sixty-forty, and the sixty wouldn’t be his but Dulay’s.

The chauffeur headed back to the hotel. Caley closed his eyes, thinking of Lorraine and the previous night. No wonder he felt worn-out. But he wanted to see her again, needed to see her, because at the moment he knew Dulay was shifting the ground under him, and it felt as if he was going to go down.

Nick rejoined the others at the black iron courtyard table, washed, shaved and wearing clean clothes. Rooney was making notes on the back of an envelope.

“I’m going to have a chat with this cabdriver’s brother.”

“Really? Can you fill me in, I mean, what cabdriver and who’s his brother?”

Rosie leaned forward.

“We used him last night, Nick, drove past Caley’s proposed site for his casino, and this guy was full of it. He said his cousin, not his brother, was a cop, said they’re all corrupt.”

Lorraine was sitting with her eyes closed, face tilted to the sun.

1

“Okay, I think I’m gonna go back to the bar I wound up in last night. This old trombone player sort of warned me off.”

“Off what exactly?”

Lorraine asked without moving.

“Anna Louise Caley.”

Lorraine turned to face him.

“Go on.”

Nick shrugged.

“That’s it, he just said to get the hell out, and thinking it over he’s got to have a good reason and a better one than …”

He leaned forward, frowning.

“

‘Murky waters’he said something like that, roots go deep … I dunno, just got a feeling he knows something. And you, what you gonna do?”

Lorraine yawned.

“Well, maybe start interviewing Caley’s business associates and, er… what’s her name? Anna Louise’s friend. I think that’ll more than take up my day.”

She checked her watch.

“So what d’you say we all meet back here about six tonight?”

Rosie looked at Bill, who was still scrutinizing his notes.

“Anybody want me to do anything? If you don’t, I’m gonna go to the Voodoo Museum.”

Rooney tucked the envelope into his pocket and got up.

“I’ll rent a car, drop you off there if you like, Rosie.”

“Oh, thanks. See you all later.”

Lorraine held up her hand.

“Just a second, before you scoot off, Rosie, will you get me appointments to meet all Caley’s business partners and Tilda Brown?”

Rosie nodded.

“Sure, I’ll do it right away. You arrange the car, Bill, and I’ll meet you in the lobby.”

^

Lorraine watched them go off, easing between the tables.

“They’re getting very friendly, aren’t they?”

Nick rocked in his chair.

“Yeah, hadda terrible meal out with them. Rooney gettin’ all coy and a bashful Rosie are hard to take.”

“You serious?”

Lorraine said, laughing.

“Yeah.”

Nick watched her, wanting her. He instinctively knew she’d had a lot more than just a dinner on the plane with Caley.

“What did you get from the staff at Caley’s hotel?”

he asked.

“Not much. Only one thing that’s not on any report was that the maid did not turn down Anna’s bed at around eight to half past because there was a DO NOT DISTURB sign on the door. Which could mean she’d already left, or-“

“Nice suite, was it?”

“Yes, it was.”

She wanted to take off his shades, see his eyes, because he had that irritating smile.

“You fuck him?”

BOO

Lorraine picked up her purse and her note pad.

“What you think I am, Nick?”

“I’d sure take a chance like that, but then chance’d be a fine thing, right?”

“You said it.”

She edged past his chair and he caught her hand.

“No offense.”

“None taken, Nick, but back off about me and Caley, it’s starting to get on my nerves.”

Nick got up and walked with her.

“Just being cautious, sweethearthe is our main suspect, right? Even more so now with that little legacy you found.”

He took off his shades.

“You know, maybe Caley had been dipping into the trust fund. It must be like a red-hot carrot, one hundred million bucks is fucking hot.”

Lorraine felt dizzy.

“Yeah, I thought of that, and I was wondering if there was any way we could find out.”

Nick slipped his arm around her shoulder as they went into the lobby.

“You could ask him.”

Lorraine sighed.

“Yeah, but then he’d know I went through his papers. I don’t want to frighten him off if we’re right”

“That is some mosquito bite you got, you should get calamine lotion on it.”

She turned angrily toward him and he pulled her close.

“Don’t bullshit me, I know what it is. I don’t care if you fucked him or not, just so long as you don’t start to

“

“Start what?”

“To care. Because I don’t want you to get hurt, you mind if I say that?”

She rested against him; it took him totally off guard and he held her a moment.

“Also, I have to admit that it makes me jealous as all hell. Not that there’s any hope for me but”

She smiled up at him.

“You never know, Nick, when you’re all washed up and smellin’ cute you’re not a bad-looking guy. Just not…”

“Your type?”

She laughed softly.

“You would have been once, like Lubrinski was, but, Nick, you’d be hell on any woman who cared about you. I know your kind, you love the chase, but when it’s over you’re bored and on to the next.”

“Ah, you got me figured out, huh? But you know, me and Tiger, we’re looking to set up a place, one with a backyard so he won’t piss on the carpets, and with the right woman”

“I’m not the right one, Nick, and we’re wasting time.”

She saw the hurt look pass quickly over his face and then he gave her

I

that smile of his. He kissed her lips before he sauntered off with his lopsided walk in his beat-up cowboy boots.