The Way You Die Tonight (16 page)

I left the ladies' room and took the elevator down to the lobby. As soon as I got out, two men stepped up to me, one on either side. They were big; big as bouncers.

I thought, oh, no, not in my house.

‘Take it easy, boys. Nobody needs to get hurt.'

‘Our boss wants to talk to you.'

‘Just talk?'

‘That's what we were told.'

‘So we're not goin' out back to pound on the smaller guy?' I asked.

They looked puzzled.

‘Why would we do that?' the spokesman asked.

Hmm, I thought.

‘OK. How we goin'?'

‘We got a limo out front.'

‘A limo?' I said, surprised. ‘Wow.'

‘Shall we go?' the spokesman asked.

These two seemed a step up from the three bouncers who had ‘bounced' Danny around in the alley.

I couldn't tell if they were armed, and I didn't want to start anything in the lobby of the hotel. Maybe I could make a break for it outside.

‘OK,' I said, ‘let's go.'

We walked across the lobby to the front door, three abreast.

‘Eddie—' one of the bellboys said, approaching, but I waved him away.

‘Not now, Andy.'

Andy froze and frowned, but I'd apologize later for brushing him off.

We went through the front door and I saw the limo out front. As we started toward it Joey, the head valet, came running up to me.

‘Eddie, you know anything about this limo? It's blocking traffic and I can't get anybody—'

‘Relax, Joe,' I said. ‘We're movin' it now.'

One of my escorts stepped to the back door and opened it for me. I was wondering when to make my break.

‘In you go, man,' he said.

‘After you,' I said.

‘Oh, we're not getting in,' he said. ‘Just you.'

‘Just me?'

‘That's the way Mr Hughes wants it.'

I froze.

‘Mr Hughes? You guys work for Howard Hughes?'

‘Yes, sir,' the spokesman said. ‘Who did you think we worked for?'

‘Never mind,' I said. ‘You wouldn't like the answer.'

He let that go.

‘Getting in?' he asked.

‘Sure,' I said, ‘why not.'

I slid into the back seat and got my second shock of the day.

Howard Hughes was there.

‘I
told you,' Hughes said to me, ‘I clean up good.'

And he did. The man in the back seat was impeccably dressed and styled. He bore no resemblance to the Hughes I had met in his hotel room at the Desert Inn.

‘Yes, sir, you did. You told me.'

‘Close the door, Eddie.'

I did, and started to move next to him, but he lifted a handkerchief to his face and said, ‘No, not there. Across from me.'

‘OK.'

‘Drive on!' he snapped to his driver. ‘And close that partition.'

He held the handkerchief to his mouth as the partition slid closed.

Hughes looked at me and lowered the cloth.

‘You made me leave my room, Eddie.'

‘And I did that … how?'

‘By turning me down,' Hughes said. ‘Nobody turns me down. I'm not used to that.'

‘I'm sorry,' I said. ‘I'm sorry I turned you down, and that you had to leave your room and get all dressed up for me.'

‘And I had to overmedicate to do it,' he pointed out. ‘This is not comfortable for me.'

‘Well, Mr Hughes, that was my problem, too,' I said. ‘I'm just not comfortable with doing what you asked me to do. I can't be your stalking horse.'

‘All I asked you to do was give me some advice, Eddie,' Hughes said. ‘A way to go.'

‘It just seemed to me you were askin' me to find a weakness in somebody and expose it to you. I can't do that. I can't help you with a takeover.' I reached behind me and banged on the partition. ‘Let me out anywhere along here!'

‘Eddie,' he said, from behind the cloth, ‘this doesn't make me happy.'

‘I'm sorry, Mr Hughes. You have my answer.'

‘No,' he said, ‘you don't understand what I mean when I say I'm not happy.' He paused, as if for effect, then added, ‘But you will.'

‘Is that a threat?'

‘Just know,' Hughes said, ‘that I'm not leaving Vegas without getting what I want.'

I banged on the partition again and the car pulled to the curb.

‘I'll be seeing you, Eddie,' Hughes said.

I was tempted to grab that handkerchief from his hand and give him a stroke, but instead I just said, ‘No, you won't,' and got out.

I had no sooner slammed the door than the limo pulled away from the curb, peeling rubber. Hughes had probably told the driver to get him back to the Desert Inn as quickly as possible.

I started walking back to the Sands when Jerry pulled to the curb in my Caddy.

‘What are you doin' here?' I asked, leaning in.

‘I saw those two overdressed goons take you out of the hotel, and I saw you get into the limo. I grabbed the Caddy. Thought I'd cut the car off. What happened? Who was it?'

‘I thought it was the bouncers from the Happy Devil, which was stupid, because I was never at the club. Anyway, it turned out to be Howard Hughes.'

‘Hughes? Really? In the limo?'

‘Yeah,' I said. ‘He looked like he wanted to jump out of his skin, but he was there.'

‘What'd he want?'

I hopped over the door into the passenger seat and said, ‘Drive, brother. Back to the Sands.'

Jerry made an illegal U-turn, with style.

‘What'd he want?' I said. ‘I guess he was threatening me.'

‘Because you won't work for him?'

‘Exactly. He's not used to being turned down.'

‘Well,' Jerry said, ‘you're the man, Mr G. Everybody in Vegas knows it, and now maybe Howard Hughes knows it.'

‘I don't think he does, Jerry.'

‘Well, mark my words,' Jerry said, giving me a look, ‘before he leaves Vegas, he will.'

B
ack at the Sands Jerry parked the car and said, ‘Whatever you're doin' next, Mr G., I'm gonna be with you.'

I didn't argue with him. All the way out to the limo I was planning my escape. If it hadn't been Hughes inside I might have still been running.

‘I feel like a piece of pie,' Jerry said.

‘That's all?'

‘Well, I'm just a bit peckish.'

‘I'll have some coffee,' I said. ‘I need to catch my breath.'

We went into the Garden Café and Lily was working again.

She came over and turned the full wattage of those green eyes on Jerry.

‘Hey, big guy, couldn't stay away, huh?'

‘Uh, no, I guess not.'

‘Hi, Eddie.'

‘Lily. My big friend wants a big hunk of pie.'

‘Really?' She looked at him, again. ‘Just what kinda hunk of something sweet do you need?'

‘I think, uh, cherry,' he said, keeping his eyes down.

‘And you, Mr Eddie?' she asked.

‘Just coffee.'

‘Coffee with your pie, Big Jerry?'

‘Yeah … uh, please.'

‘Comin' up.'

When she walked away Jerry lifted his eyes and watched her.

‘What's with the shy act, Jerry?'

‘Huh?'

‘It's like you can't even look at her.'

‘She's … different.'

‘How?'

‘I don't know,' Jerry said. ‘She ain't a whore, but she ain't …'

‘… an angel, either?'

‘That's it!'

I reached into my pocket and took out the matchbook from the Happy Devil that Danny had given me. I put it on the table between us.

‘I'll have to go in there tonight,' I said. ‘There's no point in waiting.'

‘I don't know how you're gonna find out anything without askin' questions.'

‘I don't either, but if I ask too many I'll get the same treatment Danny got.'

‘And I'll be there to bail you out.'

‘Let's hope it doesn't come to that.'

Lily came back with the pie and two coffees and set them down, then stopped short.

‘Who's is that?' she asked, pointing at the matchbook.

‘Why?' I asked. ‘Do you know that place?'

‘I do.'

‘Are you a member?'

‘Do you know what kind of place it is?'

‘We do.'

She eyed us for a few moments, then said, ‘Well, yeah, I've been there a few times, and yes, I'm a member.'

I slid over, ‘Lily, sit down for a minute, will you?'

She looked around. It wasn't busy, so she sat next to me. I could feel the heat from her body.

‘Did you know Helen Simms?'

‘The girl who hanged herself in the fourth floor ladies' room?'

‘Yes, only she didn't hang herself.'

Her eyes widened and she said, ‘She was murdered?'

‘Yes, by someone who wanted it to look like she did it to herself.'

‘I knew her on sight,' Lily said, ‘but we weren't friends. I don't think we ever even spoke.'

‘You never saw her at the club.'

‘This club?' She touched the matchbook. ‘She was a member?'

‘Yes.'

She shook her head. ‘I never saw her there, but it's a big place, lots of people, and …'

‘And what?'

‘Well … I was going to say you don't really look at people's faces while you're there, if you know what I mean.'

‘I think I do,' I said.

‘Also,' she said, ‘you don't use your real name.'

‘You don't?'

‘No,' she said. ‘You need to come up with one just for the club.'

I decided not to ask her what hers was. At that point it really wasn't my business.

‘Are you thinking of joining?' she asked.

‘No,' I said, ‘but we know something happened there within the past week that involved Helen. I need to go there and find out what it was.'

‘How are you going to get in?'

‘I don't know,' I said. ‘I can't use Helen's name. I don't want them to know that I'm there because of her.'

‘You can use mine,' she offered. ‘I mean, you only need to mention a member's name to get in.'

‘That would be great,' I said, ‘thanks. Uh, I'd be using what name?'

‘Sasha,' she said. ‘Tell them you were sponsored by Sasha.'

‘Sasha?' Jerry said.

She looked at him. ‘Don't you like it?'

‘I like Lily better.'

‘You're sweet.' She stood up. ‘Would you want me to go with you and get you in?'

‘Well,' I said, ‘that would probably be help—'

‘No,' Jerry said.

‘Why not?' Lily asked.

‘It'd be too dangerous.'

‘Aw, you're worried about me?' she asked.

‘A friend of ours got beat up there,' he said. ‘I don't want anything to happen to you.'

‘He's right,' I said, feeling foolish that I had even considered it.

‘Well,' she said, ‘use my club name, and let me know if you change your mind.' She stepped to Jerry's side of the booth and stroked his face. ‘You're cute,' she said, and walked away.

‘I told you,' I said, ‘she's a little wild – maybe wilder than I thought.'

‘I like 'er,' Jerry said, and cut into his pie.

I
had to check in with Edward G. Robinson, see what he wanted to do. Even with trying to find out who killed Helen I couldn't lose sight of the fact that I was supposed to be taking care of Eddie. I had Lily bring me a phone and called his room.

‘Hey, Eddie G.,' he said, happily. ‘I was just thinking about you and Jerry.'

‘Eddie,' I asked, ‘what did you have in mind for later tonight?'

‘I was just going to call you,' he said. ‘Frank wants to have dinner. Do you want to join us? You and Big Jerry?'

‘Actually, this works out good,' I said. ‘We've got something to do tonight, so I think you should have a good dinner with Frank and catch up.'

‘Well, all right,' Eddie said. ‘Will I see you fellas tomorrow?'

‘Definitely,' I said. ‘We'll call on you in the morning for breakfast.'

‘Swell.'

‘By the way, what's happening with you and the studio lady?'

‘Oh, I gave in and agreed to have lunch with her today,' he said. ‘She's a nice kid. I really don't want to give her a hard time.'

‘That's good,' I said. ‘Bring her down to the Garden Café. I'll make sure they make a fuss.'

‘Thanks, Eddie G.,' he said. ‘I'll do that.'

‘OK, then. Tell Frank we're sorry we missed him, and I'll talk to you tomorrow.'

‘Be careful, Eddie G.'

‘About what?'

‘Whatever you and Big Jerry are doing tonight,' Robinson said. ‘Just be careful.'

‘We will,' I promised.

‘Sounds like there's no problem,' Jerry said, as I hung up.

‘Nope,' I said, ‘he's having lunch with the studio girl and dinner with Frank.'

‘Then we're free until tomorrow?'

‘Free as can be.'

‘So what now?'

‘Now,' I said, ‘I guess I'll have to come up with a new name for the Happy Devil.'

‘A new name?'

‘Yeah,' I said, ‘something that would go along with … Sasha.'

When Lily came by again Jerry said, ‘That was a really good meal.'

‘Glad you liked it,' Lily said. ‘I'll tell the cook.' She looked at me. ‘So, you goin' to the club tonight?'

‘Yes, the sooner the better.'

‘Well,' she said, ‘I guess I don't know what it's all about, but if I was you I'd go at midnight. That's when things start jumpin'.'

‘Midnight,' I said. ‘Thanks, Lily. Or should I say … Sasha.'