Hey There (You with the Gun in Your Hand)

Twenty-nine

Jerry went to watch the blackjack tables while I returned to my room to call Sammy. He was there, fresh from the stage. I asked him if he wanted to take a shower and wind down and I’d call him later.

“No, no,” he said. “I wanna know what’s goin’ on.”

“Have you heard from anyone?” I asked.

“Not a thing.”

“Okay, we managed to do what we wanted to do last night,” I said. “We, uh, got rid of all the dead weight.”

“That’s good … I think.”

“Yeah, it is good, but we couldn’t go back to the house. There was somethin’ happenin’ on the block. The police were there.”

“At your house?”

“We’re not sure,” I said. “Could’ve been a domestic disturbance of some kind. Meanwhile, we’re at the Sands. If you hear from anyone, call me here.”

“Okay, Eddie.”

“Listen, Sam …”

“Yeah?”

“There’s a possibility that someone won’t want me to be the go-between anymore.”

“Well, that’ll be tough,” he said, “because I want you to.”

“Okay, let’s see what happens.”

“Eddie, thanks, man. And tell the big cat I said thanks, too, will ya? And that other cool cat? You guys are the best.”

“Talk to you soon, Sam.”

I hung up and remained seated on the bed for a few moments, wondering what our next move should be.

I wondered if I should ask Sammy what this was all about. Just what was this photo he was trying to buy back, and why were people apparently dying over it? I was operating in the dark, and when it looked like all I had to do was make the buy, that was okay. But things were different now.

Another trip to Lake Tahoe might be in order.

But there were still some things I could do while we waited. As Jerry had pointed out, I knew a lot of people in Vegas. That was the original reason I’d been asked to help Frank and Dean last year.

Jerry and I were going to go out casino-hopping.

The last time Jerry had been in Vegas he’d discovered blackjack. He didn’t play, but he loved to watch-mostly the people.

I found him studying a couple of tables that, at this time of night, were being played by tourists. The regulars usually came out during the day. Except for one. Ellie James was a woman of indeterminate age who had three kids, one grandchild, and still turned heads when she walked through the casino. Last year Jerry had noticed her and called her “the broad with the big titties.”

“That broad still comin’ in here?” he asked as I reached him.

“Ellie’s here every day-or evening, that is. She comes in to play at night because she’s busy during the day with her family.”

“Oh, right.” He frowned. “Still can’t believe she’s a grandma.”

“Come on,” I said. “We got some things to do.”

“Like what?”

I started away and he fell into stride next to me.

“I’m gonna show you some other casinos, and we’re gonna talk to some people”

“What people?”

“People who know what goes on in Vegas.”