Charlie Opera

Chapter 46

“Are you guys kidding me?” Charlie said. “I haven’t even seen my girlfriend yet. She was shot in the leg, for Christ sakes.”

“You can see her later,” the detective named Gold said. “After you answer some questions.”

Charlie shook his head. &lquo;I already told the cops in the emergency room,” he said. “I found her on the walk outside her apartment. She was bleeding from the leg, and her head was all banged up. There’s a guy did that to her driving around someplace. The police have a description. They know his fucking name.”

The detective named Iandolli showed Charlie a set of pictures. “What about these?” he asked.

Charlie shrugged at the pictures. “What about them?”

“Fucking wiseass,” Gold said.

“Fuck you,” Charlie said.

Gold stepped chest to chest with Charlie. “Fuck me?” he said.

Iandolli pulled Gold back as he spoke to Charlie. “You and Mr. Denton and Mr. Lano are on Bellagio hotel cameras,” he said. “We kind of know what happened. We want you to fill in the blanks. It might save your life.”

“Save my life?” Charlie said as his face turned red. “That’s what that asshole DEA agent told me, how he was going to make sure this punk stayed away from me. That was about an hour before some Asian kids tried to cut me in my hotel. I tell you what, I’ll save my own life.”

Iandolli looked to Gold. “What Asian kids?”

“Forget about it,” Charlie said. “I’m not pressing charges against them either.”

Gold pushed Iandolli out of his way. “Who the fuck do you think you are?” he asked Charlie.

Charlie glared from Gold to Iandolli. “He’s close if he’s trying to get me to take a swing,” he said.

Gold reached for his handcuffs. Iandolli stopped him.

“What were you doing at the Bellagio?” Iandolli asked.

“I took a room at the Bellagio. I checked out of Harrah’s, and I needed a room. I decided to stay in Las Vegas a few extra days. To be with my girlfriend.”

“You trying to get her killed, too?” Gold asked.

“Enough,” Iandolli told Gold. “What happened at Harrah’s?” he asked Charlie.

Charlie was still glaring at Gold.

“Mr. Pellecchia?” Iandolli said.

“No way,” Charlie said. “I’m not going there.”

“Take him in,” Gold said as he made another attempt at Charlie.

“Hold it!” Iandolli said, pulling Gold back a second time. “Damn it, Abe.”

“Take me in for what?” Charlie asked Iandolli. “For getting beat up? For trying to protect myself?”

Gold tugged at Iandolli’s arm. “I’m not in the mood for this bullshit,” he said. “Not with what happened to Gentry. I’m not listening to this now.”

“Look,” Charlie said, pointing his finger toward the elevators, “my girlfriend is upstairs. They just removed a bullet from her leg. I haven’t seen her yet.”

“One minute,” Iandolli said. He held on to Gold’s left arm as he walked the senior detective across the hallway. “Let me handle this for now,” he whispered. “You’re too upset. Go get a soda. Talk to the other one, the boyfriend. Let me talk to this one alone.”

Gold, clearly frustrated, pulled his arm from Iandolli’s grip and walked away.

Iandolli returned to Charlie. “Go and visit your girlfriend,” he said. “We’ll talk again later.”

Charlie nodded.

“Go ahead,” Iandolli said.

Charlie watched as the detective took the stairs. As he waited for n elevator, Charlie felt uneasy about the pictures Vincent Lano had taken at the Bellagio. If the police already had pictures, the film he was holding on to would no longer serve as a deterrent to mobsters trying to cover their embarrassment.

He knew he couldn’t beat the mob much longer. Once the men in the picture were on the street again, he knew they would come looking for him. The thought of the mob going after Samantha was even more terrifying.

He headed for the elevator but stopped a few feet from an open car. He felt himself sweating. He couldn’t move.