Charlie Opera

Chapter 48

Once he was checked out of his motel in Las Vegas, Beau Curitan drove south on Highway 95. Beau had never meant for things to get so carried away. He never intended to shoot the woman hiding his wife. He never intended to touch or to undress her.

Except Samantha Cole had seemed to respond to his teasing as she awoke from her chloroform sleep. It was just like the abducted women in the paperback books Beau had read. Samantha seemed to enjoy what he was doing to her. He swore she had responded verbally to his advances. He was positive he had heard her say “Yes.”

Now Beau was fleeing the scene of what he guessed would be breaking and entering, assault, attempted rape, and attempted murder charges. He pulled off the highway when he spotted a cheap motel. He took a room for a short stay while he tried to retrace what had gone so wrongor him. Beau realized he had stolen money and credit cards from the wallet in Samantha’s purse. Taking the money and credit cards would add robbery to the list of charges he was fleeing.

Then he realized he had left his gun behind, a Beretta.380 his father had given him on his eighteenth birthday.

He needed to get out of Nevada. He was sure the state police had a description of his car. They might even have his license plate numbers. Beau needed to either change cars or license plate numbers or have the car painted. He checked outside his window and saw he could steal license plates from another car parked in the lot.

He used the telephone book to locate used-car dealers and mechanics. The nearest city Beau recognized on a map was Laughlin, less than an hour’s drive. He unfolded his map of Nevada on the bed and plotted a route to the resort town in the mountains.

A drop of blood dripping from his nose landed on the map. Beau touched the tip of his nose and winced.

Charlie couldn’t bring himself to see Samantha yet. He had started and stopped twice. He decided to see his wife first.

“It was kind of rushed,” he said when he was standing alongside her bed. “I thought you were out shopping.”

Lisa was trying to smile through her stitched mouth. “I felt horrible,” she said. “I still do.”

Charlie didn’t say anything. There wasn’t much to say. It was the first time he had spoken to his wife since she left him for another man. Each of them had since been assaulted. Each of them had suffered. Each of them had unknowingly dragged innocent victims into danger. Each of them was sorry for dragging out their own misery together.

“Are you all right?” Lisa asked.

Charlie managed a half smile. His wife didn’t know about the new woman in his life.

“I’m fine,” he said.

“What happens next?”

“Whatever you want. We sit down and file for divorce. I don’t expect either of us will contest anything.”

It was a half question. Lisa shook her head.

“It should go pretty fast,” Charlie said.

Lisa pointed to her face. “What about this other mess?”

“I think it’s over,” Charlie said. “Your friend John was a big help.” He wasn’t sure if it was his place to go any farther. He had no idea of what his wife was aware of. “I think he cares for you very much,” he added.

Lisa was silent. She began to cry as Charlie shifted from foot to foot alongside her bed.

“Do you hate me?” she asked.

It was an awkward question. He had felt anger and frustration but never hatred. “What makes you ask that?”

“Do you?”

“Of course not.”

“The way it happened. I didn’t plan it that way. I panicked, I think. I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Charlie said. “It’s over.”

Lisa wiped her eyes with a tissue.

“And think of the good stuff,” he joked. “You don’t have to listen to any more opera.”

Lisa laughed through her tears. She reached for his hand. He accepted it but somehow felt funny holding his wife’s hand. Somehow, he felt as if he were betraying Samantha. He let Lisa’s hand go.

A few minutes later, Charlie stopped outside Samantha’s room. He could hear her talking to another woman-a nurse, he assumed.

“This should teach me not to inite strange men into my house,” he heard Samantha say.

“From the looks of it, you’re a lucky lady,” the woman said.

“He ruined a perfectly good gam there,” Samantha said.

“Nothing a garter belt couldn’t cover,” the woman said.

Samantha laughed and said, “A garter belt? I have a friend thinks along the same lines as you.”

Charlie leaned against the wall in the hallway. He couldn’t bring himself any closer to Samantha. The detective’s words haunted him.

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

He pushed himself off the wall and turned away from the room. Detective Iandolli was waiting for him.

“She might be better off, you keep your distance,” Iandolli said.

“I’m in love with her,” Charlie said.

“Then at least until this is settled,” Iandolli said.

“And when’s that?”

Iandolli couldn’t answer. “In the meantime, you’re doing the right thing.”

The elevator doors opened, and Gold was standing there. Iandolli and Charlie stepped onto the elevator to join him. They rode the car down to the lobby in silence. When they got off, Charlie spotted Denton and walked his way. The detectives headed for the vending machines.

Iandolli inserted a dollar bill into a soda machine and pushed a Diet Sprite button. The can of soda bounced its way down the chute to the open bin. Iandolli grabbed the soda and held the cold can against his forehead a few seconds before pulling the tab to open it.

“He’s up against it,” Iandolli said.

Gold made a face. “Pellecchia?”

“Big time,” Iandolli said. “He won’t tell us anything about anything. He’s afraid for the girlfriend.”

“Did you press him?”

“What’s the point? How’d you make out with the other one?”

“The lawyer?” Gold asked. “Forget about it. I threatened to involve the Effa-Bee-Eye, but he’s too well in tune with the law to bite.”

“Lano left behind those pictures for his own reasons,” Iandolli said. “I think we can assume they each have a set. They probably think the film is protection of some kind.”

“These two clowns can’t have delusions about getting away with this after another week or so,” Gold said.

“That’s the other kicker,” Iandolli said. “I think Pellecchia intends to stay in Las Vegas. He’s in love.”

Gold’s eyebrows furrowed. “Who does he think he is, this Pellecchia? Suppose we don’t want him here? Who the fuck does he think he is?”

Iandolli laughed as he counted on his fingers. “A guy came to Vegas for a vacation with his wife, got dumped, got assaulted, found out his wife was assaulted, met some other broad who got shot by some nut chasing another broad all over the country. That’s the point, I guess. Pellecchia thinks we look stupid for even asking.”

“Yeah, well, I got one of ours over at another hospital who’s staring at life for killing his wife. The doctors tell him he’ll never be able to speak again for the bullet he tried to kill himself with. So excuse me for not feeling any sympathy for Mr. Pellecchia right now.”

“Well, our two out-of-town mobsters aren’t about to press charges,” Iandolli said. “Right about now, I’d say they’d both like to leave the country.”

“Hey, it’s none of my fucking business anyway,” Gold said. “What happens to wiseguys or this other wiseass from New York with his marital problems. Give him the key to the city, you want.”

“I have another idea.”

“I don’t know that I want to hear it.”

Iandolli nodded. “Maybe you shouldn’t.”