Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime

Thirty-seven

A harness bull walked me through the building until we reached a squad room. Detective Hargrove looked up from his desk as we approached and showed no surprise at seeing me there. He said something to his partner, Smith, who was sitting across from him. When the Negro turned and looked at me he did look surprised.

“Mr. Gianelli,” Hargrove said. “To what do we owe this pleasure? Thank you, Officer.”

The cop nodded and left. Neither Hargrove or his partner offered me a chair.

“I was just wondering if you’ve found out anything about the two dead girls.”

“Why are you concerned?” Hargrove asked. “You said you didn’t know either of them.”

“Well, I did find the first one, though,” I pointed out. “I kind of feel …”

“Responsible?” Smith asked.

“No,” I said, “not at all.”

“Just curious, then,” Hargrove said.

“Well, it’s a little more than that.”

“Unfortunately,” Hargrove said, “we don’t have much to tell you.We still haven’t located the second girl’s boyfriend, Lou Terazzo. You haven’t seen him, have you, Mr. Gianelli?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“I guess you’re still pretty upset about him owing your casino money.”

“The Sands is very concerned.”

“Can that kind of thing cost you your job?’ Smith asked.

“It might.”

“Too bad.”

“We have found something, though,” Hargrove said. “Maybe you can help us with this.”

“What is it?”

“Do you know a man named Mike Borraco?”

I frowned, like I was trying to place the name.

“Doesn’t he work at the Riviera?”

“That’s right, he does,” Hargrove said. “I figured since you both work for casinos you might know him.”

“Not well,” I said. “What’s he done?”

“Got himself killed.”

I tried to look surprised, but I felt silly doing it and wondered if they could tell.

“How?”

“Somebody slipped a knife into his back,” Smith said. “Nice and neat, dumped his body in the garbage. Sheriff’s deputies found him early this morning.”

“Jesus.”

“Yeah,” Hargrove said, “third employee of the Riviera to be killed in a couple of days. Looks like somebody might have it in for the Riv.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Hope your buddy Terazzo doesn’t show up dead,” Hargrove said. “That’d be really bad for your casino.”

“We’d have to write the debt off.”

“Say, I just realized something,” Hargrove said.

I didn’t know if he was talking to me or his partner, so I just kept my mouth shut.

“What’s that?” his partner asked.

“Didn’t Mr. Gianelli here tell us when we first interviewed him that he worked for the Flamingo, Jake?” Hargrove looked very puzzled.

“I think he did, Mike. Why?”

“Well … just a minute ago he said he worked for the Sands.”

Hargrove and his partner both looked at me. I did some fast thinking? Had I lied about where I worked when I spoke to them the first time? I didn’t think so. Was he trying to rattle me?

“No,” I said, “I think when you first interviewed me I said the Sands.”

“Really?” Hargrove asked, frowning. “I don’t usually make mistakes like that, do I, Jake?”

“No, Mike, you sure don’t.”

“I could check my notes,” he said. “See what I wrote down that first time.” He looked at me. “Should I check my notes, Mr. Gianelli?”

“I suppose so, Detective,” I said. “I guess one of us mighta made a mistake.”

“Oh, you mean you might have said the Flamingo when you meant the Sands?”

Right at that moment I remembered that I had lied about where I worked, but not to the cops. I’d told the bartender in the strip club that I worked at the Flamingo, not wanting him to know where I really worked.

“No,” I said, “now that I think about it, I said the Sands. I wouldn’t have had any reason to say something else.”

“That’s what I was thinkin’,” he said. “Why would you lie about where you worked?”

“I wouldn’t,” I said. “That would be too easy for you to check.”

“He’s got you there, Mike,” Smith said.

“Yeah, he does,” Hargrove said. “Why would he lie, indeed?”

I had the feeling they were toying with me, but I stuck to my guns.

“Anyway,” Hargrove said, “do you know of any reason this Lou Terazzo would kill all these people, Mr. Gianelli?”

“Lou? You think he killed them?”

“Well, he’s missing,” Hargrove said. “Until he shows up dead,too, he makes a pretty good suspect. Maybe Borraco was making time with Terazzo’s girl?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know any of ’em well enough to say, Detective, but you gotta wonder about a girl who would cheat on Lou with a man like Mike.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Hargrove said. “Borraco was a little weasel.”

“I don’t think I can be very much help.”

“I guess not,” Hargrove said, “but there was no harm in asking. I mean, you came down here to try and help, right?”

“Uh, yeah,” I said, “I did. I mean, I was curious, like you said, but I could help-”

“We’ll let you know, Mr. Gianelli,” Smith said. “If we need your help, I mean.”

“Yeah,” Hargrove said, “thanks for comin’ down.”

“Sure,” I said, “sure.”

“We’ll keep you informed,” he went on, “I mean, seein’ as how you found the first girl and all. Just as a courtesy.”

“I appreciate it.”

Smith turned his chair so he was no longer facing me. I looked at Hargrove, but he’d found something on his desk to occupy him, so I turned and left.

Outside, on the front steps, I found Danny Bardini waiting for me.

“What are you doin’ here?” I asked.

“I might ask you the same thing,” he said. “Are you nuts?”

“I might be,” I said. “Why don’t we find someplace to talk and maybe we can figure it out?”