Everybody Kills Somebody Sometime

Thirty-eight

We stayed off the strip and away from Fremont Street, went to a local bar we both knew we’d be left alone at. It was early, so the place wasn’t very full.

“I went to the Sands lookin’ for you,” he said, when we both had a beer in front of us. “Some big goon named Jerry gave me the third degree until I told him who I was and showed him my ID.”

I’d mentioned Danny to Jerry, figuring they were going to meet, eventually.

“Yeah, he was a gift from Frank, to watch my back.”

“I could watch your back.”

“I didn’t want to tell Frank no.”

“How’s the guy workin’ out?”

I told him about everything I’d gone through in just one day with Jerry.

“I guess he’s workin’ out, then,” Danny said, “just remember, he ain’t really workin’ for you.”

“I know.”

“He told me you went to the cops,” Danny said. “What’d you tell them?”

“Nothing,” I said. “I just wanted them to know I was around.Seems that because Lou Terazzo is missin’, he’s the number one suspect.”

“What do you think is goin’ on?”

“I don’t know, Danny,” I said. “I still don’t think all the killings have anything to do with the threats against Dean Martin, but I guess I could be wrong.”

“Sounds to me like you just walked into the middle of somethin’.”

“So how do I get out of it?”

“Damned if I know. I was lookin’ for you all day yesterday to tell you I thought I’d located Buzz Ravisi. Guess you didn’t need me for that.”

“I appreciate the work, anyway,” I said. I told him how Jerry and I had come to follow Ravisi and Davis home with the girl, Iris.

“As long as the girl and the clerk stay quiet you shouldn’t have any trouble.”

“As long as they’re afraid of Jerry ….” I started, then stopped. I shook my head as the scene from last night replayed itself in my head.

“I saw men get shot in the war, Danny, but never anything that close up, you know?”

“I know,” Danny said. “I’ve seen it. Lead is unforgiving when it meets flesh and bone.”

“I didn’t pull the trigger,” I went on, “but it’s my fault those two are dead. If I hadn’t been lookin’ for them-”

“Hey,” Danny said, “they deserved it.” He looked around, made sure no one was sitting within earshot of our spot at the bar. “Believe me, those two have done worse than kick your ass.”

I held up two fingers to the bartender and he brought over two more drafts.

“Look,” Danny said, “my advice is to just forget about Lou Terazzo and those killings and concentrate on your main objective-finding out who’s threatening Dean Martin.”

“You’re right.”

He downed half his second beer and then set the bottle on the bar with a bang.

“That’s it for me. As it is I’ll have to explain to Penny why I smell like beer so early in the day. Where are you headed?”

“Back to the Sands.”

“To hook up with Jerry?”

“To start from scratch,” I said. “You go ahead. I’m gonna finish my beer.”

He stood up and slapped my shoulder.

“Don’t worry about anything,” Danny said. “So far you’re not implicated in or suspected of anything.”

“It’s the ‘so far’ that worries me,” I said.

After he left I finished my beer, then kept the bartender from removing the remainder of his and drank that, too.

When I got to the Sands it wasn’t hard to spot Jerry. I walked through the casino, waved absently at some players and co-workers, and then saw him sitting in the lounge, watching the floor. He spotted me as I approached, but remained where he was and let me come to him.

“Did your P.I. friend find you?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I said. “Danny Bardini. A good friend of mine.”

“I know,” Jerry said. “I remember you tellin’ me. That’s why I tol’ him where you was.”

“I appreciate it.”

“Did he have somethin’ for ya?”

I told Jerry that Danny had located Ravisi, but we were already past that.

“How’d things go with the cops?”

“They’re looking for Lou Terazzo,” I said. “They like him for the murders.”

“The two girls?” he asked.

“They found Mike Borraco,” I said. “They’re thinkin’ maybe Carla was two-timin’ Lou with him, but I don’t buy that.”

“So you don’t like him for it?”

“Not for that reason,” I said.

“It’s a pretty good reason,” Jerry told me. “It’s usually true more times than it ain’t.”

“Nah,” I said, “not this time. Lou’s a ladies’ man, and Mike just isn’t.”

Jerry shrugged. None of it really mattered to him.

“So whattaya gonna do?”

“What I set out to do in the first place,” I said. “My only problem is knowing where to go from here.”

“I might be able to help you with that.”

“Oh? How’s that?”

“I talked to Frank today,” Jerry said. “He wants you to come to the set.”

“The set?” I asked. “Of Ocean’s Eleven?”

“That’s what they’re shootin’, ain’t it?”

“Why would he want me to come to the set?”

“I didn’t ask him,” Jerry said. “I’m just passin’ on the message.”

I checked my watch. It was almost one.

“Will they still be shootin’ now?”

“They’re still there. I’m supposed to take you over.” He stood up from his barstool, towered above me. I had the distinct feeling I didn’t have a choice.

“Well, okay, then,” I said. “Let’s go watch ’em shoot Ocean’s Eleven.”