I'm a fool to kill you

FORTY-THREE

I went out, got some food and brought it back to the house. I had a bite and left Ava and Jerry still digging in. When she was hungry she had quite an appetite, almost but not quite matching his.

I left the house, drove the car directly to a gas station to gas up. While I was waiting I thought about what I was going to say to Frank. How would I explain that I couldn’t tell him where Ava was? I was going to need Jack Entratter’s help for that.

As I drove down the strip toward the Sands I got my usual kick out of reading the various marquees. Alan King at the Riv, Buddy Hackett at the Sahara, Louis Prima and Keely Smith at the Desert Inn. After almost 14 years in Vegas I still got a kick out of it like no other town, not even New York.

I parked at the Sands and entered by the back way. The Sands was a special place to me. I couldn’t walk ten feet without bumping into somebody I knew, exchanging a friendly greeting. The amazing thing about my time there was that there was no one employee I actively disliked. Think about all the jobs you’ve held? How many times can you say that?

OK, there was Jack’s girl, but she had a chip on her shoulder. I didn’t dislike her.

I entered the office and asked her. ‘Is he in?’

She looked surprised that I’d even asked.

‘Yes, he’s in.’

I went into his office without another word.

‘Why don’t you ever let her announce you?’ Jack asked from behind his desk.

‘That would just disappoint her,’ I said, sitting across from him

‘OK, so you’re back from L.A.,’ Jack said. ‘What’s goin’ on?’

‘Have you talked to Frank?’

‘Only to find out that he sent Jerry to L.A. to help you. Is he with you?’

‘Yes.’

‘And Ava?’

‘She’s with me too.’

‘Good,’ Jack said. ‘Where are they?’

‘I don’t know if I can tell you that.’

He glared at me. ‘What?’

‘Before I tell you where she is I need some assurances from you.’

‘What?’ he asked, again.

I started to talk and he said, ‘Wait a minute.’

He opened a drawer, took out a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. He poured two fingers into each glass, pushed one over to my side of the desk. He downed his, so I picked mine up and did the same.

‘OK,’ he said, ‘I thought I needed a drink before I heard this. Go ahead.’

‘If I tell you where Ava is,’ I said, ‘I don’t want you to tell Frank.’

‘Why the hell not?’

‘Because something happened to Ava that she doesn’t remember,’ I said. I explained about the missing forty hours.

‘Somebody may be after her, and you don’t want me to tell Frank?’

‘Exactly.’

‘Are you nuts?’

‘That’s what Ava wants,’ I said. ‘She doesn’t want her trouble spillin’ over on to Frank. She’s tryin’ to protect him, Jack.’

‘Well. .’

‘Is Frank still in town?’

‘He’s in Tahoe, at the Cal-Neva, in a lodge,’ Entratter said. ‘He finished his engagement here and his family went home. So he went to Tahoe, and he wants me to call him, or you to call him, there.’

Well, at least I wouldn’t have to face Frank. That was something.

‘I don’t know about this, Eddie,’ Jack said. ‘Frank’s not gonna stand for it.’

‘We have to convince him, Jack.’

‘We?’

‘I need your help on this,’ I said. ‘We either have to convince him, or lie to him.’

‘You want me to lie to Frank Sinatra?’

I didn’t blame him. It’s not something I wanted to do, either. Then I got an idea.

‘Is Dean still in town?’

‘Yeah,’ Jack said. ‘He wants to get in some more golf. He’s stayin’ in his suite.’

‘OK,’ I said, ‘let’s get him to help.’

‘So you want Dean Martin to lie to Frank.’

‘Dean won’t have to lie,’ I said. ‘He’ll be able to convince Frank that we’re doin’ the right thing in not tellin’ him. I think if Frank will listen to anyone, it’s Dean.’

Jack Entratter thought that over, then said, ‘You might have a point there.’