I'm a fool to kill you

FORTY-FOUR

Dean was on the golf course, and since it was late in the day I didn’t want to bother him. I figured I’d let him finish his round and then catch him when he came back. Instead, I went down to the lobby and used one of the desk phones to call Danny Bardini.

‘How’s your case load these days?’ I asked when he picked up.

‘I answered my own phone, didn’t I?’ he asked.

‘I noticed that. Where’s Penny?’

‘Gone for the day. Not enough for her to do.’

‘Well, I got a job for you, but it might involve some traveling?’

‘All expenses paid?’ he asked.

‘Of course.’

‘Where to?’

‘Well, L.A., New York. . and probably Spain.’

‘Spain? Are you serious?’

‘I am.’

Danny hesitated, then said, ‘This has got somethin’ to do with them, ain’t it?’

‘It kinda does.’

‘What does “kinda” mean, Eddie?’

‘I’m sort of doin’ a favor for a friend of a friend.’

‘Like with Marilyn Monroe?’

‘Like that, yeah.’

‘OK,’ he said. ‘Who’s the client?’

Now it was my turn to hesitate before I said, ‘Ava Gardner.’

‘You better not be kiddin’, bud.’

‘I’m not kiddin’, Danny.’

‘Where do I sign up?’

‘Silver Queen Lounge, half an hour.’

‘Make it the Garden Room and a meal and you got a deal,’ he said.

‘Be there,’ I said.

Half an hour later we were sitting in the Garden Room Restaurant of the Sands, Danny with a burger and fries in front of him, me with coffee. Danny was a man of simple tastes.

‘You’re not eatin’?’ he asked.

‘I’ve been eating too much lately.’

He stopped chewing for a moment, then smiled and said, ‘Damn, Jerry’s in on this, ain’t he?’

‘He is.’

‘Is he in town?’

‘He is.’

He leaned forward and lowered his voice.

‘And is she in town?’

I lowered my voice and said, ‘She is.’

He popped a fry in his mouth and said, ‘OK, I’m gonna eat now and listen. Go.’

I told him the story from the start, and I didn’t leave anything out. Danny was my oldest friend in the world — my big brother’s best friend when we were kids — and I trusted him like I trusted nobody else.

He listened intently and didn’t stop me with any questions. He had one of the sharpest minds I’d ever encountered, hid it behind what some people called ‘childish bravado.’

When I was done he shook his head and said, ‘Ava Gardner. Hot damn. Do I get to meet her?’

‘Of course.’

‘Is she like they say?’

‘She’s exactly like they say,’ I answered, ‘and much more.’

He ate his last fry and asked, ‘She’s at your place, isn’t she? With Jerry?’

‘Now how’d you know that?’

He smiled.

‘Last place anybody’s gonna think you’d put her, my friend,’ he said. ‘It would be too dumb.’

‘Yes, it would.’

‘Another foolhardy idea would be to try lying to Frank Sinatra.’

‘That’s why I’m gonna enlist Dean’s help to get Frank to go along with Ava’s idea.’

‘And you think he will?’

‘I don’t know,’ I said, ‘but he always listens to Dean.’

‘I’d tend to agree with that. When are you gonna talk to Dean?’

‘Right after I finish feeding your cheap ass,’ I said.

‘I am not cheap,’ he said, ‘I’m broke.’

‘You been payin’ Penny?’

‘She insists on it. I’ve been writin’ her pay checks every week.’

‘She been tearin’ up the checks?’

‘Yes,’ he said, smiling. ‘She insists on it.’ He sat back in his chair and sighed. ‘OK, tell me what you want me to do.’