I'm a fool to kill you

FORTY-SIX

Earlier in the year I’d been flying back and forth from Vegas to Tahoe because Marilyn was there, staying in one of the Cal-Neva lodges. Frank had developed the Cal-Neva into a year round resort that the likes of Dean and Sammy and Nat King Cole and others had started playing on a regular basis.

The Sands had a helicopter at its disposal for the use of its high-stakes clientele, and as had been the case earlier in the year, that’s what Dean and I used to fly to Tahoe to see Frank.

Frank had told us to meet him in the Lakeview Dining Room for a late dinner. We got there first and were seated close to the window. The moon was reflecting off the water and made me wish I was there with a lady instead of Dino.

Dean was staring out the window and said, ‘Makes me wish I was here with Jeannie and not you — no offense, Eddie.’

‘None taken.’

I had a bourbon in front of me and Dean a ginger ale when Frank walked into the room. He was glad-handed from the door to our table.

‘Ain’t this place great?’ he asked, as he sat across from us. ‘Dino, you shouldn’t have sold your interest.’

Dean had sold his small interest in the Cal-Neva because he didn’t want to be in business with the boys. Frank knew that. Dean didn’t respond to Frank’s remark.

‘Ah, never mind,’ he said. ‘It’s good to see you guys. Lemme get a drink and then we can talk.’

He turned, flagged down a waiter and ordered a glass of Jack Daniels. I was drinking Jim Beam.

‘Need some gas,’ Frank said to us. To Frank his Jack Daniels was always ‘gasoline’.

‘OK, what brings you two jokers here? Eddie, you’re supposed to be lookin’ out for Ava.’

‘That’s why I’m here, Frank,’ I said. ‘To give you a progress report.’

‘Good man! Let’s have it.’

I told Frank everything that had happened since I started looking for Ava, even though he knew some of it. I started at the beginning so I’d have time to work my way up to what I really had to tell him.

Of course, I didn’t tell him everything, just what he needed to know.

When I was done he said, ‘This don’t sound too good. I’m glad I had Jerry come out to help you. I don’t want you gettin’ pounded on account of this, Eddie.’

‘I’m doin’ my best not to, Frank.’

‘Jesus,’ he said, laughing, ‘I wish I coulda seen Ava holding a gun on those four Clydes. That woulda been a hoot.’

The waiter came with his drink and Frank took a long sip before asking the question I was dreading.

‘OK, Eddie, so where’s Ava now?’

‘She’s safe, Frank.’

‘Whataya mean, she’s safe?’ He looked directly at me and the expression on his face wasn’t friendly. Frank had a rep for having a bad temper and I’d only seen it once or twice, but I didn’t want to see it again. ‘Where is she?’

‘Frank,’ I said, ‘Ava doesn’t want you to know where she is.’

He put his glass down so hard some bourbon slopped on to the table.

‘Whataya talkin’ about, Eddie? She came lookin’ for me for help, remember?’

‘She did that without thinking, Frank,’ I said. ‘Now that she’s had time she doesn’t want you involved. Just in case there’s some bad publicity.’

‘Bad publicity?’ Frank said. ‘What other kind do I get?’ He looked at Dino. ‘Dag, get a load of this guy.’ ‘Dag’ was Frank’s nickname for Dean, stemming from ‘Dago.’ Nobody else ever called him that.

‘I don’t think it’s such a bad idea, Frank,’ Dean said, looking down at his cigarette.

‘What? Not you, too.’

‘Hear Eddie out, Frank,’ Dean suggested, quietly.

I had seen Dean’s brand of ‘quiet cool’ calm Frank down before, and it was having that effect now.

‘OK, kid,’ he said to me, making a show of sitting back in his chair, ‘pitch.’

As I started talking I was aware that my mouth was going a mile a minute. I had to make a good case for this or it just wasn’t going to work.

‘You wanted me to help Ava, Frank. That’s what I’m doin’. I’ve got Danny Bardini on it and we’re gonna find out what happened during those forty hours. If it’s something bad and she needs a lawyer, you’re the first guy we’re gonna call. But if it’s not somethin’ you can help with, then Ava doesn’t want any mud gettin’ slung on to you.’ I took a quick breath and went on before he could speak. ‘If you want me to help Ava I’ve got to do it her way. You know what’ll happen if I don’t.’

He stared at me for a few seconds, then grinned and said, ‘Yeah, she’ll go off like a Roman candle.’

‘You got it!’

He looked at Dean.

‘So you go along with this?’

‘I do,’ Dean said. ‘You asked Eddie to handle it, and you know you can trust him. Let him do what he does.’

Frank looked at me, pointed his index finger and said, ‘You got a lotta balls.’

‘Well. .’

‘But you were also smart enough to bring the right back up,’ he finished. ‘So OK, don’t tell me where she is. I’m gonna assume since you’re here, Jerry’s with her?’

‘That’s right, Frank.’

‘I do trust you, Eddie,’ he said, ‘and I trust Big Jerry, but you’re the one I’m gonna hold responsible if anythin’ happens to Ava. Got it?’

I swallowed and said, ‘I got it, Frank.’

‘All right,’ he said, ‘so we got that settled. Now how about we get some steaks, huh?’