I'm a fool to kill you

FIFTY-FIVE

It bothered me that the two gunmen Jerry had killed had come from Chicago. The next morning in the kitchen, before Ava awoke and while Jerry was making some eggs, I mentioned this to the big guy.

‘Yeah, I know, Mr G. It bugs me, too.’

‘Think you can make some calls? Maybe find out somethin’?’ I asked him.

‘I can sure try,’ he said.

‘Good. Now all we have to do is find someplace for you to do it from.’

‘Why not the Sands?’

I had thought about putting Ava in the hotel, but there were too many ways that could go wrong.

‘No, we need someplace else and I can only ask somebody I trust implicitly.’

‘The Shamus?’

‘Danny’s about the only person I trust, without question. Other than you.’

‘Not Mr Entratter?’

‘Jack would do whatever he had to do for the Sands, Jerry,’ I said. ‘If that meant givin’ up you or me, he’d do it. His loyalties are very clear.’

‘Well, we can’t call Mr S. What about Mr Martin?’

‘I don’t want to put Dean into any more uncomfortable situations,’ I said. ‘If Frank doesn’t know where Ava is, Dino wouldn’t want to know, either.’

We batted it around over coffee until Ava appeared, wearing my terry cloth robe, which was a shortie. It had been a gift.

‘You must have a lady friend who likes your legs, Eddie,’ she said. ‘I can’t see you buyin’ this for yourself.’

Both Jerry and I had to tear our eyes away from Ava’s thighs. It became easier when she sat down and the table hid her bottom half.

‘You got that right, Ava,’ I said. ‘Of course, it looks a lot better on you than it ever looked on me. . not that I wear it that much.’

‘Really? You’ll have to show me some time so I can decide.’

Jerry gave her a cup of coffee and then dished out scrambled eggs.

‘What’s the subject of conversation this morning?’ she asked. ‘I mean, besides me.’

‘We’re tryin’ to figure out where to put you and Jerry.’

‘Well, like I told you before, I could call Howard.’

Jerry frowned at me.

‘Hughes,’ I said. He raised his eyebrows. ‘I still don’t think that’s a good idea, Ava.’

‘It’s up to you,’ she said. ‘You’re the boss.’

She finished her eggs then excused herself to shower and get dressed.

‘And pack,’ I said. ‘Wherever we go, we’ll be leavin’ here.’

‘I’ll need to either do some laundry or some shopping,’ she said. ‘I think you know which one I’d prefer.’

‘OK,’ I said. ‘We’ll see.’

Jerry did the dishes while I had another cup of coffee at the table and continued to think about where to put Ava that would be safe.

Tahoe and one of the cabins there would have been good, but we couldn’t do that without Frank. And Jerry could probably keep her safe at the Sands, but then I remembered that on two separate occasions I’d had to face a gun at the Sands, being bailed out by Jerry and Dino.

I had plenty of friends in town, but none that I wanted to trust Ava Gardner’s safety to.

‘Gonna make a call,’ I told Jerry, and he nodded.

I had a phone in the living room and made the call from there so I wouldn’t disturb Ava.

I dialed Danny’s office, wondering if he’d even be there — or even in town.

‘Bardini Investigations,’ Penny said, professionally.

‘I’ll bet the boss is away,’ I said. ‘Does the muse wanna come out and play?’

‘If you only meant it, but you’re a big tease, as always, Eddie G. How’re you doin’?’

‘I’m OK, what about you?’

‘A little bored. As far as I know Danny’s got one case, which he’s working for you, but he won’t tell me what it’s about. I can only assume it involves one of your high-profile clients.’

‘Well, if the boss can’t tell you it’s not my place to. Is he there?’

‘Nope,’ she said, ‘outta town. Can I help?’

‘No, just thought I might catch him before he left and ask a question.’

‘Well, if you really decide you wanna play while he’s away, I’m here,’ she said. ‘Just come and get me.’

‘Don’t tempt me.’

‘If I only could,’ she said, and hung up.

Penny was about as cute as a young gal could be, but there was something going on between her and her boss that even they didn’t know about, and I wasn’t about to get in the middle of that.

‘Anythin’?’ Jerry asked. He was standing in the kitchen doorway, drying his hands on a towel.

‘No,’ I said.

Jerry turned and tossed the towel toward the sink, then folded his arms and leaned against the door jamb.

‘So whatta we do? Leave town?’

Earlier that year, when we had needed to put Marilyn Monroe somewhere safe, we’d taken her to Frank’s home in Palm Springs. That was out of the question with Ava.

‘To tell you the truth, Jerry, I’m not sure what our next move should be,’ I said. ‘Danny’s out there doin’ the grunt work, the detective work. We only need to keep Ava safe until he finds out what happened during those hours she lost. I thought that would be easy here, but now we’ve got two stiffs to worry about.’

‘We don’t got ’em to worry about no more,’ Jerry reminded me.

‘But where’d they come from? When will they be found? And will someone be sent in their place?’

‘I listened to the radio this mornin’,’ Jerry said. ‘There ain’t nothin’ there. Should I go out and steal a paper from one of your neighbors?’

‘Naw,’ I said. ‘We’ll buy one when we go out.’

‘I guess I better pack my stuff, then,’ he said.

‘I have to pack a bag, too,’ I said. ‘Then we’ll load the car.’