I'm a fool to kill you

SEVENTY

We packed up the next day, locked down Tony’s house. I took his key with me so I could give it to Jack Entratter. I wanted Tony’s house back to normal before I returned the key to him.

As Jerry drove us back to Las Vegas with Ava once again riding shotgun, I told them I had come up with a better idea.

‘Better than the Sands?’ Jerry asked.

‘Hargrove may have the Sands bein’ watched front and back,’ I said.

‘Looking for you?’ Ava asked.

‘He knows how to find me,’ I said. ‘If he tracked Jerry from L.A. to here, he could be lookin’ for him there.’

Jerry looked at me in the rear view mirror.

‘How’s he gonna do that?’ he asked. ‘Track me, I mean?’

‘I don’t know,’ I said, ‘but just to be on the safe side I’m gonna call Danny when we get near town.’

‘The handsome private eye?’ Ava asked. ‘I’m going to stay with him?’

‘Not exactly,’ I said.

On the outskirts of town I had Jerry pull over at a pay phone. If this was going to keep up I was going to have to get a phone put into the Caddy. On Jack Entratter’s dime, of course.

I called Danny’s office and Penny put me through along with a little flirting.

‘I need a favor,’ I said.

‘Name it.’

‘I put Ava at a house in Lake Mead owned by Tony LaBella,’ I explained. ‘She was there with Jerry while I was in Chicago with you. Last night, they found them.’ I hadn’t even mentioned to Danny, when we were flying back from Chicago, where I had stashed her.

‘Uh-oh,’ he said, ‘does that mean what I think it means?’

‘Yes,’ I said, ‘it was a mess and now we’re on the road.’

‘Where are you going?’ he asked.

‘That’s the favor,’ I said. ‘I need someplace safe to stash Ava.’

‘Mine?’ he asked.

‘No, we’re too connected.’

‘You want me to find a place?’

‘I was thinking of Penny’s place,’ I said. ‘Do you think she’d mind rooming with Ava for a few days?’

‘I think she’d love it,’ he said. ‘But what about Jerry?’

‘I might need Jerry,’ I said, ‘so I’d be taking him with me.’

‘Well,’ he said, ‘Penny’s got a gun permit and knows how to use one, and she’s always buggin’ me to let her work on a case.’

‘Would you ask her for me?’

‘Hold on.’

While he spoke with Penny I thought about it. Using Danny was chancy, because we were so connected, but using Penny might give me a few days. And the fact that she could use a gun freed Jerry up for — what? I wasn’t sure. Maybe just to watch my back.

‘Eddie? No problem. Penny’s thrilled to meet Ava.’

‘OK,’ I said. ‘I don’t think we should come to your office.’

‘No, take Ava right to Penny’s. We’ll meet you there.’ He gave me the address. ‘Warn Ava that it’s a small place.’

‘At this point if there’s no shooting I don’t think Ava will mind the size.’

‘OK, then. See you there. Half an hour?’

‘Twenty minutes,’ I said.

‘Done.’

I called Entratter quickly and told him I’d be there in an hour.

‘Any sign of Hargrove?’ I asked.

‘He was here earlier, but only to talk to me,’ Entratter said.

‘Did he ask about me?’

‘You were one subject we discussed,’ he said. ‘I’ll talk to you when you get here. This has gotten way out of hand. I’m thinkin’ about just dumpin’ it on Frank.’

I knew that wasn’t what he was thinking, at all, but I said, ‘Don’t do anything until we talk.’

‘I’ll see you later.’

I hung up, went back to the car and gave Jerry directions to Penny’s place.

Penny lived in a neighborhood that was on an upswing. It was only a few blocks from Freemont Street, which meant she could walk to work each morning. It was a fourplex on a residential block where one end was burnt out and the other end was being renovated. She was right in the middle.

We pulled up in front and Jerry got out first, followed by me, and then we opened the door for Ava and stood on either side of her. She was wearing a plaid shirt that was too big for her, jeans and her dark glasses.

‘I feel like the goddamned president,’ she said.

‘He ain’t bein’ guarded as well as you are, Miss Ava,’ Jerry said.

‘Yeah,’ she said, ‘but his bodyguards would take a bullet for him.’

I swore Jerry looked as if she’d smacked him. I knew Jerry would take a bullet for me, or for Ava.

I give Ava credit, she also saw the look on his face.

‘I’m so sorry, sweetie,’ she said, giving him an impulsive hug. ‘I know you’d take a bullet for me.’

‘Of course I would, Miss Ava.’

‘Don’t pay any attention to me, Jerry,’ she said. ‘I have a big mouth.’

‘Can we take this love fest inside?’ I asked. ‘It’s way too wide open out here.’

Jerry and I walked Ava to the door and inside. Luckily, neither of us had to take a bullet for her.