I'm a fool to kill you

SEVENTY-FOUR

Hargrove was a damned liar.

When Ava Gardner walked in he jumped to his feet and gushed.

‘We can use my Lieutenant’s office,’ he told us. ‘Can I get you something? Coffee? Tea?’

‘No,’ she said. ‘I’m fine.’

‘I’ll have some coffee,’ I said.

‘Forget it!’ Hargrove said. ‘And you stay out here while Miss Gardner and I have a talk.’

She looked at me and said, ‘I’ll be all right.’

There was no reason why she shouldn’t be all right. We had all coached her on the way. I had left Danny and Jerry off at a bar down the block. I didn’t remember if the two of them had ever spent anytime together, alone. I hoped they would get along.

Hargrove closed the door of his Lieutenant’s office, leaving him and Ava alone. Entratter was nowhere to be seen, so I assumed he had made his statement and gone home. Of course, he could have been in a cell. I had no idea if the gun he’d used in his office was registered or not. Meanwhile, Danny was going back to his office after dropping Jerry off at the Sands.

I sat in the chair next to Hargrove’s desk. On the desk I saw a plastic evidence bag with the two silver snake rings, and the gold one.

If Entratter was back at the Sands he was probably already looking for the man Napolitano had somehow inserted in to his Sands staff. It was because of that man I still wouldn’t be able to take Ava back to the Sands when Hargrove was done with her.

I spotted a coffee pot across the room, so I got up and poured myself a cup. Nobody tried to stop me. I went back to Hargrove’s desk and sat down. His partner came over and sat at the desk closest to me.

‘So, what happened to Hargrove’s other partner?’

‘The negro?’ he asked. ‘He’s moved on to other employment.’

I guess if I cared I would have asked what that meant.

‘You’re supposed to be a pretty big shot in this town,’ he said.

‘I’m just a casino pit boss.’

‘That’s not what Hargrove says.’

‘Hargrove isn’t the detective he thinks he is.’

‘I’ll tell him you said so,’ he said, with a grin.

‘Please do.’

He applied himself to some paperwork on his desk and I drank my coffee, staring at his right hand.

After about half an hour the office door opened and Hargrove came out with Ava.

‘Thank you for your statement, Miss Gardner.’

She smiled at him and said, ‘Always my pleasure to spend time with a handsome man.’

I could see by the look on Hargrove’s face that he had been totally charmed.

He walked over to me and said, ‘Your turn.’

I saw Holman getting Ava a cup of coffee as Hargrove closed the office door.

‘How’s your new partner workin’ out?’ I asked Hargrove.

‘What’s that got to do with anything?’ he asked.

‘I noticed his right hand,’ I said.

‘What about his right hand.’

‘Used to have a ring on it,’ I said.

‘Let’s just get on with the statement.’

‘Sure,’ I said. ‘Anything you say.’

It took me twenty minutes, probably because Hargrove wasn’t flirting with me the whole time.

‘Don’t leave town,’ Hargrove said. ‘Any of you. Remind Entratter of that.’

‘Jack never leaves town,’ I said.

‘Fine. See that you and Miss Gardner don’t. Not until I tell you.’

I looked around.

‘Where is she?’

He did the same.

‘I don’t know.’

I looked at Holman’s desk. He was gone too.

‘Where’s your partner?’ I demanded.

‘Beats me,’ Hargrove said, with a shrug. ‘He’s supposed to be here.’

‘Ask somebody,’ I said.

‘What?’

‘Find out where they went!’

‘Who do you think-’

‘Unless you want to be held responsible for the death of Ava Gardner,’ I said, ‘ask!’