It Was a Very Bad Year

TWELVE

I spent an hour and a half with Entratter, and in that time I saved three jobs, and got two guys fired. Tough luck. As dealers, they sucked.

‘OK,’ Jack finally said, ‘that’s it, then.’

‘I’ll see you later, Jack. I got some things to do before my shift.’

I got up and headed for the door.

‘Eddie.’

‘Yeah?’ I turned at the door.

‘Keep an eye on your big buddy, huh? Trouble follows him.’

‘I don’t think that’s fair, Jack,’ I said. ‘But I’ll keep an eye on him.’

‘OK, thanks.’

He grabbed some papers from his desk as I went out the door. His girl and I avoided each other’s eyes as I walked out into the hall.

I took the elevator down to the lobby, then went over to the house phones.

I called Abby, who was very anxious to hear from me.

‘I saw Irwin yesterday, and have an appointment with him tonight to buy some photos.’

‘You mean. . the photos?’

‘I hope so,’ I said. ‘He didn’t mention specifics yesterday, or this morning when I spoke to him. I guess I’ll find out when I get there.’

‘I have some cash,’ she said. ‘I took it out of the bank after we spoke. Do you want to come up and get it?’

I almost said yes, then remembered Danny was waiting for me in the Garden Room.

‘Why don’t you meet me down here in the Garden Room at noon?’ I asked. ‘I want you to meet someone who’s helping us out.’

‘You told someone else?’ she asked.

‘Only someone I trust completely,’ I said. Now it struck me I better not tell her about Jerry. ‘Don’t worry.’

‘All right. I’ll meet you there.’

‘Good. I’ll see you in a little while.’

‘Thank you, Eddie.’

‘Thank me when we get this whole thing settled.’

‘I’m thanking you just for trying to help,’ she said.

‘You’re welcome, Abby. See you soon.’

I hung up, checked my watch. It was eleven forty-five. Just enough time for Abby to get herself together and come down.

I went directly to the Garden Room.

I got there first, grabbed a booth, had coffee waiting on the table by the time Danny got there at five minutes to noon.

‘Thanks,’ Danny said gratefully, when I filled a mug for him. He sat opposite me, with his back to the door.

‘Tried to call you a few times,’ I said.

‘Been out,’ Danny said. ‘I followed your man home last night, then had some work to do on another case.’ He leaned forward and added, ‘A paying case.’

‘Hey,’ I said, sounding wounded, ‘I’m gonna pay.’

‘Oh yeah? When?’

Abby walked in at that moment, so I said, ‘Right now,’ and stood up.

She came alongside the table and I said, ‘Abby Dalton, I’d like you to meet Danny Bardini.’

Danny jumped to his feet, almost upsetting the table. He grabbed it to keep it from falling over, then stood up straight and stared.

‘I’m glad to meet you Mr Bardini.’

‘Um, me, too, Miss Dalton.’

‘Have a seat,’ I said, and Abby slid in so she could sit next to me. She was wearing a tight sweater, a skirt and high heels. Her hair was piled on top of her head, leaving her long, graceful neck bare.

Danny sat, giving me a hard look for not warning him. He was wearing a rumpled suit that looked as if he’d spent the night in it. I was casual and clean in a T-shirt, jeans and windbreaker.

‘Abby, Danny is one of my best friends, and also happens to be a private detective. He’s agreed to help us.’

‘Oh, that’s wonderful,’ she said. She gave him a look that would weaken any man’s knees. ‘I’ll pay you, of course.’

‘Nonsense,’ Danny said. ‘I’m happy to help.’ Like me, Danny’s Brooklyn accent kind of went and hid when he was around beautiful women.

‘Coffee?’ I asked Abby.

‘Yes, please.’

‘Something to eat?’ I asked, as I poured.

‘No, I was up early and had breakfast before I went to the bank. I have some cash here-’ She started to go into her purse, but I stopped her.

‘We have time for that,’ I said. ‘Let’s hear what Danny has for us, first.’

‘Well,’ Danny said, ‘I picked your man up around two in the afternoon. He was in his studio and didn’t leave till five. He had a brown envelope with him, about eight-and-a-half by ten. I followed him home, a dump on Spring Mountain Road between a couple of strip clubs. He went in and didn’t come out. I sat on him until eleven, when all the lights went out.’

‘What about the next morning?’ I asked.

‘I thought of that,’ Danny said. ‘I went back this morning about seven a.m. He left the house at eight. He was carrying a brown envelope.’

‘He’s supposed to meet me at a bar tonight with the photos,’ I said.

‘Well,’ Danny said, ‘maybe that’s what he was carrying. Or maybe he’ll go back to the house to get them, and he was carrying something entirely different. Somebody’s baby pictures.’

‘Why would he do that?’ I asked. ‘The bar’s practically around the corner from his place. That doesn’t sound right.’

‘Then the photos are either in that envelope, in his house, or still at his studio.’

‘We searched the whole studio pretty good,’ I pointed out.

‘Look for false bottoms in drawers, false walls, a safe?’ he asked.

‘No.’

Danny shrugged. ‘Then the stuff could still be there, somewhere.’

‘Danny, you said his house has strip clubs around it?’ I asked.

‘Yup.’

‘Not so busy during the day.’

‘Nope.’

He knew what I was thinking, but neither of us said it in front of Abby. Jerry and I could break into the house while he was at work, take a look around.

‘OK,’ I said. ‘OK. You want something to eat?’ I asked Danny.

‘I could use something.’

I looked at Abby.

‘I’ll just have more coffee,’ she said. ‘I’ve got to watch my figure.’

I looked at Danny, hoping he wouldn’t say, ‘We can do that.’ He didn’t.

‘Yeah, me, too,’ I said, and waved the waitress over. Danny ordered lunch. Abby and I drank coffee while he ate.