It Was a Very Bad Year

FIFTY-NINE

There were dumpsters behind the building. We found two more motorcycles behind them. That explained how we missed the Rienzas.

We found rope in my trunk and tied the brothers up before we left. Jerry unloaded their guns, and tossed them on the floor.

Jerry drove while I looked for a phone booth. He stayed in the car as I dialed and then made my anonymous call to the cops, giving them the address of the warehouse, saying I had heard shots.

I got back in the car.

‘OK,’ I said, ‘later we’ll have somebody call and drop Wayne’s name. For now those two idiots will just be taken in and checked out. Hargrove won’t let them go easily.’

‘So where to now?’ he asked.

‘Back to the Sands, I guess.’ The Sands seemed to be where it always started and ended for me. It was more home than home was.

When we got to the casino I was approached as soon as we walked into the lobby.

‘Mr Entratter’s lookin for you,’ a bellman told me. ‘Wants you in his office pronto.’

‘OK, thanks.’

‘I’ll go to my room,’ Jerry said.

‘No, Come with me,’ I said. ‘Let’s see what this is about.’

We took the elevator up. Jack’s girl was back and, probably in deference to the fact that Jerry was with me, said, ‘Go right in.’

As we entered Jack jumped up from behind his desk. ‘They got the bastards!’

‘The kidnappers?’

‘Yep,’ Entratter said. ‘You were right, Eddie. The first one they caught was Johnny Irwin. He had forty grand with him. And then he gave up the other two.’ He looked at a piece of paper on his desk. ‘Joe Amsler and Barry Keenan.’

‘You nailed that one, Mr G.,’ Jerry said.

‘You sure did,’ Jack said. ‘Frank wants you to come back to LA with me. You, too, Jerry. It’s his birthday and he’s havin’ a party.’

‘Today?’

‘Right now,’ Jack said. ‘I was waitin’ for you to show up so we could leave.’

‘Um. .’

‘What’s wrong?’

‘I had a talk with Hargrove last night,’ I said. ‘He said if I had to go back to LA to let him know.’

‘Well, OK,’ Entratter said. ‘Use my phone and let’s get goin’.’

He moved around his desk so I could sit in his chair and call. It took a while for Hargrove to come to the phone, and when he did he sounded breathless.

‘Who is it?’

‘Eddie G.,’ I said. ‘I’ve got to go to LA. You wanted me to-’

‘What are you tryin’ to pull, Eddie?’ he demanded.

Uh-oh, I thought, he’d already heard about the kidnappers.

‘What do you mean?’

‘What do I mean? I mean the Rienza brothers were found tied up in a warehouse downtown. Their guns were on the ground next to ’em, unloaded. You don’t know anythin’ about this, do you?’

‘Why would I?’ I asked. ‘Did they say I did? Did anybody say I did?’

‘They ain’t talkin’,’ Hargrove said. ‘What’s goin’ on in LA?’

‘I don’t know,’ I lied. ‘Frank told me to come back. He says he’s got some news.’

‘Well. . fine. You go, but the minute you get back, haul your ass in here. I want to get to the bottom of this.’

‘We still talkin’ about the murder?’ I asked. ‘Did those two kill Wayne?’

‘We’re doing a ballistics check on their guns right now,’ Hargrove said. ‘By the time you get back, I’ll know something.’

‘OK, then,’ I said. ‘I’ll see you when I get back.’

‘You and your big friend aren’t off the hook yet, Eddie,’ he said. ‘Get that idea out of your head.’

‘Yes, Detective.’

‘And make sure he comes in with you.’

‘Yes, Detective.’

‘Are you yessing me, Eddie?’ he demanded. ‘You think you’re handling me, right now?’

I said, ‘Yes, Detective,’ and hung up.