Rita and I sat with Jumbo Nelson in Rita’s office. Jumbo’s agent was with him, and a new bodyguard he’d imported from Los Angeles, who was wearing a black shirt, a black tie, and a snap-brim hat.
The bodyguard leaned on the wall beside the door and folded his arms. The agent was a good-looking woman in a creamcolored pantsuit. She wore rimless glasses with a pink tint.
“I’m Alice DeLauria,” she said. “I’m Jumbo’s agent.”
Rita introduced herself and me.
“Boston is quite lovely in the spring,” Alice said. “I hadn’t realized.”
“Can the fucking schmooze, Alice,” Jumbo said. “Tell ’em why we’re here.”
Alice smiled.
“Isn’t he cranky,” she said. “But okay, bottom line, we wish to discuss a change.”
“Such as?” Rita said.
“Such as getting rid of this asshole,” Jumbo said, and jerked his head at me.
I looked at Rita.
“Asshole?” I said.
She smiled.
“I guess he knows you better than I thought,” she said.
“I would advise you strongly against getting rid of Mr. Spenser,” Rita said. “He is very good at this work.”
“He hasn’t done a fucking thing to get this cockamamie charge off my back.”
“If it can be gotten off,” Rita said, “we will do it.”
“I’m firing him,” Jumbo said.
“You can’t fire him,” Rita said. “He works for me.”
“Then I’m firing you,” Jumbo said.
“You can’t fire me, either,” Rita said. “Because I quit.”
“Quit?” Jumbo said. “You can’t quit on me.”
“Can too,” Rita said.
“Well, fuck you, then. There’s a few other lawyers around,” Jumbo said.
“There are,” Rita said. “And if you hire one, I’ll bring him up to speed with where I am. Meanwhile, this meeting is over. Beat it.”
“Alice,” Jumbo said. “Goddamn it...”
“Oh, shut up, Jumbo,” Alice said.
She stood up and put her hand out to Rita.
“Well,” she said. “Kind of short, but certainly sweet.”
Rita smiled and shook her hand.
“Kind of sweet,” Rita said.
Jumbo stood up.
“Fuck both of you,” he said.
Rita smiled.
“Beautifully put,” she said.
The bodyguard opened the door. Jumbo waddled through it at full speed, with Alice DeLauria behind him. The bodyguard went out after them and closed the door.
Rita and I looked at each other.
“Who you suppose does the bodyguard’s wardrobe?” I said.
“George Raft,” Rita said.