Robert Randisi - I'm a fool to kill you

‘They did. They’re out front.’

‘Willy, go take a look!’

‘Sure, boss,’ a small, wiry man said.

‘We’re gonna get you gassed up and out the back door in a minute, Mr Vegas,’ Louie said. ‘But I gotta ask ya somethin’.’

‘What’s that?’

‘Ain’t you curious about who these guys are?’

‘I’m real curious,’ I said. If I’d had Jerry with me I would have played it differently, stopped the cab, surprised those guys and found out who sent them. But alone I didn’t have a chance especially if they were armed.

I even thought about leading them back to the Beverly Hills Hotel so Jerry and I could grill them, but I didn’t want to take a chance with Ava’s safety.

‘So why don’t I have some of the boys go out and drag them outta their car, bring ’em in here so we can find out?’

‘Louie, I don’t want anybody else getting’ hurt-’

‘I toldja, we got guns.’

‘I know, but they probably do, too. You go out there and somebody’s going to get hurt. Now, I appreciate your help, but all I want is the gas and the back way out.’

Willy ran back in.

‘Two guys in a black Plymouth, Boss, Just sittin’ there.’

Louie looked at me and I shook my head.

‘OK, boys,’ he said. ‘Gas ’im up and let’s get ’im outta here.’

With a full tank of gas I pulled out the back exit of the garage and proceeded to the Beverly Hills Hotel with no tail in sight.

‘By the time they suspect anythin’,’ Louie the dispatcher had said, ‘and come in to check, nobody here’ll know nothin’.’

‘If I give you a call in a few hours,’ I said, ‘you can let me know if they let anything slip about who they’re working for.’

‘Sure thing,’ Louie had said. ‘In fact, when they come in lookin’ for you I’ll have one of my drivers check out their car.’

‘That’d be great,’ I said.

Before I drove out Louie asked, ‘You want a better car than this one, Mr Vegas?’

‘No, this’ll do,’ I said. ‘I’ll leave it at the hotel after I rent another one.’

‘You need to rent a car? Here.’ He dug a business card out of his pocket. ‘My brother’s got a car lot. No questions asked. It’s a cash business, though. I can get you a discount, but-’

‘That’s OK, Louie,’ I said. ‘I’m willing to pay.’

‘OK, then,’ he said, and we shook hands. ‘Looks like we’re in business.’

I pulled up in front of the hotel and grabbed the bag out of the back seat.

‘They’re cold,’ I said, as I entered the bungalow.

‘I can’t eat cold hotdogs,’ Ava complained.

‘I can,’ Jerry said, grabbing the bag.

‘Then you can have them all, sweetie,’ Ava told him, with a smile.

‘Sweetie?’ I said.

‘Hey, you left us alone,’ Ava said, ‘so we got acquainted.’

I looked at Jerry. He blushed, bit into a hotdog and said, ‘We played cards — like I told ya.’

‘He owes me big,’ Ava said from the sofa.

I walked over to her. She was smiling, and looked refreshed. I didn’t think she had been drinking.

‘What happened at the studio?’ she asked.

‘They’re making cartoons and TV shows, now,’ I said. ‘They’re not happy.’

‘Fuck ’em,’ she said.

‘Nobody’s been there looking for you.’

‘Who told you that?’

‘A man named Vargas.’

‘Don’t know him,’ she said. ‘What are we going to do now?’

‘We’re going to Vegas.’

‘When?’

‘Tomorrow.’

‘Can’t we go today?’ she asked. ‘I’m going stir crazy here.’

‘Tomorrow,’ I said, ‘Jerry and I still have some things to do today.’

‘Like what?’ Ava asked. ‘Something interesting, I hope?’

‘Well, we have to rent a car.’

‘That’s not interesting,’ she said, disappointed.

‘We’re not gonna rent it from a rental agency,’ I said. I took out Louie’s brother’s card. ‘We’re gonna rent it from this guy.’

‘That’s interesting,’ Jerry said, with — I think — the entire second hotdog in his mouth. He had mustard in the right corner of his mouth, and I didn’t know how to tell him.

‘Jerry, sweetie. .’ Ava said, and wiped at the corner of her mouth with her thumb.

Jerry did the same to his and said, ‘Thanks, Miss Ava.’

‘And after you rent a car?’ she asked.

‘Well, actually, probably before we rent a car we have to find out who the rat is in the hotel; the clerk or the manager.’

‘And how will you do that?’

‘Jerry’s gonna ask them, because that’s kinda what Jerry does.’

She looked at Jerry.

‘This big sweet man?’

‘I ask people questions they don’t wanna answer,’ he said. ‘I can be real persuasive. . if ya get my drift.’

I said. ‘That’s how it works.’

She looked at Jerry and said again, ‘This big sweet man?’

Jerry blushed again, and ate the third and final hotdog.

‘How were they?’

‘You’re right,’ he said. ‘Not Brooklyn.’

‘So, when you go and rough up the manager, can I come?’ she asked. ‘I can’t stand that little pipsqueak.’

We started with the clerk. Ava stayed in the bungalow.

‘Keep the door locked,’ I told her. ‘We’ll be right back.’

‘Ya want this?’ Jerry asked, holding out his forty-five.

‘Ooh, yes!’ she said, eyes wide.

‘Oh, no,’ I said. ‘Put that away, Jerry.’ I looked at Ava. ‘Just lock the door. We won’t be long.’

She pouted as we went out the door.

‘Let’s go to the lobby. Hopefully, the clerk is on duty.’

He was. He saw us coming, and looked like he wanted to run. The fact that he didn’t had me thinking he might not be the guilty party.

‘Jerry, don’t hurt him, just scare him a little.’

‘You don’t think it’s him?’

I shook my head. ‘Maybe he’ll give up the manager though.’

We approached the desk.

‘Can I help you, sir?’

‘Do you know my name?’ I asked.

‘Um, I‘m sorry, sir,’ he said. ‘I know I heard it when the phone call came in, but I can’t remember.’

‘Try,’ Jerry said, putting his big hand on the young man’s chest.

‘I, uh, I’m sorry-’ he moved his eyes nervously between us. ‘Is he gonna hurt me?’

‘I’m afraid so,’ I said. ‘Unless. .’

‘Unless what?’ he asked, leaping at what he thought might be salvation.

‘Somebody made a call,’ I said, ‘when I got here.’

‘A call?’

I nodded.

‘That’s why there were two men waiting to put me in the hospital when they heard me being paged,’ I explained, ‘only the cab driver took the call, and the beating.’

‘Oh, I. . I think I understand.’

‘Did you place that call?’

‘N-no, I swear.’

‘Then who did?’

He looked frightened, and not only of Jerry.

‘Look, if you’re worried about your job, don’t. Nobody will know. When I got here and asked for Lucy Johnson’s room, somebody made a call. Who was it?’

The clerk didn’t answer fast enough, so Jerry made a fist, gathering the kid’s shirt in it.

‘It was M-Mr Gentry. B-but I don’t know who he called. I just know he made a phone call.’

‘Where is he?’

‘In his office.’

‘Show us.’

The clerk nodded and Jerry released his shirt. He came out from behind the desk, walked us around the corner and pointed to a door.

‘OK,’ I said. ‘Go back to work.’

‘Sure thing.’

Jerry stopped him by putting his hand on his chest.

‘Don’t make no calls.’

‘No sir!’

‘Now get lost.’

The kid ran back to the desk.