Robert Randisi - I'm a fool to kill you

‘You got a gun?’ I asked.

‘Not this time, Eddie,’ he said. ‘Not to see Momo. That would not be a good idea.’

We followed the Ice Box out the door and to the parking lot. He opened the trunk of a black Chevy and put the suitcase inside, then got behind the wheel. I got in the back, and then so did Sammy.

Giancana’s headquarters was in the Armory Lounge in a suburb of Forest Park. We pulled in front and got out. When I stopped at the trunk to get my suitcase the goon said, ‘Uh-uh. You ain’t gonna need it inside.’

We followed him into the building. Just inside the door we encountered two more men. Their suits cost a little more, fit a little better, but underneath they were cut from the same cloth.

‘What’s the nigger doin’ here?’ one of them asked.

‘Hey, baby,’ Sammy said, good-naturedly, ‘now that ain’t kosher, ya know?’

‘He’s friends with Mr Giancana,’ our goon said.

‘Hands up,’ one of the others said.

I raised my hands and he patted me down, checked the pockets of my sports jacket. I could smell something in the air, something cooking. It smelled really good.

‘What is that?’ I asked, sniffing the air.

‘Mr Giancana’s sauce,’ one of them said. ‘He makes a batch in the kitchen every day.’

‘OK,’ the other one said. ‘Hands down. He’s clean.’

They did the same search on Sammy with the same results.

The one who met me at the airport said, ‘OK, come on.’

We followed him towards the back of a large room with lots of folding chairs in it, to a kitchen. Inside I saw Momo standing at a stove with an apron on over his suit. He was still wearing his Fedora, and dark glasses.

‘He’s here, Mr Giancana,’ the man said. ‘And he’s clean.’

‘Of course he’s clean,’ Momo said. ‘Eddie’s my guest. You frisked him?’

‘The boys thought-’

‘ Stupido! Get out.’

‘Yessir.’

As the hood hurried out of the kitchen Momo looked at me, saw Sammy and smiled.

‘Hey, Sam,’ he said.

‘Momo.’

‘You the bodyguard?’ Momo looked at me. ‘Did you think I was gonna snuff ya?’

I shrugged, not sure what I could say that wouldn’t offend him.

‘I’m sorry about the boys, Eddie,’ he said. ‘They’re idiots, but they keep me safe.’

‘I understand.’

He put a wooden spoon into the pot on the stove, took it out and extended it to me, keeping his other hand beneath it.

‘Taste.’

‘That’s OK-’

‘Come on, one taste. You don’t want to insult me.’

‘No,’ I said, ‘no, I wouldn’t wanna do that.’

I let him put the tip of the spoon into my mouth. It was the best sauce I ever tasted. I wondered if he was going to ask Sammy to taste, but he didn’t.

‘You got anything like that in Vegas?’

‘Nope.’

‘Taste that garlic?’ he asked. ‘All my ingredients are natural.’

‘It’s great.’

That made Momo happy.

‘I’ll give ya a couple of jars to take back home with ya.’

‘Jars?’

‘Yeah, I give it to family and friends. It’s too good to keep it all for myself. Whataya like? Meat sauce? Marinara?’

‘Uh, marinara’s fine.’

‘OK,’ Momo said, ‘you got it.’

He went back to the stove and put the wooden spoon down, then picked up another one and stirred another pot.

‘The pasta’s ready. Now we eat.’

Because of the time difference it was afternoon. A little early for pasta, but not unheard of.

He got some plates down, filled them all with spaghetti, then covered it with the sauce. He stuck a spoon, fork and cloth napkin in his jacket pocket.

‘Take one each,’ he said.

We picked up a plate, while he carried two.

‘Come on.’

‘Um Momo, where’s Danny Bardini?’

‘Don’t worry about your buddy,’ he said, over his shoulder. ‘Like I said, he’s my guest.’

We followed him down a hallway into a back room where some tables were set up. At one of the tables sat Danny, with a fork and spoon. There were two more settings on the table. Momo set his plate down, then the fourth setting. He set one plate in front of Danny, who smiled up at me.

‘Best food I ever ate,’ Danny said, with a smile. He picked up a fork and dug in with gusto.

‘Have a seat, Eddie, Sammy,’ Momo said. ‘ Manga !’

‘Ah, stupido !’ Momo said, suddenly. ‘I forgot the vino . I’ll be right back.’

He jumped up and hurried back to the kitchen, leaving me and Danny alone.

‘Nice to see you, Mr Davis,’ Danny said.

‘It’s Sammy,’ Sam said. ‘Damn, but this is good. Ya gotta give it to Momo, he can cook.’

‘What the hell is goin’ on?’ I asked.

‘I’m not sure,’ he said. ‘I came to town, found the hotel Ava said she woke up in, started askin’ some questions. When I came outside three of Giancana’s men were waiting for me and brought me here. Momo wanted to know what was goin’ on and I didn’t see any reason not to tell him the truth.’

‘Good.’

‘They put me in a hotel. Momo says I’m his “guest”.’

‘Could you get up and walk out of here if you wanted to?’ I asked. ‘For that matter, could we?’

‘To tell you the truth, Eddie, I don’t know if I’d wanna try. But the food is great!’

I put some spaghetti in my mouth and I had to agree with him.

‘I don’t know what’s goin’ on,’ Sammy said. ‘Frank only asked me to meet you at the airport, told me what to say. Do I want to know more?’

‘I’ll tell you later,’ I promised.

Momo reappeared, carrying one of those bottles of Chianti with wicker on the bottom, and four glasses.

‘Here we go,’ he said, pouring the glasses full with a flourish. ‘Now, enjoy, and we’ll talk.’

He sat down and took a huge forkful of pasta in his mouth. I decided to let him chew and swallow and start the conversation himself.

‘So, I hear Frank’s wife, Ava, has been havin’ some problems,’ he said.

‘Um, ex-wife,’ I said.

‘ Basta !’ Momo said. ‘When you marry, you marry for life. Frank and Ava, they are — how do you say it? — caldo . Hot? They are hot.’

‘Yes, hot,’ I said. ‘Hot for each other.’

‘ Esattamente! Like you say. Anyway, your detective friend, Danny, tells me she has lost forty hours.’

‘That’s right.’

‘And woke up in a hotel here in Chicago with blood on her?’

‘Yes.’

‘ Terribile ,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘And I got a call from Jack Entratter about two Chicago guys who came after you and Jerry in Vegas.’

‘Yes,’ I said. ‘They ended up dead which, I hope, is not a problem for you.’

He shook his head with his mouth full, chewed, washed it down with some wine, and then said, ‘No problem for me, Eddie. A problem for whoever sent those stronzo after you.’

‘And do we know who that was?’ I asked.

‘Not yet,’ Momo said, ‘but we will, and soon. I will find out. Meanwhile, you finish eating. Later, we go to the Chez Paree and listen to Sammy sing, eh?’

‘Suits me,’ Sam said. ‘I’ll get you the best table in the place.’

‘Then I put you in the same hotel with Danny and in the morning you go home. Leave this to me. Frank should’ve called me right away.’

‘I don’t think he wanted to bother you with this, Momo,’ I said.

‘ E una sciocchezza !’ he said. ‘Nonsense. It was not him, it was her. That one never liked me.’

I knew that was a fact, but I didn’t say anything.

‘ Mangiare !’ he said. ‘Eat up! Then I will have Vicenzo take you to the hotel to change. Tonight we go out, tomorrow you go home.’