Микки Спиллейн - The Delta Factor

Russo Sabin seemed to shrink inside himself. He half turned toward Carlos Ortega and saw those eyes watching him blankly with deliberately concealed malice because they thought he was exposing an entire organization through sheer stupidity over a woman.

Casually, Ortega said, “I think that will be all, Señor Sabin.”

The Director of Police was glad to get out of there, but not before he challenged me with one glance of pure hatred that meant it was only the beginning. With a wave of his hand Ortega motioned for the guards and Major Turez to follow him, then he leaned on the desk, his shoulders hunched like an animal anticipating a fight.

“You could be a clever liar, Morgan.”

“Why bother?”

“That’s what bothers me. A man in your situation is in no position to change the status quo. Here you have sanctuary of a sort. Why should you jeopardize it? You have touched Señor Sabin in a sore spot. I have known about the Gordot woman some time now. However, he is a reliable man whose judgment I never before had to question. It seems unlikely that it should be done so now.”

“He wouldn’t be the first guy to tumble over a woman,” I said. “But if it helps matters any, tell him I’m not interested in his broad so keep the heat off me.”

“He will be informed.” He leaned back in his chair and puffed at the cigar, oblivious to the foul smell. “Now, there is another matter.”

“Oh?”

“The matter of forty million dollars you mentioned.”

“I see.”

“Naturally, that is too much for you ever to spend even at discounted rates.”

“Naturally.”

“It is a shame not to see so much fine currency in circulation, especially where it could be useful to a cause.”

“Naturally,” I repeated.

“There are ways for it to be distributed so that everyone could profit with little risk.” He shrugged to emphasize his point. “Of course, this country is autonomous and one can be safe within its confines.”

“As long as it pleases you,” I reminded him.

“Quite right, Señor Morgan,” he said. “And there are forty million ways of pleasing me.” The smile left his face and all that raw power came back. “Then, too, incurring my displeasure means nothing to me, but a great deal to you.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“Do not take too long. To expedite your thinking I have already informed your government that you are within our jurisdiction. We have no extradition agreement with the United States so we are quite capable of either returning you to your country or seeing that you have an unfortunate accident. I am really not impressed with having a battleship parked in my front yard. There would be that eventuality only if they could be sure of having you alive and their money intact with the possibility that they might extract its location from you.”

“Clever,” I said.

“Yes. I think so. I would not take too long to think it over, Morgan. Nor would I try leaving if I were you.”

“Hell, I like it here. Everybody’s so damn friendly.” I turned around and walked to the door, stopping with it half open. “How long do I have to think about it?” I asked him.

“While it is still your choice,” he told me.

I nodded, knowing what he was thinking. What he didn’t realize was that I knew that someplace in Miami he had a man ready to get into that safe-deposit box they had set up for me and when it happened the guy would be nailed cold. It wouldn’t take Ortega too long to figure the deal out and when he did the trap would shut on me, but in the meantime I could stretch things out a little longer.

When I stepped outside and closed the door I started toward the roulette wheel. As I passed the crap table a figure leaned back from the players and Marty Steele said, “You keep lousy company, Winters.” He pointed his head to where Sabin and the others were talking at the desk. While I watched them they finished their conversation and walked to the main doors.

“Don’t I though?”

“Those clowns are rough. If you’re on the con, cut out, friend. They’re worse than the cops in Vegas. They even bugged me some because I came in alone and traveling light and stayed longer than the usual tourist.”

“They didn’t want anything from me,” I said.

His face went into another one of those lopsided smiles that looked like his jaw was out of joint. “Just passing the word. They don’t even like big winners.”

“The hell with them.”

“Me too,” he said, and turned back to the game.

I spotted Kim at the wheel and this time she had a three-inch stack of chips in front of her. She got the message I flashed to her with my eyes, cashed in her chips and followed me out.

We couldn’t take any chances on the room having been bugged again during our absence, so we made small talk, noises like a loving couple, then went into the bathroom and turned the shower on full blast while she perched on the edge of the tub and I sat on the lip of the john and explained it to her. I was talking more to myself than to Kim, using her for a sounding board, and she knew it, not interrupting, but letting me get it out of my system.

“They got a call, all right That’s what made Sabin so mad. He can’t figure the angle himself. Nobody knew I was leaving here except Angelo and you and I can’t see him in that picture. That leaves it up to pure coincidence and even that doesn’t smell right. I didn’t bust out fast. I made damn sure I was clear before I went to Rosa Lee’s place. If I was spotted, then it was because somebody was pretty suspicious of my exit and was good enough to follow me without being seen and that isn’t likely of anybody who just happened to be there. That leaves only two other alternatives… that I was seen leaving or somebody was waiting for a move like that. Neither one makes sense. I know I didn’t have a tail on me going out of here and who the hell would be waiting for me to go out like I did?”

“Could somebody have been watching Rosa’s place?” Kim suggested.

“Then how would they get the cab number? No, I was tailed, all right. Somebody followed me as far as Rosa’s and killed her. Putting it on me was only a cover.”

“Sabin didn’t mention you being followed back.”

“No, and that’s a point I want to square away. Go out and call Angelo. Tell him to bring up some more champagne.”

She got on the phone and five minutes later Angelo was in the room with another iced bucket of champagne. When I called him into the bathroom he looked at me oddly, then I asked, “How do you stand with Ortega’s crowd, Angelo?”

“Why not ask me what you intend to ask me, señor?”

Sometimes you have to take a chance. I threw it at him. “A girl named Rosa Lee was killed not long ago.”

His eyes never left mine. “Yes, I know. You were accused.”

“How do you know?”

“Carlos Ortega is not the only one with mechanical ears, senor.”

“Any explanation?”

He shook his head. “At the moment, none. When we find that one, it will be over very slowly for him.”

“You think it was me?”

“I do not think so, señor. Others, they are not so sure. They have asked me the same thing.”

“And…?”

“I told them the same thing.”

“Can you check something out for me?”

“I will be most pleased.”

“There’s a man named Juan Fucilla, a guard at the Rose Castle. I want to find out where he is.”

“Could he be the one?”

“I doubt it.”

“May I ask why you inquire about this one?”

“To see if he’s still alive.”

“Then I can assure you that he is. Before I came up I saw Senor Fucilla on the patio having a drink with one of our more notorious prostitutes. He frequents this establishment often. The woman is one of his favorite companions.”