Fly Me to the Morgue (6 page)

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Authors: Robert J. Randisi

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âWell, do me a favor,' I said. âDon't tell that to Bing.'

TWELVE

When we got to the Sands we parked and I walked Jerry to his suite. It was identical to the ones Dino always stayed in.

âWow,' he said.

âThis is how the other half lives. Why don't you put your stuff in the bedroom and I'll call Bing.'

âSure thing, Mr G.'

I picked up the phone and dialed Bing's room. Kathryn answered.

âOh, hello, Eddie,' she purred. âBing is over at the Flamingo. He's helping Frank Junior with some arrangements.'

âThe kid must be thrilled.'

âThat kid's father is Frank Sinatra,' she said, laughing.

âKathryn,' I said, âFrank himself would be thrilled to have Bing's help.'

âThat's a very nice thing for you to say, Eddie,' she answered.

âListen, I was, uh, doin' somethin' for Bingâ'

âI know about Bing and Red Rock Canyon, Eddie, and what he asked you to do.'

âWell, Jerry's here, in the hotel,' I said. âHe's ready to see Bing whenever he's ready.'

âBing should be back within the hour. Why don't you and Jerry just come up in an hour?'

âBoth of us?'

âWell, of course. We'll have drinks.'

âOK.'

âMake it an hour and a half, Eddie,' she said. âI look forward to seeing you both.'

âThank you, Kathryn.'

As she hung up, Jerry came walking back into the room.

âWe're gonna go to Bing's room in an hour and a half,' I said. âI just spoke to Kathryn.'

âHis wife?'

âYeah.'

âShe's gonna be there?'

âYes,' I said. âShe said we'll have drinks.'

âDrinks?' he asked. âWith Bing Crosby and his wife?'

âThat's right.'

âMr G.,' he said, anxiously, âI don't got nothin' to wear.'

âThat's OK,' I said. âLet's go downstairs and do some shopping.'

An hour and forty minutes later we were at the door of Bing Crosby's suite. Jerry was wearing a sports jacket and pants we bought at a big and tall store. He had combed his hair a couple of times, and was feeling nervous.

In fact he said, âI ain't been this nervous since I met Miss Ava last year.'

âYou didn't seem nervous then.'

âI was shakin' inside.'

âWell, then, just keep it inside this time, too.'

I knocked and the door was opened by Kathryn Crosby. She was wearing a peach-colored silk blouse, white hip-hugging pants and open-toed sandals with just enough heel.

âEddie,' she said. âAnd Jerry. So nice to see you again.'

âYes, Ma'am,' Jerry said, ducking his head.

âWell come in, both of you,' she said. âI'll make the drinks. Bing will be out in a minute.'

She walked to the bar and situated herself behind it. We entered and closed the door behind us.

âWhat can I get you?' she asked.

âUh, bourbon,' I said.

âDo you have beer?' Jerry asked.

âYes, we do.' She held up a shaker. âBut I made martinis.'

âI'll have one, then,' I said.

âUh, just beer for me, if that's all right,' Jerry said.

âIt's fine, Jerry,' she said, with a smile.

Kathryn Crosby was not yet thirty, and had possibly the most beautiful skin I'd ever seen, pale and smooth. She almost glowed.

âWell, there are my boys,' Bing said, entering the room. He wore grey trousers and an open-necked polo short. He came right up to us with his hand out, shook with both of us.

âIt's nice to see you again, Jerry.'

âYes, sir, same here.'

âOh, don't start callin' me sir,' Bing said. âWe're gonna be workin' together. Just call me Bing.'

âUmâ'

âOh that's right, I forgot,' he said. âOK, then Mr C. it is, right?'

âYes siâyes, Mr C.'

âAs long as Como doesn't show up we won't get confused,' he said.

He walked to the bar and kissed his wife on the cheek. She handed him a martini, then held one out to me. She put a can of Piels on the bar for Jerry. Then picked up her martini and sipped it.

âYou gentlemen have business,' she said. âI'm going to sit on the sofa and keep quiet.'

This time she kissed Bing on the cheek, and went to the sofa.

âJerry, my man,' Bing said. âYou know horses, don't you?'

âYes, siâyeah, I do.'

âAnd I mean, you don't only know how to play them, but you know the animals.'

âYes.'

âHow?' Bing asked.

âHuh?'

âWhy do you know about horses?'

âBecause I bet money on them,' Jerry said. âI don't bet my money unless I know what I'm doin'. So when I decided I liked betting the horses, but I liked winnin' better, I got to know horses.'

âHumor me,' Bing said, âbut I'd still like to know how?'

âI went to work for a trainer,' Jerry said.

âAs what?'

âI did a little bit of everything,' Jerry said. âI mucked stalls, I was a hotwalkerÂ .Â .Â . I did everything but be a jockey.'

Kathryn laughed at that.

âSo you know horseflesh.'

âI do.'

Bing looked at me.

âHave you been able to find out anything about Stanley?'

âHe did fly into Vegas. He just never made it from the airport to here. I've got a friend of mine checkin' it out.'

âOK,' Bing said. He looked back at Jerry. âThere's a guy out in Red Rock Canyon who's got a horse to sell. I wanna go out and take a look at it. My trainer was supposed to tell me whether or not the horse would be a good buy. Do you think you could do that for me?'

âWell,' Jerry said, âI ain't a trainer, but I can give ya my opinion.'

âAnd I would value that opinion,' Bing said, âbecause I've seen what you can do at the track.' He turned to Kathryn. âRemember how this man picked so many winners.'

âI sure do,' she said. âMaybe he can come to the track with us another time.'

Bing looked at Jerry.

âWhataya say? Would you like to do that again?'

âDel Mar?' Jerry asked.

âDel Mar, Santa Anita, Hollywood Park, wherever you wanna go.'

âThat sounds great,' Jerry said.

âOK,' Bing said. âSo we'll drive out to Red Rock Canyon tomorrow mornin', huh? I've got the address.'

âWhatever you say.'

âLet's meet in the lobby,' Bing said. Then he looked at me. âEddie?'

âYou want me to come, too?'

âWhy not?' Bing asked. âYou interested?'

âSure I'm interested.'

âShould I rent a car?' Bing asked. âGet a limo?'

âMr G.'s got a sweet Caddy,' Jerry said. âI can drive it.'

âA Caddy, huh?' Bing asked.

âFifty-three,' Jerry said.

âOK,' Bing said. âThe Caddy it is. Let's meet in the lobby at eight a.m.'

âBing, make it nine,' Kathryn said. âYou need more sleep than that.'

Bing gestured toward his wife and said, âI usually listen to my wife, guys. So how about nine?'

âNine's good,' Jerry said.

âNine it is,' I said.

We drank up, and then left Bing and Kathryn to their day.

Bing walked us to the door and said, âWe're gonna go and have a look at Lake Mead.'

âEnjoy it,' I said.

Out in the hall Jerry said to me, âLake Mead? That a new casino?'

I laughed, because after all this time, I knew Jerry wasn't as dumb as he made out. But he was funny.

THIRTEEN

I left Jerry at the Sands. He had the rest of the afternoon to do whatever he wanted. I figured he'd be in the Book, playing the horses.

I wanted to drive home, make some calls, and change my clothes, so I told him I'd come back and we'd go out to dinner.

When I got home I called Danny's office.

âHe's out, Eddie,' Penny said. âSays he's working on your case.'

âOK, sweetie,' I said. âJust tell him I called. He can reach me at the Sands, leave a message there if I'm out.'

âOK, doll.'

I blew her a kiss and hung up.

I got back to the Sands; Jerry was in his suite, watching TV when I called up there.

âWhat are you doin'?' I asked as I walked in. âI thought you'd be playin' horses.'

âI tol' ya,' Jerry said. âI'm in a slump.'

âSo you've been watchn' TV?'

âWesterns,' he said, nodding. âJimmy Stewart. You know him?'

âNever met him.'

âI thought you knew everybody?'

âEverybody who comes to Vegas to gamble.'

Jerry stood up. Turned off the TV and asked, âWhere we goin' to eat?'

âItalian?'

âSounds good to me.'

âThen let's go.'

Since I knew where we were going I got to drive my own car. I took Jerry to an Italian place off the strip that Frank Sinatra really liked. He ordered a huge plate of spaghetti and meatballs to go with a plate of chicken parmagiana. I went for some veal picata. We split a bottle of red wine, but also had some beer.

Jerry told me some of what he'd been doing the past few months since we'd seen each other. Most of it he edited for content, and some of it he didn't tell me at all. He was, after all, a legbreaker for the mob.

âWhat about your personal life?' I asked.

âWhat personal life?'

âYou know what I mean. Women.'

âMr G., come on. You know me and women don't mix, unless they're strippers or whores.'

âJerry,' I said, âI don't see why you can't find a nice girlâ'

âNice?'

âOK,' I said, âa girl, period. One who's not a whore or a stripper. Look, I've seen you interact with womenâ'

âYou seen me stumble over my tongue with Miss M. and Miss Ava,' he said, referring to Marilyn Monroe and Ava Gardner. âAnd now with Mr C.'s wife.'

âOK,' I said, âbut those are famous women. What about Penny? You got along with her when you met?'

âShe don't count, Mr G.,' he said. âShe's the Vegas Gumshoe's girl.'

Jerry's nicknames for Danny were piling up. That's how I knew he liked him.

The waiter came with another basket of Italian bread and Jerry asked for a small bowl of meat sauce. When it came he soaked his bread in it and chewed thoughtfully. He was thinking about what to have for dessert.

After dinner I let Jerry drive back, and he tried to tit me for my tat.

âWhat about you, Mr G?'

âWhat about me?'

âAny women?'

âNobody steady.'

âWaitresses, showgirls?' he asked. âYou're not so different from me, you know, Mr G. You spend your time with women you meet on the job, like I do.'

Unfortunately, he was right.

âAnybody lately?' he asked.

âWell, there's this little readhead in the lounge, but we've only been together once.'

âGood for you, Mr G.'

When we pulled up in the Sands' parking lot I asked, âWanna hit some casinos?'

âWhen I was watchin' TV this afternoon I saw a commercial for the movie tonight. I think I wanna watch it.'

âWhat is it?'

âJimmy Cagney.' He held up two sausage-like fingers. âTwo of 'em.'

âCan't compete with that.'

âI'm gonna get some popcorn,' he said. âYou wanna watch?'

âNo thanks,' I said. âI still need to talk to Danny, and then I think I'll check in with my pit.'

âYou can't stay off the floor, can you, Mr G?' he asked. âEven when you're supposed to be off.'

âWhat can I tell you?' I said. âIt's home away from home.'

He looked at me across the car and said, âI wish I had one of those. I just got home, and work.'

âHey,' I said, âyou can have Vegas as your home away from home. It's my gift to you.'

He looked genuinely touched by what I meant to be a flip remark.

âGee, thanks, Mr G.'

âCome on,' I said. âI know a place you can get some popcorn, even though it's late.'

âRegular and caramel?' he asked.

I grinned and said, âYou got it, big boy.'

FOURTEEN

The lack of an office never kept me from getting or making phone calls in the Sands. Sometimes I used some of the office phones on the second floor. Other times â like now â I just checked with the front desk to see if I had any messages.

âYes, sir,' the young man on the desk said. âRight here.' He passed me two message slips.

âYou're new, right?' I asked him.

âYes, sir. My name's Chris.'

âOK, thanks, Chris.'

âYessir.'

Both slips were from Danny. I went to the front desk to use a phone and dialed his apartment.

âHey, Danny,' I said, when he answered. âYou alone?'

âUnfortunately. I'm gettin' ready to watch some Cagney movies on TV.'

âYou and Jerry both,' I said.

âThanks,' he said, ânow I'm really depressed.'

âWhat'd you find out for me?'