‘You, too, John.’
As I reached the front desk I noticed there was some commotion in the lobby. A crowd was gathered, excited about something. I heard the word ‘ambulance’ and went to the desk.
‘What’s going on?’ I asked the clerk.
‘Fella left the Polo Lounge and when he got outside somebody attacked him.’
‘What fella?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know,’ the clerk said. ‘I think he was a cab driver.’
‘Cab driver? What happened, exactly?’
‘Like I said. Somebody attacked him, beat him up. They took him away in an ambulance.’
‘Jesus,’ I said. ‘What the hell. .’
The clerk shrugged.
‘He got a call, and when he went outside-’
‘A call? When?’
‘A little while ago,’ he said. ‘One of our bell hops went through the lobby, and into the Polo Lounge, paging. . somebody.’
‘And?’
‘And. . he took the call.’
‘Where is he?’ I asked. ‘The boy?’
The clerk rang the bell on his desk and an old guy appeared. He looked to be about sixty.
‘This is Randy,’ the clerk said.
‘Randy, my name is Eddie Gianelli.’
‘You’re Mr Gianelli?’
‘That’s right. The man you paged with a call earlier. .’
‘The call was for an Eddie Gianelli,’ Randy said, ‘but the cab driver, he took it.’
‘That’s because he was waiting for me,’ I said.
‘The guy who got beat up?’ Randy asked, looking surprised. ‘He was with you?’
‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘the guy who got beat up.’ I looked at the clerk. ‘Can you find out what hospital he was taken to?’
‘Sure, Mr Gianelli.’
‘And his condition,’ I said. ‘Whether or not they kept him there.’
‘Sure, I’ll find out everything,’ the clerk said.
‘Thanks. Oh, and I need some food to take to Miss Gardner — I mean, to Miss Johnson’s bungalow.’
‘Just tell me what you want,’ Randy said, ‘and I’ll bring it over personally as soon as it’s ready.’
‘No, no,’ I said, changing my mind. ‘She’s asleep now. I’ll call when I want the food.’
‘What would you like?’ the clerk asked.
‘I don’t know,’ I said. ‘A hamburger platter. . maybe a steak dinner? And a large pot of coffee, with two cups.’
‘Anything else?’
‘Iced water,’ I said.
When I got back to Ava’s bungalow I looked in on her. She was still asleep. I picked up my glass and freshened it with some bourbon. I’m sure a cab driver got into a lot of arguments during the course of a day, but had Larry gotten somebody mad enough at him to wait outside the hotel and beat him up?
Or had he been beaten up because he took a call in my name?
Was that supposed to be me in the ambulance, and if so, why?
FIFTEEN
I called Jack, filled him in, told him where I was. He said he’d pass the information on to Frank.
It was late in the afternoon when the phone rang. By then I had talked to the hospital and found out Larry’s last name, and his condition. I snatched it up on the first ring, so it wouldn’t wake Ava.
‘Eddie? How is she?’
‘She’s asleep now, Frank, has been for a couple of hours. I have the feeling it’s the first sleep she’s gotten for a while.’
‘But did you get a chance to talk to her?’
‘Briefly, but she didn’t tell me much. Just that her life was unraveling.’
‘She’s told me that on the phone, too,’ he said, ‘but not why.’
‘She’s not very forthcoming about that, Frank,’ I said. ‘And if she won’t tell you, she certainly won’t tell me.’
‘Maybe she will,’ Frank said. ‘Keep asking, Eddie. I can’t come there right now, but maybe in a few days. .’
‘She knows you’re with your family. She understands.’
‘Eddie. . is she drinkin’?’
‘Yes.’
‘A lot?’
‘Who can tell what a lot is, Frank?’ I said. ‘She’s sleeping because she passed out. Maybe from exhaustion, maybe from drinkin’, maybe a combination of both.’
‘OK,’ Frank said. ‘OK, Eddie. You need anything?’
‘Some answers.’
‘For what?’
I told him about the cabbie picking up a call for me, and then being hauled off to the hospital.
‘How bad was he hurt?’
‘I talked to some sawbones a little while ago. He was hurt badly enough to be admitted, but he’s not in danger of dying. Some broken bones and a lot of bruises,’ I said. ‘I’m gonna go and see him when I get a chance, and I want to take care of his medical bills.’
‘I’ll do that,’ Frank said. ‘You can count on me.’
I had planned on the Sands footing the bill, but I said, ‘Thanks, Frank.’
‘Why do you think he was jumped?’
‘I’ll know more when I’ve spoken to him. Maybe whoever beat him up said something. I still don’t know if he was jumped because he’s him, or they thought he was me.’
‘Why would somebody wanna jump you?’ he asked. ‘You’re only there because of Ava.’
‘I know,’ I said. ‘I need answers, from the cabbie and from Ava.’
‘Maybe she’s in trouble, Eddie,’ he said.
‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘and maybe I am too.’
SIXTEEN
The phone call had caused Ava to stir. I figured she was close to waking up, so I called the desk and asked for the food to be delivered to the room. The knock at the door when Randy arrived did what the phone couldn’t do. As I was setting the food on the table, Ava came out of the bedroom, rubbing her face.
‘Eddie?’
‘That’s me,’ I said.
‘I–I thought it was a fucking dream.’
‘Nope,’ I said. ‘I’m here. You hungry?’
‘No,’ she said, as if the thought of food made her sick, ‘I have a fucking headache and I need a shower.’
‘OK,’ I said, ‘have a shower, and then you can at least have some coffee.’
‘Coffee,’ she said. ‘OK, that doesn’t sound too bad. I’ll be right out.’
I nodded, and she went back into the bedroom, leaving the door open. Next I heard the shower turn on and — despite my best efforts — I couldn’t help imagining Ava under the spray, soaping herself.
I set the food out on the table, a burger-and-fries platter and a full steak dinner, as I had ordered. I didn’t know which one I would eat. I figured once Ava came out of the shower she’d be hungry, and I planned to let her have her choice.
I had a cup of coffee while I waited, trying to drown out the sound of the water. Even if Ava was in trouble, why would somebody have wanted to jump me? I’d only just come on the scene. I didn’t even know anything yet.
I carried my coffee cup to the front window and looked out. Was there somebody still lurking out there? It was getting dark. What would they do when they had the cover of darkness to help them?
I heard the water go off, so I walked to the coffee pot and poured out a cup. Ava came out of the bedroom wearing a silk robe tightly belted at her waist. Her hair was wet, skin still damp, which made the silk do interesting things to her body. I could easily tell that her nipples were not only large, but dark.
I was in better shape when she was in the shower. At least I could try to block the images from my mind. There was no blocking out the way she looked in that robe.
I handed her the coffee.
‘Thank you.’ She sipped it. ‘Suddenly I’m a bit hungry.’
I lifted the covers from both trays.
‘Burger or steak?’ I asked.
‘Believe it or not, I’m a burger-and-fries girl,’ she said. ‘My rural upbringing.’
‘Burger it is, then,’ I said, moving the plate over in front of her as she sat down. I sat and pulled the steak plate in front of me. I didn’t care for brussels sprouts, but the baked potato looked good.
I poured two glasses of cold water.
‘I suppose you called Frank?’ she asked.
‘I spoke to him.’
‘Is he coming?’
‘Uh, no,’ I said. When I saw her face fall I added, ‘I told him not to.’