I turned back and looked at the road.
‘How come I can’t sit in the front?’ Ava asked.
‘Because I called shotgun,’ I said.
‘Boys and their stupid games.’
As we approached Vegas Jerry said, ‘You callin’ yer buddy Bardini into this?’
‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘I need a P.I.’
‘And he’s the one?’ Ava asked from the back seat.
‘He’s a good one,’ I said.
‘And a pretty good guy,’ Jerry said.
‘Really?’ I asked.
‘You never noticed?’ Jerry asked.
‘You know,’ I said, ‘Danny says the same thing about you.’
‘That’s nice.’
‘What are you going to have your friend do?’ Ava asked.
‘He’s gonna find out what happened during your missing hours, Ava,’ I said.
‘Will he be discreet?’ she asked. ‘My experience with detectives-’
‘He’s not only good at his job,’ I said, ‘he’s also my friend. And he’s a movie buff. As long as he gets to meet you he’ll be fine.’
‘He’ll expect you to fall for him,’ Jerry warned her.
‘Oh, one of those men?’ Ava asked. ‘I can handle him.’
‘This should be real interesting,’ I said.
‘Hey, Mr G.,’ Jerry said, ‘think we can get to a book? I wanna make a bet on the Liston-Patterson fight. I think Liston’s gonna flatten him.’
‘No way,’ Ava said. ‘Patterson will box his ears off.’
‘No chance, Jerry,’ I said. ‘But bet with Ava. Maybe you can make back some of your gin losses.’
They started discussing terms.
Jerry drove directly to my house without asking me for directions.
‘Cute,’ Ava said, as we got out.
Jerry got the bags out of the trunk while I unlocked the front door.
‘Gotta open the windows and let some air in, Mr G.,’ Jerry said.
‘Do it.’
Since meeting Frank, Dean and the rest of the guys I’d been beaten up in my house, Frank had make coffee in my kitchen, and Sammy Davis had shot a man in my living room.
Now Ava Gardner was in my house.
‘My room is your room,’ I said to Ava.
‘That’s very kind,’ she said. ‘Where will you sleep?’
‘I probably won’t be here very much,’ I said. ‘Jerry will sleep on the couch. He’s done it before.’
‘Will you go and see Frank now?’ she asked.
‘Later tonight.’
We’d gotten an early start that morning. Even with the 300 mile drive it was still pretty early for Vegas.
Jerry looked at me and asked, ‘Can we eat first?’
FORTY-THREE
I went out, got some food and brought it back to the house. I had a bite and left Ava and Jerry still digging in. When she was hungry she had quite an appetite, almost but not quite matching his.
I left the house, drove the car directly to a gas station to gas up. While I was waiting I thought about what I was going to say to Frank. How would I explain that I couldn’t tell him where Ava was? I was going to need Jack Entratter’s help for that.
As I drove down the strip toward the Sands I got my usual kick out of reading the various marquees. Alan King at the Riv, Buddy Hackett at the Sahara, Louis Prima and Keely Smith at the Desert Inn. After almost 14 years in Vegas I still got a kick out of it like no other town, not even New York.
I parked at the Sands and entered by the back way. The Sands was a special place to me. I couldn’t walk ten feet without bumping into somebody I knew, exchanging a friendly greeting. The amazing thing about my time there was that there was no one employee I actively disliked. Think about all the jobs you’ve held? How many times can you say that?
OK, there was Jack’s girl, but she had a chip on her shoulder. I didn’t dislike her.
I entered the office and asked her. ‘Is he in?’
She looked surprised that I’d even asked.
‘Yes, he’s in.’
I went into his office without another word.
‘Why don’t you ever let her announce you?’ Jack asked from behind his desk.
‘That would just disappoint her,’ I said, sitting across from him
‘OK, so you’re back from L.A.,’ Jack said. ‘What’s goin’ on?’
‘Have you talked to Frank?’
‘Only to find out that he sent Jerry to L.A. to help you. Is he with you?’
‘Yes.’
‘And Ava?’
‘She’s with me too.’
‘Good,’ Jack said. ‘Where are they?’
‘I don’t know if I can tell you that.’
He glared at me. ‘What?’
‘Before I tell you where she is I need some assurances from you.’
‘What?’ he asked, again.
I started to talk and he said, ‘Wait a minute.’
He opened a drawer, took out a bottle of bourbon and two glasses. He poured two fingers into each glass, pushed one over to my side of the desk. He downed his, so I picked mine up and did the same.
‘OK,’ he said, ‘I thought I needed a drink before I heard this. Go ahead.’
‘If I tell you where Ava is,’ I said, ‘I don’t want you to tell Frank.’
‘Why the hell not?’
‘Because something happened to Ava that she doesn’t remember,’ I said. I explained about the missing forty hours.
‘Somebody may be after her, and you don’t want me to tell Frank?’
‘Exactly.’
‘Are you nuts?’
‘That’s what Ava wants,’ I said. ‘She doesn’t want her trouble spillin’ over on to Frank. She’s tryin’ to protect him, Jack.’
‘Well. .’
‘Is Frank still in town?’
‘He’s in Tahoe, at the Cal-Neva, in a lodge,’ Entratter said. ‘He finished his engagement here and his family went home. So he went to Tahoe, and he wants me to call him, or you to call him, there.’
Well, at least I wouldn’t have to face Frank. That was something.
‘I don’t know about this, Eddie,’ Jack said. ‘Frank’s not gonna stand for it.’
‘We have to convince him, Jack.’
‘We?’
‘I need your help on this,’ I said. ‘We either have to convince him, or lie to him.’
‘You want me to lie to Frank Sinatra?’
I didn’t blame him. It’s not something I wanted to do, either. Then I got an idea.
‘Is Dean still in town?’
‘Yeah,’ Jack said. ‘He wants to get in some more golf. He’s stayin’ in his suite.’
‘OK,’ I said, ‘let’s get him to help.’
‘So you want Dean Martin to lie to Frank.’
‘Dean won’t have to lie,’ I said. ‘He’ll be able to convince Frank that we’re doin’ the right thing in not tellin’ him. I think if Frank will listen to anyone, it’s Dean.’
Jack Entratter thought that over, then said, ‘You might have a point there.’
FORTY-FOUR
Dean was on the golf course, and since it was late in the day I didn’t want to bother him. I figured I’d let him finish his round and then catch him when he came back. Instead, I went down to the lobby and used one of the desk phones to call Danny Bardini.
‘How’s your case load these days?’ I asked when he picked up.
‘I answered my own phone, didn’t I?’ he asked.
‘I noticed that. Where’s Penny?’
‘Gone for the day. Not enough for her to do.’
‘Well, I got a job for you, but it might involve some traveling?’
‘All expenses paid?’ he asked.
‘Of course.’
‘Where to?’
‘Well, L.A., New York. . and probably Spain.’
‘Spain? Are you serious?’
‘I am.’
Danny hesitated, then said, ‘This has got somethin’ to do with them, ain’t it?’
‘It kinda does.’
‘What does “kinda” mean, Eddie?’
‘I’m sort of doin’ a favor for a friend of a friend.’
‘Like with Marilyn Monroe?’
‘Like that, yeah.’
‘OK,’ he said. ‘Who’s the client?’
Now it was my turn to hesitate before I said, ‘Ava Gardner.’
‘You better not be kiddin’, bud.’
‘I’m not kiddin’, Danny.’
‘Where do I sign up?’
‘Silver Queen Lounge, half an hour.’
‘Make it the Garden Room and a meal and you got a deal,’ he said.