‘And then what?’
‘Then I’ll give it to her,’ he said, with a helpless shrug. ‘Whatever it is.’
EIGHT
I left Frank’s suite and went back downstairs. I’d left word at the desk to hold the cab driver if he came in while I was with Frank. He hadn’t. But as I was standing there a driver came in and I recognized him immediately, though not by name. I knew him the way I knew a hundred cab drivers in town: by face. This one was particularly memorable, because it looked like a map, with peaks and crevices earned over years of hard working and living.
‘Mr Gianelli?’ he said. ‘Kenny said you wanted to see me?’ I was groping for his name when he saved me. ‘I’m Leo Rossi.’
‘Of course, Leo,’ I said. ‘Thanks for coming in. Leo, did you have Ava Gardner in your cab today?’
‘You know,’ he said, ‘I thought that was her, but I wasn’t sure. I mean. . this broad gets in my cab and she’s a looker, ya know? But they look different when they’re not up on the screen, ya know? And she had dark glasses, and. . I think she mighta been cryin’. What reason would a big movie star have to cry? They got it all.’
‘Yeah, I know,’ I said. ‘Where’d you take her, Leo?’
‘The airport.’
‘Did she say what flight she would be on? Or where she was going?’
‘Geez, Mr G., I didn’t. . I mean, we didn’t talk, other then her tellin’ me where ta take her, ya know? I mean. . geez, Ava Gardner. Wait till I tell the wife. I mean, I get stars in my cab all the time, ya know, but. . geez. .’
‘OK, Leo, OK,’ I said. ‘I’ve got eyes at the airport. Maybe I’ll get something from them. Thanks. Wait, I owe you ten-’
‘That’s OK, Mr G.,’ Leo said. ‘Ya don’t got to pay me. I’m glad ta help.’
‘Leo, would you and your wife like to see a show? Frank, Dean and Sammy?’
‘Geez, Mr G., my wife’d love it,’ Leo said, eyes wide. ‘That’d be great.’
‘I’ll leave tickets for you,’ I said. ‘Just mention my name.’
‘Thanks, Mr G.’
He hurried back to work.
‘Eddie?’
I turned. One of the desk clerks was holding his phone out.
‘Call for you.’
‘Thanks, Sean.’ I accepted the phone. It smelled like the clerk’s Hai Karate. ‘Hello?’
‘Eddie? Ted Silver.’
‘Whataya got for me, Ted?’
‘Ava Gardner came in on a Hughes Air Line shuttle from L.A. this mornin’,’ Ted said.
‘And?’
‘And it looks like she just went back the same way.’
‘And then what?’
‘I don’t have any way of knowing that,’ Ted said. ‘You’d have to check with the airport in L.A.’
‘Yeah, you’re right,’ I said. ‘You got a name for me there?’
‘Hang on.’ He came back on and gave me the name of somebody at LAX who could help me.
‘OK, Ted. Thanks. I’ll leave tickets for you, as usual.’
‘Sure thing, Eddie. Thanks.’
I hung up, then dialed the number he’d given me and asked for Ben Hoff.
‘This is Hoff,’ a gruff man’s voice came on the phone.
I told him who I was, who’d given me his name, and what I needed.
‘You’re the guy who gets Teddy tickets to shows, right?’ Hoff asked.
‘That’s right.’
‘Will I get tickets for this?’
‘Any time, Ben,’ I said. ‘You just tell me when you’re in town.’
‘OK,’ he said. ‘Ava Gardner. Well, that shouldn’t be too hard. Where do I call you back?’
I gave him the number of the hotel.
‘OK, Mr Gianelli,’ Hoff said. ‘I’ll get back to you as quick as I can.’
‘I appreciate it, Ben,’ I said. ‘And just call me Eddie.’
I hung up, glad I was going to be able to figure this out without having to actually go to L.A.
I had to go to L.A.
Ben called me back and said, ‘Miss Gardner came in on a flight from Vegas, didn’t go out on any other flights.’
‘Are you sure?’ I asked. ‘Did you check international flights? She lives in Spain.’
‘I checked all flights, local and domestic,’ he said. ‘I promise you, Eddie, she’s still someplace in L.A.’
I thought fast. I could have asked my P.I. friend, Danny Bardini, to go to L.A. and check on her, but the last time I did that — earlier in the year with Marilyn — Danny had a rough time of it and almost got killed. I also could have called Fred Otash, the Hollywood P.I. who had helped me find Danny, but that didn’t mean I trusted him. Not completely, anyway. After all, he did work in Hollywood.
‘OK, look, Ben, find out for me if she took a cab. I’m flying in as soon as I can get a flight.’
‘Need help with that?’
‘I can get help on this end, but thanks.’
‘No problem. Call me any time, Eddie.’
‘You let me know when you’re in Vegas, Ben,’ I said, and hung up.
I had options: take a flight, get Jack to set it up for me, pay for the ticket; get Frank to do it; call Ted Silver at the airport, have him do it; use the Sands helicopter.
I decided to let Jack do it. I didn’t want to bother Frank anymore while he had his kids with him, while Ted Silver probably could have gotten me on a flight, I’d still have to pay for it and then get the money back from Jack. So, cut out the middle man, let Jack get me the ticket.
I waved thanks to the desk clerk for the phone again and headed for Jack’s office.
NINE
I had to see Jack and Frank before I left. Jack’s girl gave me a disapproving look as I breezed past her into his office. I had come to terms with the fact that she didn’t like me and never would, so I just stopped trying.
‘You got somethin’ for me already?’ Jack asked as I sat across from him.
‘I need you to get me on a flight to L.A.,’ I said.
‘Why are you goin’ to L.A.?’ he asked. ‘Last time you went there you almost got killed.’
‘According to both airports, Ava Gardner flew to Vegas and back, but didn’t fly out of L.A. So she’s still there.’
‘Where?’
‘That I don’t know,’ I said. ‘I’ve got to go and find out.’
‘Wait, wait,’ he said. ‘Hold your horses. So Ava was here this mornin’?’
‘Yes.’
‘And did she see Frank?’ ‘No.’
‘Well, then. .’ Jack said, sitting back and spreading his hands.
‘Well then. . what?’
‘Why are you going to L.A.?’ he asked. ‘You did what I asked you to do. You found out if it was her, and it was. And she’s gone. Go back to work.’
‘I can’t do that, Jack.’
‘Why not?’
‘Frank wants me to find her, and see what she was doing here.’
‘So you had to talk to Frank?’ he asked.
‘Yes,’ I said, ‘don’t worry, I trod lightly, as you suggested.’
‘I’m sure you did.’
‘I’ll go talk to Frank now,’ I said. ‘Would you call him and see if he’s in his suite?’
‘And if he isn’t I’ll locate him for you,’ he said. ‘And I’ll get you your flight.’
‘Which the Sands will pay for?’
‘Of course,’ he said, with the phone in his hand. I heard a buzz from the outer office and then he said, ‘See if you can locate Frank Sinatra for me. Thanks.’ He hung up without saying his girl’s name. I wondered if I’d ever heard it, then decided I didn’t care enough to ask.
‘I’ll get packed,’ I said, rising from my chair. ‘I’ll check in with you to see where Frank is.’
By the time I packed an overnight bag, using just what I had in my locker, Jack had found Frank and arranged for me to meet him for a drink in the Silver Queen Lounge. Frank was sitting at the bar, having just signed autographs for a couple of middle-aged broads. There was a drink on the bar in front of him.
‘Glad to see you, Clyde,’ he said. ‘Do you know that most of the time, if I’m sitting with somebody, folks don’t bother me for autographs? It’s when I’m sittin’ alone they think they can come over.’
‘Guess they figure they’re not interruptin’ anything, Frank,’ I said.
‘You wanna drink?’
‘Just a beer,’ I said. ‘I’m headin’ for the airport.’
‘This about Ava?’ he asked, after waving at the bartender to bring me a beer.