Fly Me to the Morgue

by Robert J. Randisi

  SEVENTY

  We couldn’t very well search Las Vegas for a guy with a nose like a potato. At least, that was what Danny said.

  ‘We’ll have to wait until he turns up.’

  ‘That could take a long time.’

  ‘Probably not,’ Danny said. ‘They’re still lookin’ for the key.’

  ‘What key?’ Jerry asked.

  ‘Safe deposit box key,’ I said. ‘I forgot to tell you, somebody searched my house. They were lookin’ for somethin’ small enough to fit in a sugar bowl.’

  ‘A key,’ Jerry said, chewing. ‘Makes sense.’

  ‘You know,’ Danny said, looking at Jerry, ‘every time you come to town I gain weight. How come you don’t?’

  ‘I have a fast metabolism.’

  Then Danny looked at me.

  ‘You know sometimes I think you’re right.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘He is smarter than he looks.’

  We lingered over coffee.

  ‘You’re gonna meet with Adrienne and see if she can get you another meeting with DeStefano, right?’ Danny asked.

  ‘Right.’

  ‘Well, watch for the man with the potato nose,’ he said. ‘If he works for Vince, chances are Vince is behind the killings.’

  ‘Tryin’ to get a horse?’ Jerry asked.

  ‘Or the key,’ Danny said.

  ‘If he’s got people lookin’ for that key,’ Jerry said, ‘then who’s got it?’

  ‘It was Philip’s,’ I said. ‘Who would he give it to for safe keeping?’

  ‘Not Chris,’ Danny said. ‘They were at odds.’

  ‘And he was at odds with Adrienne, so that leaves her out.’

  ‘Eric?’ I asked.

  ‘From what you tell me, Phil didn’t trust Eric with important stuff.’

  ‘So if it ain’t family,’ Jerry said, ‘who is it?’

  The question hung in the air for a few moments, then Danny said, ‘Unless Phil had a really close friend, it would have to be family.’

  ‘Well . . .’ I said.

  ‘What?’

  ‘There’s still one family member,’ I said.

  ‘There is?’ Danny asked.

  I nodded. ‘Another sister. Younger. Doesn’t live in Vegas, doesn’t gamble. Apparently, has a whole different life.’

  ‘That makes sense,’ Danny said.

  ‘I don’t get it,’ Jerry said. ‘If she’s got a whole different life . . .’

  ‘Phil might’ve mailed her the key,’ I said.

  ‘If he did,’ Danny said, ‘DeStefano might figure it out the way we did.’

  ‘But then he’d have to find her,’ I said.

  ‘And who knows where she is?’ Danny asked.

  ‘Adrienne,’ I said, ‘and maybe Eric.’

  ‘Well, you’re already gonna talk to Adrienne,’ Danny said. ‘Why don’t I talk to Eric?’

  ‘You ain’t workin’ on the killin’ of the trainer anymore?’ Jerry asked.

  ‘All three killings are connected,’ Danny said. ‘Red Rock, Vegas, it don’t matter. If it doesn’t have to do specifically with the horse, it has to do with the key.’

  ‘I can see Chris and Phil bein’ killed over the key,’ I said. ‘But why Fred Stanley? If he was just a trainer . . .’

  ‘Didn’t you say,’ Danny said, ‘that it was Stanley who took this horse idea to Bing Crosby?’

  ‘Did I?’ I asked. ‘I guess that’s what he said.’

  ‘Then talk to Bing again,’ Danny said. ‘Find out if Fred Stanley had a connection to the Arnold family. And if not, how he came to hear about this horse.’

  ‘OK,’ I said, ‘you talk to Eric, Jerry and I will go to Adrienne and Bing. But we all have to do this while avoiding Hargrove. If he puts us in a little room somebody can still get killed over this key.’

  ‘If that happens while we’re in custody,’ Danny said, ‘we’ll be in the clear.’

  ‘That’s not the way I wanna get in the clear, Danny,’ I said. ‘I don’t want Adrienne – or her innocent sister – to get killed.’

  ‘OK,’ Danny said. ‘Let’s move, then.’

  ‘OK.’

  Outside the diner Danny said, ‘Do me a favor, guys.’

  ‘What?’ I asked.

  ‘Next time we meet, no food, huh?’

  I grinned, looked at Jerry, who stared at Danny and said, ‘Now you’re just talkin’ crazy.’

  SEVENTY-ONE

  We split up.

  Danny went his way, we went ours. We agreed to use Penny to pass messages, and if we were going to meet, it would be at her place.

  I decided to see Adrienne before I saw Bing. She was the one whose life might be in danger because of a key.

  ‘What if there ain’t no key?’ Jerry asked.

  ‘What?’

  He kept his eyes on the road.

  ‘I said, what if there ain’t no key? We’re wrong, and they’re lookin’ for somethin’ else.’

  ‘Something else that would fit in a cookie jar?’ I asked.

  Jerry shrugged.

  ‘A piece of jewelry?’

  ‘All this for . . . what? A ring? A watch?’

  Jerry shrugged again.

  ‘I’m just sayin’ what if?’

  ‘You’re right,’ I said. ‘It could be somethin’ else. Let’s see what Adrienne has to say about it.’

  ‘Where we gonna find her? She’s probably gonna be casino hoppin’ again.’

  ‘If she is we’ll track her down,’ I said, ‘but let’s start at her apartment.’

  ‘OK, Mr G.’

  The same doorman was on duty.

  ‘Hey, you’re back,’ he said. ‘She’s in. She ain’t gone to the casino today. What’d you do, cure her?’

  ‘I don’t think so,’ I said. ‘We’re gonna go up.’

  ‘Well, I—’

  I gave him a ten and he waved us to the elevator.

  When she answered her door she looked worried, and scared.

  ‘I’ve been trying to find you,’ she said.

  ‘Why?’

  ‘Somebody broke into my house.’

  ‘This place?’ I asked.

  ‘No, my house,’ she said. ‘In Henderson. My cleaning lady called. The place is a mess. It’s like they were . . .’

  ‘Lookin’ for something?’ I asked.

  ‘Yes,’ she said, ‘like the place was searched.’

  ‘They searched my house, too. Nobody’s been here?’ I asked. ‘Maybe while you were out?’

  ‘It’s not generally known that I own this place,’ she said. ‘I use it . . . I only use it . . .’

  ‘I know,’ I said. ‘When you need to get to the casinos.’

  ‘Yes.’ She averted her eyes. Her gambling made her ashamed.

  ‘Well then, that’s good,’ I said. ‘Means the three of us are safe here.’

  ‘Safe?’ she asked. ‘From who?’

  ‘Let’s sit down, and we’ll explain . . .’

  ‘So you think Phil has a safety deposit box at City National and some people are looking for the key?’

  ‘That’s what we think,’ I confirmed. ‘Unless you can think of something else that small, someone might be looking for.’

  ‘Like what?’

  ‘Well, Jerry suggested a piece of jewelry.’

  ‘I don’t know of a piece of jewelry worth killing for that I own, or Phil owned.’

  ‘What about Eric?’

  ‘Forget it. He’s the worst gambler of all of us. He’s got nothing.’

  ‘There’s one more person I can think of,’ I said.

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Your sister Elizabeth.’

  ‘What? Elizabeth? She‘s in her own little world, but—’

  ‘Phil might’ve mailed the key to her, that’s all I’m sayin’,’ I told her. She really couldn’t accept the idea that her sister might be involved. ‘She probably has no idea what’s goin’ on.’

  ‘W-what do you want me to do?’


  ‘Just call her and ask.’

  ‘But what do I tell her?’

  ‘Nothing,’ I said. ‘As little or as much as you want, Adrienne. Just ask her if Phil mailed her a key.’

  ‘A-all right.’

  ‘Did you ever tell her that Chris was dead?’

  ‘Yes, I called and told her . . .’

  She paused, her words catching in her throat.

  ‘Jerry, get her somethin’ to drink, will ya?’

  ‘Sure, Mr G.’

  I was surprised when, out of everything she had available, he chose to bring her a glass of brandy. We got her seated with the glass.

  ‘What’s happening to my family?’ she asked. ‘What did they get themselves into?’

  ‘Whatever it is,’ I said, ‘I feel it has to involve Vince DeStefano.’

  ‘Oh, God.’ She put the glass down and buried her face in her hands. ‘I did it,’ she said, her voice muffled.

  ‘What?’

  She raised her tear-streaked face to us and said, ‘I did it. I brought Vince into our lives.’

  Up to that point I had been under the impression that Phil had brought Vince into their lives.

  ‘I met him in a casino and started to . . . to see him. It was exciting at first, and I introduced him to Phil. By the time Vince and I were done with each other, he and Phil were . . . friends.’

  ‘What about Eric?’ I asked.

  ‘Phil introduced them.’

  ‘Well, if I was you, Adrienne, I’d call Eric and warn him to stay out of sight until this is all over. That is, if you know where he is.’

  ‘A-all right,’ she said. ‘I’ll call Elizabeth and Eric.’

  ‘And Vince,’ I added. ‘We still wanna have that meeting.’

  ‘OK. I’ll do it in the bedroom, and then fix my face.’

  ‘Fine,’ I said. ‘If your sister has the key have her send it to you as quickly as possible.’

  ‘All right.’

  She stood and took the glass of brandy with her, heading for her bedroom.

  ‘Oh, and one other thing.’

  She turned to look at me.

  ‘You were gonna get me some other names of people Phil might’ve been in business with. Somebody else who might have had a reason to want him dead.’

  ‘I know that Phil – and Eric, too – had borrowed money from a man named Lenny Markwell.’

  ‘Markwell,’ I said. ‘OK. I’ll look into that.’

  We both kept our eyes on the doorway, even after she went through.

  ‘Mr G. . . .’ Jerry said.

  ‘I know.’

  ‘If I was Vince DeStefano, I wouldn’t be done with somethin’ like that for a long time.’

  ‘Well, maybe she was done with him.’

  ‘Still, I don’t see him just lettin’ her go.’

  ‘I know what you mean.’

  We looked at each other.

  ‘You know that name she gave you? Markwell?’

  ‘Yeah,’ I said. ‘He’s a local loan shark.’

  ‘Sharks break bones,’ Jerry said, because he was an expert on the subject. ‘They don’t kill people who owe them money.’

  ‘I know that,’ I said.

  ‘Well, what do we do now?’ he asked. ‘No matter how fast Elizabeth sends the key we ain’t gonna have it for a couple of days.’

  ‘Depending on where Elizabeth is.’

  ‘We don’t know?’

  ‘She just said she’s in Europe with her husband.’

  ‘It’ll be days before we see that key,’ Jerry said, shaking his head. ‘We just gonna wait?’

  ‘No,’ I said, ‘we’ve got to do somethin’. We can’t just wait for somebody else to die. We’ll take our meeting with Vince.’

  ‘We? You think he’s gonna agree to see you alone. And let you bring me along?’

  ‘How about we don’t tell him?’

  SEVENTY-TWO

  We got a couple of drinks for ourselves while we waited. Seemed to me I’d been drinking a lot more lately. When I moved to Vegas years ago I was both a drinker and a smoker. I’d pretty much cut those two vices down to almost nothing. Over the past few years I’d gone back to drinking a bit – beer, and an occasional bourbon – but still stayed away from the cigarettes.

  When she came back out almost fifty-five minutes later – Jerry had suggested at the half-hour mark we check to see if she had run out on us – her make-up was perfect and she had composed herself. Still, she poured herself another brandy and lit a cigarette. The way she inhaled the smoke and expelled it, you could see she was still churning inside.

  ‘All right,’ she said. ‘Elizabeth said she got an envelope in the mail from Phil weeks ago.’

  ‘The key?’ I asked.

  ‘She claims she never opened it. Now she says she doesn’t want to. She agreed to send the whole thing on to me by international messenger. Still, it might take two days.’

  ‘What about Eric?’

  ‘I couldn’t get him on the phone,’ she said. ‘Not at home, and not at work. He’s either in a casino or he’s—’

  ‘In hidin’,’ Jerry said.

  ‘I was going to say “dead”,’ she said, ‘but I hope you’re right, Jerry.’

  ‘And what about Vince?’

  ‘Vince agreed to meet with me.’

  ‘You? Alone?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Did you ask him about me?’

  ‘I did. He said there was no reason to meet with you.’

  ‘Why did you arrange to meet with him, then?’ I asked.

  She shrugged.

  ‘I thought you’d come along, anyway.’

  ‘I will,’ I said.

  ‘Mr G.—’

  ‘I know, Jerry,’ I said. ‘He won’t be alone.’

  ‘You won’t be, either.’

  ‘Yeah, you’ll be there,’ I said, ‘but we’ll have to set it up so the advantage is ours.’

  ‘How do we do that?’ Jerry asked.

  ‘By controlling the time and place.’ I looked at Adrienne.

  ‘I’m supposed to call him back and arrange that,’ she said. ‘He was in a hurry to get off the line. He said to call back in two hours.’

  I looked at Jerry, who looked back at me. I found the silence on both our parts very loud.

  ‘OK,’ I said. ‘We have some stuff to do. We’ll pick out a place and be back in two hours.’

  ‘Are you sure you can’t . . . stay?’ she asked.

  This time I felt Jerry look at me, but I didn’t return it.

  ‘No, Adrienne,’ I said, ‘but we’ll back before the two hours.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘Keep tryin’ Eric,’ I suggested. ‘He has to be warned.’

  Jerry and I left. I knew we were thinking the same thing. If she hadn’t been able to get Eric, and DeStefano hadn’t been able to talk, why had she been in the bedroom on the phone for almost an hour?

  We had two hours to figure out a place for the meeting, someplace where Jerry would have a good line of sight on us.

  ‘And I need to be close,’ Jerry said to me as we left Adrienne’s building. ‘If the shooter out at Red Rock was from DeStefano, he’ll probably use him again. He won’t have to be close. Me, with my forty-five, I’ll have to be closer.’

  I was starting to think I was a fool to have come away from the first meeting with Vince DeStefano believing that he was not involved. Unless somebody else came out of the woodwork, he was the likely suspect . . .

  ‘Why’d she give us that loan shark’s name?’ Jerry asked.

  ‘And why was she on the phone for almost an hour?’ I asked.

  ‘You think she’s settin’ us up?’

  ‘I think the only person I’m ready to trust over the next few hours is you,’ I said. ‘So we’re gonna have to watch our backs.’

  ‘I got yours, Mr G.,’ he said, ‘and I know you got mine.’

  I suddenly remembered something, and opened the glove compartment. There was Frank’s .38.<
br />
  ‘I definitely have got yours, Jerry.’

  SEVENTY-THREE

  We drove around. I didn’t want to get a drink, and I didn’t want something to eat. Neither did I want to sit and watch Jerry eat. So we compromised. I stopped where he could jump out and grab a hot dog.

  Here,’ he said, getting back in the car. He handed me a container of coffee.

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘Where to?’ he asked.

  ‘Someplace where we can park so you can eat.’

  ‘It’s OK, Mr G., I can eat and drive.’

  ‘I don’t want you takin’ out a bunch of tourists with my car,’ I said. Then, on the spur of the moment, I said, ‘Pull in here!’

  ‘What’s this?’

  He pulled into the parking lot of a two story building that had just recently been completed, but wasn’t open yet. We were at the northern end of the Strip, not exactly considered prime real estate.

  ‘This is gonna be The Westward Ho Casino and Motel,’ I said. ‘They’re gonna call it The Friendliest Casino in Las Vegas.’

  ‘What’s gonna make it so friendly?’

  I took the top off my coffee and sipped it.

  ‘It’s gonna be the only casino motel on the Strip,’ I said. ‘Also, they’re supposed to have some really cheap food specials.’

  I knew the Westward Ho was owned by brother and sister, Dean and Murray Peterson, as well as Faye Johnson. They had hired Hans Dorweiller to manage it. I didn’t know him, but I’d heard some good things. He would go on to manage the place for forty years.

  Jerry ate his hot dog and studied the two-story motel building.

  ‘Not gonna be very big, is it?’ He looked around. ‘Pretty deserted here. When’s it supposed to open?’

  ‘This year.’

  We both sat and stared at the building.

  ‘You thinkin’ what I’m thinkin’?’ I asked.

  ‘Yeah,’ Jerry said, ‘but who says we get to pick the place? What if DeStefano tells Adrienne where he wants to meet her?’

  ‘Well, she got him to agree to the meet,’ I said. ‘We’ll have to hope she can get him to agree on the place.’

  We drove back to Adrienne’s with a half-hour to spare, decided to park down the block, across the street, and watch.

  ‘She may have called somebody as soon as we left,’ Jerry said.

  ‘Maybe,’ I said. ‘Let’s just sit here for about twenty minutes and see what happens.’