Bill and I walked to the elevator.
I drove to Lucino’s restaurant. As soon as Lucino saw me, he came rushing from behind the bar.
‘Our special VIP table, Mr. Wallace,’ he said, shaking hands.
He led us to a table, tucked into a corner away from the other tables. At this hour there were few people waiting to be served.
As we sat down Lucino looked sorrowfully at me.
‘Mr. Wallace. I heard. I’m sorry. There is nothing more I can say except I grieve for you.’
I saw there were tears in his eyes. I leaned forward and patted his arm.
‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘You are a good friend.’
‘Now, Mr. Wallace, I intend to prepare something very special for you. Give me the pleasure, and Mr. Wallace, this is on the house. I need to express my deep-felt sympathy. Please don’t say no. Leave it to me.’
I felt a wave of emotion run through me, but I controlled it.
‘Thanks,’ I said.
Lucino rushed away to the kitchen. I could hear him shouting to his two chefs.
Bill sat back.
‘You certainly have good friends, Dirk,’ he said. ‘Man! Am I starving!’
In minutes, a waiter placed platters of stone crabs and a basket of crispy bread before us.
I knew it would be a waste of time to talk to Bill until he had taken the edge off his appetite, so we ate in silence. The waiter produced a bottle of chilled white wine and poured.
I ate little. I had too much on my mind. Food didn’t interest me. When I saw Bill had finished his crab claws, I dropped half my portion onto his plate. He looked at me, nodded and dived in.
Finally, when he had finished and sat back with a sigh of content, I said, ‘Can you concentrate now?’
‘What’s to follow?’ he asked as the waiter arrived and cleared the platters.
‘God knows!’ I said impatiently. ‘Now listen, Bill. I have been saving money, and we will need money. Neither of us will be earning anything. How are you fixed for money?’
He gave me a happy grin.
‘No problem. I’ve stashed away twenty-five big ones. What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. OK?’
The waiter arrived with two more platters on which lay juicy steaks and half a lobster and a big bowl of french fries.
‘Oh!’ Bill exclaimed. ‘Now this is like a real meal!’
We ate. A lime pie followed, then a big jug of coffee.
I refused the pie, and with growing impatience watched Bill eat.
Finally, he sat back and patted his stomach.
‘The best,’ he said. ‘The very best!’
‘Now, will you shut up and listen?’ I said.
I told him what I had learned from Al Barney.
‘We’re going to get mixed up with the Mafia. You still have time to pull out. I must warn you this is going to be a very dangerous ride.’
Bill sipped his coffee.
‘The Mafia, huh?’
‘That’s it.’
He nodded.
‘I wondered about the acid job. It smelt to me of the Mafia. Fine. Together we take them. Just tell me what you want me to do.’
‘You really mean this, Bill? We both could finish up dead. You realise this?’
For a long moment, Bill looked thoughtful, then he grinned at me and shrugged.
‘So what? You can only die once. Together, we’ll take them. What’s the first move?’
‘As we’ll be working together, it would be a good idea for you to move into my spare room. Shut up your pad, and we’ll be together. OK?’
Bill nodded.
‘Fine with me.’
‘Right. Go pack whatever you want and move in.’ I put the keys of my apartment on the table. ‘I’ll be with you in a couple of hours.’
‘What are you up to?’
‘I’ll tell you later. You move in. I’ll be seeing you.’
I shook hands with Lucino, thanked him for the dinner, then went out into the humid night air. Getting into my car, I drove to the Thorsens’ residence. As I had hoped, the place was in darkness, except for a light showing in Josh Smedley’s room.
I parked the car outside the gates and walked up the drive. I had to tug the front door bell chain three times before the door was opened, and Josh gazed
I drove to Lucino’s restaurant. As soon as Lucino saw me, he came rushing from behind the bar.
‘Our special VIP table, Mr. Wallace,’ he said, shaking hands.
He led us to a table, tucked into a corner away from the other tables. At this hour there were few people waiting to be served.
As we sat down Lucino looked sorrowfully at me.
‘Mr. Wallace. I heard. I’m sorry. There is nothing more I can say except I grieve for you.’
I saw there were tears in his eyes. I leaned forward and patted his arm.
‘Thanks,’ I said. ‘You are a good friend.’
‘Now, Mr. Wallace, I intend to prepare something very special for you. Give me the pleasure, and Mr. Wallace, this is on the house. I need to express my deep-felt sympathy. Please don’t say no. Leave it to me.’
I felt a wave of emotion run through me, but I controlled it.
‘Thanks,’ I said.
Lucino rushed away to the kitchen. I could hear him shouting to his two chefs.
Bill sat back.
‘You certainly have good friends, Dirk,’ he said. ‘Man! Am I starving!’
In minutes, a waiter placed platters of stone crabs and a basket of crispy bread before us.
I knew it would be a waste of time to talk to Bill until he had taken the edge off his appetite, so we ate in silence. The waiter produced a bottle of chilled white wine and poured.
I ate little. I had too much on my mind. Food didn’t interest me. When I saw Bill had finished his crab claws, I dropped half my portion onto his plate. He looked at me, nodded and dived in.
Finally, when he had finished and sat back with a sigh of content, I said, ‘Can you concentrate now?’
‘What’s to follow?’ he asked as the waiter arrived and cleared the platters.
‘God knows!’ I said impatiently. ‘Now listen, Bill. I have been saving money, and we will need money. Neither of us will be earning anything. How are you fixed for money?’
He gave me a happy grin.
‘No problem. I’ve stashed away twenty-five big ones. What’s yours is mine, and what’s mine is yours. OK?’
The waiter arrived with two more platters on which lay juicy steaks and half a lobster and a big bowl of french fries.
‘Oh!’ Bill exclaimed. ‘Now this is like a real meal!’
We ate. A lime pie followed, then a big jug of coffee.
I refused the pie, and with growing impatience watched Bill eat.
Finally, he sat back and patted his stomach.
‘The best,’ he said. ‘The very best!’
‘Now, will you shut up and listen?’ I said.
I told him what I had learned from Al Barney.
‘We’re going to get mixed up with the Mafia. You still have time to pull out. I must warn you this is going to be a very dangerous ride.’
Bill sipped his coffee.
‘The Mafia, huh?’
‘That’s it.’
He nodded.
‘I wondered about the acid job. It smelt to me of the Mafia. Fine. Together we take them. Just tell me what you want me to do.’
‘You really mean this, Bill? We both could finish up dead. You realise this?’
For a long moment, Bill looked thoughtful, then he grinned at me and shrugged.
‘So what? You can only die once. Together, we’ll take them. What’s the first move?’
‘As we’ll be working together, it would be a good idea for you to move into my spare room. Shut up your pad, and we’ll be together. OK?’
Bill nodded.
‘Fine with me.’
‘Right. Go pack whatever you want and move in.’ I put the keys of my apartment on the table. ‘I’ll be with you in a couple of hours.’
‘What are you up to?’
‘I’ll tell you later. You move in. I’ll be seeing you.’
I shook hands with Lucino, thanked him for the dinner, then went out into the humid night air. Getting into my car, I drove to the Thorsens’ residence. As I had hoped, the place was in darkness, except for a light showing in Josh Smedley’s room.
I parked the car outside the gates and walked up the drive. I had to tug the front door bell chain three times before the door was opened, and Josh gazed
Similar Books
