study. In two days I’ll let you start me on that exercise program you been ramming me about.”
Anton smiled. “They’re waiting for you at Gold’s.”
“I’ll bet they are, those bastards. I’ll show them something. I can bench a horse.”
“You can eat a horse maybe,” I said, “but that’s about it.”
“Get out of here,” said Jim. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Anton nodded for a moment, looked at me and nodded, stared some more at Jim, and then left.
“He worries about me too much, but he’s a good kid,” said Jimmy. “Keeps everything in his head now so there won’t be no more ledgers should the cops come looking again.”
“You trust him with that much information?”
“Like a son.”
“Good,” I said, “Because I’d hate to have to cross-examine a chess master at your next criminal trial. All right then, so you went to Calvi to collect what Eddie Shaw owed you.”
“Met him at Tosca’s,” said Jimmy. “He was smoking a cigar and I almost gagged as I sat across from him. I have craps smell better than his cigars. I told him my problem and he said he’d apply some pressure. Strong-arm stuff, but nothing too radical. Raffaello doesn’t go for that. He sent some boys up, sent the message, talked to the family, talked to the staff, made sure everyone knew the situation. I heard they got a little rough. Next thing I know Shaw paid off. Half of what he owed, which is all I needed to get myself clear. Had to increase my payout to Raffaello, you know, a collection charge, but it was worth it, got me off the hook. And you want to know something, that crazy loser is betting again. Just last night he took the Lakers and seven for a thousand.”
“What happened?”
“Bulls blew them out by twenty-five.”
“And what about the sister?” I asked.
“What about who?”
“Shaw’s sister.”
Jimmy shrugged, a wholly unconcerned shrug, as loose as a 275-pound man lying on his back in a hospital before surgery can shrug. “What about her?”
“She died just before her brother started paying you back. Some in her family think she was murdered.”
“Who? By me? That’s a laugh.”
“Not so funny if it’s true.”
“Why would I care about the sister?”
“You don’t think Calvi might have hurt the sister as a warning for Eddie?”
“What, are you crazy? His boys broke Shaw’s arm in two places with the blunt end of an ax, threatening to use the blade side if he didn’t pay up. Now that’s a warning. Hey, we got to get tough sometimes, but we’re not animals. What do you think?”
What I thought was that he was telling me the truth, which was a relief because I liked Jimmy Dubinsky and I’d hate to think that someone I liked was a murderer. So Jimmy had gone to Calvi and Calvi had broken Eddie Shaw’s arm in two places and suddenly Eddie had found the money to pay back Jimmy. Where? That seemed to be the crucial question.
“All right, Jimmy,” I said. “Thanks for your help. This thing tomorrow, it’s not dangerous, is it?”
“A piece of cake,” he said. “Roto-Rooter, that’s the name and away go troubles down the drain. I’ll be here for three more days. You’ll visit again?”
“Sure.”
“You’ll bring me another little gift?”
“I thought you were Slim-Fasting.”
“You’re allowed one reasonable meal a day. It says it right there on the can.”
“Sure, I’ll bring a gift if you want,” I said.
“And next time, Victor, be a sport and buy them by the sack.”
My car was still at the meter, when I stepped outside the hospital, still with its tires, still with its radio, still with its battery firmly in place, all of which was a pleasant surprise. It was back in my office where the unpleasant surprise awaited.
11
T HEY JUST WENT IN,” said Ellie, her hands fluttering about her neck. “I tried to stop them.”
“That’s all right, Ellie. Where’s Beth?”
“At a settlement conference. I was the only one here.”
“You did
Anton smiled. “They’re waiting for you at Gold’s.”
“I’ll bet they are, those bastards. I’ll show them something. I can bench a horse.”
“You can eat a horse maybe,” I said, “but that’s about it.”
“Get out of here,” said Jim. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Anton nodded for a moment, looked at me and nodded, stared some more at Jim, and then left.
“He worries about me too much, but he’s a good kid,” said Jimmy. “Keeps everything in his head now so there won’t be no more ledgers should the cops come looking again.”
“You trust him with that much information?”
“Like a son.”
“Good,” I said, “Because I’d hate to have to cross-examine a chess master at your next criminal trial. All right then, so you went to Calvi to collect what Eddie Shaw owed you.”
“Met him at Tosca’s,” said Jimmy. “He was smoking a cigar and I almost gagged as I sat across from him. I have craps smell better than his cigars. I told him my problem and he said he’d apply some pressure. Strong-arm stuff, but nothing too radical. Raffaello doesn’t go for that. He sent some boys up, sent the message, talked to the family, talked to the staff, made sure everyone knew the situation. I heard they got a little rough. Next thing I know Shaw paid off. Half of what he owed, which is all I needed to get myself clear. Had to increase my payout to Raffaello, you know, a collection charge, but it was worth it, got me off the hook. And you want to know something, that crazy loser is betting again. Just last night he took the Lakers and seven for a thousand.”
“What happened?”
“Bulls blew them out by twenty-five.”
“And what about the sister?” I asked.
“What about who?”
“Shaw’s sister.”
Jimmy shrugged, a wholly unconcerned shrug, as loose as a 275-pound man lying on his back in a hospital before surgery can shrug. “What about her?”
“She died just before her brother started paying you back. Some in her family think she was murdered.”
“Who? By me? That’s a laugh.”
“Not so funny if it’s true.”
“Why would I care about the sister?”
“You don’t think Calvi might have hurt the sister as a warning for Eddie?”
“What, are you crazy? His boys broke Shaw’s arm in two places with the blunt end of an ax, threatening to use the blade side if he didn’t pay up. Now that’s a warning. Hey, we got to get tough sometimes, but we’re not animals. What do you think?”
What I thought was that he was telling me the truth, which was a relief because I liked Jimmy Dubinsky and I’d hate to think that someone I liked was a murderer. So Jimmy had gone to Calvi and Calvi had broken Eddie Shaw’s arm in two places and suddenly Eddie had found the money to pay back Jimmy. Where? That seemed to be the crucial question.
“All right, Jimmy,” I said. “Thanks for your help. This thing tomorrow, it’s not dangerous, is it?”
“A piece of cake,” he said. “Roto-Rooter, that’s the name and away go troubles down the drain. I’ll be here for three more days. You’ll visit again?”
“Sure.”
“You’ll bring me another little gift?”
“I thought you were Slim-Fasting.”
“You’re allowed one reasonable meal a day. It says it right there on the can.”
“Sure, I’ll bring a gift if you want,” I said.
“And next time, Victor, be a sport and buy them by the sack.”
My car was still at the meter, when I stepped outside the hospital, still with its tires, still with its radio, still with its battery firmly in place, all of which was a pleasant surprise. It was back in my office where the unpleasant surprise awaited.
11
T HEY JUST WENT IN,” said Ellie, her hands fluttering about her neck. “I tried to stop them.”
“That’s all right, Ellie. Where’s Beth?”
“At a settlement conference. I was the only one here.”
“You did
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