said, putting her hand on my arm, âBing told me about the . . . the dead men. Iâm worried about him being involved in this.â
âHe hasnât done anything, Katy,â I said. âItâll probably make the papers, and the wire services, but all he did was drive out to meet a guy who turned out to be dead.â
âI know, but you also know how Hollywood can blow things out of proportion.â
âWhat do you want me to do?â
âIâve heard Frank and Dean talk about you,â she said. âThey trust you. Can I trust you?â
âOf course.â
âCan you just . . . watch out for him?â she asked. âWithout telling him that I asked you to?â
She still had her hand on my arm, so I put my hand over hers and said, âDonât worry, Katy. Everything will be OK.â
âThank you, Eddie,â she said, squeezing my arm. âThank you very much.â
TWENTY-FIVE
When we went inside, Bing Crosby asked, âDid you find it?â
She touched her ear and said, âYes, it was in the seat. Eddie found it. Thank you, Eddie.â She leaned over and kissed my cheek.
They said goodnight to us and went up to their suite, arm-in-arm.
âThey make a nice couple, even though heâs a lot older.â
âYeah, they do,â I said. âLetâs get a drink in the lounge.â
âOK, Mr G.â
On the way Jerry took off his tie, tucked it into his pocket and undid the top button of his shirt. When we got to the lounge Jack Jones was singing âLollipops and Roses,â his hit from the year before. When he saw me, he waved, never missing a beat. I waved back, then stopped to look the place over. In a corner booth sat Frank Junior with a young lady.
âThereâs Frank Junior,â Jerry said.
âI see him.â
âWhoâs that heâs with?â
âIâm not sure,â I said, âbut it looks like . . . Joey Heatherton.â
âAre either one of them twenty yet?â
âProbably not. Come on, letâs just sit at the bar.â
We went to the bar, got the bartenderâs attention and ordered two beers. Didi came over to say hello, and I introduced her to Jerry. Jack Jones did a few more songs, then came over to say hello, also.
Finally, just before Jack did another set, Frank Junior came over and introduced us to Joey Heatherton, who was a kittenish blonde with more sex appeal than one girl should have.
Frank agreed to have lunch with me the next day, and then he and Joey left.
Jerry finished his second beer and said, âIâm gonna go to my suite, Mr G.â
âAlready?â
âWho knows when Iâll ever have a suite again,â he said. âIâm kinda enjoyinâ it.â
âJerry,â I promised, âIâll get you a suite from now on whenever you come to town.â
âNah,â he said. âThis time is good enough. Makes it special, Especially knowinâ that Mr C. is payinâ for it.â
âOK,â I said. âWanna meet for breakfast in the coffee shop?â
âSure,â he said. âEight?â
âThatâs good. We can talk about what weâre gonna do when the cops start cominâ after us.â
âMr G.,â he said, putting his massive paw on my arm, âthis time we didnât do nothinâ.â
âYou know it,â I said, âand I know it . . .â
TWENTY-SIX
Rather than stay overnight in the hotel I decided to drive home and sleep in my own bed, even though Iâd arranged to meet Jerry early for breakfast. It would only be about an hourâs drive from my house in the morning.
Because there had been more than one occasion over the past few years when I found some strangers in my house, I used my key and entered very carefully. I felt silly, though, and quickly switched on a light. What reason would anyone have
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