Read Online Chance by Robert B. Parker - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Robert B. Parker
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said.
"Did Marty tell you why he had a tail on you?"
"No, but he seemed very interested in whatever I might be doing for Julius Ventura," I said.
"And he seemed quite interested in Julius's son-in-law."
Fish pursed his lips for a moment and blew short silent whistles through them.
"What are you doing for Julius," Fish said.
I shook my head. Fish nodded sadly.
"If I need to know," he said, "I will make you tell me. For the moment the point can remain moot."
"Maybe you can tell me something," I said.
"Was Marty acting for you when he put a tail on me?"
Again Fish whistled silently for a moment.
"Marty is ambitious," Fish said.
"And charming," I said.
"I understand that Julius's son-in-law used to courier cash between you and Julius."
"He has done some work for me. Julius and I have areas of common interest in which we are cooperative."
"It's what life's all about, isn't it?"
Fish ignored me. We both sat quietly for a time.
"Do you know why Marty was interested in Anthony Meeker?"
Fish said.
The name was up in the front of his brain. Did that mean Gino knew Anthony because he'd done some work for him, because he was Julius's son-in-law, or because he had recently become interested in him?
"If Marty was working for you, I'd say Anthony was skimming. If Marty's on his own in this, I don't know."
Fish nodded.
"Maybe Marty is skimming," I said.
"Why would that cause him to be interested in Meeker?"
"It would explain why you were interested in Marty," I said.
"Maybe they were both skimming."
"Many people, ah, skim," Fish said.
"It is human. But it doesn't seem an answer sufficient to my questions."
"Don't you hate it when that happens," I said.
Fish didn't answer. He sat still and looked thoughtfully at me, his long hands folded quietly in his lap.
"Well," Fish said, finally.
"Neither of us has learned as much from the other as he would have wished."
"True," I said, "but I enjoyed listening to you talk."
Fish did his imitation smile.
"Perhaps we'll talk again," he said.
He stood and walked toward the door. Vinnie opened it, Fish walked through. Vinnie, his face expressionless, shot me once with -his forefinger and walked out after him.
CHAPTER 13
Julius Ventura didn't like it much that I was going to Vegas to look for Anthony. He wanted me to find Anthony in East Boston, or maybe Scituate at the outmost.
"You sure you ain't holding me up for a trip to Vegas?" he said.
We were in his office, in the back of a bar room called Cutter's on Atlantic Ave." near Quincy Market. Shirley was there too, sober, in a flowered dress with puffy sleeves and a very narrow skirt with a flared hem.
"Sure," I said.
"Me and Hawk. The dream of a lifetime. Vegas!
Who could blame us?"
"I ain't paying for you two clowns to go on no joy ride," Ventura said.
"But, Daddy, if Mr. Spenser thinks he's there…"
"Mr. Spenser thinks there's a good time there," Ventura said.
He was going to okay the trip and we all knew it. This was just foreplay to Julius, who felt like being a hard-nosed guy. I didn't mind. Julius needed to feel like a hard-nosed guy, and I had plenty of time.
"I could have said he was in Paris."
"He wouldn't go to Paris," Shirley said.
"Did he go to Las Vegas with anyone?"
"Don't know," I said.
"Got anyone in mind?"
"No. Not at all, I was just wondering."
"You and Hawk both got to go?" Ventura said.
"We'll find him quicker," I said.
"With two of us looking."
"Just why is it you think he's there?"
"I'm told he's always dreamed of it. That he's got a system and as soon as he could get the dough together he was going to go out and bust Vegas."
"And where you think he got the dough?"
"From you," I said, "or Gino Fish, or both."
"You think we give it to him?" Ventura asked.
"No, I think he took it."
Shirley stood up as if there was a spring in her chair.
"That is absolutely not so," she said. She had her fists resting on her hips.
"Anthony made a very good salary and he was as honest as the
"Did Marty tell you why he had a tail on you?"
"No, but he seemed very interested in whatever I might be doing for Julius Ventura," I said.
"And he seemed quite interested in Julius's son-in-law."
Fish pursed his lips for a moment and blew short silent whistles through them.
"What are you doing for Julius," Fish said.
I shook my head. Fish nodded sadly.
"If I need to know," he said, "I will make you tell me. For the moment the point can remain moot."
"Maybe you can tell me something," I said.
"Was Marty acting for you when he put a tail on me?"
Again Fish whistled silently for a moment.
"Marty is ambitious," Fish said.
"And charming," I said.
"I understand that Julius's son-in-law used to courier cash between you and Julius."
"He has done some work for me. Julius and I have areas of common interest in which we are cooperative."
"It's what life's all about, isn't it?"
Fish ignored me. We both sat quietly for a time.
"Do you know why Marty was interested in Anthony Meeker?"
Fish said.
The name was up in the front of his brain. Did that mean Gino knew Anthony because he'd done some work for him, because he was Julius's son-in-law, or because he had recently become interested in him?
"If Marty was working for you, I'd say Anthony was skimming. If Marty's on his own in this, I don't know."
Fish nodded.
"Maybe Marty is skimming," I said.
"Why would that cause him to be interested in Meeker?"
"It would explain why you were interested in Marty," I said.
"Maybe they were both skimming."
"Many people, ah, skim," Fish said.
"It is human. But it doesn't seem an answer sufficient to my questions."
"Don't you hate it when that happens," I said.
Fish didn't answer. He sat still and looked thoughtfully at me, his long hands folded quietly in his lap.
"Well," Fish said, finally.
"Neither of us has learned as much from the other as he would have wished."
"True," I said, "but I enjoyed listening to you talk."
Fish did his imitation smile.
"Perhaps we'll talk again," he said.
He stood and walked toward the door. Vinnie opened it, Fish walked through. Vinnie, his face expressionless, shot me once with -his forefinger and walked out after him.
CHAPTER 13
Julius Ventura didn't like it much that I was going to Vegas to look for Anthony. He wanted me to find Anthony in East Boston, or maybe Scituate at the outmost.
"You sure you ain't holding me up for a trip to Vegas?" he said.
We were in his office, in the back of a bar room called Cutter's on Atlantic Ave." near Quincy Market. Shirley was there too, sober, in a flowered dress with puffy sleeves and a very narrow skirt with a flared hem.
"Sure," I said.
"Me and Hawk. The dream of a lifetime. Vegas!
Who could blame us?"
"I ain't paying for you two clowns to go on no joy ride," Ventura said.
"But, Daddy, if Mr. Spenser thinks he's there…"
"Mr. Spenser thinks there's a good time there," Ventura said.
He was going to okay the trip and we all knew it. This was just foreplay to Julius, who felt like being a hard-nosed guy. I didn't mind. Julius needed to feel like a hard-nosed guy, and I had plenty of time.
"I could have said he was in Paris."
"He wouldn't go to Paris," Shirley said.
"Did he go to Las Vegas with anyone?"
"Don't know," I said.
"Got anyone in mind?"
"No. Not at all, I was just wondering."
"You and Hawk both got to go?" Ventura said.
"We'll find him quicker," I said.
"With two of us looking."
"Just why is it you think he's there?"
"I'm told he's always dreamed of it. That he's got a system and as soon as he could get the dough together he was going to go out and bust Vegas."
"And where you think he got the dough?"
"From you," I said, "or Gino Fish, or both."
"You think we give it to him?" Ventura asked.
"No, I think he took it."
Shirley stood up as if there was a spring in her chair.
"That is absolutely not so," she said. She had her fists resting on her hips.
"Anthony made a very good salary and he was as honest as the
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