Felicia right behind him. She headed for the front door of the casino, her head bowed against the driving wind and rain, Ripper right with her. I locked the car and followed them into the lobby.
I led Ripper to a secluded corner and gave him the command to stay. He settled to the floor, but his eyes followed Felicia as she headed toward the ladies’ room.
I decided to wake Jilly with the good news. I dug out my cell phone. A minute later a jubilant Jilly said, “Fantastic! I can’t believe you got her out of there that fast!” He laughed, elated. I found myself grinning from ear to ear as I stood there, dripping water onto the rug.
Jilly solved my problem before I could pose it to him. “Take her to Andy McGuire’s place in Incline Village; she knows where it is. He has a vacation cabin in the hills just outside of Virginia City. That’ll be a good place to hole up for a while until we see what Varchetta’s gonna do. Call me after you get settled, Jack.”
Before I could reply, he went on: “Is Felicia okay?”
“Exhausted but unharmed.”
“How’s Ripper?”
I laughed. “In love.”
“In love?”
“With Felicia.”
Jilly laughed. “Well hell, who isn’t?”
I smiled. “We’ve got to get some hot food into us and get out of here. I’ll stay in touch.”
“Okay. And Jack … thanks.”
“Believe me, my friend, it has been my pleasure.”
When Felicia walked out of the ladies’ room, I quickly slipped my jacket off and held it open for her. “Oh, thank you Jack. I am cold,” she said.
I didn’t tell her that I was really trying to hide that transparent gown which was plastered to her body. I led her into the nearly deserted dining room.
The lone waitress placed hot coffee in front of us and we ordered. We sat in silence for a few moments, staring out the window at the rain-dimpled surface of the deserted, wind-blown swimming pool.
“I called Jilly,” I said. She looked at me with interest. “He wants us to go to Andy’s place.”
She nodded. “It will be good to see him again.” I heard the weariness in her voice.
“Jilly said that Andy has a little cabin somewhere up in the hills behind Virginia City. He suggested we kick back there for a while until this blows over.”
She stared at me for a few moments, her eyes big and sad. Then she looked down at her coffee and just nodded.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No.”
“I think I did,” I said.
She looked up at me and for a moment I thought she was going to cry. She didn’t, but what was going on in her mind was mirrored in those enormous dark eyes.
She took a sip of coffee before she spoke again. “Jonathan and I spent some time together there.”
“Oh.” My voice sounded hollow in my ears. They were obviously beautiful, but painful, memories. I envied both of them. I’ve never known anything like that. I suppose you don’t miss what you’ve never experienced, but I had just enough of an inkling of what it would be like, from the few things she’d said, to fill me with a sense of loss.
Chapter 14
Benny Florentine sat on the edge of the bed in his room, dressed in a fresh black suit. He inspected his polished shoes, flicked a small piece of lint from the left sleeve of his jacket, adjusted his tie for perhaps the tenth time, and glanced once again at his watch.
He could not keep the troublesome thought from creeping into his mind. Has the boss decided against letting me watch? What if he’s forgotten about me?
Benny got up and walked across the room. He did not want to think about that. The boss wouldn’t do that to him. Hadn’t he done a good job? The boss had said so. He wouldn’t lie to me, would he?
Benny poked through a stack of skin magazines, selected one and returned to the bed. He sat there, flipping through the pages, staring at the familiar poses. But his mind was on the bedroom, some ten floors above him. No, the boss wouldn’t lie to me. He told himself that, over and
I led Ripper to a secluded corner and gave him the command to stay. He settled to the floor, but his eyes followed Felicia as she headed toward the ladies’ room.
I decided to wake Jilly with the good news. I dug out my cell phone. A minute later a jubilant Jilly said, “Fantastic! I can’t believe you got her out of there that fast!” He laughed, elated. I found myself grinning from ear to ear as I stood there, dripping water onto the rug.
Jilly solved my problem before I could pose it to him. “Take her to Andy McGuire’s place in Incline Village; she knows where it is. He has a vacation cabin in the hills just outside of Virginia City. That’ll be a good place to hole up for a while until we see what Varchetta’s gonna do. Call me after you get settled, Jack.”
Before I could reply, he went on: “Is Felicia okay?”
“Exhausted but unharmed.”
“How’s Ripper?”
I laughed. “In love.”
“In love?”
“With Felicia.”
Jilly laughed. “Well hell, who isn’t?”
I smiled. “We’ve got to get some hot food into us and get out of here. I’ll stay in touch.”
“Okay. And Jack … thanks.”
“Believe me, my friend, it has been my pleasure.”
When Felicia walked out of the ladies’ room, I quickly slipped my jacket off and held it open for her. “Oh, thank you Jack. I am cold,” she said.
I didn’t tell her that I was really trying to hide that transparent gown which was plastered to her body. I led her into the nearly deserted dining room.
The lone waitress placed hot coffee in front of us and we ordered. We sat in silence for a few moments, staring out the window at the rain-dimpled surface of the deserted, wind-blown swimming pool.
“I called Jilly,” I said. She looked at me with interest. “He wants us to go to Andy’s place.”
She nodded. “It will be good to see him again.” I heard the weariness in her voice.
“Jilly said that Andy has a little cabin somewhere up in the hills behind Virginia City. He suggested we kick back there for a while until this blows over.”
She stared at me for a few moments, her eyes big and sad. Then she looked down at her coffee and just nodded.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“No.”
“I think I did,” I said.
She looked up at me and for a moment I thought she was going to cry. She didn’t, but what was going on in her mind was mirrored in those enormous dark eyes.
She took a sip of coffee before she spoke again. “Jonathan and I spent some time together there.”
“Oh.” My voice sounded hollow in my ears. They were obviously beautiful, but painful, memories. I envied both of them. I’ve never known anything like that. I suppose you don’t miss what you’ve never experienced, but I had just enough of an inkling of what it would be like, from the few things she’d said, to fill me with a sense of loss.
Chapter 14
Benny Florentine sat on the edge of the bed in his room, dressed in a fresh black suit. He inspected his polished shoes, flicked a small piece of lint from the left sleeve of his jacket, adjusted his tie for perhaps the tenth time, and glanced once again at his watch.
He could not keep the troublesome thought from creeping into his mind. Has the boss decided against letting me watch? What if he’s forgotten about me?
Benny got up and walked across the room. He did not want to think about that. The boss wouldn’t do that to him. Hadn’t he done a good job? The boss had said so. He wouldn’t lie to me, would he?
Benny poked through a stack of skin magazines, selected one and returned to the bed. He sat there, flipping through the pages, staring at the familiar poses. But his mind was on the bedroom, some ten floors above him. No, the boss wouldn’t lie to me. He told himself that, over and
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