directly or indirectly control most of the big banks. They are Roman emperors, lake. Thumbs up,
you?re in; thumbs down, you?re out. Now, that may not be to your likin? or mine, but that?s the way it
is. Nobody bucks that kind of power.”
“So they?d know who owns the hotels, the marinas, condos, apartments, what have you?”
“1 suppose so, unless they?re all owned by blind corporations. The hotels are owned by a local
combine.”
“You?re sure about that?”
“Straight from the horse?s mouth.”
“And which horse would that be?”
“Sam Donleavy. He?s Harry?s right-hand man, the second most powerful man in Dunetown. If there?s
a head of the Committee, he?d be it.”
“How about Raines?”
“He doesn?t sit. Donleavy?s his voice. Raines is funny about conflict of interest. Right now he devotes
all his time to the track. If he can prove it?s worthwhile, he?ll waltz into the governor?s mansion.”
“Who else is on this Committee?”
He wiggled his head like an old bear. “Shit, pal, you don?t stop, do you? You prime the pump with a
cup of water and get a gallon outta me. You could turn out to be a real son of a bitch.”
“I have been accused of that.”
His flaccid face flowed back into a smile.
“I?ll just bet so,” he said.
“It?s what I do,” I said, smiling back.
“Don?t we all. Okay, first, there?s Donleavy. That?s him sitting right over there in the tweed jacket.”
He nodded toward the man whom I had seen talking to Stoney Titan as I came in. He was a big guy
with a bull neck and shoulders that threatened to split his jacket down the middle. He appeared to be
in his thirties, wore his hair in a crew cut, and had nose that had been flattened more than once. An
ex-ballplayer, I guessed looking at him. He was entertaining the ladies at the table, there was a lot of
giggling, hut the lines around his mouth were tight and the laughter didn?t spread to his eyes. He
looked like a man with a lot of trouble trying to have a good time and I mentioned it to Dutch.
“I imagine Stoney?s driven a spike up his tail,” said Dutch. “Sam?ll fall before Harry, and if he falls
out of grace, he doesn?t have the Findley millions to lean on.”
“Which means they?ll put the heat on you.”
“Us, partner.”
“Yeah, us.”
