Friscoe took out his notebook and flipped through several pages. ‘Here we go. Five-seven, two-ten, getting bald, slobby-lookin’ guy, according to this actor. The actor, Donegan, he does the gay joints, picks up fresh meat, and delivers it to this Kershman’s door, for which he gets paid more than you and me together. How do you like them apples?’
‘I think we may have a little trouble as far as this Kershman’s concerned,’ Sharky said. ‘If it’s who I think it is, he’s at the bottom of the lake with a hole in his head.’
‘He was one of them?’ Livingston asked.
‘A guy who fits that description was running the show. A real pig.’
‘Neat,’ Friscoe said. ‘See, the problem is, right now we ain’t god diddly shit to tie this DeLaroza to anybody. Everything we got, okay? is circumstantial. We know he knew this guy and that guy and he was here and he was there and he owned this and that and the other thing. But nothing we can hang our hat on. Unless we grab Scardi, see, and he sings, DeLaroza’s walkin’ free from where I’m sittin’. He’s like, once removed from everything that came down.’
‘Who owns the junk?’
‘DeLaroza’s corporation. But he can always lay the whole thing off on Kershman. We need corroboration somewhere in here.’
‘Who did you tell about me?’ Sharky asked Domino.
For a long moment they stared at each other. Domino felt his eyes burning into her soul.
‘Donald Hotchins.’
Sharky whistled. ‘So he’s in it, too. And he’s running for president?’
‘Yeah,’ Friscoe cut in, ‘but also, shit, pardon the French, ladies, see, that’s another thing, it’s like a goddamn Chinese wastepaper basket. Domino was with Hotchins the night Tiffany got snuffed. Obviously he didn’t know what was comin’ down at that point. He must’ve got into it, see, after he got back.’
‘You were Hotchins’s mistress?’ Sharky said to Domino.
‘Kind of.’
‘Neat company you keep.’
‘The pits,’ she said.
‘Has anybody figured out why they were after you?’ Sharky asked her.
Livingston said, ‘We got a couple of ideas. The way we put it together to here, Corrigon must’ve got on to DcLaroza some way. Flow, we don’t know. Domino thinks the hit may have happened in front of DeLaroza’s building and she saw Scardi putting Corrigon’s stiff in a car. It was Halloween night, so the time jibes.’
‘I think it was more than that,’ Domino said. ‘I think they were afraid of me because of my association with both of them.’
‘So, where do we stand?’ Sharky said.
‘Where we stand, we ain’t got nothin’ on Delaroza. We can put Scardi under if we can collar him. Hotchins? So far all he did was blow the whistle on you and fuck around a little. Sorry about that, little lady, but you know what I mean there. Anyways, we can’t get to DeLaroza right now and if we turn this case over to that retard Hanson, he’ll shit purple apples. The case’ll flush and DeLaroza and Hotchins’ll walk. We got to tie these three bastards together and make it stick.’
‘We got a plan,’ Livingston said. ‘Actually it was Domino who came up with it. DeLaroza has this amusement place inside his building. From what we hear it must be something. It’s been on the TV news all day today. Tonight’s the grand opening, a costume thing, see, with the big shots goin’ formal. Now, supposing Domino shows up there. She has an invitation, so getting in is no problem. And maybe when they see her, they’ll make a move against her.’
‘This was your idea?’ Sharky said.
Domino nodded.
‘It’s too risky.’
‘That’s what we all said.’
‘Thing is,’ Friscoe said, ‘if Kershman is out of it like you say — that leaves us in the shit pile with no flyswatter. And if they get smart and get rid of Scardi, we can’t stick them for even runnin’ a stop sign. The best we can do, we go to Jaspers, lay it all out for him, give it to the Feds, and hope to hell they can make something out of it.’
‘No way!’ Sharky snapped.
‘So, her idea’s the best thing we got goin’ there, Shark,’ Friscoe said. ‘After tonight our string’s run out. We’re on borrowed time right now. Anybody tumbles to that junk, Abrams’s body turns up, school’s out.’
‘So what are we gonna do,’ Sharky said, just stand around and hope they make a move?’
‘We freak them,’ Livingston said.
‘How?’
‘I’ll let them see me, then duck back in the crowd,’ Domino said. ‘If I do it often enough, they’ll have to do something. I’ll be in costume and you’ll be in your Sunday suit with a little mask on. It’ll be kind of fun.’
‘Fun! These people don’t play for fun.’
‘Right,’ Friscoe said. ‘And judging from some of their moves the last few days, they ain’t afraid to take big chances. Sharky, you stick to her like Elmer’s glue. We’ll have you wired, and Arch and J will be in the lobby if anything breaks loose. Papa’s gonna try crashing the gate so he can back you up. Anything happens, we’ll be in there like the fuckin’ Marines.’
