More cigarette smoking, more gazing off into the middle distance while we waited. Then Fast Eddie spoke again and Mei Ling translated.
'When Mr. Broz was active the system ran smoothly. Then he went into his decline. Still there was some balance. Mr. Lee had the Chinese people, Mr. Marcus had the black people. And Mr.
Fish and Mr. Ventura shared the rest. Their spheres were less clearly defined, and they had to cooperate more intimately to avoid conflict, which would not profit any of us. Thus their spheres became more like one cooperative sphere and the business balanced in three parts until Mr. Marcus went to prison. He has left a weak caretaker, which is wise, Mr. Lee says, because strong caretakers become owners. But that weakness invites others, and since Mr.
Marcus went to prison there has been a shifting of the stones in the sack.'
'People are trying to take over Tony's enterprise?' I said.
'There is a vacuum, people are being drawn into it.'
'You?'
'No, Mr. Lee does not wish commerce with barbarians.'
Mei Ling made a deprecating little smile at me and Hawk when she translated barbarians.
'Gino or Julius?' I said.
Fast Eddie shrugged.
'Both?'
Fast Eddie shrugged again.
'Anthony Meeker got anything to do with it?' I said.
Fast Eddie shrugged again.
'Inscrutable,' I said.
Fast Eddie smiled. We sat.
'I do not think he will tell us anything else, sir,' Mei Ling said to me.
Fast Eddie smiled widely.
'You cause mess,' he said.
'Send Tony Marcus to jail. Now you have to figure out mess. Good fun.'
I stood and said, 'Thanks for your help, Mr. Lee.'
He smiled and nodded.
'Good fun,' he said.
Hawk and Mei Ling both stood. Mei Ling put her arm through Hawk's and the three of us left the store.
CHAPTER 38
I was sitting in my office with the newspaper on a rainy day reading Tank McNamara when Shirley Ventura's driver came in, shaking the water off his trench coat.
He said, 'I understand you're to talk with me?'
'Yeah.'
He took off the trench coat and hung it on the coatrack behind the door, and took off his tweed cap and shook the water off it and hung it carefully on a different hook, so it wouldn't drip on the trench coat.
'Can I sit down?' he said.
I nodded toward one of the client chairs, and he sat in it. He was a big handsome kid with a lot of thick black hair. He had on a white collarless shirt buttoned to the neck and a wide black cashmere sport coat. He looked carefully around the room.
'Not a very fancy office,' he said.
'Keeps the rain off,' I said.
'You make much money?'
'Sometimes.'
Jackie thought about that. I waited.
'People I know,' Jackie said, 'tell me you're a stand-up guy.'
I nodded. Jackie looked around the room some more.
'You're still interested in Shirley?' he said.
'Yep.'
'You know she was tight with Marty Anaheim?'
'No,' I said.
'Yeah. I used to take her to see him.'
