'You still interested in a broad named Bibi Anaheim?' he said.
'What makes you think I'm interested?' I said.
'I don't think. I know,' Fortunate said.
'Okay, how do you know it?'
'Because I pay fucking attention,' Fortunato said.
'I look, I ask questions. You still interested in her or not.'
'Yeah, I am.'
'She's back in Vegas,' Fortunate said.
'Now?'
'Right now,' he said.
'Where?'
'She's staying at the Debbie Reynolds Hotel and Casino.'
'You've seen her?'
'Yeah.'
'And you recognized her?'
'I told you. I pay attention. It's my business.'
'You tell her husband?' I said.
'No.'
'I thought you worked for him.'
'I did. He hired me to keep an eye out in Vegas for a guy named Anthony Meeker. Said if I spotted you, you might lead me to him.
Told me where to pick you up.'
'Which you did.'
'Right.'
'And we did.'
'Right,' Fortunate said.
'Then I kept an eye on him until Anaheim showed up in person.'
'And you rented him a hotel room in your name.'
'Yeah, and he stiffed me on it, and he stiffed me on the job,' Fortunate said.
'And after he popped you one on the kisser, I figure you and him ain't pals so I'm telling you what I seen.'
'To get even?'
'You interested or no?'
'Interested,' I said.
'You want to work for me?'
'I'm in business.'
'Good, keep an eye on Bibi Anaheim until I get there. If she leaves follow her.'
'Expenses?'
'Guaranteed,' I said.
'Even if she goes to like, Paris?'
'Even then,' I said.
'You want to know what I charge?'
'No.'
'I ain't getting burned again. I give you the numbers you wire money to my account today. I don't get it today, I drop the broad like a bad habit.'
'Spenser's the name, cash is the game, where you want it sent?'
He told me the amount and how to send it. Lucky I was bucks up.
CHAPTER 45
Joe Broz still kept an office in the financial district with an executive-level view of the harbor. There were still a couple of hard cases lounging around in the outer office, working on their relaxed tough guy look. And Joe himself still had a little left of the old theatricality. But this time when I went into his white office he was an old man. The changes weren't so much physical as attitudinal.
