'Lemme hear,' I said.
He said something.
'By God, you're right,' I said.
'What about that girl?' he said.
'Know anything?'
Z shrugged.
'I was in the living room,' he said. 'Jumbo opens the bedroom door, tells me to call.'
'He have many guests like that in his room?'
'Every day,' Z said.
'Always girls?'
'Girls, boys,' Z said.
'Not choosy,' I said. 'And great natural charm.'
'They wanna fuck a star,' Z said.
'Dawn like that?' I said.
'Ready to play any game Jumbo wanted.'
'He play games?' I said.
'Kinky stuff?'
'Yes.'
'Whadda you think?' Z said.
'I'd rather not think about it,' I said.
'He used to carry sex tools in a gym bag,' Z said.
'Was Dawn Lopata his standard MO?'
'Sure. Had them scheduled, like regular. Days ahead.'
'Any trouble before?' I said.
'Not much,' Z said. 'Couple pregnancies. Paid them off.'
'And the boys?' I said.
'None of them get pregnant.'
'The press?'
'They write about him, his lawyers go after them hard, and they get sort of discouraged. But what does get printed is Jumbo pretending.'
'The public seems less willing to buy this kid's death,' I said.
'Which means Jumbo is in trouble,' Z said. 'You flounder, they let you drown.'
'So what is Jumbo Nelson really like?' I said.
Z shook his head.
'Sick,' Z said. 'Mean.'
'I'da guessed that,' I said.
Some clouds had drifted in front of the sun, and a light rain began to fall as we walked back to my car. Harvard probably had a deal with nature to clean up after someone barfs.
20
RITA AND I SAT with Jumbo Nelson in Rita's office. Jumbo's agent was with him, and a new bodyguard he'd imported from Los Angeles, who was wearing a black shirt, a black tie, and a snap-brim hat.
The bodyguard leaned on the wall beside the door and folded his arms. The agent was a good-looking woman in a creamcolored pantsuit. She wore rimless glasses with a pink tint.
'I'm Alice DeLauria,' she said. 'I'm Jumbo's agent.'
Rita introduced herself and me.
'Boston is quite lovely in the spring,' Alice said. 'I hadn't realized.'
'Can the fucking schmooze, Alice,' Jumbo said. 'Tell 'em why we're here.'
Alice smiled.
'Isn't he cranky,' she said. 'But okay, bottom line, we wish to discuss a change.'
'Such as?' Rita said.
