'As required,' del Rio said.
'And Ratoff?'
'Was a criminal lawyer,' del Rio said. 'Now he is a corporate counsel.'
'Good lawyer?'
'Said to be very clever,' del Rio said.
'Silver dangerous?' I said.
'They are all dangerous,' del Rio said.
'Me too,' I said.
'I know,' del Rio said. 'Chollo tells me you are as dangerous as anyone he knows.'
'As dangerous as himself?'
Del Rio chuckled.
'Chollo cannot entertain the possibility that anyone is as dangerous as himself,' del Rio said.
'I have that conceit, too,' I said.
'I know,' del Rio said.
'So if Jumbo gets busted for a crime like the one he's suspected of, a lot of people lose a lot of money.'
'Jumbo is as bulletproof a cash cow as there is in the movie business,' del Rio said.
'Despite being a world-class dildo,' I said.
'Irrelevant,' del Rio said. 'Maybe even an asset to the adolescents who comprise most movie audiences.'
'Ever see one of his movies?' I said.
'No,' del Rio said.
'Me either,' I said.
'There is a great deal of profitable business being done,' del Rio said, 'based on Jumbo Nelson. It is business done by a large number of people who have little regard for the well-being of anyone but themselves.'
'Either he did it or he didn't,' I said. 'I'm going to find out which.'
'If you live,' del Rio said.
'That's always a consideration,' I said.
'Chollo holds you in high regard,' del Rio said. 'If you don't live, he may choose to avenge you.'
'Would that be good business?' I said.
'No.'
'But you wouldn't prevent him?' I said.
'I do not believe I could,' del Rio said. 'And sometimes we do other things but business.'
'So,' I said. 'Does this mean you, too, value me highly?'
'No,' del Rio said. 'It means I value Chollo.'
29
HENRY CIMOLI WAS LEANING against the wall in the boxing room at Harbor Health Club, with his muscular little arms folded across his muscular little chest. I was beside him in my sweats. Z was doing intervals on the heavy bag. Hit it for twenty seconds. Rest for forty seconds. Do it again.
'How many of those you suppose he's going to do?' I said to Henry.
'I dunno,' Henry said. 'You know he's in here like four, five hours every day.'
'What's he do?' I said.
'Combination on the heavy bag, practices the check-block move Harriet showed him, hits the speed bag.'
'Harriet the martial-arts instructor?' I said.
Henry nodded.
'He jumps rope,' he said. 'Does his intervals, like now, on the body bag. Different interval times.'
'Dedicated,' I said.
'Well,' Henry said. 'He's living right here, got no money, nothing else to do.'
'What a motivator,' I said.
Henry shrugged.
'Business is tough, you gotta be able to motivate yourself.'
Z stopped and walked over to us, breathing very hard.
