‘Um, okay,’ Robin said. ‘I’ll keep an eye on her. We staying at your place tonight?’
‘It’s gonna be a late night, sweetie. Deals and all. You go on home. I’ll see you tomorrow night.’
‘Let me get you that ice pack.’
‘Get it to go. I got things to do.’ He gave her an affectionate swat on her thonged rear as she went out the door.
Bucks went back into the club, found the waitress who’d waited on the table in question. The charge card was to Whitman Mosley. The ugly jerk who had come up to the room with Desire O’Malley hadn’t used a credit card, had paid strictly cash.
Whitman Mosley. The name did not ring a bell. Maybe the guy was using a pseudonym that would not be recognized as a Vasco loyalist from Detroit. But the guys’ story… well, he didn’t quite believe it. Because they were too interested in Eve. Didn’t ask about the other players in the Houston organization. And the blond guy had a too-weird, nervous-sad look on his face when Bucks talked about Eve. None of it sounded right to him.
He dialed his cell phone, calling Nicky, one of the guys who’d interrupted his discussion with the two men.
‘Yeah?’ Nicky said.
‘You following them?’
‘Yeah. About six cars back. Now we’re on Buffalo Speedway. They’re driving aimlessly. Like they’re deciding where to go.’
‘Don’t lose them,’ he said. ‘I will kill you if you lose them.’ He clicked off the phone, stepped back out into the thrum of the club.
He should call Kiko. He didn’t want to.
He took a calming breath. Go deep, he thought. Be centered. Keep your focus on the goal. Many will seek to pull the goal away from you. Destroy them. But never lose sight of the goal.
Bucks walked upstairs to Frank Polo’s office. Frank was there, sitting on the couch, his hand now neatly stitched. A glass of pinot grigio sat on the side table, beaded with cold. The Bellinis had a doctor on call who liked discounted cocaine, didn’t mind house calls, and thought discreetness a saintly virtue. The doctor was leaving now, and he nodded politely at Bucks, then looked again at him.
‘You want a compress for your eye? It’s gonna go shiner,’ Doc Brewer said.
‘No, thank you.’
The doctor left.
Bucks sat down next to Frank. Handed him the cold glass of wine. Put a hand on Frank’s shoulder.
‘Let’s be realistic. I can’t compete with you on landing the ninety thousand.’ Bucks shrugged. ‘Eve’s gonna contact you. You know it. I know it.’
Frank swallowed a gulp of the wine. Then another, watching Bucks. Waiting.
‘We’re on Paul’s shit list. But he still has faith in both of us. Or we’d be heading for the bay right now.’
‘He’s pretty goddamned mad.’
‘He’s mad, yes. But Frank, you and I are all he has left to make a go of this deal with Kiko. He needs you and me to be his team to help make it happen.’ Bucks slid into his business-meeting voice, smooth, ready to rally the troops. ‘You help us find Eve and I guarantee I can get him to forgive your stealing. You can even keep the ninety thou.’
‘A team.’ Frank considered the idea, tenting his cheek with his tongue. ‘Fine, Bucks, we’re a team. So don’t lord over me that I made a mistake, okay? It was a loan.’
‘I understand,’ Bucks said. ‘I do, man. I know what tough times are like. I wish you’d asked us for the money up front.’
‘Paul might have said no.’
‘To you? Never. You’re the closest thing to a dad he’s got.’
Frank held up his bandaged hand.
‘Okay, an uncle, then.’
‘Sucking up isn’t you,’ Frank said. ‘You don’t have to bother trying with me, Bucks.’
Bucks gave him a crooked smile. ‘Fine. Are we supposed to believe you manipulated credit cards and book entries on your own to the tune of ninety grand? You’re a singer. You’re not an accountant. Eve set it up, didn’t she?’
Now Frank stared into the yellow of his wine.
‘Didn’t she, Frank?’ Bucks said quietly.
‘She might’ve,’ Frank said after a moment.
‘Ah. A breakthrough,’ Bucks said. ‘But your girlfriend took off, left you holding the bag. You can pick ’em, Frank.’
‘I’ve not been lucky with women,’ Frank said. ‘Most singers aren’t.’
‘Artistic temperament,’ Bucks said. ‘Joe Vasco.’
Frank made the sign of the evil eye.
‘Am I supposed to know what that means?’ Bucks said.
‘I can’t stand Joe Vasco.’
‘You been in touch with him, huh? Wanting old friends to take over Tommy’s ops now that Paul’s pissing you off?’
‘Joe Vasco isn’t my friend,’ Frank said. ‘He’s not a friend to any friend of Tommy Bellini.’
‘Let’s be sure of that, Frank. You and Eve, you’re not on a new payroll?’
‘If I was, then I wouldn’t need to borrow ninety grand, would I?’
‘Point taken,’ Bucks said.
Frank’s Valiumed smile faded. ‘I’m going home.’
Bucks grabbed Frank’s bandaged hand, dug his nails into the stitches. Frank yelled. Wine sloshed onto the carpet. ‘You’re gonna let me know if you hear from her, right, Frank?’
‘Yes. Yes.’
‘And to build our team spirit, I’m going home with you. In case Eve calls you. Now. Go downstairs and wait for me.’
Frank set down the wineglass and staggered out, his palm cradled to his chest.
Bucks dialed a number. Listened for an answer. He had to buy precious time, and now. ‘Bad news. There’s a delay about the money,’ he said.
‘Not what I’m wanting to hear, Bucksy,’ Jose said.
‘They had a problem at the bank. Nothing serious. Eve couldn’t wire the full amounts back into the country. A temporary delay. Until Saturday.’
‘Be kidding.’
‘I’m not.’
‘Kiko’s going to be upset,’ Jose said. ‘Highly upset.’
‘That’s your problem.’
‘Man,’ Jose said, ‘that’s your problem. You just don’t know it.’ He was quiet a moment. ‘You not turning on us, are you, Bucksy? Because if you’re messing with us, we send the police that film and some buttered popcorn.’
‘You got me, I know it, okay?’ God, he hated Jose. And calling him Bucksy, like he didn’t know what he was doing, like he was a child. It made his skin crawl. ‘You’re going to get your money, I promise.’
‘Call us. Tomorrow morning.’ Jose paused. ‘With good news only.’
‘Good night,’ Bucks said. He hung up the phone. Not much time. He had to get every gun from Paul and Kiko’s sides aimed at Eve Michaels. Make sure all the blame stayed firmly on her. Point it at Eve and these two dinks that were looking for her. It didn’t matter why they really wanted to find her; he could paint them as her partners in crime.
The dinks. Why would Frank or Eve, who hated Vasco – he knew that part of the Bellini family history was true – call Vasco for help? They wouldn’t. So who were these two jerks? Guys from Kiko, testing him? Or plants from Paul? Hopefully not, hopefully just two dumbasses that Eve screwed over. But he could screw them over big time now, make them the target instead of himself, if he played out the game right. Planned his work and worked his plan, like Chad Channing’s Goal Winners! tape 3 advised.
