For a few moments I felt sorry for Raines, because I understood that drive. Harry Raines had to prove
himself. He couldn‟t be satisfied with the role of Mr. Doe Findley, and for that I respected him. I
wondered if I would have done the same thing. But I didn‟t say anything, I just listened. I had very
little respect for his political aspirations. in my book, politicians usually rank one step above bank
robbers and child molesters. That was my prejudice and my problem to deal with, of course, but I had
met damn few of them I either liked or trusted.
“I love Harry,” she said. “I‟m just not in love with him anymore. He‟s not Harry anymore, he‟s
already Governor Raines.”
“Maybe he‟s got troubles,” I said, buttoning my shirt.
“Tiger by the tail, that‟s all he keeps saying.”
“More like a two-ton elephant on a piece of string.”
“Is it that bad? Is he in trouble?” she asked.
“I don‟t know. Is he honest?”
“Chief believed.., believes in him.”
“Oh, so Chief picked him out,” I said. It was a cruel comment. I was sorry I‟d said it before all the
words were out of my mouth.
She stood up, her back as straight as a slat, smoothing her dress. “I picked him out,” she snapped.
“Sony,” 1 said. “Anyway, I‟m not interested in what Chief thinks, Doe. What do you think?”
She pulled on the dress, but didn‟t button it, and gave me back my Windbreaker.
“I don‟t think he could be dishonest.
“That‟s a nice vote of confidence.”
“I‟m trying to be honest myself. Are you here because of something to do with the track?”
“Hell, I‟m not sure of anything,” I answered. “I‟m new in town. Can I use the phone up at the house?”
She opened a metal box on the wall f the boathouse, reached in and took out a wall phone, handed me
the receiver, and leaned back against the wall, staring at me.
I dialled the war room and Dutch answered.
“Where are you?” he bellowed.
“With friends,” I said. “What‟s up?”
“You got a weird phone call about n hour ago. Kite fielded it. He says a guy wanted to talk to you real
bad, but he hung up when Kite tried to press him. Thing is, Kite says the guy didn‟t exactly sound like
Mary Poppins. The reason I‟m calling, before Kite put it together he told this guy he might be able to
reach you at the hotel. So you might want to keep your eyes open.”
“Thanks. Maybe we ought to have breakfast and do a little catchup.”
“I‟ll pick you up at nine,” he said. I told him that was real civilized of him and hung up.
“More trouble?” Doe asked, anxiety in her voice.
“I don‟t think so.”
“Please come back.”
I played it tough. “Sure,” I said, arid leaned over and kissed her. As I started to leave I felt her hand
on my sleeve.
“Jake?”
“Yeah?”
“What did they do to us?”
“The hyenas got us,” 1 said. “The bastards never let up.”
When I got back to the car, the light was still on in the upper bedroom. Then I remembered that that
was Teddy‟s old room. I wondered if the light was left on permanently, like the eternal torch at
Arlington.
I drove as fast I could back to reality.
35
WESTERN UNION
A gray Olds blundered on to me a couple of blocks before I got back to the hotel and followed at a
respectable distance. The driver was pretty good. I did a couple of figure.-eights, trying to throw him
off, but he didn‟t panic and he didn‟t close the gap. He stayed a block or so behind roe all the way to
the hotel.
I parked in front and let the doorman take the car. The Olds pulled in half a block away and sat with
the lights out. I checked the desk. Then I walked across the lobby and ducked behind a small forest of
ferns and ficus trees near the elevators.
A medium-sized man got out of the Olds and drifted across Palm Drive, acting like he wasn‟t in a
bony. I got a better look at him in the light of the lobby. He was neither tall nor short, fat nor thin, old
nor young. He was decked out in a nondescript gray business suit, no hat, and his chiseled features
might have been handsome except for the deep acne scars that pitted his cheeks. Once he got inside,
he picked up his pace, his deep-set eyes darting back and forth, perusing the lobby. He headed straight
for the elevators and speared the up button with a forefinger.
I stepped in behind him, grabbed a handful of jacket and collar, slammed him face-forward against the
wall, bent his left arm behind him, reached under his arm, and relieved him of a Smith & Wesson .38.
“What‟ya think yer doin‟?” he whined.
I leaned close to his ear and put a rasp in my voice.
„You just took the words right out of my mouth,” I whispered.
“You‟ve been following me for the last ten minutes. I don‟t think you‟re attracted to my beautiful
eyes.”
“Lemme go,” he continued to whine
I shoved his gun between his shoulder blades.
“You got a name?” I asked.
He paused and I shoved harder. He turned his face sideways, glared at me though yellow-flecked
snake eyes, and snarled, “Harry Nesbitt.”
“Just why are you so attracted to me, Harry?”
“I came to talk. Lemme loose.”
“You talk with your arm?”
“You got the gun, hotshot.”
“Yeah, and I‟m kind of jumpy, homicide being the hottest game in town right now. Talk first.”
“Look, all I‟m doin‟ is a Western Union. You wanna listen or not.”
“I‟m listening, Harry.”
“Johnny O‟Brian wants a meet.”
“Is that a fact. And what‟s that to you?”
“I work for him.”
“What do you do, carry his gun?”
“Very funny,” he said, beginning to put an edge back into his voice. I let him go, slipped his gun into
my belt, and backed away from the potted plants, out to the edge of the lobby.
“Do you mind,” he said, his eyes beginning to dance around the room again. “O‟Brian ain‟t anxious
the whole fuckin‟ world should know we‟re talking.”
“Uh-huh,” I said.
He moved farther back among the plants.
“This joint is crawling with people,,” he said, although all I could see was one sleepy bellhop and
desk clerk who was busy sorting bills.
“Just speak your piece and shag,” I said.
“O‟Brian says he‟ll meet you anywhere you say, any time. One on one. Nobody knows but him and
you.”
“What about you? You going to get amnesia?”
“Cute.” He chuckled. “Anyway, I already got it.”
“And how do I contact O‟Brian?”
“You don‟t. I do the go-between, okay? You tell me, I give it to the boss.”
“And why should I trust you? Because I like your taste in ties?”
“Lookee here,” said Nesbitt. “He wants to make a deal with you, okay? He ain‟t got nothing to do
with this hit parade goin‟ down.”
“Now how would I know that?”
“Look, it comes to O‟Brian that you heated up Cincy real good. It comes to O‟Brian that you burned
Skeet Tagliani and gave Uncle Franco and the rest of them a hotfoot there. It also comes to him that
you‟re a stand-up guy when it comes to your word. He wants to do business. What‟s the matter, you
got something against free enterprise?”
“Am I supposed to be flattered by all this?” I asked.
“You wanna talk or you wanna audition for vaudeville? O‟Brian ain‟t lookin‟ for trouble, okay? Am I
drifting your way?”
“Getting scared, is he?”