I said I meant he was dead,
“That’s very interesting. And who are you?”
I opened a desk drawer and took out a box of cigarettes. I left the drawer half open. I had a
.45 Colt automatic lying in there. All I had to do was to dip into the drawer and grab it if there
was trouble. We had Ricca’s reception pretty well worked out.
“I’m the guy who’s running this joint,” I said.
“That’s interesting, too.” His snake’s eyes went to the half-open drawer. From where he sat
he couldn’t see the gun, but; that didn’t mean he didn’t know it was there. “And who put you
in charge?”
“I did,” Della said from the doorway.
“That’s also interesting,” he said without looking round. He kept his eyes on me. “Where’s
Paul?”
Della came around the desk and stood behind me, facing Ricca.
“How are you, Jack?” she said. “It’s a long time no see. How’s Los Angeles?”
Ricca crossed his fat legs. He was careful to keep his hands folded across his belly. It began
to dawn on me he was dangerous. His smile was as wide and as meaningless as before, and
his expression hadn’t changed. He couldn’t have known Della was here. He had just learned
Reisner was dead. But neither of these items had dented him.
“Answering from left to right,” he said, his eyes still on me. “I’m fine. It sure is a long time
no see. Los Angeles is fine. Where’s Paul?”
“He’s dead,” she told him.
His expression didn’t change, nor did his smile shrink.
“And I always thought Lincoln Beach was a healthy town. Well, well, he had to die some
time, I guess. What happened to him? Did he catch cold or was he helped off this earth?”
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“He was killed in a car smash.”
He raised his right hand slowly and examined his fingernails.
“So you got yourself a young man and took over the casino?” he said, as if he were
speaking to himself.
“That’s just what I did,” Della said calmly. “And there’s nothing you can do about it, Jack.”
His smile widened.
“I always thought you were a smart girl, Della,” he said placidly. “Anyone else beside you
two know he’s dead?”
“No. It’s better it should dawn on them slowly.”
Ricca nodded his ball-like head.
“Much better.” He pointed a short, fat finger at me. “And who’s this?”
“That’s Johnny. For convenience he’s, known here as Johnny Ricca.”
Ricca continued to smile. He nodded to me.
“That’s very smart. Of course Nick was under the impression this young man was me.”
We didn’t say anything.
“You’re a smart guy to get yourself on board this gravy train,” he went on.
“And I’m smart enough to keep other people off it,” I said. Even then his smile didn’t fade.
Della sat on the edge of the desk. She lit a cigarette.
“Look, Jack. Let’s put our cards on the table,” she said. “Paul’s dead. That leaves you,
Levinsky, Johnny and me. Levinsky has the Paris set-up. You have Los Angeles. We have
Lincoln Beach. There’s no reason why any of us should get in each other’s way. It’s a natural
carve-up. What do you say?”
“I think you’ve worked it out pretty well.” Ricca said. “Are you sure this guy can handle
the job?”
I edged my hand towards the drawer. This could be the curtain-raiser to trouble.
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“I’m sure of that, Jack. He has a flair for the job. He’s like Paul.”
That startled me, because she sounded as if she meant it.
Ricca nodded, his eyes on my hand.
I guess that fixes it, then. I’m not complaining. I like smart people, and I guess you two are
pretty smart.”
Della relaxed a little, but I didn’t.
“Mind if I stick around for a couple of days?” Ricca went on. “I’d like to look the joint
over.”
“Why, sure, Jack, we’d love to have you,” Della said, before I could chip in. “Come on
outside and have a drink. Coming, Johnny?”
“Right now I’m busy,” I said. “Suppose we get together for lunch around half-past one?”
“Right.”
Ricca got to his feet. Before I could shut the drawer he leaned forward and peered in.
“Smart fella,” he said, beaming on me. “I like a guy who knows how to take care of
himself. Be seeing you.”
He held the door open for Della. I sat still watching him. It wasn’t until he had shut the
door that I slammed the drawer to. I found I was sweating a little, and my heart was bearing
faster than normal.
I trusted that guy like I’d trust a tiger. He was too smooth. That stuff about having no
complaint was so much eye-wash. No one, especially his kind, was going to be gypped out of
a joint like this without some come-back.
I sat thinking for some minutes, then I got up and went over to the window. From there I
could see part of the terrace. They were out there. He was still smiling, but he was talking,
too. He was talking fast and waving his fat hands, and Della was listening; her eyes on his
face and her expression tense. I wondered what they were talking about.
Around half-past one I went into the restaurant. Most times I had meals in the office,
otherwise as soon as I was seen I was pestered. It was surprising the number of people who
wanted w buy me a drink or to yap about their winnings or groan about their losses.
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Della and Ricca were already at a table in a corner, away from the rest of the tables. Louis
was taking their orders himself.
I sat down.
“This helicopter idea of yours is terrific,” Ricca said, when Louis had taken my order and
had gone. “I guess I’ll try it in Los Angeles. I might hook up with San Francisco.”
Della smiled at me possessively.
“I told you, Jack, he’s a clever boy, and they like him here, too.”
“I had a look at that lion pit,” Ricca went on. “Della told me what happened to Nick. I
guess you don’t feed those cats yourself, do you?”
I matched his grin.
“I’m too smart,” I said. “One accident’s enough.”
“Yeah. Had he been dipping into the reserve like Paul thought?”
“A little; not much,” Della said.
“That’s a big reserve. That’s twice the amount I carry.”
There was a moment’s silence.
“We need every nickel of it,” Della said, her voice hard.
He looked at her, then at me.
“It crossed my mind you might feel inclined to transfer say a quarter of it to Los Angeles.
Just an idea, mind you. Paul was always switching lumps of his reserve. It was a smart move.
He kept everyone satisfied.”
I put down my knife and fork. I suddenly wasn’t hungry any more. But Della went right on
eating as if she hadn’t heard.
Just for a moment the smile slipped, and I saw behind the fat, rubber-like mask, and what I
saw I didn’t like.
“Of course it’s up to you,” he said, smiling again.
“I said we needed every nickel of it, Jack,” she said, without looking up.
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“Maybe you do.”
The waiter came and switched plates. Ricca started talking about the casino at Los Angeles.
The moment had passed, but I wasn’t kidding myself. He’d try again. How far he was
prepared to push it remained to be seen, but he wasn’t the type to give up easily.
We had coffee and brandy on the terrace. I was in the middle of explaining to Ricca my
idea of lighting the swimming-pool when I saw him and Della look up and past me. I glanced
up. There was a girl standing right by me. For a moment I didn’t recognize her, then I saw
she was Georgia Harris Brown, and she was drunk.
I hadn’t seen her since that day we had parted on the beach, and seeing her again came as a