For a while our conversation was stilted and conventional. By the time my food arrived I was wanting to ask Jimmy what was wrong. Was he getting round to admitting he could not yet pay back my $500? When he had finished his own pork chop he put his knife and fork carefully together in the plate, drew a breath, then turned his clear, grey eyes directly on me. ‘Max, I’m here as a pal to wise you up.’
He spoke in a different accent, harsher and somehow lazier, in style closer to Santucci’s. He used slang normally confined to private conversations with Lucius Mortimer. I could follow him thanks chiefly to my familiarity with hookers, who used a similar patois. I understood the gist of his opening remark, therefore, but had no idea what it actually implied.
‘It’s Roffy.’ Rembrandt paused. ‘He’s mad enough to bite. He thinks you’re a yentzer. That’s why I’m here. To try to get you to see reason.’
‘Mr Gilpin said Mr Roffy was very anxious.’
‘He’s going crazy. He told me you’re holding out on him. Your cash will save the airport scheme. What’s up, Max? Are you planning to cop a sneak? D’you think they’re a couple of skin-gamers or what?’
‘Of course I trust them. I’ve done everything in my power to get the money. I feel terrible about it, Jimmy. Mr Gilpin told me Mr Roffy’s considering suicide.’
‘Let’s just say he’s a little unstable at the moment, Max. He’s sure angry enough to blow the whistle.’
‘On what?’
‘On you. He’s saying he’ll turn you over to the cops. Maybe belch on you to the papers. About why you left France in a hurry. He’s got the goods on you, pal. Your whole sidetrack.’
I fell back in surprise. ‘How could he have found out? Jimmy, I insist -’
‘Someone must have slipped the info to him. Or he saw the same stories I did.’
I felt very sick. I pushed my plate away. ‘You know those charges are completely false! I explained that when we first met in New York. You believed me!’
‘It’s not making any difference to Roffy, the way he is now. Look at your position. Max. A bum monicker? That’s enough for the front office. You’d be deported to France. It’d be the hatch for sure.’
Weakly I signalled the waiter to remove my plate. I asked for a glass of water. My entire body began to shake. This time I could not stop it. ‘He has my IOU, Jimmy.’
‘So what?’
I put my head closer to his, speaking in an intense undertone. ‘You know the charges were false!’
‘So it’s a hype. But it could stick. You must believe that or you wouldn’t be here. They’ll beef you. Max, unless you come up with your third. What’s it to you? A hundred fifty measly grand? Thaw it as soon as you can. Square Roffy and Gilpin. You’ll get it back fast. You can’t want to see your friends go down. At least take my tip. I owe you one. Roffy’s crazy enough to do anything. If this goes on the wire I wouldn’t lay evens you’ll leave Memphis in anything but a case of ice.’
‘He’d kill me?’
‘Maybe not Roffy personally. But he has friends who aren’t squeamish.’
I believed him. I was already sweating. I could hardly breathe for the terror which suddenly struck me. Familiarity with the threat of death made it no easier to accept. Something seemed to press hard on my chest. ‘Can’t you appeal to him? Tell him I’m doing my best?’
‘Max, just give Roffy his kick-back. What if he does doublecross you? It’s a small enough slice of your pie. The papers said you took twenty million. They always bullshit, I know. I’d guess at ten. You can afford it.’
‘Jimmy, I told you the papers lied!’ I was by now soaking in my own juices.
‘Five, then?’
‘I stole nothing. I arrived in New York almost penniless. I’ve been living off Roffy and Gilpin here. In New York I sold some jewellery, but I haven’t a cent now!’ My whisper became almost a shriek. I tried to lower my voice again. I was hoarse. I had at least admitted the truth to someone. I felt the burden lifting from me. But a worse one was settling and I had completely lost control of my tongue. ‘A patent in Washington went for a pittance. That’s how I could lend you the five hundred. If I’d told them I was broke they wouldn’t have trusted me. You said yourself you had to pretend to be rich for people to take you seriously, no matter how good your ideas. I listened to your advice, Jimmy!’
Rembrandt’s face lost all colour. He lit a cigarette and he looked at me through careful eyes. ‘Max, you’re caught in a snowstorm. How can I know this is the m’coy?’
‘Cocaine doesn’t affect me that way.’
‘You’re telling me you’re actually innocent? The Frogs really did set you up? You’re down to the cotton?’
I nodded. ‘You believed me before.’
‘You can’t even raise a couple hundred bucks?’
‘If I pawn my clothes, maybe.’
Jimmy swore under his breath. ‘But every damned paper agreed you were the big shill, Max. The gyp of the century!’ He looked at me like a stricken child. ‘Jesus Christ.’
I felt obscurely guilty. ‘Someone benefited, I suppose. It was not I.’
In an expression of incredulity he blew smoke through pursed lips. ‘So you’re the friggin’ yap! Setup for the gum job. Freighted out of the country before you knew what was happening. Perfect! Well it sure makes us look like boobs!’ He shook his head. ‘So Christmas has been cancelled,’ he added, as if to the restaurant at large.
‘If you’re suggesting Kolya betrayed me you’re wrong. I suspect de Grion. My friend is a prince of the royal blood. He saved me, Jimmy. He’d save me now if he could. I don’t have his latest address. However, a friend in Italy -’
‘What a beautiful scam!’ Jimmy was hardly listening to me. I found it odd he reacted as he did. It was as if he was admiring the criminals who betrayed me while also laughing at himself. Yet only minutes before he had warned me my life was in danger. Possibly ironic amusement was his way of disguising his own fear, but it disturbed me. A smile began to form, then he frowned. ‘And what a bunch of suckers we turned out to be. Conned by a Michigan roll! All those months of planning. The outlay. We blew every dime on this. It was me got Lucius to talk those old pros into it! Oh, Christ.’
Though many of his remarks remained obscure I could tell he was genuinely upset. ‘I assure you, Jimmy, I’m heart and soul behind the scheme. I never meant to deceive anyone, least of all you and Major Mortimer. I offered my services, my patents, my skills, my brains. There’s nothing wrong with any of them. If I had the cash I’d give it to Mr Roffy immediately! I’ve as much stake as he has. I don’t want our scheme to collapse.’