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Big Al 13
Contributed by
ramfire
on
Saturday, 23rd June 2007 @ 05:02:48 AM in AEST
Topic:
Lifepoems
|
We pulled into the Queen City next morning after driving all night. The Capstone Hotel gave us a room and I made calls to Floyd and Leo for a meeting at the Arena Gardens on Mutual Street where Henry Deglane was wrestling Strangler Lewis. I could kill two birds with one stone Saturday evening, meeting my booze suppliers and catch Toronto’s best wrestler in action. Floyd was manager of Black Horse Distillers and Leo point man for transferring my booze across the Detroit River into Purple Gang territory. They needed to be paid for continued service.
We slept most of all day Saturday, entering the hotel’s dining room in the early evening for supper. After medium rare filet mignons, baked potatoes, salads, and desserts we drove to a locked residential garage I’d been leasing since last year where I kept a suitcase full of money. I took five thousand dollars from the suitcase transferring the bills into a brown paper sack, finally throwing the sack into the back seat of the Buick. With the money in hand, I drove to the Arena Gardens.
Wrestling is not for real. It is all show of rough and tumble mat acrobatics which could just as well be on a Hippodrome or Pantages bill. I watched for a while then left Jean to go to the end bathroom to meet Floyd and Leo for he payoff. Things went well, their words telling me things would continue for a couple of more months as they were. Later, after the matches were over, Jean and I drove back to the Capstone to end the evening with a sandwich, sharing a carafe of coffee.
I spent Sunday morning in bed reading the Toronto Star Newspaper. Jean went swimming in the hotel’s pool and then a massage. We left for Chicago that afternoon arriving Monday morning. Jean took the Ford parked in the Regent’s garage and drove back to her apartment.
It wasn’t until late Monday afternoon that I opened the office without Jean. Miss DuPrey called. “ I’ve been trying to reach you all day. Where have you been?”
“ I had some business out of town. Got back this morning late and had to get some sleep. I’m sorry about the inconvenience it must have caused you. I’m glad you called.”
“ Yes, well I’ve decided to buy everything on the lists and would like to drop by your office with a down payment. Will you be there?”
“ Yes, Gloria. I’ll be here. I’d like to thank you for your business and I think you’ll be very happy with your selections.”
“ I’m leaving the Sheldon Arms now and should be there in thirty minutes.”
“ Very good, Gloria. I’ll be waiting.”
She hung up. No sooner had she hung up then the outer door buzzer sounded letting me know I had a visitor,. I went out to see who it was. It was Dooling. Danny Boy was short with droop shoulders, middle age with graying brown hair. He wore a light brown corduroy jacket with dark brown slacks, a white shirt with brown bow tie. His shoes were cordovan brogans. He looked a little angry.
“ Berger, I thought maybe I misunderstood your phone call. I was here Saturday, but no you.”
“ I’m back. I spent the weekend in Toronto, sudden business.”
“ You still want me to find out who’s trailing you?”
“ Yes.”
“ Where’s the twenty you mentioned?”
“ I reached into my wallet and took out twenty and gave it to him.
“ Haven’t seen the guy you described yet, maybe now that you’re back he’ll show up.”
Danny Boy chewed gum. He stopped long enough to give the room number where he was staying while in Chicago. Number 415 was on the fourth floor of the Hixson Hotel on
West Madison. I knew the street with its flop hotels that reeked of bad plumbing and dirty rugs that should have been replaced years ago.
“ I’ll keep in touch with you,” he said.
“ I gave him my regent phone number. “ Tonight I’m going to the hockey game and won’t be back until late. Leave a message with the Super if it’s important. I’ll get it.”
“ You won’t see me, but I’ll be at the game.”
“ Get out now and start earning that Jackson.”
His jaws went to work of the gum again as he headed out the door. My phone in the inner office rang. It was Nueland.
“ Got that information you wanted on Miss Gloria DuPrey. She’s just in from New York city and had been living at the Ritz Hotel in Manhattan. Her father was a bill bondsman and couldn’t have left her much. That’s all I could find out about her.”
“ Thanks Nueland. You’ve helped a great deal.”
“ Don’t call again. We’re even and that settles the score.”
He hung up.
How could Miss Gloria DuPrey afford to own an expensive house in the Lakefront district when her father had not left her a large inheritance? Seems the young lady had lied about that, but really, how she got the money was no concern of mine. Maybe she earned it in some way or other and didn’t want to expose that part of her life to a stranger. I was going to be her agent in buying antique Victorian furniture and I’d leave things at that.
When she walked into the office I was all smiles. She was as stunning as ever this time in an outfit of soft blue pastel with belt. Her handbag was dark blue as where her high heel pumps. A wide brim matching dark blue hat was tilted down over her left eye. She wore peal earrings, her lips the same coral color as before. Sitting in my office she spoke.
“ I have a check for a thousand dollars that’ll be my down payment. She handed me the check already made out. “ When can I expect delivery?”
“ Shouldn’t take anymore than a week. I’ll call the furniture companies tomorrow and they’ll probably make your delivery by then.”
She opened her handbag taking out a silver cigarette case. Opening it she leisurely took out a cigarette putting it to her lips. I gave her a light from the book of matched I had quickly taken out of my coat pocket.
“ Thanks,” she said blowing smoke away. For a long second she looked at me as though she were trying to make up her mind about something. With a smile she said, “ Big Al, has anyone ever told you your gray temples make you look distinguished?”
All in a moment our conversation had changed from business to compliments. I didn’t know where this might lead so I simply answered. “ Several times but age will do that for anyone.”
“ No, I think you’re special. I’ve a car waiting for me downstairs. Why don’t we go over to the Yacht Club together and talk some more about your gray temples over dinner.”
“ Sounds positively inviting, but I’m taking a very fine lady to the hockey game tonight and she’d be terribly hurt if I stood her up.”
A flash of anger in her eyes told me she wasn’t used to being rejected.
“ Maybe another time,” she said.
“ Yes, I’d like that.”
She crushed her cigarette out in my desk ashtray, standing then to put out a hand.
“ The invitation will always be open,” she said.
I shook her hand, feeling a little bad about the rejection. “ Sometimes I lose out not meaning to. If you’d asked me last week, I’d jump at the chance. It’s not often I’ve been asked out by a beautiful young woman.”
She gave me a smile. “ Call me tomorrow.”
“ What’s your number at the Sheldon Arms?”
“Ridgecrest 4372.”
“ That ring you hear will be me.”
She laughed. “ I find you absolutely fascinating. I shouldn’t talk like this, but there’s an excitement about you that I love.”
“ What’s better, my gray temples or excitement?”
“ Excitement every time.”
“ I think we’re going to have fun together.”
“ My car’s waiting. I’ve got to go.”
“ I’ll call you around seven in the evening.”
“ Well then,” she smiled over her shoulder walking toward the door. “Until tomorrow. Twenty-three skidoo.”
After she’d gone I went to the office bottle and gave it a strong pull.
Copyright ©
ramfire
... [
2007-06-23 05:02:48]
(Date/Time posted on
site)
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