Fly Me to the Morgue Read Online Free PDF Page B

your friend.’
    â€˜My friend?’
    â€˜The big fella who was with you at Del Mar last year.’
    â€˜Jerry?’
    He pointed with his pipe and said, ‘That’s him.’
    â€˜What about him?’
    â€˜He seemed to know a lot about horses.’
    â€˜I suppose.’
    â€˜I mean, he picked winners, but he also went to the paddock to look them over. Seemed to me he knew what he was doin’.’
    â€˜He did.’
    â€˜Do you think he’d go with me to Red Rock to look at this horse? I always like to have a second opinion – a professional opinion.’
    â€˜Jerry’s not a professional, but I suppose he has a certain amount of expertise . . .’
    â€˜Would you ask him for me?’
    â€˜Well, sure, but he lives in New York, Bing.’
    â€˜I’ll fly him out,’ Bing said. ‘That’s no problem. If he says yes I can have a plane bring him here tomorrow. I’ll cover all his expenses, too.’
    I nodded and said, ‘I’ll call him in the mornin’.’
    â€˜Great! I appreciate it. And if you could find out something about my trainer . . . he was supposed to fly in this morning. I called him at home and there was no answer. Nobody at his barn seems to know where he is.’
    I pulled a notepad from my pocket and asked, ‘What’s his name?’
    â€˜Fred Stanley. Also goes by the name of ‘Red’. Don’t know why. There’s nothin’ red about him.’
    He gave me his address in San Diego, phone number, and the same information for his barn.
    He got down off his stool then and said, ‘Goodnight, Eddie. I appreciate your help with this.’
    â€˜That’s OK, Bing. That’s what I’m here for. The Sands does its best for its guests.’
    â€˜No,’ Bing said, gripping my arm and shaking my hand, ‘I’m gonna consider this a personal favor from a friend, if you don’t mind.’
    â€˜I don’t mind at all, Bing.’
    He nodded, turned and left, being nice enough to throw a wave at Didi on his way out.
    I stuck the notepad back into my jacket pocket and looked up at Didi, who came over to me, shaking her pretty head.
    â€˜Oh my God!’ she said.
    I looked at my watch. It wasn’t late, but I didn’t really feel like driving home.
    â€˜Didi,’ I asked, ‘what time do you get off?’

NINE
    I stayed in a room at the Sands that night, after grabbing a change of clothes I kept in a locker. When I woke up there was a firm rump pressed into my crotch, which was not an objectionable way to start the day.
    When Didi turned into me I got a glimpse of her pubic hair, as fiery red as the hair on her head. She also had the green eyes and pale, freckled skin of a real redhead.
    â€˜Good-mornin’,’ she said.
    â€˜â€™Mornin’.’
    â€˜You workin’ today?’ she asked.
    â€˜Bright and early,’ I said. ‘I’ve got to shower and change, then go home before I come back and start. Also got some phone calls to make. So . . .’ I slapped her on her bare ass.
    â€˜You tellin’ me to get up and out?’ she asked.
    I rubbed her butt where I’d smacked it, then ran a finger up and down the crease between her cheeks.
    â€˜Nope,’ I said, ‘not just yet.’
    Eventually we both got up and out. She also had to go home, shower and change, run some errands and then come back for a shift. I told her I’d see her later in the lounge.
    Before she left she put her hand against my chest and said, ‘Don’t worry, Eddie. This doesn’t mean we’re goin’ steady, or anythin’.’
    I kissed her on the tip of her nose and said, ‘I’ll try to console myself.’
    I put on chinos and a t-shirt, tossed my suit into the back seat of my car, then drove toward my little house. I stopped first to get some take-out breakfast from a diner down the