Jimmy and Fay Read Online Free PDF Page B

trees in the park. I guess it was the biggest and fanciest part of the place, and that’s where Lansky met me, but he spent most of his time in the library. I envied that room and he knew it.
    That night, his tie was loose, his vest was unbuttoned, and his cuffs were turned up. I tossed my overcoat on the back of the sofa and we went into his library. It had beautiful wooden bookshelves on most of the walls, all crammed full, and I knew he’d read most of the books. He also had a fireplace, a big desk, a couple of comfortable armchairs, and a good floor lamp. I told myself that if I was ever able to move up from the Chelsea, I’d have a library like that.
    I saw three stacks of paper on his desk, and I could tell by the letterheads that it was correspondence with doctors in California, Chicago, and Austria. Without asking, Lansky poured a couple of good brandies, the same Delamain that he sold to me, and we toasted nothing in particular. We sat and I apologized for interrupting his evening.
    â€œYou’re not interrupting anything,” he said, sounding tired. “I’m just trying to make sure that I’m doing the right thing. It’s damn difficult when the doctors disagree with each other. You trust the ones who seem to make the most sense, but what do you know? Anna and Paul are in Boston with Buddy. I’m going back tomorrow.” Paul was his younger son. “What brings you up here?”
    I didn’t know exactly how to explain what I was doing so I asked him if he knew anything about King Kong . He shook his head and smiled like he thought the words were funny. I guess they were.
    â€œWell,” I said, “it’s a moving picture, a really expensive moving picture about this giant ape who falls for this blonde and they come to New York—”
    â€œWait a minute, what’re you talking? A giant ape falls for a blonde? That’s nuts.”
    â€œI know but while you’re watching it, it makes sense, and here’s the important part. The actress who plays the blonde is this girl named Fay Wray. Picture opened this morning at Radio City Music Hall and she was there to introduce it. When she gets back to her hotel, she finds that somebody has put together a dirty book that looks like it was based on the movie with pictures, photographs of a blonde that looks just like her, but she’s mostly naked. Guys who sent the book say they want six Gs from the studio or they’ll give copies to the newspapers and gossip columnists.”
    â€œBut it’s not this girl?” he asked.
    â€œNo, but it’ll embarrass her, so she wants the studio to keep it quiet, even if they have to pay up.”
    He frowned. “That still doesn’t make any sense. Have you seen the book?”
    I passed it across to him. Still frowning, he thumbed quickly through the pages and handed it back.
    â€œI still don’t get it. What has it got to do with you?”
    I said, “Some big cheese at the studio got in touch with some big cheese at the police department and asked for help from a cop, somebody who’d keep this mum and look out for their interests. They got Ellis, the detective, you know who I mean, big guy, dresses sharp. That guy. He set up a meeting at my place and said I should be the go-between because of my vast experience in delivering money.”
    Lansky nodded. He saw the sense in that.
    â€œBut before I do anything,” I said, “I want to know if Charlie or Ben or any of your guys are in on this. If they are, we can settle this tonight. I’ll tell the studio guys to pony up and they will.”
    Lansky thought and shook his head. “Not that I know of. Nobody in our outfit has said anything, but Charlie might know something I don’t.”
    â€œWhere would I find him?” I asked, knowing the answer.
    â€œPolly’s, this time of night. You know she moved, right?”
    I nodded.
    â€œI haven’t seen much of