The Last Don - Mario Puzo [154]
Gronevelt had taught him how to make the paper trail that legitimized money skimmed from the Hotel casino. It was long and laborious work that involved transfers of money to different accounts, the payment of different suppliers for liquor and food, special training projects and publicity stunts, and a roster of players who did not exist as debtors to the cage.
Cross worked an hour on this. Senator Wavven was not due in until the next day, a Saturday, and the five million had to be put in his hands before he left early Monday morning. Finally his concentration began to wander and he had to take a break.
He called down to Claudia and Vail’s suite. Claudia picked up the phone. She said, “I’m having a terrible time with Ernest. We have to talk to you.”
“OK,” Cross said. “Why don’t the two of you go down and gamble and I’ll pick you up in the dice pit an hour from now.” He paused. “Then we can go for dinner and you can tell me your troubles.”
“We can’t gamble,” Claudia said. “Ernest went over his credit limit and you won’t give me credit anymore except for a lousy ten grand.”
Cross sighed. That meant Ernest Vail owed the casino a hundred grand that was just so much toilet paper. “Give me an hour and then come up to my suite. We’ll have dinner here.”
Cross had to make another phone call, to Giorgio to confirm the payment to the senator, not that the courier was suspect but it was one of the built-in routines. This they did with verbal code already established. The name was in arbitrary prearranged numbers, the money designated in arbitrary prearranged alphabetical letters.
Cross tried to continue his paperwork. But again his mind wandered. For five million, Senator Wavven was going to have something important to say. For Lia to make the long drive to Vegas, he had to have serious trouble.
There was a ring at the door, Security had brought Claudia and Ernest to the penthouse. Cross gave Claudia an extra warm hug because he didn’t want her to think he was mad at her for losing in the casino.
In the living room of his suite, he handed them the room service menu and then ordered for them. Claudia sat stiffly on the sofa, Vail slouched back disinterestedly.
Claudia said, “Cross, Vail is in terrible shape. We have to do something for him.”
Vail didn’t look so bad to Cross. He seemed truly relaxed, his eyes half closed, a pleased smile on his lips. This irritated Cross.
“Sure, first thing I’ll do is cut off all his credit in this town. That will save money, he’s the most incompetent gambler I’ve ever seen.”
“It’s not about gambling,” Claudia said. And she told him the whole story about Marrion promising to give Vail gross on all the sequels to his book, and then dying.
“So?” Cross asked.
“Now Bobby Bantz won’t honor that promise,” Claudia said. “Since Bobby became head of LoddStone Studios, he’s gone crazy with power. He’s trying his best to be like Marrion but he just hasn’t got the intelligence or the charisma. So Ernest is out in the cold again.”
“Just what the hell do you think I can do?” Cross asked.
“You’re partners with LoddStone in Messalina,” Claudia said. “You must have some clout with them. I want you to ask Bobby Bantz to keep Marrion’s promise.”
It was at times like this that Cross despaired of Claudia. Bantz would never give way, that was part of his job and his character.
“No,” Cross said. “I’ve explained to you before. I can’t take a position unless I know the answer will be yes. And here there’s no chance.”
Claudia frowned. “I never understood that,” she said. She paused for a moment. “Ernest is serious, he will kill himself so that his family can get back the rights.”
At this, Vail took an interest. He said, “Claudia, you dumbbell, don’t you understand about your brother? If he asks somebody for something and they say no, then he has to kill them.” He gave Cross a big grin.
Cross was enraged that Vail would dare to speak that way in front of