The Last Don - Mario Puzo [210]
Four crew members, two cynical stuntmen, and two women from the catering team sold their IDs to reporters for a thousand dollars apiece.
Dante Clericuzio and Jim Losey were enjoying the luxury of their Villa. Losey shook his head in wonderment. “A burglar could live for a year on just the gold from the bathroom,” he said aloud.
“No, he couldn’t,” Dante said. “He’d be dead in six months.”
They were sitting in the living room of Losey’s apartment. They hadn’t called room service because the huge kitchen refrigerator was stuffed with trays of sandwiches and caviar canapés, bottles of imported beer and the finest wines.
“So we’re all set,” Losey said.
“Yep,” Dante said, “and when we’re done, I’ll ask my grandfather for the Hotel. Then we’ll be set for life.”
“The important thing is that we get him here alone,” Losey said.
“I’ll do that, don’t worry,” Dante said. “Worse comes to worst, we’ll drive him out to the desert.”
“How do you get him here in this Villa?” Losey said. “That’s the important thing.”
“I’ll tell him Giorgio flew in secretly and wants to see him,” Dante said. “Then I do the job and you clean up after me. You know crime scenes, what they’ll look for.”
He said musingly, “The best way is to drop him into the desert. They may never find him.” He paused for a moment. “You know Cross ducked Giorgio the night Pippi died. He won’t dare do it again.”
“But what if he does?” Losey asked. “I’ll be waiting here all night jerking off.”
“Athena’s Villa is next door,” Dante said. “You just tap on it and get lucky.”
“Too much heat,” Losey said.
Dante said with a grin. “We can take her out into the desert with Cross.”
“You’re crazy,” Losey said. And he realized this was true.
“Why not?” Dante said. “Why not have some fun? The desert is big enough to dump two bodies.”
Losey thought of Athena’s body, her lovely face, her voice, her regal air. Oh, he and Dante would have fun. He was already a murderer, he might as well be a rapist. Marlowe, Pippi De Lena, and his old partner, Phil Sharkey. He was a three-time murderer and too shy to commit rape. He was turning into one of those morons he had arrested all his life. And for a woman who sold her body to the whole world. But this little prick before him with the funny hat was really a piece of work.
“I’ll give it a shot,” Losey said. “I’ll invite her in for a drink and if she comes, she’s asking for it.”
Dante was amused by Losey’s rationalization. “Everybody asks for it,” he said. “We ask for it.”
They went over the details, and then Dante went back to his apartment. He ran a bath; he wanted to use the expensive scents in the Villa. As he lay in the hot, perfumey water, his black, horselike Clericuzio hair soaped into a white, heavy topknot, he thought about what his fate would be. After he and Losey dumped the body of Cross into the desert, miles from Vegas, the toughest part of the operation would begin. He would have to convince his grandfather that he was innocent. If worse came to worst, he could confess to Pippi’s death also, and his grandfather would forgive him. The Don had always showed him a special love.
Also, now, Dante was the Family Hammer. He would apply for appointment as Bruglione of the West and the overlordship of the Xanadu Hotel. Giorgio would oppose him, but Vincent and Petie would be neutral. They were content to live on their legal enterprises. And the old man could not live forever, Giorgio was a white-collar guy. There would come a time when the warmaker would become the emperor. He would not retreat into society. He would lead the Family back to its glory. He would never give up the power over life and