Chapter 3
THE CLUE
When the lights went on, the whole fucking joint burst wide open. Everyone in the audience stood up and shouted, stomped their feet, applauded, whistled; the whole bit. Not a bit like you would expect a bunch of swells to carry on. Man you better believe that I was right in there with them.
The curtains had closed, and the performers gone. The crowd had really been impressed. So was I. Hell, I had known it was an act all along. It was just that it had been so fucking real.
Eddie and Vito had suddenly disappeared. Looking around I spotted Wanda making her way through the crowd. She was wobbling a bit, and since she didn't drink, I could only suppose that somehow she had found some pot. Man did that chick dig pot. Just let her get a whiff of the stuff and she was in orbit.
Once she fell into me, my suspicions were confirmed. Giggling, her eyes bright and alive, she puckered her lips.
"Kiss, kiss, Johnny baby," she snickered. Weaving, trying to focus, she pouted her pretty lips. "Oh, Johnny. Don't be mad at little Wanda. Huh? Wanda only wanted to be happy. Come on baby, kiss, kiss, kiss." She giggled again, toppling into my arms. Shit but was she ever bombed. She must have blasted close to a quarter ounce. The aroma was strong about her.
"Where the fuck you been?" I demanded.
Flapping her arm out in the direction of the ante room I had had the redhead in, she said, "in 'ere! Thash all Johnny baby. Just in 'ere." She giggled again, then reached down and grabbed me by the meat. I angrily grabbed her arm. Man, this chick was bombed right out of her mind.
"Who with?"
"No one! Jus' a redheaded chick. She gave Wanda some real wit' grass baby. Wild! Wheeee! Johnny baby, Wanda is reallly groovin'." She giggled. "Johnny want some? Huh? Got som' extra, jus' in case. Huh? Johnny baby wanna' groove too?"
She managed to flop her hand in my face. I saw that it contained a small cellophane bag. There was enough grass in the bag for a couple of stiff joints. From the way Wanda was acting, I guessed she had already blasted several more than a couple.
"How much you already had?"
"Not much, baby. Only ... oh, I dunno! Forget! Wheee!"
She giggled again, and almost lost her balance. I knew that she wouldn't be long for this scene. I had to get her out of there and home before she went blanksville. She was stoned worse than a pyramid.
"Come on!" I ordered, trying to act as angry as I could. Actually, I was kind of glad that she was out of it, and hadn't seen the show. That cunt already had enough ideas as it was, without watching some freak show, and getting some more.
"Ohhh, Johnny," she wailed. "Don' be mad at little Wanda. I didn' do nuthin' wrong. Just blew a lil' grass is all." Seeing that my expression didn't change, she pouted again, then giggled.
I started working my way through the gang of people, trying to balance Wanda at the same time. She wasn't helping much. If I let go of her, she would drop like a bucket of shit out a sixth story window; all over everywhere. Just then I saw J.B. bearing down on us. His smile, ever present, radiated like a North wind in the middle of January. There was something about that guy that I just didn't dig.
"Well, well, Mr. Bartley. Seems we have a casualty. Perhaps it would be better if the young lady could rest for a while? I would be glad to offer one of my rooms. The maid could give her a hand." His toothy beam graced us both.
"Thanks a lot, but I better get her home."
"Please! I insist. After all, this is the first time I have had an opportunity to meet such a famous personality as yourself. I certainly would regret your leaving so soon."
His smile was still there, but it was enough to chill a volcano. The guy had something up his sleeve. I didn't know what, but my nose was itching like crazy. Just then I noticed that Eddie and Pito had walked up behind him, and the look on Eddie's face indicated that he hadn't just happened to be passing by. I would have to be pretty fucking stupid not to realize that the 'Big Boy' had just politely given me an order. Might as well make the most of it I rationalized. Besides, the guy wasn't keeping me around just because the crud liked the way I sweated all over his carpet.
"Well," I said, doing my best to retain as much of my dignity as possible, under the circumstance. "That is kind of you. I would kind of hate to miss the rest of the show. I'm sure that what I've seen so far, especially from what I've heard, is only an appetizer." With that I smiled back at him just as hard as he was smiling at me. The crud!
Just then Wanda giggled. Her knees buckled, and she sagged against my chest. What the hell, I probably wouldn't have gotten her all the way to the car anyway. She was too far gone.
Reaching out with a pudgy hand, J.B. gripped her firmly under the arm, at the same time getting a nice feel of her big boobs, and with the other hand motioned to someone standing nearby. A neatly dressed Black girl, complete with miniskirted uniform, hurried forward. The white blouse she wore showed that she wasn't wearing a bra underneath. Why did Wanda have to be so knocked out, I thought to myself? My rod was almost throbbing. The combination of the redhead, the show, and the taut, dark nipples I could clearly see under the white, nylon blouse were really effective as an aphrodisiac.
"Janet," J.B. bubbled. "Help Mr. Bartley put the young lady in one of the guest room." The dark girl only nodded her head, taking hold of the arm J.B. had.
"Mr. Bartley! After seeing your young lady comfortably situated, I would like the opportunity to talk with you. Would you be so kind as to oblige me?" Smiling dazzlingly, he turned, and without waiting for me to answer, walked away. Damn him. That was the rub with someone who had a lot of loot. They just took every fucking thing for granted. They farted; someone else sniffed. They shit; someone else wiped. Fuck him!
But, even as I helped drag Wanda off, I knew that I would do as I had been told. J.B. just wasn't the kind of rat you crossed lightly. Not, that was, if you liked having your head in one piece.
Janet, the dark girl, was quite strong, and it didn't take us long before we had Wanda in a room opening off a long corridor that I hadn't noticed before. Once in the room, we dropped our burden on the bed. Wanda fell heavily; her big tits flopping. She just giggled, looking into the nothingness of the ceiling. Wanda could have been on the moon right then as far as I was concerned. She was so far out of it that she really didn't even recognize me. Or, at least that was what I thought.
The room was tastefully furnished. Everything in it reeked of money. The carpets were antiques; deep, lush, elegant. The furnishings were right out of a designer's fantasy; everything perfectly balanced. What else had I expected. The guy was loaded.
"Thanks," I said sincerely to Janet. Her tits hadn't moved much when she had bent over to lay Wanda on the bed. They were large, firm, lovely.
"My pleasure, sir," she replied, smiling graciously. I liked the way this chick smiled. Kind of made me all warm inside. She didn't hurry to leave, and naturally I gave her the once over. She was really some kid. Stacked. Short, but with all the pieces in the right places. My dingus was getting up.
Janet saw my appraising glance, and made no effort to hide herself from me. She stood, like a prize bitch at a dog show, feeling my eyes rove over her finer points. Shit! She was really built.
On the bed, Wanda was out cold. She breathed heavily; occasionally giggling, even in her narcotic stupor. I could just imagine what she was dreaming about.
Janet made no move to leave. She just stood there. I saw that she pulled her shoulders a little more erect. The effect of thrusting her tits out at me really turned me on.
"Where you from?" I asked casually, trying to decide just how far out Wanda was. Man, she would really flip if she came out of it and found me balling some burnt toast.
"Here and there. Does it matter?"
Janet's answer was flippant. Not at all the posture of a humble serving wench.
"Not really," I answered nonchalantly. Fuck her. Who the fuck did she think she was anyway? Just another cunt, that was all. But her attitude bugged me. "Just conversation. Well, anyway. Thanks again for the help, although I guess it was just part of the job." I hoped she dug the dig.
"If I want it to be," she answered stiffly. She had.
"And if you don't?" I was charging right in.
"Then I would let you whip it to me. That's what you want isn't it? To get my legs open?"
Her frankness really stunned me. She wasn't playing the bit right at all. What the hell was going on here anyway? I'm the one supposed to be pitching. She was supposed to catch. Man, I had to straighten this chick out right away.
"Ha! You kiddin'? What would I want with you?" Indicating the stoned Wanda, I sarcastically continued. "That's all the pussy any cat can take care of."
"When she's with it, baby," Janet smiled. "But she ain't with it, is she?" Her smile had changed to a wicked grin. She had dug the dig, and was handing back more than she got. Man, this chick was really up front.
"So?" I replied defensively. My voice was scratchy. This cunt had me off balance. Things just weren't going the way they were supposed to at all. Everything was all wrong.
"So? So, you got a starched bone, that's so. You would really dig putting it between my legs, that's so. You think I can't see that pole of yours all bunched up?" Her eyes twinkled.
I glanced at Wanda. She breathed evenly.
Janet moved toward me. Smoothly, gracefully like a gazelle. Man was this chick ever with it. My dick must have been jutting out of my pants a good two inches. It felt like a mile. Keerist! Was I ever hot.
"Well?"
"Well what?" I asked, my voice choking. Man her tits were inviting. I wanted to lick them; tease them, suck them, taste them. Oh, but was my dick ever hard.
"You gonna fuck me or not?"
Just like that. Bang! Right out front. She was still smiling but her voice betrayed exasperation. She must have thought I was some kind of a real dumb shit. Hell. The broad did everything but blow me. Still I had to stand ' there like an idiot, and ask her "what."
"I ... that is : ... sure, er...." I stammered. I glanced at Wanda again. Still out.
"Forget her. She'll be gone for another three, four hours."
Janet moved closer. My dong tried to reach out for her. It couldn't make it. She could. She reached for it, grabbing the head. I groaned. What a broad.
Reaching for her, I grabbed her tits. Just as I had thought, they were big, hard, full, and all hers. I squeezed them. This time she moaned. She squeezed my dong again.
"Where?" I gasped.
"What's wrong with the floor? With the carpet on this one it'll be just like a bed."
I shook my head. Not the floor. She was right about the rug, but there was just something about fucking on a floor that bugged me. My roving gaze landed on a big, overstuffed, chair. Clearing my throat, I told her we'd do it there. She agreed.
Pushing her down in the chair, I leaned over and kissed her. She kissed back, at the same time unzipping my pants. My cock was soon out; rampant and willing. Man, what a hot cunt.
With her holding my meat, and still kissing her, I reached down and pushed her skirt up. It rode easily over her nylon encased legs, and her cunt was soon plainly exposed; the short bushy hairs glistening wetly. She had no panties on underneath. That fit.
She broke away from my lips. "Come inside me with that big thing," she breathed. "I want you. I want to feel you fucking the hairs off my pussy." She undulated herself down in the chair until her pelvis was pointed directly at my waiting cock.
I lowered myself to her. My knees touched the front of the cushion. Her legs were draped over the arms of the chair. My cock throbbed. Her pussy raised to me. My heart pounded. Her breath was hot on my cheek. My eyes went to Wanda. Janet's pussy touched the head of my dick. I groaned. Janet wrapped her legs around me. My cock sank wetly into her. She sighed. My eyes closed.
She felt good. Hot, wet, deep. I settled into her solidly, and began to pump rhythmically in and out of her. She was good. I felt wonderful. Out of sight. Cool; but hot. Dig it?
Janet sighed contentedly in my ear. Man was she some kind of good fucking. I glanced again at the dormant Wanda. Still way out in left field. Too bad about that. Shit, man. I wouldn't have been doing this in the first place if she hadn't gotten so fucking blasted out of her cork. I mean, like, if she had just gotten a little bit high, that would have been a groove. But outa' sight? Too much baby!
Janet's legs wrapped themselves around me tightly. I could feel the muscles of her cunt milking me. Man, it felt great. I plunged ever deeper into her. The image of the huge Black fucking the petite little brunette flashed before my eyes. I lunged into her furiously. She grunted.
Faster and faster I fucked her. She was bucking and bouncing in heat now. I could tell that she would start coming any second then. But of course, that was always the way it was with cunt. You just poured the coal to them, and ... zingo ... they went off like a rocket. Of course, sometimes some asshole comes out with some kind of cock-and-bullshit about it not being that way with broads. But don't you believe them baby. They all like it. If s just that some of them like it better than others.
Janet was overcome. She thrust her tongue into my ear wetly. It almost got me off. I pumped into her frantically. The harder I shoved it in her, the wider she opened her legs. I could feel my balls slapping against the cheeks of her ass. It was pure heaven. I knew that I would shoot off in her any minute now. She was one of the greatest fucks I had ever had. Of course, after all the excitement of that night, any pussy would have felt good. I fucked happily away.
Grabbing me about the shoulders, Janet humped up into me without reservation. She moaned loudly ... ecstatically. I felt my come rising up inside me. I was ready. I drove into it in a frenzy; long calculated strokes of pure pleasure. She was responding like an absolute nymph. It was the greatest.
I flooded her pussy with my come, pumping away wildly all the while. When at last the beautiful stars stopped exploding inside my fevered brain, I gasped one last, loud, long sigh. It was finished. I was finished.
Gradually she relaxed the blacksmith's grip she had on me. She over reacted a little when she reached up and quickly planted a hot, wet, sloppy kiss on my lips. She wasn't Wanda, but man you better believe she sure as hell made a good sub. Thinking of Wanda, I quickly glanced at her. She was still slumbering peacefully; blissfully ignorant. Don't get the idea for a second that she had been kidding about whacking it off if she ever caught me. She wasn't.
Returning Janet's kiss, I pulled my diminishing organ out of her. She stage-pouted a bit when I did. Then, brightening, she laughed that tinkling laugh of hers. I felt' good. Man, she was really some broad. Too bad I was so hung up on Wanda. I could have gone for her in a big way.
I patted her on the inside of the thigh. Her legs were still draped over the chair arms. Her pussy hairs were really glistening now. I had given her a pretty good fucking, if I did have to say so myself. As it turned out, I didn't.
"That was groovy!" Janet cooed.
"Yea! I thought so myself. Say, you're pretty good."
"So I've been told. You weren't exactly bad yourself."
"Thanks. Now that we've established our mutual admiration society, I guess maybe I'd better split. Suppose to see J.B."
Janet laughed that laugh again. I felt warm. Then when I saw the look on her face, I felt cold. There was something wrong. I didn't know what, but I had the definite feeling that I had just been had. She didn't waste anytime proving it.
"Oh you don't have to worry about that. J.B. been watchin' you ever since we come in here. See." With that, she pointed in the direction of a wall. On the wall was nothing but a large painting. Suddenly the painting moved. Behind it, grinning, was Eddie, Vito, and of course the ever smiling J.B. Also, there was another guy. He had a hand-held camera. I could just bet what the exposed film would look like.
"Well, well," baritoned J.B. "So we meet again Mr. Bartley."
Eddie and Vito snickered obscenely. I could just imagine what they had been saying while they watched me plugging Janet. The little bitch. It had all been a setup. Right from the word go. And me? I been too fucking dumb to even see what was going on.
"I do trust you enjoyed yourself Mr. Bartley? It appeared to me that Janet was more than adequately taking care of you. Any complaints?" His perpetual smile in place, he laughed uproarishly.
Eddie and Vito laughed even louder. The cameraman just smiled. What the fuck. I couldn't help liking that guy. He was a pro. Just like me. To him, this was just a job. Nothing more, nothing less. He was all right. I knew that his laughter was nothing more than an attempt to butter up the guy picking up the bag.
Nothing I could say. Nothing I could do. It was done, and for whatever the reason, I was in the bag. My reporter's curiosity burned to know the reason. Why had the "Big Boy" gone to so much trouble over a lousy police reporter like me? It just didn't make sense. The only thing that even connected us was Eddie. And certainly there was nothing between Eddie and I. Hey! Wait just a minute. Of course! The story. I had been so busy getting my ashes hauled, I had completely forgotten it. The only link. But how did the "Big Boy" figure in something like that? It just didn't figure.
"Leave us for awhile, Janet," the baritone boomed again, never loosing its hold on the fixed facial slit.
Janet had already gotten up from the chair and adjusted her miniskirt so her pussy wasn't showing. Now, nodding, she quickly walked toward the door, and was gone. Watching her cute little ass wiggle out the door didn't even cause a ripple. I hated a double-crossing cunt. Especially a smart ass double-crossing cunt. Janet was in on all counts.
After she was gone, and the laughter had died down, J. B., still smiling, of course, his ponderous frame dominating the entire room, spoke again.
"Now, Mr. Bartley. Naturally, the thing that bothers you the most about all this is ... Why? Am I right?"
The bastard was psychic. It was almost as if he had been looking inside my head. Frightening. Whatever else he might be, he was shrewd as hell. Best to treat him with care. I just nodded, waiting, a little more respectfully, for him to go on.
"Well of course I could say that it was just sort of a practical joke. But you're far too intelligent to believe that. Instead, I will confide in you the trusted truth. I trust that you are, after all, a man of the world. A connoisseur of, shall we say, the better things in life? That being so, you will immediately agree that one of the gross things about life is that it is so dull; even boring. Naturally all of us have, shall we say, our little diversions?"
He paused. It was obvious that he was waiting for me to acknowledge the truth of what he had already said. The bastard was good. He had made me feel ten feet tall, all in the same moment that he'd succeeded in making me feel about the size of a bug. No wonder he was the "Big Boy." My respect for him grew. I nodded.
"Good! Very good. I see that we shall get on famously. I knew we would. After all, us men of prominence have to stick together, don't we?"
The son-of-a-bitch was even better than I'd figured. Here I was getting the biggest snow job of the century, and I was actually eating it up. I got the feeling that some of the grass Wanda had smoked might have rubbed off on me. I even smiled back at the bastard.
"Quite frankly, Mr. Bartley, I am concerned about your interest in a rather odd series of events that have taken place in our fair city of late. I am, of course, referring to the, er, shall we call them seductions, of several men by quite lovely young ladies? Do you follow me?"
I knew it. It had to be. But I didn't know yet what the connection could possibly be between a guy like J.B. and some nutty broads running around busting good time Charlies.
Deciding to play chess with the guy, I nodded my head.
Only Eddie could have tipped him. I decided to play a quick gambit.
"Yea, Eddie told me that things were getting pretty ... shall I say ... hot?"
The smile disappeared from J.B.'s face only momentarily. The look of venom that he directed in Eddie's direction completely wiped any mirth from the big fellow's face. Eddie looked startled. Things were moving too fast for him, and it took a while for him to catch up. That little bit was all I needed. I hurried on.
"Of course, the guy who is really interested in these cases is Holloway. You know him? He's a flatfoot over at Central. Told me he's been casing Eddie for quite a while now. Eddie's a real good source, Holloway told me."
Put me on the spot would he? That ought to fix the motherfucker good. Let him try to wiggle his way out of that. I could just barely suppress my amusement. Eddie's face looked like some one had just told him there was no Santa Claus. I swear I thought the mug was gonna bust out crying any second.
"Honest!" screeched Eddie. "I ain't breathed a word. You gotta believe me boss! This guy's bull-shittin' you. He ain't got nothin'. Ya just gotta believe me. He's lyin' troo' his teeth ... which incidentally he ain't gonna have too long."
Looking daggers at me while he muttered that last, Eddie took a step in my direction; Vito close behind him. I took a step back. Eddie meant business. I was beginning to get a little worried. Maybe I overplayed my hand a little. Holloway wouldn't even be able to identify the body after these two goons got through if J.B. let them go to work on me.
"Very clever, Mr. Bartley," J.B.'s baritone boomed. I wondered if the guy wore a wig. His dark, wavy locks were just a little bit too perfect for a guy his age. Still, you never could tell.
Eddie and Vito pulled up short. Eddie cast a wooden look at his boss. The poor bastard wanted a piece of my ass so bad he could almost taste it. The only thing between me and being declared a manmade disaster area, was J.B. But he had all ready proven that he wasn't willing to take the chance that I just might be leveling with him. If, and right now that was a mighty big word, Holloway did know anything, and I turned up trying to ball a mermaid at the bottom of the East River, there would be hell to pay for sure. J.B. was a cautious man. That's why he was the boss and Eddie and Vito were just a couple of stumble bums.
"Very clever indeed," J.B. intoned again. He was eyeing me carefully now. His smile was gone. I almost didn't recognize him without his teeth.
"Don't know what's so clever about a cop checking something like that out. After all, that's his job. And as far as Eddie is concerned, he didn't exactly come right out and tell Holloway anything. The guy is sharp. Give him just a sniff of a clue, and he'll track it down to its owner."
I saw some of the hatred leave Eddie's burning eyes. I had decided that for right then at least, discretion was the better part of valor. It was best to kind of let Eddie off the hook a little. I didn't doubt that J.B. would chew his ass up one side and down the other anyway ... just for having had the two of their names connected together. Also, I knew that from this moment on, Eddie would be out to get me anyway he could.
"Precisely what is it your friend knows, Mr. Bartley?" J.B. asked coolly. He was lighting a five dollar cigar, at the same time eyeballing the shit out of me. I was still a long way from being outside. Better play it cool I decided. Just enough. This guy is way too sharp to be fucked around with.
"Gee, I don't know for sure. Just kind of asked a favor of me, that's all. Said something about the deal, asked me to ask around, especially at the 'Red Rose.' Said he had a lead that it might be connected somehow. Also," I lowered my voice and gaze at the same time, pausing before going on. "He asked me to sniff around and see what I could find about the ... er ... 'Big Boy.' Didn't say anything else. Really didn't make much sense to me."
J.B. digested this information slowly. I could almost see and hear the computer-like wheels spinning in his head. He looked all the more ominous behind the thick clouds of dark bluish smoke billowing up in front of his face from the burning cigar. I felt the sweat beginning to pop out all over me. If he didn't buy it, I would. The hard way. I heard Wanda giggle in her soporific stupor. Dumb broad. She was too fucking doped up to even know that she was just this far from doing the dance of the fishwives; at the source.
"Anything else?" J.B.'s baritone was flat, unreadable.
I took my time before answering. I had to make sure of my answer. If it was the wrong one, twenty questions was over. If it was the right one, I just might manage to write my byline for tomorrow's rag.
"Nope," I shook my head, after making a big show of studying his question hard. "Nothing. Look, I don't know what he had in mind, and I don't know what all this is about. Me? I'm just a hack reporter. I pound a typewriter, mooch a few free drinks on my Press Card, and beat the gate for most of the admission cash. The guy asks a favor, and I try to deliver. He's done me enough of them. In fact," again I paused, and tried to make my voice as mysterious as possible, at the same time hoping to slip in a hint of a threat. "I would probably have forgotten all about the whole deal if you hadn't made just such a big deal about it. Now, maybe I'm curious. Real curious."
J.B. smiled again. He appreciated a good move. The mother was sharp all right. But that smile told me that he had bought the deal. Hook, line, and sinker. He also cast an ominous glance in Eddie's direction. It was obvious that he would blame Eddie for steering him wrong. Right now I would have been willing to bet Wanda's pussy that he was thinking that I should never have been brought here in the first place. He was right too. Now I wouldn't budge off this caper until I had gotten to the bottom of it. But, like I said, J.B. was sharp. He'd thought of that too.
The mark of a real pro was on him. That mark is simple. When a real pro is backed into a wall ... he attacks ... with both barrels. Bam! Bam! Kick 'em in the ass. Grab 'em by the balls. Make 'em know they been fucking with a champ. That was J.B. Or, at least it had been. He didn't know it, but I had just spelled it with an "u." If he ever found out, I'd be a gone goose.
Like I said, J.B. was a pro. He attacked, and with both barrels. He came at me two ways; both designed to get me off his back, and keep me off. First, a good reason for getting off, then a bone to make sure I stayed off. Man, you just had to admire the dirty, no-good, cock-sucking motherfucker. I wished he had that cigar up his ass. But I smiled at him all the while. I even giggled to myself when I thought that he was probably thinking the same thing about me. Just to even things out Wanda giggled for both of us.
"May I remind you Mr. Bartley," J.B. smiled, "that curiosity is given credit for having dispatched the proverbial feline to the equally proverbial land of milk and honey. Odd about Proverbs, isn't it? How often they portray a universal truth."
He smiled.
I smiled back.
Eddie scowled and Vito just looked dumb. Wanda giggled.
"However, in the interest of preventing something quite simple from being blown into something of a mountain, I am prepared to let you have a certain amount of information. I trust," J.B. paused, making sure that I got the message, then went on. "That you will be suave enough about this to let it go at that."
Lumbering over to the chair that I had fucked Janet on, J.B. ceremoniously sat down. He motioned for me to sit too, and since the closest place was the bed, I perched on the edge. Wanda moaned slightly, stirred, then was still.
"To begin with, the, er, acts, shall we call them, are nothing more than the girlish pranks of a few young ladies who are more or less in my employ. The entire matter came to my attention rather casually. I was asked to keep the young ladies from becoming involved in something sordid, and since indirectly, it might involve me as their distant employer, I agreed. I can assure you that they have promised there will be no more of this foolishness."
J.B. eyed me carefully, his smile firmly in place. Believing that I was eating it up, he went on.
"After all, Mr. Bartley, no real harm has been done. The girls at worst, only startled a few gentlemen. At best, they might have made a few poor souls quite, quite happy. Don't you agree?"
With this much I truthfully had to agree. The girls had indeed I was sure made a couple of guys pretty delighted. Even the ones like Mr. Purdy. I nodded my head in honest agreement. J.B. beamed. I smiled back, hoping that he was sitting on a wad of come. The bastard was hiding something, and it was big. I knew it. He just wasn't the philanthropic type. About the only altruistic thing he had ever done in his life was have his boys hand out free booze the day of the election to the bums on the Bowery. He probably even watered that down. I smiled broadly. Eddie continued to scowl and Vito kept on looking stupid. Good ol' Wanda giggled again. Man she must be dreaming about a whole army of cocks. The bitch.
"I am quite pleased to see we have a meeting of the minds," J.B. said. "You may of course tell your friend the basic facts that you have uncovered, thus 'delivering' on the favor he asked of you. You will, of course, do me the favor of forgetting where you got the information, or any names connected with it." He smiled happily again. He was without a doubt the smilingest dude I'd ever seen before in my life. Maybe they indicated gas pains. That made me happy.
"You won't need to look any further. To make sure, you need only remember the film we shot tonight. I'm quite sure the young lady," he indicated sleeping Wanda, "would be most interested. Also, your boss. Janet's husband would no doubt be interested too. That was him you saw on stage tonight." J.B. smiled broadly.
The thought of the Black giant coming after me with his singing bullwhip sent a shiver of dread racing through my body. I could still see the crimson streaks on the brunette. I swallowed hard. Yep. J.B. was a pro all right. Both barrels. Bam! Bam! Ouch!
Now, gentle reader, if I had been smart I would have let it go at that. I would have packed up my cute little bundle of pussy. I would have bid J.B. goodnight. I would have gotten the fuck out of there and never thought about coming back. I would have gone to Holloway with J.B.'s bullshit. I. would have sold him on it. Then, I would have forgotten all about it. I would have enough to keep me busy chasing ambulances. I would have even gotten Eddie a couple of ringside seats in the interrogation room down at headquarters. That would go over big with him. His beady eyes glistening hotly as he listened to the truncheons fall flashed across my mind.
That, gentle reader, is what I would have done if I had been smart. But that's one thing I've never been accused of. Being smart. Not me! That's why I had been made a reporter.
"Then we understand each other?" J.B. purred, his fat face oozing confidence. Keerist! How I hated that motherfucker. But, you just had to admire him.
"We understand each other," I echoed.
J.B. beamed radiantly.
I smiled knowingly.
Eddie scowled threateningly.
Vito looked stupid, easily.
Wanda farted, noisily.