twenty minutes earlier. He had been ordered around and ridiculed since the day Felicia had disappeared. Now he expected more of the same, but this time the boss had sounded distracted. Benny had taken the elevator as quickly as possible to the thirtieth floor. Maybe, he thought, if he could do something really good for the boss he’d give the girls back.
It had been pure hell since Felicia left. He had been forced to comb through the seediest Las Vegas bars, looking for women who needed the money so badly that they were willing to endure the kind of degradation that he administered.
Benny’s dark reputation always preceded him.
Harry Varchetta swung his feet up on his desk and stared at his shoes for a few moments as he continued tapping the pencil against his long hooked nose. Finally he said in a conversational voice, “Benny, do you remember Gino Porcelli? He worked here for a long time.”
Benny’s brow furrowed and his hooded eyes closed as he concentrated. “Gino Porcelli. Yeah, I think I do. He used to be a pit boss, right?”
“That’s right. Gino retired about two years ago and moved to Lake Tahoe with his wife. Remember that?”
Benny’s brow remained furrowed. “Yeah, boss, I do,” he said, “I think I do remember that.”
“That’s good. Well, Gino called me this morning.”
“He did?” Benny said, thinking that he should try to sound pleased. “How’s he doing?”
“Just fine, he’s doing just fine.”
Benny wondered where the conversation was going, but he said nothing. Varchetta went on: “While Gino and his wife were visiting Virginia City yesterday, they saw a very strange sight.”
Benny relaxed. His boss didn’t look mad. In fact, he looked almost happy. “What’d he see, boss?”
“He saw a big man, with a big Doberman, and a little black-haired gal, very pregnant.”
The smile faded from Benny’s face and he leaned forward in the chair. “Felicia?” he said, an incredulous look on his face.
“Yeah, Benny. Felicia.”
Benny sat for a moment, his mind racing. This is good. I can go get her. And when I bring her back, the boss will give me the girls again and I won’t have to spend all my time looking at those ugly porkers in the bars. But then he thought more about what his boss had just said, and a smile split his face. “Did you say she’s pregnant? You’re gonna be a father? Congratulations, boss!”
Varchetta swung his feet to the floor and stood, eyes riveted to Benny’s face, which fell quickly under the horrible gaze.
Benny realized he had said something very wrong.
“You dumbo! It’s not my baby!”
Benny looked perplexed. “But if it ain’t yours, whose is it?” he said.
Varchetta slammed his fist on the desk, livid with rage. “You big dumb ass!”
Benny cowered, not knowing what to say. Varchetta began to pace the room. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely under control. There was no smile, no casualness.
“Gino heard through the grapevine about Felicia. He did the friendly thing and called.” Varchetta glared at Benny. “Frost and Felicia are living in a cabin, just outside of Virginia City. That’s just south of Reno, up in the mountains. You ever been there?”
“No I ain’t boss.”
“Well, you’re gonna be. And this time, Benny … this time I don’t want Felicia back.”
Disbelief showed on Benny’s face. “You don’t want her back?” Then can I have her? For a moment he felt instant terror, but with a huge sigh of relief, he realized he hadn’t actually asked the question aloud.
“That’s right, I don’t want her back.” Varchetta’s eyes were slits as he lit a cigarette and watched the smoke drift upward. “I want you to kill her. I want you to find her and kill her. Then I want you to get rid of her, understand? But keep your hands off her! Kill her, and get rid of her so nobody ever finds her— but keep your hands off her !”
“Ah, boss, I wouldn’t think of—”
“My ass you
It had been pure hell since Felicia left. He had been forced to comb through the seediest Las Vegas bars, looking for women who needed the money so badly that they were willing to endure the kind of degradation that he administered.
Benny’s dark reputation always preceded him.
Harry Varchetta swung his feet up on his desk and stared at his shoes for a few moments as he continued tapping the pencil against his long hooked nose. Finally he said in a conversational voice, “Benny, do you remember Gino Porcelli? He worked here for a long time.”
Benny’s brow furrowed and his hooded eyes closed as he concentrated. “Gino Porcelli. Yeah, I think I do. He used to be a pit boss, right?”
“That’s right. Gino retired about two years ago and moved to Lake Tahoe with his wife. Remember that?”
Benny’s brow remained furrowed. “Yeah, boss, I do,” he said, “I think I do remember that.”
“That’s good. Well, Gino called me this morning.”
“He did?” Benny said, thinking that he should try to sound pleased. “How’s he doing?”
“Just fine, he’s doing just fine.”
Benny wondered where the conversation was going, but he said nothing. Varchetta went on: “While Gino and his wife were visiting Virginia City yesterday, they saw a very strange sight.”
Benny relaxed. His boss didn’t look mad. In fact, he looked almost happy. “What’d he see, boss?”
“He saw a big man, with a big Doberman, and a little black-haired gal, very pregnant.”
The smile faded from Benny’s face and he leaned forward in the chair. “Felicia?” he said, an incredulous look on his face.
“Yeah, Benny. Felicia.”
Benny sat for a moment, his mind racing. This is good. I can go get her. And when I bring her back, the boss will give me the girls again and I won’t have to spend all my time looking at those ugly porkers in the bars. But then he thought more about what his boss had just said, and a smile split his face. “Did you say she’s pregnant? You’re gonna be a father? Congratulations, boss!”
Varchetta swung his feet to the floor and stood, eyes riveted to Benny’s face, which fell quickly under the horrible gaze.
Benny realized he had said something very wrong.
“You dumbo! It’s not my baby!”
Benny looked perplexed. “But if it ain’t yours, whose is it?” he said.
Varchetta slammed his fist on the desk, livid with rage. “You big dumb ass!”
Benny cowered, not knowing what to say. Varchetta began to pace the room. When he finally spoke, his voice was barely under control. There was no smile, no casualness.
“Gino heard through the grapevine about Felicia. He did the friendly thing and called.” Varchetta glared at Benny. “Frost and Felicia are living in a cabin, just outside of Virginia City. That’s just south of Reno, up in the mountains. You ever been there?”
“No I ain’t boss.”
“Well, you’re gonna be. And this time, Benny … this time I don’t want Felicia back.”
Disbelief showed on Benny’s face. “You don’t want her back?” Then can I have her? For a moment he felt instant terror, but with a huge sigh of relief, he realized he hadn’t actually asked the question aloud.
“That’s right, I don’t want her back.” Varchetta’s eyes were slits as he lit a cigarette and watched the smoke drift upward. “I want you to kill her. I want you to find her and kill her. Then I want you to get rid of her, understand? But keep your hands off her! Kill her, and get rid of her so nobody ever finds her— but keep your hands off her !”
“Ah, boss, I wouldn’t think of—”
“My ass you
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