I went to sleep as depressed as I had been the night before. I managed to avoid wholesale annihilation of my physiology, but I wasn’t sure if that was maturation or the weakness of age. When I awoke the next morning my body felt better but my spirits weren’t any brighter. It was time to punch the clock for Simon and put the meter on hold with Dr. James. Starring and Clifford were dead ends. I even had to wait for Boots’ call to find out when I could see her. This wasn’t how I’d hoped things would turn out.
When the phone rang I gratefully answered.
“Matty, how are you?”
“Lou. Good to hear your voice. How’s Martha?”
His voice lowered. “The same.” Then louder. “She is great. She can’t come to the phone right now, but she told me to send you her love.”
The words were familiar but, where they once conjured up the image of a beaming Lou and Martha, today the image was different. “And how are you, Lou, really?”
His tone took on an amused note. “You know what they say. Good things come to those who wait.”
“Are you being sarcastic?”
He laughed, “No, not at all. I’m not talking about your kind of waiting, Matty. I have to unload money, actually as much as possible, into the building.”
“As much as possible?” I was baffled.
“I’m not talking Rockefeller. But a substantial amount. No jokes, please. A few things came home, and tax laws being what they are, it makes sense to spruce up and expand.”
“Expand?”
“I thought it might be nice to add the twin next door.”
“Are you kidding?”
“Not at all. Attaching and renovating would be the right scale of expenditure.” His voice grew a little more somber. “Of course you might have to schmere the local people. We can talk about alternatives if you’re reluctant.”
I coughed my way through a hesitation. “Don’t be silly. I wouldn’t be reluctant to bribe an official. It would give me pleasure.”
“Don’t be smart. Sometimes you do what you have to do. You don’t have to enjoy it.”
“So I’ll hate it.”
“Always a wiseguy. What’s the matter, boychik? You don’t like my idea?”
“I don’t know. Are you sure it’s good business?”
“Look who’s talking about business! What do you care about business? Now what’s bothering you?” He sounded kindly.
“Remember I told you about this detective work?”
“Do I remember? You almost gave me a coronary when you crashed through the door playing cops and robbers. How is it coming?”
“There were two cases. One solved itself and the other’s going nowhere. But the specific cases aren’t the problem.”
“What is?” He sounded interested.
“Well, I think I like the work.”
“Mazel tov.”
I chuckled. “Now who’s the wiseguy?” I lit a cigarette and stopped. I didn’t know what else to say. We were both quiet and I could hear him wheezing across the connection. After a time he said, “I think I understand.”
“I’m glad someone does.”
“You are worried about doing the detective work and also coordinating the project.”
“I guess. But it seems silly. I really don’t have much to do. Especially with the cases I’m working on.”
“You’ve managed to work and cover the building up to now?”
“Not really. This detective stuff pays well so I’ve arranged for Charles to cover.”
“Charles?”
“You know, Charles from Charles and Richard.”
Lou chuckled and said, “Who would have thought you could live without Mrs. Sullivan’s light? How is she? I didn’t stop upstairs when I was in town. I hope she wasn’t offended.”
“I don’t think she knew you were in. Hell, it was so brief I barely knew it. Lou, I feel bad about my lack of enthusiasm. I’m sure I’ll perk up once the project gets started.”
“And your detective work?”
“I’m trying to tell you, I don’t have any work to do.”
“Don’t be a shmuck. It’s not what you have that’s important. It’s what you want. If I saddle you with this project you won’t be able to develop the business.”
“Lou, I’m not going to screw you up because I have fantasies.”
“Fantasies shmantasies. Who’s talking screwed? We’ll use both of them.”
“Both of who?”
“We can use your friend Richard. From Charles and Richard.” His needle made me smile. “We’ll use both,” he continued.
“What are you talking about? Are you on pot?”
“Mr. Joker. Please, don’t be so loose-mouthed over the phone. It’s simple. Richard’s an architect, so we’ll hire him to develop the project. Charles, if you think he can do the job, will do the day-to-day. It’s not that big a deal and you, as part owner, will oversee.”
“You are on drugs.”
“Enough with the drugs already. Richard and Charles won’t do?”
“It’s not that. They’d do fine if they decided to take the job.”
“You don’t think they will?”
“They might.”
“So what’s so crazy?”
“This part owner talk—all this talk. Do you know if the building is available?”
“It’s already ours.”
“Ours? What the hell . .
“I didn’t want to tell you when I was there because I didn’t have time for your arguments.” He paused, then continued, “Also you were focused on your cases and I didn’t want to disturb you. While I was in town I closed on the six-flat and rearranged the present building.”
“Rearranged?”
“Put the buildings in both our names. Those papers I sent you a couple of months ago that you signed and sent back. I didn’t think you would read them.”
He was right. I thought they were insurance forms.
“Look, boychik, before you say anything, use your head. I’m no spring chicken. This way no matter what happens, everything is covered.”
“Is that what this is all about? Age anxieties?”
He laughed. “Maybe a little.” He lowered his voice. “In my situation it would be unwise not to take care of things.” His voice returned to conversation level. “But much to my delight, the windfall is real.”
“Lou, is there something I should know about Martha?” I felt a sudden rush of panic. “Or you?”
“No, no, I’m fine. I swear it. Just came back from a physical. I’m a horse. Martha’s Martha.”
“Lou, why don’t I come out there? The rest of this can wait.”
“I want you to stay put. It’s better that way.”
“It sounds terrible. Why won’t you let me help?”
“I do want you to help. I want you to stay home and get the project off the ground. With the purchase of the second building there is enough money coming in to pay you out of profit. If Richard and Charles aren’t good, pick someone else. From where I sit, you should be able to do the project and your detective work. Though from the sound of it you’ll do more project than detecting.” He sounded disgruntled.
“Probably.”
“You should hear yourself. One case solved itself, the other is stuck. Boychik, it’s time to wake up—nothing solves itself. The stuck one means you’re stuck, not the case. I know gornisbt from detecting, but I know you don’t build a business sitting on your tuchas thinking cases solve themselves.”
I usually reacted badly to a kick in the ass, but Lou was at least half-right. I was the one stuck about the robberies.
“Lou, you are right, I don’t know the first thing about building a business. That’s what makes this whole thing seem ludicrous.”
“It’s not ridiculous, you’re ridiculous. Youpished away more time than you realize. You’ve got to have a track record and contacts. With your friend Simon you might have the contacts, but you’ve got no record. And you won’t if you keep thinking this way.”
I smiled. It was nice to be treated like a son. Never really felt it before I met Lou. Probably why it had taken me so long to recognize what our relationship was.
“I don’t get it. I thought kingmakers grew nasty when they got old.”
He laughed. “I used up all my nasties becoming a kingmaker, bubbelah.”
We spent the next few minutes talking about the project and how to proceed. Lou was correct when he said I knew nothing about business. I grabbed a pen and paper and wrote as fast as I could. I wanted to get it right.
My head was swimming when I hung up the phone. I looked at my list. From what I could gather I had authority over a ton of money in a local business account. I could hire someone to caretake as soon as I wanted. Even if we didn’t get the proper variance from the city we were going to create a project. I felt lightheaded and wanted to tell someone. By the time I thought of Boots and Simon, I was already deep into the details with Charles and Richard.