FROM WHERE MICKEY STOOD IN AN OBSCURE CORNER OF the lobby, he could see the guests moving into the dining room. He was too depressed to work up any enthusiasm to mingle with them. His mind dwelled on what he imagined was going on with Mutzie in Pep’s room. Yet he knew he had to keep these thoughts at bay while he concentrated on his plan.

As he stood there, plumbing his memory, reciting in his mind the jokes he would tell, he caught a glimpse of Helen Reles stuffed into a gold lamé dress. She was roaming helter-skelter in the lobby, obviously looking for her errant obnoxious son. As she passed him, Mickey caught her eye. He put a finger over his lips and beckoned her with his eyes.

“Oy, Mickey, are you in deep doody,” she said. “You got Pep mad, boychick. Not smart, you taking away his coorva.”

“What do you hear, Helen?”

She looked at him and patted his cheek.

“Believe me, boychick. I would have taken good care. You wouldn’t have nothing left for anyone else.”

“What can I say, Helen? I fell in love.”

“Love? That’s only in the movies, dummy. I coulda shown you real love, boobala. You woulda had love you could die for.”

“I know, Helen. I guess I missed out.”

“Not too late.” She winked then took his hand and put it over her right breast. “Beneath this dollink is a beating heart. Oy, I’m getting hot.”

“Helen, please. What do you hear?”

“I can tell you that Abie doesn’t like this business of Pep with the goilies. With Abie it’s business foist. And your little love knish was stupid. It’s a matter of respect. Not as bad as the wops, but when it comes to private pussy, Pep goes bananas. I can tell you that they’re gonna pass her around like an hors d’oeurve. So she’ll be one of Gloria’s hooers. Look, she had eyes wide open.”

“Will they hurt her?”

“Not like they hurt that waitress hooer that helped you. She’ll be in the hospital for a month. You may be, but I hope not. I’ll talk to my Abie. They won’t hurt huh. Not where it shows. Okay. Tell you the truth. I don’t approve. But now they got real tsouris. La Guardia, Dewey, the government ain’t foolin around no more. Soon gambling up here will be kaput. Albert, Lepke, Costello, Bugsy, Pep, Abie. The whole comibination. I mean everybody is worried. I can tell you they ain’t in a good mood.” She put her mouth close to his. “My Abie. He’s got plans.”

“I got plans too, Helen,” Mickey said.

“Plans, shplans, dollink. In your head you should have one plan. Run. By yourself. Run now. As far as you can run. Oy, such a boobala. If we had the time I would give you a farewell shtup you could remember for a lifetime. Listen to Helen. I been around these guys forever. Put on your sneakers, sonny.”

She heard a noise and spied Heshy annoying people at the other end of the lobby.

“Bye bye, boychick,” she sighed, then left to get her son.

He felt himself rooted to the floor. He had heard Reles try to reason with Pep at Swan Lake with little result. Besides, he had seen them both in action at his father’s store. These men had no pity for anyone.