Secrets & Lies (36 page)

“Right.”

“So you're going to marry her, and then I'll bring you into the business. We're going to be building a casino on Las Vegas Boulevard. That's the hot real estate in Vegas now. In ten or twenty years, downtown Vegas will be antiquated. The future of the city will be ‘the Strip.' What would you say to fifty percent of the new casino? And a hundred grand dowry? I'd say that's a damned good deal, considering the alternative.”

A great sense of relief washed over me. For a moment I thought I might start believing in God. “Thank you, yes sir, it is.”

“What do you say about a Christmas wedding?”

Gulp.
“Christmas?”

“Carlotta and I love Christmas.”

“Isn't that a little soon? It's less than two months away.”

“Oh, that's plenty of time to put together the wedding to end all weddings. It'll be here at the ranch, of course. But first you gotta propose to her. I'll take it for granted that you've asked my permission to do so, and you have it.”

I stood. “Is she here?”

“Out by the pool.”

“I don't have a ring.”

“You can give that to her later. Just let her know you want to marry her.”

He got up and put his arm around me. “Leo, I loved your father. Your recent behavior in L.A. disappointed me, but my own son sometimes disappoints me, too. You're solid, Leo. You like the ladies a little too much, and that's gonna have to stop, but otherwise you're okay. Now get out there and do your stuff.”

“All right. Thanks, Vince. I appreciate it.” I started to leave, but thought I'd show him I was still concerned about our business. “We should talk about the operation. This war between the motorcycle clubs—”

“We'll talk about that another time.”

“Okay.”

So what did I do? I went out to the pool and spotted Maria lying on one of those recliners. She had on sunglasses and a bikini. Magnificent body. Golden-blonde hair. Yeah, I thought maybe I could live with that. It actually made my plan for New Year's Eve a little more interesting. I'll have to get Christina's take on it. It was a good thing her arm was healing nicely.

The biggest problem was how I was going to tell Judy the news without breaking her heart.

1961

N
OVEMBER
2, 1961

I'm depressed. Saturday is my birthday, and I have no one to celebrate with. I don't know what's happened to Leo. He knows the 4th is my birthday. The last time we were together we talked about it, about how I'm going to be 24, and how he was going to take me to dinner. Something is definitely wrong. Is he seeing someone else? Has he decided to drop me? Without
telling
me?

Christina was at Flickers tonight. She was dressed in a sleeveless, tight, black cocktail dress, but her arm was in a sling. I wanted to ask her about Leo, but to be polite I made it a point to inquire about her injury first.

“This?” she said. “Oh, I hurt it at work. I was trying to do a man's work with some heavy machinery. Tore a ligament in my shoulder.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

“It happened several weeks ago, so it's nearly healed. In fact, beginning tomorrow I can stop using the sling. Hell, I think I'll stop now.” She slipped her arm out and flexed it several times. “There, that's better. Free at last. And how are you, Judy?”

“Fine, but I haven't seen or heard from Leo in a while. What's he up to?”

“Oh, you know, he's a busy man. Sometimes
I
don't know where he is, and I work in his office and live in his house!”

I didn't believe her. She knew exactly where Leo was. I really disliked Christina. She's always been very snooty to me. I don't think she was fond of her brother seeing me.

“Well, is he in L.A., is he traveling, or what? We'd talked about getting together for my birthday on Saturday and I haven't—”

“Oh, your birthday is Saturday? Happy birthday.”

“Thanks.”
Bitch
. When she didn't say anything else, I added, “Well, if you talk to Leo, please tell him to call me.”

“Sure will.”

Then I resumed my station and she continued to drink a martini at the bar where she always sat. What a very strange, unpleasant, but undeniably beautiful girl. A lot like her brother, come to think of it. Leo Kelly is also strange and undeniably beautiful. And he's beginning to be unpleasant now, too.

N
OVEMBER
4, 1961

Dear diary, today is my birthday, and at first I thought I'd be spending it in the dumps, alone and depressed. I have to work tonight at Flickers, too, so I wasn't looking forward to that when I started the day. I'm dashing this off quickly before I leave my apartment.

Freddie called me this morning from New York to wish me Happy Birthday. He woke me up, but I didn't mind. It was great to hear his voice. Things are the same there. I told him I missed him and that I was having man problems. Freddie said, “If he's not treating you right, then forget him!” I thought it was good advice.

I was hoping Lucy might call me, but by noon she hadn't, so I called her. She'd forgotten it was my birthday. I didn't remind her, but we had a nice chat anyway. It sounded like things are pretty much the same with her and Peter, too.

Then I called Barry to find out what was happening with our cases. He told me the war between the Heathens and Los Serpientes
isn't getting any better. Apparently, the Serpents firebombed the Heathens's clubhouse and garage and there was a gunfight. Two Heathens were burned badly and are in the hospital. One Serpientes was shot to death. No, it didn't sound like things were going to ease up any time soon. Barry said the gunrunning activity and the counterfeit money smuggling had probably halted indefinitely. Now the police were simply concerned about the violence occurring in civilian-populated neighborhoods. Innocent bystanders were going to get hurt. It was a mess.

“I could go back to the Serpientes's place and have another look around,” I suggested.

“Don't you dare. You won't be able to get near them.”

“I'm not afraid.”

“Well, you're mad, but I love you that way.”

“You
love
me, Barry?”

“As much as I can love a masked vigilante who won't reveal who she is.”

“Aw, you're sweet. I love you, too, Barry.”

After we hung up, I realized Barry is my closest friend in L.A. I haven't made very many. I like a lot of the people at Flickers, but I've never grown close to any of them. I wonder if I could reveal my identity to Barry someday. I think he could keep a secret. It helps to have someone I trust who knows, someone like Freddie.

I put on my exercise clothes and was about to drive to the Gym, when out of the blue there was a knock at the door. When I asked who it was, I heard Leo's voice.

“It's Prince Charming and I've got this magic slipper I'd like you to try on.”

My heart leaped into my throat. On one hand I was happy he was there. On the other, I wanted to clobber him!

“Why should I let you in? Give me one good reason!”

“Because it's your birthday?”

He remembered. Or Christina reminded him. It didn't matter; I guess I sort of melted. I couldn't resist—I let him in.

Leo was full of kisses and hugs and apologies. It was like he'd never been away. He handed me a delicately wrapped gift and told me to open it. “Then we're going out to lunch. I hope you haven't eaten.”

“I was about to go exercise. I had a snack an hour ago.”

“Forget exercising. We're going to celebrate.”

I wanted to protest, but after I opened the present, I was ready to do anything he asked. Dear diary, Leo gave me the most beautiful silver heart-shaped locket on a chain. There are three diamonds on it—he said they were each a carat—one on the point of the heart and the other two on top of the “mounds.” Inside is a space for a small photograph.

“You can put a picture of me in there and I'll be with you all the time, even when the real me is out of town,” he said.

The locket really is gorgeous. I didn't know if I'll actually put a picture of Leo in it. I'm not sure
what
I'll put it in. It really doesn't need
anything
in it. The outside is dazzling.

I put it on and he said, “It goes really well with your dark hair.” I looked in the mirror and he was right. The locket hung down to the top of my cleavage. That was certainly going to draw a lot of eyes in that direction, ha ha!

“Oh, Leo, thank you so much.” I gave him a hug and a kiss, and then added, “But I'm mad at you, too.”

“I know, honey, it's been crazy. I swear some day I'm going to sell the business and run away with you.”

“Promise?”

“Yeah.”

He took me to Musso & Frank because I requested it. Even though it was the middle of the day, we had a romantic meal. When it was over, we didn't have much time to do anything else. I had to get ready to go to Flickers.

“Why don't I pick you up tonight when you get off work?” he asked.

I thought that was a good idea.

N
OVEMBER
24, 1961

It's Thanksgiving and I'm alone. As usual. I'm about to go to Barry's house to have turkey dinner—in my outfit and mask. Even I have to admit that's weird.

Gosh, I can't believe the last time I wrote was on my birthday. I haven't made diary entries. I've done nothing but exercise—a
lot!
—and work at Flickers.

I've seen nothing of Leo since my birthday. After that wonderful afternoon and a romantic night after I got off work, he left and I haven't heard from him. He doesn't return calls when I leave messages at the office for him. I don't know where he is. I've become like a compulsive high school girl and driven by his house several times, hoping that I'd catch him there. No sign of his car, either. The lights were sometimes on in Christina's part of the home, but never in Leo's. Where
is
he?

Maybe he wasn't as serious about me as he said. I still wear the locket, though. I love it. I really do. But now it's a bittersweet gift, and wearing it actually fits my melancholy mood.

What am I doing in L.A.? Was it a mistake to come here? I'm beginning to think so. But if I go back to New York, I don't think I could be the Black Stiletto anymore. It got to be too dangerous. So that begs the question—do I need to be the Black Stiletto? Can I do without her? Before, I didn't think so. She was as much a part of me as my arms and legs. She was a narcotic I couldn't give up. Now? I just don't know.

I'm leaving for Barry's now. I plan to eat a lot of turkey.

And get plenty drunk.

1961

D
ECEMBER
10, 1961

As you can see, time has passed and I haven't written a word. I've had no desire to do so. Leo is apparently out of my life. Or is he? Who knows? I still wear my locket. To tell the truth, it doesn't remind me of Leo. I believe it represents my
own
heart—I like to think that the organ pumping in my chest is made of silver and has diamonds on it. Why not? I don't know whether it's broken or not. My heart is very confused. It's become par for the course that just when I think I'll never see Leo again, he appears out of the blue. Still, I haven't seen him since my birthday, over a
month ago
, and it's gotten to where I don't care. I realized I can't be down in the dumps forever. I've been drinking too much lately. I have cocktails at Flickers while I'm working—Charlie doesn't care—and I keep whiskey and wine in my apartment. The other night I drank too much and got sick. Yuck. I hated that. I don't like it when you lay down and the room spins. It makes me want to throw up just thinking about it. So maybe I'm turning a corner. If Leo is gone, then he's gone. Maybe I should get rid of the booze and symbolically pretend it's Leo.