Craving a Black Jack. No chance in hell I’ll get one. Working on the casino backdoor hinge. Fucker needs to be smooth. Mulling over options for next steps. Coins, coins, precious coins. Harder to get than previously thought. Nice little puzzle leading to another one and yet another. Keeping me on my toes. Humming theme from Third Man as I lubricate the metal bits.
Need information. Need to figure out that client. Will have to know more about ‘em before I watch the kid. Need to know who or what to watch out for. Kid’s too skittish to approach, talk to, so can’t do that. Can only watch her. Need to not make a ruckus about it. Might attract the attention of the wrong people. Might make others want in on the action. Killer action. Marble’s stuck in a loop. Marble run blocked. Percolating above boiling point. Boiling over.
Meanwhile, taking care of the old lady like a gentleman. Not that I ever was one. Being mindful of her needs. Tightening her screws and oiling her hinges. She likes the help. Shows me her secrets in return. The old, familiar whore. Wouldn’t know what to do without her.
Considering giving up on those particular trinkets. Have a whole room full of ‘em. Running out of space to put ‘em all. . But it’s not just the coins, innit? Got a job from on high. Got a request. Got to get that job done. Coins are just the whipped cream on top of the cake. Damn, must be hungry.
Returning the oil can to Malick’s stack. Not sure he knows I use his stuff to fix places he don’t get to. Not sure how he would react if I told him. Could go either way. Not trying to talk to him anyhow. Perpetually pissed off Malick. Good at what he does though.
Marble stuck at need info again. Fuck it. I’m going to Edith. Bookworm lady, knower of secrets. . A little birdie told her so. She’s not the little sparrow, much too good looking for that. Too tall too. Never heard her sing. Scares the crap out of me and knows it. Makes working together feasible every now and then.
Sauntering into the lobby. It’s mostly empty. Some cattle milling about. Arthur’s not in his sanctum. Probably still polishing something or other. Good. No need for him to see me here. Already had the pleasure of his acquaintance once today. That’s plenty for the two of us. Looking around for the mysterious Missus. Find her looking at me from one of the back tables. She’s lounging. Bored. . Possibly receptive? Approaching her calmly. Tapping my brim.
“Hello Griffin, how is the old marble?” she says as I sit down in front of her.
“Stuck in a loop.”
“Do you need a favor?”
She’s sickly sweet. Dangerous. Doing her book voodoo.
“Depends on the going rate,” I say.
If she’s asking too much or twisting my marble run too violently I’m outta here. No coin and no job, no trinket and no boss is worth that. Have seen blokes go mad, just sitting in front of her. All aboard the crazy train. Am crazy enough as is. She’s calculating. Turning pages. Crinkles her nose a bit.
“Mayhaps you could keep tabs on a guest for me for a few days in exchange for what you want to know? Would that work for you, Sergeant Bugler Pinch?”
Hate when she calls me that. Hate that she knows that. But I nod. Watching people is what I do most of the time anyway. Living people, dead people, I watch ‘em all. No big deal. She moves a photo out from some pages in her book, slides it over to me. A middle-aged bloke in fancy tails smiles like a drugged up sheep. Name, room number, and dates are on the back. Easy peasy.
“Aren’t you going to ask me why I want him under surveillance?” She tips her chin with her index finger, lightly. Turns her head just a tad.
“Not my monkeys.”
She nods. Likes what she’s hearing. Probably has a little laugh at what she’s seeing in her book. Turns some more pages. Focuses on the entrance for a sec. Some noisy bugger just made it through the door and walks over to the sanctum. Hits the bell. Got both of us distracted for a smidgen. Both of us calculating. Marble decides that this one is cattle. Miss Edith returns focus back to me as well.
“What do you want to know?” she asks.
“Everything you can find out about Barton Holm, his family, friends, business.”
“One thing I know about him is that he is dead.”
I nod.
“Oh, I see," she says. “You have yourself a deal.”
“Yes ma’am.”
Getting out of there. No need to be under her spell a second longer. Got what I wanted. Feel mostly okay. Tiny bit dizzy. Marble’s still running. Third Man’s still playing his zither. Am out back next to the kitchen before Arthur makes it out front to answer the obnoxious bloke.