A Gambling Man by David Baldacci (ebook audio reader .txt) ๐
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- Author: David Baldacci
Read book online ยซA Gambling Man by David Baldacci (ebook audio reader .txt) ๐ยป. Author - David Baldacci
The rye whiskey went down slow and burned deliciously along the way. Thus fortified, he took out the letter typed on sandpaper stationery with the name โWillie Dash, Very Private Investigationsโ imprinted at the top and giving an address and a five-digit phone number in Bay Town, California. Included with the letter was the manโs business card, stiff and serious looking with the same address and telephone information as the letter. A tiny magnifying glass rode right under the business name. Archer liked the effect. He hoped he liked the man behind it. More to the point, he hoped Willie Dash liked him.
The missive was in response to one Archer had written to Dash at the advice of Irving Shaw, a state police detective Archer had met while in a place called Poca City, where Archer had served his parole. Shaw and Dash were old friends, and Shaw believed Archer had the makings of a gumshoe; heโd thought Dash might be a good mentor for him. Archer had mentioned Shaw in the letter because he hoped it would move Dash to at least write back.
Not only had Dash written back but heโd suggested that Archer come to Bay Town and see what might be possible. He had promised Archer no job, just the opportunity to seek one, depending on how Dash viewed things. Archer didnโt need false promises or mealymouthed platitudes. He just needed a fair shot.
He put the letter and business card back in his jacket pocket, gazed out the window again, and noted that it was nearing the dinner hour. He had passed clusters of eateries along the way here, and one had stood out to him because it had also been the establishment naughty Ginger had told him about.
He grabbed his hat, pocketed his hefty room key, which could double as a blunt instrument if need be, and set out to fill his time and his belly.
It was a short walk to the Dancing Birds Cafรฉ. The place was tucked away down a side street off Renoโs main drag. The broad windows were canopied by red-and-green-striped awnings, the door was solid oak with a brass knocker barnacled to the wood, and a flickering gas lantern hung on the wall to the right of the door. Archer took a moment to light up a Lucky off the open flame. Breathing in the methane reminded him of the war, where if you werenโt sucking foul odors like cordite into your lungs, youโd think you were either dead or someone had upped and taken the war elsewhere.
He opened the door and surveyed the place. Seven in the evening on the dot, and it was packed as tight as a passenger shipโs steerage class, only these people were better dressed and drinking niftier booze. Waiters in black bow ties and short white jackets seemed to hop, skip, and jump in frenetic furtherance of their duties. Archer looked for the โdancing birdsโ but saw no evidence of winged creatures performing the jitterbug. Either the place was misnamed, or he was in for a real surprise at some point.
At the far end of the room was a raised stage with a curtain, like one would see at a theater. As Archer stood there, hat in hand, the curtains parted and out stepped four long-limbed platinum blondes dressed so skimpily they looked ready to hop into bed for something other than sleep. Each of them held a very large and very fake bird feather in front of them.
A short, tubby man in a penguin suit waddled onstage and over to a microphone the size of two meaty fists resting on a stand. With deliberate dramatics he announced that the four ladies were the eponymous Dancing Birds and would be performing for the entertainment of the patrons now either eating or, in the case of half the tables that Archer could see, drinking their dinners.
About the time the ladies started to sing and hoof it across the wooden stage while twirling their feathers and twitching their hips, a bow-tied gent came up and told Archer there was room for him if he didnโt mind sharing a table.
โWorks for me,โ Archer said amiably.
He was led to a table that was nestled right next to the stage, where a man in his fifties sat. He was short and well-fed, and his calm, regal expression and sharply focused eyes told Archer that he was a man used to giving orders and seeing them obeyed, which was a decent gig if you could get it and then hold on to it. The tux handed Archer a stiff menu with the food items written in free-flowing calligraphy, took his order for three fingers of whiskey and one of water, and departed. Archer hung his fedora on the seat back and nodded to the other man.
โThanks for the accommodation, mister,โ he said.
He nodded back but didnโt look at Archer; he kept his gaze on the Birds.
When Archerโs drink came the man turned and eyed the whiskey. โGood choice. Itโs one of the best they serve.โ
โYou have knowledge of the bar here?โ
โIn a way. I own the place. Max Shyner.โ He raised a flute of champagne and clinked it against the whiskey glass.
โNice to meet you, Mr. Shyner. My nameโs Archer. And thanks a second time for the table spot, then. Wondered why you had such a good seat for the show.โ
โYou like the Dancing Birds?โ he said, returning his gaze to the stage.
Archer gave a long look at the Bird on the end, who responded with a hike of her eyebrows, the lift of a long fishnet-stockinged leg in a dance kick, and a come-hither smile before she tap-tapped to the other end of the stage with the rest of the feathered flock.
โLet me just say how could a breathing man not?โ
โYou just
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