Free The Prince of Beverly Hills by Stuart Woods

wants.”
    “Then I hope he wants Chick Stampano’s head,” Rick replied.
    “I think he’d like that, but Eddie won’t do anything about Stampano. He wants to stay on the good side of Ben Siegel.”
    “Why?”
    “Because he doesn’t want labor problems, and Siegel can make a couple of phone calls and give him plenty of trouble with the extras union, on which he has a grip.”
    “Oh.”
    “I don’t want any labor problems, either,” Harris said, “so I try to stay on Siegel’s good side, too.”
    “I’m sorry if my personal problems are causing you any difficulty, Eddie.”
    “They’re not. Last night’s incident is not the sort of thing Stampano would want Siegel to know about, so it’s going to stay strictly personal.”
    Rick nodded.
    “Not that that’s good news, Rick. Stampano is not the sort of guy who’d take this and not do something about it. Do you own a gun?”
    “I bought one this morning,” Rick replied, “and I’m wearing it.”
    “Good. I don’t want you found bleeding in a gutter somewhere.”
    “Me, either.”
    Eddie looked around to see that he was not being overheard. “If you have another encounter with Stampano, you’d better make it decisive.”
    “Beg pardon?” Rick said, surprised.
    “If you hurt him, he’ll keep coming back. If you should make sure that he can’t come back at you, then you’d better do it in such a way that nobody who works for Siegel can figure out it was you. And, it goes without saying, be sure you stay clear of your former colleagues.”
    Rick was stunned and said nothing.
    “I’m just trying to give you some practical advice,” Eddie said. He wrote a number on a paper napkin and pushed it across the table. “Memorize that and then eat it, or something,” he said. “The guy’s name is Al, and he’s the sort of fellow who makes problems go away. Tell him that Eduardo sent you, and don’t give him any money. I’ll take care of that.”
    “Eduardo?”
    “That’s what he calls me. I’ve known him a long time.”
    “Thank you, Eddie, but I don’t really think this is going to be necessary.”
    “I hope it isn’t, but there may come a time when this is the only way to resolve the situation. I just want to be sure that it’s resolved in your favor.”
    A waitress put two minute steaks and two beers on the table and left.
    “Eat my steak, too,” Eddie said, rising. “I gotta run.” He turned and left the commissary.
    Rick began to eat his steak, then he glanced at the phone number on the napkin and stopped. He reached in his pocket and found the receipt for the gun he had bought that morning. The phone number on the receipt was the same as that on the napkin.
    “You learn something new every day,” he said aloud to himself.

12

    RICK LEFT THE COMMISSARY and drove over to the studio motor pool. He found Hiram Jones at a desk in a little glassed-in office in the garage.
    “Hey there, Rick,” Hiram said. “How’s that little Ford treating you?”
    “She’s a sweet thing, Hiram. I’ve never owned anything like her.”
    “Good. We did a lot of work on that baby. You’re lucky to have her.”
    “I know it.”
    “What can we do you for?”
    “Clete Barrow needs something to drive while you’re working on his car.”
    “Yeah, that’s going to take a while. We’re having to get some parts from Germany. Why doesn’t he just buy a car?”
    “Hell, I don’t know, but I’ve got to see that he turns up for work every day until his picture is finished, and I don’t want to turn into his chauffeur.”
    “I don’t know what I can give him that would be as exciting as that Benz of his.”
    “Exciting isn’t what I’m looking for, believe me. Something sedate will do; just wheels.”
    “I got a nice Packard that isn’t being used right now.”
    “Great. Can you leave it over at his cottage?”
    “You sure this is okay with Eddie Harris?”
    “I’ll take the responsibility.” He wasn’t going to start pestering