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“Stay here,” Vi
“What if he wakes up?” BB asked.
Vi
“Read a nursery rhyme to him,” Vi
Vi
Nucky ushered him into the foyer, then hung up Vi
“In here,” Nucky said.
Vi
“So what can I do for you?” Nucky asked.
Nucky was being humble. Vi
“That’s my daughter Zelda,” he explained.
“She auditioning for something?” Vi
“I don’t think so,” Nucky said.
“She bashful?”
Nucky brought his finger to his head and twirled it around. “She’s off her rocker.”
Vi
“Maybe I should get to the point,” Vi
“Maybe you should,” Nucky said.
“There was a meeting of the five families in New York last night to discuss the operation in Atlantic City. They’ve asked me to express their concerns to you about this situation with Tony Valentine.”
“What situation is that?”
“Those ass holes with the Casino Control Commission have given Valentine the green light to start new security procedures at Resorts’ casino,” Vi
“I thought the CCC was in our back pocket.”
“Just two of them,” Vi
Nucky scratched his chin. “Does Valentine know how the casino’s being ripped off?”
“No, but Mickey says Valentine is sniffing around.”
“That’s what cops do. They sniff around. No different than dogs.”
Nucky had run the Atlantic City operation for forty years until Vi
“And say what?”
“Tell him to back off.”
“From what? A scam he doesn’t know about?”
Vi
“
A little less conversation,
a little more action, please.
Come on baby, I’m tired of talking,
Grab your bag, and let’s start walking!
Satisfy me! Satisfy me!
Vi
“What don’t they like? He’s clueless.”
“Valentine was the last person to talk to the Prince,” Vi
“What do you want me to do?”
“Threaten him, bribe him, kidnap his kid, whatever it takes, just shut him down.”
“What if he balks?”
“Kill him.”
“Right,” Nucky said.
Vi
“Let’s go outside,” Vi
Nucky got Vi
“Is that who I think it is?” Nucky asked.
“Sure is. I hear he once saved your life,” Vi
Nucky pulled away from the window. “Guy came after me with a shovel. Dom threw himself in front of me. Why did you beat him up?”
“I was pumping him about his son. You know, does he like little girls, is he into drugs? Something I could use to get to him. The old guy got belligerent, so I kicked him around.”
“You shouldn’t a done that,” Nucky said.
“Says who?”
“Me.”
Vi
Nucky punched Vi
“That’s for Dominic,” Nucky said.
Vi
“What’s your name?” Nucky asked.
The lieutenant stared at the tarnished brass knuckles on Nucky’s hand.
“BB,” the lieutenant said.
“As in BB gun?”
“Big Balls,” he said.
Nucky pointed at Vi
“I think I can manage,” BB said.
“I’ll take the old guy, if you don’t mind.”
“Be my guest.”
Nucky pulled Dominic out of the back, and they did a three-legged walk to the house. He hated to see Dominic all bashed up. His life had been tough enough.
“Where am I,” Dominic whispered.
“It’s okay. I’ve got you,” Nucky said.
“That you, Nuck?”
“Yeah, Dom. You’re at my place. You’re going to be okay.”
“I’m always okay with you, Nuck.”
Reaching the front stoop, Nucky looked up, and saw Zelda standing at her bedroom window on the second floor. She was dressed like a teeny bopper, her long hair in pig tails. Normally, he tried to protect her from seeing things like this, but sometimes it wasn’t possible. Opening the bedroom window, she stuck her head out.
“Way to go, daddy-o!” she hollered.
Chapter 40
Bernard’s grandfather had chosen to die at home. He lay on a hospital bed in the apartment’s living room with a TV propped on a stand in front of him. The living room was tiny, and the bed and TV stand took up most of the floor space. A bag of morphine hung behind the bed, and dripped the precious fluid into his arm. He appeared comfortable, and his voice was sharp.