I looked at Indy.
“I think it’s time for another martini,” Indy said and gestured to a waiter.
Daisy went on after we’d received our second round.
“I ain’t ashamed to say, I haven’t had as much fun as I had with you and your friends at Smithie’s in ages. That is, of course, before you got shot at,” she said to me.
“Of course,” I said.
We al let this sink in while we took a sip of the second round.
“Do you think I have to worry about Vince?” I asked.
She winced.
“Vince is a mean, dirty motherfucker, if you’l excuse my French. I wouldn’t have thought he’d go against Marcus but the jackass is entirely unable to take a blow to his manhood, in this case, literal y.”
Then she gave a little tinkly-bel giggle.
I wasn’t certain I thought it was funny.
She caught the look on my face and the laughter went out of hers, “I’l ask Marcus to keep an eye out for him.” Um, I didn’t think that was a good idea. I wasn’t sure Eddie wanted Marcus to be a member of my Protection Posse.
“Daisy…”
She shook her purple-tinged head, wagged a finger at me and I was quiet. I wasn’t quiet because I didn’t have an argument, I was mesmerized by her fingernail, which was super-long, filed in a lethal curve and had little fake diamonds imbedded into it in the shape a four-leaf clover.
She dropped her finger and we al took another sip of the second round.
Then Daisy said, “What’re you gonna do about your Daddy?”
I took a deep breath and shared, “I’ve been thinking, he’s playing poker, right?” Indy and Daisy nodded, “So, I’ve decided. I need to get into a game and ask some questions. Maybe someone knows where he is.” Daisy stared at me like I’d just announced my intention to invade Nicaragua.
“You play poker?” she asked.
“No.”
“Those games are serious, girl. First off, they don’t know you and probably won’t let you in. Second, they ain’t fond of women sittin’ a table. Third, you don’t sit a table unless you know what you’re doin’.”
I’d figured that.
“I have a plan,” I said and I did. It was kind of a stupid plan but it was al I had.
“We’re al ears,” Indy urged when I didn’t go on.
“Wel . I thought I’d wear a modified Smithie’s uniform; the uniform has a weird power over men so if I wore something like that and maybe they’d let me in. Then, before I did it, I’d read a book about poker and then…” I hesitated, “I guess then I’d just wing it.”
Daisy laughed her tinkly bel laugh again.
“Ain’t you sweet?” she said when she was done laughing.
Um, guess my plan wasn’t going to work.
Then her eyes got serious. “I play poker. I’l sit a game, no one’l say boo to me. You and Indy come with and I’l ask the questions. Those boys know me and they’l talk, thinkin’
I’m askin’ for Marcus. We’l find out where your Daddy is and we’l sort this al out.”
I wasn’t sure that was a good idea.