It Was a Very Bad Year Read Online Free

necessary. In the morning I changed into the clean jeans and T-shirt I kept in my locker. When I got downstairs for breakfast Jerry and his cousin were already there, drinking coffee.
    â€˜You’re impatient,’ I said.
    â€˜I’m hungry,’ Jerry said. ‘Mr G., this is my cousin, Billy.’
    Billy was a big boy for twenty-one – not as big as Jerry, but that would probably come with time and age.
    â€˜Billy, this is Eddie Gianelli. I told you about him.’
    â€˜Yeah, you did,’ Billy said. He looked at me with sullen eyes from beneath a shock of wild black hair. ‘Hey.’
    â€˜Hello,’ I said, sitting down. That was the signal for the waitress to come over, a pretty girl I recognized.
    â€˜Hello, Ivy.’
    â€˜Hey Eddie,’ she said, ‘they told me they were waiting for you.’
    â€˜We’re ready,’ I said. ‘Jerry?’
    He ordered a double stack of pancakes, a side of bacon, and more coffee. Billy ordered the same, but he wanted eggs sunny side up, as well. I ordered ham and eggs, toast and coffee.
    â€˜Home fries?’ she asked.
    â€˜Of course,’ I said.
    â€˜Me, too,’ Billy chimed in.
    She looked at Jerry.
    â€˜Sure, why not?’
    â€˜Comin’ up,’ Ivy said, and hurried away. We all watched.
    â€˜Jerry says you have a craps system,’ I said to Billy. ‘How’d you do last night?’
    â€˜I lost,’ Billy said, ‘but that’s part of the system.’
    â€˜Losing ain’t part of no system I’d trust,’ Jerry said.
    â€˜It is this one.’
    He went on to bend our ear about this system until Ivy came and covered the table with food. Every so often I’d catch Jerry’s eyes and he’d give them a roll.
    â€˜I wish you luck,’ I said to Billy after he’d finished his tutorial. ‘We love system players.’
    â€˜That’s what all the casinos say,’ Billy replied. ‘That’s because you don’t think a system can beat you, but this one can.’
    â€˜Like I said, good luck.’
    He ate like a vacuum cleaner, finishing faster even than Jerry. They both ate two bites to my one.
    â€˜I gotta go,’ Billy said, when he was done. He jumped up, almost upsetting the table.
    â€˜Hey!’ Jerry yelled.
    â€˜Sorry,’ Billy said. ‘I gotta get to the tables.’
    â€˜Remember what I said,’ Jerry told him. ‘Don’t leave this casino.’
    â€˜I won’t.’ He started away, then stopped short and looked at me. ‘Thanks for the breakfast, Mr G.’
    â€˜You’re welcome,’ I said, but he was gone.
    Jerry snagged a piece of bacon Billy had left on his plate, then ate the last of his pancakes.
    I set the last of my eggs on a piece of toast, added the last of the ham, and shoveled it into my mouth. I still had some potatoes left, and Jerry watched while I ate them with my last slice of toast.
    â€˜You ready to go?’ he asked.
    â€˜Almost,’ I said. ‘Let me finish my coffee.’
    â€˜How do you wanna play this?’ he asked. ‘Good cop, bad cop? Want me to rough him up?’
    â€˜No cops, no roughing up,’ I said. ‘I just want to talk to ’im.’
    â€˜You think he’ll remember Miss Dalton?’
    â€˜Why not?’ I asked. ‘How many of the people he’s taken pictures of over the years do you think went on to become television stars? And why wouldn’t he remember a babe as beautiful as her?’
    â€˜I dunno,’ Jerry said. ‘Maybe he took pictures of lots of pretty girls. Maybe he’s a pervert. I hate freaks like that!’
    â€˜Well,’ I said, ‘I’ll talk to him first, and if he turns out to be a pervert, then you can rough him up.’
    â€˜Good.’
    I settled the bill and tipped Ivy generously.
    â€˜Thanks, Eddie.’
    As we walked out Jerry asked, ‘She’s pretty. You