Kastner laughed quietly, carefully, as though it hurt his chest. “God almighty!” he said — “what a bunch of suckers.” His lisp was soft, slight.
Kells and Fay stood looking at one another for a little while. Then the woman said: “You’d better get a doctor for his nibs,” She was sitting with her elbows on the desk, holding her face tightly between her hands.
Kastner shook his head. He laughed again as though moved by some secret, uncontrollable mirth. There was a little blood on his mouth.
Kells said: “You want a drink.” He poured more whiskey into the glass and sat down beside Kastner.
“What a bunch of suckers!” Kastner looked at the glass of whiskey. He looked at and through Kells. “Rose called Eddie O’Donnell and me after you left him this afternoon. He said Dave Perry had called while you were there — told him that Doc was at the joint in Hollywood waiting for you...”
Kells held the glass to Kastner’s mouth. He drank, closed his eyes for a moment, went on: “Perry knew Rose was going to have Doc bumped — an’ he knew Rose wanted to frame it for you. Only he’d figured on doing it on the boat. It looked like a good play.”
Kells said: “Why me?”
Kastner coughed and held one hand very tightly against his chest. “Rose thinks you’re a wrong guy to be on somebody else’s shoe — an’ he wanted to tie it up to Fay.”
Kastner’s dark, near-sighted eyes wandered for a moment to Fay. “Rose figures on airing everybody he ain’t sure of — he’s got a list. That’s why he sent for Eddie an’ me. He wants to move in on the whole town — him and Dave Perry and Reilly.”
Kastner stopped, closed his eyes. Then he went on with his eyes closed: “Doc was in their way — and besides, Rose wanted the boat for himself.”