Glitches glitched-last-minute-Pete and Boyd unglitched them.

Santo and Sam hated Boyd. They reissued their death decree. Kemper Boyd-_mort sans doute_.

Barb stirred. Pete held his breath. The aspirin hit. His headache fizzled.

Santo and Sam let _him_ live. Carlos liked him. He loved _la Causa_. The Boys had plans. He _might_ fit in.

He worked for Howard Hughes-'52 to '60. He pimped for him. He scored his dope. He did his strongarm work.

Ward Littell lawyered for Hughes. Hughes wanted to buy up Las Vegas. Hughes craved the Vegas Strip. Hughes craved _all_ the hotel-casinos.

Hughes had a buyout plan. Said plan would take years. The Boys had a plan too:

Let's sell Las Vegas. Let's bilk Howard Hughes. We'll keep our work crews. We'll skim Hughes blind. We'll _still_ own Las Vegas.

Carlos owned Ward. Ward's job to be: Broker the deal and tailor it _our_ way.

The Boys owned Pete. The Boys implied:

Go to Vegas. Work with Ward. Pre-pave the Hughes deal. You know muscle work. You know heroin. We might rescind our no-dope rule. We might let you push to the spooks.

We _might_ not kill you. We _might_ not kill your Twist queen.

Barb left her gowns out. Blue spangles and green. Two shows tonite. His wife and her ex-hubby's trio.

A sad room. Sad Barb. Let's send one up to Jack.

Hit news preceded the hit. Outfit guys talked. Outfit guys knew. Hesh Ryskind checked into the Adolphus. Hesh had cancer. Hesh came to gloat and die.

Hesh watched the motorcade. Hesh died at 1:00 p.m. Hesh kicked with Jack concurrent.

Pete touched the bed. Pink sheets met red hair-one loud color clash.

The doorbell chimed-the B-flat "Eyes of Texas." Barb slept through it. Pete walked over. Pete cracked the door.

Fuck-there's Guy Banister.