Doppelgangster Part 19

"And your agent called you about this audition?" Lucky asked.

"No, I found out about this from a friend of mine who knows the actress who had to drop out of the show two days ago because she's in traction now. A good agent is a big a.s.set, but actors who keep their ears to the ground and go after opportunities get a lot more work than actors who just sit around at home hoping their agents will call," I explained. "Anyhow, instead of a general call, the casting director will want to choose the replacement fast, from just a small pool of actresses. And I'm trying to talk to Thack about it so he can get me into that audition."

"What's the role?" Max asked.

"I would play a graduate student who's trying to convince the precinct cops to do something about hoodlums hanging around her street." I hadn't seen the script, of course, but I suspected that in the usual pattern of the show's morality tales, the cops would probably do too little, too late, with a gut-wrenching conclusion to the episode.

"Yeah, I can see you doin' a part like that," Lucky said. "Someone smart and respectable . . . who nags a lot."

I gave him a look. "Plus," I said, "the casting director for this is someone who liked me last year, on a different Crime and Punishment Crime and Punishment audition. He didn't think I was good casting for the part of the killer-" audition. He didn't think I was good casting for the part of the killer-"

"I'd say he's right about that," said Lucky.

"-but I'm pretty sure he'll remember me and I'll have a good shot at this. If If I can get in for a reading," I added with some frustration. "My agent and I are having a little communication problem." I can get in for a reading," I added with some frustration. "My agent and I are having a little communication problem."

"Oh, that's because Mercury is in retrograde," Max said absently. "Just give it about two more weeks, though, and things will improve."

"I haven't got got two more weeks," I said. "I need to get Thack working on this two more weeks," I said. "I need to get Thack working on this today today. They're going to have to recast that role soon to keep up with their production schedule."

Lucky put his book down. "You want me to go deal with this agent, kid? Make him show some respect?"

"No!" I said quickly. "No. I I will deal with my agent." will deal with my agent."

"I could talk to the casting director," Lucky offered. "Make sure he realizes it's in his best interest for you to get what you want."

I groaned and held my head in my hands. "No. I'm very sorry I even brought it up." I'm very sorry I even brought it up."

"Well, if you change your mind . . ."

"Or it's possible I could a.s.sist," Max said. "There's a certain amulet that might render the casting director susceptible to-"

"Do you both have so little faith in my talent?" I demanded. "You think I can only get this role with the help of extortion or magic?"

"What?" Lucky said. "No!"

"No," Max said. "Of course not!"

"I was just tryin' to help."

"I merely hoped to lend you my a.s.sistance, as you lend yours to me."

"In that case," I said, "wish me luck, guys. And just stay out of it, otherwise."

"Ah! All right," Max said. "As you wish. Good luck!"

"You shouldn't say that to an actress," Lucky chided Max. "They're very superst.i.tious, these theatrical types. You gotta say, 'Break a leg!' Ain't that right, kid?"

I smiled at Lucky. "That's right. It's the accepted phrase." I added to Max, "But I'm not that that superst.i.tious, so I accept wishes for good luck in any form. Though the best wishes in the world will be wasted if I can't even get the audition," I grumbled. "I'll have to try calling Thack again later." superst.i.tious, so I accept wishes for good luck in any form. Though the best wishes in the world will be wasted if I can't even get the audition," I grumbled. "I'll have to try calling Thack again later."

I also hoped his other client would agree not to sue the production company, since a lawsuit might put a damper on Thack's ability to get C&P C&P auditions for his actors. And I auditions for his actors. And I really really wanted that audition, since my immediate professional future consisted only of waiting tables. I found that so depressing that I resolutely turned my thoughts to something else. wanted that audition, since my immediate professional future consisted only of waiting tables. I found that so depressing that I resolutely turned my thoughts to something else.

"Did you say there's something in book?" I asked Lucky.

"Hey, that's right! I did."

"Ah, you found something?" Max asked.

"I gotta give credit where credit's due." Lucky gestured to Nelli. "This familiar of yours, Doc? She's workin' out okay."

"She chews things," Max said in an aggrieved tone.

Nelli snorted and gave herself a thorough shake. The propeller-like motion of her enormous ears made me fear I'd get injured if I stood too close to her.

"What's in the book?" I prodded.

Lucky extended his arms to hold the volume well away from his aging gaze as he read aloud, somewhat haltingly, " 'A bilocated individual can be in two places at the same time. After replication, the two portions of the human form may become widely separated from one another. The double-that is to say, the duplicate, the replicate-can be seen by others. It frequently speaks in a voice and performs actions identical to those of the real person. The clothes it wears are also replicas of the original clothing.' "

I looked at Nelli. She wagged her tail.

I said to Lucky, "This is the book the dog dog found?" found?"

"Yeah."

"Don't say 'dog'," Max whispered, casting an anxious glance at Nelli.

"I'm impressed," I admitted to Max. "I know you conjured her and all that, but I really thought she was just a dumb mutt."

Nelli growled at me.

"I apologize," I said quickly. "I think it's the ears. Are you sure you don't want to rethink that part of your look?"

The sudden chiming of bells indicated that someone was entering the shop.

"Dr. Zadok?" a male voice called. "Maximillian Zadok?"

"Yes?" Max rose from the table and went past the surrounding bookcases.

I shifted uncomfortably under Nelli's wounded gaze. "It was just a suggestion. Forget I mentioned it."

"You hurt her feelings," Lucky said critically. "You should be more careful about what you say."

"At least I haven't whacked any of her mates," I snapped.

Lucky grunted and glared at me.

"Federal Express," said the stranger by the door.

"Ah! Excellent!" Max said.

I realized the package must be the delivery of books about doppelgangers that Max was expecting from Jerusalem. Remembering that conversation made me remember the cab ride, which made me remember my ruined evening-which made me remember that I'd left my wrap at the church. After talking to Lopez by phone outside St. Monica's, I'd been so stunned that I'd forgotten all about it until after I got home.

So, while Max was opening his Federal Express package, I found a phone book and called St. Monica's. I told the administrator who answered the phone that I had left an item of clothing in the crypt yesterday evening. She checked the church's lost-and-found box but told me my wrap wasn't there.

"It's probably still in the crypt," I said. "I'll stop by the church for it when I get a chance. Or if you happen to find it before then, would you hold it for me?"

"Of course."

"My name's Esther Diamond," I said. "Father Gabriel knows me."

"I'll tell him you called."

As I hung up, Lucky eyed the large, ornate volumes Max had unpacked, and asked, "Them's the German books you been waiting for?"

"This is marvelous!" Max said. "When I was young, it would have taken a year year to borrow books from a colleague as far away as the Holy Land!" to borrow books from a colleague as far away as the Holy Land!"

"Welcome to the twenty-first century, Max," I said.

Nelli sniffed the books with mild interest, then turned in a circle three times and lay down near Lucky.

I returned to the subject at hand. "So based on what Lucky and I have been reading, I think that what we met with last night was a bilocated apparition."

"It says here," Lucky added, referring to his book, "that this thing 'cannot easily be distinguished from the real individual.' "

"Yes, that does sound like what we're dealing with." Max frowned thoughtfully as he nodded. "A form of bilocated apparitional doppelgangerism."

"Are we still sure it's doppelgangerism?" I asked. "I know that Charlie saw his doppelgangster and took it as a warning of imminent death, but-"

"So did Johnny," said Lucky.

"What?" Max exclaimed.

Max and I gaped at Lucky. He looked pleased with the effect his statement had on us.

The old gangster said, "Johnny Be Good saw his own perfect double before he got whacked."

11.

I said, "Johnny saw his doppelgangster before he died?" said, "Johnny saw his doppelgangster before he died?"

"Yep. That was one of the calls I made while you was reading and Max was downstairs. I talked to Johnny's grieving widow." Lucky rolled his eyes, and his ironic tone indicated that Mrs. Gambello wasn't as heartbroken about her husband's death as Johnny Be Good might have wished. "I just didn't want to have to say this twice, so I was waiting for Max to come back upstairs."

"Well?" I prodded.

"Johnny come home the other night, laughing and babbling about how he just seen a guy who looked exactly like himself. He was drunk off his rocker, like always, so his wife ignored him."

"So he saw saw it?" I suddenly felt cold. it?" I suddenly felt cold.

Lucky nodded. "The missus says that Johnny claimed the guy he saw was a dead ringer for himself. A perfect double. He told her he could've sent this other guy home to her bed, and she'd never know the difference. Except for . . ." Lucky lowered his eyes and shrugged. "Er, Johnny thought his double would lack his amorous talents and that's how his wife would know the other guy was an imposter. But she says Johnny overestimated himself in that regard, so if the double had any more imagination than a dog, dog, that's how she'd know it was a ringer." that's how she'd know it was a ringer."

When Nelli picked up her head and stared coldly at Lucky, he said to her, "Hey, it's wasn't me. I'm just repeating what Johnny's wife said. And she don't know from dogs, so let it go."

Nelli sighed and put her head back down on her paws.

"And that," Lucky continued, "was the last time Johnny's wife saw him. He left the house at some point the next day, while she was out, and he ain't been home since. Ain't called, neither."

"So Johnny's doppelgangster hasn't visited his home," Max mused.

"Unless that was was his doppelgangster," I said. "Pretending to have seen itself." his doppelgangster," I said. "Pretending to have seen itself."

"Huh?" Lucky said.

"I mean-"

"Oh! Never mind, I get it." Lucky added, "Based the estimated time of death, I figure Johnny was whacked sometime after his wife saw him and before Mickey Rosenblum played poker with him."

And according to the morning papers, Johnny was knocked unconscious before being dumped in the river, so his death did indeed seem to be murder.

"So Mr. Rosenblum was playing cards with Johnny's doppelgangster," Max mused.

"If that really is is Mickey I been talkin' to on the phone." Lucky rubbed a hand over his face. "I hope so. I like Mickey." Mickey I been talkin' to on the phone." Lucky rubbed a hand over his face. "I hope so. I like Mickey."

"And now we know both both victims saw their perfect doubles shortly before dying," I said. victims saw their perfect doubles shortly before dying," I said.

"Doppelgangerism." Max's voice held conviction. "Charlie knew he'd been cursed. Johnny Be Good just didn't understand what he was seeing."

"That's easy to believe," muttered Lucky.

"But what is the purpose of these doppelgangsters?" Max wondered.

"At a guess," I said, "murder."

"Yes, but why has such an elaborate phenomenon accompanied the murder of these two individuals?" Max asked. "Were they especially important men? Did they have unique powers?"

Lucky shook his head. "Charlie was a good earner, but he wasn't hard to replace. We moved someone up into his spot by yesterday, and we expect Charlie's, uh, branch of the business to continue running smooth without him. And, G.o.d forgive me for speaking ill of the dead, Johnny was a useless momzer momzer. It's not like his death is a kick in the nuts for us, even though the boss is upset about it."

"Hey," I said. "Could the guy you promoted to Charlie's spot be behind this?" And then Johnny's murder, I supposed, would be misdirection, an attempt by a rising Gambello mobster to keep suspicion off himself.

Lucky shook his head. "No, he's in Charlie's spot now because we trust him. He was headed for something good anyhow, so he sure didn't have to whack another Gambello to get it. Plus he knows what would happen to him if he did that and we ever found out. And he ain't the doppelgangster-creating type. You can trust me on this."

"So we're back to regarding the Corvinos as the most likely suspects for killing Gambellos?" I said.