Chapter Thirty Eight
Thursday 4th July.
"It's up to you New York, New York."
"Harry! Burro!" his friends called into their webcam.
"Happy 4thof July!" Harry smiled back.
"How are you?"
"Not as warm as you!" Harry laughed, looking at their t-shirts and shorts. He was even wearing a cotton sweater. "What are you doing tonight?"
"We're seeing the fireworks at Caesar's Palace, we're going early to get a place right up by the fountains. If we're lucky we'll see the ones in Symphony Park too."
"So how's Vegas treating you?"
"It's fabulous Harry, I've got my own band. My OWN band and they listen to what I say and the show is really popular. We've had some great reviews. Did you read the ones I sent you?"
"I did, congratulations Jorge, I'm really pleased for you."
"How is it back there?"
"Different, chilly, getting warmer maybe? Hopefully not too stormy."
"Are you talking about the weather or your love life Burro?" Beto interrupted.
"Both," Harry laughed.
"Who are you talking to?" Nikki called out. Whatever she was listening to must have finished.
"Is she there with you?" his friends squeaked.
"Yes, she's here, we're going through some of Leo's books, it's going to take days but at least it feels we're making a start." And then he shouted louder, "Nikki? Jorge wants to speak to you."
"I did not say that," Jorge hissed.
"Look things are still a bit tense, she's talking to me, she's working with me, she's eating with me, we just need a bit of time."
"Time!" Beto scoffed. "Time is what you've had plenty of." He saw Nikki walk in but he didn't stop talking, "No necesitan más tiempo, necesitan algún tipo de acción."
"Hello Jorge. Hi Beto," Nikki waved at the faces in the webcam. Harry skidded over on his seat to give her space to share his chair and the webcam. But instead Nikki stood behind him and lent over the chair.
"Does he always speak Spanish?" Nikki asked Harry.
"Usually only when he's insulting me," Harry replied gruffly. Nikki waved again. "Most of the time actually," Harry continued more to himself than anyone else.
"How's it going? Congratulations on the Vegas job."
"Thanks Nikki, we'd have never got here without you." Harry wasn't certain but he was pretty sure Beto was miming the words to Elvis' 'A little less conversation, a little more action,' over Jorge's shoulder as Jorge answered Nikki's question.
"It wasn't just me, Leo paid for some of it too."
"Leo?" Jorge asked. "Harry's old boss, the one that just died?"
Nikki nodded.
"Well thanks to you and Leo then. How's it going, Harry getting on your nerves again yet?"
They both smiled sheepishly into the computer and she pushed his shoulder.
"You can send him back when you're fed up with him, we need someone to carry all the stuff still."
"Is that the only reason you miss me?" Harry scoffed but the smiles on his friends faces reassured him that they were joking.
"So how is he doing?" Beto asked.
"He's not doing so bad."
"Good," Jorge replied.
"So have you seen any other shows in Vegas, or are you too busy doing yours?" Nikki asked.
"We saw the Rat Pack, last weekend, it was awesome. Beto thought we should branch out and do a bit of Sinatra. What do you think Harry? I think 'New York New York,' would go down a treat."
"Maybe at a karaoke, I'd leave it out of the Elvis act, unless you're looking to get fired."
"We could do it now for you, remind you of home?"
"Home?" Harry queried.
"Come on, there were bits of it you loved." Beto teased.
"There were," Harry admitted with a smile.
"A fourth of July treat?"
Jorge was off, a rhythm playing in his head:
"Start spreading the news, I'm leaving today!"
Beto filling in the harmonies.
"Jorge!" Harry and Beto both laughed.
"I think I'll get back to the books," Nikki said suddenly before they'd even reached the chorus and ran back to the study.
"Was it something we said?" the friends asked. "Is she alright? She didn't look herself."
"She'll get there," Harry said in a determined voice. "The last couple of months have been pretty tough on her. Leo was about the only family she had left."
"Nikki and Leo are related?" Jorge said in a surprised voice. "No wonder she's a mess."
"No, not actually related, she never had a big family; Leo filled a gap before and after her real father died."
"The real one wasn't great then?"
"No, not great at all but he was all she had left."
"Until now!" Beto insisted.
"Alright, leave it, she can probably still hear you. But you're enjoying yourselves? You've got the Sinatra accent already. I can't imagine how many times you've made Beto listen to Sinatra. Vegas is all you thought it would be?"
"I'm getting quicker at the accents," Jorge replied, but Harry could see Beto rolling his eyes behind his lover. "Vegas is brilliant Harry. You remember how many job offers used to come for Beto in New York, that's a bit like record deals now. Vegas is AWESOME!"
"So you're pleased you went?"
"Oh yes! Harry, you should see the dancers, we've got Flamenco dancers for Surrender, and the guys in Jail House Rock. Phewee! You should see…"
Harry couldn't reply for laughing.
"We've been working on a new routine for 'Don't Be Cruel.' It was always your favourite.
"No it wasn't!" He spluttered.
They laughed and chatted easily for a while longer.
"So, no regrets then?" Harry asked.
"No!"
"You?"
Harry shook his head, but he couldn't summon as much enthusiasm as his friends had.
"Well if it doesn't work out you can always come to Vegas." Beto offered.
"What would I do in Vegas?" Harry replied.
"Shag showgirls? I don't know. Whatever you want!" Jorge laughed.
"Shh!" hissed Harry. "She's probably listening."
"Like she doesn't know," muttered Beto.
"Oh, stay in London then, see if we care!" Jorge pouted with his eyes twinkling.
"I shall, thank you," Harry replied loftily.
"Look after Nikki for us, we really do owe her for this gig" Jorge said.
"I'm trying. I hope you enjoy the fireworks. I do miss you two you know."
"Steady on there, you're English, stiff upper lip and all that." Jorge laughed.
"We miss you too, Burro," Beto added.
"Keep sending the pictures and the reviews. I love reading them," Harry replied.
"Will do, Bye Harry. Happy 4th!
"Happy 4th of July to you too!"
"Bye."
"Bye,"
Harry clicked to shut down his computer. He wondered what it was that had upset Nikki. Apart from the earplugs she had seemed ok. It was clever, something to keep her mind off of what she was doing. She'd always been brilliant, cleverer than he in so many ways and often the one to spot the link in their old cases that no one else could.
She hadn't shared his chair but she had stood behind him; it was the closest they had been since he had arrived back. They'd hardly touched at all, just a nudge to his shoulder and she'd initiated that. He couldn't think what had got into her to upset her so, trying to puzzle out her actions was exhausting, he was out of practice. And Jorge had just been goofing about; his Sinatra impression wasn't that bad. Maybe it was the thought of going through Leo's books that had put her on edge and then Harry stopped.
Sinatra.
July 4th
It was all coming back to him.
New York New York: Sinatra
Harry remembers but do you? It was a while ago I'll admit that.
