Playland by John Gregory Dunne

Author:John Gregory Dunne
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: fiction, Historical, General
ISBN: 9780517171431
Publisher: Random House
Published: 1994-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

V

It was a sunday when I heard that Jake King was in Vegas, Arthur French said.

How can you be sure it was a Sunday, Arthur?

Because we played polo on Sunday. At Will Rogers’s place. And I remember I was playing polo when I heard. So it had to be a Sunday. J.F. told me Lilo was upset. He—Lilo, not J.F.—had this man in Vegas, I think it was the sheriff …

Matty Cassady …

I can’t remember his name. He was on some sort of retainer to Benny Draper …

The U.S. attorney called it a bribe.

Jack, I’m not interested in details like that, you can find that in the newspapers, it was, what, forty-five years ago? You said you wanted ambiance, the mise-en-scène.

I would say polo was a definite mise-en-scène, Arthur. Polo. At Will Rogers’s. Who else played?

Tracy. Zanuck. Howard Hawks. Everyone was there. It was what we did on Sunday. J.F. Chuckie. Blue. Lilo and Rita. Jack Ford sometimes. Mitch Leisen. Kate, if Spencer was playing. Charlie Feldman. Jean Howard. Jean’s got some wonderful pictures of those polo Sundays, you should call her. David and Jennifer. One Sunday after polo, we were having lunch—Nancy and Eddie Clanahan always catered—and Jennifer led a conga line into the pool. All of us with our clothes on. Even J.F. Jean has the photograph in her book.

Okay. Now how does Matty Cassady figure in this?

Matty who?

The Clark County sheriff Benny Draper had on retainer.

Oh, yes. Well, apparently this Matty called Lilo that Sunday, and he said the Jake was over in Vegas spreading some money around. For what reason we didn’t know. Although we found out soon enough. And Lilo was upset. It was just another problem he didn’t need. Benny Draper was also there that Sunday. Benny and J.F. were having a fight over whether the OMPCE would strike Cosmo or not, and J.F. thought Benny was becoming too expensive a proposition …

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