The King of Diamonds by Rena Pederson

Author:Rena Pederson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Published: 2024-04-02T00:00:00+00:00

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I only went to the Cipango a few times, when it was in its last years. By that time, it had a shabby-chic, Gloria-Swanson-in-Sunset-Boulevard look to it. The stale smell of nicotine and Chanel No. 5 hung in the air.

It was so dark in the bar you had to feel your way to your chair until your eyes adjusted. I dimly remember seeing big phones on the tables. You could use them to call another table. Despite that attempt at modernity, the Cipango had the feel of years gone by, a time capsule.

When I asked Lt. McCaghren if he had ever gone to the Cipango Club, he gave me one of his withering, world-weary looks. “No. I. Did. Not. Go. To. The. Cipango,” he said, accentuating every syllable. Cops were the last people members of the Cipango wanted to see. Besides that, a detective’s pay didn’t cover crêpes suzette.

People joked that the Cipango offered, “All you can eat for a thousand dollars.” Despite the price, they remembered with fondness the steak au poivre, the “Itsy-Bitsy Salad” (which was not so bitsy), and the soufflé potatoes, which were french fries that magically puffed up in size.

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