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Finally Arnold sat down. “Is this kind of thing happening a lot?”
“I get dirty looks, but this is the first time the hostility has turned physical. As I said, they were drunk.” He gave a sanitized version of what had happened.
“Do you think Vista was behind it?”
“Vista?” Griff snorted. “If Vista was behind it, I wouldn’t be here to tell you about it. It’s nothing, Jerry. Swear to God. I’m feeling much better.”
Arnold made a point of looking at the cold sweat Griff could feel beading on his forehead, but he didn’t comment further. “How are you doing otherwise?”
“Good.”
Arnold looked around the apartment, taking in the fancy TV, the new furnishings. “This is a nice place.”
“Thanks.”
The man’s eyes moved back to him. “How’d you pay for it?”
“Cash. Which I came by legally.”
“How?”
“It has nothing to do with Vista, none of that. I haven’t broken any laws. I haven’t placed a bet.”
“Do you have a job yet?”
“I’m looking into a couple of things.”
“You were going for an interview…”
“It didn’t pan out.”
“What was it?”
“I didn’t get the job, so what difference does it make?”
Arnold didn’t get visibly ruffled over the attitude behind the question, but he repeated in a no-bullshit tone, “What was it?”
Resigned, Griff said, “I asked a sportswriter if I could do legwork for him. You know Bolly Rich?”
“I read his column.”
“I proposed becoming one of his stringers. He turned me down.” Actually, Griff was glad Arnold had pressed him about this. He hoped the probation officer would call Bolly for verification. Bolly would confirm that Griff had tried in earnest to secure employment.
“Anything else?”
“Nothing concrete.” Griff hoped Arnold would let it go at that, because basically Griff liked the guy. He had a rotten job, but somebody had to do it. Griff had nothing personal against him, and he’d have hated lying to him.
“Let me know soon as you land something. It’ll look good on your record.”
“Will do. Soon as I land something.”
“In the meantime, no bookies, no Vista.”
“Hell, I know that.”
“No matter how discouraged you become.”
“Believe me, Jerry, I want nothing to do with them.”
