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“Absolutely,” Joey said.

“So, what’s on your mind, Joey?”

“I’m sure I can trust you to keep what I’m about to tell you to yourself.”

“That would depend on what you want to tell me,” Phil said. “Let me put that another way. As long as it’s legal, you can trust me.”

“Absolutely goddamned legal,” Joey said. “Jesus Christ, Phil, what do you think? I’m a businessman.”

What I think is that you’re in bed with the mob, is what I think.

“No offense, Joey. But we should understand each other.”

“I agree one hundred percent,” Joey said. “And you have my word I would never ask you to do anything that would in any way be illegal.”

“Okay. Fine.”

“The thing is, Phil, I’m a silent partner in the Howard Johnson motel on Roosevelt Boulevard. You know where I mean?”

Phil nodded.

Why don’t I believe that?

“Nice, solid investment. You know, people trust a place with Howard Johnson’s name on it.”

“Yeah, I guess they do.”

“You know how that works, Phil? I mean, it’s a franchise. We pay them a percentage of the gross. We get to use the name, and they set the standards. They got inspectors—you never know who they are—who come and stay in the place, and eat in the coffee shop, and check things . . . see if the bathrooms are clean, that sort of thing. You understand?”

Phil nodded.

“They insist that we run a high-class operation,” Joey said. “A nice, clean, respectable place, a family place, by which I mean that a Howard Johnson is not a no-tell motel, you know what I mean?”

“I understand,” Phil said.

“The way the contract is drawn, we don’t keep the place up to standard, they have the right to do one of two things: either make us sell the place, or take down the sign.”

“Is that so?”

“Which would cost us a bundle. Which would cost me, since I have a large piece of that action, a large bundle, if Howard Johnson should decide to pull our franchise.”

“And you’re worried about that happening, is that what you’re driving at?”

“I am worried shitless,” Joey said.

“Why?”>

“Can you believe there was a drug bust at the Howard Johnson last Thursday night? Can you believe that?”

“Drugs are all over, Joey, you know that.”

“Not in my fucking Howard Johnson motel, they’re not supposed to be.”

“Those things happen, Joey.”

“Like I said I’m a silent partner. I put up the money, and the other partners run the place. Which means they hire the manager.”

“Okay.”