Shattered Angel

by Baird Nuckolls

  Just as he’d gotten settled, there was a clap of thunder and the skies opened up. The rains came storming down. Morelli remembered the lean-to and decided now would be a good time to check it out. He hunched his shoulders inside his coat, held onto the brim of his hat and dashed across the park. Ahead of him, the kids and their mothers were rushing out of the park.

  It wasn’t much, barely a shed. Half the front was missing. There were a few dry spots inside and a dirty window faced the eatery. He pulled one of the crates from the corner, placed it where he could see the café, and sat down to wait and watch. It might be a long morning.

  The shed wasn’t very good shelter. When the wind blew hard enough, it blew the rain in onto him, but it was better than being outside. Slicker-wrapped people passed on the street outside. He wished again for a cigarette as he sat and watched the street.

  Stationed across the street in the park, Morelli watched the trickle of customers come and go from the café. Trying not to think about his growling stomach, Morelli thought about his new client. She was a puzzle. Somehow, she didn’t seem all that upset about her husband cheating on her. Maybe she was really looking for a way out of the marriage. It wouldn’t be the first time. He kept thinking back to her face, her golden hair. The memory of her smile stayed in his mind.

  Despite his vigilance, there were no signs of the redhead or her paramour. Morelli checked his watch; time to go back to the office and meet Danny. Maybe Maggie would be here when they got back.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Hart Mansion

  Gladys was brushing her hair in front of her dressing table mirror when Aaron opened the door to her room and slipped inside. He was still wearing his dinner jacket, although his tie was gone. Had he been out all night? With Angel? Or perhaps the redhead that Angel had mentioned. She shuddered at the thought.

  “This is a surprise.” Her voice was cool. Aaron didn’t visit her room often these days. He stood beside her table and toyed with a crystal perfume bottle that sat on the side. He made no move to touch her, or kiss her cheek. So, this wasn’t a marital visit.

  “Good morning, Gladys. How are you?”

  “I am just fine. What do you want, Aaron?”

  She could tell that her directness shocked him. At first, he merely stood and looked at her. Finally, he spoke.

  “I need some cash.”

  “What for? The bank gives you a sizable salary, and you have your club. You should be fine with that.”

  “It’s for the cocaine. And a few other expenses.”

  Gladys put down her brush and sat back, surprised. “What do you mean? I thought you already had the cocaine.”

  “Actually, I don’t have it yet. My associates are holding it and they want their cut before they’ll give it to me. I need to get it before we can have the party. I have a little sample, but not nearly enough to let your friends try it.”

  Gladys returned to brushing her hair. It helped her think. She glanced at him in the mirror. He looked pale and under duress. She wasn’t used to seeing him this way.

  “How much?”

  “Fifteen thousand.”

  “That’s ridiculous. The cocaine can’t possibly cost that much and I won’t give you all that money, just to pay off your sordid little business associates. Deal with them some other way and leave my money out of it.”

  Now she was angry. He really didn’t have any sense. Couldn’t he see that he needed to take a higher road? She took a more conciliatory tone.

  “Perhaps you should drop this business with the cocaine and focus on what’s really important—the bank, our plans for expansion.”

  “Dear, you don’t need to be that way. I’m doing this for both of us.”

  Her look froze him. “I don’t need to remind you whose friends you are suggesting we sell this substance to. Or whose influence got you where you are at the moment.”

  “No, my dear. You don’t.” Aaron ducked his head and turned to leave. He muttered something under his breath. Gladys wasn’t sure she’d heard him correctly, but it sounded as if he’d said, “If you won’t help me, perhaps Angel will.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Angel’s Apartment

  Angel lay in bed, watching the sunlight falling through the half-open curtains. She knew she should get up, but she didn’t really feel like moving. She replayed the night over and over in her head, not really sleeping in the few hours she’d been home, but it was worth it.

  She hadn’t expected the fight was going to be all that interesting, but it was thrilling to be there, on the edge of all that violence. And Aaron was so protective of her; his arm around her as they walked through the crowd made her feel so safe. She thought back to their time in the car; his leg had been pressed against her hip and she felt the heat of him through the silky fabric of her gown. She had never been that close to him, that intimate. She closed her eyes and drew her hand up her thigh. She had wanted him to touch her then, in the car. To rest his hand on her leg, maybe even push up the edge of her dress. Her breath caught, as she moved the silk of her dressing gown, imagining his fingers.

  “Excuse me, Miss Eldridge,” Maria whispered as she opened the door. She didn’t come into the room, just stuck her head around the doorframe. Angel didn’t like being disturbed in the morning and she had made sure Maria knew it. Which meant that this had better be important.

  Angel looked at her in the mirror, releasing the fabric of her gown slowly. “Yes, Maria?”

  “Mr. Hart is here to see you, Miss Eldridge. He’s in the parlor. And he brought flowers.”

  Angel sat up. Aaron was here to see her? With flowers? She rose and checked her reflection in her dressing mirror. She needed to cover up the dark circles under her eyes that came from staying up so late and her hair was a fright.

  “Tell him I’ll be right there, Maria.” She smoothed her hair and picked up a pot of makeup. Then she paused to consider her lipstick. “Is he… did he seem like he’s in a hurry?”

  “I didn’t notice, ma’am. Shall I ask him?”

  “No, no. Just offer him some coffee or something. And put the flowers in the new crystal vase on the mantel. I’ll be along shortly.”

  Angel chose a lipstick to apply, a soft pink that looked nice against her pale skin, and then stood. Should she get dressed or should she just come see him in her dressing gown? He might be terribly shocked, but then again, she didn’t want to keep him waiting. She decided to be daring. She adjusted the gown and tightened the belt, checking herself in the mirror. Yes, it wouldn’t do to keep him waiting.

  Aaron was sitting on the blue velvet love seat, but when she entered the parlor, he stood. “Good morning, Angel.”

  “Well, good morning, Aaron. This is a lovely surprise.” She walked over and kissed him on the cheek. His hands came up to gently touch her waist and she longed to step into his arms. With a sigh, she stepped back and sat down beside him on the love seat.

  Maria came into the room bearing a tray. Her eyebrows went up when she caught sight of Angel in her dressing gown. Without a word, she set the tray on the table beside the piano and began preparing to serve the coffee.

  “I’ll take care of that, Maria, thank you.” Angel rose and moved over to the table. “We don’t need anything else,” she added in a lowered voice.

  Maria nodded and slipped out of the room, shutting the door.

  “I’m glad you came, Aaron. I wanted to thank you for taking me to the fight last night. And showing me your club.” She carried his coffee over and handed him the cup. “And for taking me dancing. It was such fun.”

  “It was my pleasure, Angel. I’m glad you enjoyed it. And I was happy being seen with such a beautiful girl on my arm.” He winked at her over the rim of his cup. Angel blushed.

  “Oh, you’re just saying that.” She looked at him over her shoulder as she collected her own cup and then came back to sit beside him.

  “No, Angel, I meant it. You are a beautiful girl. You’re going to make som
e lucky man very happy.”

  Angel blushed. She wanted Aaron to see her as a beautiful woman. She would just have to show him that she had adult ideas and concerns.

  “Well, I’m happy that you’ve come to see me, Aaron. Thank you for the compliment. And thank you for the flowers.” She gestured to the bouquet of white roses on the mantel. They looked beautiful in the vase he’d given her. She lowered her eyes and stared at his strong hands, holding the china cup. She imagined them holding her.

  “You’re welcome, Angel.” Aaron paused and stretched, putting one arm on the back of the love seat. “I actually did come by for a reason this time, besides visiting you.”

  “Oh?” Angel leaned toward him slightly, aware of his hand right behind her shoulder blade.

  “I have a little situation that I don’t want to worry your mother about; I was hoping you’d lend me some money to take care of it.”

  Angel sat back. He needed money. So, he wasn’t here because of her. The bubble in her stomach that had been growing since he’d arrived burst, leaving a bitter taste in her mouth.

  “How much do you need?”

  “Five or ten thousand.”

  Angel was shocked. “What? That’s a lot of money. I don’t think I can lay my hands on that kind of money without asking Mother. She keeps me on a very short spending limit. I only have a few hundred dollars here at the apartment.”

  “Do you think you could get it without telling her what it was about?”

  “I doubt it, Aaron. Why don’t you talk to her about it?”

  He moved his arm away from Angel’s shoulder. “Well, I lost some money on the fight, if you must know. I don’t want to upset her.”

  “How could you lose money? Dempsey won. And I heard you betting on him with that newspaper man.”

  “Angel, it’s a long story and you don’t need to know the details. Let’s just say I need the money.”

  Angel’s mind was in whirl. Maybe if she could get the money, he would know that she cared for him. More than her mother did. “I’d like to help you, if I can. But I have a question first.”

  “What is it, Angel?” His tone was neutral.

  “Do you know a redhead named Maggie McElwaine?”

  Aaron stood up abruptly, knocking over his coffee cup. His face was bright red as he bent to pick the cup up from the carpet. “I don’t, and I wonder why you’d ask me such a thing?”

  “Because I’m worried about you, Aaron.” She sat very still, trying to keep her face calm. “Please, sit down.” She patted the cushion next to her.

  Aaron sat down again and set the coffee cup on the table.

  Now that she’d taken the first step, Angel knew she had to keep going forward.

  “I know you married my mother for her money, Aaron, but I don’t think you’re making the best choices these days. I’d like to speak to you about them.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Angel. There isn’t anything that needs discussing.”

  Angel stared at him, willing him to change his mind. But he was stubborn. He stared back at her. She wanted him to know that she could be as strong as he was. She was his match. “I’d like to help. I really would. But if you won’t talk to me, Aaron, I don’t think I can help. I’m sorry.”

  Aaron rose, his face a mask of calm, but there was something in his expression. “I’m sorry, too, Angel. I thought you’d want to come to my aid.”

  “Aaron, of course I’d help if I could, but you should really talk to Mother about this.”

  “Thanks for your advice. I have to go.” Aaron didn’t kiss her this time as he turned to leave.

  Angel sat staring at the wall for a few minutes, lost in thought. Aaron certainly seemed flustered when she mentioned Maggie McElwaine. She’d told him that she was worried for her mother’s sake. But that was not strictly true. The thought of Aaron with the redhead made her stomach curdle and she felt it was time to do something about it. And he suddenly needed money. She wondered if the girl was blackmailing him somehow. She hurried to get dressed.

  ***

  The taxicab turned right from Spring Street onto Mott Street, its tires bumping over the Belgian blocks. Angel wasn’t sure which section of Mott Street contained the Golden Ruby and she told the driver to go more slowly. She caught sight of Aaron’s Cadillac parked up the street on the left and asked the driver to pull over.

  “Driver, wait here where I can see that car.”

  “Whatever you say.” The taxi driver sat with one arm out the window of his cab. The smell of baking filled the air. It wasn’t quite a bread smell; there was something more. Angel twisted in her seat and saw the sign for Lombardi’s Pizza, and realized it must be the smell of garlic cooking, but she wasn’t hungry.

  “Hey lady, are we gonna sit here all day?”

  “Just wait. I need to think.”

  “Okay, lady, but I’m leaving the meter running.” The cabbie lit a cigarette and blew a stream of smoke out the window, which was whipped away by the breeze. She realized that she hadn’t really thought this through. She’d expected Aaron to go to the Ruby; he probably had business there to attend to, even though it was Saturday. But she had no idea how long he would stay.

  What was she trying to do, after all? She’d told Mother about the waitress because she was always talking about keeping up appearances and this was something that surely fell into that category. She wasn’t sure if Mother had known or truly didn’t care. But she cared.

  Suddenly she saw Aaron come striding down the street toward his car. He had only been inside for a few minutes and now something was going to happen.

  “Follow that white Cadillac,” she instructed the cabbie.

  “Yes, ma’am.” They pulled out between a car and a horse-drawn wagon and followed the Cadillac slowly down the street.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Morelli

  Eleven a.m. sharp, Danny pulled his Tin Lizzy up in front of Morelli’s building. A short, Italian Santa Claus in a rumpled suit, sporting a bulbous red nose and Saint Bernard eyes, Danny had looked the same since they’d met on the force four years earlier, walking the same neighborhood beat. Today, he was wearing a tan overcoat and had the stub of a cigar clenched in his teeth.

  “Mornin’ Morelli. Fine day after, if you know what I mean.” He squinted at Morelli. “You sure look like hell, though. Were you out celebrating a bit too hard last night and got caught in the rain this morning?”

  “Nah, Petucci. I know you made some cash last night, but all I got out of it was a headache.” Morelli climbed in and shut the door. “I’ve been working this morning.”

  “Well you could have put down a wager last night, yourself. You’re just too damn self-righteous.”

  Danny was grinning too widely for Morelli’s nerves. “If you say so.”

  “So, where we headed?”

  “Sheridan Square.”

  Morelli sat thinking about Mrs. Hart and the few bits of information he had about her.

  “So, tell me a story,” Danny said, interrupting his musings.

  “I got a new client yesterday. Young dame, good looking.”

  “Yeah, was she a doll?”

  “Yes, she was. Dressed like a flapper, with bobbed hair and rolled stockings. Cutest thing you’ve ever seen. Smelled good, too.”

  “Oh boy, did you make a move?” Danny elbowed him, but kept his eyes on the street. The road was thick with delivery trucks and wagons, along with people walking any direction they felt like going.

  “Nah, she’s married. In fact, she hired me to check out the husband. Seems he’s having a good time with some redhead. I saw them at the fight last night.”

  “Who, him and the redhead?”

  “Nah, my client and her husband. They arrived in a long white touring car; you might have seen it.”

  Danny whistled through his teeth. “Hell of a place to take a dame.”

  “Don’t I know it?” Morelli shook his head.

  “So, what abou
t the redhead?”

  “She’s supposed to work at a little joint in Sheridan Square. I’m hoping that both she and the guy will make an appearance today.”

  “Who are we following?”

  “Well, if it comes down to it, I want you to follow the husband. If the redhead goes a different way, I’ll follow her. We’re just trying to collect some information at this point. I don’t want to have a conversation with the guy yet.”

  “Do you think he’s up to something?”

  “I have no idea, Danny.”

  “We’re still playing cops and robbers, huh?”

  “Something like that,” Morelli replied.

  They had to park the car across the park from the café and they couldn’t see the entrance from there. They decided to go and sit on the bench Morelli had used that morning. Danny had a card to put in the car window that said he was on police business, so no one was going to complain that they’d parked in a tough spot.

  Danny blew on his gloved hands. “Awful chilly for September.”

  Morelli glanced across the street and saw a big white Cadillac turn onto West Fourth and park.

  “Hey, look there. See that Caddie? That might be the fish I’m looking for, come to visit his lovely.” He pulled the photo that Gladys Hart had given him out of his coat pocket and showed it to Danny. “That’s my client and her husband.”

  Danny whistled in appreciation. “She’s quite a dish.”

  Morelli didn’t say anything.

  The Cadillac sat at the curb, but no one got out. The windows were fogged and they couldn’t see who was inside. Morelli saw a flash of red hair from the corner of his eye. It looked like it might be Miss McElwaine, rounding the corner onto Washington Place. Morelli pointed in her direction.

  “Here comes the other party to this little drama.”

  Danny watched the redhead walk along the street. “This it? We’re supposed to catch them red-handed, so to speak?”

  “Nah, I’m just trying to check up on the husband, that’s all.”