by Harper Lin
“Hiya,” Becky said to the coat-check girl. “That big palooka who just slipped you a five. Do you know his name?”
“Sure. He goes by Diggs. You aren’t his moll, are you?”
“Me? No!” The thought of dating a gangster was worse than trying to date a Yankee, although to Kitty it might be a step up. “I saw him at a party and wanted to say howdy-do. Thanks,” Becky said and dropped a nickel in her tip jar.
When Becky approached the door, Hank gave her a serious look.
“Leaving so early? I hope the boys didn’t give you a hard time.” He looked concerned.
“Oh, you, stop. I’m just going out for some air. And no, the boys were complete gentlemen,” Becky said as she stood on tiptoes and pinched Hank’s cheek.
“Well, now I know you’re lying. Those guys ain’t been called gentlemen since they were in short pants. And maybe not even then,” he retorted.
“Not all of them can be like you, Hank. I’ll be back in a jiffy,” she said as she went outside.
People were milling around out there. The night air was refreshing and felt downright chilly compared to the club. Becky climbed the steps to the sidewalk and looked around. Standing perfectly still, she listened and heard footsteps clomping off to her right. It had to be Diggs.
Just beyond the parking lot were a lot of trees. They muffled the noise and cut down the view from the main streets, and even though the police knew what was going on every night at Willie’s, they looked the other way most of the time. Half of them would show up for a nip after their shift. Becky was willing to bet on that. A slight breeze rustled the leaves and carried the smell of grass and moss on it. Becky squinted and saw Diggs head toward the line of trees.
Carefully, she followed. Just on the other side of the tree line was civilization again, consisting of a couple of rows of apartment buildings and a motel or two. It wasn’t skid row, but it wasn’t the kind of place Becky wanted to be caught alone. This part of town was nothing like downtown Savannah. It was a perfect place for a speakeasy but not a great place to be walking at this hour of the night.
Finally, Becky caught up to the footsteps and saw Diggs’s silhouette. She dreaded the idea of following him into the woods. No one would know she’d gone in there. If anything happened, it would be months before they found her.
“Stop that, Becky,” she muttered. “You’re just looking around. No one would be out to kill you. That murder was over a cheat in a card game. That’s all.” Her words, even though they came from her mouth, were not very convincing. Still, she continued to creep along behind him.
Was there another joint around? A dump could pop up overnight like a toadstool and disappear just as quickly. Diggs walked a few more paces and then froze. Becky did the same thing. Had he heard her? Did he know he was being followed?
Then Becky saw Diggs pull something from his pocket and toss it on the ground. He took a few more steps and then stopped, whirling around and staring in her direction. Becky ducked behind an old Flivver and held her breath. He stood there for a few moments. He couldn’t possibly see her, could he?
Like a deer that had picked up on a scent, Diggs bolted into the woods, leaving Becky standing alone at the edge of the parking lot. She had seen him toss away something and was determined to find out what.
Carefully she crept up to where she thought he might have stood. She looked along the ground. Anyone who saw her would have thought she was looking for her keys or that maybe her glasses had fallen off, if she wore glasses. The grass tickled her calves, and she was sure the soft dirt would ruin her shoes. But she didn’t care. She had to see what Diggs had tossed away.
Just as she was about to give up and head back inside, Becky saw it. It was a deck of cards. As she reached down to pick up the box, she saw the same yellow-eyed devil. Then two gunshots rang out. Suddenly coated in a thick layer of sweat, Becky ducked down in the grass and held her breath.
Someone was running. Someone a lot lighter on their feet than Diggs would have been. Finally, emerging from the line of trees was a short, thin fellow. He was dressed in a suit and fedora, but other than that, he was just a black form. He walked like a man on his way home from work. Becky didn’t move. The only thing worse than being the target of a hit was being some unlucky schlub who witnessed it and gave away their hiding place. If she moved, if she sneezed, if she did anything, that black form would turn on his heel and saunter just as casually in her direction and find her.
Finally, the man disappeared around the back of the club. She heard a car start. When the headlights cut through the shadows as the vehicle swung around the building, Becky ducked down farther into the tall grass. The car rolled away slowly. The driver was in no hurry.
Until Becky was sure she no longer heard the car, she waited. The muffled sound of the music from the club and a few random crickets were all she could hear now. Her heartbeat had steadied and was no longer pounding in her ears. And the breath she’d been holding came out with a long sigh.
Without thinking, she stood up, relieving her thighs, which had been burning from her crouched position, and smoothed out her skirt. The desire to go and see if Diggs was dead overpowered her. She took two steps in the direction the dark form had come from but stopped. Were there footsteps behind her? She squinted into the darkness. Nothing.
Carefully, she took another couple of steps while holding onto the thin trees all around her for balance. But an overwhelming sensation that she was walking into a trap made her stop. She was squeezing one thin tree trunk with one hand and the deck of cards with the other.
“Hey, Becky!” a voice hissed from in front of her. “Need a light?”
Becky strained to see. In the flash it took for a match to light, Becky saw the old hobo’s face. He grinned. As the little flame flickered, he looked even more weather worn. In the orange glow, she saw the slit of his mouth reveal uneven teeth and black holes where teeth should have been. A tongue slithered out, licked his lips, and retreated into his maw before he started laughing.
Without realizing it, Becky screamed. And she screamed loudly. Her instincts kicked in, and she darted in the direction of the club. Her heels sank into the ground, and her skirt snagged on a couple of bushes, but still she ran. The sound of the old bum’s laughter was getting louder. She was sure he was getting closer to her. Just as she was about to break the tree line, her foot caught on a root. Gravity took hold of her, pulling her down to the ground. Then everything went dark.
Chapter Sixteen
“Becky? Becky, come on. Wake up.”
“What was she doing out in the trees?”
“I don’t know.”
The voices were all familiar, even if they seemed to be all jumbled up. Becky became aware of the darkness and saw a tiny pin of light at the farthest end of it. She wanted to be in that light. Getting to it felt like she was swimming, but finally everything started to flicker into focus. Her eyes popped open, but she immediately shut them again.
“Yikes. Who is shining that spotlight on me?” She raised her hand to cover her eyes.
“Are you all right?” She knew that accent instantly. Pushing the pain aside, Becky looked up and saw she was in Adam’s big strong arms.
“I am now,” she purred, but a sharp ache in the front of her head made her wince. When she reached up, she felt the pain.
“You’ve got a real goose egg there,” Adam said.
“My gosh, Becky, what were you doing outside?” Martha asked, handing her a flask she pulled from her purse.
Becky took it, flipped the top, and took a quick swallow. The brandy felt good going down, clearing her head and bringing everything into focus.
“I needed a little air,” she said, pulling herself up.
“You gotta get her outta here.” Hank looked down at Becky. She was in the kitchen, where the poker games had taken place. There was no sign of any games going on now. “I’m sorry, doll, but the boss will have a kitten if an ambulance shows up here.”
“I’m fine,” Becky said, reluctantly pushing herself up and away from Adam. Her head swam, but she fought the sensation off with another sip of brandy.
“You screamed,” Adam said. “If you hadn’t, no one would have known you were out there. You could have died.”
“What were you doing out there?” Becky asked, suddenly suspicious.
“Just as I got here, I saw you walking to the tree line,” Adam replied. His forehead was wrinkled as if he were waiting for an explanation.
“Come, Becky,” Teddy said, hitching his pants and shaking his head. “I think we ought to get you home.”
Becky shook her head to chase out the fuzziness. Then she noticed Fanny. With her neckline plunging a little lower than Becky remembered, she was positioned rather dangerously close to Adam.
“I’m telling you, I’m fine. Just a little bump on the noggin.” She looked down and saw the condition of her dress. It was dirty and had snags in it. A couple of dried leaves and a few strands of grass also clung to her. “Jeez, I look like I fell out of a boxcar.”
That made her remember the hobo. Her stomach flipped, and she looked around nervously as everyone started talking at once. Hank wanted them out of there, and Martha was trying to get Teddy to wait while he headed toward the door to get the car.
“Oh, Rebecca, you poor thing,” Fanny said as she stooped down, letting Hank, Teddy, and Adam get an eyeful of cleavage. “We’ve got to get you home. Adam, do you have your car?”
Becky suddenly felt nauseated. Maybe she had hit her head harder than she thought. No, it was the sight of Fanny and this act she was putting on. All that talk about being with a man of an ill reputation went right out the window when she looked at the man in question. What had Fanny said to him while Becky was out cold? What had he said in reply? And why was that more important than the dead body that was out just past the tree line?
“He’s outside,” Becky said. She suddenly felt her legs and tried to stand. “Eww, you guys laid me on this floor? It’s grimy and dirty.”
“What were we supposed to do?” Martha asked.
“I don’t know. Find a blanket. Use Teddy’s jacket,” Becky snapped as she got to her feet, using Adam’s big shoulder to balance herself.
“I didn’t want my jacket to get dirty.” Teddy frowned.
“Who is outside, Becky?” Adam asked.
“She’s talking crazy,” Fanny said.
“We need to go to the police,” Becky said, looking at her friends.
“Hold on a minute.” Hank stepped in. “We’re not calling any police. I’m sorry, Becky. But you gotta take this show on the road. The boss will have my head if you don’t. I’m not playing around.”
Becky nodded. She didn’t want to get anyone in trouble, but she was sure a dead man was in those trees. Not to mention the creepy old hobo who seemed to be popping up wherever she was. With everyone but Becky speaking at once, they followed the intimidating doorman to a back door. Hank held it open, and they all filed out.
“Should we go somewhere else?” Martha looked up at Teddy.
“I think we should take you to the hospital and have your head looked at,” Adam said.
“I’m sure we could find another joint that’s jumping. It’s still early, and I think I only had about three drinks.” Teddy shrugged.
“I’m sure we could drop Becky at the hospital. They’d probably want to keep her there for observation,” Fanny said quietly to Adam as if she were relaying a secret.
Becky squinted at her. “I’m not going to see some quack. I’m going to the police. There is a dead man in those woods. He was at Martha’s party, and I think he’s responsible for killing Lawrence Hoolihan.”
“He was at my party?” Martha suddenly stopped and stared at Becky. “You didn’t say that.”
“You didn’t ask.” Becky shook her head. She remembered the deck of cards. They were still in her hands, although they were slightly crushed from her holding on to them so tightly. “Wait. I’ll bet there are only fifty-one cards in this pack.”
“What is she doing now?” Teddy whispered.
“Diggs threw these away as he was walking into the woods.” She pulled the deck of cards from the pack and counted. As she suspected, there were only fifty-one cards. She had the remaining card in her possession. “I found a card on the floor where poor Lawrence… died.”
“Oh, can’t we just forget that night ever happened?” Fanny leaned into Adam as if she were going to faint. “I didn’t see you there. I would have remembered.”
“I wasn’t invited,” Adam replied but directed his focus on Becky. “Becky, you aren’t making any sense. I’m taking you to the hospital.”
“No, you’re not.” Becky pulled away from him and Fanny, who had somehow inched her way closer to Adam. “I’m going to the police. If I have to walk there alone.”
“Come on. I’ll drive you,” Adam replied. “Although none of this is making any sense to me. I don’t think it’s a good idea.”
“Neither do I, Rebecca,” Fanny chimed in.
“I just don’t think I can handle any further talk about Lawrence Hoolihan or his killer. I’m starting to feel like I need to go to the hospital,” Martha said. “Teddy, do you mind blowing this pop stand?”
“Sorry, guys. Count us out. I’m lit enough that the police might toss me in the hoosegow. Same goes for Martha,” Teddy said, giving her a playful jab in the ribs.
“Hey. I’m not nearly as lit as I have been. Or as I should be, considering what happened at my birthday party,” Martha said before burping. “Excuse me.”
“Adam, I really don’t think you ought to be indulging Rebecca this way. I think that she should be brought straight home and…” Fanny tried to whisper to Adam.
“Come on, Becky. I’ll take you to the police station. I don’t think it’s a good idea. But if you are set on going, I’ll get you there,” Adam said.
“Thanks, Adam. You sure are a swell guy.” Becky looked up at him. She felt like she was seeing him for the first time all over again, and she smiled.
“Ahem. I think Rebecca should have some family with her. I’ll tag along,” Fanny insisted.
“You don’t have to, Fanny. I’ll be fine,” Becky started to protest, but Adam shut her down.
“I think that’s a good idea. This story is going to sound crazy enough. It might do you some good to have someone with who can vouch for you. I’m a Northerner. Some of these coppers don’t trust a fella like me.” Adam squeezed Becky’s hand before leading her to his car. Fanny quickly grabbed his other arm and pulled herself close to him.
“I’m not sure this is a good idea,” Fanny whispered into Adam’s neck. “But I’m glad you’re here. Rebecca would never listen to me. Maybe you can talk some sense into her.”
Adam looked down at Fanny, who batted her eyes. Within minutes, everyone was in a car and heading toward their destination.
Becky nervously turned the deck of cards over and over in her hands as they pulled out of the crowded lot. Teddy and Martha headed south, but the police station in downtown Savannah was to the north. Adam didn’t have the car on the road five minutes before they saw something emerge from the trees and stagger onto the road.
“What is that?” Becky shouted while pointing.
“Stop the car!” Fanny screamed.
Adam slammed on the brakes mere feet from the shadowy figure. While under a lonely streetlight, the group could see it was a big man who put his hand up toward the oncoming headlights and dropped to his knees before collapsing on the ground.
“That’s Diggs!” Becky shouted before hopping out of the car.
“Becky! Wait!” Adam called after her, but she was already out of the car and creeping toward the man lying motionless on the road.
“Mr. Diggs?” Becky carefully crept up to him. “Mr. Diggs, can you hear me?”
At first, Diggs remained motionless. But a split second later, Diggs’s eyes popped open. They were the only thing he a
ppeared to be able to move until his lips started to flutter.
“Get out of here, or he’ll get you, too.”
Becky looked around, sure that Diggs was talking about the gunman.
“He’ll whisper, and then he’ll get you.”
“Oh, Adam,” Fanny whined. “I don’t like this one bit. A lady should never be around such things. Get me out of here. Please.”
“Becky, Fanny is right. Get back in the car,” Adam hissed.
“Did you hear him? He’s dying.” Becky pointed to a pool of blood that spread out beneath the man’s body and crept across the pavement. “Pick him up and put him in the car.”
“What?” Adam and Fanny asked in unison.
“What, what?” Becky barked. “We can’t leave this man just bleeding out here.”
“He could be the man who killed Lawrence Hoolihan.” Fanny shuddered. “You can’t possibly be serious. Even if we wanted to pick him up, there is no room in the car. And I’m not going to wait on the side of the road like a common tramp.”
“Becky, he’s dead. Look at the blood. We can get help, but we’ve got to go,” Adam insisted.
“But he just spoke…” Her voice trailed off. Adam and Fanny obviously hadn’t heard him. Becky’s heart jumped. She’d not had any experiences like this before in which the dead spoke to her in front of other people. And Diggs was as dead as a doornail. If only she could ask him if he killed Lawrence. But Adam was right there, and he’d think she’d lost her marbles. Not to mention Fanny being an all-too-willing witness to attest to Becky’s unstable mental state.
“Whoever did this could still be lurking around,” Fanny whispered. “We need to go and send help. None of us are equipped to address such a situation.”
Becky didn’t want to say it out loud, but Fanny was right. “Adam, how fast can you get to the police station?”