Adam’s Outlaw

by Sandra Chastain

  The older man looked from Adam to Toni. He was clearly disturbed by the unexpected presence of the police officer.

  “It’s all right, Fred. Sit down,” Toni said. “Captain Ware has decided to join our little band.”

  “You mean he’s going to help us scare muggers?” Fred’s rap talk dried up in the wake of his surprise.

  “Not exactly,” Adam drawled. “I’m going to make sure you don’t chase any more muggers. Coffee?”

  “Uh-huh. That’s what I thought you meant.” Fred nodded and dropped into the empty chair.

  Adam ate slowly, as if he were savoring the famous Sunday brunch at the Waverly Hotel.

  Toni paced.

  Annie hummed the remainder of the song from the Wizard of Oz under her breath.

  The silence fed the growing tension, yet nobody spoke.

  “All right,” Toni finally snapped. “What’s wrong, Fred? What’s the bad news? Forget the warden is here and tell me.”

  “You sure?”

  “I’m sure. I’ll go crazy if you don’t spit it out, and Captain Ware here isn’t going to give us any privacy, are you?”

  “You got it, outlaw.” Adam finished off his last bit of food, wiped his mouth, and leaned back in his chair.

  “It’s the Swan Gardens,” Fred began hesitantly. “They’ve been sold. Can you believe that? Those sleaze balls sold the Gardens a month ago and nobody said a word about it.”

  “Swan Gardens. That’s where you work, isn’t it?” Adam sat up, interest evident in his voice.

  “Yep. Toni got me the job as janitor. They even furnished me a little apartment in the basement. Now it’s going, the whole thing.”

  “Why?” Toni asked puzzled. “The property is behind that new office complex. Peachtree Park borders the other side so the property is too small to develop. What would anybody else want with it?”

  “Oh, they’re not going to develop it commercially. They’re going to turn it into luxury apartments and sell them to the people that rent them.”

  “Sounds like a good deal for the renters,” Adam said.

  “Naw, man. The youngest person in that building is Willie Benson, and he’s fifty-eight and in a wheelchair. Those old people won’t never find a safe place to live that they can afford. Like it or not, they’re out of there.”

  “But surely they can’t do that,” Toni protested. “They’d have to have approval from the zoning and planning board.”

  “Already got that,” Fred said. “You know how anxious our council is for progress. Get rid of the bums and the old folks. This is a city of the future.”

  “Well, we won’t stand for it,” Toni declared. “We’ll make signs and picket. We’ll—”

  “Have to work fast,” Fred interrupted. “They’re even buying up the leases. The residents have sixty days to get out.”

  “And these are the people you work for,” Toni exclaimed, turning to Adam. “Our fine City Council that’s more interested in progress than it is in people. I hope you’ve made plans for your old age because you might just find yourself turned out of the only home you’ve ever known in a few years.”

  “I’m sure there’s some mistake, Toni,” Adam said placatingly. “Let me check into it. I seriously doubt that the mayor even knows about this. In spite of what you think, he is concerned about the problem of the elderly.”

  “Fine. So am I. In the meantime, if we can’t chase crooks, we’ll do something about new housing for the Swan Gardens residents. Let me think about it.” She opened the sliding glass doors, stepped out onto the redwood deck, and began pacing around the house.

  Adam didn’t like the look of determination on her face. Having her students do repair work for the elderly was reasonable. Her good deeds were public knowledge, according to the city housing office which knew of her work and silently applauded her efforts. Even hiding in a tree to scare a mugger was admirable in a crazy kind of way, but taking on an entire building of displaced families was something else. He went to the phone in the living room and called his office. After a few discreet inquiries he hung up in disgust and returned to the kitchen just as Toni strode back inside.

  “You’re right,” he said.

  “I’ve got it,” she said simultaneously.

  “Got what?” Adam was afraid to hear her solution.

  “Right about what?” she asked warily, again speaking at the same time.

  “All right, Captain,” she said, “you first.”

  “Fine. I called downtown. The sale is official.”

  “And there’s nothing we can do about it, right, Kojak?”

  “I’m afraid not. The inspector tells me that the building is in disrepair. There have been several citations by the fire department and the department of inspections. It’s financially impractical to make the necessary repairs based on the current income from the building. They have no real choice. I’m sorry, Toni. I’m afraid you can’t change this.”

  “That’s all right, Captain. I think I have a solution. Instead of using my students for repair work, we’ll renovate an entire building. Once we’re finished and the Swan Gardens people move in, our mayor will see what concerned citizens can do without the help of the city.”

  “And I suppose you have a site in mind?” He knew as he asked the question that he wasn’t going to like the answer.

  “Of course. Fred, how many people do you think we can depend on to help?”

  “Counting your students and my people, I’d say about fifteen. Why?”

  “I’ll help,” Annie said. “I ain’t much with a hammer and nails, but I can keep the soup pot going.”

  “Which building, outlaw?” Adam’s determined voice cut through the enthusiasm.

  “Why, the old prison farm, of course. Fred, reset the meeting over at the Swan Gardens for tomorrow. I’ll get started on the crews and supplies.”

  “No way, Ms. Gresham. As a police officer I tell you that the building isn’t safe. There are more drugs sold in the old prison yard than anywhere else in downtown Atlanta. You can’t ask those old people to move to a place like that.”

  “Yo, Toni, the dude is right—those little ladies—would die of fright,” Fred said, reverting to a staccato rap. “We’ll have to find—another way—to relocate those kids—from yesterday.”

  “Once it’s cleaned up, the drugs will go,” Toni said positively.

  “If you live that long,” Annie mumbled as she filled Fred’s plate.

  “We’ll convince them—I’ve got it. The first apartment will be mine. I’ll move in and stay there. If a young single woman is safe, they’ll be safe.”

  “You’ll be safe all right, my little lawbreaker. You’ll be in jail and the rest of your merry band will be there with you. And who’s going to put up the bail money? Assuming, of course, that your helpers don’t already have records that will prevent their release.”

  Toni shot around the table. “You wouldn’t. You wouldn’t dare arrest us for helping those poor people. That building isn’t being used for anything.”

  “Exactly. It’s been vacant for forty years. Be honest, Toni, you couldn’t make that place livable, no matter how hard you tried. I’m sorry, babe. I’ll set up an interview for you with the mayor.”

  “Sure you will. When?”

  “Tomorrow. Maybe he can find a building for them.”

  “Oh, right. I know a get-out when I hear one. I’ve heard all this before, Captain.”

  “Not from me, you haven’t.” Adam found himself defending a position that even he didn’t believe in. The mayor was interested in the plight of the elderly, but he wasn’t having much better luck than Toni.

  “Atlanta doesn’t have temporary housing,” she went on. “Spend one night and out in the morning, if you’re lucky enough to find a mattress in some church basement. No thanks. We’ve heard promises before. I hoped you’d be different. Don’t you have a heart? What kind of man are you?”

  “I’m the kind of man who tries not to worry about
philosophical questions that don’t have answers. Most of the people I know don’t spend a lot of time trying to figure out who they are. They have to make a living. Of course, they don’t live on the North Side.”

  Toni stiffened, clenching her fists to keep from hitting him. “How dare you categorize me? You’re a hard, unfeeling man. This is our chance to make a real difference. But then, how would you know? You were never without a home. You’ve never been hungry or—”

  “And I suppose you have, Ms. Antoinette Gresham of the Sunnyside Food Greshams. You’ve been cold and hungry and homeless how many times in your pampered, foolish life?”

  He hadn’t meant to strike out at her verbally, but she’d got him where it hurt. He knew about being cold and hungry. He knew only too well. There’d been plenty of times when he’d been worse off than Miss Riverside Drive could ever imagine. He tried to push those long-suppressed thoughts out of his head. But this time he couldn’t. She’d put him in the position of having to face his past and his future.

  This wasn’t going the way he wanted it to. He’d intended to let Toni know he was concerned about the people she was trying to help, yet all they were doing was drawing battle lines. Her plan was foolhardy. He knew what type of people found their way to that old building, and neither Toni nor her Swan Gardens tenants belonged there. If they knew the truth, they wouldn’t even consider it. She was brave and foolish, and he knew he wasn’t going to stop her.

  Desperately Adam reached inside his jeans pocket and retrieved the familiar ragged stump of a cigar. He clamped it between his teeth. “Toni, you’re such an innocent. You and your magic teacup and your yellow-brick road. You don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.”

  Toni pressed her lips together, her chin jutting forward as she valiantly fought to hold on to her last shred of dignity. She didn’t know why it was so important that Adam understand her, but it was. If she couldn’t bring him around, how could she ever expect to make a real difference in the city?

  “How can you judge me, Captain Ware? You don’t have to die to experience the pain of death. I care about these people. Just because my family is wealthy doesn’t mean that I am. Every penny I make goes into my projects. Don’t you ever put me down because my family lives on Riverside Drive.”

  Though Annie and Fred were both in the kitchen, Adam and Toni might as well have been alone. As she began moving toward him, Adam was shocked by the flare of heat between them. Clutching his cigar rebelliously, he stared at the woman who’d forced him to defend his employer’s actions. Hell, he didn’t even like the job he’d been given. At this point, he ought to be the one spouting nursery rhymes.

  “I’ll do whatever I can to help them,” she said tautly, “including …” Her voice trailed off as she took a quick look around. “You and I have to talk privately. Now. Come with me.”

  He felt the warmth of her touch before she grabbed his hand. His shock over the sensation was surpassed only by his shock at her action. She drew him swiftly across the thick peach-colored living room carpet and into her bedroom. Kicking the door shut, she jerked his cigar from his mouth and draped her arms around his neck.

  He had no opportunity to protest as she pressed her lips against his with a fierceness that swept his breath away. Her eyes were wide with elation, and excitement roared through him as he opened his mouth. Instinctively his arms went around her. A faint whisper escaped him as he felt her breasts press hard against him.

  “Toni,” he gasped, pulling his head back. “Stop this.”

  “Why, don’t you like it?”

  “Are you trying to bribe me?”

  “Of course. I’m stroking your fur.”

  Her hand slid inside his shirt and lightly caressed his chest, setting off an avalanche of muscular spasms. Like it? Hell, yes, he liked it. The wench was seducing him. He was six feet tall and she was nearly a foot shorter, and she had him tied up tighter than a jail-breaking thief.

  He pulled his mouth away from the heat of her lips and swallowed hard. It didn’t help. “Don’t do this, outlaw. There’s just so much a man can take.” His voice was husky with desire.

  He tried not to see the brass bed behind her, the bed with the white satin cover pulled back as if she’d just risen, and the oversize pillows still intended with the shape of her head. A dizzying wave of yearning swept over him.

  “I want you to want me,” she murmured. “Tell me you want me, Adam.” She caught his shoulders and pulled him closer, her lips playing across his face and mouth. “Tell me that you’ll forget what you heard here, Captain Ware, and I’ll … I’ll …” Her voice changed into a throaty whisper. “I’ll do anything you want.”

  Her unexpectedly soft voice stopped him. He held her away from him and looked down into her blue eyes, glazed not with anger but with desire. Willing to give herself as hostage for her cause, Ms. Antoinette Gresham had been done in by her own game.

  “Frankly, my dear,” he said softly, “I think what we have here is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.”

  “What?”

  “You’re offering yourself to me and I thank you. But I can’t accept. When we make love, and we will, it will be because you want me as much as I want you. I’ll wait.”

  “You’re turning me down?”

  “No, I’m turning you on and I think I like that better than a coldhearted bribe. Don’t worry, Toni. I know more than you think about not having a place to sleep. That’s why I’m not going to turn you in, and I’m not going to take advantage of you either.”

  He gave her a quick, sweet kiss, then opened the door and led a stunned Toni back into the great room.

  “You’re not going to stop us?” she asked.

  “I don’t understand you, Toni, but anybody who believes in something enough to sacrifice herself for the cause must have one really big heart. So I’m going to take a rain check on your offer. Besides, you make a terrible vamp. You’re too emotional.”

  “Terrible? Adam Ware, you’d better be careful. You’re going to make me madder than I already am.” She squeezed his big hand in warning.

  He lifted her hand and examined her fingertips intimately. “You aren’t mad, darling.”

  “How would you know?”

  “Easy. No nursery rhymes. What are you going to do with my cigar?”

  She was still clutching it in her other hand. “I’m going to throw it away permanently this time.”

  “I need it, outlaw. It occupies my lips.”

  “There are other vices.”

  “So I’ve been told. Do you always approach everything you do with such enthusiasm, Toni Gresham?”

  “Of course. Are you always so intense, Captain Ware?”

  Adam groaned.

  Toni sighed.

  Baba Yaga’s teacup look-alike seemed to sway as if it wanted to break free of its moorings.

  Annie and Fred looked back and forth at the two adversaries, holding hands and looking as though they were ready to be beamed up to the starship any minute.

  “Oh, hell, Fred,” Annie snorted. “Put the milk and the rest of those uncooked eggs in the refrigerator quick. They managed to survive the heat in the van last night, but they don’t stand a chance now.”

  Five

  The next morning the lobby of the Swan Gardens Apartment Hotel was crowded with grim-faced elderly people. Adam paused just inside the door and watched as Toni hugged and kissed her way through the throng to the shabby stairway.

  She climbed the steps until she was high enough to be seen by the whole group. “Hi, guys. Looks like there’s trouble brewing.”

  “Disaster,” one silver-haired woman said.

  “What are we going to do, Toni?” another resident asked with a dejected shake of his head.

  “Where will we go?” a third called out. “I’m all alone in the world.”

  Toni held up her hands. “Now, hold on, people. What we’re not going to do is panic. I have”—she looked at Adam and corrected herself—“m
ay have, a solution.”

  The din of voices died away as every eye focused on the pint-size woman smiling confidently down at her band of admirers.

  “What, Toni? What can you do?” someone asked disbelievingly.

  Good question, Adam thought, and wondered how he’d become a part of Toni Gresham’s newest project. Didn’t the woman ever take time for personal things? He allowed himself to consider why there was no significant other. He’d made a point to find out about her private life from Fred. She was smart, no doubt about that. The classes she taught at the Atlanta Technical Institute were practical and worthwhile. Any student graduating from one of her classes would be equipped to work in the real world, and they didn’t drop out either. But her personal life was zilch.

  Of course, there were those who would say the same thing about his. Outside of his police work, all his spare time was devoted to the Boys’ Club and the mayor’s special projects. If he’d been asked why he did it, he’d have said because it needed to be done. He watched blond curls bobble as Toni argued enthusiastically, if impractically, for her cause and decided that Toni’s answer would be the same.

  “It isn’t just me, group,” she was saying, “it’s us. We’re going to renovate another building and move all of you in.”

  “Renovate a building? In sixty days?” A man in a wheelchair rolled through the crowd to the front. “Toni, we love your enthusiasm, but sixty days isn’t enough time to get building permits. I know, I worked for the city housing department for thirty years.”

  “Willie Benson?” Adam said, recognizing the voice. He made his way through the crowd to the man in the wheelchair. They’d known each other when Willie worked down at city hall.

  “Adam Ware?” Willie said. “I don’t believe it. How’d you get tied up with this vigilante? Folks, this is an old friend from the police department. If Adam is involved in Toni’s idea, it just might work.”

  “But Willie, I’m not … I’m afraid …” Adam’s voice trailed off as he saw the desperate hope in the eyes turned on him. He could cheerfully have throttled Toni. What right had she to involve him in a half-baked idea that was sure to give false hope to these desperate tenants? Do-gooders! Dammit, it wasn’t fair, none of it. But when had life ever been fair? He knew that Toni didn’t have a chance in hell of pulling off this wild stunt, but how could he tell these old people?