“Oh, ha, ha, squirt,” Fiona said, holding her heart as if wounded. Then, Fiona pointed to her face. “See, no grease stains today.”
“Wasn’t necessary with all the bruises,” Margaret said. She held up the leather holster so Fiona could slide her left arm through the heavier leather section, which would hold the pistol, and Margaret turned her so her right arm could slide through the thinner leather section.
“Would rather see the grime,” Sunny said. Her tone was warbling as if ready to cry.
Margaret reached over and pulled Sunny into a hug. “I agree with you on that one, Sunny. Bet Finn does, too.”
Fiona shrugged a couple time to settle the holster into a comfortable position, as she said, “Yeah, dirt’s easier to deal with, but bruises last longer.”
“Mm-hmm. You realize that’s such a boy comment.” Margaret reached for the pistol, but Fiona stopped her. “It’s not loaded yet.”
“I don’t care. Any danger should be shouldered by me.” Fiona picked it up and slid the clip into the base, before slipping the pistol into the holster and donning the jacket again. “At least it’s not bulky. How’s it look?”
“Can’t tell it’s there unless you’re looking for it,” Margaret said. Despite Fiona’s air of comfortable casualness, Margaret had noticed the slight trembling again in her hands. She knew the nonchalance to be for Sunny’s benefit so the girl wouldn’t worry. Margaret stayed her hands when Fiona bent to retrieve her Newsboy cap. “Oh, no you don’t. It’s time for my addition to your ensemble.” Removing the hatbox lid, Margaret pulled out a black wool Fedora with a four-inch crown. Reverently, Margaret placed the hat on Fiona’s head, tilting it rakishly to the right side. Her heart stopped at the impressive and debonair transformation to Fiona. Margaret had always thought Fiona mesmeric in her appearance, but now she was heart stopping. If Sunny hadn’t been present, Margaret would have kissed her soundly, if only to take proprietorship of Fiona and claim her possessiveness.
Sunny drew a breath in sharply. “You’re so handsome.” She stepped forward until she was beside Fiona, and ran a hand down Fiona’s right arm.
Eyes wide, Fiona said, “Thank you, Sunny. Your opinion means a lot to me.”
“I agree. This is one time I’ll have to applaud my brother’s request.” Margaret stepped close enough to kiss Fiona, though she didn’t, and clutched the wide lapels in her hands. “Be careful, Finn. You may have to use the Browning to keep the women at a respectful distance. The women,” she glanced at Sunny, “who care for you deeply,” attention returned to Fiona’s warm brown eyes, “are here, in this house.”
Fiona kissed Margaret on her cheek, and then kissed Sunny’s cheek. “No one could replace either of you in my attention or my heart.”
“Finn?” Sunny’s whispered tone trembled. Fiona and Margaret both looked in her direction with concern.
“What is it, honey?” Fiona asked. She tugged Sunny into a hug.
Voice trembling, Sunny said, “Jimmy will be mad at the attention you’ll get. Please be careful.” Margaret stepped behind Sunny, reached her hands around her and clasping them behind Fiona’s back, so it was a three-person hug. The shuddering of Sunny’s body as she cried soon gave way to comforting reassurance she and Fiona hoped to provide.
“How come I wasn’t invited to the group hug?” Brigid asked from the doorway. “You owe me.”
If Brigid was here, someone—or all of them—had returned. “Is it time?” Brigid nodded. Margaret wrapped an arm around Sunny’s shoulder. “Okay, handsome, show time.”
Chapter Twenty-one
FIONA PULLED UP in front of the house, stepped out of the car, and opened the back door as Eldon and Lorraine exited the house. Placing one hand on the car’s roof, and another on the open doorframe, Eldon shook his head sadly in her direction. His smirk belied the negative action. “You look good, kid. Just have one question for you.”
Straightening, Fiona said, “Okay, Boss.”
Removing the hand from the door, he removed her fedora as the hand from the roof ruffled her unruly hair. “Finally get you to wash your face and still don’t know exactly what you look like because of the bruises. Will I ever see the real you without accessories of one kind or another?” Eldon slapped the hat back on her head and slid in beside Lorraine.
Fiona removed the fedora and finger combed her hair, and replaced her hat, sure to pull the brim low as Margaret had done.
In the rearview mirror, Fiona caught the slight movement as Eldon reached and grasped Lorraine’s hand, but they stared out their respective windows at the passing landscape and hadn’t turned to each other. She wasn’t privy to the couple’s time together often but had wondered about their feelings for the other. Maybe they truly did care for each other. Which only confused Fiona more. If he cared for Lorraine how could Eldon not see the abuse—the repeated violations—from Jimmy? How could Eldon not see Lorraine hiding her pain and shame in a bottle? Fiona bit her bottom lip at the mental chiding, answering her own question. Forced to protect themselves emotionally behind silent masks for centuries, women found alcoholism just another mask.
The silence from each lost in their own internal retrospection was broken by Eldon. “I’m going to need you inside the restaurant and not the car, Finn. You’ll be at a table, having a meal, which will make my sister happy.” Fiona almost missed Lorraine’s grin at the remark, so quickly had it fled. “This could be a lucrative meeting. Or it could be a setup.”
“You expect something to happen?” Fiona asked, reminded again of the new and uncomfortable additional weight of the gun and holster at her side.
“This is new territory for a lot of us, Finn. I’m jumping into a mighty huge bed with the biggest bad guys in the business.
Anything could happen.”
Fiona nodded her understanding. “What do you suggest as a signal in case I need to alert you?”
Eldon stared at her in the mirror’s reflection. After a lengthy pause, he said, “Don’t know why you continue to surprise me, kid, but you do. You’ll be going places if you live long enough with your old man in the picture.” He raised his chin and squinted at her when she gasped. “Babs told me what he did. I can take care of it for you if you let me.”
“I appreciate the offer. Truly. The way he drinks,” she said, a quick glance in Lorraine’s direction, “time and booze will kill him soon enough.”
“Offer’s always on the table, Finn. Okay. As for this meeting, I don’t know. I just don’t want to be surprised with the major hiccup.”
“Not my business, but care to share what you’re expecting?” There were so many things she hated Eldon for doing, like placing her in a position as an accessory to his crimes. Moments like this, Fiona grudgingly liked the guy. Could it be she simply gave Eldon more license because of Margaret?
Eldon raised the hand holding Lorraine’s to his lips, kissed her knuckles, and then released her hand and leaned forward. “Nothing in this town remains a secret, not for long anyway. So it’s a given this meeting be in a public place and known by a lot of folks.”
“So, I’m gonna let you know when trouble’s coming and alert you? In the case of a barrage of bullets, do I hit the floor screaming? If it’s the feds, I give you a gagging gesture—or just pull a Daniel Boone?” Fiona caught Lorraine’s gaze, keeping her in the conversation. “That means to throw-up, Miss Lorraine.”
Eldon burst out a laugh. “Nice sense of humor kid. Probably not too far from the truth either. If it’s an attack, definitely go with the hollering, but I’d like to hope you’d use the piece I gave you and participate in defending our territory.” Fiona raised a brow at the statement. Our territory? Since when was she more than a bratty, often disheveled, gopher? “If it’s the feds—” He paused. “You can spot them right?” Fiona nodded. “Give me a signal of some sort, and I’ll think of something.” Eldon turned to Lorraine. “Keep an eye on the kid, honey. Don’t want you getting hurt.”
Lorraine appeared surpri
sed by the sincerity even Fiona heard in his tone. “Okay, Eldon, whatever you say.”
Fiona wanted to cheer on behalf of Lorraine. Maybe Eldon wasn’t as oblivious to Lorraine as she thought. But, no, he was totally oblivious where Jimmy was concerned. Jimmy. The hothead. A hotheaded bully who could spoil everything with this meeting if he felt even a little threatened. Eldon had better come up with more than “something” if he intended to diffuse Jimmy at the get-go. “Eldon, sir, may I make a suggestion?”
Frowning, Eldon stared at Fiona in the mirror. “I’m always willing to hear ideas, kid. If you're an ass, I’ll tell you. I like you, Finn, told you that before this. Good ideas bring promotion. Promotion puts you one step higher on the ladder of success. You’re smart for a kid off the streets.” Fiona nearly jumped out of her skin when Eldon unexpectedly placed a hand on her shoulder. “Smart doesn’t work by itself. A kid like you should know how to watch his back. Never become too complacent.” Too complacent? Yeah, like with this whole car ride. Eldon’s nice now, but ultimately could turn on her in a heartbeat.
She had to remember to bide her time and get away from this lousy place. Out of the city, out of this life. A frisson of cold fear ran through her. When she left here, Fiona knew as a certainty Sunny would go with her. Would Margaret become so enraptured with Eldon’s request that she’d stay to please Eldon, have a normal life with a man, and maybe create children? The normal life Fiona could never provide her. Eldon jolted her from these inner questions clutching at her insides with tendrils of fear. “So what’s on your mind?” he asked.
If you knew you’d change your opinion of me, she thought. “You know some personal stuff about the guy we’re meeting with, right?”
“Yeah. And?”
“So, if the feds walk in, you still talk business, only you change the topic. You bring up restaurant business, like planning a special party or something. It’s what you do.” Fiona pulled up to the restaurant and turned in her seat. “This way, you don’t alert the other guys to a situation—he’ll know right away—and Jimmy doesn’t react with his di—” Fiona shot a glance toward Lorraine, who grinned back at her. “Well, react like a dumb hothead.”
Eldon gave her a wide, toothy grin. “Keep up the good ideas, kid, and I’ll stop noticing how hard it is for you to wash everything at the same time. I’ll be too distracted by your gumption.” Eldon gave a quick inhale of breath. “Let’s get this over with.”
Fiona exited the car, pocketed the keys, and rushed over to Lorraine’s door. She extended a hand to assist Lorraine in getting out like a respectable lady. Soft, warm fingers met hers. Fiona glanced around to make sure there wasn’t an immediate threat in sight before leaning forward. “It’s—” Her gaze landed on the usual exposure of cleavage, more so because Lorraine shifted at that moment and her dress shifted. Lorraine met her gaze, panic in her eyes. Incensed, Fiona nearly missed the shake of Lorraine’s head. Lorraine didn’t want Eldon to know, obviously. How could he not already? Fiona wanted to scream her frustration, but she didn’t. “It’s clear,” Fiona finished.
She released Lorraine’s hand, which Eldon promptly took in his when he exited the car, and Fiona followed them into Grandma Graham’s Sorriso Restaurant trying not to wriggle to relieve the discomfort of the gun. For half a second, Fiona squeezed her eyes shut and prayed, “Please don’t make me use this thing.”
ELDON’S MEETING BEGAN as planned, for which Fiona was grateful. For the most part, the floor plan was open and inviting, with a bar—would it be a sideboard now?—that held a large bowl of fruit and vases of flowers. Behind the bar stood Owen Aleman, the manager, a rail-thin, hawk-nosed man with a bald spot and horrid comb over, and a nasty attitude. Fiona ignored the sneer he directed at her and returned her attention to Eldon. His principle player, “Big Bill” Dwyer from New York, had arrived, seated at a large table near the kitchen, but not near enough for prying ears to overhear. A wall on either side, giving the effect of an alcove, helped assure added privacy. Lorraine and Jimmy flanked Eldon, Jimmy’s seat against the back wall while leaving Lorraine exposed and open to the room.
The New York men sat around the table, but had a bit of distance from Eldon. Three groups of two men sat at other tables dispersed around the room. Two of these groups she recognized as their people, with the third belonging to Big Bill.
Fiona sat at the farthest table from them all, at the only one-person table in front of the large window looking out on the busy street, a nearly cleared plate of corned beef hash in front of her, courtesy of an Eldon special request. The neighborhood was multi-cultural. Fiona recognized sorriso as smile in Italian. Eldon was neither Italian nor Irish, but food was food and if it brought in the customers, more power to him. She would laugh at her lunch, but Eldon intended the meal as a taste-of-home for his favorite driver, he’d said. She hadn’t the heart to tell him her family may have eaten boiled potatoes and cabbage, but including meat was a rarity, sometimes even for special occasions. The unexpected thoughtfulness from him kept her mouth shut.
At Eldon’s main table, the conversation was low and often heated. Fiona decided to count herself lucky she had the singular task of being the lookout for trouble. The staff, less than usual probably due to the nature of the meeting, consisted of two waitresses and the manager, who hovered near Eldon’s table.
Fiona felt comfortable in the knowledge the inside of the restaurant with its lime green walls and various pictures of children at play the theme, probably to provide customers a feel of eating in grandma’s dining room. She focused her attention on the activities outside. Cars had parked along the sidewalk, their occupants probably out shopping or at other restaurants. There was a sign tacked to the front door of Grandma Graham’s announcing “private party” to keep customers away today. Couples and families walked the sidewalks chatting, laughing, and shopping. Occasionally Fiona would see a less than enthusiastic reveler in the crowd.
As she observed the idyllic scene outside, Fiona noted the incongruities, too. The car parked three down from hers, had two men in suits. They hadn’t left the vehicle, had been there for twenty minutes, and their dual scrutiny seemed focused on Grandma Graham’s. Though Fiona couldn’t be certain as their faces were in shadow inside the car.
Across the street at the grocery store, one of Junior’s gang pilfered an apple, and also seemed focused on the restaurant. From the expression on the grocers’ face, this looting was a regular occurrence. Fiona knew that often the storeowners found it easier to ignore than fight the hooligans since doing so would invite more vandalism.
Beside the grocery store was a stoop leading to a door for access to floors above the building, often used by the business owners and families, sometimes room rentals. Perched on the stoop, leaning back against the brick wall, sat Fred, his attention seemingly engrossed in the newspaper he held. Fiona smiled to herself. If Fred were nearby, Mick had to be, too. Shifting her gaze slightly to the left, she found Mick casually standing against the side of the building talking animatedly to a woman. Fiona shook her head. Mick must’ve recognized her since he dipped his head in a nod. She returned her attention to the men in the car. They hadn’t budged.
What are you waiting for? she wondered.
Her curiosity must be their motivator. No sooner had she silently asked the question, the men exited the car, adjusted their suit jackets, and headed in her direction as if they had all the time in the world. Feds. Fiona turned to get Owen’s attention, waving him toward her table. Rather than comply, Owen turned away.
Fiona looked around for a waitress. One stood close to the kitchen’s door. She waved and the woman started forward, but was stopped with a hand on her arm by Owen. Fiona knew she shouldn’t leave her post, but she had to let Eldon know about the men. She scooted her chair back and heard Lorraine call for the waitress, “Sarah.” Directing her gaze to Lorraine, Fiona noticed the quick nod before Sarah blocked her view. Lorraine whispered something, Sarah nodded and rushed toward Fiona.
She looked outside to gauge the distance before the men reached the restaurant. Fiona saw a car pull in front of the grocery store with about five men. She recognized the driver as Donato Giuffrida’s man, Lucas. Fiona stood, halting Sarah before she spoke. Leaning toward her, Fiona whispered, “Tell her, two Feds and a car of Giuffrida’s men. Go.”
The girl rushed away.
Fiona peered out the window as she reached toward the shoulder closest to her, and the man, Jack, rose. She spoke before he could. “Five of Giuffrida’s men across the street.” He didn’t question her or check for himself. With a flick of Jack’s head, all three tables of men stood and started for the door.
“Have a seat, Finn,” Eldon said. He nodded at her when she glanced at him. She did as she was told. Sarah reappeared with a large slice of apple pie and placed it on the table in front of her. Lorraine came to her table and sat down opposite her, as the two Feds walked in.
Three things happened simultaneously. Eldon, from his table, asked, “Will we be providing the cake at this reception, or just the food?” Owen rushed forward and intercepted the Feds. “This is a private consultation. You’ll have to come back later.”
Lorraine reached over and covered one of Fiona’s hand, “Do I get a reward?”
The Feds surveyed the room and left. Fiona turned her attention to the street. Eldon and Dwyer’s men fanned out in a semi-circle and started toward the car across the street. Lucas gunned the engine and drove off. No one had exited the car. Eldon’s men stayed fanned out. Dwyer’s men flanked the front door.
“So, is that no to my reward?” Lorraine asked, grinning.
“What?” Fiona’s heart was pounding from all that could have happened in the last few moments. Her head wasn’t keeping up.
Speakeasy, Speak Love Page 13