by Ali Vali
Bradley nodded as he opened the refrigerator and looked inside. “Maybe she’s not as bright as we give her credit for.”
“Keep thinking like that, and you’ll be dead before the month is out.”
“You want me to come back tonight?” the woman asked, using his glass to pour herself a drink.
“Call me later and we’ll set something up.” Jake waited until she was out the door before saying anything else. “Give that black bitch of Casey’s a call and see if she’ll move up our meeting. I want to get going on this.”
“Merrick is harder to get through to than Casey, but I’ll give it a shot.”
“We’re on a deadline, so don’t take no for an answer.”
Bradley lifted his hands and spread them out. “Casey seems to be on her own timeline, but she hasn’t shared that with me yet.”
“If she doesn’t want to play, we might have to give her a shove in our direction.”
The comment made Bradley close the stainless steel doors and sit down. “That’s a bad idea. You’re the boss, but it’s a bad idea.”
“If we end up where we need to be, then who the hell cares?” He stretched, ready for a little sleep before another long day started. “Don’t get bogged down in the shit that could go wrong, and concentrate on your job.”
“That’s what I’m doing, but it’ll be hard to get any work done with a head full of bullets.”
“Casey doesn’t have that kind of personality, so stop making excuses.” Jake leaned over and slapped Bradley’s shoulder. “Man up, and let’s teach this big dyke a lesson for putting us off.”
“Just as long as she doesn’t end up leading the class and cutting our nuts off, sure. I’m all for it.”
Chapter Five
“It’s about time we get out by ourselves,” Billy said as Cain drove them into the Ninth Ward in the crappiest car she’d ever seen. They’d taken the longest route possible, and neither of them had noticed anyone following.
“When was the last time you were down here?” she asked, giving the car some gas to keep it from dying at the traffic light.
“Right before Da died. Merrick told me she had it under control, so I didn’t worry about it. If you want, I’ll start coming every day.” He took one of his guns out and checked the clip.
“It was under control until last week, from what I understand, so let’s see what the problem is before you commit to anything.” The neighborhood kids were out playing for the afternoon as she parked a block from Mendel Saint’s small grocery. Huge supermarkets weren’t the norm here, and Mendel’s grandfather had been the first to run this place.
“Cain,” Mendel said loudly as he came from behind the counter and hugged her. “Thank you for coming. Good to see you too, Billy.”
“How are you, Mr. Mendel?” Billy hugged him as well and waved to his wife. Both of them weren’t an inch taller than five feet.
“Not good. We had some problems last week, and they threatened to come back if we didn’t cooperate.”
“Let’s go out back and talk about it.” Cain glanced at the empty shelves. A major problem seemed to have arisen in the last week but wouldn’t be solved anywhere that fast.
“Who came to see you?” Billy asked, sitting on a box.
“A young guy—I’ve never seen him before. He waited until we were getting ready to close to come in and take out our liquor section. All he said after that was that his boss would be stopping by to talk terms,” Mendel said, wringing his hands the whole while.
“Terms for what, exactly?” she asked, sitting close to Billy so Mendel wouldn’t have to strain his neck looking up at her.
“Protection from something like that happening again.”
“I’m never going to charge you for protection, but you’re going to get just that. I’ll take care of restocking those shelves too.”
“You know I hate to ask for that much, and I feel bad about calling you at all. After what happened to your papa, we don’t try to bother you.”
“Mendel.” She reached for his hand. “How long have you known us?”
“You’ve been coming here since you were shorter than me,” he said, and laughed. “The years have been long between us, but that doesn’t mean I want to burden you. I’m glad you’re here though. The more this idiot gets away with, the more he’ll be back here and everywhere else in the neighborhood.”
“No one’s coming back without some consequences, my friend. You have my word.” She smiled when he kissed both her cheeks. “Anyone else having problems?”
“Big Chief had the same thing happen, but he didn’t want to call after what happened the last time. I don’t know what that meant, and I don’t want to know.”
“Nothing for you to worry about, but thanks for telling me. I’ll get someone today to watch over you, but promise me you’ll call no matter what. You and Ethel are important to me, so take care.” She stood and embraced Mendel again.
“You have my word, and thank you. I know Ethel will sleep better tonight, as I will.”
They walked out, and Cain smiled when Ethel handed over a small bag filled with soft caramels. The candy was one of Marie’s favorites.
“Tell her for after dinner, okay?” Ethel said, kissing Cain’s cheek when she bent down.
“She’ll love them. Thank you.”
They headed back outside, and Cain took her time getting to the car, wanting to look around for anything suspicious.
“So Big Chief next?” Billy asked once she started driving.
“Big Chief is a necessity down here, but that bastard is someone I trust about as far as I can throw that big ass of his.”
“I’d like to think he learned his lesson after Da literally took a chunk from him.”
Big Chief was actually a short, overweight, bald Irish man who’d tried to make more of a profit off what Dalton was selling him. Like her, Dalton had been fair and generous in his business dealings, but neither of them tolerated a thief or a liar. Their usual deal with people like Mendel was to set the liquor prices so as to not attract unwanted attention from the feds or the local police.
The price was lower than that of most outlets but still provided a good profit for the shopkeeps they sold to. Big Chief had broken that deal by acting as a middleman for some of his friends in the bar business—friends Dalton didn’t know, hadn’t okayed—and one of them had gotten busted in a raid for serving minors.
Everyone involved had clammed up when Dalton had met Big Chief at his house and removed all the fingers of his left hand with a rusty pair of pliers. The bar owner had gladly served his time, knowing his family wasn’t going to pay for Big Chief’s mistakes, so he’d pled guilty with no confession.
“True, brother, but some people are born perpetually stupid. If he’s holding back anything, he’s going to pray all I do is take the rest of his fingers.”
“You have to admit, Da was talented when it came to getting his point across.”
She laughed and nodded.
It took Big Chief less than five minutes to point them in Jasper Luke’s direction, so Cain made that their last stop of the day. Jasper was another old friend, but their businesses were miles apart since Jasper was a dealer of things much stronger and more illegal than booze and cigarettes.
“You two are a sight of joy for these old eyes,” Jasper’s Aunt Maude said once they made it down the heavily guarded private street.
“Thanks, Maude, and we wanted to thank you again for coming to Da’s services. Mum was grateful for all those meals you’ve sent.”
“Your father was one of a kind and a good friend, so no need for thanks. I’m hoping, though, that you’re here to help my boy before something bad happens and he gets hurt.”
“That’s why we came, and I’m disappointed you didn’t pick up the phone, Jasper.”
Jasper Luke was a tall, bald, brick wall of a guy who had a big smile on his face most days. If you were ever in a brawl, this was who you wanted backing you up.
“What’s wrong?”
Jasper gave her a rundown of the hits to his business, from the loss of a major shipment to five dead crewmen. “I’ve got extra guys out, and it’s like I’m pissing in the wind. Whoever’s responsible has put my blood in the water, and the little sharks looking for a bigger piece are circling. It’s starting to fuck with my head, but I’m not making any headway.”
“Ramon put some feelers out, but he said he’s only gotten rumors back.”
“We did the same thing, and the only consistent thing is Callie Richard. Only fucking thing is, who the fuck is Callie Richard?” Jasper said, rubbing the top of his head.
“Never heard the name before, but let me do a little digging. Thanks for the info, and call if things get any worse. You’d do the same for me, and you know it.”
Merrick picked them up once they were done and headed for the house. “What do you want to do about all this?” Billy asked.
“Exactly the opposite of what someone wants me to do.”
* * *
“Afternoon, Miss Emma,” said the big man who’d dropped Emma off the night before as he opened the back door of the Suburban for her. She hesitated as she studied his face, her mind going totally blank. “Lou, ma’am.”
“Hey, Lou. Sorry. I just wasn’t expecting you.” She didn’t move from the sidewalk in front of her building, all the things Bea had said going through her mind.
“I figured,” he said softly. “But the boss insisted, since she wants to make sure you get back and forth safely. I hope that won’t be a problem. Cain’s pretty mule-headed when she gets insistent.”
“Have you ever called her mule-headed to her face?” She willed her feet to move and got in. She didn’t see anything sinister in offering someone a ride.
“No, ma’am, so our little secret’s okay?”
“Sure, and thanks for picking me up. If I’m there early I can practice my tray skills.”
“Don’t knock your skills. They certainly got you noticed. It’s not often the boss goes home drenched in booze.” Lou drove them down St. Charles Avenue to the Quarter at a slow pace, so she decided to enjoy the view and the conversation.
Something about him made Emma think small talk wasn’t a talent he used often. “That was more klutz than luck, but it turned out okay. I’m glad the boss is a good sport.”
“Cain’s the best when it comes to bosses.” He stopped at a traffic light and glanced back at her. “You new to town? Josh mentioned you were in school.”
“I’ve been here almost three years from Wisconsin. He’s never seen me because I’ve usually got my head in a book, or I was working at the campus job I got let go from a few days ago.” She smiled back, wondering if there was any more to the interrogation she was sure Cain had asked him to perform. “Once I’m done, I’m hoping to stay and get a teaching position either at Tulane or Loyola.”
“Tough gig to break into, from what I hear. What are you studying?”
“At the moment, a lot of poetry, but eventually I’d love to be an English professor. I don’t much care what kind. With enough time and tenure, I can be pickier later in my career.”
The drive over Canal Street brought them into the French Quarter, and she noticed Lou acknowledged a few people they passed. He stopped in front of the Erin Go Braugh and quickly hopped out to get her door.
“Good luck to you, Miss Emma, and I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”
“Thanks, Lou. You can call me Emma. And please tell the boss I appreciate the cab service, but I don’t mind getting myself home if I’m putting you out.”
“Don’t worry about it, and good luck with the tray skills.”
Josh waved and handed over an apron in exchange for her purse that he placed under the bar. “Decided to come back, huh?”
“Of course. Once I took a power nap this afternoon I was good to go.”
“One of the girls called in sick, so I’m glad you got plenty of rest. The bigger band is playing tonight, so I hope you took a vitamin too. By seven, this place will be hopping and full.”
“Think the boss is coming tonight?” She tied off the apron and grabbed an order book from the stack by the antique cash register.
“We never really know, and I wouldn’t ask a whole lot of questions, Emma. Just my two cents. Cain has a kind of phobia about them.”
“I only wanted to thank her again, so if I miss her can you tell her for me?”
“Will do. Now get to work.”
Josh hadn’t lied, and at seven thirty she said a prayer every time she had to wade into the crowd. The bar seemed to have an endless supply of beer in the multitude of taps Josh and the other three guys helping him were pouring out of, and the crowd knew every word of every song.
At some point she thought she’d spotted Cain, but she was too busy to think about taking a break. “Emma, you want to take a minute,” Josh asked not long after.
“I’m good, and I’m afraid I’ll completely lose track of everything if I stop now.” She accepted the soda he handed over while one of his assistants filled her latest order. “If I haven’t mentioned it, thank you again for giving me a chance. Can you believe last night I made what I did in a week at my campus job?”
“One more week and you can retire,” he said and winked.
“No way. You’re stuck with me now, and I can stay later if you need me. I hate to leave you guys at ten if it’s like this.”
“We can have the same conversation every day if you want, but you know the rules.”
“Thanks. And now back into the fray.”
* * *
“You realize what I’m asking, right?” Cain said to the smallish guy sitting nervously in front of the desk Josh used in the tiny manager’s office.
Therese had promised to put Marie to bed when she said she had a long night ahead and wanted to get started. These meetings were the last of the ones Merrick had set up for her, and she hoped to God none of the new people she’d talked to was the one who’d bring her down from the inside. So far no one had given her pause.
“Yes, ma’am. I do.”
She glanced down at his name, Bryce White, wondering what his whole story was. He wasn’t leaving until she had it, so it was time to get on with it. “Bryce, I’ve got to say, you sound awfully calm for someone being asked to set up what I want.”
“If you think I’m playing you, I’m not. Everyone probably tells you this, but I’ll do this for free if you want. Just as long as you let me do it, we’ll be square.”
“It sounds like you have a story in there somewhere, and if you do, now would be a good time to spit it out.” She tapped her fingers on the desk in a random rhythm, and she figured it was bothering him since he was staring at her hand.
“I was up at LSU working on a degree when my older brother got in some trouble and was busted. It was some petty shit, but the campus cops, the local sheriff, and the DEA were looking for a couple of guys to make examples of.” She stopped tapping her fingers when he gripped the edge of the desk, appearing genuinely upset. “Sammy was small-time. He was dealing so both of us could stay in school.”
“You two were on your own?” She laced her fingers together, curious as to what he was going to say.
“My father ran out on us years ago, so Sammy and me tried to do our best to bring in money so we could stay with our mom. Since she’d never worked, all she could get was menial stuff.”
“How much time did they give him?” She glanced up at Merrick, and the guard nodded. His story was easy enough to check out.
“The judge gave the DEA what they wanted, and he got fifteen years at Angola.”
“For a first-time offender? That’s harsh, but I’m not familiar with drugs and the punishment for selling them. We don’t deal in them at all.” He was pressing down on the front of the desk so hard, the tops of his hands were white. “You oka
y, kid?”
“He didn’t last a week before someone stabbed him in the middle of the night. What should’ve been probation almost turned out to be a death sentence, so like I said, I’d do this for free.”
“Damn. I’m sorry for such a crappy deal. Give me a day, and we’ll work something out.”
“Thanks, and I’ll never give you a reason to doubt me.”
“Let’s hope not.”
Bryce left, and she leaned back in the old chair to glance up at the ceiling. The old New Orleans beadboard looked ancient, so she was sure it was original to the building. The wood grain had a lot of history in it, so she was glad no one had messed with it. To forget your history for something new and seemingly exciting was a good way to lose your way.
“Check out his story, and I mean all the way to the womb,” she said to Merrick when she returned. “I hate adding people, but this situation needs someone like that kid and his skillset.”
“Muriel and I’ll take care of it, and that’s all for tonight. You want to head home?”
“Not yet. I might help Josh pour a few rounds, so take off and get started on all this. Big Lou’s right outside, so I have a ride home.” She stood and waved Merrick out the door.
“You sure?”
“Positive, and don’t forget about our talk with Jasper. I need to have a meeting with whoever this Callie Richard is. If she’s responsible for Mendel and the others’ losses, it’ll be a short conversation.”
“You got it, and stay out of trouble,” Merrick said and laughed.
The bar was packed, and Cain hummed to the song the band was playing. The old folk story was one of her da’s favorites, and she could almost picture him sitting at the bar with her mum singing louder than the band. Dalton Casey was a hard worker, but he also knew how to have a good time and romance the girl he’d loved for years.
“Hey, Boss, you grabbing a shift?” Josh asked when she joined him behind the antique carved oak bar.