The interrogation didn't last as long as she suspected, and the police had no choice but to release her once it was clear that she wasn't lying about not knowing that Jimmy Lawrence was John Dillinger, and that she was associated with him because he had come into her nightclub and danced with her. A police intern drove her back to the apartment, letting her know that the apartment had been cleared of any and all evidence so she didn't need to worry about what to touch and what not to touch. Once he had made sure she was safely inside, Zelda turned her attention to the gloomy apartment.
It was empty. And even though Zelda didn't exactly get a bed or a warm welcome from Mary while she was here, this place felt more like home to her than the one she had shared with Orval. Now that she had the place to herself, however, she had the idea to look around, hoping for some kind of clue that might allow her figure out just what she should do now that Dillinger was in jail, if there was someone she should call to inform, if there was a place to put his clothing.
It didn't look like the police had taken much. It was probable that in their excitement at having actually arrested Dillinger, they might have been more lax on collecting evidence.
Zelda pursed her lips, her hands on her hips, and decided that it was a good idea. Before she started, however, she walked over to the radio and turned it on, hoping the music would allow her to temporarily forget that she was now alone.
It took a good two hours to search the small apartment for anything, and she had to say that Dillinger was good at keeping hidden what he felt should be hidden. It was only when she realized the desk placed in his bedroom had a secret compartment did she finally get somewhere. There was a slip of paper with the name Stephanie Linder and a number, and next to that, there was the word SAFEHOUSE written in bold letters and underlined three times. Zelda was unfamiliar to the slang gangsters used nowadays, but she wasn't stupid. Whoever this woman was, John must have trusted her enough to consider her, or wherever she lived, a safe place for him to go.
She should get in contact with this woman, at least to tell Stephanie what had happened.
Zelda walked over to the phone sitting on the kitchen sink, but before she picked up the receiver, she stopped. Now that she knew who Jimmy Lawrence really was, she needed to be extra careful; in essence, she really needed to think like she was a criminal on the run. Though Zelda really wasn't familiar with what the police were capable of just yet, there were a few things she picked up from the likes of her bartender friend, who was known for selling booze despite prohibition still being in effect, however unpopular it was. One of the things she had picked up on was not to use a phone that was associated with him in any way. Even though Zelda had never lived in this apartment save for the last couple of days, the police knew that she was here, and any suspicious call – if they were tapping the phone – might be a cause for her arrest.
A plan formulated in Zelda's mind, and after grabbing one of John's coats the cops had left behind, quickly slipped it on before heading out the door. The night was chilly, but she still persisted, the feeling of the paper against her fingers like a silent inspiration.
When she found the nearest phone booth, she stepped in and quickly paid. Once the phone was snuggled against her ear and shoulder, she dialed the number and held her breath, waiting for a woman on the other line to answer.
"Hello?" she asked. The woman's voice was low and melodious but held a slight note of suspicion. Zelda didn't exactly blame her; if this was where Dillinger planned or had hidden out, she was probably suspicious of everyone and everything.
"Hi," Zelda said, suddenly feeling nervous at the prospect that Stephanie could very well choose not to believe her. "I need to speak to Stephanie Linder."
"May I ask the nature of your call?" the voice on the other end asked.
"Of course," Zelda agreed. "Listen, you might not believe me and that's okay. My name is Zelda Kelly. Um.. I'm an acquaintance of Jimmy – sorry, it's going to be hard for me to say John – anyways, I'm babbling. I'm an acquaintance of John Dillinger. Uh, I knew him as Jimmy Lawrence and was living with him and his now ex-flame Mary Todd, I think? Anyway, I found your number and thought I should tell you... he's been arrested, and I really have no idea what I should or shouldn't do. I don't know. That's how I found out that Dillinger was really Lawrence, but... I have no idea what I should do."
There was silence on the other end of the line for a long moment of heartbeats. Zelda knew Stephanie was thinking, and she hoped, prayed, that Stephanie would help her in some way.
"Then you best come over here," she finally murmured. "Here. Write down my address and figure out how to get here. We'll talk." There was a pause. "Don't worry, dear. He'll be home soon."
Chapter 7
It took Zelda a couple of days, but after finding a temporary job as a taxi dancer at a nightclub, she managed to save some money to buy a train ticket. Stephanie Linder's safehouse was still located in Ohio, just south, and a train ride would take a good two hours before she arrived. In the apartment, Zelda had found a couple of empty suitcases, and she packed all of the clothes she had bought as well as the clothes Dillinger had left behind.
At eleven o'clock in the morning, she and her two suitcases boarded a train heading south. Zelda felt her heart flutter at all of this excitement she had somehow gotten tangled up in. Quickly placing her suitcases out of the way, Zelda took a seat in a deserted train car and felt her entire body start to relax. She thought that leaving the apartment might be suspicious, but then her mind rationalized that staying there would be even more so.
Think about it, she had told herself. You're supposed to be a woman betrayed by a man who you thought was none other than Jimmy Lawrence. You should be so hurt that such a notion proved to be false, and as a result, you should leave. Why would you stay in that man's apartment any longer?
Plus, she wasn't nor had she even been a suspect in anything. If they were going to arrest her for anything, they would have done so for harboring a criminal, and since her name wasn't on the lease, and besides the new clothes, there wasn't any proof of her residence, which meant they had nothing on her. With nothing, they had to let her go. They weren't going to follow her. In fact, they probably thought she was just the latest floozy he was involved with and didn't see her as a threat. These were moments when Zelda was glad to be a woman. Her sex had always been underestimated, and most of the time, it always worked out in her favor.
As the train chugged across the Ohio fields, Zelda felt her eyes close involuntarily, and she couldn't help but question her own feelings regarding John Dillinger. Did she still like him, as she had liked Jimmy Lawrence? They were initially the same man except they had a different name. That didn't make a person change, did it? Zelda had no clue, and because she didn't know much about this whole enterprise, she felt that she should reserve judgment until better acquainted with the man – if she ever would and if he even wanted to see her again.
Maybe he would realize while he was sitting in a jail cell that she was nothing more than baggage. The thought caused Zelda's heart to clench painfully, but if Dillinger asked her to go, she would.
So it would seem that her mind had already been made up; if John would allow it, Zelda would stay with him. And why not? She had never had any sort of comparable adventure, nor had she felt safer with anybody else.
Once the train reached her stop, Zelda grabbed her suitcases and quickly disembarked from the train. It was easy to find a taxi close to the station, and after giving the driver the address, she felt herself relax. Now that her mind was made up even though her feelings were still slightly distorted, she could actually do that. Somehow, she really did believe Stephanie when Stephanie said that John would be coming home soon.
The cab driver helped her with her luggage to the door, and Zelda tipped him generously before turning to the door and knocking. A woman answered the door, about the same height as Zelda was. She was slender – maybe even on the thin side – in a fashionable light dress colore
d white, setting off her jet black bob that curled at the end. Her eyes were blue, and upon seeing Zelda, she smiled – Stephanie was always easy to smile, and it made her dark blue eyes sparkle even more so than usual.
"You must be..." Stephanie said in a jovial Southern accent.
"Zelda," Zelda said, feeling herself smile in return. "I'm Zelda Kelly. I talked to you on the phone, I think. I'm not sure. The woman never did introduce herself." However, the look on Zelda's face indicated that she had no doubt it was Stephanie whom she had spoken with, and Stephanie, smiling impishly, remained mute.
"I'm so glad you came," Stephanie said, helping Zelda with her bags as she ushered the young woman inside her house. "I haven't heard from Johnnie in a while and was starting to get worried. I never liked that Mary Todd girl at all, thought she was just using him because he always took her to the World Fair. She loves the World Fair. But luckily enough, I'm not formally acquainted with her. I've just heard about her. Where is she, anyway? I thought you might be her, using a phony name because she knows I don't like her all that much."
"Oh, John – Johnnie? – he threw her out of the apartment," Zelda told her, and though she really shouldn't have, a mischievous smile tainted her features.
Stephanie's eyes popped. "No kidding?" she asked, excited for this particular piece of gossip. "Oh, dear, come with me in the kitchen where we'll have some tea and you can tell me everything. I feel isolated out here. Don't worry. Danny'll take care of your luggage. We have a room already picked out for you." Stephanie led Zelda into the kitchen, turning her head to say, "Danny is my beaux, but I should probably tell you..." Here, she leaned in close to Zelda. "...I'm really in love with Harry Pierpont." She pulled back, looking at Zelda for some kind of reaction.
"I'm sorry," Zelda said sheepishly. "But I'm not sure who that is."
Stephanie's impish grin only deepened. "Well, then, darling, we have a lot to cover, don't we?" she teased. "Danny! Can you get the luggage in Zelda's room? She and I are going to talk, so we won't be needing anything else." Leaning closer, almost conspiratorially, she whispered, "He won't bother us here. Unless he knows he's getting food, he stays out of the kitchen. Now let me just get started on the tea..."
It was hard not to become fast friends with Stephanie Linder. She was funny and opinionated, but also very sincere and sweet. She told Zelda that apparently, ever since Johnnie had been released from prison, he had promised to help his fellow inmates and friends escape in some way. One time, he threw over a box of guns so they landed in the jail, but the wrong person – no one associated with the rescue attempt – grabbed it and told the warden. Johnnie managed to do the same thing only a couple of days ago, which was how Zelda might have heard the Indiana State Prison escape. Zelda hadn't heard of it since she had been working in order to get train money, but Stephanie assured her that sometime tomorrow, Harry Pierpont, as well as five or so other men, would come here.
"And Danny's going to be leaving tomorrow morning, you see," Stephanie whispered. "That's when we plan to go our separate ways."
"How do you know Johnnie will be –" Zelda couldn't finish the sentence, but her eyes did for her.
Stephanie reached out and placed a comforting hand on Zelda's forearm. "Oh, don't worry sweetie pie," she told the young woman. "You see, whenever Johnnie robbed a convenience store or some small business, he put all the money towards those guns because he made a promise to his friends that he would rescue them, and John Dillinger is not the sort of man that breaks a promise. And it's hard to find true friends in this day and age. I am certain that once Harry and the boys find out about Johnnie's predicament, they'll insist on returning the favor."
This seemed to make Zelda feel at ease, and she took another long sip of her tea, letting everything Stephanie had told her sink in. Of course, she had told Stephanie everything she had wanted to hear as well, especially concerning the fate of Mary Todd.
"You know," Stephanie said after a comfortable silence had filled the room for more than a moment. Her eyes took in Zelda's appearance, and an enigmatic smile touched her lips. "Johnnie always preferred raven-haired beauties. Your hair reminds me of the color of wheat."
Zelda felt herself blush at the notion that she and John Dillinger were involved, and quickly set Stephanie on the right path. "Oh, no," she said. "We aren't like - He was with Mary, and I didn't want to – Well, you know."
Stephanie didn't seem to believe her, but before she could say anything, the door to the house burst open and in swarmed six men, all dirty and disheveled, tired and hungry. They were all wearing some sort of prison uniform.
"Who are they?" Zelda asked in a whisper, her heart hammering in her chest.
"They're the men we've been waiting for," Mary replied, but the look on her face revealed that she was dissatisfied with their time of arrival. "Gosh darn it, I wanted Danny to be out of the house before this happened. He doesn't exactly know what I'm really doing here, nor does he know that my guests are escaped convicts. And this is his house." She grunted. "Oh darn it all."
Chapter 8
It took only seconds before Mary's boyfriend bounded down the stairs once he heard the door to his house thrust open, but he stopped short upon seeing the escaped convicts. Danny wasn't stupid; he read the newspaper every morning and he listened to the radio constantly, so it didn't take him long to realize that these were the escaped convicts that had disappeared from the Indiana State Penitentiary in Michigan City. A couple of them held pistols, but the majority of them had nothing to their names. They were dirty and had a wild, almost desperate look deeply embedded in the irises of their eyes.
The leader of the pack stopped short and surveyed Danny as Danny surveyed him. This had to be Harry 'Handsome Harry' Pierpont. Well, Danny could certainly see why everyone was calling the guy handsome. He had auburn colored hair normally slicked back from his face, but because of his adventures, his locks were scattered everywhere. He had a square-shaped chin, broad shoulders, and even in his prison uniform, looked incredibly fit. His sharp features had whiskers covering the lower half of his face, and his blue eyes were cold and calculating, especially as he regarded Danny. Danny hated to admit it, but he was intimidated, especially since it wasn't just Harry, but five other men.
Before Danny knew it, however, Stephanie and the woman Zelda came rushing in.
"Whew my," Mary said, slightly out of breath, placing her hand over her heart. "I thought I was going to walk in on some kind of brawl. But luckily, that has yet to happen, huh?" She glanced over Zelda who wasn't exactly sure what to say, but smiled and agreed nonetheless. Stephanie turned back to the prisoners and offered them a welcoming smile. "You guys are going to have to wait a bit while I get supper cooking, and since you came so early, I haven't had time to get you all clothes."
"Mary," Danny said, his voice sharp as his eyes narrowed on his girlfriend. "What in tarnation are you saying now? You know these men? You planned for them to come to my house?"
"His house?" Harry asked. He had a rich voice that oozed velvet. It was deeply seductive and matched his stunning good looks. Zelda could see why Stephanie was so attracted to him. "I thought this was a safe house?"
"Well, you all came so early that I didn't have time to change it, now did I?" Stephanie asked, her voice laced with sassiness. She only added emphasis to her words by placing her hand on a jutted hip. "And Danny, you weren't supposed to know anything beca!”use you were supposed to be gone on that business trip
"These men are not staying at the house," Danny said firmly, his focus solely on Stephanie. "This is my house, not yours. I have no idea how or why you're mixed up in these types of people. Maybe she" – he pointed an accusing finger at Zelda - "got you mixed up in this sort of thing. I don't know, and to be frank, I don't care. But these men are not staying in my house."
"What are you going to do about it?" Harry asked, taking a step in front of Stephanie and Zelda, and placing them behind his six-foot frame so they were somewhat protected.
It wasn't long before his fellow escapees circled around Danny loosely, implying an unspoken threat.
"Danny, it really has been great," Stephanie said, and to give her credit, there was regret in her words, and her eyes were filled with disappointment. "But I think it would be best if you leave for your business trip. By the time you get back, we'll be gone."
"You're going with them?" Danny asked, completely awestruck at the notion. "You realize they’re escaped convicts, don't you, Steph? You could get sent to prison, you could get hurt, hell, you could get killed."
"I know the risks, Danny," Stephanie said, and for the first time in Zelda's acquaintance with Stephanie did she hear the raven-haired beauty actually sound serious, "but I don't think you know the risks of staying here and fighting with these men."
Danny couldn't speak for the longest time, but he understood what Stephanie was implying, and in a manner of moments, he was gone. Zelda watched him go with a look of obvious pity, and she couldn't help but feel bad for the guy. The heart wants what the heart wants, and Stephanie's heart was obviously attached to Harry. Just looking at her looking at him, it was obvious.
"Now," Harry said, turning to look at Stephanie. "Who's she?" He jutted his thumb in Zelda's direction, but eyes remained fixed on Stephanie, his brow pushed up, asking for answers.
"I'll tell you all about her, but let me get you some food first," Stephanie said, waving a dismissive hand and turning, heading into the kitchen. "Boys, you can check out Danny's closet – in the master bedroom – to see if any of the clothes fit, and you can take showers to clean yourself off. By the time you're all done, supper will be ready. But make sure you don't waste all the warm water, you know. And if none of the clothes fit, I'll grab you some tomorrow, okay?"
"Stephanie," Harry said in a warning tone. Zelda realized they were obviously acquainted with each other, given the fact that his patience was already stretching when it came to Stephanie, but his eyes always seemed to soften when he looked at her.
Come Away with Me Page 4