Zelda was frozen there, staring after Stephanie, until a voice in her head woke her up. As usual, Stephanie was right. She needed to get up to Chicago, find some kind of job, and prepare an apartment when Johnnie did come. Because he would. He had to.
So that was what Zelda did. Using the money Stephanie had given her, she bought a train ticket to Chicago, and once she was there, she managed to rent a really cheap apartment. The same day, she scoured the streets of Chicago for any place that was hiring and lucked out to see that her old job, The Viper Room, held her spot for her if she had ever wanted to come back.
She had a home and a job. Now all she needed was Johnnie.
Every night after work, she would sit up and listen to the radio for any kind of news on Johnnie. He had been on five different planes that had stopped in five different places due to the fact that the machines quickly ran out of glass. Apparently, one journalist had bought all the seats on one plane just so he could get an exclusive with the robber. Zelda just hoped the planes landed safely.
There were times when her work called for her to be at the club long into the night so she wouldn't hear of any news about Johnnie until the next morning. She was starting to make some money, and as a result, began to buy the papers with any mention of him. She wasn't actually concerned at being recognized herself, and really, she had no reason to be. But dancing wasn't as fun anymore. At least not with Johnnie away from her.
In fact, Johnnie had just landed in Chicago on the third night of Zelda's return. Instead of receiving the news on the radio as she might have if she had been home, she was at the Viper Room, doing her job. She was in another man's arms, but her thoughts were with Johnnie, wanting nothing more than for him to appear and sweep her off her feet like he had done before.
Chapter 20
A few days had passed, and Zelda knew that Johnnie was in Indiana, knew that he was close by. Though she knew it would be better for her if she didn't go and see him, she had to. She had to make sure that he was okay, needed to make certain that everything regarding his treatment was okay, and if he needed anything from the outside, she would certainly bring it to him. It was a crazy thought, and she highly doubted she would even be granted access to see him, but she had to try. And if that meant that she would be followed or watched, she didn't care. Zelda had nothing to hide anyway.
After eleven o'clock in the morning had passed, Zelda hailed a cab to the train station. It was only a twenty-minute ride from Chicago to Crown Point, Indiana, so she arrived just before noon. Her heart beat erratically in her chest at the mere prospect of seeing Johnnie again, and she couldn't fight the smile that threatened to break out onto her face if she tried. He was really there.
No, she wouldn't allow herself to think of the consequences of his actions, what might happen to him the longer he was in there. They would trouble her and taint her visit, and Zelda knew she needed to be strong and supportive, not lecturing and worried. Who knew if this was the last time she would ever see Johnnie? And she wanted to make sure that if it was, he remembered her as warm and smiling and loving, not sad. So she wouldn't allow herself to cry.
From the station, she hailed another cab to take her to the shopping center near the jail, and from there, she walked to the jail. The trip had cost her a good portion of her savings, but if she was allowed to see Johnnie, she knew it would be worth it. And she could always earn more.
When she walked into the jail, one of the officer's looked up, surprised to see a woman voluntarily enter this place despite the fact that a woman ran this jail. The other officer was talking in hushed whispers with a tall, portly man in what looked to be an expensive suit. Whatever they were discussing seemed to be important because the conversation felt intense and Zelda wasn't even a part of it.
"How may I help you, ma'am?" the officer asked, arching a curious brow as he continued to regard her.
"Hello," Zelda said, flashing him a warm smile and hoping that her nervousness didn't reveal itself on her face. "My name is Zelda Dillinger. I'm Johnnie's wife and I would like to see him, please."
In the time she had spent with Johnnie, Zelda had learned many things about the law and jails. The first thing she learned was that it didn't matter what jail or prison a man was staying in; if his wife came in and asked to visit, there was a good chance that such a request would be granted. Maybe not at the time she asked for it, but certainly the officers would tell her when to come back in order to see him. Secondly, it was better to request in a firm, almost authoritative manner rather than to ask for something. This way, she forced the officers to say no for whatever reason. If she asked, she was giving them a chance to say no. Plus, officers were used to taking orders, so it held better chances if she politely demanded to see him.
The officer narrowed his eyes at the woman in front of him and the conversation between the other officer and the older man stopped altogether. Zelda knew she was being scrutinized by these men, but she didn't care. She wasn't really his wife, but she was the closest person to him and they were lovers. Who could disprove the fact?
"I'm sorry ma'am," the officer said, glancing down at papers in front of him, though they really didn't say anything. "But you can't see him."
Zelda was prepared for this. "Right," she said with a curt nod. "Well, can you tell me when I should come back so I may visit him?"
"I think you misunderstand me," the officer told her, snapping his eyes into hers. "But you can't see him. No one can."
"But I'm his wife," Zelda said, trying to keep her temper in check.
"I don't care."
"You have to let me see him. It's my right to see him."
"Do you know who this man is? Why, he's the most dangerous man in the country. There's no way he's getting any visitors, even if you are his wife."
"Now see here," the old man in the expensive suit said in an authoritative voice. He had a slight, Southern accent, but his presence still commanded the room. Zelda had no idea why he was helping her or if whatever he said was going to work, but she thanked him for it despite the fact. "Do you know who I am, son? I'm Louis Piquett, defense attorney, Mr. Dillinger's attorney more specifically. It is law that you allow him visitors when requested, especially from his wife. Why, if you don't, I'll make sure to bring this up in court, Officer Connor. How would you like a judge to know that you, yourself, broke the law? And you're supposed to be an officer of justice."
The officer looked like he wanted to roll his eyes, but he managed to refrain. After glancing over at his partner, he looked back at Louis and then Zelda. "Fine," he said, relenting. "But she has ten minutes, and that's it."
The smile on Zelda's face could only be described as brilliant, and after profusely thanking Louis Piquett, allowed the officer to lead her to a room. For whatever reason, she felt her stomach get butterflies as she waited for the officer to bring Johnnie to her. She was going to see Johnnie. After nearly a week, she was going to see him again.
When the door opened, her heart leaped into her throat and her eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. There was the man she loved in all his beautiful glory, smiling at her with that knowing grin. When the door was closed once more, Johnnie closed the distance between the two, pulling her into his arms for a tight hug.
"You look surprised," Zelda teased once they pulled away. She was surprised that there was no officer in the room, but that didn't necessarily mean that their conversations were safe. Johnnie had taught her a code, and she would have to use it if she wanted to tell Johnnie everything that had happened, especially when it concerned Harry.
"I'm just happy you came," he told her in a sincere murmur.
"They couldn't keep me away," Zelda said with a smile. She hesitated and glanced at Louis, who seemed to know what she was thinking. "Harry and his accomplices were sent back to Ohio. They might not come back."
It was hard to actually say that because out of the entire group of gangsters, she and Harry were probably the most alike, when it concerned tempe
r and feelings. It was even harder, knowing that Johnnie and Harry were incredibly close.
Johnnie nodded but said nothing, as though he had expected as much but didn't want to talk about it. Instead, he picked his eyes up from the ground and looked at Zelda, his lips quirking up. "And you?" he asked. "How are you?"
"Money is tight," she told him. "But then again, it always has been." She shrugged her elegant shoulders. "I'm back in the city where we met, working at the place where we met, trying to get by. I have a place, but it's hard sometimes, especially knowing that you're here." She tried to force a smile, but it didn't come out the way she wanted it to.
Johnnie frowned at what he had discovered about her. "Zelda, you're my girl," he told her as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. "That doesn't change just because I'm in jail or anywhere without you. You're always gonna be my girl." He shook his head. "I don't even like the thought of you in another man's arms." In two strides, he had her in his arms again and tilted his head so he could whisper something to her that Louis couldn't hear. "I'm gonna get out of here, doll. And when I do, I'm gonna get you back."
"I don't know, Johnnie," she murmured into his shoulder, unable to bring herself to look at him just yet. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
"One way or the other, I'm gonna get hurt," Johnnie told her. "I'd rather be outside with my freedom and with you than in here."
For the rest of the ten minutes, Johnnie held on to Zelda, trying to remember her shape, her face, her scent. He wasn't sure when he would get the chance to see her again but somehow, he knew he would. When the officer knocked on the door and stepped inside, Johnnie squeezed Zelda tighter, whispering, "Remember my promise, Zelda. And you know that I'm a man of my word."
With one last look, Zelda was whisked away, along with Louis Piquett. Yes, she knew he was a man of his word. That didn't mean she wanted his word to get him killed.
Chapter 21
She would have heard about Johnnie's escape from Crown Point Jail if she had been sitting by the radio, listening to it as she normally would have been. However, like most days, she had work. It was rare that she actually had to work in the afternoon since most of the clientele came in at night which meant more money was made at night, something she desperately needed since her visit to Johnnie really pinched her purse. Though she would do it again. In a heartbeat.
Well, apparently Velma was just as pinched as she was (though Velma did have a slight gambling problem), and begged – begged! – Zelda to switch shifts with her for a couple of nights. Zelda agreed because she kind of knew where Velma was coming from. Though she had never gambled to the point of excess, she did take a chance on Johnnie and it was the biggest and most satisfying risk she had ever taken.
Because she had helped out a friend, she had missed the news she had been waiting for and dreading. Instead, she was dancing with another man, pretending it was Johnnie when he used to come in here as Jimmy Lawrence. She was so naïve back then, but Johnnie was just as beautiful.
The escape was probably the most amazing jail escapes that hit the country. The sheriff was actually a woman, and at Johnnie's preliminary hearing, the judge was deciding whether Johnnie should stay at Crown Point or be transferred to a more secured prison. Because Sheriff Holley had taken over after her husband had died and because she was of the female sex, she got a lot of discrimination and disdain. In her mind, she had a lot to prove, and she saw, like most officers of the law, Johnnie as the solution.
Louis Piquett was a wizard with his words and somehow managed to get Sheriff Holley to admit that Crown Point was perfectly able to house someone with Dillinger's reputation, especially when it came to escapes. So Crown Point Johnnie would stay.
Except, he had wanted that. Jails were so much easier to escape from compared to prisons, and since Johnnie was pretty much working alone, he needed to get out as soon as possible, not only to see Zelda again, but after he received the news about Harry and the gang, he needed to get out in order to help them. Whether that was with getting them a lawyer – his lawyer to be exact – or helping them escape like he would.
It was March third when Johnnie finally decided to escape. He took an ordinary bar of soap and skillfully crafted it so it looked like a pistol. Then, after tainting it with black shoe polish, he kicked off his plan. With the help of another prisoner, they called the lone janitor, who was supposed to be cleaning the inside of the cells, over. When Johnnie threatened him with the gun, the janitor had no other choice but to open the cell and change places with Dillinger and his man.
It went on much like this. Dillinger forced the janitor to call the guards individually and when they would come up, Dillinger would point his pistol at them while the other prisoner would throw them in the cell. When the coast was finally clear, they headed down the stairs and into the weapons room, stealing as many tommy guns, ammunition, and vests as they could carry before heading into the garage. The garage, filled with different cars, had two men in it. One was the mechanic while the other was another officer. It wasn't long before both men were taken hostage and after a quick question of which car was the fastest, they all crammed into Sheriff Holley's own personal car.
Johnnie was driving, and as he pulled out of the garage, made sure that he didn't break any traffic laws. Because of his reputation, guards were lined up on both sides of the street, standing around and chatting, waiting for an escape to actually take place.
Everyone always underestimated Dillinger, even when he had the upper hand.
He drove for a while, dropping off the prisoner who had helped him after giving him some money, and then he dropped the two hostages off at least five miles away, somewhere in the country. Then he turned the car around and headed to Chicago. He needed to see Zelda. He needed to get her back.
Zelda was dancing with another man, and so she wasn't expecting Johnnie. It was just starting to get dark when he made his appearance in the Viper Room, and while she hadn't noticed him, he most certainly noticed her. And the man who was dancing with her. Without fully stopping himself, though he had an idea of what he was doing, he walked over to her, pulled the guy off of her, and socked him in the face. Before Zelda could even react, Johnnie picked Zelda up, tossing her effortlessly over his shoulder, and headed out of the club without another word.
When they reached the car, he put Zelda down and opened the door for her, allowing her to settle inside, before heading over to the driver's side, sliding in, and starting the engine. This wasn't Sheriff Holley's car; he had to desert that one and steal another so he wouldn't get caught in a stolen vehicle. Sooner or later, he needed to get rid of this one, too. But he needed to see Zelda more.
"Good to see you, darlin'," he told her with a grin.
"Was it necessary to toss me over your shoulder like you were some caveman?" Zelda asked, though she couldn't stop the delighted smile from touching her lips if she had tried. He was back. He was really back. "Or to hit that guy? He wasn't doing anything wrong."
"He was dancing with my girl," Johnnie said and shrugged his shoulders, as though he thought that unto itself was one of the deadliest sins.
Zelda said nothing more for a long moment, silently reveling in the fact that Johnnie was out. She couldn't believe it, and yet, here he was, flesh and blood. If this was a dream, then she wanted to sleep. Forever and ever and ever.
"Where are we going?" she finally asked, knowing that she would never see her wardrobe or apartment ever again. But that was okay. Life with Johnnie had prepared her to not get attached to meaningless material objects that she would have to give up at the drop of a hat. As long as she had Johnnie, she could give up the world.
"Minneapolis, I think," Johnnie said, as though he had thought of the city off the top of his head. "Need to lay low for a while." He threw her a cheeky grin at her. "You know, because of the escape and all."
"I cannot believe you..." Zelda let her voice trail off and then shook her head, another smile on her lips. Actually, she
could. Why was she even surprised? Johnnie had escaped before, and he probably would continue to do it. No jail could hold him.
When they got to Minneapolis, Johnnie pulled into the parking lot of the Santa Monica apartments, and after they rented a room for Mister and Missus Hellman, they went up to their room to get acquainted with it. The first thing Johnnie did after kissing Zelda on the cheek and locking the door behind the two was take a shower. While he was in there, Zelda made sure that all the curtains were drawn so nobody could see inside. She wanted to take extra care to ensure that Johnnie wouldn't get caught once again.
When she finished with that, she crawled onto the bed and laid down, resting her eyes, and praying to God that this wasn't a dream.
A kiss on her neck caused her eyes to flutter open, but she wasn't surprised in the least. Not when she knew the texture of those lips like she knew the back of her hand. Her velvet green eyes were drowning in Johnnie's smoky grey eyes. He was wearing nothing but his slacks, and was currently on top of her, looking at her with blatant desire, and even more than that, deep love, so clearly embedded in his irises.
Without saying anything, Johnnie dropped his lips in order to kiss Zelda like he had longed to ever since they had been parted. His arm wrapped around her waist so he could get even closer to her, but it didn't seem to be enough. Not for two lovers who had been parted for a long time.
"There is nothing I want more," Johnnie said, his voice slightly hitched with breathlessness, "than to spend the entire night making love to you."
Zelda felt her heart shudder at the prospect, and her face crimsoned at the prospect. She wanted that too. Though she would never forget the nights of passion she had shared with Johnnie, there was nothing more she wanted than to reacquaint herself with him in ways only few other women knew about. And she would be his last.
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