Black Butterfly

by Marja McGraw

  “She said dead Tony was a bad guy who used to hit his wife, Sophia, and that he tried to cover it up, and she’s good with the meeting being tonight.” That was the whole story in a nutshell.

  “I’ll call Sammy and let him know.”

  “I’ll call your mother and she can let the others know what’s going on. No, we’ll be seeing her anyway. I’ll tell her when we go over to her house.”

  Chris closed his eyes and took a deep breath before picking up the phone. There was no doubt in my mind that I’d just added a layer of stress to his day. He mumbled something about being sure his father would appreciate the news. Sarcasm?

  Due to an all-day teachers meeting, school was closed for the day. Chris and I drove over to Judy’s and spent time with our son. Of course, Sherlock and Watson came with us.

  Mikey greeted us at the door. “Did you figure out who those guys were? You know, the ones that looked like they should be in a gangster movie.”

  “What? No hug?” I asked. “No ‘Hi Mom?’ Haven’t you missed us?”

  He grinned and gave me a tight hug. “You just saw me last night, Mom.”

  “Good point, but it’s not the same as having you at home.”

  Chris ruffled his son’s hair, which made Mikey roll his eyes. My son was picking up some of my bad habits.

  Sherlock’s tail wagged so hard it was like a thick whip. Watson threw herself on the floor in front of Mikey and rolled onto her back, waiting for some scratching. My son took the dogs outside to see if they had any doggy business to take care of after the ride in the car.

  “I didn’t like the looks of those guys,” Chris, Sr. said. “I felt like we should have stayed, but I can understand you not wanting Mikey there.”

  “It’s okay, Dad. They didn’t cause any trouble.” Chris patted his father’s back.

  Judith came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a towel. “So, what about the meeting?”

  Didn’t anyone say hello anymore?

  “Tonight,” I replied. “Will you let the Church Ladies know?”

  I explained about finding out who at least one of the men was and that he was apparently a grandson of the original Tony.

  “Oh, this is getting good,” she said.

  “Judith, this isn’t a game. Anything could happen, although I’m hoping it won’t. I want to strategically place you and the ladies so Meredith won’t be so accessible, but I don’t want to put you in danger, either.”

  Mikey and the dogs had come back inside, and he’d been listening to everything. “Can’t I be there, Mom?”

  “No!” I said.

  “Absolutely not,” Judith said, backing me up. “However, I would like Chris’s father to be there. I think this would be a good night to have Mikey stay with your friend, Constance.”

  “I agree.” I didn’t want Mikey anywhere near the restaurant.

  “But – “

  “I said no, and I meant it. And don’t try to talk Constance into bringing you in for dinner.”

  I could see by the look on his face that I knew my son well. I thought about telling him that not only do mothers have eyes in the back of their heads, but they can also read minds, but at his age he wouldn’t believe me.

  I’d call Constance and forewarn her.

  “Will you at least tell me everything that happens?” Mikey looked expectant and hopeful.

  “Sure, Ace,” Chris said.

  And we would, but he’d probably be hearing an edited version.

  He didn’t need to know everything.

  Chapter Twenty-six

  “Judith, may I use your phone?” I asked.

  She nodded and followed me to the kitchen, not wanting to miss anything. I wasn’t sure who was nosier, her or Mikey.

  I called Bogey Nights and talked to Donna, our daytime waitress.

  “Donna, do we have many reservations for tonight?”

  “Let me check.” I could hear people talking in the background while she looked at the reservation book. “No, it looks like it might be a quiet night. It is Wednesday, you know. What do you need?”

  “I want you to put Reserved signs on a table for five and three tables that will accommodate two people each. They need to be at the far end of the restaurant, near the wall between the cocktail lounge and the restaurant.”

  “Will do, boss. What time are you coming in?”

  “Thank you, Donna. We’ll probably be in a little early today. I want to do some rearranging of those tables before the evening crowd starts coming in.”

  We hung up and I turned quickly, not realizing that Judith stood directly behind me. We would have been nose to nose, but I’m taller than her.

  Before I could take a breath, she said, “Don’t roll your eyes at me.”

  “I wasn’t planning on it.”

  “So explain about rearranging the tables.”

  “I want the table for five against the far wall. The other three tables will be in a semicircle in front of us, with two people at each table. I don’t want to be overly accessible if those goons come in again.”

  “Good planning,” she replied. “Unless it turns out they want to shoot the place up.”

  Of course I rolled my eyes. How could I stop myself?

  “There won’t be any shooting. They may not even approach us. We’ll play it by ear.”

  We returned to the living room where Chris and I spent a couple of hours with our son before heading home. I called Constance and made arrangements for Mikey to stay with her, including a warning that they weren’t to visit the restaurant.

  “Why don’t you want us there?” she asked.

  “It involves some thugs. I’ll tell you about it later.”

  She laughed. “Leave it to you and Chris to be worrying about thugs. Up to your old trick, huh?”

  “Something like that.”

  Mikey packed a bag and we dropped him off at her house on our way home. I had to steel my heart to the pathetic look he gave me when we left. He didn’t like being left out. He also knew how to make me feel guilty, but it wouldn’t work this time.

  “Are you going to let me in on your plan?” Chris asked as we drove home.

  “Of course. I hope you’ll agree with me.” I explained about seating us at the far end of the restaurant. “That way the regular customers won’t be near us.”

  “We’ll have to rearrange the tables.”

  “That’s the plan. I thought we’d go in a little early and take care of that ourselves. Oh, and I told Meredith that you’d pick her up tonight.”

  Chris nodded. “We’ll put the dogs in back and I’ll bring Meredith in that way. No sense in strutting her into the restaurant through the front door.”

  “Good idea.”

  The next few minutes were quiet.

  “Chris, are we doing the right thing? We don’t know why those men came in or what they have in mind.”

  “I’d rather do this at the restaurant that at home. I keep hearing the same thing over and over again. There’s safety in numbers.”

  “I sure hope that’s true.”

  When we arrived at home, I put the dogs in the backyard while we changed clothes. Since we were going to be moving furniture – well, tables and chairs – I wore wide-legged black slacks with white buttons down the hip, a black blouse with puffy sleeves, and flat shoes. My clothes would show less dirt and if I needed to run, I’d be ready. I almost laughed at myself for my last thought, followed by wondering what dirt I’d come in contact with. Our restaurant was as spotless as it could be, considering food, drinks and spills.

  Chris wore black slacks and a white shirt with striped suspenders and, of course, a black fedora.

  We arrived at Bogey Nights and settled the dogs in the yard before discovering that Donna had anticipated what we were going to do, at least to some extent. The tables were almost exactly where we wanted them and Reserved signs sat dead center on each table. The only thing we had to do was move the tables for our regular customers a bit clo
ser together and to the front so they’d be farther from where we’d be sitting.

  Donna helped us without asking questions. I thanked her and suggested she bring her young son in for a special dinner one night, on the house.

  And then we waited.

  We took care of customers and their needs. We chatted with them.

  I helped Phyllis and Gloria deliver drinks. Gloria asked me about the cluster of tables at the far end of the room, and when I told her Sammy would be coming in, she volunteered to take care of our tables.

  I chuckled because we were in her section anyway.

  Judith, Chris, Sr. and the Church Ladies couldn’t contain themselves. They arrived at five o’clock, and they all looked quite somber.

  Gloria seated them, two to a table, and made sure everyone was comfortable. While she was gone, I saw the Church Ladies gather in front of the tables and lower their heads in prayer. I was surprised to see Judith join them.

  A few of the customers gave them an odd look, wondering what they were doing, but they soon turned back to their meals and forgot what they’d seen.

  Chris and his father left at five-thirty to pick up Meredith.

  While they were gone I fed the dogs and checked their water. They must have a sixth sense because they were jittery, as though there had picked up on my mood. I played with them for a few minutes and that seemed to settle them down. Then I stopped in the office and used tape to clean the dog hair off of my slacks. Was dog hair considered dirt?

  Back at the table, we tried to act normal, but we couldn’t keep our eyes off of the front door, waiting to see if the three men would return.

  The Cross men returned promptly at six o’clock with Meredith in tow.

  Sammy and Gabe were about five minutes late.

  The band only played on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, so we had forties music piped in and playing in the background.

  Meredith and Gabe sat on the backside of the table, with their backs to the wall. Chris and I sat at each end, and Sammy sat with his back to the restaurant, although he turned his chair so he could keep an eye on the front door.

  I leaned toward Gabe. “So you know Tony Messina?”

  “Yeah. He’s the grandson of Tony and Sophia. Good kid, unlike his brothers.”

  Chris’s eyes narrowed and he rolled his upper lip under. He seemed to be thinking, not mimicking Humphrey Bogart.

  “What’s the problem with the brothers?” he asked.

  Gabe looked uncomfortable. “One of them is a playboy. That’s Frankie. The other one, Jimmy, is kinda like his grandfather – mean. He’s heard too many stories about the old man. When people talk about the old days, they kind of romanticize the stories. Jimmy feeds on it.”

  “How do you know all of this?” Meredith asked.

  “I told you, I’ve kept in touch with a few people. Does this make you unhappy?”

  “You guessed ‘er, Chester.”

  “Huh?”

  “Just my way of saying yes.” Meredith leaned back in her chair.

  I had a question of my own. “Gabe, do you think the two men who came in with Tony are his brothers?”

  “Hard to say. It could have been Frankie and Jimmy, or it could have been some muscle. Like it or not, Tony needs people to watch his back.” He closed his eyes and pursed his lips before speaking again. “I’m talkin’ too much. The less you know, the better.”

  Chris shook his head. “No. We’re watching out for Meredith. The more you tell us, the better off we’ll all be.”

  I glanced up and took note that Judith and the Church Ladies, and Chris, Sr., were leaning far back in their chairs, taking in everything they could hear.

  Meredith placed her hand on top of Gabe’s. “It’s time for the truth. Did you truly believe I could be a hitman? Did you think that little of me?”

  Gabe took her hand in both of his. “I tried to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen. No, I never believed the stories I heard about you. You didn’t have it in you. Truth be told, I followed you the night you drove Daisy out to the desert. I had to be sure they weren’t turning the tables on you. Daisy could have been the killer.”

  “So you knew I let her go and you never ratted on me.”

  “As a matter of fact, after you drove back to town, I picked Daisy up and drove her to the closest bus station.”

  “How could you have followed me without me seeing you?” Meredith asked.

  “As soon as you turned off the highway, I turned out my lights and followed you.”

  This was turning into quite an interesting conversation. Needless to say, theirs had been a lifestyle I never could have imagined.

  A look of anger crossed Meredith’s face. “Wait a minute! Back at my house, you said you thought the blood on my yellow dress was from Daisy. Explain that one!”

  Gabe looked sheepish. “I lied. I knew it wasn’t her blood. I didn’t want any of this to come out until I could get a feel for what you’ve become.”

  “And what have you become?” Meredith pulled her hand back, the one he’d been holding.

  Chris’s parents were sitting at the table just in front of their son, and Judith whispered something to Chris, Sr., who in turn reached over and tapped Chris’s arm. “Your mother says she feels like she’s in the middle of a soap opera.”

  It broke the tension and there was laughter around the table.

  Sammy had been very quiet during these exchanges.

  “Sammy, what do you think about all of this?” I asked.

  He pointed toward the front door. “I think we’d better be on our toes.”

  Each of us turned our heads to follow the direction in which he was pointing.

  Three men walked in – the same three men from the night before.

  Chapter Twenty-seven

  I’d asked Gloria to wait until I called her over to take our drink and dinner orders. Now was the time and I waved at her. I was hoping that if we were busy ordering, the three men wouldn’t realize we’d seen them.

  I saw that the Church Ladies were gaping at them and I cleared my throat as loudly as I could without being obvious. It didn’t work, so I asked Gloria to take their orders first.

  The next thing I knew, Phyllis had seated Tony at the same table by the wall where he’d sat the night before. The other two men wandered into the cocktail lounge and sat at the bar. After Daniel had served them their drinks, one of them took his drink and walked to a table.

  Phyllis spoke to Gloria when she walked by carrying a tray with drinks on it.

  Gloria approached our table, balancing the tray on one hand. “Pamela, Phyllis said that guy asked for his ‘regular table,’ as though she should know what he meant. She remembered him from last night and knew which table he was talking about. He seems to unnerve her.”

  I nodded. “I know.”

  She tried to serve the Church Ladies their drinks, but they said something to her and she set the tray on one of their tables. Jasmine and May joined Lila and Abby at their table, but they didn’t sit down.

  The next thing I saw was the women joining hands and including Gloria in the handholding.

  Chris was watching, too, and he started to laugh. “It figures. They’re praying.”

  “Well, that just might be a good thing tonight,” I said.

  “When you’re right, you’re right.”

  Gloria, looking a tad befuddled, served the drinks when they let her hands go, and headed for the kitchen.

  The Church Ladies are teetotalers, except for Lila, who enjoys an occasional glass of wine. Apparently this was a wine night, and she took a large gulp as soon as Gloria left the table.

  “Excuse me,” Gabe said, standing and walking around the table with his cane in hand. “I’d better say hi to Tony.”

  He shrugged when I gave him a questioning look.

  “It’s the thing to do.”

  He headed for Tony’s table and I suddenly realized someone in our group was humming. I put my head down for a moment
and listened.

  “Chris,” I said, “do you hear that?”

  He nodded.

  “It’s Lila,” I said. “She’s humming When the Saints Go Marching In. I guess it makes her feel calmer.”

  “It’s not doing much for me,” he replied. “No, I take that back. The canary’s making me feel kinda cheerful. I don’t get it, but there ya go.”

  When Gabe approached Tony’s table, he said something to him. The man looked somewhat surprised and stood, holding out his hand. The two men shook hands.

  The two men in the cocktail lounge were watching and it looked like they tensed up a little, both almost sitting on the edge of their chairs.

  I noticed that Tony had to look up at Gabe because of the height difference. After a brief moment, Tony threw his arms around the older man and hugged him.

  My gaze swung to the lounge where I saw the two men relax. I guessed that a hug meant everything was okay.

  Tony and Gabe spoke for a couple of minutes before Gabe returned to our table, looking pleased with himself.

  “Tony’s heard of me and he said I’m family. That’s what the hug was all about. He said his grandmother, uh, remembers me with fondness.”

  “Did he say anything else?” Chris asked. “Like why they’re here?”

  “Yes, he did. Oh, and the two guys in the bar are his brothers. The one at the table is Jimmy, so we’ll want to keep an eye on him. He’s the mean one. The other one is Frankie.”

  I couldn’t stand the suspense. “So why are they here?”

  “Tony wants to speak with Meredith.” He turned his head and watched for a reaction from her when he added, “He said his grandmother wants to talk to her.”

  Meredith’s face was a mask of stone. She didn’t flinch or move a muscle. She looked at Tony.

  “How did they know to find her here, at the restaurant?” Chris asked.

  Gabe blinked a few times. “I didn’t ask. I should have. I guess I’m getting old, and I need to be more careful. He said he’d talk to Meredith, but out of politeness he’d wait until we’ve had our dinner.”