The Heavenly Fugitive

by Gilbert, Morris

  “I’ll be coming back to see you, Mickey.”

  “Not likely, but I’ll be comin’ to see you.” He gave her an admiring glance and shook his head. “You remember your ol’ friend Mick when you’re up there with the big ones.”

  “I’ll do that if I ever arrive.”

  ****

  Dom intercepted Rosa as she pulled up her mare, Boadicea, and helped her down as she tossed the lines to the trainer.

  “Hey, Miss Rosa, did you hear about what happened to Amelia?”

  “You mean Amelia Winslow?”

  “Sure.”

  “What about her?” Rosa asked. She was wearing her usual riding outfit: khaki jodhpurs, maroon sweater, and a black cap that matched her shiny black boots.

  “Why, she’s gone up to the big time. She’ll be opening at Eddie’s tonight.”

  “You mean the big nightclub?” Rosa said with interest.

  “That’s the one. Funny thing. After I half killed her brother, I thought she was going to shoot me. But I was able to give her a hand, and we’ve become pretty good friends.”

  Rosa had heard Dom relate the story of how he had met Amelia and had helped her get a job at the Green Dragon. Rosa had been very interested, and more than once she had asked Dom if he had seen Amelia—or Phil. Now as she walked back toward the house, an idea began to form in her mind. She said nothing to anyone, but late that afternoon she asked Dom to drive her to the stables where Phil worked. She found him exercising a horse. Getting out of the car, she said, “You wait here, Dom. I need to talk to Phil.”

  “Okay. I’ll be right here.”

  Rosa waited until Phil hopped off the horse, and then she called him. “Hello, Phil!”

  Turning to meet her, Phil’s eyes lit up with pleasure. “Well, Rosa, what are you doing here?” He glanced over and saw Dom sitting in the car. “Got your bodyguard with you, I see.”

  “Phil, I just heard about Amelia.” Rosa’s enormous dark eyes were glowing.

  To Phil she looked very young, and he smiled at her excitement. “I don’t know whether to be glad or sad for her.”

  Rosa stared at him without comprehension. “What do you mean? Why wouldn’t you be happy?”

  “Well, singing in a nightclub isn’t exactly my idea of a full life, Rosa.”

  “But some of the most famous people in the world started out singing in nightclubs. Look at Al Jolson and Eddie Cantor. That’s where they started.”

  Knowing that arguing with Rosa was futile, Phil smiled. “Well, I try to be as glad as I can. But what are you doing here? Come to pick up another horse?”

  “No, I came to ask you a favor.”

  “Just name it.”

  “I want you to take me to Amelia’s opening at Eddie’s.”

  Astonished, Phil stared at the young woman. He knew what she asked was out of the question, and he wanted to nip this idea in the bud as quickly as possible. “Well, there are about half a dozen reasons I can think of why I can’t do that. The first one is that your father would have Dom take off my head if I did a thing like that. He doesn’t let you date, as you well know.”

  “But this wouldn’t be a date—not exactly anyway,” Rosa said. She made an appealing figure as she stood there. She was not tall and had to look up, which made her even more attractive. She was on the brink of womanhood and did not know what a tempting figure she made as she tugged at his arm and pleaded, “You’ve just got to do it, Phil, you’ve got to! Why, you couldn’t let her have her debut without your being there.”

  “Well, it’s not just that I’m afraid your father would shoot me—or have Dom do it—but I don’t have the money or the clothes.”

  “I can fix all that if you’ll just take me.”

  “I don’t think you need to be in a nightclub, Rosa.”

  “Phil, I’m almost sixteen! And if I get Dad’s permission and see that the expenses are all taken care of, will you take me?”

  Phil thought swiftly. Might as well say yes. Big Tony will never let her do this anyway. “Okay,” he shrugged. “But it’ll never happen.”

  ****

  Big Tony Morino was astute at reading men’s minds. His very survival in the hard life he’d chosen testified to the fact that he was a shrewd judge of character. He could sit in a meeting with ten men and know what each one of them was planning or plotting.

  But he had not yet learned how to outwit his daughter Rosa. She had figured out years earlier exactly how to get what she wanted from him, for it was no secret he wanted her to have everything. Very rarely had he given her an absolute no, and at those times Rosa had learned to simply give up. But most of the time she managed to maneuver her father into allowing her to do whatever she wanted, as long as it was not downright dangerous.

  Her usual strategy was to soften him up first by fixing him one of his favorite dishes. His wife usually managed to keep his diet under control at home, but when he was out, he loved to frequent La Casa, the best Mexican restaurant in New York, and fill up on the best cheese dip in the world. Rosa had made it her business to get the secret recipe from the cook, pleading that she had to have it, and the cook had agreed to give the recipe to the daughter of one of the restaurant’s best customers. Tony’s doctors had forbidden him to eat it because of his heart condition, but he didn’t often listen to his doctors.

  Now she made up a batch of the cheese dip and brought it to him steaming hot in a small bowl with a plateful of chips for dipping.

  Tony looked up, and a grin came up over his face. “Cheese dip!” He grabbed both the bowl and the plate, put them down on his desk, and began dipping the chips into the hot cheese.

  “Watch out, Daddy! You’ll burn your tongue!”

  “I don’t care. This is the best stuff I ever had in my life.” Tony ate noisily, managing to get cheese dip on his tie.

  Rosa leaned over with a napkin and wiped it off. “Here, Daddy, you’re getting it all over. You’re as messy as a baby.”

  “I don’t care. This stuff just sets me free.” Tony ate every bite, then demanded, “Is there any more?”

  “Not today. You know you’re not supposed to have it, and don’t you dare tell Mom!”

  “This will be our secret.”

  “You’ll have to send your tie out to be cleaned or she’ll see it and know what you’ve been eating.”

  Rosa climbed into Tony’s lap, reached her arms around his neck, and leaned her head on his. Delighted with her attention, he said, “So what have you been doing with yourself besides making me happy with cheese dip?” He held her, listening intently as she outlined her days. He loved that his little girl still wanted to sit in his lap, and he loved listening to her talk. He dreaded the day when she would leave home. He knew it had to come eventually, but the thought made him sad.

  Finally Rosa sat up and brushed back Tony’s hair. “You’ve even got cheese dip on your eyebrows!” She laughed. “Here, let me get it off.” She fished a handkerchief out of her pocket and wiped the cheese dip off, shaking her head. “You are such a glutton about cheese dip.”

  Defensively Tony said, “A man’s got few enough pleasures in this world. He ought to take ’em all as they come.”

  “I think you’re right.”

  “You do? Well, I wish you’d convince your mother.”

  “I think we shouldn’t let anything pass us by. I mean if it’s harmless, don’t you think so?”

  “I just said so, didn’t I?” Suddenly Tony’s eyes narrowed. “Uh-oh. What is it this time? A new dress? Another horse?”

  “Oh no, nothing like that! You’ve bought me so many dresses, and Boadicea’s the only horse I want.”

  “Well, that’s a relief. I thought you were going to want Man o’ War, and he’s not for sale.”

  “He is one thing I would like, Daddy, but not right now. Do you remember Phil Winslow?”

  “Sure I do. The kid Dom pounded.”

  “You know, he could have been nasty about that. I asked one of your lawyer fri
ends what might have happened, and he said he could have taken you for thousands of dollars.”

  “But he didn’t.”

  “That’s right. He wouldn’t do a thing like that.”

  “Why are you bringing him up?”

  “It’s because of his sister, Amelia.”

  “Yeah, I remember her. What’s she got to do with it?”

  “She’s a singer now. She’s opening tonight at Eddie’s Place, and I want to go.”

  “You’re too young to go to a nightclub.”

  “I’m fifteen, Daddy, and I’m not going to do anything wrong. You know that.”

  Tony argued valiantly, coming up with a great many reasons why it would not be suitable. But he was filled with good food, and she was sitting on his lap fussing with his hair. Finally he said, “Well, maybe it’ll be all right. You’ll have to ask your mother. I expect she’ll say no.”

  “No, she’ll say yes. You let me ask her, Daddy.”

  Tony laughed. “You can’t fool her like you do me.”

  “I never fool you, Daddy.”

  “You do it all the time. You’re doing it right now. Here I am promising to take you to a nightclub, which I never thought I would.”

  “And, Daddy, ever since Dom told me about Amelia, I’ve been sad about Phil.”

  “What’s to be sad about?”

  “You remember he doesn’t have any money, and he’s working his way through school working at the stables?”

  “Sure I know that.”

  “Well, he wants to go see his sister at her opening, but he doesn’t have any money. So could he go with us?”

  Tony frowned. “I don’t know if he’d want to or not, him being a preacher and all.”

  “It’s his daddy that’s the preacher, not him, and he told me he’d love to go.”

  Instantly Tony knew what was happening. “I see! That’s what this is all about, the cheese dip and sitting on my lap.”

  “Oh, Daddy, I do that all the time! But I do feel sorry for Phil. Please say he can go with us.”

  Tony tried to talk his headstrong daughter out of this one but in the end heard himself saying, “Okay, the kid can go.”

  “Oh, Daddy, thank you!” Throwing her arms around his neck, Rosa kissed him firmly on the cheek and then jumped down. “I’ve got things to do, and Dom will have to help me.”

  She ran out of the room, leaving Tony half breathless. “That kid has got my number,” he muttered. “But I guess it won’t hurt as long as me and Dom are there to see nothing happens to her.”

  ****

  Standing in his small apartment, Phil looked down at the new suit he had on and could not believe it. Dom had come to the stables, picked him up, and bought him a complete outfit at one of the fanciest men’s shops in New York. Now Phil looked down at the shiny shoes, ran his hand over the silk necktie, and thought, That Rosa must be some kind of a sorceress! He heard a car approach, and looking out the window, he saw Tony Morino’s long black sedan.

  He ran down the stairs, and when he reached the car, Dominic was getting out. “Just coming up to get you, Phil. Get in the front with me.”

  Obediently he climbed into the car, and as Dom got back in and pulled away from the curb, Phil turned around and saw Rosa sitting beside her father, looking very self-satisfied. Ignoring her, he said, “It’s very generous of you to take me to see my sister, Mr. Morino. I could never have afforded it.”

  “Well, I’m glad to do it, Phil. There wouldn’t have been any peace if I hadn’t. This one here would have driven me crazy.”

  Rosa laughed giddily. “Oh, you look so good in your new suit, Phil!”

  “Best suit I ever had on.” He stroked the material of the sleeve and then laughed too. “If I drop dead, you won’t have to do a thing to me. Just put me in a box and stick a lily in my hand.”

  “Phil! What an awful thing to say!”

  Rosa may have been shocked, but both Dom and Tony guffawed at the remark.

  “Tell me about your studies, kid,” Tony said. “They tell me you’re tearin’ ’em up at that college.”

  “Oh, nothing like that.”

  “That ain’t what I hear. Dominic tells me you’re gonna graduate with honors in only two years.”

  “Well, I hope so, but there’s always a chance I could flunk. If you make an enemy of one of those professors, you could be the king of Siam and still not pass.”

  “Must be nice to go to college. I never got beyond the fifth grade myself,” Tony said with a touch of remorse.

  “Hey, I beat you, Mr. Morino. I got to the sixth grade!” Dom laughed. “Not that they managed to pound anything into me that I didn’t get rid of.”

  The friendly banter continued, and the ride passed quickly. When they pulled up in front of Eddie’s, Dom said, “You folks go ahead. I’ll park the car and meet you inside.” The three got out, and the doorman came forward. “Mr. Morino, it’s good to see you, sir. It’s been a while.”

  “Well, I’ve come to hear your new singer.”

  “Eddie says she’s a fine one, Mr. Morino. Go right on in. I’ll bet Eddie will give you your favorite table.”

  Phil had never been in a nightclub in his life. He looked around the foyer curiously and watched as Tony checked his hat. When Rosa took off her coat, he was stunned. She was wearing a gown that accentuated her womanly figure, and he couldn’t help admiring her. He did not know much about clothes, but he thought the dress might be silk—maroon and white with a snug bodice and a skirt that flared out. She turned to him and flashed a smile.

  Embarrassed that she’d caught him watching her, he cleared his throat and said quickly, “You look very nice, Rosa. Is that a new dress?”

  “Oh, just something I’ve had in my closet. Daddy always liked it.”

  “Well, you look absolutely beautiful!” Phil bit his lip. He hadn’t meant to say so much.

  Rosa beamed, and then her father turned back to her and said, “C’mon. We’ll see if we can find a good table.”

  Finding a good table for Big Tony Morino was not difficult. The maître d’ met the party with a big smile. “Does Mr. Johns know you’re here, sir?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “Well, I’ll tell him you’re here. In the meantime, if I remember right, you like the table over toward the back.”

  “That has a good view of the stage, doesn’t it? We want to hear your new singer.”

  “Oh yes, sir. That’s an excellent spot. Come along, and I’ll take you.”

  As they followed the maître d’, Dom joined them, and he and Tony walked ahead. Rosa reached out and grabbed Phil’s arm. “Look over there!”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s Al Jolson! I can’t believe it! He’s my favorite singer!”

  Phil, of course, had heard Jolson’s records. He looked with interest at the man who was the king of show business. Jolson had black hair, large eyes, and to Phil’s surprise, rather pale skin without his black stage makeup. Jolson was laughing with delight at something someone in his party had said, and Rosa bubbled, “I just love to hear him sing.”

  She pointed out Fanny Brice at another table and added, “It makes me feel funny seeing all these famous people.”

  Phil noticed that many people in the crowd recognized Tony Morino, too, and whispered and gestured at him. Looking down at Rosa, he thought, Your father’s a famous person but not famous in the best ways.

  When they were all seated, Tony began asking Phil about his coursework. “What business will you get into when you get out of that college, Phil?”

  “I’m not sure. Maybe accounting, bookkeeping. Something like that until I can earn enough money to go to law school.”

  Tony had pulled a cigar from his pocket. He unrolled it, clipped off the end with a small pair of gold scissors he kept, apparently, for that purpose, and accepted a light from Dominic. Tony puffed until blue smoke filled the air; then he turned and stared full at Phil. “Come and see me when you get out of
college. I can always use a smart guy in my organization.”

  Phil felt Rosa’s foot pressing his toe with hers, and when he looked toward her he saw she was smiling with delight. “There you are,” she said. “You’ve got a job offer even before you graduate. I’ll bet not many college students can say that.”

  “I guess not,” Phil said. He knew for a certainty that he would not be working for Big Tony Morino, but he saw no reason for spoiling her pleasure.

  They had not been seated long when suddenly a booming voice said, “Well, Tony, it’s good to see you again.” Everyone turned to see Jolson, who had been passing by. He stopped at their table, a big smile on his face as he shook hands with Tony. “I’ve been wondering why you never come to see my new show.”

  “Been pretty busy, Al, but everyone says it’s great.” He nodded toward the stage and said, “This here’s Phil Winslow. His sister is singing here tonight.”

  Jolson reached over and shook hands with Phil. “I hope she does good. We need some fresh blood in show biz.”

  After a few more pleasantries, Jolson made his way back to his table, every eye turning to follow him as he crossed the crowded room.

  Phil had been nervously poring over the menu, anxious about the high prices, when finally it came time to order. Lamely, he said to the waiter, “Just bring me something good.”

  Rosa scolded him. “That’s no way to order! Let me order for both of us.”

  “All right. I’ll eat whatever you order.”

  When the meal arrived, Phil beamed with pleasure at Rosa’s choice of succulent seafood in a marinara sauce on vermicelli. With delight he dug into a huge basket of fresh Italian bread spread with garlic butter and herbs, and dipped the bread in the tangy sauce as he ate.

  While they were enjoying their meal, the lights dimmed, and the master of ceremonies came out onto the small stage and stepped into the spotlight. “We are delighted to have tonight, for your pleasure, Miss Amelia Winslow. I think you’re going to like her, folks. Let’s give her a big welcome.”

  Phil sat straight up and stared as Amelia came out on the stage. She was wearing a simple light blue gown that complemented her coloring, and her hair was done up stylishly. He was surprised at the poise she displayed as she came into the spotlight, smiled, and made a gracious bow. She said nothing and began singing. Phil had forgotten how good she was, and he knew she’d become even better since he’d last heard her. He took his eyes off of her from time to time to watch the audience and saw that people were pleased. She sang several Irving Berlin songs, and when they were well received, she said, “I’m going to have to ask permission to sing this next song. Mr. Al Jolson has made it his own, so no one else can really do justice to it, especially a woman, but I’d like to try ‘Toot, Toot, Tootsie’—if it’s all right with you, Mr. Jolson.”