The Blue Note

by Marvin Perkins

  The two of us just stood there enjoying our cigarettes for while in silence but we knew there was something that needed to be said, that was going to be said.

  “So you ask her out yet?” T-Bone said, dropping his cigarette butt on the pavement and stamping it out

  “Just like that, huh?” I said not believing the question he had just asked me. “Are you kidding?”

  “I‘m not kidding. Did you ask her out? I know you want to,” T-Bone said, looking me dead in my eyes.

  “I don’t stand a chance with a dame like that, T-Bone, I told you that already,” I said pleading my case, hoping he would leave me the hell alone about the whole matter.

  “She wants you to ask her out. She told me she wanted you to,” he said, but not too convincingly.

  “Oh, She did?”

  “Yeah she did.”

  I was starting to get mad as hell when T-Bone grabbed me and said he wasn’t kidding, she actually wanted to go out with me. I asked him why he didn’t say so, he said he’d been trying to do just that.

  “She said she was going to ditch the mayor later on and she wants to go home with you.” That‘s what T-Bone said and he swore it was the truth.

  He went on back in the club to begin a new set leaving me outside in a state of shock and disbelief. Nah, no way, this wasn’t happening, couldn’t be true, I was totally lost and confused as I stood like a statue at my post in front of the club, not really seeing the customers coming and going. “She wants to go home with me,” I said out loud not caring who heard me or whether or not they thought I was a nut case standing outside a night club talking to myself.

  Inside the club I could hear the music playing and knew soon she would be onstage again, my angel, voice straight from heaven, Michele Dubois, oh my God. I could just see her on that stage, beautiful face, voluptuous body, caressing the microphone, making love to it. She began to sing and I was in heaven once again, nothing in the world mattered but the sound of her voice. There was nothing in the world but her, as she continued to sing drawing me further and further into her world.

  Then a strange, bizarre, but welcome sight appeared coming through the door of the Blue Note, the mayor, Dennison, came storming out cursing to himself, got into a limo that was waiting in front, that quickly drove away like a get away car. I was stunned, confused, and motionless for a minute but soon came to my senses and realized what had just happened. He was gone, just as T-Bone had said, opening the door for me to make the next move.

  My mouth suddenly became very dry and my head began to spin as the shock of the moment hit me, it was now the moment of truth that I had dreamed about and hoped for. What was I going to say? Fear gripped me and I began to tremble, feeling like a school boy who was about to ask a girl to go out on a first date. “Come on Bogart,” I said quietly to myself. “You can do this.” I wasn’t so sure that I could at that moment, I was so enamored with the lady, there seemed no right words to say that wouldn’t sound utterly ridiculous coming from the likes of me. She didn’t even know my name or anything about me, I was nothing, a nobody, a has been that never was, but it was showtime, time for me to perform now.

  I left the relative safety of my duties and found myself in the club standing just inside the door, paralyzed, frozen unable to go any further as the angelic voice of the singer filled the club and my heart to the point of bursting. I stood in a cold sweat, I could feel eyes on me, weird eyes that seemed to search every inch of my body, drawing me in but not allowing me to move, all in the same instant. I felt I would scream, but couldn’t move or utter a sound, so I just stood like an immobile mute, thinking any instant I might pass out cold on the dance floor. But I was suddenly being pulled to the stage like a magnet pulling metal and soon found myself right in front of the stage gazing at the beauty that encompassed it and me and I knew in an instant what I must say.

  Looking into her deep blue eyes, all that needed to be said was said, and when the song was over I found myself as if waking from a dream at a secluded table with the one and only Michelle Dubois from New Orleans. She knew my name and everything about me. I knew nothing of her, but wanted with all my heart and being to know everything there was to know about the lovely lady that occupied the chair at the table next to me. “I’m Michele, Michele Dubois. You have been watching me, yes? You like the way I sing, Mr. Bogart?” She reached out and took my hand as she spoke, the electricity surged through me like a jolt of lightning. “I have been watching you too. You are very handsome. I can tell you are a good man. I know things Mr. Bogart, things about people. I don’t know why.”

  I could hardly breathe, or utter a sound, all I could do was stare into those eyes as she spoke, not caring if the world came to end and if it did I would die a happy man. I wanted to tell her she was the most beautiful enchanting creature I’d ever seen but for the life of me I couldn’t, I could do nothing but stare into those pale blue pools that seemed to open up a world somewhere way beyond the Blue Note, way beyond the world somewhere in another time and space. Finally able to speak, I uttered just above a whisper, “Call me Dirk.”

  “Pardon, monsieur?”

  I said again, this time a little louder, “Call me Dirk, my name is Dirk.”

  “Okay, Dirk, you find me attractive, yes?”

  “Oh, yes, very attractive, yes,yes,” I heard myself stammering, but was powerless to stop my idiotic utterance.

  “Perhaps we could have a drink, maybe over at your place when I get off. What do you think, Dirk, could we?” She said, and I heard her, but I still couldn’t believe my ears.

  “Oh, yes, yes, we could have a drink. At my place, yes,yes,” I continued to stammer but by this point I didn’t give a damn..

  “Meet me out front of the club at three, don’t be late, Dirk,” She said and got up from the table and was gone, leaving me sitting alone with my mouth open, not knowing or believing what the hell had just happened.

  Chapter Four

  It was the longest three hours of my life waiting for three o’clock to come. I paced and smoked and paced some more but the time seemed like it had stopped, the excitement increased with each passing minute, causing to me to perspire more than usual as my heart raced to keep up. I kept going over and over our conversation in my mind, wanting to believe that it had happened but somehow fearing it had all been some kind of sick dream

  And there she was in all her radiant beauty, like a flash of brilliant light, she burst through the door, hair flowing, bright blue eyes glowing. Again I was at a loss, but managed to take her hand, we walked down the street, my feet barely touching the ground in my joy. We walked for a minute enjoying the early morning in silence. It had cooled off a little, but I was on fire from her touch, burning way down in my soul with desire, not all sexual but an inexplicable wanting to know her entire being .

  "I am so happy you decided to meet me, Dirk. Are you happy as well, yes?” She said in a voice flowing like honey, a sweetness that left me weak and powerless.

  “Oh yes, I am very happy, Michele. Is it all right if I call you Michele?” I asked, a question that sounded stupid even as I said it.

  “Don’t be silly, of course you can call me Michele. Silly boy.”

  I really felt stupid then, but tried not too let it show. I just held her hand tighter and looked into her eyes where I seemed to be lost in a strange land, an enchanted wonderland, where I wanted at that moment to live forever. Time stood still, the world spun round and round like it was revolving around me, like a bizarre carnival ride. I thought I would be ill as my world spun, but just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped and I was standing looking into her eyes. She smiled and kissed me softly on my cheek. We stood in the deserted street, souls as one, we were all alone in the great big world or so it seemed.

  Taking her hand and starting to head for my shabby little apartment she recommended that we go to her place instead which was just swell with me. My dump wasn’t exactly the Ritz and it had been the maid’s day off, if you k
now what I mean. Yeah, her place would be just fine, my life was certainly taking a turn for the better. “Heaven, I’m in Heaven,” the old song kept playing in my head as we walked, and finally ended up way down a back alley. Trash spilled out of overflowing trash cans, a rat as big as a small dog sat next to one of the cans gnawing on something, looking like he might gnaw on us if given half a chance. A stray cat jumped out from behind a doorway sounding a loud meow, scaring the hell out of me and sending a chill straight down my spine. Michele just laughed like I was a fool for being so afraid of such trivial little things such as giant rats and screeching cats.

  Her place was an old abandoned warehouse that had been converted into an apartment, it was cold and damp and scary looking as we entered her front door with a creak. The decor was late model mismatched junk, reminiscent of my own shabby place, but it had a certain kind of allure and charm. It was large but consisted of only three or four rooms, one of which was a bedroom, one had an old refrigerator and a hot plate, I assumed was the kitchen. “Have a seat, Dirk. Would you like a drink?” She inquired already knowing the answer.

  Being in heaven is a good place for a stiff like me to be and I was definitely there and the lady was my angel that night. Could it get any better than this? I truly didn’t think so as I sat there on her old couch sipping a high ball with the most beautiful dame in the world. We talked but for the life of me I don’t remember what the hell about. I was in love there was no doubt, hook line and sinker, nothing else in the world mattered.

  Michele said she was lonely, I said I can’t imagine how a woman as beautiful as her could ever be lonely. She said her beauty was a curse, an accident of birth she never asked for or wanted. I took her hand to comfort her as big crocodile tears flowed from her blue eyes. “Baby, don’t cry, what’s wrong?” I said not understanding why she was crying.

  “You just don’t understand Dirk,” she said wiping the waterworks from face.

  I looked into her eyes and was drawn into a soul that was black as night, like falling into a deep abyss, I spun uncontrollably. A dark figure in a bright feathered shroud danced rhythmically, a snake coiled around his neck. It’s head raised up revealing fangs, hissing loudly as it slittered around his partner’s neck in a ritual dance. A naked black woman tied to a concrete pillar, struggled against her restraints, her mouth covered, her eyes wild with fear.

  “You okay Dirk?” She said breaking the spell and bringing me back to reality.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m all right sweetheart,” I stammered, my voice trembling. As strange as that seemed, a feeling of unexplained dread came over me, but it soon passed.

  “What did you mean, I don’t understand. What have you got yourself involved in? We warned you about that damn Mayor Dennison. What did he do to you? Tell me Michele,” I asked firmly but tenderly.

  “Nothing, he didn’t do nothing. I don’t want to talk about it,” she answered and I knew she meant it. “I think you better go, Dirk. I need to be alone. I will see you tomorrow.”

  I didn’t want to but I learned a long time ago if a dame says she doesn’t want to talk about something you best let it go. I gave her a kiss on her cheek and left with my tail tucked between my legs, like a wounded puppy dog.

  Chapter Five

  While I was playing footsy with Michele, Pauli Salvatore and his buddies were up to no good. Like I said the mayor and this lug was into to all types of criminal enterprises, one of their favorite was high jacking trucks from the airport. They knew all the schedules and all the drivers so it was easy as taking candy from a baby. This particular night a truckload of Lucky Strikes was their target.

  The truck was stopped at a red light just south of the airport when a group of men in white coveralls pulled up next to it, the driver brandishing a thirty eight revolver. “Pull it over!” He yelled at the driver of the truck, who seeing the pistol knew exactly what was going on.

  Pauli jumped out of the front passenger side of the car and jumped into the passenger side of the truck. “Hey Rudy,” he said smiling like the driver was an old buddy of his, in fact he was.

  Rudy smiled back, shaking Pauli’s hand. “Pauli, what the hell you mugs doing? You scared the hell out of me pointing that pistol at me like that.”

  “Pretenses, Rudy. We got to at least make it look like we was robbing you. In case somebody was watching, you know. You know where the warehouse is. Let‘s go.”

  “Yeah, I know the joint. How’s the wife and kids, Pauli?” Rudy said like they were out at the bar or something.

  “Good, good, thanks for asking. Now drive, we ain’t got all night,” Pauli said, taking a drag off a newly lit square.

  The warehouse was downtown, down a deserted street with no lights. Being late the streets were empty as they pulled into the warehouse lot. Rudy backed the truck into the loading dock and him and Pauli got out. Inside the warehouse was a whole lot of activity, men chopping up stolen cars, moving boxes around and unloading trucks filled with all types of goods.

  Rudy followed Pauli into a junky office where two other men were in a heated argument. “What the hell is the problem, Mikey?” Pauli asked like he was the head man in charge, which in fact he was.

  “This asshole’s trying to stiff me Pauli. We agreed on five thousand and he only wants to give me three five, what gives Pauli?” A rather large man with a blond crew cut inquired.

  “Is that true Mikey?”

  “Yeah, yeah but.”

  “Yeah, but. Give the man his money Mikey. I don’t do business like that,” Pauli said looking at Mikey like he wanted to break his neck.

  “Okay, Pauli, sorry, no problem,” Mikey consented, of course what choice did he have, the boss had spoken.

  The man with the crew cut left, so did Mikey.

  “Have a seat, Rudy. I’ll get your money,” Pauli said bending over to turn the tumblers on the dial of the safe in the corner of the office.”Five grand, right?”

  “Sounds fair to me Pauli,” Rudy said with a big smile on his kisser.

  “How long we known each other Rudy?” Pauli asked already knowing the answer.

  Rudy scratched his chin not knowing where Pauli was going with the conversation. “Oh, around twenty years, best I remember, why?”

  “Got a job for you. I wouldn’t trust just anybody to do it, you understand. This is coming straight from the top, the big man himself,” Pauli said handing Rudy his cash and looking him straight in his eyes.

  “Sure, sure, Pauli, anything, you know that,” Rudy said really curious what the hell he was talking about then.

  “Let‘s go and get a drink and I‘ll tell you all about it.”

  Chapter Six

  Again I was awoken by a loud banging at my door. “It better not be that damn T-Bone again. I’ll kill him!” I said dragging my tired ass out of bed, heading for the door. “Okay, okay, I’m coming. Don’t knock it down.”

  I eased the door open to take a peek when it was suddenly and forcefully kicked open. They pushed me to the floor, I lie there looking up at two suits standing over me brandishing fire arms. “What the hell?” The two suits grabbed me up and tossed me across the room like a rag doll, knocking over my makeshift bar and favorite chair in the process.

  “You, Bogart?” A big fellow with a fresh crew cut and a pencil thin mustache asked like he owned the joint.

  “Who wants to know?” I asked provoking the other fellow, a short stocky man with a wrinkled seersucker suit to smack me in the mouth.

  “ We’re asking the questions. I said are you Bogart? It’s a simple question and you better not give us any more crap if you know what’s good for you,” crew cut said and I knew he meant it.

  I answered straight that time, dragging myself up from the floor, not wanting short and stocky to whack me in the kisser again. “I’m Bogart.”

  They flashed detective shields, I’d seen enough of those in my day to know they were for real. “We need you to come downtown with us, Mr. Bogart,” short a
nd stocky said in a squeaky voice that portrayed his stature. “We have a few questions we’d like to ask you. Get dressed. Make it quick.”

  “What’s this all about?” I asked, looking for another punch to the mug but fortunately not getting one.

  “Downtown, Bogart, downtown.”

  They tossed me roughly into the back of an unmarked unit and headed downtown. “What the hell was going on?” The cops in the front seat weren’t saying. I racked my fuzzy brain on the drive to the downtown station but I still didn‘t have a clue. These guys seemed really pissed about something. Maybe they got called away from their coffee and donuts to pick me up. That had a tendency to upset coppers sometimes, but these two, I didn’t know.

  The sun was just peeking through the early morning clouds as we pulled up in front of the cop shop. Memphis’ finest hauled me out of the drab gray sorry excuse for a police vehicle and drug me inside the station surprisingly hectic for the early morning hour. Crew cut and short and stocky led me through the station that resembled a maze to a desk way back in the corner, throwing me callously into a waiting wooden chair.

  “Park your kister right there Bogart,” short and stocky said while crew cut nodded in agreement. “We have a couple of questions that need answering. If you give us the right answers, this shouldn’t take long, but if not you may be in for long and possible painful day. If you get my drift.”

  I started to get up but short and stocky knocked me back down with a back hand to the chops. “What’s this all about? I want my phone call.”

  “Shut the hell up,” short and stocky said threatening to hit me again.

  “Have a date last night, Mr. Bogart?” Crew cut finally said breaking his silence.

  “What are you talking about?”

  “It’s a simple question. The man asked you did you have a date last night.”