“Done,” she answered without a thought. “Ask Slim to call me.”
“I will,” Forrest said. “I look forward to seeing you.”
“It’ll be good to see you, too,” she answered, again speaking without thinking. “Goodbye.”
“I’m glad you called,” Forrest said as she was about to pull the phone from her ear. “And for what it’s worth, I tried to stop my father’s allegations.”
She didn’t have time to worry about Galen Reynolds, or if Forrest had stood up for her or not. “Thank you,” she said. “But your sentiment is a little late.”
Norma Rose clicked off then.
“Bee’s knees,” Twyla whispered. “You are one hard dame.”
Sighing, Norma Rose leaned back in her chair. “Am I?”
Eyes wide, yet grinning, Twyla nodded, her head bobbing so hard her dangling earrings jingled.
Norma Rose released the air attempting to suffocate her from the inside. It had been what she’d wanted, to be a hard dame. One who held the appearance that nothing and no one got to her. It had worked for a while, years really, but was it truly who she was, who she wanted to be? What had it really gotten her?
“What’s going on today?” Twyla asked. “Father’s been locked in his office all day.”
In the past, Norma Rose would have told her sister it was none of her business, but it was Twyla’s business, and Josie’s, just as much as it was hers. The resort belonged to all of them. “I truly don’t know,” she admitted. “Not all of it, but I need your help. Josie’s, too.”
* * *
“I don’t believe it,” Roger repeated. “I pay that man well.”
Ty’s instincts had been right, but convincing Roger was difficult and proved where Norma Rose got her stubbornness. “Someone paid him more,” Ty said. “That shouldn’t surprise you. St. Paul hasn’t had an honest police chief in years. Dave said Charlie made his milk shake, but Janet carried it into the back room and then she left out the back door, to deliver a prescription order. He remembers her offering him a ride when he stumbled outside.”
“With prompting from you,” Roger insisted.
“I never mentioned her name, or anyone else’s—Dave did. I just listened as he talked,” Ty reminded. Roger had been in the cabin during the questioning, and still refused to believe it. “Dave also remembers Williams being in the car.”
“Ted picked him up.”
“No,” Ty said, “he told Norma Rose he got a call and sent an officer out to pick him up.”
“He probably didn’t want to concern her,” Roger said.
“I drove the route.” Ty normally didn’t bother convincing people, but this time he was determined. “Ted could have easily dropped Dave off on the street corner, driven to the station and told another officer to go pick him up.” Ty crossed the room, laid both hands on Roger’s desk and leaned down to look the man in the eye. “It all adds up. Janet wants retribution for her brother’s arrest, and agrees to go along with accosting Dave, knowing when he’d visit the drugstore. Neither of them knew of Dave’s allergy to alcohol and panicked before they’d delivered him to Bodine’s henchmen.”
When Roger once again shook his head, frustration bubbled inside Ty. “Think about it. A girl who never had enough money to take the trolley to St. Paul, now lives in a brand-new apartment and drives a Chevy straight off the lot. A soda girl doesn’t make that kind of money. Add that to the Blind Bull being raided on Friday night and opening again on Saturday night, under a new name. That isn’t anything new, but I’ve seen buildings after federal raids. That didn’t happen at the Blind Bull. It was an internal takeover with a few local cops thrown in for good measure.”
“So Bodine now owns the Blind Bull,” Roger said. “Then go there and bust him, leave my resort out of it.”
“It’s not that simple,” Ty said, although he was thankful the man now understood certain aspects. “Bodine’s not there. He has front men, just like you. Dave’s the one who carries a suitcase full of samples for potential buyers—not you.”
Roger growled an expletive.
“The only place Bodine is going to appear,” Ty went on, “is here at the resort, and your only hope of avoiding a takeover, or a raid, which is what I’m sure his henchmen are planning by putting out the word there’s a snitch, is for us to stop him before he gets here.”
“Us?” Roger asked. “You want me to turn snitch by working with you, a federal agent?”
“You already have,” Ty pointed out. “You know my identity, but haven’t put a bullet in my back.”
Roger leaned back in his chair and rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “No, I haven’t,” he finally said. “Do you want to know why?”
Ty didn’t nod, but simply met the man’s stare eyeball to eyeball.
“Because I want to know what’s in this for you,” Roger said. “You could call in all the backup you need. Could have right from the start.”
“I need Bodine, not his henchmen,” Ty said. “The only way to draw him out is a meeting with you.”
“Which could mean the ruin of everything,” Roger said.
Growing frustrated again, Ty straightened and ran a hand through his hair. There was only one way to make Roger see how serious this truly was. “You want to keep those daughters of yours safe? You may want to send the rest of them to Chicago with Ginger.”
“What are you talking about now?”
Ty’s insides churned. “I know Bodine. He won’t stop until he gets what he wants, and deep down, you know that, too. Now, I can make sure that doesn’t happen, but you have to—”
“Why?”
Frustrated, Ty bit his lips together.
“What’s in this for you?” Roger asked. “Besides Bodine. He’s just another notch on your belt. The stories I’ve heard, you don’t work with anyone, just—”
“Because when this is all over, I plan on asking your permission to marry Norma Rose.” The second the words left his mouth, Ty wanted to call them back. It was too late, he knew that, and wondered if he looked as shocked as Roger did. The idea he might have fallen in love with Norma Rose had been brewing in the back of his mind since returning from town with her this afternoon, but marrying her hadn’t.
“No,” Roger said firmly.
“No?” Ty repeated. Now that he’d admitted it, the idea was growing on him. Marrying Norma Rose. He could imagine Nightingale might have apprehensions about his daughter marrying an agent—many men might. Slapping both hands on Roger’s desk, he leaned down again. “I’m about to save your business, your empire, and keep you out of jail. I’m the only one that can do it, I might add.”
Roger pushed out of his chair to stand and lean across his desk, where they stared at one another practically nose to nose. “Me, my business, is one thing. My daughter is another.”
“So you’d rather go down?” Ty asked.
“I won’t be blackmailed,” Roger said. “And neither will Norma Rose.”
Chapter Sixteen
Her father’s lips were shut tighter than a clam. Other than having her and her sisters sign various documents, he’d barely uttered a word in the past five days. The tension surrounding him was so thick Norma Rose could almost see it, but no matter how hard she insisted he tell her what was going on, he refused.
Refused.
She was furious, fed up and sick. Literally sick to her stomach. Hadn’t been able to eat and at night she cried. Something she hadn’t done in years. But Ty had disappeared. Utterly disappeared. It was as if he’d never been at the resort. In her life. Even her memories were foggy. If not for the constant ache inside her, she’d almost believe he’d been nothing more than a phantom she’d conjured out of thin air.
Norma Rose scrubbed her face one more time, trying to wash away the evidence of another sleepless night. Glancing into the mirror over the sink, she concluded all she’d done was take off a layer of skin. All the cosmetics in the world wouldn’t disguise the bags under her eyes or the hollowness
of her cheekbones.
She had to try. Tonight was Big Al’s party.
After applying makeup, which didn’t help, she pulled on a dress. A black one that was far more fitting for a funeral than an anniversary party, but it fit her mood. She then went to her room, where she added black shoes and gloves and rather than a headband, she put on a black pill hat.
Twyla and Josie both encountered her in the hallway, their brows raised, yet they made no comment, at least not about her outfit. They were both dressed in vibrant colors.
“The decorating is completed,” Josie said. “You have to come see it. The ice sculpture is gorgeous.”
“Ice sculpture?” Norma Rose asked, needing something to say.
“Yes,” Josie said. “I told you about it. They are becoming a rave.”
“It’s in the shape of a swan,” Twyla added. “Most impressive.”
Nothing could impress her. Not even all the work her sisters had done. Something she truly needed to appreciate. If not for them, the resort may have dried up and blown away. She just didn’t have the energy it needed. That had never happened before, but she didn’t know how to get it back. It was already two in the afternoon and she was just now venturing downstairs.
Her sisters, however, had been up since the break of dawn. When she’d asked them to take over Big Al and Palooka George’s parties they’d jumped in like they’d been running the place all along. At the time, she’d believed she’d be glued to Ty’s side, not mourning his absence like an army widow. That’s truly what she felt like—a widow. Having lost the one man she’d loved more than life itself.
A sigh burning her chest escaped and covered the sob that wanted to be released. She was afraid to think where Ty might be. The mystery behind Dave’s poisoning had vanished with him. At least that’s how it seemed, considering no one would talk about it.
“You should add a long string of pearls to your outfit,” Twyla said. “It would liven you up a bit.”
Norma Rose caught the glare Josie shot at their other sister while she hooked her arm. “She looks lovely just as she is,” Josie said. “Black has always been Norma Rose’s favorite color.”
“Yes, it has been,” Twyla said, hooking Norma Rose’s other arm. “Wait until you see the ballroom. Forrest Reynolds will be green with envy.”
Josie leaned forward to once again glare at Twyla, and Norma Rose knew she had to respond. Her sisters had been extremely understanding over the past few days. “I’m excited to see the ballroom,” she said, digging deep to pull up a portion of her past resilience. “But I don’t give a rat’s ass if Forrest is impressed or not.”
It was Josie who started giggling. When Twyla joined in, Norma Rose’s lips started to quiver. It was either laugh with them or cry. She went with laugh.
“I knew you were still in there somewhere,” Twyla said as their laughter died down. “I knew it would take more than a good-looking lawyer to take down my sister.”
Josie, done laughing, groaned. “Twyla—”
“No,” Norma Rose said, stopping Josie’s reproof. She hadn’t been taken down. Just the opposite. Ty had lifted her up. Made her feel things she’d never imagined. “Twyla’s right. Ty is good-looking.” Loving him, as she now knew she did, may have made her stumble, but it hadn’t brought her down. And no one would control her love life this time. No one. Looking at her sisters, she said, “And just so you both know, he’s mine.”
Both her sisters lifted their brows and then nodded.
Norma Rose didn’t have to conjure up a smile. It formed all on its own. “And no man will ever bring a Nightingale girl down.”
“Never,” Twyla said.
“Ever,” Josie added.
Arms hooked, they descended the sweeping staircase as one unit—three sisters working together—into the ballroom that was decorated more beautifully than imaginable.
People started arriving before Norma Rose had a chance to see all of the finest details, but she knew they were in place, so she wore her best smile and greeted each person as if they were a guest of honor.
When Forrest arrived, she even greeted him, leaning forward for him to kiss her cheek. He was as handsome as ever, but that stirred nothing inside her. Then again, no one could get a rise out of a corpse. She still felt dead inside, but now she was going to do something about it.
An elegant dinner was served before the music started, and by then, tired of twirling her thumbs on the sidelines—for her sisters had seen to every detail and there truly was nothing for her to do—Norma Rose stepped outside onto the balcony, where the evening sky was darkening and faint stars were poking through. Big Al and his wife were dancing, holding one another as if it was their wedding night instead of years later. Once unable to imagine what it would be like to share life so intimately with one person, Norma Rose now knew that was exactly what she wanted. Moving away from the huge windows, she didn’t stop at the staircase, but walked all the way down to stroll across the freshly manicured grass.
Slim Johnson was a good musician, and the smooth even notes of the love song he played floated softly on the breeze, mixing with the sound of a few frogs calling to their mates.
Her wandering took her past the large pines that separated the lawn from the road leading to the cabins. Uncle Dave was back to his prime self, inside with the other guests, drinking soda water.
He refused to talk about Ty, too.
There had to be someone that knew where he’d gone. No one could just vanish, and all she had to do was figure out who that might be. Besides her father. He knew.
It would shock him, as it had her, but neither the resort nor her father would stop her from loving Ty. Ty probably wouldn’t believe it, either, not at first, but she’d convince him. She’d already had to convince herself, which, in spite of all she’d believed in the past, had been relatively easy.
There was no sound or movement from the trees, but instinct flipped a switch inside her. Awareness had her heart and her breath quickening as she moved closer to peer into the shadows.
“Hello, Norma Rose.”
Disappointment hit her like a sledgehammer. “Hello, Chief Williams,” she replied. “What are you doing hiding in the trees?” She meant to sound casual, but an inkling of dread tickled her spine. The chief was on the guest list, as he was at most parties, yet she hadn’t seen him arrive, and even if she’d missed him walking in, she’d expect him to be at the bar, consuming as much alcohol as the others.
“Just taking a stroll,” he said. “Like you.”
A rustle in the trees stung her already heightened sense of hearing. “I was just looking for Bronco,” she lied.
“Bronco’s out front.” Ted took a hold of her arm as he spoke.
“Let go of me,” she demanded, with no results. Her struggles were nothing against his strength, and once he’d pulled her into the trees someone else grabbed both of her arms from behind. Norma Rose opened her mouth to scream, but Ted clamped a hand over it. His other hand held the back of her head and one of his legs hooked around hers to stop her thrashing.
“Got those cuffs on?” he asked.
* * *
The music had just started when Ty arrived at the party, and he congratulated himself for purchasing a new suit in Chicago. The glitz and glamour of the shindig outdid the Ritz of New York parties, and he’d known Norma Rose would be dressed to the hilt. Black, as usual. She was a sight for sore eyes, standing next to the patio windows.
He was about to cross the room when Roger appeared at his side. It was just as well, get the business over first, then nothing would interrupt him and Norma Rose.
“Where’s Ginger?” Roger asked as they left the ballroom.
“Safe.” He’d thought about collecting Ginger, but as he’d told Roger before leaving, he wasn’t about to put anyone in more danger. There was enough of that already. “I checked.” He left it at that. Sooner or later Roger would discover what Ginger was doing in Chicago, and Ty wanted Bodine long gone by then.
Once in Roger’s office, Ty handed over an envelope he’d negotiated hard to obtain while meeting with his superior in Chicago. “Your amnesty papers,” he’d said. “Fully notarized. You help us catch the worst of the worst, and you, your properties, businesses and family will never be indicted.”
“And my suppliers?” Roger asked.
The man didn’t give an inch, but Ty already knew that. “I can’t promise what happens outside of your property, but I will say you need to have a product people want to buy.”
Roger rubbed his chin thoughtfully, reading between the lines of that answer before he asked, “When will it go down?”
Ty wished he had an answer. “I don’t know for sure. I still haven’t discovered when or how Bodine will arrive.”
After putting the envelope, still sealed, in his desk drawer, Roger shook his head. “Norma Rose still isn’t going to like this.”
“I know,” Ty answered. “I’m prepared for that.”
“Are you?”
He shrugged, not exactly sure if he was prepared for anything when it came to Norma Rose. He’d put everything on the line for her and his gut told him it would work out. That’s what he believed and would continue to do so.
“I saw her walk out the balcony doors when I was coming to meet you,” Roger said. “Good luck.”
Ty went out the front door; walking around the outside of the building would be faster than making his way through the crowd in the ballroom. He wasn’t planning on asking her to marry him, not tonight. Not until this was over, but he had missed her. Lord, he’d missed her.
Night had fallen, but the moon was out, as were the stars, and they lit his way. He rounded the building and took the stairs leading up to the balcony three at time. It was empty, and he walked the length of it, looking through the windows for a glimpse of Norma Rose. He ran down the other set of steps and surveyed the lawn. The freshly cut grass held faint impressions. Footsteps. He followed them all the way to the tree line, where his stomach fell to his heels.
Lying beneath the pines was a single black glove.
The Bootlegger's Daughter (Daughters Of The Roaring Twenties Book 1) Page 21