Rosetta said, ‘Not me, Papa.’
Salvatore got up. ‘I’ll see who it is.’ He left the room.
‘Does anybody know who it can be?’ Gina said.
‘It doesn’t matter as long as they pay,’ the Old Man said.
Everybody laughed except Ignatius White. The Old Man said, ‘What’s funny?’ As he did so, the telephone rang. ‘And now the telephone? What is this? Who rings?’
Angelo rose and went to the nearest phone, which was in the kitchen.
‘Excuse me,’ Ignatius White said.
‘Yes, Iggy?’ Mama said. ‘Some more broccoli? More sauce? Look at him. He wants building up.’
‘You were just talking about someone who had promised to teach David about the new computers.’
‘That’s right,’ Mama said sweetly.
‘Well, if David would like some instruction, I can probably help.’
‘There you go, brain-drain,’ Marie said.
‘That’s very generous of you, Iggy,’ Gina said. ‘Isn’t that kind, David?’
David looked across the table at Ignatius White.
‘I’d be pleased, delighted to help you, David,’ Ignatius White said.
David managed to say, ‘Thank you.’
Angelo appeared from the kitchen. ‘Marie. For you.’
Marie jumped up and closed the door behind her father as Angelo returned to his seat.
‘Who rings people in the middle of Sunday lunch?’ the Old Man asked.
‘This call,’ Angelo said deliberately, ‘was from a classmate of Marie’s named Terry. He says he wants to talk to her about a band called Easy Money.’
Before anyone could comment Salvatore reappeared. He carried a cage. ‘For Gina,’ he said.
‘What for does Gina want a birdcage?’ the Old Man asked.
‘For her canary,’ Salvatore said, pointing to a tiny, pale lemon bird with black markings perched in a corner.
‘For me?’ Gina said.
‘From an old guy with braces,’ Salvatore said. ‘He said he was a friend of yours. He said he knew how much you must be missing Jasper.’
‘The Shaylers’ neighbour,’ Gina said.
‘Your friend says he’s sorry Patch isn’t orange like Jasper, but he’s sure Patch is male and that he’ll be a good singer. Keep the cage as long as you need it. And if you want to drop in, he has some bird books you might find interesting. To tell the truth, Gina,’ Salvatore said, ‘I think the old guy’s in love with you.’
Gina buried her face in her hands.
‘You going to satisfy this customer?’ Salvatore asked.
‘The Shaylers,’ the Old Man said to Ignatius White. ‘Satisfied clients. But definitely not a murder case.’
‘How interesting,’ Ignatius White said.
‘Now Norman Stiles, that was a murder case.’
From around the table groans arose. Ignatius White did not understand them at all.
About the Author
Michael Z. Lewin is the award-winning author of many mystery novels, short stories, and radio plays. He is best known for two series set in and around his hometown of Indianapolis. Albert Samson is a wry, low-key private eye who neither beats people up nor owns a gun. Leroy Powder is an irascible Indy police lieutenant who repeatedly “helps” his colleagues to become better cops. Both character also appear in Lewin’s short stories. The main characters from the two series and other Indianapolis titles often appear in lesser roles in other books.
Since 1971, Lewin has lived in England, currently in Bath, where his city center flat overlooks the nearby hills. It also overlooks the front doors of the Lunghi family detective agency, a newer series of novels and stories set in the historic city. Visit him online at www.MichaelZLewin.com for more information.
All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 1995 by Michael Z. Lewin
Cover design by Kat JK Lee
ISBN: 978-1-4804-4375-4
This edition published in 2015 by Open Road Integrated Media, Inc.
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