Sirens (17 page)

Now it was his turn to look flustered. He adjusted his hat, then his jacket. “I have business with your uncle.”

He was lying. I could feel it. There was more to him and his relationship with Uncle Bert than met my eyes. Or was it some other relationship? I looked down the avenue in the direction
Melody had disappeared. Rushton’s sense of desperation pooled around him and threatened to sweep me in its undertow.

“I really must speak to you about Teddy,” he said.

“Look, I can’t tell you anything. There’s nothing to tell. Teddy’s gone, and that’s that.”

He said, “I don’t think that’s that.”

I shifted, looking off again toward where Melody had disappeared. I almost growled with frustration. “Teddy is gone, Mr. Rushton. Leave him in peace. And me as well.”

Pedestrians circled us, the rush and pulse of traffic passed behind me, and I couldn’t meet John Rushton’s eyes. He tipped his hat. “Miss Winter.”

I nodded. “Mr. Rushton.” I pushed off and made my way as fast as I could along the sidewalk.

Fast, but to no avail. I’d lost Melody. I was no better a sleuth than Charlie after all. I stood at the edge of the park, where the path diverged from the street sidewalk; she was nowhere in sight. She might have followed the path, or she might have stayed on the avenue. I couldn’t be sure.

What I could be sure of was that she hadn’t gone out to buy hose. We were well away from the shops. Aunt Mary’s suspicions were good: Melody was up to something. So. I was not the only one with a secret. Melody had one, too.

I sat down on a park bench, defeated. Pigeons fluttered around me, searching for a handout. Traffic passed in waves. Smells of soot and exhaust and garbage overwhelmed the sweeter smell of green grass from the park behind me. The dull, distant rumble of the city filled me from the ground up.

As far as I was concerned, it was a miserable day. I hunched my shoulders and folded my arms, trying to puzzle it out.

Melody and I were about as different as night and day. One a flapper, and the other…A shadow fell on me, and I started and looked up, squinting and shading my eyes. Well. I relaxed again; maybe the day was looking up a little.

“You look pretty gloomy for someone out on such a nice day,” Charlie said.

“Don’t get me started. Are you still following me?”

“You’re my only job other than waiting tables at the moment.” Maybe Charlie was getting better at his detective work. At least he kept track of me, unlike my wretched sleuthing of Melody.

“Did they arrest you last night?” I scootched over on the bench to make room for him to sit next to me.

“Nah. They give the musicians a break, most of the time. Cops figure we don’t get paid enough, just like them.” He grinned at me. He was a sweet guy, and those dark pools of his eyes, I wanted to drown in them. I smiled back, feeling my irritation drift away. He nudged my arm. “Want to take a walk?”

We ambled deep into the park, the street noises receding behind us. The breeze lifted and fell; I heard the squeals of childish laughter ripple over the grass from the other side of the meadow.

“So, you are Louie’s brother,” I said. “That’s how you know Daniel Connor. And that’s who employed you to follow me.”

“Yup.”

“Louie is pretty sweet on him.”

“He treats her right. Gives her whatever she wants. He’s got a swell place to live, buys her nice clothes, jewelry….”

“Everything except a wedding ring,” I said.

Charlie laughed out loud. “Lou, married? Nah. Especially not to Danny Connor.”

Danny Connor. I needed him to like me so I could help Pops. I shivered. I said without thinking, “What is it about him?”

“Connor?” Charlie took my question differently, thank goodness. “He’s a tough cookie, but clever. He’s the boss of a gang that controls most of the East Side. Came out of the Lower East Side as a boxer, and must’ve knocked off a few bruisers in order to rise to the top. Runs the speakeasies and jazz joints up and down town. Had some mix-up back in ’nineteen and ’twenty when people were all scared of the Reds. Connor may be a Red, for all I know. For sure, he’s a supporter of the Irish community. He’s been pretty nice to me and Lou.” Charlie hesitated. “He can be a little peculiar. He’s got this thing about collecting.”

This gave me pause. “Collecting?”

“Stuff. Artifacts, artwork. He buys all these antiques, things from Europe, has them all over his house. You should see the museum he’s got there, his own private museum. It’s like he needs to have all this stuff. Not that I wouldn’t like living that way. Surrounded by all that nice stuff. His biggest thing is plants.”

“He mentioned something about his greenhouse. About orchids.”

Charlie nodded. “He gets these shipments in special crates from all over the world. He knows a thing or two, I’ll give him that. The orchids, they’re really delicate. Can only be sent at certain times of the year. Then he breeds his own, too. Even has one named after him, supposedly.” He paused, rubbing his chin. “It’s kind of spooky, that greenhouse.”

It was as if a cloud had covered the sun. I stopped walking and folded my arms across my chest. “Why?”

“It’s locked, and he’s the only one with the key. Even Louie’s been inside only once or twice. And those incidents spooked her pretty good.” We’d reached the edge of one of the ponds. Ducks paddled in our direction looking for us to toss them a treat, and the water rippled in the breeze. Charlie laughed, but he sounded uneasy. “Maybe he buries his bodies under the dirt.”

“Bodies!” I hugged myself tighter, feeling a chill creep up the back of my neck.

Charlie shrugged. “You can’t be a tough guy and not be tough.”

“How tough? Like Al Capone tough?”

“Yeah. Capone. I read some article where Capone says he’s not a killer, but…well. Everyone says Capone’s a gangster, no matter what he says.” Charlie examined his hands. “Connor filled in the void here when Capone left New York for Chicago.”

I shuddered. Connor was Capone dangerous. Capone thought nothing of murder. I thought about Connor’s invitation to see his greenhouse. He’d let me in…would he let me out? “So Connor’s a murderer?”

Charlie looked away, then back again. “There’s no proof of that. But it’s pretty wild, if you look real close. Connor’s just doing what anyone wants to do in a free country. Make money and be powerful.”

“Charlie, if Daniel Connor is that bad, why do you let your sister…”

Charlie moved away; I sensed his impatience. “Look. What Louie does is her business. I can’t stop her. She’s got to make her choices. All I can do is hang around and keep an eye on her. She’s
Connor’s moll, and that’s that.” Charlie turned away from me, bent, picked up a small rock, and threw it far across the pond, where it splashed and sent the water away in great circles. He stood with his back to me, silent for a couple of minutes. Then he turned back toward me with a grin. “But heck. Because of Lou, he keeps setting me up with gigs. He got me a new job for a couple of nights from now. I’ll be playing in a joint up in Harlem.” Charlie watched me. “And whether he knows it or not, he made it so I could meet you.”

The flush crept up my face, my cheeks flaming. “I guess he did.”

“You know, with help like that, I could really be something someday. A great musician. Famous. Rich, even.” He paused. “I know that a girl like you…”

“What?” I asked as his words trailed off.

“Well, a girl like you wants a smart guy. You, you’re different. You don’t want just any joe. You want someone special. Someone who can give you pretty things. Someone who can make things happen.” Charlie’s cheeks were dark. “I know you don’t just want some guy who waits tables. I want you to know that I’m gonna make it as a musician. Be the best. Who knows?” He stubbed his toe at a clump of grass. “Danny Connor can help me make it. I do a few things for him…he makes things happen for me. No big deal.” He shrugged. “Then maybe even a girl like you would like a guy like me.”

My heart was flapping like butterfly wings in my chest. “I think you’ve got enough talent to make it on your own,” I murmured.

“You think?” Now his eyes were bright. “Gee.”

We stood there in the shade of a great oak. Charlie was a sweet guy. Those dark expressive eyes of his were like windows. He couldn’t help showing me his heart, everything he thought, or so
I believed in that moment. I said, “So Charlie. Want to walk me home?”

The rest of the walk was filled with noises of the city as we walked without talking. I’d never even had a guy friend, much less a crush. Molly used to rib me about turning into an old maid before I was even old. Now here I was, talking with Charlie as if I’d known him all my life. We paused on the sidewalk a couple of blocks from the apartment. Charlie shuffled his feet. “Probably see you tomorrow, if Connor wants me back on the job.”

Despite Charlie, a dark feeling stole over me at his words. “Why do you think he’s having you follow me?”

Charlie shrugged. “I’m just glad he asked me, and not one of those other two.”

“Other two?”

“Ryan and Neil. His right-hand men.”

“Well, I’m glad he asked you, too. But I still don’t get it.”

Charlie looked up the avenue. “I overheard something. Connor was talking to Ryan. Saying something about you and your family.”

“Saying what?” The wind was knocked out of me.

“Something about how you might know where Teddy is. That maybe you were meeting him. That Connor wants to find him.”

I looked across the street.

Charlie shuffled. “I mean, I thought he was dead, but Connor, he seems to think otherwise. Do you know where Teddy is?”

I looked at Charlie with a creeping suspicion. “You knew Teddy?”

He shrugged. “A little. Not well. Is he? Dead, I mean?”

I swallowed hard. I wouldn’t answer that. “Why do you think Connor would want to find him?”

“I don’t ask Danny Connor why.”

“Even when it involves me?” I felt like I’d swallowed a golf ball. Only minutes earlier I’d thought I could see into Charlie’s heart. Now, he was a closed book.

“Look, long story. Forget I asked.” Charlie stared at the sidewalk.

That chill came over me again, bitter and sharp. Charlie worked for Danny. Danny was looking for Teddy. I kept Teddy’s secret. Was Charlie being nice to me just so I’d take him into my confidence?

It may have been a nice spring day for some, but for me it was clouded and bruised and portended storms. The city air smelled rancid and bitter.

“I’d better go,” I said. I couldn’t keep the anger out of my voice.

“Right,” Charlie said. He stabbed his toe at something invisible. “Listen…”

“Don’t,” I snapped.

“Okay.” His voice was wounded, sour. “Okay. See you, then.”

I watched him walk away from me, waiting until he’d darted across the street, until he walked on down the avenue, head down, that now familiar wolflike gait, with his hands jammed deep into his pants’ pockets. Only then did I turn toward the apartment.

I found it empty except for the staff—Adela still rummaging around the bedrooms, fetching and distributing clean linens and laundry; Malcolm setting the dining room for dinner. I still didn’t feel comfortable fetching Teddy’s journal from the drawer in my room; it would have to wait until I didn’t feel someone’s sharp eyes on me.

The apartment, for all it had, was a vast white space, luxurious and lonely and sad. I wondered at that, at my aunt and uncle living in a place with no heart, having a life with no soul. I sat in the library as the afternoon slipped toward evening, but for a change I wasn’t reading.

CHAPTER 23

Lou

Yeah, I remember when Teddy came into our little world. Teddy’s uncle recommended him to Danny. Said Teddy was discreet.

Danny took a liking to him right off the bat. He was a good hard worker. But I had to be real careful, ’cause Teddy was a good-looking kid and older than me and younger than Danny, and he’d been a war hero and all that. I had to make sure Danny never found us alone together, even having a simple conversation, ’cause I hated to think what Danny would do to either one of us.

It was Paddy who liked to yak about the greenhouse. Danny didn’t seem to mind when Paddy talked to me in private, though I sure did. Especially after that time Paddy followed me out to the beach. When all I wanted was a little sun after a long, cooped-up winter.

The shadow fell on me, and I sat up. “Hey, Louise.”

“Patrick.” I pulled on my robe.

“Aw, you don’t have to cover up on my account. That new bathing costume sure looks nice on you.”

I could see him looking at my legs. I drew the robe tight around me. “Time I was getting back.”

He sat down next to me, too close. I tried to scootch away, but he put his hand on my arm. “Why are you in such a hurry?”

“Patrick, take your hand off me.”

He did, but not as fast as I wanted. “Say, I know you’ve been dying to see what’s inside the greenhouse. How’s about we go exploring?”

“How about I leave now?” I made to gather my things and stand, but Paddy put his hand on my arm again.

I eyed him hard. “Danny’ll kill you,” I said through my teeth.

“Not if I tell him you came on to me,” Paddy said with a grin. “Come on, little bearcat, just one kiss for your boyfriend’s brother.”

I tried to twist my arm away, but he held me tight. And it would’ve ended badly except for Teddy.

We both heard him pushing through the roses, and Paddy removed his arm just in time.

“Hi!” Teddy came down the path with a big warm smile, so big it made my heart ache with thanks. “Hey, Paddy, we’ve got to move some boxes. Hi, Miss Louise.”

“Move ’em yourself,” Paddy grumbled.

“Hi, Teddy. Say, would you be a sweetheart and help me up? I’m about done roasting out here.”

Teddy helped me to my feet, and I beat it for the house double time.

Yes, I would’ve agreed with Teddy’s uncle Bert. Teddy was discreet. And that war hero stuff—even with the mutterings, I knew that Teddy had the hero’s touch.

CHAPTER 24

MAY 23–24, 1925