“Okay. And what about the other time? When you didn’t put the betting slip in the bag.”
Tommy shrugs, but looks Mickey in the eye. “I just couldn’t, sir. The kids were hungry and sick. And Mrs. Schmidt was crying. She had a black eye, or maybe it was the time before that? Anyway, I kept thinking about my own mother. I didn’t think of it as stealing, sir.”
“I know you didn’t. And we both know that Adolph Schmidt has a problem. You know, I thought that you might work out as a runner, but I guess I was wrong.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Duffy. Please don’t fire me, sir. I’ll try harder. Honest I will. I like working for you.”
“Look, Tom. You’re not cut out for that part of the business, but you’re a smart kid. I like your attitude. How about you work as a messenger boy between me and my accountant and some of my other associates? You can carry papers and other stuff.”
“I could do that, sure. But I’m still in school. I might not have much time. Want me to quit school so I can do it full time?”
“No. You stay in school. Like I said, you’re a smart boy. I need smart people working for me. Maybe, when you’re older, you’ll be an accountant like your mother. Or maybe decide you want to be a lawyer. I can use both those kinds of people. Time will tell. No, you come here to the Ritz on Saturdays, same as you did at Chalkie’s. I’ll have jobs for you to do.”
The door to the hotel suite opens and Henry Mercer comes in. Mickey peels off a couple of bills and gives them to Tommy. “Here, you can start right away. Go down to the deli on the corner and pick me up a hot corned beef sandwich. Get one for yourself as well. I like lots of hot mustard on mine. Tell ‘em it’s for me. They know me there, and know how I like it.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Duffy, sir.” Tommy dashes out of the room.
Henry comes in and sits down next to Mickey. “So, what’s with the kid?”
“My new errand boy. Maggie Barnes’ kid. I had him at Chalkie’s but it didn’t work out. Too soft for that side of the business. Maybe I tossed him into the deep end too quick.”
“What happened?” asks Henry.
Mickey shrugs. “Nothing bad happened, and Eddie and I looked after it. No, it was just a bit much for the kid, what with the way his ma has raised him and all. Had to reel him back a bit. This is more his style.” He smiles to himself.
“From what I’ve heard her say, I’m surprised Maggie’s letting him work here.”
“Well, she doesn’t exactly know. It’s on the QT. I’ve taken a shine to him. Nice kid.” Mickey glances around the room, making sure they can’t be overheard. “I gotta tell you, Henry, one of my biggest regrets is that Edith and I don’t have kids. It’s really something, having Tommy around. Did I tell ya that I taught him to drive? The kid’s a pro.”
“You’d have been a great father, Mick.”
Mickey gives himself a little shake. “So tell me, how was Chicago?”
“Capone is crazy. You know that, right? Nuts. He and Bugs Moran have quite the turf war going on. Between Capone’s Chicago Outfit and Moran’s North Side mob, Chicago is a dangerous place for pedestrians. They got drive by shootings happening all the time.”
“So, what are you thinking?”
“Capone’s going to Florida after Christmas. It might be nice to have him out of town when we do the hit. Given the bad blood between the two of them, he’s going to need an air-tight alibi.”
“You think that you can wait that long? Or him?”
“For Moran? Yeah, I think so. Capone’s got lots of other stuff on his plate. There’s a bunch called the South Siders and another called the Stockyard Barons. He can keep busy with them for a couple of months.”
Tommy returns, a grease-stained bag in his hand.
“I’m starved. Here, Tom. Pull up a chair, and Henry and I will teach you how to cheat at poker.”
Chapter 46
M aggie pauses in front of the office door, surprised to see the gold lettering ‘Gifford and Gifford Accounting Services’. Well, I guess we might as well start the day off on the wrong foot. She grips the handle of her brand new briefcase, and opens the door.
“Good morning, Mrs. Barnes,” Ron says.
Can a man look perky? “Good morning, Mr. McNeely. Is my father in yet? I need to ask him about the door.”
“Yes. It was done yesterday,” Howard says, coming out from his office. “Welcome to your first day, Margaret. I mean Maggie. We’re delighted you’re here.”
“Thank you. Father. And I’m delighted to be here. Do you think that Ron could call the sign painter to come back? There’s a small spelling mistake that we need to correct.”
“Really?” both men say in unison, peering at the gold letters on the door.
“Yes, Barnes is spelled with a B. Now, where shall I hang my hat?” Maggie says brightly.
“Of course it is. We’ll correct it today. My apologies, Maggie. Come, let me show you your office while Ron makes the call.”
Maggie ceremoniously takes off her coat and hat and hangs them on the hook behind the door. I’ll bring a hanger from home on Wednesday. She puts her brief case beside the desk and starts taking out her client files. She smiles at them fondly, looking so official on her desk.
“Do you have everything you need, Mrs. Barnes?” Ron asks from the open doorway.
“Please, call me Maggie. We’re going to be working together and Mrs. Barnes is just so formal.” Bridge building.
“Maggie it is, then. I called the sign painter and he’ll be right over. Anything else I can get you?”
“Can you show me where the pencils and other stationary are kept, Ron?” Another hopefully winning smile.
“Sure. Everything is in this closet in the hallway. Mr. Gifford has asked that I order you some business cards. If you write out what you’d like on them, I’ll order them this afternoon.” He glances at the files, neatly centered on her desk. “How about I find you a filing cabinet for those files. We can move things around in here to make room for it.”
The morning is spent rearranging the office furniture, her father on one end of the desk and Ron on the other. Ron had slipped his suit jacket off and rolled up his sleeves. Maggie forces herself to look away from those strong arms as he carries in a small two-drawer filing cabinet.
“Here, let me help you,” Howard says, coming round to take the back end.
“Where shall we put this, Maggie?” Ron asks, grinning at her.
“By the window,” she squeaks. The filing cabinet is tucked into a corner, next to the window. The ringing telephone pulls Ron away, leaving Maggie and her father alone.
“Thank you for accepting the offer, Maggie. It’s good to see you here.”
“Thank you for the opportunity, Father. I want you to know that I will work hard and add value to the firm.”
“Of that I have no doubt. You’ve always been smart as a whip. And having you here will take some of the workload off my shoulders, which is going to make your mother very happy.”
“Sir? You’re wanted on the telephone. It’s Allister Thompson.”
Howard smiles and heads back to his own office. Ron also disappears and reappears with one of the plants from the reception area. “What do you think of this? Is there room for a bit of green?”
“Perfect,” Maggie says as she puts her client files away in the top drawer of the cabinet. “How about on top of this file cabinet right next to the window. It should be happy there.” Maggie beams up at him, relaxed and happy in her new space.
His face suddenly turns red. “Um, yes, close to the window it is,” Ron says, putting the plant down. Maggie is suddenly aware of how close he is standing, as he leans over to adjust the plant pot. “There, that ought to do it.”
“Yes,” Maggie says, pushing her chair back to put a bit of space between them. “Thank you for your help this morning, Ron. It feels good to settle in.”
“We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, Maggie. I know your father’s delighted that you’r
e here and so am I. Welcome aboard.”
Ron smiles a genuine, warm and welcoming smile. Maggie’s heart starts pounding as she tries to steady her breath. Darn. What should I say? I’ve already said thanks… “The plant looks great,” she says and cringes. Stop acting like a schoolgirl, Maggie Barnes. He’s just a man. A good looking strong man.
Chapter 4 7
M aggie pauses in front of the office door, surprised to see the signage changed. All gold lettering on the glass section of the door: ‘Gifford and Gifford Accounting Services’. Well, I guess we might as well start the day off on the wrong foot. She grips the handle of her brand new briefcase even tighter, and opens the door.
“Good morning, Mrs. Barnes,” Ron says.
Can a man look perky? “Good morning, Mr. McNeely. Is my father in yet? I need to ask him about the door.”
“It was done yesterday,” Howard says, coming out from his office. “Welcome to your first day, Margaret. I mean Maggie. We’re delighted you’re here.”
“Thank you. Father. And I’m delighted to be here. Do you think that Ron could call the sign painter to come back? There’s a small spelling mistake that we need to correct.”
“Really?” both men say in unison, peering through the glass to take in the gold letters on the door.
“Yes, Barnes is spelled with a B. Now, where shall I hang my hat?” Maggie says brightly.
“Of course it is. We’ll correct it today. My apologies, Maggie. Come, let me show you your office while Ron makes the call.”
Maggie ceremoniously takes off her coat and hat and hangs them on the hook behind the door. I’ll bring a hanger from home on Wednesday. She puts her briefcase beside the desk and starts taking out her client files. She smiles at them fondly; they look so official on her desk.
“Do you have everything you need, Mrs. Barnes?” Ron asks from the open doorway.
“Please, call me Maggie. We’re going to be working together and Mrs. Barnes is just so formal.” Bridge building.
“Maggie it is, then. I called the sign painter and he’ll be right over. Anything else I can get you?”
“Can you show me where the pencils and other stationary are kept, Ron?” Another, hopefully winning, smile.
“Sure. Everything is in this closet in the hallway. Mr. Gifford has asked that I order you some business cards. If you write out what you’d like on them, I’ll order them this afternoon.” He glances at the files, neatly centered on her desk. “How about I find you a filing cabinet for those files? We can move things around in here to make room for it.”
The morning is spent rearranging the office furniture, her father lifting one end of the desk and Ron the other. Ron had slipped his suit jacket off and rolled up his sleeves. Maggie forces herself to look away from his strong arms as he carries in a small, two-drawer filing cabinet.
“Here, let me help you,” Howard says, coming round to take the back end.
“Where shall we put this, Maggie?” Ron asks, grinning at her.
“By the window,” she squeaks. When the cabinet is tucked into place, the ringing telephone pulls Ron away, leaving Maggie and her father alone.
“Thank you for accepting the offer, Maggie. It’s good to see you here.”
“Thank you for the opportunity, Father. I want you to know that I will work hard and add value to the firm.”
“Of that I have no doubt. You’ve always been a go-getter. And having you here will take some of the workload off my shoulders. That will make your mother very happy.”
“Sir? You’re wanted on the telephone. It’s Allister Thompson.”
Howard smiles and heads back to his own office. Ron also disappears, only to reappear with one of the plants from the reception area. “What do you think of this? Is there room for a bit of green?”
“Perfect,” Maggie says over her shoulder as she puts her client files in the top drawer. “How about on top of this cabinet, right next to the window. That should make it happy.”
As Ron moves closer to place the plant where Maggie indicates, she beams up at him, relaxed in her new space. Startled by her smile, his face suddenly turns red. “Um, yes, close to the window it is,” Ron says, putting the plant down.
Maggie is suddenly aware of how close they are. He leans over to adjust the plant pot. “There, that ought to do it.”
Maggie pushes her chair back to put a bit of space between them. “Thank you for your help this morning, Ron. It feels good to settle in.”
“We may have gotten off on the wrong foot, Maggie. I know your father’s delighted that you’re here, and so am I. Welcome aboard.”
Ron smiles a genuine, warm and welcoming smile. Maggie’s heart starts pounding as she tries to steady her breath. Darn. What should I say? I’ve already said thanks…
“The plant looks great,” she says, and cringes. Stop acting like a schoolgirl, Maggie Barnes. He’s just a man. A good looking, strong man.
Chapter 48
H enry rolls over. Something woke him up. Conversation in the living room. Mickey’s back. Henry’d been working on a new supply route for rum from the Bahamas until late and decided to crash in one of the hotel bedrooms. Mickey and Eddie had gone out on a bit of a tear. They were going to start at Club Cadix, but Lord only knows after that. Henry squints at the window. Still dark. Just the glow of the marquee lights on the streets below the Ritz casting shadows around the room. He stretches, debating on whether to get up, or just roll over and go back to sleep. The pillow and warmth of the blankets convince him to stay put.
“Pour you one?” Eddie’s voice.
“Yeah, I’ve got time for one more. Edith’s long gone to bed. The night is young.” Mickey’s voice.
Someone settles on the couch near Henry’s bedroom door. A groan of contentment as bones settle into a comfortable spot.
“Thanks.”
Another body settles.
Henry smells a cigar, with undertones of a cigarette.
“Can you believe that dame at the Kit Kat Klub? Va va va voom.” Henry can hear the leer in Eddie’s voice.
“She’s outta your league, pal.”
“Ya think? Maybe I’ll head back there solo. When you’re not around for competition.”
Silence.
“So what’s happening with Monaghan? You got your subpoena yet?” Eddie’s voice.
“Not happening. Paperwork got lost. I’m covered. But it was expensive.”
“How’d you get away with it and Hoff can’t. He’s loaded.”
“Luck. They started with Hughie McLoon’s shooting. He was one of Hoff’s boys. Dominos started falling. Then Bailey testified about the shooting, and again Hoff’s in the middle of it. Juicy tidbits for the papers. Before you know it, the hounds are baying after Boo-Boo Hoff’s scent. There’re some loose threads to me, but nothing I can’t handle. I’ve been investing in City Hall and Harrisburg for years now. It’s gotta pay off sometime” Someone shifts on the couch, and then a thud as first one shoe and then another hits the floor.
“From the sounds of it, they’re gonna strip Hoff of everything. He’ll be lucky to be left with a cardboard suitcase to leave town with. Freshen that?” Eddie’s voice.
Clinks from the bar cart.
“So what’s this about Capone? You got Henry off in Chicago?”
“He got back today. I owed Capone a favor, and now he’s needing my help. Henry went to get the lay of the land so to speak.” Mickey’s voice.
“I hear that working with Capone can be a career-limiting experience.”
“Job’s not until after Christmas some time. Yeah, odds aren’t good that Henry comes back in one piece. That Capone is a whack job for sure. Although I’ll put my money on Henry every time.”
Henry, listening, stares out the window at the pulsing glow from the signs down at street level. So that explains why Mickey was so keen to have me go, rather than deal with it himself. Not come back, eh? After everything. The guy’s not himself. And Eddie hanging around doesn’
t help.
Henry reaches in the dark for his cigarettes and lights one. Head cradled on one arm, he contemplates life. Eddie’s after my spot. That’s clear. Sucking up to Mick, telling him what he wants to hear, not what he should hear. Especially these days.
“Ya hear about Remus? Sounds like they’re going to put him away for a long time.” Eddie’s voice.
“I’d heard they hauled him into court in Cincinnati, but didn’t realize that he’d been convicted. I guess we’re going to have to find another supplier.”
Watch Your Back Page 20
