The Songbird with Sapphire Eyes

by Anna Brentwood

  “I don’t. In fact, I wish with all my heart that someone will be arrested for Jimmy’s murder so this can all be over.” So she could stop feeling uncertain.

  “You know your boyfriend ain’t no boy scout? You know who he is, what he does?”

  “Sure I do, but Johnny isn’t a cold blooded killer.” Hannah opened her mouth, closed it and prayed she was right. She knew the mob protected its own, closed ranks and kept tight-lipped. If it was mob related as the police now suspected, no outsiders would ever know the truth anyway. And, if the truth was never uncovered, for certain she’d always wonder. In a way, the cops finding the real killer was her only hope, the only way she could totally relax. “Yes and I wish you wouldn’t look at me like I’m some kind of monster.”

  “I respect loyalty, even if I think yours is misplaced. And, I do understand your world Hannah, so I am gonna level with you. I know your boyfriend’s guilty as hell. Will I ever prove it, probably not, but my gut tells me he’s involved and my gut is rarely wrong.”

  “Don’t you dare dump that crap on me, your gut.” She settled her lips into a stubborn line. What he was saying stabbed her deep.

  “That kid died in a world of hurt, buckwheats—spitework. He pissed someone off good and was beat up pretty bad. His hands, fingers, legs, arms and one foot were crushed to smithereens.” His voice sounded harsh. “Whoever did him was pretty riled.”

  Hannah clutched her hand to her heart feeling sick as tears filled her eyes. “Oh my, I didn’t know that. Johnny never said…never let me see the papers.”

  “All the details weren’t in the papers.” Romeo studied her and apparently having second thoughts, apologized for upsetting her. He pointed towards the soda fountain. “We can sit, talk, have a soda…my treat. I got me a real bad hankerin’ for a chocolate egg cream. You?”

  She was too shocked to say anything. He looked tired, his suit was rumpled like he’d been up all night and she could see fine lines around his vivid green eyes. Again, she was startled by his rugged good looks and how much he reminded her of Ray. Silly as it was, she wondered if he was married, had children, what made him become a cop. She also remembered Johnny’s order not to talk to him, but her need to know, to hear what he had to tell her was stronger. Besides, behind his tough manner he seemed like he really did care, even if he had bullied her. Smiling, she accepted, offering him her hand. “No on the egg cream. I’m more of a sarsaparilla gal myself.”

  23 CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  The old man sitting at the end of the drugstore counter asked the cashier for change for a five dollar bill. He paid his check and left a penny tip. Grumbling he donned a shabby weathered old hat. Sticking it on his thick gray hair, he struggled to get out of his seat and pulled on an equally shabby overcoat.

  Shuffling past the seated patrons with the typically stiff gait of the elderly, no one paid him much mind as he paused, fiddled with his pockets, his coat and hat, listening intently to every word said by the pretty young blonde engaged in serious conversation with Detective Joey Romeo. Damned if he didn’t stumble when she turned. And, man, was she a looker with eyes the color of a summer sky! He prayed his wig was on straight.

  “Are you okay, mister?”

  “I’m fine, just fine missy,” he growled, moving away. He hoped he sounded irascible, old, annoyed. His heart pounded as her singsong voice shot feelings to places no damned old man should have feelings in. Taking care to avoid further scrutiny he continued along, shuffling past them to the outside.

  That was a close one, he thought nervously, his adrenaline pumping. He thanked his lucky stars the dick was too dazzled by the blonde to pay him much mind. He needed a prop and bought a newspaper from the kid hawking them on the corner. There was a trolley stop and a bench right there too. He hunkered down near enough to the store that he could see inside. Peeking from behind his paper, he watched as the detective paid the check and they said their goodbyes. He breathed a sigh of relief when each of them went their separate ways. He would hate to have to report that pretty girl for hanky panky.

  Finally, Joey Romeo left the store. The old man stood, stretched and no longer hunched picked up his pace. He went to the telephone booth. He took care to shut the door. Dropping a coin into the slot, he barked a few words into the phone, a name. He repeated verbatim everything he’d seen and heard in the last hour. “Yeah, he followed her into the drugstore, talked about McKay, played on her sympathies. She was real upset. Yeah, he bought her a soda and left. She’s still in the store looking around.”

  The voice on the other end was curt. “Good job, Pappy. Keep tailin’ her, but call Sparky if she makes you, which by the way better not happen.”

  “No way boss,” he boasted even as a chill ran up his spine at the thought of failure. God forbid. Hanging up the telephone he watched the girl leave the store and head down towards the deli. With a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching him he pulled a towel out of his coat pocket. Using the reflection of the silver plate on the telephone as a mirror, he wiped at his face until some of the gray and most of the wrinkles faded. Next, with another quick glance around and satisfied no one was paying him any mind, he pulled off the hat and the gray wig. He stuffed them into his overcoat and started walking towards the deli.

  Johnny Gallo was in a good mood. A benevolent one. Yesterday on Valentine’s Day, he’d sent a dozen roses to the brownstone along with the biggest, fanciest box of chocolate and raspberry truffles he could find, Hannah’s favorites. Tonight, he was taking her out to dinner. It hadn’t hurt that Hannah confessed she’d bumped into the cop the moment he’d seen her or that she looked absolutely stunning; radiant and sexy as hell. She was dressed in lipstick red and the long beads and the fringe on her dress swung seductively when she walked. And, she was more clear-eyed than he’d seen her in months. Her blonde perfection was magnified by the vibrant reds she wore, that he’d requested she wear. He’d known instinctively how well his gift, a huge ruby heart necklace surrounded by diamonds, with matching earrings would look on her. And, they looked spectacular.

  Of course, she’d left out some stuff. Like the fact that Joey Romeo had admitted following her, that she’d let him buy her a soda, but most of what she told him was right on the mark so he decided to let it go for now. He reached out for her.

  She moved away. “Detective Romeo told me how Jimmy died.”

  The scent of roses perfumed the air and mingled with her special scent. “He shouldn’t have, but what’s the difference. Dead is dead, no matter how it goes down.”

  “Jimmy suffered.” She speared him with a haunted look.

  “We all suffer. I’m sufferin’ hearing this. C’mon, tonight’s our night to relax and celebrate. Give it a rest, will you, please?”

  “Valentine’s Day was yesterday.”

  “I’m sorry I couldn’t get away, but I made it up to you with the jewels, didn’t I?”

  “Let’s make a pact right now…tonight.” Her voice was soft and firm.

  His whole system went on alert. “Okay I’ll bite.”

  “Would you…if I asked…clear the air…talk and be honest with me?”

  Talk geez, what fella didn’t cringe when a dame said that? He threw his hands up in the air, exasperated. “I dunno how I can be any more honest than I am with ya, Han. The truth is, I am sick and tired of living with Jimmy’s ghost. I’ve had enough.”

  “Did you ever kill anyone…ever?”

  “What a question.”

  “I can’t live like this anymore, wondering, worrying. I know you told me no. Look me in the eye. Tell me that you never killed anyone even by accident.”

  He looked her in the eye. Reminded her he wasn’t in town, swore he didn’t have anything to do with Jimmy’s death, didn’t go out of his way to hurt people and then she brought up Josie.

  “I want you to promise me, you won’t ever ask anyone to spy on me again, Johnny. I can’t—won’t live with you if you can’t trust me and I can’t trust the
people around me…and, no Charlie, no new drivers. I won’t live like a pet bird kept in a pretty cage. And, I’d like my bank book, please.” If Johnny had it, Jimmy had to have returned it. Had to have been back to the warehouse.

  “Don’t threaten me, Hannah.” Dark fury bubbled up inside him. “Why the hell do you want your bank book all of a sudden?”

  “I just want to see it. Is that a problem?” Her eyes were shooting blue fire.

  “No, but don’t tell me what I can or can’t do.”

  She looked pained and something inside of him shifted.

  “Okay, you win.” What she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her or him.

  She stared at him as if trying to see through his skull to read his thoughts. She rubbed her hands together, visibly nervous. “I want to believe you, Johnny. I want things to be great between us again. I want you to be around more, so you don’t have to worry about what I’m doing, but you’ve got to promise me. I need—”

  “Enough!” He ran his hand through his hair. He didn’t want to play games all night. He yanked her to him and held her tight. Cupping her face he turned it up to his, the heat of her seeping into him. “I am sorry you doubted me, but ain’t I been here every day and night helping you get through this? Lately, I have put my business aside, put you first. I know that’s what you need all the time and I can’t promise that, but I’ll do better for both of us, I swear, especially if you say you will marry me.” Then he lowered his mouth to hers.

  They had dinner reservations at Celano’s. Hannah had resolved it would be a turning point, a new start. To try and fix what had been damaged. When Johnny had told her he couldn’t find her bank book, that he didn’t know what had happened to it, but would get her another one, it settled her mind a bit. She wanted to believe it meant that Jimmy hadn’t returned the things he’d taken, so he hadn’t been caught there as she’d secretly feared. Building back the trust lost would take work and time, but it was the only thing to do because she was not willing to start her life or career over somewhere else, alone and penniless. And, she did love Johnny. No other fella ever made her pulse race like he did. As if the jewelry wasn’t enough, Johnny gave her a corsage, a red rose surrounded by white ones.

  “Does this mean what I think it does Han, that you’ll consider my proposal?” He sounded positively delighted. She’d surprised him by wearing the diamond ring he’d given her.

  “Eventually…maybe. Maybe we can even think about bringing Anthony home or…I’m not setting a date yet, but consider us officially engaged if it makes you feel better, okay?”

  “Frankly, Anthony is better off as is, we ain’t exactly good parent material, but taking it slow and steady sounds good enough for me, for now.”

  She was relieved when he gave her a big kiss seemingly placated. She handed him his gifts; a card, money clip, a rare bottle of Sambucco and black licorice, his favorite candy.

  Inside the restaurant, Johnny hurried to pull out her chair. He sat down. He could barely take his gaze off of her. He was glad he’d said the right things for a change; put the sparkle back into her eyes. He marveled at how other people stared at them. He knew they made a striking pair. Two waiters immediately approached. One handed him the menu, the other filled their water glasses. A third brought a basket of warm bread. He was used to good service and expected the best.

  “You want me to order or do you want your own menu?” It was proper for the man to order, but Hannah was far too independent sometimes, so he asked just to be safe.

  “Sure, but no steak tarter for me please,” she said, tapping her feet to the music as he ordered several of their favorite appetizers and a beef entree. “C’mon Johnny, that’s a Charleston they’re playing. Let’s dance, please?”

  “Later.” He leaned into her. “You know I prefer my dances…slow…straight and horizontal.”

  “Johnny!” She giggled, buttering her bread slowly. “Sometimes I feel guilty eating in fancy restaurants when so many folks in the world are starving.”

  “I can’t save the world and neither can you so why worry about it.”

  Still looking serious she brought up the Valentine’s Day massacre in Chicago. “The papers are saying it was engineered by Al. They are referring to Jack as, “Machine Gun Jack McGurn.” They’ve made him sound like some sort of monster. How can they get away with slandering him like that without any proof? I can’t see James doing that. He’s a musician, a dancer and a ladies’ man and with those flamboyant suits of his certainly no one’s idea of a cold blooded killer.” She looked indignant. Rolling her eyes, she took a dainty bite of her roll.

  Johnny was continually amazed that Hannah could still be so sincerely naïve about some things, although that’s part of what he loved about her, her innocence. She only saw what she wanted to see most of the time and he thanked God for that. “You know they’ll say anything to sell them rags or to persecute us Italians.”

  Hannah chewed, swallowed and thoughtfully took a drink of her “tea”. Johnny and the men he grew up with were no angels, but she never believed them killers. In truth, she hadn’t really wanted to dig too deeply into what they did or didn’t do and ignored the more disturbing accusations as blatant exaggerations by the press. “Do you think Al or Jack did have something to do with this terrible massacre?”

  “I think when someone does something to someone you care about, you got a duty to respond.”

  Her mouth hung open. “What are you saying?”

  “Nothing babe, nothin’.” He asked her how the food was. “How about we don’t ruin tonight over stuff that ain’t our problem anyway.” His voice was a caress, his dark eyes on her hot.

  She flushed, smiled and forced herself to eat. Was she being blind to think Johnny wasn’t capable of killing someone? If the people he knew were capable of being killers…”

  He reached out, rubbed her hand, her cheek, her hair. “Just remember how Annie Torrio felt when they shot up her old man for no good reason. No one should get away with that. Some folks, in some cases deserve to be shot like the dogs they are.”

  She thought about Johnny’s temper, how easily he could lose it and fight. She knew he was a bootlegger, a smuggler, a brawler, but a killer? She sipped her wine slowly sure she would have sensed such a trait in his character, especially after all this time. She knew he was controlling, possessive and even ruthless in the pursuit of a goal and she understood that about him. But, she did feel uneasy by his acceptance of the violence surrounding them. Nor could she stop thinking about how Jimmy had died and what Joey Romeo had said.

  The phone call came while they were finishing dinner. The waiter brought Johnny a telephone. She could tell from his end of the conversation that it sounded important. That something had happened at the warehouse and they needed him there.

  She managed to blink back tears of disappointment. Ironic that business would interfere when he’d promised to put her first. Maybe it was a sign? Maybe things would never change? She wondered if he’d call her a taxi, make her drive home with Charlie or he’d just drive her home himself and leave for who knows how long while she waited. Disappointed, she prepared herself to be hurt.

  Searching her face, he surprised her, hung up the telephone, thanked the waiter and paid the check. “Somethin’ came up I gotta deal with it tonight. We hafta stop by the warehouse if you don’t mind, doll, but I ain’t gonna let anything ruin our night, I promise.”

  She covered his hand with hers, squeezed it, grateful. She did need to be more trusting. She closed her eyes, opened them. She took a deep breath, relieved. Maybe there was hope for them yet!

  Hannah glanced at her watch yet again, shivering. She rubbed her gloved hands together. Johnny had left with Charlie in tow. He said he wouldn’t be long, but it had already been thirty minutes. The cold from the night air was slowly creeping inside the car. She looked up at the night sky. It was eerie. The moon shined bright between the drifting gray and blue-black clouds and when a dog howled in the background it
gave her the shivers. She quickly decided to go inside the warehouse to wait.

  She hurried out of the car and closed the door. She ran as fast as her high heels could carry her. As she remembered, the warehouse was drafty, but it had heat. Heat sounded real good right now. So did reminding Johnny that they still had things left to celebrate.

  Her heels made enough noise on the concrete floor to rouse a city. She fully expected to be stopped, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. Odd. She headed towards the lobby where the men on watch usually congregated, killing time playing cards, but no one was there. The place looked deserted, locked-up tight and quiet as a tomb.

  Even the desk where Turk usually sat was empty. Just remnants of empty food containers and candy wrappers littered the area. Glancing at the steps that led to Johnny’s office, she supposed they might all be upstairs. Not wanting to interrupt or disturb she sat down on a nearby chair prepared to wait.

  She waited another ten minutes, fifteen and then twenty. Tapping her foot, eyeing the large shelves, boxes and palettes of merchandise she reached for a discarded newspaper. She was growing irritated, wondering what was taking Johnny so long when she heard muffled voices coming from somewhere.

  Curious, she stood and listened. It sounded like someone was yelling. She walked about one hundred feet past the lobby area, towards the back of the warehouse. She saw a thin line of light streaming under the cracks of a large metal door with a sign that read, ‘Loading Dock - Personnel Only.’

  She knew it was where they received and loaded merchandise into trucks. She wondered if Johnny was out there too, and decided she better stay put, mind her own business.

  Heading back towards where she’d been sitting, she paused when she thought she heard a woman’s bloodcurdling scream. Heart racing, adrenalin pumping, she ran towards the loading dock door. It wouldn’t open easily and with some difficulty and her whole body weight she managed to push it open with one giant shove.