She reached the joining of hallways and noticed a little corner of the phone lit up with bars. That must be a good sign. She pushed the telephone picture and low and behold found her numbers.
“What the...you’re just lurking in the hallway?” Greg sounded as though his anger had not dissipated from his vigorous telephone call.
Blanche pushed the first name on her list, Al, and waved the phone at him. “I got a signal,” she mouthed to him.
He stomped down the hall and slammed his office door. Blanche hoped she hadn’t left any evidence of her presence. Not that Greg showed any menace to her personally, but he clearly wasn’t in the mood for interference. At least, she didn’t think he was a danger to her. You never knew with desperate people though. She thought about the time she and Al cornered a pickpocketer who managed to knock them both down.
Al answered the phone in his out of breath way from shuffling across the room with his arthritis and his canes.
“How you doing, old man?” Blanche said.
“Watch who you’re calling old. I thought the old folks home had gotten you and weren’t letting you go after not hearing from you for days. You figured a way out for Edna yet?”
“I got some information.” She looked to make sure Greg’s door remained closed. “The place is bilking the government for millions it looks like.”
Al whistled. “Boy, you don’t do things small, you know? You got evidence?”
She sighed. She and Al had been on enough adventures that he knew how to hone in on the weakness of a story. “Nothing hard and fast. Listen to this though, there’s a lady here, she can’t remember her business partner is dead, but she knows all the Medicare codes by heart.”
“Weird.”
“It’s weird central around here. You’re not kidding. Those places just give me the heebie-jeebies.”
“Yeah, you said before, but yet there you are.” He ribbed her.
“I’m not sleeping over. At least I can get away and breathe a little.”
“That bad? Aren’t they watching you like a hawk like the day we were there.”
“I’m sneaking in.” Blanche laughed at herself.
“Good one. When we’re young we sneak out, now you’re sneaking in, and of all the places...” The phone clanked and banged in Blanche’s ear. Classic Al, he’d dropped the phone. He had to have the corded phone so the government couldn’t listen in on him.
“I...”
“Yeah, I know. Hey, have you checked my messages like we talked about?”
“I did before Jeopardy today.” Smug satisfaction rang in his voice. He loved to be one step ahead of her.
“You probably watched it on my TV.” Her’s was bigger than his ancient television.
“You’ll never know.”
“Anything urgent?”
“Actually, yeah. Lois left a message something about the condo books and a law suit. You better call her.”
“Wow, people sue at the drop of the hat. Don’t they? It better not be Sal. I gotta get off the board again.”
“I told you you’d get sucked in long term, you know?”
“I know. I know.”
“So you admit I was right?”
“Who else called?”
“Your son. Sounded urgent.”
“It’s always urgent and it’s always money with him. What’d Tommy want?”
“Actually, sounded important something about a subpoena and help.”
Blanche rolled her eyes for her own benefit. Poor Tommy he’d somehow missed the responsibility gene that she and Harry both had in spades. It must be another financial bail out. She’d sworn to herself she’d quit helping him since she’d found out he had a gambling problem, but she hadn’t had the courage to confront him yet. She’d have to call him though. A subpoena could be something serious.
She asked Al to call the Medicare office and find out who the social worker was for Royale Cove and see if they would talk. She told him to check the papers for any death announcements of a Cuban singer name of Lolita. How would they find out if she was dead or moved?
For now, Blanche debated to herself what would be worse to deal with: the condo lawsuit or her kid with a subpoena? Which to dial first?
Years as a secretary in a law firm had taught her plenty about law suits, sometimes the condo confused her with a lawyer. She’d bet money that Tommy had got himself in trouble with his ex-wife again and it was a subpoena duces tecum which while inconvenient wasn’t such a big deal.
She padded down to her room but then lost the signal on the phone so she walked back out to lean on the wall in the hallway.
A mother didn’t like to leave her children in distress. She dialed Tommy.
“Where are you at Mom? What is this number?”
“Hello, Tommy. It’s a, uh, a friend’s cellphone I’m not at home at the moment.”
“I was going say, surely you wouldn’t get a cellphone. Good grief, you’d never use it. Are you tired of that computer cluttering up your house yet? My kids still need one.”
“I’m sure it will be a shock to you, but I’m becoming quite adept at using it and enjoying learning. Speaking of your kids are you in trouble with Janice again?”
“No, I uh, well...”
“So you do owe her still?”
“She doesn’t understand what’s going on. It’ll be fine in a couple months. That’s not why I called.”
“I imagine she understands rather well after being married to you 14 years.”
“Ma!”
“So what IS going on?”
“Do I have to answer a subpoena?”
“You want my professional opinion?” She emphasized professional because Tommy gave her such a hard time that she’d never get the computer figured out or get the hang of new things. He reminded her of Harry when he did that derogatory crap. Tommy’s implications she was borderline incompetent drove her nuts. She’d managed to raise this little boy baby all the way to adulthood.
“Yes, Ma.”
“Who is it if it’s not Janice?” Before she gave free legal advice she’d pump him for info. He stayed far away and called only when in need. She had to learn about his life however possible.
“The county prosecutor.”
“Wait. For what? You better read it to me.” Blanche closed her eyes and leaned against the wall listening as Tommy stumbled through the legal-ease.
Good grief. Her heart quickened. This was serious. “Yes, Tommy you have to answer and go and do what they say.”
“But...”
“You aren’t arguing with me. This is the court.”
“The people they want the information on are, uhm, not nice,” Tommy said.
“I see. Perhaps you should pick your — friends, colleagues, whatever you are calling these people — more carefully in future.”
“I don’t want to get involved. It could be... unpleasant for me.”
“A lot of things in life are unpleasant. That’s life. I’m sorry you haven’t come to grips with that by 53 years old, but there it is.”
“Can’t I do something?”
“You could go see the prosecutor. Offer him or her your computer and all the information they want and plead for mercy in the actual court appearance. These guys you’re worried about will still see your name in the prosecutor’s files even if he says you don’t have to appear.”
Tommy must have covered the phone with his hand, but Blanche could hear him swearing. At least he had the dignity not to say it in his mother’s ear. That was something.
“You gotta come help me.”
“Perhaps you need a lawyer to do that. I’m sort of in the middle of something and I’m suppose to go to Michelle’s on Saturday.”
“You know I can’t afford a lawyer. You’re good at talking to these kind of people.”
Blanche appreciated that he would say she was good at something — anything. Not his norm. He must be really desperate.
“Look,” he continued, “I al
ready bought a ticket in two days for you. You gotta come. I’ll pay the change fee on your ticket to send you to Michelle from here.”
“You can’t afford that either.” She rubbed her forehead. She’d sworn she wouldn’t bail him out anymore. He must be desperate to already buy a ticket and actually invite her to where he lived.
“Mom? C’mon. I’m afraid of these guys.”
Oh, dear. This wasn’t money though, was it? It was hard for a mother to resist a child’s need. He might actually be physically in trouble.
“Alright. I’ll be there. Email me the details, I’ll look when I get home.”
She clicked off the phone feeling a cloud of parental failure ooze through her.
Chapter Forty-One
She didn’t like to think of herself as Shirley. Shirley was a scared little girl she’d tried to leave behind a long time ago. Veda puckered her lips as she put on lipstick. She jumped when her suite door opened without a knock.
Carlos came in and grinned at her in the mirror over her shoulder. She could smell sunflower seeds on his breath.
Loathing rose up in her like bile, how she hated him. How she wanted out of here. But she had to act the part.
“Hi, darling.” She turned and put a hand on her hip like she was 28 and sexy again. She pretended her face wasn’t misshapen. All the liposuction had left her a fantastic figure when you looked at all the old hags around the care center. At least she had that. Oh but it did her no good.
Carlos came over and squeezed her expensive set of boobs. She flinched. He was never gentle.
“Tonight, I will visit the lucky movie star. Be ready.” He took a sloppy suck on her neck and pinched her behind so hard, she squeaked in spite of her resolve to keep up appearances.
“It’s not my turn. What happened to Lolita?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” He winked. “Maybe she prefers visitors.”
Veda shivered in spite of herself. Blanche had told her Edna thought Lolita was dead, but no one knew. Usually everyone was full of gossip about the latest departure to the afterlife.
When the door shut behind him, her shoulders slumped. Carlos threatened to blow her cover and sell photos of her damaged face. Without her estate or some other means, she was stuck here. Royale Cove didn’t want their secrets to get out including her botched illegal face job. She’d initially thought herself lucky to at least get permanent residence here in a private luxury facility. It was better than homelessness and bad publicity.
At first, Carlos just drugged her like everyone else. Then one day she had a moment of clarity in the middle of his activities on top of her. It wasn’t like it was her first visit with illicit drugs.
She confronted him the next day. He had laughed. She’d gone indignant and angry to speak to Bruce who also laughed. He told her she dreamt it. Not many of the ladies had bodies that would attract Carlos though. She’d done this to herself in a way.
Carlos started coming to visit regularly once he knew she knew and without the benefit of roofies so she might not remember. He decided he liked her awake but gave her special privileges. He’d slip her cigarettes or perfume or chocolate. Pretending like he was a real lover. She shuddered. She kept up the pretense. A girl had to have some pride after all. He’d offered to let her walk off site to the country club, but she couldn’t risk being seen.
She’d seen him slipping similar “treats” to Lolita once in the hallway. The woman had thrown them down and spit on the floor swearing at him in Spanish.
If Veda could ever figure out who the secret big shots were checking into Unit 2 when Carlos drugged people, she could sell some celebrity out to a tabloid and at least get enough money to get out of Royale Cove forever. Away from the groping Carlos and move into some place quiet. Maybe change her name. Again.
A line from a part she played came back to haunt her: Vanity, vanity, how thou doth destroy.
Chapter Forty-Two
The five musketeers of the Royale Cove met at a Scrabble table again. Blanche noticed Janice back at her place in front of the television. What a dreary life especially for someone so smart. She noticed Janice’s wrists were black with bruises. Both of them. Janice seemed subdued. No “Where’s Arty?” outbursts. Maybe she was drugged. It smacked of the elder abuse brochure she handed out at the police kiosk. It dawned on her how hard to prove that must be.
Edna fiddled with the Scrabble tiles while Antonio and Frank debated how early one can start drinking whiskey.
Then the secret Dragon phone rang. Blanche looked Shirley in the eye and set the phone down on the Scrabble board and nodded.
“Then what happened?” Blanche said to fill the lull.
“Eugene had a night club that’s how we met when I was doing a play in LA, the cast would go there after for drinks. He was a charmer. One of those smooth Italian types.” She leaned over and put her hand on the black t-shirt of Frank Sabitini, then tickled the chest hair at the top. He gave a grin.
Men sure can’t resist a pretty face, Blanche thought.
Shirley-Veda seemed to enjoy her performance. “It was a whirlwind thing. He just grabbed my heart and I was in a place where I really needed a break in life. My funds were low, and I’d had to get out of the house where my mom lived. Her boyfriend kept trying to touch me. No way I was going back to that and the play was ending. Eugene’s club was going gang busters. We married after a month of flirting and he talked some producer who came in the club a lot to put me in one of his films. Eugene put some money up for it, so he had, influence, you’d say.”
“How old were you?”
“Oh, I must have been 20 by then.”
“First amor?” Antonio stroked his mustache and looked into Shirley-Veda’s big dark glasses like he could see her eyes.
She giggled. “I wouldn’t say that exactly.” She shrugged. “I got really busy what with work on the movie and I wasn’t around a lot. But I sort of realized tensions were on the rise with the other Italian guys hanging around, like they were a gang. They’d get quiet when I walked into a room.” She sipped water in her cup. “I came home from an all night shoot on the set of that movie and you wouldn’t believe the blood. All over the apartment. I woulda swore 10 men were killed, but it was just my poor Eugene and his right hand guy. I forget his name.” She shook her head and grew quiet.
Blanche thought wow, she could sure use a cigarette to digest all that. Surely that was something the Dragon could chew on for her stories. “Did the police solve it?”
“Yeah, who woulda thought? I’d married a guy who’d split off from some gang in Chicago. He’d moved to LA to start his own scene and was doing real good, but I guess some New York guy had got there at the same time and some rivalry started. Can you believe that? They just killed him and took over, I guess. Some punk went down for the murders, but it wasn’t the main man, I’d bet money on that.”
Frank nodded but didn’t say anything. Blanche thought about the jungle pathway conversation with the thug and she was sure the signature she’d seen on Greg’s construction bid must be Frank’s relative. She wanted to know the implications, but it wasn’t the sort of thing you just asked someone straight up. She checked the phone and the connection had severed or lost the signal.
Veda said glassily, “All I had was the apartment, but at least it was paid for and in a good neighborhood.”
Blanche picked up the phone. “She’s gone. Good story. I had no idea the mob made it all the way to LA.”
Frank said, “They were never strong there. Then the street gangs rose up stronger what with all the foreigners moving in. I don’t know if they’ll last much longer.” He’d bummed a cigarette and blew smoke at the Scrabble board.
Maybe this was her chance. Blanche said, “How do you know that kind of stuff?”
“I have connections.” Frank smirked at her.
Antonio leaned forward, “Where you from, Frank?”
Frank eyed his illicit cigarette. “New York originally. I bought a house on
the island here years ago when I wasn’t so essential to daily operations.”
“Your family around here?”
“Not really. Some in Tallahassee and some back in New York. They send me messages or goons.” Frank ran a hand over that thick slicked back gray hair. He leaned forward and there was a weird moment of power struggle as these two men hovered over the Scrabble board. Blanche watched fascinated.
“It’s true then?” Antonio said.
Frank didn’t answer. Edna muttered, “I don’t understand the question.” Blanche nodded her agreement.
“Mr. Funosa? I’d heard rumors you were here.” Frank said.
“Enchanted, Mr. Sabatini. Did you go willingly?”
“Did you?”
“Obscurity is hard to accept.” Antonio said with a shrug of his guyavabera shirt in light green this morning.
Frank nodded knowingly “Had a little health scare and then they put me in here in a hurry to keep me out of trouble. Someone could have taken care of me at home but nooo. Oddly enough the chaplain visited me when I had pneumonia and I get like this new light on religion, you know?”
“I was raised with it.” Antonio crossed himself.
“Yeah me too, but this was different. Like the whole love your neighbor thing is how you really know Jesus is in you. I can’t explain, but it did something to me that just saying the Hail Mary’s never did when I was young. I think it got real for the first time. I never imagined. Then last week my family send a guy to get me to do a small job for ‘em.” He made quotation marks with his fingers around the word job. “But it’s not even one of the kids, they send a grunt to talk to me to come down on some guy out here on the island.”
“The nerve. There’s no respect today.” Antonio agreed.
“Are you going to do the job?” Blanche worried.
“I don’t know. I was checking it out. I feel bad that I don’t have anything personal with the guy though. That’d be different. You know if he was dangerous to somebody or something.”
Edna said, “What about the Jesus thing?”
“That’s just it. What with my new version of religion, the guy he’s not my neighbor. He’s not even my enemy I’m supposed to love or nothing. Of course that seems like a loophole when you say it that way. I don’t think that’s what Jesus meant, but I hate to disappoint the kids.” He leaned back confidently and stretched his arms.
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