The Trouble Girls

by E. R. Fallon

  She arrived at the café, removed her jacket and threw it over her shoulder. Her stepfather wasn’t there so she found a table and sat down and waited for him. Camille hadn’t eaten any breakfast before she left the house and she considered waiting for Vito to arrive before she ordered but decided to go ahead.

  She ordered coffee and a bagel and Vito showed up as her food arrived. Vito waited, standing, and acted as though he expected her to rise and embrace him.

  “That’s never going to happen,” she told him with a smile.

  “You know, Camille ever since I got together with your mother, I’ve tried to be like a father to you,” he said as he sat down.

  “Fathers don’t hurt their daughters,” she snapped at him.

  “Camille, that was a long time ago. I said I was sorry. I wasn’t thinking straight. I’m a changed man now. I haven’t done anything since then.”

  “There’s no excuse for what you did. You weren’t even drunk when you did it. You’re a creep and you better hope that your boss agrees to my offer.”

  They were quiet when the waiter stopped by their table to take Vito’s order. When he left, Vito said to Camille, “Why don’t we eat first and then talk business. Okay?”

  Camille could tell he wanted to control the conversation, which she also wished to control.

  “You better have good news for me when we’re finished eating,” she told him.

  They ate in silence, with Camille rebuffing Vito’s attempts at conversation. She didn’t like him, and even if he’d helped her, she still wouldn’t like him, and she wanted to show him that. But at the same time, she knew that without his help the Alfonsi family wouldn’t even be talking with her.

  “Listen, Camille,” he said as he put down his fork. “I’ve been sitting here thinking of a way to try to tell you this.”

  Camille couldn’t stand the suspense and leaned forward in her seat across from him, but still far enough away from him. “It’s bad news? Is that why you asked me to meet you here? You make me wait until you eat and then you—”

  “The boss will be declining your offer,” he interrupted her.

  “I knew it,” Camille said. “You didn’t try hard enough!” She rose from her seat and yelled at him and the people seated nearby stared at them.

  “Camille, please, you’re making a scene.” Vito gestured for her to sit.

  Camille sat down and stared at him. “Was it Billy, was he behind it?” she demanded.

  “No. It’s about loyalty. Violet McCarthy is the mother of Kevin’s child. Kevin was killed recently; did you know that?”

  Camille watched him quietly in shock. “I didn’t know. She must be devastated. They were together a long time.”

  “Yeah, and they had a son together, so the boss is going to be loyal to her because it’s Kevin’s son. They know them, they don’t know you. It’s just how things are.”

  “They know you, and Billy. Did he say something to discourage them? You can tell me,” she said in a way that seemed gentle, reasoning it wouldn’t hurt to use a different approach. “I won’t tell him what you said.”

  “It doesn’t matter if he said anything, the boss made up his mind as soon as he talked to Violet at the wake. She asked him to remain loyal and he agreed to.”

  “She knows I met with you guys?”

  “Yeah, she went to Anthony’s for dinner and one of the employees let it slip. Violet’s got a connection to the place so they’re friendly with her.”

  “She probably was livid,” Camille thought out loud and smiled at the idea of Violet’s anger, although she wasn’t a monster and did feel genuine compassion for Violet’s son, who had just lost his father. “Did you talk to her at the wake? I’m assuming you were there.”

  “Of course, I was there. I saw her, yeah, but we didn’t speak. The boss talked to me afterwards in private. I all but begged him to agree to your proposal, but he wouldn’t because of Kevin’s involvement with the McCarthys. Kevin was one of us. You have to believe I tried; I really did.”

  Disappointment overcame her, and she said, “I’m sorry but I can’t accept that,” pushing her plate with the half-eaten food away from her and crossing her arms. “I don’t think you tried hard enough, Vito. You should’ve begged. Do you understand what’s at stake for you? I’m not going to let you get away with what you did if you don’t get them to reconsider.”

  “Please don’t tell your mother. I did what you asked me to, there was never any guarantee they’d agree.”

  “No,” Camille said. “You’re wrong. I agreed to not say anything to her as long as you convinced them to work with me. Now that they’re not, I have no reason not to tell her.”

  “I don’t believe you would,” Vito said arrogantly. “All these years have passed, and you never said anything. Why would you go and do it now?”

  “Because I have nothing to lose. I’m not a girl anymore.” Emotions overcame her and she resisted drying her eyes in front of him for as long as she could.

  “You don’t have a job anymore,” Vito said in desperation. “You’ll need us to support you. What are you going to do? Think about it.”

  “Don’t worry about me, I’ll think of something. You better get them to change their minds.”

  “How? I pleaded with the boss, more so than he probably liked. But there’s only so much I can do. He’s gonna get angry if I keep pushing him. My hands are tied.” Vito held out his hands for emphasis.

  “I don’t believe you,” Camille said. “You’re high up enough in the organization that what you say to him means something. Do you know what I think? I think you don’t like the idea of me running this neighborhood, you don’t want me to have that kind of power, knowing what I do.”

  The waiter approached them.

  “Is there anything else I can get for you?” he asked.

  Vito ordered another cup of coffee.

  “How can you drink coffee at a time like this?” Camille asked him when the waiter left.

  “What do you mean?” Vito asked.

  “I’m going to leave here and tell my mother what you did. She’s home, right? I take it you’ll be getting the check?” Camille stood up and Vito reached out and grabbed her arm, almost dropping his cup in the process.

  “I’m not going to let you do that,” he told her.

  Camille shook him off her. “Let go of me or else I’ll scream.” She looked around and their waiter watched them from a distance. Camille indicated to Vito that they were being watched and he let go of her arm.

  Then he tried a lighter approach.

  “Camille,” he said, his voice thickening with emotion. “I love your mother; I couldn’t bear it if I lost her. Please don’t do this to me. You don’t have to do this. I’m sure we can work something out.”

  “Like what?” Camille sat down again. “You haven’t given me what I want, so what could you possibly have to offer me?”

  “I’ll try again. I’ll ask him.”

  “Good, that’s what I want to hear. But no nonsense, do you hear me? You have to do what you say you will. And you better get them to change their minds. I don’t want to have to return here in another week and hear that you failed again.”

  “I never knew you were like this,” Vito said quietly.

  “Like what?”

  “Like a gangster,” he said. “You were so quiet as a girl.”

  “I grew up,” she stated. “You better get used to it. I’m not going to be quiet anymore.”

  “Please don’t say anything to your mother. You know as well as I do that she’d be devastated. Do you want to hurt her?”

  “Leave my mother out of this, this isn’t about her, it’s about you and me. I’m done here. The next thing I want to hear from you is that you’ve gotten me what I want.”

  “I said I’ll try. I can’t force the boss’s hand. It doesn’t work that way. I’m surprised you don’t understand that. If you’re going to be working with us, you need to know these things.”
<
br />   “I know it,” Camille replied. “I also know that someone who’s clever enough can get things done.”

  “I’m clever,” Vito said.

  “We’ll see if you are.”

  16

  Sam had invited Violet over to his apartment so he could cook them dinner. She had never been involved with a man who could cook before. Kevin had been very traditional, and she had always cooked for him. She and Sam weren’t officially a couple, but Violet felt they were getting closer to becoming one.

  Violet had bought a bottle of white wine at the liquor shop to bring with her. She hoped she’d chosen a good one, the shop owner said she had, but she didn’t know much about wine, and Sam seemed like the kind of person who would know a lot about it.

  Sam’s apartment was a merely a street away from the pub, so Violet walked there quickly after work. Once again, her mother had agreed to watch Tommy, who was getting suspicious of where she was going to. She had dated men before, before Anton, but Tommy hadn’t liked any of the guys as much as he liked Anton, so Violet didn’t know how he would react to Sam and didn’t believe they should meet yet.

  She arrived at Sam’s apartment and had to wait for him to let her in downstairs. She heard his voice on the intercom.

  “Violet?”

  “It’s me,” she said as she waited outside.

  “One moment, I’ll let you in.”

  Violet heard the buzzer and opened the door. She stepped inside the lobby and heard someone walking down the stairs and then Sam appeared, greeting her.

  “I’m so glad you’re here,” he said, beaming.

  “I brought you this,” Violet said, holding up the wine bottle.

  Sam took it from her and thanked her. “A great choice,” he said, holding up the bottle, and she smiled.

  “Come upstairs,” he said, gesturing for her to walk with him. “Dinner’s all ready. I made two options because I realized I should have asked whether you eat meat.”

  “I do, but thanks.” Sam seemed almost too good to be true and she wondered if she should pinch herself or be suspicious of him.

  She walked with him upstairs and they entered his apartment. The inside of the building had been plain but inside Sam’s apartment was a bit more decorated, with bright furniture, and colorful artwork on the walls, which she didn’t know anything about but imagined was quite expensive.

  “I like your art,” she said as Sam shut the door.

  “Thanks.” He smiled, and she was relieved when he didn’t ask her whether she knew about the artists.

  He didn’t appear to have a dining room, but Violet noticed that he had the table set in the living room with a black tablecloth, shining, uniquely shaped crystal glasses and fine, chunky silverware. He already had a bottle of wine on the table and Violet felt foolish she’d brought one. Sam set her bottle next to his and Violet wondered which one she should drink.

  “There’s pasta with a red sauce and a side of steak or grilled eggplant,” he told her.

  “Sounds delicious,” she said.

  He pulled out a chair for her. “Have a seat.”

  Violet sat down and then wondered as he disappeared into the kitchen, if she should have offered to help, but, no, he seemed intent on going out of his way to make her feel comfortable.

  “Steak, right?” he asked her from the kitchen, where the doorway was just outside the living room.

  “Yes, please,” she said. “But I’ll take some eggplant, too,” she said to be polite, figuring that it might not get eaten if she declined.

  He returned with two plates filled with food and set one of them in front of her and the other at his place opposite her.

  “Looks great,” she said, and it really did.

  “I can’t wait to try some of the wine you brought,” he said as he sat down. “Would you like some?” He picked up the bottle.

  She nodded. “Yeah, thanks.”

  He uncorked it and poured some into her wineglass and then into his.

  “I bet we’ll go through both bottles,” he said with a smile.

  Violet had told him about Kevin over the phone and they had met for a quiet walk in the park once after. Sam had been comforting to her, and the situation had made them closer.

  “This was a good idea, us having dinner here, I’m glad we decided to do it,” she said.

  “I am as well. It’s good to see you getting out after what happened.”

  They began to eat, and it tasted quite good. “Kevin and I didn’t see each other much after we split up, and he didn’t see Tommy all that much either, but I’m worried about how Tommy’s handling everything. My mother’s been great helping out with Tommy, and he’s also been seeing Kevin’s parents more lately. But he’s confused about everything.”

  “How did Kevin pass, if you don’t mind my asking?”

  She hadn’t told him at the park and he hadn’t asked then. “It was unexpected,” Violet said now, reluctant to tell him the truth. She paused. “The truth is, Sam, he was murdered.”

  Sam’s face went pale. “Murdered? That’s awful,” he said quietly. “I’m sorry, I had no idea. I knew the city was dangerous, but—”

  “It was a long time coming,” she said honestly.

  He looked at her, puzzled.

  “Tommy’s father was involved with some shady characters,” she explained. “I can’t say I’m surprised he was killed.” After she spoke the words, she realized how harsh they sounded. “Not that he deserved it, of course.”

  “Right,” Sam said, seeming shocked.

  “I think I’ve just ruined our dinner,” she said during the awkward silence and put down her fork.

  “No, you haven’t,” Sam reassured her. “I’m just a little surprised, that’s all. I didn’t know that about you. It must have been difficult being with someone who lived that kind of lifestyle and not knowing it.”

  If only he knew the whole truth.

  “I knew what he did,” Violet said. “I just didn’t think about it.” She didn’t know how he would judge her if she told him she was used to that lifestyle because she lived it herself. “My grandfather was the same way as Kevin,” she said after a pause. “He was a gangster.”

  Sam laughed. Then he said, “You’re joking?” when she didn’t join him.

  Violet shook her head. Could she trust him? She couldn’t stand lying to him because she knew that for things to really work between them, she would have to be honest with him.

  “I like you, so I want to be honest with you,” she told him.

  “Okay,” he said, setting his fork down. “I appreciate your honesty. I like you also. But I’ll admit I’m a little confused by all of this.”

  “I know,” she said. “And I didn’t want it to happen this way. I wanted to wait until the right time to tell you, and now isn’t the right time but I’m telling you anyway.”

  “There’s more?” he asked, and she wondered whether he’d be able to handle it.

  She braced herself to have to walk straight out the door and leave. “My mother and I, our pub, we run what’s left of my grandfather’s business from there,” she said, looking at him.

  “What do you mean, his ‘business’?” Sam seemed genuinely confused. “I know you mentioned he owned the pub before you and your mother ran it.”

  “We now run all of his businesses,” Violet clarified, “including the semi-illegal or illegal ones.”

  Sam stared at her in silence. “But you work at a pub with your mother.”

  “The pub is where our operations are based out of, it’s a front of sorts. I’m telling you this because if I’m not honest with you we can’t really be together, and I wanted to give you a way out. I understand if you want me to leave. Just say the word and I’ll go. As a rule, I typically don’t date guys outside of my lifestyle—”

  “I don’t want you to leave,” Sam said calmly. “You’ve only dated . . . men outside the law?”

  Violet smiled at his gentle phrasing and nodded. “I didn
’t plan to tell you all this today but knew that the longer I waited the harder it would be, and I didn’t want our relationship to have lies. I’m not dangerous, and neither is my mother,” she said, and felt guilty for lying to him about the last things.

  Sam got quiet and seemed to be thinking, and Violet prepared herself to exit.

  “Please, stay,” Sam said, gesturing to her. “I appreciate your honesty. I have to say, I’m a bit shocked, being from Ohio and all, and I really do like you.”

  She waited for the but, but none came.

  “Let’s not allow this to ruin our dinner,” Sam said after a moment, and she figured that either he truly planned to overlook it or once she left his apartment that night, she’d never see him again.

  They had a pleasant dinner with good conversation and drank coffee and watched television afterwards and Sam didn’t try to get her into his bedroom, which either meant that he was too polite to suggest it or what Violet had told him had turned him off. She didn’t want anyone to pity her so after he kissed her goodnight and she left his apartment she planned to never see him again and not return his calls if he called. She figured that he wouldn’t want to see her again after what she told him and wanted to cut him off before he could hurt her so soon after Anton had. But Sam didn’t seem bothered by what she had told him, in fact it was almost as though the revelation made him more interested in her, as though it made her more intriguing somehow.

  Still, she didn’t pick up the phone at home if she thought it was him, and at the pub she had her mother say she was either absent or busy. The more she avoided Sam, the more he called. But Violet wouldn’t give in, because she felt that in the end, he would leave her because of who she was. Catherine had praised Sam but agreed that it was probably for the best, and she expressed worry that Sam could use what Violet told him against them, that perhaps he could go to the police.