by E. R. Fallon
“He isn’t like that,” Violet told her mother one day when she had picked Tommy up from school and took him to the pub to see his grandmother.
Their new bartender had prepared Tommy a lemonade and he sat at the bar drinking it with his back turned to Violet and Catherine.
“Even if he did,” Catherine said, “He hasn’t got any proof, right?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Violet told her. “He just isn’t like that. He won’t do anything. I’m sure I’ll never see or hear from him again once he stops calling me.”
“He must have really liked you,” Catherine said with a wistful smile. “Imagine, you could’ve been married to a banker.”
“I only just started seeing him. We were nowhere close to that.”
Catherine gestured to Tommy at the bar. His feet didn’t touch the floor from his seat. “How’s he doing?” she whispered to Violet.
“I’m worried about him. I’m glad I didn’t introduce him to Sam before I ended things with him because I don’t think he could have handled more loss.”
“It’s good you didn’t,” Catherine agreed. “About Sam, have you ever considered just calling him back and telling him you don’t want to see him again? Some guys need you to be blunt, they won’t get the hint. Maybe he just doesn’t understand why you’re avoiding him.”
“I know it sounds terrible, but I don’t want to deal with that right now, not after everything that’s happened. He’ll stop calling eventually. He won’t understand my reasons for not wishing to continue. He didn’t seem to care what we do for a living, but over time he will care, as any guy not involved in this business would. I need to focus on Tommy.”
“All right,” Catherine said. “I don’t agree but I know you aren’t a kid anymore and make your own decisions. I’m glad we’re close enough to talk about it. Some women couldn’t stand having their mothers around all the time, but the two of us are in business, and that keeps us close, and that’s a beautiful thing.”
Violet smiled at her mother’s enthusiasm. Max came over and asked them what was going on.
“She wants to end things with the guy who took her out—remember, the nice, good-looking one?—but she won’t tell him and he won’t stop calling her,” Catherine said.
“The poor guy,” Max chuckled. “What did he do to deserve that? He didn’t hurt you, did he?” His gaze darkened.
“No, nothing like that,” Violet told him. “I just can’t be with someone who isn’t involved in our lifestyle. It’ll never work out. I can only see gang guys.”
“Maybe you should aim higher. What was this Sam guy’s job anyway? Wasn’t he a banker?”
Violet nodded.
“Why shouldn’t you date a guy like that?” Max said.
“There’s nothing wrong with seeing a gangster,” Violet countered. “After all, you’re one yourself.”
“That’s true, but there’s no rule you have to be with one.”
Loud rock music played on the jukebox and the pub started to fill with patrons coming in after work. Catherine left them to assist the bartender with the crowd then Sam walked in.
Violet turned to Max because her mother wasn’t there. “He’s here. What do I do?” she asked him.
“Talk to the guy. See what he has to say. Tell him what you want to say.”
Violet nodded and prepared herself as Sam approached. He looked clean-shaven and handsome and smelled good.
“Violet,” he said. “I’ve been desperate to speak with you, but we can’t seem to connect.”
Max stepped away to give them some privacy.
“I know,” Violet told Sam. “I’ve been avoiding you.”
“Why? Did I do something?”
“No. Not yet.”
Sam looked at her thoughtfully and touched her arm. “What do you mean? I’d never hurt you.”
“Are you sure? You wouldn’t leave me after what I told you? After what I told you I was so convinced that I’d lose you so I left you before you could leave me. And it’s all right, Sam, if you want to not see me anymore. I understand. Most regular guys wouldn’t want to be involved with someone like me.”
“What are you talking about?” he said. “I’m here now. Of course, I still want to see you.” He smiled. “I’ve been calling you like crazy trying to get in touch with you.”
Violet looked at him skeptically. “After everything you know about me, why would you still want to be with me?”
“Because I like you, Violet.”
“Someone like you, what could you possibly see in me? We’re so different from each other.”
“I see a caring, beautiful, fantastic woman,” Sam answered.
“I used to be a drug addict,” Violet told him, as though adding that to the mix would frighten him away further.
“I don’t care,” Sam said.
“Listen to the man,” said Max, who had overheard.
Sam opened his arms for a hug and Violet embraced him. The people in the pub, many whom she knew, and who had been watching their exchange play out, clapped and whistled and Violet and Sam laughed. Her mother stopped working and smiled at her from the bar. Max patted Sam on the back.
“Now that you got her back, you better treat her good,” he told him, seriously.
“I will, sir,” Sam replied.
“Sir?” Max grinned. “I like this guy,” he told Violet.
Violet hadn’t been paying attention, but her mother signaled to her to look at Tommy, who she now saw had turned in his seat and was watching them from the bar with a frown on his face. It had been a mistake not to tell him about Sam.
“There’s someone I want you to meet,” she told Sam when the crowd had settled down. She took Sam’s hand and led him over to Tommy, who stared at them approaching, still frowning.
“He looks like a great kid,” Sam whispered to Violet as they strode.
“He is. Tommy’s the one thing I’ve always done right, no matter what else was happening in my life.”
“I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Tommy,” Violet said as they stood alongside him, still holding hands. She wanted to give Tommy a signal that Sam meant something important to her. “I want to introduce you to Sam.”
Tommy didn’t say anything and looked at both of them. “Who are you?” he asked Sam, his tone not quite friendly.
Sam moved to shake his hand, as though he didn’t know any better not to. “It’s great to meet you, buddy. I’m Sam.”
Tommy looked down at his hand then held it limply. “Okay,” he said. Then he let go of Sam’s hand and looked at Violet. “Who is he?” he asked her.
“Sam and I have been seeing each other,” Violet explained to him.
“Like you saw Anton?”
Violet nodded.
“Okay,” Tommy said quietly, but he wouldn’t smile or even look at Sam, who stood there awkwardly and smiled at them, as though he was trying to make the best of the situation.
Catherine poured Violet and Sam each a beer and they sat at the bar next to Tommy, who rebuffed Sam’s attempts to get to know him.
Tommy looked at Violet, who sat alongside him, and Sam was next to her. “I’m hungry,” Tommy said.
Violet nodded at him. She waited for Catherine to finish a drink order and then gestured to her. “Can we fix Tommy something to eat?” she asked, although she knew the kitchen didn’t open for another hour for dinner.
“Sure,” Catherine said, smiling at Tommy. “What do you want, handsome?” She winked.
“A hamburger,” Tommy said to her and finally smiled, but at his grandmother
“Thanks,” Violet said to her mother, who left the bar for the kitchen.
Sam sat there patiently, tapping his finger on his beer mug. Then he made another attempt to win Tommy over. “How do you like school, Tommy? I loved school at you age.”
Tommy didn’t look at him, but Violet saw him roll his eyes. “I don’t like it,” he mumbled.
“Tommy, you’re being rude,” Violet scolded h
im.
She liked Sam and had hoped Tommy would as well, like he had liked Anton. But Tommy, like a lot of boys his age, could be finicky about the men in his mother’s life. Violet wondered, did because Tommy didn’t like him mean that her relationship with Sam was doomed?
“It’s okay,” Sam told her.
“No, it isn’t,” Violet replied. “You could make more of an effort,” she said to Tommy. “Sam’s being very nice to you.” She nudged his foot with her and tilted her head toward Sam.
Tommy looked at Sam and apologized in a begrudging way.
“No problem,” Sam said to Tommy.
“He’s upset about his dad,” Violet whispered to Sam, who nodded. Although she was concerned that Tommy didn’t seem to like him. He hadn’t liked Anton straight away either, but he had taken more of a shine to him than he had to Sam.
“It’s all right, I understand,” Sam said to Violet.
Catherine exited the kitchen and walked over to them with a hamburger on a plate for Tommy. She went behind the bar and set it and a bottle of ketchup down in front of Tommy.
Tommy thanked his grandmother and started eating.
“That looks good,” Sam said to Tommy, but Tommy ignored him.
Violet shook her head. She didn’t want Sam to think she couldn’t control her son. “Tommy,” she said, “Sam’s speaking to you.”
Tommy looked straight ahead at his food and ignored her. He mumbled something she couldn’t decipher.
Violet looked at Sam and apologized for Tommy’s behavior. Deep down inside she wondered if it might be about something more than Kevin. Tommy genuinely seemed to dislike Sam. Regardless, she smiled at Sam and tried to seem upbeat.
Reggae music played on the jukebox and a man and woman began to dance while holding their drinks in their hands. People gathered to watch them and clapped, and Violet and Sam watched them while Tommy ate.
“Makes me feel like dancing,” Sam told her.
Violet had never considered herself a good dancer and was embarrassed by that. “I don’t think so,” she told Sam, her face burning.
“Come on, why not?” Sam grinned at her.
“Because I can’t dance for the life of me and I don’t want to make a fool of myself in front of all these people, that’s why.”
“But you’re a tough girl,” Sam said, “Why not give it a try? I’ll help you.”
She smiled at him then nodded, and they rose holding hands. Sam pulled her over to the area where the other couple was dancing and held her close, and using his movements as a guide, they swayed to the music. She rested her head on Sam’s shoulder and tried not to step on his feet. When she glanced at Tommy at the bar, she saw that he wasn’t watching them, as though he refused to, but her mother was.
The door opened and Detective Seale walked in.
17
Violet held on more tightly to Sam as she watched Seale enter. When the detective approached the bar and spoke to Catherine, who seemed distraught, Violet let go of Sam and went to see what was happening.
“You can’t do this,” Catherine told Detective Seale. “Not in front of my grandson.”
“Maybe you should have considered that before doing what you did,” the detective replied.
“Grandma, what’s going on?” Tommy asked Catherine, his voice filled with a nervous energy.
“It’s okay, Tommy,” Catherine told him. She walked out from behind the bar to speak with the detective away from Tommy and Violet approached them.
“What the hell are you doing here?” Violet asked Detective Seale, unable to mask her anger.
“I’ve already explained to your mother that I’m here to arrest her in connection with the murder of Robert Shane, and I can either do it quietly or make a scene if that’s what you wish,” he replied with an arrogant smile.
“You can’t,” Violet said, at a loss for words.
“Oh, I can,” Seale replied smartly. “You’ve messed with the wrong guy.”
Max came over and looked at Seale then at Violet and her mother. He told Catherine, “It’s going to be okay.” Then the detective started to take out handcuffs.
“Please don’t cuff me in front of my grandkid,” Catherine begged Seale.
“I have to, it’s protocol,” he replied.
“You’re really going to arrest her?” Max asked in anger.
“I am,” the detective said bluntly. “Who are you?”
Max introduced himself.
“I know who you are,” Seale sneered.
“Do you have a warrant?” Max asked him calmly.
“I don’t need a warrant to arrest her,” the detective stated. “But, no, I won’t be searching the premises.”
Some good fortune at last, Violet thought. She considered asking Seale if they would be searching the pub at some point but didn’t want to seem suspicious.
“If you’re going to put handcuffs on her, I think you ought to do it outside,” Max told the detective. “You’ll upset her grandson.”
“She should have thought of that before doing what she did,” Detective Seale replied to him and asked Catherine to turn around.
She sighed and complied, and he read her her rights. Max started to inject on her behalf again, but Catherine stopped him. “It’s okay, Max,” she told him. “I’ll go with him.”
Max seethed but obeyed.
Tommy left the bar and ran over to Catherine. “Grandma!” His eyes glistened with tears.
Violet hurried to him and pulled him away from her mother. Sam appeared at her side and whispered, “Violet, what’s going on?”
“Remember when I told you who we are?” she replied in a whisper also. “These things happen all the time to us. My mother is innocent.” Her face burned at telling him the lie.
Tommy kept crying and Violet reached out and comforted him. Sam tried to help as well but Tommy swatted him away.
“Leave me alone, I don’t know you!” he said.
Sam quickly backed away as though Tommy had bit him.
Catherine looked at Violet and held her gaze and said, “You’re in charge now. Take care of things. I trust you. Let my mother know what happened.”
“I will, and I’ll call our lawyer,” Violet shouted to her mother as Detective Seale led her in handcuffs out of the pub.
Her mother didn’t look at her again, but Detective Seale turned to Violet and mouthed, “You’re next.”
Violet shuddered at his remark but wouldn’t let him scare her. When they were gone, Sam asked her if she was all right. He didn’t seem to have seen what the detective told her.
“I’m not sure,” she replied, and he touched her shoulder tenderly. “I think you should go,” she said, embracing Tommy.
The people in the pub whispered to one another about what had happened and asked Violet if she needed anything and she thanked them.
“I want to be here for you,” Sam told her. “What can I do?”
Violet didn’t answer him. “I’m sorry but I need to be with just my family right now,” she said, and that included Max.
Sam looked at her and nodded then he quietly left.
Still holding Tommy by his shoulders, Violet spoke to Max at her right. “We should close the pub and move things out. They could be back with a warrant at any time.”
“Good idea,” Max replied, then he began to speak to the patrons, who had been watching the action unfold, collectively, and explained that they had to leave so that he and Violet could sort things out.
Once the pub had been vacated and the last customer left, Violet wondered what she should do with Tommy while she and Max cleared out the pub.
Tommy, who was getting taller each day, looked at her. “Why did that cop take Grandma away?” he asked. “Did she do something bad?”
Tommy was innocent about their lifestyle and Violet wanted to keep it that way. Although he had seen the police in the pub before and Violet wondered how much he really knew.
“No,” she told him. “He’s
just mistaken, that’s all.”
“But why would he put handcuffs on her, and why did Grandma go with him?” the astute Tommy asked.
“Because that’s what they always do. Remember when they came and took Great-Grandpa away and then he was back the next day because it was a misunderstanding?” Violet said, recalling the incident that had happened shortly before her grandfather’s death.
Tommy nodded. “Grandma will be back tomorrow?” he asked.
Violet didn’t want to lie to him in case that didn’t happen, so she said, “I hope so.”
Then she called her mother’s lawyer and explained what had happened. She and Max couldn’t clear anything out until it was darker outside, and in the end she returned home to her apartment with Tommy and asked the elderly Polish woman who lived downstairs if she could keep an eye on him overnight. The woman agreed and didn’t ask any questions because Violet would pay her. Tommy complained about having a babysitter and Violet didn’t like leaving him alone after what happened with his grandmother, but she had to help out Max and so had little choice.
By the time she returned to the pub, night had fully arrived. Max only had one light on in the place, which she could see from outside. He had the front door locked and Violet had forgotten her key and had to knock to be let inside. The street was quiet.
“Is Tommy all right?” Max asked her inside the pub.
“Yeah, I left him with a neighbor. I don’t like leaving him alone after everything that has happened, but I don’t want him involved in any of this. I’m worried about what comes next, Max, and how Tommy will be affected. That detective threatened me.”
“When? Earlier?”
“No, when he arrested my mother, he looked at me and said, ‘You’re next’.”
“It might mean nothing,” Max reasoned. “They threaten people like that all the time and nothing comes of it.”
“That guy has it in for us. I don’t think he’s going away any time soon. We better use the back entrance to move things out, in case they’re watching.”
“I don’t see anybody on the street,” Max said, looking out the big window that faced the sidewalk.
“You know better than anyone that doesn’t mean they’re not watching.”
