The Trouble Girls

by E. R. Fallon

  “True,” Max said. “All right, we’ll take things out the back. You want a drink first?” He gestured at the bar.

  Violet shook her head. “Nah, I need my head clear.”

  “Me too,” he said. “I parked my car in the back just in case, so we can load the stuff in there.”

  Violet nodded.

  It took them a few hours to clear the pub, Max’s office, and Catherine’s upstairs apartment of anything that could be used as evidence, mostly paperwork and weapons, and put it into boxes from the kitchen and stow it in Max’s car. Violet knew that she would have to gather their men for a meeting to tell them the news of her mother’s arrest, if they hadn’t heard already. Word spread fast in the neighborhood.

  While they were working, the phone rang in the kitchen and Violet ran to answer it. It was her mother’s lawyer, informing her that her mother had been denied bail. Violet hung up and muttered a quiet curse to herself. Max came in to see what was going on.

  “That was the lawyer. They won’t allow my mother bail,” she told him. “She’s considered a flight risk because of her dual Irish citizenship.”

  “I’m sorry, Violet.”

  “What will I tell Tommy? He won’t understand why she didn’t come back.”

  “He’s a good kid, he’ll understand.”

  “I don’t know if I want him to have that reality,” she said. “Up until now, I’ve managed to protect him from everything we do.”

  “That’s the reason I never got married or had kids, too many people to depend on your morality,” Max reflected.

  “Tommy happened unexpectantly but I’m grateful to have him,” she said.

  “I know how much he means to you,” Max said. “I can help you talk to him if you’d like.”

  “Thanks, but I think this is something that I need to do by myself.” With her mother gone, she couldn’t depend on others to always help her. “I just wish all of this wasn’t happening so soon after Kevin’s death.”

  “He’s a strong kid,” Max said, patting her shoulder. “He’ll be okay.”

  They turned out the light and then went out back to Max’s car. Violet locked up the pub and then they drove to an apartment a couple of streets away that they used as a secret safehouse.

  “Are you going to go home after?” Max asked her as they sat parked outside on the street.

  Violet shook her head. “I can’t sleep. As soon as we know they’re not going to come to the pub with a warrant tonight, I want to call a meeting with all the guys.”

  Violet exited the car first and checked the street for signs that they had been followed. Given the late hour, there were just a few homeless people out for the night as well as a handful of couples and singles enjoying the warm evening.

  They moved the boxes into the first-floor apartment, and despite the late hour, they knew no one would complain due to their fierce local reputation. Once everything was secured in the empty apartment, Violet locked the door and they left to return to the pub.

  McBurney’s was ablaze with police lights, red and blue, which illuminated the side of the building. Max braked and stopped the car in front of the place.

  “What the hell is going on?” he whispered to Violet.

  “Looks like they came back with their warrant,” she replied. “We got out just in time.”

  They parked on the street and exited. Violet spotted Detective Seale standing by one of the cop cars, speaking to a police officer. He waved and smirked when he saw her.

  “Here you go, as promised,” he said, handing a piece of paper to her.

  She read the warrant then threw it on the ground. She wanted to tell him to go to hell but used restraint.

  “I hope you didn’t already clear everything out,” the detective remarked to Max at her side.

  Max shrugged and didn’t answer him.

  “Doesn’t matter,” Seale said. “We already have everything we need to charge Catherine McCarthy. This is just a matter of formality.”

  Violet didn’t want to see the pub being picked through, so she and Max waited outside for the police to finish.

  “They tried to get your grandfather too,” Max told her as they waited, “but never could. I think they view this is payback.”

  “I’m glad Tommy isn’t here to see this,” she told him. “Camille O’Brien will be delighted once she finds out.”

  “Your mother told me all about that. I’m not surprised she has it in for you,” Max said. “I knew her father. He was a tough, smart guy. She’s like him.”

  “How worried should I be about her?” Violet asked him.

  “I’d be very worried,” he replied solemnly. “I wish I had taken this thing with the police and your mother more seriously. I’m sorry I didn’t. But I know you’ll do well in her place.”

  The police finished their work after a few hours and left the pub in disarray.

  “It’s an odd hour but I should call that meeting now,” Violet said to Max as they stood inside the pub and cleaned up. The police had left most of the lights on and Violet went around turning all but one of them off. “The guys need to know what’s going on, if they don’t already.”

  “Shouldn’t we wait to see what your mother says first?” Max replied, suddenly seeming to shift his attitude.

  “She’s in jail, she doesn’t get a say,” Violet said.

  “We can still communicate with her,” Max said, seeming surprised at her blunt words. “We know guys on the inside.”

  “You were there when my mother was hauled away, she told me I was in charge now.”

  “I’m sure she wants you to oversee things in her absence, but I don’t think she meant you would lead.”

  “She did,” Violet retorted.

  “Violet, you have experience but not like your mother has.”

  “Are you saying I don’t know what I’m doing?” She disliked arguing with Max, she considered him to be like family, but business was business.

  “No, not at all. But we owe your mother the respect of being our leader until as long as she wants to.”

  “She gave me control,” Violet stated calmly. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. We should take your car to collect the guys in case the police are listening in on the phones.”

  Max looked at her and nodded.

  Violet wondered whether the other guys would resist her leadership as much as Max seemed to. She loved her mother but saw her arrest as an opportunity for herself to lead, whereas before the unspoken rule had been her mother led because she was the elder.

  They went outside and entered Max’s car, with Violet sitting in the passenger seat and Max driving. Jake and Pat lived together, so they drove to collect them first. Derrick lived with his girlfriend farther away.

  At Jake and Pat’s apartment building, with the car parked outside, Violet followed Max upstairs. Max knocked and they waited for one of them to answer.

  Jake opened the door halfway and stared at them.

  “What’s going on?” he asked, shirtless and unshaven, and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

  “There’s a problem,” Violet said.

  “What is it?” Jake asked, with fear thick in his voice.

  “Don’t worry, it’s not you,” Max said.

  “My mother was arrested, and the police just searched the pub,” Violet told Jake.

  “I heard something about that but didn’t know if it was true.”

  “It is,” Max said. “Is Pat home?”

  “He’s sleeping,” Jake said.

  “Get him up and both of you get dressed. We’re going to have a meeting.”

  “Is Derrick with you?” Jake asked.

  Violet shook her head. “We’re getting him next. We didn’t want to ring you guys in case the police are listening in on the phones.”

  “Okay. Hold on a second.” Jake closed the door and disappeared into the apartment.

  Violet could hear Pat’s voice and the sounds of them getting ready to leave. A few m
inutes later, both exited the apartment and met Violet and Max in the hallway.

  Pat greeted them.

  “I’m sorry about your mother,” he told Violet, and she thanked him.

  “Yeah, she’s a great lady,” Jake said. “Did she make bail?”

  Violet shook her head. “She was denied it because of her dual citizenship.”

  Both men shook their heads in disbelief and then they walked downstairs and left the building with Violet and Max. They reached Max’s car and Jake and Pat sat in the back while Violet rode up front with Max.

  Derrick was a bit farther away and Max put on the radio as he drove to help the time go by.

  Derrick and his girlfriend lived in a newer building than Pat and Jake. They were night owls and were up watching television when Violet went upstairs by herself to collect him.

  “I’m calling a meeting,” Violet told Derrick at his door. “My mother was arrested.”

  “I’m sorry, Vi, I hadn’t heard. How’s she doing?”

  “I don’t know. They denied her bail and I haven’t been to see her.”

  “What did they get her on?”

  “The Robert Shane thing.”

  “Does Tommy know?”

  “Yeah, he was there at the pub when it happened.”

  “That’s terrible. It must have been quite a shock for him. Where is he now?”

  “A neighbor’s watching him. He’s just lost his father, so this event has double the impact.”

  Derrick shook his head in dismay. His girlfriend, a pretty blonde woman, appeared at the door behind him to see who he was talking with. Violet had met her a few times before and they each asked one another how the other was, but Violet knew that Derrick didn’t discuss business with her, so that was the extent of their greeting. Derrick turned to his girlfriend and explained he had to leave and then walked to Violet out in the hall as his girlfriend shut the door behind him.

  “Max is waiting with Jake and Pat in his car outside,” Violet told Derrick.

  “You’re worried the police are listening in on your phones?” he asked her.

  “They might be. They had a warrant and searched the pub.”

  They drove to an isolated location by the pier and Max turned off the car and lights so they could hold their meeting there in secret, away from the police’s watch and where nobody would bother them. Violet didn’t trust the cops wouldn’t be watching the pub or listening in.

  “As you all know,” Violet told the men, “my mother was arrested today, and she’s been denied bail. I’ve been threatened by the detective in charge of her case, so if anything should happen to me, Max will be in charge.”

  The men nodded. Then Derrick asked her, “Is your mother calling the shots from jail?”

  Violet shook her head. “She left me in charge.”

  Derrick looked at Jake and Pat.

  “Is that going to be a problem?” Violet asked them.

  “I just assumed Catherine would be controlling everything from jail. We have ways to communicate with her,” Derrick said.

  “When my mother was arrested, she told me I was in charge,” Violet said to them. “Max heard her say it. Didn’t you, Max?” She looked at him.

  “I did,” Max said, “But I get what the fellows are saying,” he added quietly.

  “What is this, gang up on the girl time? You all have a problem with me leading because I’m younger than you?” she demanded.

  The men flinched at her wrath and quickly shook their heads, except for Max.

  “I’ve known you for your whole life,” Max replied in an even tone, “and I respect you a great deal. But you’ve never been the leader before, Catherine always called the shots.”

  “You don’t think I have enough experience?” she asked him.

  “I think that a lot is going on, with your mother’s arrest, and Camille O’Brien intentions to get rid of you. I think your mother would know how to handle things better, even from jail.”

  “She didn’t think she’d be arrested, she said we had nothing to worry about. She doesn’t think Camille will be a problem; how do you think that’ll turn out?”

  “I think this O’Brien girl is angry but will cool off eventually,” Derrick interjected.

  “Listen to what Max thinks. He knew her father,” Violet said.

  “Her father wasn’t the type of man you ignored,” Max told them. “If she’s anything like him, we have something to worry about.”

  “She’s got nobody,” Derrick said. “We have a whole group. One against many. What could she possibly do?”

  “She had enough brass to reach out to the Italians,” Violet responded. “Her stepfather is one of them, and her ex. Thankfully, the boss turned her down. But the boss is getting on in his years and he won’t be around forever. We could have trouble on our hands if he’s gone. The Italians cooperation has been vital to our success, and, as you know, dates back to my grandfather.”

  “If they turned her down then we have nothing to worry about,” Pat said.

  “I’m not sure, remember what Max said,” Violet replied. She looked at Jake and Pat. “Keep an eye on her for me, but don’t let her know you’re watching her. I want to know where she goes, who she talks to.”

  “All right,” Jake said.

  “You can count on us,” Pat said.

  Then Violet looked at Derrick. “What about you?” she asked him. “Can I count on you?”

  Derrick eyed Max as though waiting for his reaction before he responded to Violet.

  “Yes,” he finally said when Max remained quiet.

  Now that she had the three under her control, she turned to Max. “It’s my right to lead,” Violet told him.

  Seeing that he was outnumbered, Max sighed and said, “All right, Vi. You win.”

  “I’m glad that’s settled,” Violet replied. “Of course, my mother will still have a say. We aren’t going to forget about her. You should all be aware that this Robert Shane thing isn’t going to go away,” Violet told them.

  “We ought to bump off O’Rourke,” Pat said. “I’ll volunteer to do it.” He grinned at her.

  “Yeah, and I’ll help,” Jake said.

  “Thanks, but that will just make us look even more guilty. We need to stay off their radar,” Violet said.

  “What do you think, Max?” Derrick asked him

  Violet scowled. Just when she thought she had finally gotten them to listen to her…

  “Whatever Violet thinks,” Max muttered.

  “Max, you said you didn’t have an issue with me calling the shots. But, do you?” She held his gaze.

  “No, Violet, I don’t.”

  “Good. After what happened to my mother, everyone needs to be more careful. The police could be watching us at any time. You need to be vigilant. We can’t have Camille O’Brien use this as an opportunity to move in on us.” Then Violet added, “I know how much you all love my mother, and I’m grateful for that, and I know she is also. I appreciate you all respecting her wishes to have me lead.” She really wanted the message to sink in.

  By the time they finished the meeting it was the early morning. Max drove the guys home and then took Violet to her apartment. She had been up all night.

  “We shouldn’t be seen together too much,” she told Max as he dropped her off by her apartment building. “Any of us.”

  Max nodded. “I’ll tell the others.”

  She said goodbye to Max and went into her building. She stopped on the Polish woman’s floor to collect Tommy and get him ready for school. She also had to tell him the news about his grandmother still being away.

  Violet knocked on the woman’s door.

  “Come inside,” the white-haired woman, wearing a black housedress, answered the door.

  Violet entered and found Tommy still asleep on the couch. She paid the woman for watching Tommy, and the woman thanked her. She didn’t know about Catherine’s arrest and didn’t ask questions, one of the reasons Violet liked her.

>   “How was he?” Violet asked the woman.

  “He was a very good boy. You’ve done a good job with him.”

  The woman smiled, showing the few teeth she still had left, and Violet filled with pride at her words. Tommy was the one thing she had always done right.

  The woman went to the couch and woke Tommy up. He stirred and opened his eyes, looking up at her.

  “Hey, kid,” Violet said with a smile. “How are you?”

  “Where’s grandma?” he asked.

  Violet didn’t want to discuss Catherine’s arrest in front of the woman, so she said to Tommy, “We’ll talk about that when we get home.”

  Tommy nodded and sat up. He’d fallen asleep in his day clothes, so they were able to leave straight away. Violet thanked the woman again. Inside their apartment, Violet told Tommy to take a bath and put on fresh clothes while she made him breakfast. He’d kept asking about his grandmother and Violet kept responding, “I’ll tell you when you’re ready for school.” She felt negligent that she had let him sleep in his clothes overnight and that she hadn’t been there for him. Catherine would normally have watched him, and Violet cursed Detective Seale for taking her mother away.

  Tommy appeared in the kitchen, bathed and changed. His damp hair glistened in the sunlight that came through the windows.

  “Where’s Grandma?” Tommy asked. “You said you’d tell me when I was ready, and I’m ready.”

  Violet sat down at the kitchen table and patted the empty seat next to her. “Sit with me,” she told Tommy.

  Tommy sat down.

  “Eat,” she told him, gesturing to the breakfast on the table.

  “What happened to Grandma? Is she in prison?” Tommy crossed his arms and looked down at his stomach.

  Seeing that Tommy wouldn’t eat unless she told him something, she said, “They still have your grandmother, but they’re mistaken. She didn’t do anything.” Telling the lie hurt but she told it anyway; she needed to shield Tommy, for as long as she could, from the world she and her mother lived in.

  Tommy looked over at her. “Why do they still have her then?”

  “It’s a misunderstanding. We’ll have it cleared up very soon.” Violet doubted that would be the case, but she still had to have hope.

  “Will she be home tonight?” Tommy’s eyes brightened at the possibility.