“Just remember that I’ve got your back and I’ll do whatever you need me to do. Now, tell me, how’s business? Things still slow?”
“Still with a bottleneck on local business. Thank goodness for the guardsmen from the base. I have some steady customers from there, and a few locals regularly show up, but the crowd’s not enough to count myself a success.”
“Still not lined up out the door? I remember you saying that the night of the Grand Opening.”
“That’s a great example. We haven’t had a crowd that big since then. I’ve poured a ton of money into this place, but I don’t want to invest too much more until I start to earn some of my money back.”
“Now that you’ve got your feet wet, would you consider selling and opening up something in Miami?”
“I did get an offer, a rather good one. Someone obviously sees the same value in the place that I do.”
“Why didn’t you take it?”
“Despite the profit, it felt like I was giving up. I haven’t finished realizing all the potential around here, Mae. I won’t be satisfied until this place is full every night and I’m looking for a second location. That’s what I want to build.”
“Sounds ambitious.”
Edith laughs. “Ha, that’s me. Although, at the rate I’m going, the only ambition I’m going to realize is to die of exhaustion rather than boredom. My worst fear is giving up too soon. I’m slowly figuring things out, every day another piece of the puzzle of turning this into one of the best little saloons falls into place. The big challenge was stock of course. Now that Darwin’s here, the Rum Row runs are smoother. And Leroy’s a great help bussing tables and helping with little jobs. I guess I’m just not ready to let go of this dream yet.”
“Don’t sell ambition short. One of the things I hear from the women I help get started in business is that a dream without ambition is like a car without gas—it’s not going anywhere.”
“I knew you’d understand. I’m sure even Maidenform Bras had a few bumps along the road to success,” Edith says with a wink.
“Oh, Edith, I miss you in Miami. Why don’t you see about taking advantage of some of those big conventions Miami is bringing in? The manager of the Giants baseball team commissioned ten thousand cases of liquor for the five or six baseball teams who’ll be down in Florida for Spring Training. Maybe they need an adventure, get them out of the city.”
Edith nods, the wheels starting to spin.
“And the Ringling Brothers Circus also had ten thousand cases for the performers. They served it through crowd concessions.”
“These ideas are all well and good if I were based in Miami. The big conventions won’t be coming to Coconut Grove. We don’t even have a hotel beyond the Peacock, and it’s a bit, shall we say, rustic?”
“You’re close enough to Miami that Coconut Grove was annexed in. And you don’t need the whole convention. Let Miami attract the people. You just need to get a few of the visitors to come here for the adventure of being on open water, hanging out in a real blind tiger. A day trip.”
Edith laughs. “We’ll call it adventure tourism. I’ll see if I can get the gator in the creek to snap at them when they come down the path from the car park.”
“I’m serious,” Mae says, rolling her eyes. “What about bringing people out from Miami? It’s not that far. The highway’s in good shape and getting better all the time. There’s good train service. You’re always going on about Cap’s Place. They’re not making their money off locals. Heck, they got a carload of dames from Miami to drive out for lunch.”
“That was a great day, and a big part of why I bought Gator’s. It’s certainly something to think about.”
Car doors slam in the parking area. “Looks like folks are starting to arrive,” Edith says, getting up and gathering up the martini glasses.
Mae holds the screen door for her. “Put me to work. I think I may have found my calling in standing on the other side of the bar.”
Later that night, behind the bar, an apron tied around her waist, Mae shoots the breeze with Harley, Billy, and other regulars.
“Can you manage things here, just for a minute or two?” Edith asks. “Leroy and I are just going to grab a few bottles from the shed.”
“Not a problem.” Mae grabs a cloth and wipes down the counter.
Darwin wanders over and leans on the bar. “Everything good here, Mae? Anything I can do to help?”
“I think everything’s under control. Edith’s just gone back for more whiskey and beer. So how’d Edith get lucky enough to have you wander into her life?”
“I’m not so sure she’d say lucky. She’d had some trouble a while back and called my cousin, Henry, and he asked if I’d come down and help get her on her feet.”
“I heard about that. It’s a rough world we live in. How long do you think that’s going to take to move things forward? Get her organized and safe?”
“A bit longer than I first thought. Henry didn’t have a real good idea about what was going on here and was kinda vague when he called.”
“So, what do you think?”
“I’m figuring it out. I was ready for the rum running, but these pirates have me stumped. I rarely go looking for trouble, but I sure don’t back away from a fight. I’m not sure why Edith’s not gunning for them.”
“Aha, that might be an unfortunate choice of words. Living with Mickey, especially in the last few years, was pretty rough on her. Mickey’s rivals tried to take him out once or twice when she was around and, of course, he was eventually gunned down in a hotel room. She flinches at loud noises, and I know she was really hoping that she wouldn’t have to get back down in the muck.”
Darwin shakes his head, looking around the half-empty Gator’s. “She’s running an illegal saloon. Every night she opens she’s committing a crime.”
“It’s not the crime. It’s just words on paper that make this illegal. It’s the violence. She’s been shot at more than once, and I don’t think she enjoyed being in the line of fire.”
“She’s in the middle of it now,” Darwin says.
Mae leans over and puts a hand on his arm. “Keep an eye on her, Darwin. Sometimes she’s her own worst enemy when it comes to looking before she leaps. Take this place for instance,” Mae says with a grin.
Darwin grins back. “Well, she definitely has some snap in her garters.”
Mae throws her head back and laughs. “My, yes. That’s our Edith.”
“What’s so funny?” Edith comes back in with a case of beer for the cooler. Leroy’s got a couple of whiskey bottles.
“Nothing, doll. Darwin and I were just comparing notes.”
With a wink at Mae, Darwin grabs a beer from the cooler and heads off to join Billy Shaw.
Mae spies a tarot card tucked into the top of the beer case. “What have you got there?”
“When I was out in the shed, I found this. They pop up in the strangest places. Leroy always tells me what they mean, but do you know what it is?” Edith asks, handing Mae the card.
The card Mae studies shows a man and a woman standing under a rainbow of ten cups. Two children are dancing. The family appears to be living in abundance and contentment.
“I like getting my own cards read, so I know a little bit. This card appears when you are surrounded by your loved ones. You appreciate and support one another and, together, you help each other reach your highest potential.”
“Surrounded by my loved ones. See, that’s why I don’t believe in this nonsense. I don’t have any loved ones left. Mickey’s gone. I don’t have any kids. My parents kicked the bucket years ago. I’m all alone.”
“That’s the silliest thing I’ve ever heard, Edith Duffy. And exactly why you should get your cards read. Maybe they can open your eyes a bit. Of course you’re surrounded by loved ones. You’ve got me and Leroy. Henry and Sadie, and Maggie and Ron may be in Philadelphia, but they’ve certainly got your best interests at heart. Didn’t Henry do what he could when you we
re in trouble and send Darwin? And what about Darwin? He may not be a loved one, but he’s still one of the folks you’ve got in your corner.”
“Okay. Okay. You’re right. I’m surrounded,” Edith answers, smiling and putting her hand on Mae’s arm. “I couldn’t have a better bunch of friends.”
Mae pats her hand. “We may not be blood, but we got your back, doll. Now, why not get your cards read? Someone obviously is trying to give you a few clues. You’re sure you don’t know where they’re coming from?”
“I expect its Leroy’s Aunt Cassie. She’s a fortune teller and lives out in the Everglades. And Leroy probably has something to do with it, although he denies it when I ask. He’s also good knowing what the cards mean. He could read your cards while you’re here.”
“Why not get him to read for us both?”
“No. He’s offered and I’ve turned him down. I’m pretty sure it’s all a bunch of nonsense.”
“You are the most stubborn gal. Who wouldn’t appreciate a bit of a heads up about what’s coming next? Or a chance to look at different options if you’re wrestling with a problem. There are none so blind as those that will not see, doll.”
Chapter 54
W hen Mae gets an idea, she’s relentless and, at first light, she crept out of Edith’s bedroom. She wanted to see if her brainstorm of an idea would fit the space.
On the drive out from Miami yesterday, Mae had thought about how to pull more people into Gator Joe’s. The convention and baseball team opportunities are long term and require some organization but, through the course of working last night, she got a chance to run a few other ideas past Edith’s regulars. During the night, while she was lying in Edith’s bed, options rattled around in her head and an idea slowly took hold.
Edith comes into the barroom carrying two cups of coffee. “Good morning, Mae. You’re up early. I didn’t even hear you.”
Mae is standing and staring at the thirty-foot wall in the barroom. On one side of the hallway to the bedroom and kitchen is the bar. The other side is blank. She takes the coffee and gestures to the bare space.
“I’m a firm believer in the philosophy that we start every morning with two choices: continue to sleep with dreams or get up and chase them. And I woke up with an ab-so-lute-ly brilliant idea. Tell me what you think. We can build a small stage along this wall, not too high off the ground, but enough so that the back of the room could see. I don’t think you’d lose many tables; we can just push the rest closer together.
“A stage?” Edith also stares at the empty wall.
“For bands. If somebody’s telling folks to stay away, you’ve got to give them a reason not to listen. You could showcase live music every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.”
Edith nods. Grinning, she can feel butterflies in her stomach. Putting her coffee cup down, she grabs one end of a table. “Here, give me a hand and let’s move some tables and see if it would work.”
Mae and Edith start pulling chairs away from the square tables, shuffling them around.
“Whatcha doing?” Leroy asks, rubbing sleep from his eyes.
“Moving tables. We’re going to build a stage here and we want to see how many tables we’d lose.”
Darwin shows up next, coffee cup in hand, and leans against the hallway wall watching them rearrange the room. “Looks like you might want to take a table or two out. If you’re going to have a band, you’ll need a dance floor.” He sips his coffee.
Mae and Edith stand in the now empty space. Edith nods. “Of course. A dance floor. How about we leave it empty to that first set of windows?”
A few hours later, Edith does the Charleston in the empty space. Leroy tries to follow along. Mae sings from center stage—an area marked by a row of liquor bottles. Long rows of tables run parallel to the dance floor. Arranging the tables in rows means that only a few seats are lost. The other side of the room keeps its customary arrangement of fours and eights.
Darwin shakes his head, smiling. “You’ve got some moves, Miz Edith. I’ll head into town and get the lumber. Back by lunchtime. Leroy, wanna come with me and lend a hand?”
Without breaking step, Edith laughs and waves as the two head out the door.
“This is going to work great, Mae. We had a band in for the Grand Opening. There’s some local boys that aren’t too bad.”
“What about bringing bands out from Miami? There’s lots of talent floating around, especially with some of the smaller clubs like Tobacco Road closed. I’m sure I could round up a month’s worth of entertainment. They wouldn’t have to be big names. And you’ll get a reputation for bringing in music from the city every weekend. If it proves popular, bring local bands in mid-week.”
“If the bands are here for three days, where are they going to stay?” Edith asks.
“What about building some rooms in the barn? You don’t use it for anything. You could turn it into a bunkhouse sorta’ place. Deduct the cost of room and board off the money for the band. And it would get Darwin off the boat.”
“And a proper bedroom for Leroy. Let’s go out back and see what we’d need to do.”
Edith and Mae pace off walls in the barn and hear hammering coming from Gator Joe’s. “Grass sure don’t grow under his feet, does it?” Mae says, one ear cocked toward the house.
“He gets an idea in his head and you just can’t pull him off it. He’s handy sometimes, and frustrating as all get out other times.”
“I can imagine. Let’s go tell them about the barn.”
* * * *
“I think I’ll head back into the city to make a few phone calls,” Mae says, carrying one of her suitcases into the barroom.
“What about your painters?”
“I’ll just work around them. There’s no sense tying up the long-distance operator and incurring those charges. And I’ll get Anna and Esta to help with names and tracking bands down. They have a better sense than I do about what groups are popular, and they know the clubs. When do you think the stage will be ready, Darwin?”
Darwin, on his knees with a mouthful of nails, doesn’t bother to look up. “Wednesday. Barn won’t be ready for another week after that.” Leroy is working as carpenter’s assistant, passing tools and holding the other end of the measuring tape.
“Let’s get somebody in next weekend. That will give me time to get posters up around town. And tell them we’ll give them gas money.”
“Okay, doll. I’m on it. And excited. I’ll line up a month of music for you. Leroy, can you haul the rest of my bags? They’re not as heavy as when I first arrived.”
Chapter 55
A crowd of young people gather around the poster advertising Gator Joe’s Musical Miami Showcase and Revue. Everyone is making plans to go. In the lobby of the post office, a young couple pour over the details of the Musical Miami flyer Jasper passed them. When they leave the post office, they run into a friend who pulls the same flyer out of his back pocket. He’d picked his up at the gas station.
At the Wharf Rat’s nightly meeting, Buford arrives in the barn, a torn poster in his hand. He hands it to the Boss who studies it. He’s seen them as well.
“What do you want to do about it?” Buford asks as the men begin to arrive and fill up the chairs. “This is going to bring in a crowd. Bringing in bands from Miami is gonna cause real trouble at the other places. They’ll be half empty, and that means the cash drawers will be half empty, which will be a problem when we do our collection rounds.”
The Boss crumples the poster. “She should have been gone by now. I thought you were going to fix this.”
“I don’t know what else to suggest, Boss. We’ve tried scaring her, we’ve caused all kinds of mischief out there, and we even roughed her up a bit—a lot, actually. She’s dug in like a tick on a dog.”
The Boss just stares silently at the poster.
“Why not just put her on the protection collection list like all the rest, Boss? She’d make us some good money, and the boys would like to go to Gat
or’s.”
“I don’t want pennies a drink. I want to see her punished. I want to see her crawl out of Coconut Grove on her hands and knees. I want to take her face and drive it into the ground so that her nose bursts open like a ripe tomato,” the Boss says, panting. His eyes glitter.
Buford stares at him.
“Buford, did I ever tell you the parable of the lost little boy? He’d been abandoned by his parents, left to be raised by wolves. Defenceless and weak, he was at the mercy of the fangs and claws of those stronger than he. He learned that the wolves’ strength came from wickedness and evil but, if he was worthy, God would give him the strength to smite his enemies.”
Buford steps back, his skin crawling listening to the Boss relate the tale. “Was the boy good enough for God to smite them?”
The Boss turns and looks deeply into Buford’s eyes, into his soul. “Yes. He was very good. And he still is.”
The Boss stares again at the crumpled paper. “Another flop and she’s done.” He tosses the poster aside. “Here’s how we’re going to make that happen.”
* * * *
The ragtop’s down and the sunglasses are on as Jake and the band equipment motor along the highway. He’s followed by the Mills Brothers band in the other car. This Gator Joe’s sounds like a fun gig, out of town, a bit of an adventure for the boys.
Times are tough in Miami. Tourist revenues are down from two or three years ago. A lot of the clubs they used to play at were closing or dark already. That left the hotels as the only reliable venues and they want the big band sound. When Jake got the call about the chance to play at Gator Joe’s, he quickly agreed. It was a personal favor for Esta, and who wouldn’t want Bugsy Siegel’s gal to owe you one?
Jake sees the sign for Coconut Grove and slows to make the turn. Parked at the corner is Dade County Sheriff’s Department police car. Leaning against it is a deputy sheriff, looking half asleep with his hat pulled down low to keep the sun out of his eyes.
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