“I agree.”
“I thought you just said the opposite. You really should decide what you think and stick to it, babe.”
Bobby continued the hug which turned into kissing and before long, neither were focused on the Prairie State.
ST THERESA CHURCH stood on East Ramon and South Farrell Drive. A new build from the 1940s, it didn‘t come across as a bastion of the Holy Roman Empire from the outside. The modern facade hid the grim reality of the Christian temple. As you walked through the entrance, you were greeted by row upon row of wooden benches facing away from you and positioned so the altar was the main attraction. Halfway along on the left was a large cupboard with two doors, one at each end.
Without giving it a moment‘s attention, Mary Lou headed straight for the confessional and entered on the right-hand side. The space was poorly lit and a small window slid open once she‘d closed the door behind her. She knelt down because there was a cushion on the floor and no chair.
“May God, who has enlightened every heart, help you know your sins and trust in his mercy.”
“I haven‘t been to a church or spoken to a priest since I was fifteen years old, but I want to speak with one now.”
“My child: this is a confessional. I am happy to spend time and discuss what troubles you, but unless you wish to confess your sins to me then we must go somewhere else.”
“Then what are we waiting for?”
Mary Lou followed Father Ardal Carmoody past the altar to a door on the other side of the church, which she hadn‘t noticed when she first arrived. The priest led her down a short corridor and into his office, indicating for her to sit down while Carmoody walked around and sat at his desk.
“So what‘s troubling you, my dear?”
“HOW‘S THE WORLD of Mark Twain?”
Bobby and Alice sat in her South Dubuque office overlooking the harbor. It wasn‘t her favorite place but it was functional. Desk, chairs, window, filing cabinets - without the luxuries she‘d enjoyed at the Lady Fortune. The town lacked the charm of Las Vegas too - or rather it had none of the razzmatazz.
“Same old. We need new ways to squeeze the green out of the tourists. The high rollers seem to enjoy not being stuck inside a darkened hall.”
“Nice to hear we‘re doing something right. But you didn‘t ask me to visit this backwater to give me good news.”
Alice took a sip from her coffee and swallowed as though the liquid contained razor blades.
“How‘s Mama, would you say?”
“Fine. She‘s concerned we still have too much exposure in narcotics but apart from that, she‘s okay.”
“I‘m not talking about business. Is she in a good shape?”
Silence. Bobby ground his molars and stared at Alice, making no sign of answering. He glugged some of his coffee down and Alice felt as though he didn‘t take his eyes off her for a second.
“Why d‘you ask?”
“Have you forgotten what happened with Mama just the other week?”
“Are you still thinking about that?”
“Of course, aren‘t you?”
“She was tired - not thinking straight.”
“I‘m not sure that‘s all it was. I mean: the next day you said she acted like the night before never happened.”
“Lack of energy - no more and no less. I spend way more time with her than you do so I know what I‘m talking about.”
“I‘m concerned, Bobby. Mama never gets anything as wrong as she did that night. Like she was a different person.”
“Don‘t worry, it‘s all fine. Only low blood sugar.”
Alice shook her head but failed to respond. She couldn‘t understand how Bobby wasn‘t able to see what she could. Mama was not the same, but she had no idea what was up.
“You don‘t sound certain. Think for a minute. Is there anything you can think of?”
“Tiredness is all.”
“Then give her a vacation. If you‘re right, take her away for some R&R. Then she can come back and be completely better.”
Bobby picked at a piece of fluff on his sleeve while Alice watched and tried not to fume. Her concerns were genuine and he appeared to ignore them completely. In reality, he had noticed his Mary Lou had behaved a little strangely. She would vanish for hours at a time and not say where she‘d been. More than that, she acted as though she hadn‘t been anywhere even though he knew she hadn‘t been at home.
He considered tailing her but decided against it: whatever she was doing was none of his business. Unless she had started an affair which was unlikely because he was still getting action in the bedroom. A vacation might clear the air.
23
MIAMI WAS A crazy town - the mix of people and the Latino beats conspired to produce a city teetering on the edge of excitement every day of the week. Boca Raton was where gangsters went to die and Miami was the place for those who chose to live.
Their seafront hotel was close enough to the action on Ocean Drive to be fun, but the Jackson Hotel had sufficient stars on its hoardings to ensure the hardcore party animals stayed away. Mary Lou and Bobby sat at a table in the patio restaurant watching the world walk past. They held hands all the while and pointed out to each other amusing or interesting sights: rollerbladers with neon pink thongs and their miniature pooches, bowling ball shaped men sweating into white linen suits, wrinkled hags wearing leopard-print butt-length dresses. The freak show that was Miami Beach.
“I‘m glad you talked me into this.”
“We both deserved a break. It‘s been a tough few months.”
“I‘d forgotten how much I love this town.”
“Didn‘t know you‘d been here before.”
“A lifetime ago. Before we met.”
“I see. Were you with Frank?”
“He wasn‘t born then.”
“I meant his father.”
FRANK LAGOTTI FOLLOWED Mary Lou into a boutique of Collins Avenue filled with chichi beachwear. She grabbed six or eight different bikinis of varying styles, colors and patterns. After what felt like an interminable amount of time, she reappeared from the charging rooms with a red and white striped bikini which looked the same as all the others to him. She kissed him as they left the store.
“I‘ve never had anything as pretty as this in my life. Thank you.”
“De nada.”
“And no-one has ever bought me anything as lovely as this either.”
She planted another kiss on him, only this time fully on the mouth. He tasted warm and she melted as his hand ran down her spine, finishing with a squeeze of her ass. Her silver boutique bag in one hand and her man in the other, Mary Lou headed back to their small hotel and into their room to change into the new purchase.
They had fresh white linen on the bed - the maid had got in early - and the headboard was pastel blue to match the nautical theme of the rest of the furniture. Frank pulled out his swimming trunks from a drawer and Mary Lou unwrapped her bikini from its tissue paper and placed both items gingerly on the bed covers.
Without saying a word, but in perfect synchrony, they both chucked their clothes on the floor and stood, soaking in the sight of the other‘s body. Mary Lou walked round to give Frank a kiss while he wrapped his arms around her torso, one hand massaging her right breast. Tingles flashed along her spine and she leaned into him to feel his hairs against her skin. Then she knelt down and licked his dick.
“I MEANT HIS father”
“Huh?”
Mary Lou was confused. She looked around and saw Bobby but only a minute ago she‘d been with Frank, the man who‘d given her the twins. She clung to her chair and hoped the world would right itself soon. Bobby sensed her distress as she dug her nails into his hand and decided to just remain calm and let her ride out the storm in her mind. She knew she was in Miami and she closed her eyes for a second...
Frank made Mary Lou stand up and she felt his dick pressing against her rose tattoo. A tingle sprung from her crotch as his fingers investigated her gr
oin. She cupped his balls in her hand and savored the moment. Despite the problems with the First Bank of Baltimore, they were in a wonderful place together. Like they were inseparable and perfectly attuned to each other. Bound by more than the sweat caused by the intensity of their sex and the heat of the night.
On the second day of their trip, they hung out the ‘Do Not Disturb‘ sign on their room door and occupied the morning naked, in bed and happy. Perhaps for the first time in Mary Lou‘s life. Then they hit the beach before lunch and spent the early afternoon people watching in a cafe. When they packed, Mary Lou put her new bikini back in its wrapping and into its silver store bag before depositing it into her luggage. On the plane, she nestled on Frank‘s shoulder and fell asleep, content from the forty-eight hour sojourn.
MARY LOU OPENED her eyes with a jolt and saw Bobby sat next to her on the Jackson patio. More disorientation. A sip of coffee helped to give her focus and she recalled the reason for being in Miami.
“I‘m glad you talked me into this.”
“Tough few months, huh?”
“Sure have been. At least the boy is starting to get a grip on himself. And Alice is doing fine - a real treasure.”
“One smart cookie, that girl.”
“Always was. She‘d let Frank run and wade through the swamp and then glide around the dirt to avoid the shit.”
“Self-reliant too. Very mature head on those shoulders.“
“Knows what she wants and ruthless when she needs to be.”
“Have you come to terms about her... lifestyle?”
”I‘ve never had a problem with Alice being gay - I just don‘t like passive-aggressive bullshit. That‘s a totally different ball game and I won‘t stand for it. Never have and I‘m not gonna start now.”
Bobby stroked her hand with his thumb. Mary Lou was a fabulous woman and he was a lucky man to exist in her orbit. He turned to soak in her beauty with the sunset in the background and realized he‘d forgotten how much he was physically attracted to her.
“Shall we go back to the room?”
“I‘m good here enjoying the view.”
“What if we go up and fuck until it‘s time to eat?”
Mary Lou released his hand and stood up.
“Should have said. Come on then.”
DESPITE BOBBY‘S CLAIM that all Mama needed was a week‘s R&R, Alice was not satisfied. So much so, she took a plane to visit her brother in AC. This was her first trip to the Lucky Nugget and she tried her best not to be disappointed - or at least not show it.
Before the end of their teenage years, the twins learned not to spend too much time alone together because arguments always followed. There was something in their chemistry that caused explosions. As adults, their lives had separated and their different paths enabled each to avoid the other at almost every turn.
The appearance of his sister at the casino was a genuine surprise for Frank. Since Leonida‘s untimely departure, he had not yet hired a replacement. There had been several excellent candidates, but Bobby had gained trust issues and couldn‘t bring himself to let anyone inside his circle.
The impact of his indecision was simple: Frank was working harder than he‘d ever done before in his life - and he was stressed. Then Alice appeared at reception seeking an appointment with Mr. Lagotti.
“Hello stranger.”
“Hi, Frank.”
“What brings you to this side of the country? I hope you‘re not here to offer me advice because I really don‘t have time to listen to your anecdotes about management acumen.”
“Hadn‘t crossed my mind. You got problems? I‘m here about Mama, not the family business.”
“Yeah I got local difficulties. Hasn‘t Mama mentioned the trouble I had with Leonida?”
“Who?”
“Leonida Acerbi, my casino manager. We had to... let him go after we found his fingers were getting too sticky for his own good.”
“And your problem is...?”
“I can‘t find anyone to replace him and it will send me to an early grave.”
Alice chuckled at the thought of Frank pulling his finger out and grafting instead of fucking his way through life. Any sympathy in her bones for his situation ebbed away, but she tried not to show it as she was here to seek his help - for the first time since she was sixteen.
IN THE CONFINES of his office, Alice felt better able to talk to Frank without the constant desire to bait him. He might be snowed under by the responsibilities of leadership, but she saw a glint in his eyes - almost a glow - that made her think he was evolving as a human being before her eyes. Maybe he enjoyed bossing people around.
“What‘s the matter, sis‘?”
“Something‘s not right with Mama, but I can‘t put my finger on it.”
“And does Bobby share your view?”
“No. He reckons she‘s tired and nothing more. That‘s why they‘ve gone off to Florida this week. What about you?”
“Me? Nothing. She seemed okay last time I saw her. In fact, she seemed more than fine under the circumstances.”
“Your personnel issues.”
“Uh-huh.”
Alice wondered how reliable Frank‘s opinion was to her. In the past he‘d shown himself to be one of the most inept and useless people she‘d ever had the misfortune of knowing. Yet Mama had set him up to run a casino just like Alice. The woman had a deeper insight than Alice, for sure. Perhaps it was all in her head and she was worrying over nothing. To shut down the Queen of Sheba wasn‘t fantasy - it nearly became a reality.
“The thing is that some of Mama‘s decisions have been...”
She could not bring herself to say what was lingering at the back of her mind. Dare not utter those negative thoughts out loud.
“... ill-advised.”
Frank tilted his head to one side, not sure of what to make of Alice and her concerns. He figured she must be serious otherwise she‘d never have wasted her valuable time on him, but she had nothing specific to offer. Women‘s intuition didn‘t cut it with Frank.
“How so?”
“She wanted to shut down the Queen of Sheba because she hadn‘t been able to gouge any of the Chicago unions.”
“And you‘d have been left running the bathtub without any baby.”
“This isn‘t about me: it‘s Mama we should focus on.”
FRANK COULDN‘T HELP himself and he let out a guffaw. Alice‘s concerns for Mama just boiled down to fear of appearing to fail. Like everything in Alice‘s life. He had almost believed her but luckily he caught himself in time.
“Alice, listen to yourself. It‘s not Mama that needs help: it‘s you. Can‘t you see Mama‘s doing what‘s best for the family? If a casino has to be abandoned then so be it. Same for me here. She and Bobby have big plans for us and we have to accept they aren‘t showing us the entire picture. Not right now, anyway.”
“Bobby agreed with me on this. He thought she was wrong too - only he let things blow over and Mama changed her mind. But that didn‘t stop us losing a million dollar a month profit from the riverboat operation. Just because she was snubbed.”
Frank couldn‘t conceive of his Mama not making the right decision first time. So Alice and Bobby must have misunderstood. Or something. The grim possibility that Mama was wrong would not get a firm purchase in his head. There was no way he could survive without his Mama being there for him. This was not the time for him to lose her.
“Mama‘s fine and you are losing your mind. I might have done too many lines of coke in my life but you‘re the one who‘s paranoid. You should listen to yourself. Mama says something you don‘t like the sound of because it hits your operation in the belly, next you‘re traveling round the country announcing our Mama is a psycho.”
“That‘s not what I said.”
“The only time you had a problem was when she threatened the Queen of Sheba. Admit it, sis‘. You‘re afraid Mama‘s gonna take your favorite ball off you and lock it in the summerhouse cupboard.”
“Fuck you.”
“And the horse you rode in on.”
Alice stood up and stormed out of the office, out of the Lucky Nugget and straight to the airport. Having calmed down, Alice thought about hopping over to Sam as Boston was so close. She wanted to spend the night in her lover‘s arms but when she rang, there was no reply and Alice didn‘t have the stomach for more disappointment today: she wasn‘t in the mood. On the flight back, she shut her eyes and dreamed of Sam‘s body and all its crevices.
24
MARY LOU AND Bobby lay in their Jackson Hotel bed and watched the evening transform into night. Tired and a little sticky around the thighs, Mary Lou‘s head rested on Bobby‘s chest as they both watched stars appear and twinkle in the sky. Her hand stroked his kneecap while several of his fingers supported one of her breasts.
“First San Francisco and then Chicago. It‘s not easy anymore.”
“It‘ll all be fine. Some you win, some you lose.”
“Seems like we‘re losing a few in a row.”
“You worry too much, Bobby. Next year we’ll take San Francisco. The Russians have bought themselves a small amount of time to make hay. And as for Chicago, I never thought we‘d wrap up that parcel. It was worth a trip and a few days in a hotel but we both knew we weren‘t serious otherwise we‘d have gone over there with a large crew and spilled enough blood until everyone saw sense.”
“Maybe so... I spoke with Milton. The Palace didn‘t make money last month. First time ever. He reckoned the Hollywood johns aren‘t coming to the parties. There‘s fresh competition from gangs offering cheaper pills and underage thrills.”
“That man has been blaming someone else for his own failure to run his business for twenty-five years to my certain knowledge.”
Mama’s Gone Page 14
