Gilded Latten Bones

92

Miss Tea preceded Morley into the room. DeeDee followed. Mike scowled at me, at Penny, then said, "You can't bring your own beer to the theater, and you can't bring your own playmate to Fire and Ice."

Penny turned a ferocious red. She made a pitifully small squeaky noise. I thought she would melt down to a puddle of goo.

I said, "That was cruel and uncalled for, Miss Tea." I whispered, "And she's the Capa's little sister."

"You're right. I shouldn't take it out on the kid. You're a plenty big target yourself."

"Morley already told you this is the Capa's idea."

"I can't take my anger out on her. What were you thinking, climbing in the damned window? Which I ought to charge you for getting fixed."

"I wasn't thinking. I admit that."

"You could have ended up with more holes in you than this other idiot had. Then what would I do?"

I shrugged. "Pay a specialist to get rid of the bloodstains?"

"It would've put the kibosh on our future together, that's for sure."

I said, "Huh?"

Penny squeaked in dismay.

Morley made a snorting sound. He collapsed into the only chair. He would have giggled if he was a girl.

DeeDee took up the slack. She thought that was hilarious.

And here came Crush, uninvited. Her excuse was a tray with tea, six cups, and a pound of frou-frou cookies so thin you could read through them. She was taken aback by Penny's presence, too. "I don't have any appointments for a while."

Mike grumbled, "So you thought you would be nosy."

"Yeah. I did think I'd stick my honker in."

A hint of a smile flickered on Mike's lips. There was a streak of affection for Crush hidden inside Miss Teagarden.

I said, "I'm glad you did, kid. I have a message for you." I glanced at Morley. He had no advice to offer. His eyes were shut. A fussing DeeDee was in the way.

Mike eyed me suspiciously. Crush looked at me askance.

"It's nothing huge. I introduced Crush to Jon Salvation at my house, the other day. He was having a bad one. She asked questions he was tired of hearing. He was rude to her. He felt bad about it later. I told him I'd apologize."

"That was after he found out what I do, right?"

"He has no idea what you do. He wouldn't believe me if I told him. You aren't anything like what he would expect. . No. You're not what. . Mike, can you save my dumb ass here?"

"Suppose she was a shop girl? Men. Just say what you have to say."

I knew that. But it's hard to remember, sometimes.

Mike added, "You don't need to walk on eggshells. We know what we do."

"All right. Jon felt bad about being a jerk. He knows Crush is a big fan because we both told him. So he said, if you're around the World sometime, when they're in rehearsal, you can come in and watch them work on his next play. Which means you get to see it before anybody and you get to see how a play gets put together. And, I figure, you'd get the answers to your questions."

"That's it? That's all?" Mike demanded.

"That's all. Her virtue would be safe."

"Smart ass. I should ought not to believe you just because it's you."

What was that? "You don't know me that well."

"I probably know enough. Out of curiosity I had a long talk with the Capa one night. She does know you that well."

Crush demanded, "Is that for real?"

"Which? What Mike is on about or the invitation?"

"The invitation. Mike flirting is too cerebral to be interesting."

"Yes, then. Jon Salvation is a good guy. He's desperate to have people like him. Most theater people are. So, if you have the time, and you want, go by there."

Crush looked to Mike, perhaps asking permission.

Mike said, "DeeDee, you should be getting ready for your next appointment." Once DeeDee went away, Mike told Crush, "That might be good for you." To me, tapping herself on the left breast, "Heart of gold." Then to Crush, "You don't go giving it away just because this scribbler is famous."

Crush was horrified. "I would never. ."

Through all this Penny's eyes just kept getting bigger.

Mike's heart of gold ran maybe eight carat.

She said, "Crush, go back down to the parlor. You don't need to take any random clients. Just sing a few songs."

With Crush gone, she said, "She has a marvelous voice. She might not be in the life if she had found that out first."

"Probably not as much money in singing."

"Not with her looks. So. What's the plan?"

"Belinda said come here, hunker down, and sit tight. That sounded like a good idea at the time but once we got here we decided it was stupid. We should have stayed where we were."

Mike had a black look for me but the one she laid on Morley was special. Crisp chips of seared Dotes should have flaked off him. Penny's presence saved us some ugly language.

She said, "I don't know what I did to bring this stuff down on myself."

"We can leave."

"Of course you can. Any time you want. With wonder boy asleep and the Capa likely to turn up any second to ask if I'm bending over and taking it like a good girl."

"Are you really that bitter?"

"Only on days of the week ending in 'day.' I have a nice business here. We like each other, mostly. We look out for each other. I do everything by the numbers. I pay off the right people without complaining. So is it really too much to ask to be left alone in return?"

"Probably not. So why not just go back to work and forget us?"

"Best idea I've ever heard from you." She stamped out.

Penny said, "She isn't very nice, is she?"

"Don't let her fool you. That was all show." I had seen a mischievous twinkle in her eye.

"So what now?"

"We wait. That's mostly what I do. Sit. Watch. Wait. If you're tired you can have the bed. I'll get a folding chair out of the corner."

"I couldn't do that."

"Why not?"

"People use it for. . Well, you know."

I knew, but I was a jaded old cynic. "A bed is a bed, girl, with some more comfortable than others. When you're tired whatever else happened there doesn't matter. Though you might be smart to see how big the bugs are before you take the plunge."

"Mr. Garrett! Do you have to be a jerk all the time?"

"You bring out the worst in me. Do you want the bed or not? Because if you're going to be all bluestocking, I'll snag it for myself. I'm not the gentleman you think I am."

"I believe that would make you exactly the man I think you are, sir. I will sit out the night on a folding chair, thank you."

"Suit yourself. Turn the lamp down when you're ready. And don't lock the door. People will come to see us at some point."

Yes. I was that way with the kid. She wanted to be part of the household on Macunado Street, I would treat her like family.

I climbed into the bed.

It was a far better bed than the one it had replaced. It was miles better than the cot.

It was a comfortably cool night so I just stretched out on the covers. Despite the excitement, the strange bed, and the fact that I had had nothing to drink, I fell asleep immediately. Despite the fact that even after she turned the lamp down I could see a sour-faced teenager scowling my way if I cracked an eyelid.