She laid the receiver on the table and walked to the staircase. “Marissa,” she called.
Marissa was already at the head of the stairs. “Is that Daddy on the phone?”
“Yes.”
Sterling hurried up the steps and followed Marissa’s flying feet to the master bedroom. She closed the door tightly behind her.
For the next few minutes, Sterling listened as Marissa pleaded with Billy to come back. She promised she wouldn’t ever pester to go to the movies, or try to make him stay on the phone and talk to her when she knew he was busy, or…
Sterling went over and bent down to listen to what Billy was saying. “Baby, don’t even think like that! This has nothing to do with anything you did. I loved it when you phoned me…”
“Then why won’t you tell me your phone number right now?” Marissa asked tearfully.
“Rissa, it’s just that I can’t. I have to borrow a phone when I talk to you. NorNor and I want nothing more than to get home to you as soon as possible. Once I’m back, I’ll make this all up to you, I promise…”
After she had finally said a tearful good-bye, Marissa went back to her room, sat at her desk, and turned on her CD player.
The sound of Billy’s hit single filled the room. “I know what I want… I know what I need…”
Sterling watched as she put her head down on her arms and began to sob. I’m going to get you what you want and need, Marissa, Sterling vowed. And I’ll do it if I have to move heaven and earth. No, with the help of heaven, he corrected himself.
He closed his eyes and addressed the Heavenly Council. Would you please deliver me to wherever the Badgett brothers are at the moment?
When Sterling opened his eyes, he found himself inside a large, bustling, noisy restaurant on the water.
Unless the brothers are traveling, I guess that’s Long Island Sound, he thought. He looked over at a woman studying the menu. The cover read SAL’S ON THE SOUND.
It was a steak-and-seafood place. People with bibs were happily breaking lobster claws; sirloin steak on sizzling platters was obviously popular. And, he noticed, many diners had chosen his favorite appetizer, crabmeat cocktail.
But where were Junior and Eddie? He was on his second tour of the tables when he noticed a secluded semicircular corner booth with a prime water view. Upon closer inspection he saw the three occupants were none other than Junior, Eddie, and a scantily clad Jewel.
Junior and Eddie had just had one of their telephone visits with Mama Heddy-Anna, and as usual both of them were in a tailspin worrying about her. Jewel had suggested they’d all feel much, much better if they went out for a nice, relaxing dinner.
They were already sipping cocktails, and the waiter was in the process of collecting the menus.
Sterling took a seat on the windowsill at a right angle to them. I wonder what they ordered? he thought.
“I don’t think I can eat a bite,” Eddie lamented. “When I think of how sick Mama is, I’m crying inside.”
“You’ve been crying outside too, Eddie,” Jewel said. “Your nose is all red.” She patted Junior’s hand. “Yours is red too, lambie.”
Junior pushed her hand away. “I have a cold.”
Jewel realized her mistake. “And your allergies, honey. The allergy season is terrible right now. This is the worst it’s been in years.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Junior picked up his glass.
“She fell again,” Eddie mourned. “Our poor mama’s foot gave way again, and on top of that, her gums are swollen. She can hardly chew.”
I guess she didn’t use that one last time, Sterling thought.
“And her friends keep begging her to eat. Nothing tastes good to her anymore.”
“She’s been saying that ever since I met you guys three years ago,” Jewel said earnestly. “She must be eating something.”
Beef stew, Sterling thought. Lots of beef stew.
“She hasn’t fallen since January,” Eddie continued. “I was hoping her legs were getting better.” He turned to Junior. “We gotta go see our mama. I’m telling you we gotta go see her.”
“We can’t and you know it,” Junior snapped. “We sent her some nice new clothes to cheer her up.”
“She’s gonna love them,” Jewel enthused. “I picked them out special. Two pairs of satin lounging pajamas, a cocktail dress, and a hat with lots of flowers to wear to church on Easter Sunday.”
Eddie’s expression soured. “Mama says the clothes we send her stink.”
“That hurts my feelings,” Jewel said, pouting. “If I met her, I’d be able to shop for her better. Every woman has figure problems. I mean it could be her hips, it could be her waist, her behind might have a funny shape-”
“Shut up, Jewel,” Junior thundered. “I don’t want no more anatomy lessons.”
I was enjoying it, Sterling thought.
Obviously offended, Jewel got up. “Please, excuse me,” she said with exaggerated emphasis.
“Where yuh goin’?” Eddie asked.
“To the lala.” She flounced away.
“Is she mad because I said Mama don’t like the clothes she picked out?”
“Forget the clothes,” Junior barked. “Listen, I got a call when you were in the lala.”
“When was I in the lala?”
“You’re always in the lala.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Yes, you are. Every time I go look for you, you’re in the lala. Now listen to me. Our guys can’t track down Nor Kelly and Billy Campbell.”
“They’re a bunch of dopes,” Eddie said.
“It takes one to know one. Keep your mouth shut and listen to me. The whole case against us falls apart if Kelly and Campbell don’t take the stand. We gotta get rid of them.”
“It’s a big country. How do we get rid of them when we can’t find them?”
“We gotta find them. I took the next step. I called a certain hit man.”
Eddie looked at Junior. “Not Igor?”
“Yes, Igor,” Junior said. “He’s very good at what he does. I told him the only lead we have so far is that they’re somewhere out West.”
“Here I am,” Jewel chirped as she slid into the banquette and kissed Junior’s cheek. “I’ve forgiven you both for not appreciating all I do to make Mama Heddy-Anna happy and comfortable, and I have to tell you something. I think you should figure out a way to go visit your mama in person, and you should do it before it’s too late.”
Junior glared at her. “Drop it.”
The waiter appeared with a tray of appetizers.
I’ve learned what I needed to know, Sterling thought. The Badgett brothers are determined to track down Nor and Billy and make sure they don’t live to testify against them.