“Undercover?” Mr. Diamond’s eyes narrowed. He threw his cigarette on the dirt and ground it out with the toe of his shoe. “Lady, are you tryin’ to pull a fast one? You tryin’ to muscle in on-”
“Perfect!” Leona Ruth trilled happily and clapped her hands. “Why, you sound exactly like one of those Chicago gangsters-Bugs Moran and Al Capone and all those other thugs! Y’see, Mr. Gold, we’re not as rural down here in South Alabama as you might think. There has been a radio in my house since right after the Great War, when the late Mr. Adcock insisted on buyin’ one so we could be informed about what was goin’ on. ‘Miz Adcock,’ he said, ‘we need to know what’s happenin’ out there in the world, so we are buyin’ a radio,’ which was exactly what he did, an RCA batt’ry-powered receiver in a mahogany case, and it has worked perfectly ever since.” She pulled herself up importantly, looking down her nose. “And in addition to the radio, we have a first-class weekly newspaper-it comes out on Fridays-and Mr. Greer at the Palace Theater shows a newsreel before every movie feature. We may live in a small town, but we keep up with the times.”
Mr. Diamond was staring at her, shaking his head as if he did not quite believe what he was hearing. Bessie understood his confusion. Leona Ruth often had that effect on people.
“Lady,” he growled, now almost plaintively, “will you pu-leez just get to the point? Where is that blonde?”
“Not so fast, Mr. Gold.” Leona Ruth became brisk. “The point is that I know who you are, and I am eager to do my patriotic duty as a citizen to help you capture the criminal you are lookin’ for. All I ask in return is a tidbit of inside information. I am sure that Mr. Hoover wouldn’t mind in the slightest if one of his government agents gave just a teeny tiny hint to a valuable informant.” She smiled meaningfully and repeated the phrase, with emphasis. “A valuable informant.”
“Mr… Hoover?”
“Mr. J. Edgar Hoover, of course.” Leona Ruth tittered. “You didn’t think I was talkin’ about the president of the United States, did you? Just a tidbit of information,” she cajoled. “What’s she done? What’s she wanted for?”
There was a moment’s silence while Mr. Diamond, knitting his brows, worked through all of this. Bessie had just come to the conclusion that the man really was a thickheaded dimwit when he smiled, snatched off his hat, and took Leona Ruth’s gloved hand in one pudgy paw.
“Okay. Okay. Now I gotcha. Yes, ma’am. Sure thing. Now I unnerstand.” He dropped Leona Ruth’s hand. “You wanna deal. Well, I don’t think Mr. J. Edgar Hoover back in Washington, D.C., would be too mad at me if I told you that the broad in question-the blonde-is wanted by the police in Cicero, Illinois. She shot Salvatorio Raggio.”
“Shot!” Leona Ruth’s eyes widened and she fell back a step, her nostrils quivering. “You mean, she’s a… a murderess? I was at the Beauty Bower, gettin’ shampooed and set in the comp’ny of a murderess?”
Mr. Diamond said through his teeth, “You got it, ma’am. What’s more, she shot Sal Raggio with a Remington 51 that was give to her by one of Al Capone’s gang members.”
Leona Ruth’s hand went to her mouth. “Al Capone!” she squeaked. “Did you say Al… Capone, Mr. Gold?”
“Yes, ma’am, that’s who I said. The gentleman who give her the gun-Diamond, his name is, Frankie Diamond-was convicted twice, once for runnin’ numbers and once for sellin’ illegal booze, for which he was sent up two years. It was an unfair trial and a rotten conviction, but that’s the kinda criminal associates this broad has got. I hafta tell you, lady, she ain’t got no decency. She don’t play fair with nobody, neither her friends or the local flat-feet.”
Liz elbowed Bessie in the ribs. “He gave Miss LaMotte the gun himself!” she whispered excitedly, and Bessie nodded. “They must have been involved,” she whispered back. “Romantically, I mean.”
Leona Ruth put her tongue between her teeth, shaking her head, big-eyed.
“You don’t believe me on this,” Mr. Diamond went on, “you just go to the phone and call up Captain Ricardo at the Cicero police department and ask him who he’s lookin’ for in the murder of Mr. Salvatorio Raggio. He’ll put you wise-if you can get through to him, that is. I didn’t have no luck callin’ Cicero just now myself.” His voice hardened. “Okay, lady? Now it’s your turn. Cough it up. Where is this broad? Where can I find her?”
“W-where?” Leona Ruth stuttered. Her face was white, and Bessie could see that she was genuinely frightened. Whatever she may have imagined Miss Jamison’s offense to be-tax evasion? petty theft? littering?-murder obviously wasn’t on the list.
“All right, sister, let’s cut the comedy.” Diamond leaned forward so that his face was only inches from Leona Ruth’s. In a threatening voice, he growled, “I ain’t got time to fool around. This here is a dangerous woman we’re talkin’ about. She carries that gun of hers around in her pocketbook, ready to shoot anybody who looks at her crosswise. You said you know where to find her. So tell me, or so help me I’ll-” He lifted his hand.
Leona Ruth looked cornered. “She’s stayin’ with her aunt,” she began in a halting voice. “The old lady lives on Camellia Street, right across from the-”
Bessie couldn’t let Leona Ruth spill the beans on Miss Jamison. Knowing it was now or never, she abruptly charged forward, brushed past Mr. Diamond, and seized Leona Ruth by the arm, knocking her hat askew.
“Why, Leona Ruth Adcock!” she cried. “I have been looking all over this town for you, and here you are, standing on Robert E. Lee, right here in front of Mann’s! Your sister sent me to tell you that you’re wanted at home, this very minute! It’s an emergency.”
“My… my sister?” Leona Ruth faltered. “But I don’t have a-”
“Oh, swell, Miss Bloodworth! You’ve found her!” Liz rushed around Diamond and took Leona Ruth’s other arm. “Your sister says it’s a case of life and death, Mrs. Adcock. We hate to interrupt your conversation with this gentleman, but you’ve got to come with us. Right now! There’s not a second to lose.” And both Bessie and Liz began to pull Mrs. Adcock away.
Diamond was suddenly jarred into action. “Hey!” he exclaimed indignantly. He reached out and grabbed Bessie’s arm. “What’s with yous dames? I’m talkin’ to this lady. She’s about to give me some very valuable information.” To Leona Ruth, he said, “Across Camellia Street from what?”
Leona Ruth replied, “Across from the Magnolia-”
“Help!” Bessie cried, trying to wrench her arm free from Diamond’s grip. She let go of Leona Ruth and whapped the man with her handbag. “Get your hands off me!” she screeched. “Help, police!”
Hanging on to Leona Ruth, Liz stepped forward. “Let her go!” she yelled at Mr. Diamond. “You let Miss Bloodworth go, you big thug!” She turned back to Leona Ruth and began to pull. “Hurry, Mrs. Adcock! It’s an emergency. There’s not a minute to lose!”
“Wait! You can’t go!” Diamond protested loudly. Still holding Bessie’s arm, he grabbed for Leona Ruth’s sleeve, pulling her jacket half off and tilting her hat across one eye. Leona Ruth screamed and dropped her shopping bag, and an assortment of nuts, candies, and raisins spilled out and rolled across the ground. “Across Camellia from the Magnolia what?” he demanded.
“Help!” Bessie shrieked frantically, and hit the man with her handbag again. “Get your hands off me! Help!”
Leona Ruth was staring at Diamond as if she were mesmerized. She began, “Across from the Magnolia Man-” But she didn’t get to finish. Liz clapped her hand over her mouth.