Free Speak Low by Melanie Harlow Page B

as if nothing had changed, but I just felt like something was off, as if my bones were jumbled up inside my skin. My appetite was nonexistent, I had trouble sleeping at night, and my fingernails were bitten to the quick. For a few days I thought maybe it was related to my monthly—doctors used to say women suffered from hysteria, a particular emotional frenzy caused by disturbances in a woman’s body. It was quack stuff, but for a day or so I began to wonder if there wasn’t a grain of truth behind it. My bleeding stopped after the usual four days, but the unease lingered.
    This is ridiculous , I told myself Thursday evening as I scanned the headlines of Daddy’s paper. I’ve got to find out what’s happening or I’ll go nuts. Had Enzo and Joey come to an agreement? Was Joey still in town? And what about the whisky—had Enzo come up with the money to pay Meloni or was there a goddamn wedding next Saturday?
    Friday afternoon I went to the telephone and stared at it. Should I call Joey? What would I say? I felt even less comfortable calling Enzo, not that I knew how to reach him. But he would probably be at the club tonight…maybe I could manage to run into him and find out what was going on.
    I called Evelyn, whom I still hadn’t seen this week. Between her job at the bakery and her nights out with Ted, she’d been much busier than usual, and I’d been keeping to myself. She was thrilled to hear from me, and even more excited when I asked her if she’d like to go down to Club 23 tonight.
    “Ted and I were planning on going dancing, so why don’t you come with us? That’s our favorite spot, since it’s where we met. I can’t believe it was only ten days ago, I’m so crazy about him.” Her voice was thick and sweet.
    “I’m happy things are going so well for you,” I said, tamping down the jealousy in my gut, “but I don’t want to be a nuisance on your date.”
    “Nonsense! You’re never a nuisance, and I haven’t seen you in forever. Besides, a whole slew of people are going down there tonight, I was going to phone you about it anyway. Ted says they’ve got a swell jazz band there from down south somewhere. Real Dixieland music, great for dancing.”
    “Sounds like fun.” And it did, for the most part. Not that I was much of a dancer, but the prospect of being out with a group of young people all having a good time excited me. When was the last time I’d done that? “I just have to make sure the girls are set for the night. Daddy’s been working late at the new location.”
    “New location?”
    I sighed. “I’ll tell you about it later. What matters is that we get together and have some fun tonight, just like old times.”
    She squealed with delight. “Perfect! We’ll pick you up at nine, OK?”
    “I’ll be ready.” I hung up the phone and took a deep breath.
    “Ready for what?”
    I jumped at Molly’s voice behind me. “Oh! Uh, I’m seeing Evelyn later.”
    She raised a brow at me. Molly used to swallow my half-truths quite easily, but lately she’d become more perceptive. “Uh huh. And what are you wearing to see Evelyn? That?” She nodded toward my navy skirt and white admiral middy with the faint yellow stain on the front.
    “Um…” I looked down as if to examine my clothing, but she caught the pink in my cheeks.
    “Aha!” She crossed her arms. “No use lying to me, Tiny. I saw him, remember?”
    I bit my lip. How could I forget? Enzo had come to the house to collect me one afternoon last week, and Molly had answered the door. It was the day he’d discovered the connection between the hearses from Daddy’s garage and the heist. I shuddered recalling how angry he’d been that day
    “Are you screwy in the head or what?” she asked. “I know he looks like a movie star and all, but don’t be stupid, Tiny. He’s dangerous!”
    “He isn’t,” I insisted, although my tone rang false. “He’s the one who gave me the money to send you and Bridget and the kids out of