Free The Girl in White Pajamas by Chris Birdy Page B

you work, it’s the same shit.”
    Randy shrugged and said, “I guess so. I don’t care as long as I have Mandie to come home to.”
    The doorbell rang, James stood up and Randy froze in place.
    Looking at Randy’s pale face, Bogie said, “Talk to her in the parlor. You can close the door and have some privacy.”
    Randy got up and walked down the hallway toward the front door. When Amanda saw him, her lips quivered and her shoulders shook, one tear rolled down her cheek as she stood looking at him. He held her hands. “I’m sorry, Mandie.”
    They held on to each other as she cried then Randy led her to the parlor.
    Rose walked in the kitchen and sighed. “Well, she’s not our baby anymore!” Without waiting for an invitation, she poured herself a mug of black coffee, opened the back door and walked out to have a cigarette. She stood in the small yard and inhaled deeply.
    Bogie looked up when he heard pipes rattling above him knowing that Herself and Ann were probably awake and showering or bathing or doing whatever they do. The in-house phone rang in the kitchen. James answered, “Yes, Miss Ann.”
    Ann walked down the stairs and moved immediately into the dining room. She sat at the dining room table looking pale. Bogie walked in the dining room from the kitchen carrying a cup of black coffee and two slices of buttered toast with jam. Studying the table, Ann said, “James” when she heard movement behind her.
    “Yes,” Bogie answered.
    Ann looked up immediately. “Oh, I’m sorry. I thought you were James. Where is he?”
    “He’s in the kitchen. I told him I’d bring your breakfast in since I wanted to talk to you.”
    Her hand shook as she started to raise the cup. She put it down, grabbed a piece of toast and started chewing on it. Bogie studied her then said, “Annie, you can’t go on like this!” Ann lay the toast back down on the plate as she stared at him. He continued, “You’ve got to get out of this house!”
    “And do what with mother? Leave her by herself?”
    Bogie shook his head. “You’ve both got to get out of this house! Do you want to end up like her?”
    Before Ann could answer, Elizabeth McGruder walked into the dining room tapping her walking stick as she moved. “Who closed the doors to the parlor?” she demanded.
    Bogie looked at Ann and said, “Amanda and—”
    “Amanda!” the old woman shrieked. “She’s a thief! She stole the guns from—”
    “No, she didn’t!” Bogie said angrily. “I took them!”
    Elizabeth McGruder studied him as she sat down. “Why?” she asked.
    “They needed to be cleaned and oiled.”
    “Who gave you permission?” the old woman asked haughtily.
    Bogie stood up quickly and said a bit too loudly, “Well, slap my ass and call me cheeky!” He walked into the kitchen as Rose stood in front of the sink smiling and shaking her head. “You’re so suave, Sport! And slick as shit in a sneaker!” Rose checked her watch. “We’ve got about three hours so let’s use them wisely.”
    “Don’t you have work to do?”
    “Jesus is covering the shop till two o’clock.”
    “Now he gets to be King for a Day,” Bogie said knowing Jesus considered himself invaluable to the running of R&B. Bogie’s feeling was that Jesus was a great asset who didn’t need to remind them of that fact every chance he got.
    Rose pointed toward the front hallway. “You checked out of the hotel?”
    “Yes! I felt like I was sleeping in a box, a very small box!”
    “You are a pain in my ass!” Rose said. She pointed up to the ceiling. “You could go back to your old room on the third floor.” When she saw the sour face that Bogie made, she said, “Or, you could do what you should have done in the beginning and stay at my place.”
    “I thought you didn’t like people crapping up your million dollar condo?”
    “I don’t. And it was seven-fifty, not a million.”
    “After you figure in closing costs, tax, condo fees—”
    Rose held up her hand.