Free The Lovely Chocolate Mob by Richard J. Bennett Page B

and said, looking off into the distance, “For some reason, that name sounds familiar, but I can’t right place it just now. Are you sure that’s her right name? Or is she just using an alias?”
    “No, her name really is Mrs. Burke. She’s married to a medical doctor, a Dr. Burke.”
    Walter quit smiling. His chair came down slowly on four legs, creaking all the way to the floor.
    “This is starting to sound even more familiar,” he said.
    Okay, it was time to ‘fess up. “The lady who needs help, her full name is Helen Ceraldi-Burke.”
    Walter looked at me as though I had taken a stupid pill. Or maybe a year’s supply of stupid pills.
    When he spoke, he said “Oh, crap.”
    “Yeah. I know.”
    “She did you dirty, Randall!”
    “That was a long time ago.”
    “Not long enough.”
    “It’s all right.”
    “It’s not all right!”
    “I’ve forgiven her.”
    “Forgiven, but apparently not forgotten.”
    “I know, I know. Look, she’s in trouble.”
    Walter wasn’t done yet. “You’re either a hopeless romantic, or else intergalactically stupid.”
    “She needs help, Walter.”
    “YOU needed help…. once.”
    “She has a family.”
    Walter stopped talking again, but kept looking at me. I couldn’t look up; I kept my eyes on my drink on the table. I guess this was a form of begging, and I was waiting for his answer.
    When he started up, he said, “Her daughter found out the old man. Our classmate, Franklin Burke. And Mrs. Ceraldi hyphen Burke’s got MORE kids?”
    “She has four. Three girls, one boy. They range from college age to grade school. The boy is the youngest. They love their daddy.”
    There was another pause. Walter took a long drink. I wasn’t thirsty, but was sitting and not moving, still staring at my coke. I was being drilled for information, but in slow motion.
    “You know, I don’t give a rat’s rear end for her or that—that pretty-boy doctor she married. But those kids, that’s a different story.”
    “Yes.”
    “I think she can go take a flying leap off a long pier into Lake Jackass,” he said, telling me where he stood on the matter.
    “I know.”
    “You were reduced to half a man; you trusted her!”
    “I know.”
    “What the living daylights is wrong with you, Bubba? What are you trying to DO?”
    “I’m trying to help somebody who meant something to me, once.”
    “Once? ONCE?”
    “Yes.”
    Walter clammed up. He took another drink. I know he was still eyeing me, keeping that mug to his lips for a long time.
    “I’ll tell you what,” he finally said. “I’ll agree to be a part of this because I want to help YOU, but not HER. If she gets helped during this process, fine. If this thing blows up and she falls on her fancy derriere, that’s fine too. I have no feelings towards her.”
    “Thanks, Walter.”
    “She’s got kids. You know I like kids.
    “I know.”
    Walter took a quicker drink. He’s on-board, and has decided to be a part. He’ll help.
    “You really are a sorry piece of work, you know that?”
    “Yes, I know.”
    Walter kept staring at me across the table. Then he started laughing, and laughed a long time. I felt I could move now, and took a drink. My coke had gone flat.
    “Kim!” he bellowed.
    Kim showed up, Walter gave her some money for our drinks, and then he reached into his pocket for some coins. “Kim, honey, take this over there and play 4B.”
    Kim looked at Walter, then walked over to the jukebox, popped in the coins, and headed back to the kitchen and cash register area.
    Over the speakers, LeAnn Rimes sang the old Ted Daffan song, “Born to Lose,” and Walter just leaned back in his wood chair on the two hind legs and laughed and laughed and tried to sing along. I guess he was feeling good. I’m glad he was on-board.

Visiting Miss Planter
    It was Monday, and I planned on taking a long lunch break. The bosses didn’t mind my being gone long, since they did the same thing themselves. I called it a “stress