The
Whole Damsel Thing
Part
6 of 10
As the scraping noise continued, they looked at each
other, each wondering --- and holding her breath.
Instinctively, Cody reached for her knife, but grabbed
at an empty sheath instead. Remembering
that Buck had it, she almost cursed out loud.
She glanced at the other woman, who stood perfectly still, listening.
Joanna took a deep breath and blew it out again. Turning slowly, trying to home in on the source of the sound, she stopped. Tilting her head slightly toward the crate on their right, she muttered tersely, “Get behind me so you don’t get hit.”
Giving her an exasperated look, Cody considered arguing,
but decided she’d rather use Joanna as a shield.
Joanna said loudly, “This place is making me jumpy, I
guess. What time is it?
I’d like to grab some breakfast.”
Cody played along.
“It’s after six and how are you going to pay for breakfast?
We ain’t got no cash.”
“But I’m just starving.”
Joanna edged closer to the crate, placed both hands on the side of it and
shoved it hard, crushing someone between it and the wall.
There was a muffled yelp of pain.
“Wow, you were right,” Cody said.
“Let’s see what’s behind door number three.” Joanna shoved the crate against the wall again, harder this time.
“Ow!”
The voice was a little too shrill to be one of
their pursuers. The two women looked at each other.
A woman?
“Come out of there,” Joanna ordered. “Keep your
hands where we can see ‘em. We’re armed.”
Glumly, Cody wished it were true.
I miss my knife.
Silence. Finally,
a brown female bear who looked to be in her late twenties slowly emerged from
inside the crate, rubbing her head. The cause of her wheezing was obvious --- in
order to display her ample charms, her blouse was much too tight.
Her clothes were of good quality, but were rumpled as though she’d
slept in them. Her stockings
had runs from her knees down, and the heel of one shoe was missing.
A flaming red, shoulder-length wig, obviously knocked askew, hung
comically over one eye. Her platinum
hair had started to come out of its careful rolls and curls, revealing dark
brown roots where the brightly hennaed strands had been combed over them.
Clumsily, she tried to tuck her hair back under the wig but it was futile
without a mirror; so she gave up, nervously twisting the cap of hair in her
beautifully manicured hands.
“Who are you?” Joanna asked abruptly.
“Babette.” She
swallowed. “Babette La Putain. It’s
French, y’know.” Despite her statement, it was obvious that she came from a
decidedly less genteel background. Her
nasal twang betrayed her New Yuck roots. “I just needed a place to hide.
D-don’t hurt me, okay?”
“How did you get in here?” Cody demanded.
“Same way you did.
I’ve been looking for a place to stay for the night and followed you
in. My man’s after me.”
“Why?”
“Yeah, what’d you do, burn dinner?”
Joanna said impatiently. She
was in no mood for stories. “And
stop fidgeting with that stupid wig. I
think that poor hamster’s suffered enough.”
“It’s not a hamster!” Babette snapped, though she
obeyed. “I’m running, same as
you. I have to get away, I just have
to!”
“Who are you running from?” Cody asked.
“James Hardin.”
Cody suddenly became quiet, but Joanna looked blank.
“Who’s that?”
Babette looked at her as if she was an idiot. “Don’t
you know? He owns this
town.”
“How am I supposed to know?
I don’t live here.” She squinted at her in the morning gloom. “And
what do you mean, ‘owns’?”
“Owns. The
mayor, the cops, everybody with something to lose.
Some of them have families, you know,” she explained. “James likes it
that way.”
The other two exchanged a glance, thinking the same
thing: Mob.
“Great.” Joanna
moaned, sinking to the floor and burying her face in her hands.
“Perfect. Don’t tell me.
You took him to the cleaners, right?”
“Oh, I earned every penny, believe me,” Babette said
bitterly. “I just saved up the money he gave me for shopping so I could run
away. He used to smack me around too, so that’s why I’m leaving.
I saw the writing on the wall.”
But could you read it?
Joanna thought snidely.
“Gee, that’s rough,” said Cody. “You the wife?”
“I was his… girl.
But I met someone else… and we’re in love.
That’s why I’m in trouble. Nobody dumps James Hardin.
He once told me that I could go to hell when he got good and tired of me,
and not before then.”
Joanna muttered, “Charming.
Too bad he’s taken.”
Babette went on, ignoring her, “He’d never let me
go. If he knew I was seeing someone
else, he’d kill us both!”
“We won’t tell anyone you were here,” Cody
promised. “And you never saw us,
right?”
“Right! Anything
you say.”
Joanna said to Cody, “We’d better move along.
If she found us, the others won’t be far behind.”
“You’re not going to leave me here, are
you?” There was an edge of panic in the newcomer’s voice.
“Yup,” Cody said, wishing that whiny bimbos came
with an off-switch.
“Please take me with you!
I won’t be any bother, I promise.”
“Forget it,” Joanna said emphatically. “They’re
after you too. You’ll just lead
them to us.”
“All the more reason we should stick together!
Come on, I’ll be quiet. I-I’ll
help out!”
Regarding her tight skirt and high-heeled shoes, Cody
sneered, “How? You can’t even help yourself.”
“I’ve got money.
Lots of it. I’ll pay
our way!”
Joanna frowned. “I
don’t know…”
“How much?” Cody said abruptly.
“A thousand dollars… and twenty-three cents.”
“Sold.”
“What!” Joanna protested.
“Shrimp, that’s nuts. We’d
make better time on our own.”
Cody, the unapologetic skinflint, replied, “Well, we need
money. Can’t coast on our good
looks forever.”
Very reluctantly, Joanna agreed to let Babette accompany
them. She pointed at the other’s
feet, wobbling precariously on high heels. “Okay,
but on one condition. Get rid
of the heels. They’ll only slow us
down.”
“These are Laurie Bearcall originals, I’ll have you
know! James gave ---!”
“I don’t care whose they are.
Lose ‘em.” After a
moment, Babette sullenly complied, removing the shoes.
“Good.” Then
Joanna noticed that without the five-inch heels, the difference in Babette’s
height was startling, to say the least --- subtracting several inches from what
looked like five-three.
Wow, she’s almost as short as Shrimp! At
five-six, she towered over both of them. She
suddenly felt like an Amazon – and just about as dainty.
“By the way, let’s see the money,” Cody said.
“Not that we don’t trust you, Babette…”
“We don’t,” Joanna interrupted.
The vixen frowned at her and continued, “…but we
want proof that you’re on the level. I
hate to admit it, but Dizzy here has a point.
No way are you going to slow us down and get us killed if you don’t
have the moolah. So let’s see
it.”
“Okay.” Reluctantly,
Babette reached into the neckline of her bodice to pull out a thick wad of bills
--- all hundreds.
Cody’s eyes went round. “Whoa!”
“Some bank. That’s the first place they’d look,”
Joanna complained. “And how are you going to buy a cup of coffee with a
hundred dollar bill? If you make
small purchases with large amounts, people remember it. They don’t
always have change, either.”
“Don’t worry. I have small stuff too, see?”
The moll reached into her purse and showed them smaller denominations,
including coinage. Then, nervously:
“Uh… you’re not going to rob me, are you?”
Joanna jerked a thumb at Cody.
“She might. But
I’ll kill you if you’re lying,” she said, half meaning it. “We
can’t afford any screw-ups.”
She gave them a look of wounded dignity.
“Screw-ups. That’s a laugh. You think I’d have lasted this long
with that creep and his boys if I didn’t know how to---!”
“Okay, okay,” Cody said impatiently.
“Spare us the sob story. There’s
no time.” She addressed Joanna.
“She’s got money and that’s what we need.”
“I don’t know.” Joanna wasn’t convinced.
“She heard us talking. Why
should we trust her?”
“Hey!” Babette was insulted.
“I’m right here, y’know!”
Her eyes flicked briefly to Cody then returned to
Joanna. “Look,” she said reasonably, “You’re right to be careful
--- you don’t know me from Eve. But
what about me? Why should I trust
you either? You scared me to death
back there. There’s two of you and only one of me.
Sure, you could kill me and take my money.
I can’t stop you. Why not?
I live with that kinda pressure every day.
Do you know what it’s like to---!”
“Fine!” Joanna rubbed her temples. “I give up. You can come! Just please stop talking.”
“Come on, you two,” Cody said, exasperated.
“Let’s get some breakfast. I’m
starving.”
“Me too,” Babette piped up.
“I haven’t eaten since dessert.”
You poor thing, Joanna thought sarcastically,
turning to address Cody. “Where should we go --- Mel’s Diner?
You know, that place we stopped at before?”
“No.” Cody shook her head. “We better lie low so
we won’t be recognized. We don’t
want that guy to remember us from last night.
He might tell somebody we were there.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Joanna sighed.
“He was kind of chatty. So
where do we go?”
“How about Chez Pierre? They have the best spinach
omelets with these cute little sprigs of parley on top…” Babette suggested.
“James used to have them cater breakfast to us in bed.
One of the delivery boys looked at me and James got so jealous
that he threw him out the hotel window.” She
sounded almost pleased, almost as if she expected them to congratulate her.
When neither reacted, her face fell.
Joanna spoke as though to a child.
“What part of ‘lie low’ don’t you understand?”
“It was just a suggestion!
And since I’m paying the shot, you’d better be nice to me!”
“Hey, you wanted to come with us.
We don’t need you---!”
“Come on,” Cody interrupted, “I know a place.”
* * *
Washing up in the ladies’s
room at Phillie’s could only be described as splashing their faces with soap
and water and finger combing their hair, since Babette refused to share her
comb. As for brushing their teeth,
improvisation was in order.
Joanna wet her dry lips.
“Ugh. Wish I didn’t have to
taste the inside of my own mouth.”
“Me too,” Cody agreed,
“I feel like I just licked the bottom of a cotton gin.”
Babette fished inside her
pocketbook. “Who wants gum?”
Cody
promptly stuck out her hand. “Me.”
“Okay.”
Joanna followed suit. Then, reluctantly:
“Thanks.”
Babette smiled sweetly.
“You’re welcome.”
They were led to a table
near the window. Much to her
chagrin, Cody discovered that the seats were so low that she could barely see
over the edge.
“Damn it,” she muttered.
“I’ll be right back.”
The other two watched as she
quickly got up and headed for the phone booth.
She returned with a fat telephone book under her arm.
“Move,” she said brusquely to Joanna.
“I want to sit on the inside.”
“How come?” Joanna
asked, trying not to smile.
“If anyone comes in
shootin’, I’ll need you as a shield.”
“Very funny,” the bear
grumbled, but she got up and let the vixen slide in and hop aboard the huge
tome.
Their waitress, a skinny,
middle-aged doe with a bad permanent wave and a nametag that said ‘Flo’ came
to take their order, which consisted of coffee, bacon, eggs and toast for Cody
and Joanna. Normally, Joanna would
have made a crack about coffee stunting the petite vixen’s growth, but
resentment toward Babette’s unwelcome presence soured her mood, especially
when the former moll sniffed disdainfully when the other two ordered larger
breakfasts than the coffee and small side plate of grapefruit that Babette asked
for.
The eggs were runny, so Joanna sent hers back.
The substitutes, two sunny side-up fried yolks weren’t much better.
Joanna grimaced as she poked at her meal with her fork.
“Ick. These ones are staring
at me.”
Cody, who had just eaten her bacon and toast, leaned over and poked the eggs
with her fork. “I think they’re
trying to communicate.”
“Yuck.” Disgusted, Joanna pushed the plate away. “That’s it. I definitely can’t eat these now.”
She signaled the waitress, who came over to their table.
“Excuse me, do you have cereal? Something
like corn flakes?”
“This ain’t the Ritz,
honey. We got oatmeal, that’s
it.”
Joanna
didn’t trust cooked cereal, and if it was made by the same person who fried
the inedible eggs, she’d rather starve. “Well,” she said, hiding her
disappointment with poor grace, “Could I see a menu?”
The
waitress handed it to her. “Here. Knock
yourself out.”
“Thanks.”
“I don’t see why we couldn’t go somewhere nice,” Babette
complained, not troubling to lower her voice.
“We need to save
the money, not blow it on fancy meals,” Cody told her, wriggling uncomfortably
on the phone book. Cody hated the
way her feet dangled. She
gave Babette an exasperated look. Though she was almost as petite, the former moll had a
long waist, and therefore did not have the same problem.
Babette had put her wig back
on, and was self-consciously tucking imaginary stray red hairs under the lip of
the hairpiece, attracting more attention than Cody’s undignified perch.
“We have to lie low,
remember?” Cody reminded her when she saw Babette pouting.
“You’re telling me,”
Joanna muttered, casting a sly glance at the phone book.
Cody kicked her. “Ow!”
“Well, James used
to take me…”
Across from her, Joanna
stifled a scream and Cody gritted her teeth, savagely crunching her toast.
Remember, she’s got the loot. She’s
got the loot…
Joanna kicked her
lightly under the table and, raising her menu so that Babette could not see her
face, mouthed, I told you so.
Cody raised hers as well. Shut
up, Dizzy, she mouthed back.
They stuck their tongues out at each other.
“Excuse
me.” Cody rose from her seat, inelegantly wiping her mouth with the back of
her hand and giving a loud belch.
Everyone in the restaurant looked at her in disgust.
“Did you have to do that?” Babette wrinkled her nose.
"Lie low, remember?" Joanna murmured, though she was smiling a little.
Cody shrugged
unapologetically. “Sorry.”
“Where
are you going?”
“I’ll
be right back.”
Joanna’s expression was
inscrutable as she stood up to allow the vixen to slide out of the booth.
“Want me to order something for when you get back?”
“No,
that’s okay.”
“All right.”
“So,” Babette said
brightly, “what’s the plan?”
“Plan?” Joanna
rolled her eyes. “We stay out of sight, out of reach.”
Babette looked disappointed. ”That’s it?”
“Yup.”
“Not much of a plan,” Babette observed.
“Yeah, well…” Joanna
was annoyed because the bimbo was right.
Because she couldn’t think of a clever retort, she said spitefully,
“Your wig is crooked.”
Babette sighed, adjusting
it. “Come on, let’s not do this
again. I got off on the wrong foot
with you earlier, okay? I admit it. I
don’t mean to be a pain. We’re hungry and tired and in a jam.
We should be working together, not at each other’s throats.”
Joanna fell silent for a
moment. “Yeah, you’re right.
Being chased by murderous thugs makes me cranky, but I shouldn’t have
taken it out on you. Sorry.”
“Me too.”
For a few moments, neither
spoke. Joanna stirred more milk into
her drink and watched the creamy circles blend and swirl. When the silence
became unbearable, she asked, “So… how did you end up in the warehouse?”
Babette
took a sip of coffee before she answered. “I
was supposed to meet my boyfriend, but the creep stood me up.
I needed a place to stay and I saw you two go in there.”
“Stood you up, huh?
That’s too bad,” Joanna said, not caring. “Where were you planning
to go?”
“Oh, I don’t know.
Someplace exciting, like the Big Apple… or even Starrywood.
With my face and figure, I coulda been a model… or an actress.
Everybody said so.”
Joanna was amused, despite
her bad mood. “Yeah? Who’s ‘everybody’?”
“Well…
mostly the fellas I used to date back home, but they didn’t count.”
“Of course not.”
“I had the looks, but not
the connections. I was in the chorus
for a few months --- they put me at the end, if you can believe it!
I needed to meet a guy who could do me some good.
When I wasn’t dancing, I was slinging hash at this classy restaurant
and Vic --- that was my boss --- told me James Hardin was eating there
that night. He knew I was on my way
to bigger things, so he was always trying to help me.”
“Help you?”
“Yeah. Well,
that’s what I thought he was doing, anyway.
Ol’ Vic had busy hands, but other than that, he was an okay guy.”
Babette shrugged. “He told me
James hated to eat alone, see? So he
wanted a girl to keep him company. He
said if James liked me and if I didn’t talk too much then he could introduce
me to the right people. Get me set
up. So I thought, what the heck?”
“Sounds like ol’ Vic had
another business besides the restaurant to run.”
“No!
James took care of me. He
brought me here. I had pretty
clothes and jewelry, my own penthouse apartment above his offices.
All I had to do was be available at his beck and call.
It was a sweet deal until I found out how jealous he could be.
And I didn’t even get to go to Starrywood!
‘Forget it,’ he said. He
called showbiz crap and made me stop. What a joke,” she said bitterly.
Joanna
was mildly surprised that Babette understood the barb well enough to be
offended, and reminded herself to play nice with Miss Moneybags.
She prompted, “So, James was jealous, huh?”
Babette preened. “You
better believe it --- not that I can really blame him though.
His men were afraid of him, so I never had to worry about them getting
fresh with me. But I couldn’t go anywhere alone --- not even shopping unless
one of his men was with me. It was
awful, being followed around. Then
it was Frank’s turn. He was a sweet guy… for a hood.”
“Sweet,” Joanna
repeated.
“Yeah.
He always got teased about ‘babysitting’, but he didn’t care --- we
had fun. We fell in love.
They never took him seriously, so we were able to sneak around, but we
still had to be careful. Looking the
way I do is a big responsibility, y’know.”
“I
can imagine.” Joanna said dryly.
She signaled their waitress again and asked for the bill.
“Sure thing, hon.”
Babette
rattled on, “I didn’t like being cooped up, but being with James was
exciting, y’know? But sometimes a
girl’s just got to think about the future.
I didn’t want to be with him anymore, and I didn’t want to start all
over again. So me and Frank came up
with a plan.
‘James always gave me a
generous allowance, so instead of spending it all, I saved a little nest egg.
I did have to buy a few things I didn’t want, so he wouldn’t
get suspicious, but I always made sure there was plenty left over.
It took several weeks, but finally we had enough to escape.”
Despite herself, Joanna was impressed. “Smart.”
Babette looked surprised, but
pleased at the compliment. Then, her
expression darkened. “Yeah.
We were supposed to meet yesterday and take a cruise ship out of town.
I waited and waited for him, but…”
“He didn’t show.”
The other woman shook her head. “And I can’t go back. James’d send me home in an ice-cube tray.” She lowered her gaze, and her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. “I’m supposed to be at his beck and call… y’know?”
“Hmm…” Joanna glanced around
impatiently. What’s taking her
so long?
Cody was feverishly dialing digit after digit. Her tense, worried expression told Joanna that she wasn’t having much luck.
Finally, it appeared that she’d
hit pay dirt. Her expression changed
from anxious to relief and she turned to face the wall.
“He’s there?” she asked.
“He’s okay?”
“He’s fine, swe—uh, Cody,” Tony
assured her, his voice crackling through
the bad connection. “He’s
sleeping right now, though. Do you
want me to wake him up?”
She
chuckled a little. “I don’t
think you could. A whole herd of
elephants couldn’t wake him up. Just…
just tell him I called.”
“Will do.
Are you okay?”
“Don’t worry about me.
I can take care of myself.”
Joanna came up behind her,
with Babette trailing after her like an obedient puppy, much to her annoyance.
She imagined throwing a stick into traffic and calling out, “Fetch!”
“I
think we need to get out of here,” Joanna said softly.
“We don't know where those creeps are, and we need to move.”
Cody stared at her for a moment. Then, she nodded
grimly and hung up the phone.
“Who were you trying to call?”
Babette asked without interest, taking out a compact and examining her face for
imaginary flaws. “Your boyfriend?”
The vixen hesitated, not wanting to
discuss Jons with Babette present. She
gave Joanna the barest of nods. “Just
letting the boss know that I won’t be coming in to work today.
He’ll be dancing with joy.”
“I never had to work.
James gave me an allowance.”
Joanna gave her a thin smile, but kept
her mouth shut. More often
than not it got her into hot water, but she couldn’t help thinking, I’m
sure you earned it.
As though she read her mind, Babette added bitterly,
“Believe me, I earned it.”
Before either of them could reply, two pelicans --- both
of them policemen, came in.
Flo greeted them cheerfully. “Hi, fellas. Y’all want
the usual?”
“You know it, Flo,” the older, chunkier one said,
plopping down on one of the counter stools.
“Half a dozen donuts to go with the works.”
“And what about you, Henry?” she asked his partner.
He was noticeably pale. “Just a glass of water, if you
don’t mind.”
“That’s all?”
“Sorry, I-I’m not hungry right now.”
“What’s the matter, hon? You look awful, if you don’t mind me sayin’ so.”
“Let’s get out of here,” Joanna hissed. “Cops
and I do not get along.”
“…grisly. Poor
Mel. And in his own diner, too.”
Joanna and Cody’s heads snapped up at the mention of
the name ‘Mel’ and Joanna momentarily forgot about her aversion to the
police as they listened intently.
Flo was aghast.
“Oh, no! I can’t believe
it! I knew Mel.
Used to work for him. He was
all right…sorta rough around the edges, but he’d do anything for you.
He loved that diner.” She
turned away for a moment, head lowered as she placed the doughnuts into a
foldable box. Numbly, she handed it to the older cop and gave the younger
one a sympathetic look. “This your first...?”
The pelican shook his head.
“But I’ve never seen so much…there was so much…” He shuddered.
They were silent for a moment and Joanna nudged Cody,
giving her a questioning look. The
vixen shrugged uncomfortably. “Maybe
it’s a different one,” she suggested.
“When did it happen?” the waitress asked quietly.
“Early this morning.”
Our fault. If only we hadn’t gone there. Joanna shook her head and signaled to the other two. “Let’s go.”
As Babette
paid the bill, the other two stepped out of the diner, ducking round the corner
to talk privately.
“So…where
do we go now?” Cody asked.
“I’m
just a tourist --- it’s your town. Where
should we go?”
Babette’s
voice piped behind them, making both jump. “There
you are! Why couldn’t you wait where I could see you?”
Joanna
groaned, “Would you please not do
that? Wear a bell or something.”
“Never
mind that. We need a plan.”
They all
thought for a moment.
Finally,
Babette ventured, “I say we go to the nearest department store.”
“Shopping?
You want to go shopping at a time like this?”
Cody was incredulous.
“You
might be used to living like pigs, but I’m not.
I want to clean up a little. Look at us --- we stand out like bums at a
country club.”
Joanna
considered. Then, she became aware
of how grungy she felt. She hated
being dirty. A bath was out of the question, but a change of clothes would go a
long way to helping her feel better. “You know something, Shrimp?
She’s absolutely right.”
“What?”
“I know
just the place,” Babette volunteered eagerly. “W.H. Macy’s.”
“Good.
You take the lead.”
Cody
whined, “But I don’t wanna go shopping --- I hate shopping.”
“Well, I
hate crowds,” Joanna snapped, “so let’s get it over with.”
With Cody
sullenly trailing along behind them, Babette led Joanna to a huge department
store in the center of town.
At
least we won’t be noticed, Joanna
thought as she stepped through the revolving door and stood for a moment to get
her bearings. She
sometimes got lost in these places.
Despite
the early hour, the store was crowded with mothers dragging squalling children
up and down the aisles, men being fitted for suits, and assorted other people on
various errands.
Babette
made a beeline for the perfume counter where she sniffed disdainfully at the
cheaper perfumes before moving to the more exclusive section.
After a moment, she picked up a ruby red bottle.
“Oblivion.”
She spritzed herself liberally, making the other two gag.
“James used to buy this for me all the time.”
Wheezing,
Joanna moved away from the counter, searching for the women’s clothing
section. “I just want to find some
clothes and get out of here.”
Babette
sighed. “You’re no fun.”
“Can
you hurry up? This place gives me
the willies.” Cody looked around
as if she expected to be attacked at any minute.
“Look! Isn’t this darling?” Babette modeled a tiny fawn-colored hat adorned with huge bows and peacock feathers.
“That’ll
never stay on your head,” Cody commented.
“Silly.
That’s what a hat pin’s for.”
“What’s
a hat pin?”
Babette
looked at her as if she’d grown an extra head.
“Are you sure you’re a girl?”
Cody’s
eyes narrowed dangerously, but lit with interest as Babette carefully threaded a
long pin through the hat.
“Whoa.
That’s a hat pin?”
“Yeah.”
“Nice.”
Cody’s eyes gleamed almost as brightly as the silvery point.
“Thanks.
See, it really does tie the outfit together,” Babette replied, meaning
the hat.
From
the look on her face Cody was ready to jack her against the wall and cut a
second smile under her chin. Joanna barely managed to step in front of the vixen and restrain her
from attacking the oblivious gun moll.
“Not
here,” she said in a low voice.
Frustrated,
Cody moved away from them as Babette pawed through the rather large selection of
hats.
She
was headed towards the exit when she became aware of a presence behind her, and
before she could whirl around, a cheery voice said, “Welcome to W.H. Macy’s.
Would you care to sample our newest fragrance?”
Cody
barely glanced at the bottle, which contained a gold liquid. “Looks like a
sample, alright.” she said rudely and started to walk away.
“Oh,
this isn’t a sample --- it’s a whole bottle.
One whiff of this and you’ll drive men wild.
Here, try some!”
Before
Cody could protest, she found herself liberally spritzed with some cloying,
sickly-sweet perfume.
“Hey!”
“Infinity
can be purchased at our perfume counter, sixty dollars for five ounces.”
“Lady,
I wouldn’t give it two cents!” Coughing,
the vixen tried to fan away some of the odor.
She was about to say more when a familiar voice interrupted them.
“Ya’ll
will just have to forgive my sistah.” Joanna
grabbed Cody’s sleeve and tugged her away.
“Bless her li’l heart, she’s jest not used to big ol’ stores like
this!”
Cody whispered to Joanna,
“Bless her li’l heart?”
“At least I can stop
talking like a hick if I want to. What’s your excuse?”
“Your accent still
stinks.”
“So do you.
But I have to admit, it’s an improvement.”
Babette
led them to the women’s clothing department and immediately began pawing
through the racks. Joanna would have
preferred a pair of slacks to run in, but seeing none, grabbed a few blouses and
skirts, while Cody just stood there, bored.
Joanna
glanced at the vixen. “You’re
not getting anything? Ol’ Babs
here’s footing the bill.”
Cody
scowled. “Just hurry up, okay?”
“Come
to think of it, you might want to try the kiddie section.”
Before
Cody could retort, a strident voice rose.
“What’s
so funny? I need a formal gown for
Pwincess Gwace’s birthday party. Do
you sell ‘em or not?”
They
looked up to see a rough-looking female hippo facing down a glamorous, very
haughty-looking saleswoman. Characteristic
to her species, she was extremely overweight, her heft packed snugly in pants
and a grimy pilot jacket. Curly
blonde hair stuck out in small bunches from her cap-and-goggles.
Coarse black hairs sprouted from above her upper lip in a sparse
mustache, completing the unappetizing picture.
Her one redeeming feature --- heavily lashed pale blue eyes --- snapped
fire as her anger grew.
“I
am sorry, miss, but we just don’t have anything in your… size.” She
let the word ‘size’ drip like cyanide from an eyedropper.
Two other saleswomen tittered.
“Oh,
I get it. You’ve got a thing or two to learn about how to treat customers!”
The
first saleswoman gave her a superior smile.
“We know how to treat customers who can afford the best.
I suggest you try Barney’s Bargains on the other side of town.
Or Camping Supplies --- I’m sure there are plenty of tents that’ll
fit you just fine.” She looked at
her friends, and they all giggled again. The
hippo stood perfectly still, waiting for the laughter to subside.
“May
I say something?” the hippo asked politely.
“Why
not? Just don’t talk with your
mouth full.” Gales of laughter
again.
“I
wasn’t going to say anything, but all this time you were makin’ cracks, I
noticed that you’ve got a big green booger in your nose.
Did you know it swings back and forth when you laugh?”
The
ringleader stopped laughing. “You’re lying.”
“I never lie.” The
lady hippo pretended to think for a moment. “You know, I think I’ll get my
gown custom-made. It’ll cost a
pretty penny, but hey, I can afford it.” Digging
into her pocket, she dug out a wad of hundreds, and made a show of tapping them
into a neat little stack before putting them away again. “Then I’ll go home
and write a nice, long letter to your boss about how helpful you all were. So
long, ladies.”
They winced and glanced over their shoulders at their
manager’s office.
When they left W.H. Macy’s, all three were outfitted in their new clothes. Joanna wore a white cotton blouse and a plain dark blue skirt, while Babette wore a crisply elegant sky blue silk dress suit, as well as carrying two bags of other purchases, plus the clothes she had been wearing when they met. The other two complained that it would slow her down, but she insisted.
When she'd come out of the dressing room in the suit, which was two sizes too small, Cody had looked at her in shock. Babette had mistaken her expression for admiration and preened.
“Looks good, huh?”
“Don't you ever get tired of being cinched up like that?” Cody had asked. "And what about if we have to run?”
“Can't a girl look good and still be able to run?”
The vixen had
given up. Here was Babette, looking like an expensively dressed pack mule,
wheezing along beside Joanna.
Cody, herself, had reluctantly chosen a pair of khaki pants and dark green
blouse, and she deliberately walked a few feet ahead, scouting the streets for
trouble. At least, that was her
excuse. Actually, she wanted to get
away from Babette’s, well, babbling.
Cody
felt something sharp poking in the back of her neck.
For a moment, she froze. They
got us!
Joanna’s
voice floated from behind her. “Hey, Shrimp, hold up there.”
“What?”
“Hold
still for a second. Babs, got
something to cut with in that purse of yours?
Like a file?” Babette handed her a tiny pair of manicure scissors.
“Thanks.”
Cody
heard a snip and pulled away, startled.
“What are you doing?”
“Price
tag,” Joanna explained, holding it up and glancing at it.
Something about the tag caught her attention.
“What’s this? Boys’?
You really did have to go to the kiddie section?”
Cheeks
burning, Cody snatched it back. “Yeah,
so? I was gonna take that back!”
Babette
asked, somewhat acidly, “Aren’t you glad you didn’t pay for it?”
“Oh…
yeah, thanks.” Cody felt a swelling of resentment.
“I’ll pay you back sometime.”
“Yeah,”
Joanna said gloomily. “If
we live.”
They
spent the rest of the day staying out of sight.
Much to Cody’s dismay, this involved a lot more shopping, though she
didn’t mind the bookstore they took refuge in for a few hours after lunch.
Babette did, though.
“It’s
just a bunch of stupid books,” she whined.
“What am I supposed to do?”
The
other two just ignored her. Finally,
the disgruntled bear picked up a fashion magazine and sat in a dark corner,
sulking.
Afterwards,
Cody, tired of being cooped up inside on a beautiful day, persuaded them to go
to the park for a little while. If
nothing else, she hoped to air out her fur --- the smell of that hideous perfume
lingered, and was beginning to give her a headache.
It
was a mistake.
* * *
“When I get my hands on that dame, I’m really gonna get her,”
Eggsucker said.
They’d been
tracking the women all night. The
old hag at Stepford Manor had been no help and there had been no clues in the
hotel, itself. ‘Borrowing’ some
homemade candles from the crafts room, they’d searched the garden, and had
found tracks leading back towards town. Following
them had been difficult. By
midmorning, however, they had a direction. Buck
had innocently suggested checking Babette’s favorite department store, W.H.
Macy’s.
“Why,
yes, Mister Buck,” a saleswoman who had always waited on Babette said.
“She was in here earlier with two other ladies.
She didn’t buy as much as usual, which I thought odd.”
She shrugged, obviously miffed at missing out on Babette’s usually
generous commission. With another
sniff, she added, “She did buy a lovely hat, though --- it looked absolutely
darling with that new hairdo. Although
just between you and me, I’m almost positive it was a wig.”
“What
wig?” Buck asked anxiously. “What’s she done to her hair?
Is she bald?”
Eggsucker
swatted the back of his head, the motion sending a sour whiff of sweat in the
clerk’s direction. “Who cares? What
about the other two girls?”
The
young saleswoman recoiled slightly and took a step back. “Well, if that’s
all…”
Sensing
that a wall was about to be erected,
At
the mention of Hardin’s name, her attitude quickly changed. “Y-yes, of
course. Is this new necklace a surprise?”
“That’s
right,” Rogers said with cheerful malice. “It’s
a surprise.”
Dutifully,
she described the hat and wig.
Impatiently,
Eggsucker repeated, “What about the other two?”
“Yes…
the other two… ladies—what did they look like?”
“I
don’t know. One was a bear, tall, nice figure, long reddish blonde hair, I
think. In a ponytail. The other was a little
vixen.” The saleswoman sniffed. “The
little one didn’t have any fashion sense at all—definitely not the
kind of company Miss Babette usually keeps.”
“Where
did they go?” Eggsucker asked abruptly.
“I
didn’t wait on them. Now, if
you’ll excuse me…” Her eyes darted as she spotted another customer; she turned and smiled
toothily at a well-to-do tigress who was browsing through the designer section.
Absently
reflecting that she looked like a shark going in for the kill,
“What
if they skipped town?” Buck asked as they hurried out of the store.
The
taller bear rolled his eyes. “The
bus station doesn’t open until noon. They
wouldn’t go there and sit around for us to catch them.
They’re hiding somewhere. We
just have to find them.”
They checked every store in the area, but the clerks, after disgusted looks at
Eggsucker, could provide no information. They
retraced their steps several times, but had no luck.
It was as if the women had vanished.
By late afternoon,
Taking
out a linen handkerchief, he dabbed his forehead and tried sound crisply
efficient. “We’ll check the other side of town.”
“Go
through the park,” Eggsucker snapped.
“Oh,
good idea! We can feed the fish!”
Buck clapped his hands together. “Eh,
Eggy, ol’ buddy?”
With
a scowl, the lion stepped towards him, fists balled.
“I’ll feed the fish, all right.”
The
dim-witted bear looked disappointed, but the other two didn’t pay him any
attention. They crossed the street
and stepped into the park. Because
it was a warm, sunny day, it was pretty crowded with people strolling down the
well-beaten paths, children running around the playground, and couples
picnicking. They had just passed the
duck pond when Eggsucker stopped dead in his tracks.
He
sniffed the air. “You guys smell
something?”
“Like
cheese and old sweat?” Buck asked.
“No,
something really bad, like cheap perfume.”
The
other two actually went a few more steps before they noticed that the lion’s
perpetual stench had dissipated. Turning,
they saw that he was staring intently at something across the pond, his face
twisted in angry disbelief.
“Tell
me I’m seeing things.”
The
bears glanced in the direction he was staring and froze.
Seated on a bench and half-hidden by swaying branches of a leafy maple
were three females. One of them wore
a tiny fawn-colored hat adorned with huge bows and peacock feathers.
“I
don’t believe it,”
“Don’t
hurt her,” Buck said, his voice suddenly hard.
“If you do…”
“Oh.
Okay, then.”
“The
tall one’s mine,” Eggsucker insisted, “I got dibs on her.”
“Hardin’ll
probably let you have her after he’s finished, ah, questioning her.”
“Can
you take off that hat now?” they heard Joanna ask.
“I don’t want to be stared at, even if you do.”
“Oh,
don’t worry. The park’s
practically deserted. Besides,
I’ve got enough bags to carry. I
don’t want to carry it.”
“Boys,
I think our luck’s changing.” Eggsucker
stealthily began to creep up on their quarry.
“Right behind you, pal,” Buck whispered. “Maybe you can give us a few pointers, huh?”
“Shut
up. You want them to hear us?”
Buck pouted. “You guys never let me do anything!”
Eggsucker
was only a few feet behind them when Cody’s nose twitched, then wrinkled.
“What’s that smell?”
“I
don’t know.” Joanna sniffed the
air. “Ew. That perfume you got sprayed with isn’t going bad, is
it?”
“It’s
horrible.”
“Disgusting.”
“What
is that? It smells like…”
“Me.” Eggsucker said, and reached for Joanna.
She shrieked and tried to jerk out of the way, but she wasn’t quick
enough. He grabbed her ponytail and
yanked her backwards, tilting her head so far back that she could see all three
hoods upside-down. He licked a
finger and drew it menacingly across her throat.
End of Part 6