Page 53 of Romancing the Rumrunner
Her only worry was Maude. Joe and Charlie would still have their jobs at the shop. But perhaps Maude could take her place at The Corkscrew. They’d need a new singer.
Joe smiled and closed up the last box. “It’ll be nice to go back to being butchers.”
Jessie laughed. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
“We could just give it all away now and be done with it.”
“Sure. I think I’ll team up with Willie. Give him all the booze.”
Joe snorted and Jessie winked at him. They’d already decided long ago not to use the liquor to pay off Willie. All she needed was for the Feds to find out Willie was selling her father’s booze and then she’d be in double the trouble she was in now. Safer to pay him in nice, untraceable cash.
“Have you decided on next week’s schedule?” Joe asked.
“Yes. Let’s open Monday, Thursday, and Friday.”
“All right, boss.”
“And let’s switch to the Barker Street exit this week. We’ve been using the Dalton Street exit for a couple weeks now. It’s about time to change things up.”
“I was just going to suggest it.”
Jessie smiled. “I knew I kept you around for a reason.”
Joe chuckled and then froze when a shadow crossed the door. Jessie spun around. Tony stood there, his hands in his pockets.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you. I called out, but you must not have heard me.”
“No, I didn’t.” She flashed Joe a look. The question wasn’t whether they’d heard Tony, but whether Tony had heard them. She studied him, trying to see any hint that he’d heard what they’d said.
His smile was a bit strained, but then it had been since the night Russo had dropped in.
“Ah, well, sorry,” he said again. “I’ll just wait for you upstairs.”
Jessie nodded. As soon as Tony had disappeared up the stairs she turned to Joe.
“Do you think he heard?” she whispered.
Joe was staring at the stairs behind her. “I don’t know. But maybe we should switch the dates, open Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday, just in case.”
Jessie nodded. Part of her wanted to keep the club open on the days she’d mentioned, just so she could find out if Tony would really betray her or not. And if it was only her life at stake she would. But she couldn’t endanger her patrons that way.
“Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday then. And let’s stay with the Dalton exit one more week. Just in case he heard that as well.”
“Sure thing, boss.”
Jessie nodded, then went up the stairs after Tony.
He sat perched on a stool near the counter but when she entered he got up and kissed her cheek.
“How are you this evening?”
Jessie watched him, wondering if she had really misread him, wondering if it had all been a lie or if some of it had been real.
“Fine.”
“Just fine?” he asked with a small smile.
Jessie smiled back. “A little tired, maybe.”
