“That’s nice.”
I waited to see if Goldie would volunteer her return. When she didn’t, I said, “Goldie, how’s Jack?”
“We had a rough night last night. The doctor is expected in soon, and then we’ll know more.”
“I thought he was getting better.”
“He was. But yesterday he began having mild episodes. Last night they had to give him nitroglycerine several times. The doctor is going to talk to us about doing the bypass surgery within the next day or two. I guess they wanted to see if other treatment would work first.”
“Apparently not, huh.”
“Apparently.”
“Oh, Goldie. You sound so tired.”
“I am tired. And concerned. I know the Bible tells us not to worry about anything but instead to pray about everything, so I’m trying not to worry. But I’ve got the market cornered on concern.”
I smiled at her words, then looked up at the team, who were looking back at me, and shook my head. Goldie would not be coming back.
“Goldie,” I said. “Listen, you give Jack our love and remind him he is in our prayers.”
“I’ll do that.”
“And call me later to let me know what the doctor says … about the surgery.” I glanced up again and frowned at my comrades.
“I will. Thank you, Liz. Give everyone my love.”
I disconnected the line, then sighed. “Well, I suppose you’ve guessed. Goldie won’t be coming back.”
David cleared his throat. “What was that about surgery?”
“They have to do a bypass. Probably within the next day or two. They’d hoped meds would help, but … no.”
About that time the door opened and Donna stepped in with a laptop clutched in her hands. “When did you leave the room?” I asked.
“While you were talking. I went and borrowed one of the office laptops.” She placed the laptop on a nearby table, opened it, and then turned it on, all in one flourishing move. “What did Goldie say?”
I shook my head. “Jack has to have a bypass within the next day or two.”
Donna grimaced. “Man.”
“While that thing is turning itself on,” Vonnie said, “I vote we pray for Jack.”
“I second that,” Wade said.
“Hear, hear,” Nelson added.
We prayed earnestly and for quite a few minutes before the last “amen” was echoed. Then I turned to Evie. “Well, what did you come up with?”
Evie frowned. “Nothing. But David had a great idea.”
“Oh?” I turned to David.
“
Guys and Dolls
. We’ve got a fund-raiser for the New York City Rescue Mission, which reminded me of the Save-a-Soul Mission from the play and the movie.”
“Here we go,” Donna said. She was bent over the laptop, her fingers lightly tapping the keys. “The New York City Rescue Mission … founded in 1872 … the objective is to provide spiritual hope, food, clothing, and shelter to people in crisis.”
“I like the spiritual part,” Vonnie said.
“Hey,” Donna said, “did you know it’s the oldest mission in the United States?”
“Give us some of the history,” Lisa Leann said. By now we’d all gathered around Donna and were trying to peer over her shoulder.
Donna tapped on the computer and said, “Look at this. It was founded by Jerry and Maria McAuley after Jerry had a God- encounter while serving time in Sing Sing.” She drew back. “In my line of work, we hear about jailhouse conversions all the time, but apparently this one was for real.” She returned her attention to the screen. “Wow, look at the services they provide. This is pretty impressive. The bottom line for them is that everyone deserves a fair chance in life. That’s cool.”
Lisa Leann clapped her hands. “Okay, everyone. We’ve got to plan. We’ve got to think. Evie and Wade, why don’t the two of you head down to the mission and find out a little more about them, then meet back up with the rest of us …” She looked at her watch. “Let’s say in three hours. Vonnie, Nelson, and I will go to the Museum of Natural History. Kat told me before we came in here that we’ll be serving in a place called the Powerhouse.” She waved a finger at Donna, twirling it about. “Look up the museum on the computer and see what you can find out about the Powerhouse, if you don’t mind.”
“Sure,” Donna said.
“That leaves Donna, David, and me,” I said. “What should we do?”
Lisa Leann clapped her hands together. “There’s a revival of Guys and Dolls on Broadway right now at the Richard Rodgers Theater. I noted it when Evie and I first came in. In fact, I was torn between seeing it and
Les Misérables
. Your assignment will be to see what it will take to get a few of the performers to come to the event and do a few numbers.”
“Our high school drama club performed
Guys and Dolls
last year. I can think of four or five numbers off the top of my head I’d like to see done by the pros.”
“Donna, what do you know about the Powerhouse?” Lisa Leann asked.
“I’ve got it pulled up now. It’s newly renovated, it overlooks the Arthur Ross Terrace and the Rose Center for Earth and Space. It accommodates up to six hundred guests.”
“Thank goodness we don’t have six hundred guests,” Evie said.
Lisa Leann nodded in agreement. “Okay, everyone. On your mark, get set … go!”
David and I waited in the war room while Donna returned the laptop. I fidgeted for a while with my purse, returning my cell phone to its little compartment within, reapplying some lipstick, then placing my compact and the tube in the little makeup bag I keep with me at all times. I took a deep breath and then sighed. Finally David said, “Lizzie, if you don’t mind me asking … what’s on your mind?”
I was sitting in the same chair where I’d called Goldie. I looked up at the handsome young man and smiled. “You are very wise.”
“I know when someone has a lot on their mind. You definitely appear to be somewhere other than here.”
I shook my head. “Actually, my mind is exactly here. I’m concerned about this show.”
“In what way?” He stepped over to where I sat and joined me in a nearby chair.
“Well, I think we have a stab at winning, which will be wonderful for the church … the money and all … but I can’t help but be concerned about these notes I’ve received.”
“How many have you received exactly?”
“Just two, but …”
“That’s really two too many.”
I nodded. “Yes. Then there’s the one Vonnie found, the one that sent Donna to that room …”
About that time, Donna returned to the war room, said, “Okay, you ready?” then stopped short. “What’s going on?” She crossed the room and stood before David and me.
“Lizzie is worried about the notes.”
“And about the fairness of the show. I want us to win. I really do. I think we can do so much good with that money, and I’m not sure what Wild Cajun Cooks will do with it.”
Donna shook her head. “I haven’t heard.”
“The point is, I want to win, but I want it to be fair. If Amy or Kat or Bubba or whoever is in on some plan that will make all our efforts for naught, then what’s the point?”
“Okay,” Donna said, grabbing a chair and pushing it toward us so that we were in a grouping. She sat, slapped her hands on her knees and said, “Let’s go over what we know exactly.”
“Okay,” I said. “I saw Amy and Bubba—at least I think it was Bubba—at the restaurant that night.”
“And she was saying?” David asked.
“She said ‘I promise, I promise. Believe me, my love, I have it all arranged.’ ”
“You said you think it was Bubba?” David asked.
“According to Bubba,” Donna answered, “his cousin Boudreaux, who is here as familial support, looks a lot like him.”
David nodded. “Have you seen this Boudreaux?”
“No,” Donna said. She looked at me and raised her brow.
“No. I’ve seen not one person in the audience when they show the family members that looks even remotely like Bubba.”
“Bubba,” David said, “is no doubt lying.”
“You’re probably right,” Donna said. “In fact, I’d be willing to bet on it.” She paused. “What else do we know?”
“We know they know I saw them,” I answered. “We know I’ve received two notes. They definitely want me to keep my mouth shut.”
“Have you received any other threats?” David asked. “Have you at any time felt uncomfortable … like someone was following you?”
“No, not at all.”
We sat and stared at each other until I said, “I also know that when I came to talk to Kat, I overheard her and Jay talking about needing a jump in the ratings.”
“Which means,” Donna said, “that any of these antics that have been going on could be from her office. Maybe she knows exactly what Amy is up to. Maybe she put Amy up to it.”
“How would Amy and Bubba have known each other before we all got here?” David asked.
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“Amy called Bubba ‘my love.’ Obviously they have a relationship. But surely they couldn’t have developed much of one so soon.”
“You don’t know Bubba,” Donna muttered. “He thinks he’s God’s gift to the female race. Maybe Amy gets turned on by that kind of thing.”
“Maybe,” I said. “Or maybe Bubba came in to town early, like Lisa Leann and Evie. Maybe he came in for the purpose of getting to know Amy.”
“Men like Bubba,” David said, “and I say this because men understand men a lot better than they will ever understand women—are capable of scoping out the lay of the land, figuring which woman would be the easiest prey, and then swooping in for the kill. As soon as the Wild Cajuns win the title—if they do—he’ll drop her like a hot potato.”
“You bet he will,” Donna said.
“Maybe it was Amy behind having you locked in that room, Donna,” I said. “Maybe it was Amy who was behind the sound system going out. She’ll be doubly devious now … now that the competition is down to the two groups.”
“Then we need a plan,” Donna added. “We’ve got to make everyone in our group aware of what Amy and Bubba are capable of doing.”
“But we can’t go to the powers that be,” David said.
“Why not?” I asked.
“Because if there is enough of a scandal, they could cancel the finale. We want to win, but we want to win fair and square.”
“Absolutely.”
Again we stared at each other until Donna said, “Well, are we ready to go to the theater district?”
I nodded. “Let’s do it.”
Hours later we met back with the rest of the group, this time meeting around a table at a trendy restaurant called Whym—pronounced “whim”—on 9th Avenue near Columbus Circle. I ordered a grilled ham panini sandwich, no fries, and a large glass of water. All this eating out had added a couple of pounds to my usually thin frame, and my clothes were beginning to show the telltale signs.
Lisa Leann went first in her report. The Powerhouse, she said, was absolutely breathtaking. “It holds six hundred for a reception, three hundred for a sit-down dinner. We’re doing a sit-down dinner.” She pulled brochures from her oversized purse and began passing them out. “The Powerhouse used to be the power plant for the museum. It’s five thousand square feet. It has ceilings over twelve feet high, maple floors with such shine you can put your makeup on in the reflection.” She took a quick breath. “Oh, and these gor-ge-ous French doors that take you to an outdoor terrace. Oh! And the views of the Rose Center for Earth and Space.” She flipped open her copy of the brochure and pointed to a photograph of the Center, taken at night, from the viewpoint of the Powerhouse. “Look. Is this breathtaking or what?”
I had to admit it was quite spectacular.
Lisa Leann concluded with the menu preparations and other fine details we’d need to know.
“Our turn,” Evie said. She looked over to Wade. “You tell them.”
Wade smiled. “We met with the director of the rescue mission, and I have to tell you, I’m just as impressed with it as Lisa Leann is with her fancy-schmancy reception hall.” He looked over at Lisa Leann. “No offense.”
“None taken.”
“Here’s the scoop. They’ve been operating for 136 years. They have beds for 96 men, 20 of which are reserved for the men who are in the long-term recovery program. They have 4 beds for program graduates, which leaves 72 for overnighters. They have a meal program, the residential recovery program—that I’ve already mentioned—and spiritual counseling programs, an eye-care and dental program. The success stories are inspiring and—as an exaddict— I can tell you my heart is ready to burst that we’re doing something to help these people.” He looked over to Evangeline. “And we’ve brought goodies.”
Evie reached under the table and brought out a medium-sized gift bag from which she began pulling out white bib aprons with the mission’s logo in the center. “One for each of us,” she said.
I took mine and examined it. The New York City skyline was etched in white on black with a white dove at the top right center. “Thank you,” I said.
“The money,” Evie said, “will help with their food program. The director will be at the event, of course, as well as several of their success stories, who will share their testimonies. And what testimonies they are! Full of God’s power and grace.”
“Okay,” Lisa Leann said. “What about you three? Donna, David, Lizzie …”
“We did it,” David said. “We got part of the
Guys and Dolls
actor lineup and their orchestra. They’ll perform ‘A Bushel and a Peck,’ ‘Sue Me’ ”—David held up one finger for each song—“ ‘Luck Be a Lady,’ ‘Adelaide’s Lament,’ and ‘Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat.’ ”
“Which will be the finale,” I said.
“Because it has the Save-a-Soul prayer meeting theme,” Donna chimed in.
Lisa Leann clapped her hands again. “Perfect, perfect, perfect,” she said. “Okay, team. Let’s talk menu!”
Before heading to dreamland Wednesday evening, I propped up on my bed and called Vernon to update him on the issues of the day. He knew we had moved ahead to the final competition, so I filled him in on what we would be doing and that I was in charge of the first course.
“You?”
“Very funny.”
“What are you serving? Cheese and crackers?”
I frowned. “I’ll have you know I’ve learned a thing or two from the little redhead. I’m in charge of the chilled tomato soup.”
“Yum,” he said. His voice held absolutely no enthusiasm.