Persuasive Lips (13 page)

“
S
hh
…
Ca
l
m
dow
n
,
n
ow
just
calm
down
d
arli
n
’.
Y
a
k
n
ow
I’ll
do
ya
r
ig
h
t.”
T
h
e landlady
pulled
Chl
o
e
to
her
b
o
som
and
str
o
ked
the
towel
on
her
hair.
“
T
here
there now. Ever
y
thing w
i
ll be all right.”

“
Ouch!
You’re hurting me.”

Mrs.
Grogan let go. “I
’
m so sorry, sweetness.
Forgive—” “No, I’m sorry, Mrs. G. I mean…”

^{“Shh-shh-shh.
Hush
c
h
ild.
“
She
tenderly
ran
a
finger
along
Ch
lo
e’s
cheek.
“I’ll
be}
back
in a moment.” The landlady waddled off with purpose.

Chloe
located
her
big
suitcase,
w
edged
in
t
h
e
tiny
cl
o
set.
Determined
to
e
x
tract
the luggage,
she
inhaled
and
heav
e
d
to
the
le
f
t.
The
suitcase
dislodged,
propelling
a
wire hanger
wi
t
h
a
pink
cotton
blouse.
The
hanger
stung
h
e
r
chest.
T
h
e
blouse
c
o
vered
her face.
She
sneezed
and
dropped
the
suitcase
as
she
grabbed
her
ribs.
Dear
God
and
Jesus in
heaven.
Please
let
me
feel
bett
e
r.
Please
let
me
wake
up
in
North
Carolina.
Forgive
me
of
m
y sins. Amen.

She
heard
panting
as
Mrs.
Grogan
swept
aside
the
makeup
and
curlers
on
the dresser
and
deposited
an
aluminum
tray.
A
waffle-sized
powder
puff
fell
to
the
floor. Chloe
held
in
another
sneeze
a
n
d
picked
up
the
suitcase.
Mrs. Gr
o
gan
be
n
t
down
with
a groan
and
plucked
up
the
puff,
tossing
it
onto
the
dresser.
She
t
u
gged
on
the
suitcase but was u
n
able to release it from Chloe’s grip.

“
Where
do
ya
think
you’re
going
on
such
a
treacherous
night?
Young
lady,
ya
just put
that
th
i
ng
away
a
nd
get
un
d
er
the
cov
e
rs.
Here’s
some
warm
eggnog
and
a
couple of chloral hydrate capsules to help ya sleep.”

“
No!
I
have
to
get
out
of
here,
now
l
e
ave
me
alone!
I’ve
messed
everything
up. What
d
o
n’t
you
unde
r
stand?
I
c
a
n’t
stay
i
n
Washingt
o
n.
I
have
to
disappear
before
it’s too late!”

“
Why?
Just call the M
e
tropolit
a
n Police on the beast!”

“
No,
you
don’t
understand
an
d
…I…I
can’t
explain
it.
I
have
to
leave!
Believe
me and
don’t
ask
anything!
Please?”
How
much
time
do
I
have
bef
o
re
they
find
o
u
t?
What
wi
l
l they do to me?

With
a
look
of
uneasy
puzzlement,
Mrs.
G
r
ogan
questioned,
“But
where
will
ya
go? Back home to your Mam in Carolina? Do ya want me to call her for ya?”

Chloe
dropped the suitcase onto the tap
e
stry area rug, grabbed Mrs. Grogan’s chubby
arms
and
stared
dead
into
her
chocolate
eyes.
“I
can
never
go
back
to
North Carolina
now.
Not
in
this—oh,
I’ve
said
t
o
o
much!
All
right…
You
have
to
help
me. Please, Mrs. G?”

Mrs.
Grogan
embraced
her
favorite
tenant
and
affi
rm
ed,
“I
will
help
ya
darlin
’
. Always. Now what is it that ya need?”

Chloe
paced
the
room.
As
she
passed
by
the
wobbly-legged
desk,
she
b
r
ushed against
an
old
tin
of
pennies,
knocking
it
over.
They
tinkled
like
a
gentle
metallic waterfall
puddling
o
n
the
har
d
wood
floor.
The
two
women
bumped
heads
as
they squatted to pick up the coins.

“
Can
you
get
my
paycheck
from
the
Bureau
next
Friday?
And
deposit
it
in
my checking
a
ccount? I’ll call in on Monday
m
orning
a
n
d
tell them…oh, something!”

“
How
‘bout
that
your
sister’s
b
a
by
has
come
early
and
ya
have
to
go
to
Balt
i
more
to help out with her old
e
r ones?”

Chloe’s
stomach
felt
like
it
jumped
to
h
e
r
throat.
She
knew
she
h
a
d
to
keep
up
the charade
f
o
r
Mrs.
Gr
o
gan
of
having
a
sister.
“No!
Not
that!
I’ll
tell
them
my
Momma took
ill
an
d
I
have
to
go
and
look
after
her.”
Chloe
reached
the
last
two
pennies
and plunked them into the
can.

Mrs.
Grogan
put
a
stubby
finger
on
h
e
r
fleshy
cheek
and
b
e
gan
ta
p
ping.
“But where
will
ya
go?
To
make
a
new
beginning.
Hollywood?
New
York?
Io
w
a?
No,
not Iowa…” Mrs. Grogan clambered to her feet. “I know! Miami Beach!”

“
Miami
Beach?”

“
Yes
darlin’,
of
course
Miami
Beach.
It’s
eighty
degr
e
es
down
there
now
don’t
ya know.
I’ll
c
all
Paddy
a
n
d
let
him
know
to
exp
e
ct
ya.
He’s
my
late
husband’s
cousin.
He owns
a
bakery,
finest
in
southern
Florida.
He
rents
rooms
out
over
top
of
the
place.
I’ll make sure he has a vacancy and if he doe
s
n’t, then he’ll just have to make one.”