Whatever.
I’d give them to charity or something.
“Indy, it’s Lee,” Ally was standing by me now and she was holding out my phone.
How could I forget? The place was wired and had cameras. Command Headquarters had informed Lee of the latest delivery.
I took the phone from Ally and snapped it shut.
Ally stared at the phone, then at me.
“Did you just hang up on Lee?” she asked.
“Yep,” I answered.
Ally stared back at the phone, then back at me.
“You just hung up on my brother?” Ally asked, sidling into bitch smackdown mode in defense of her sibling.
“Ally,” Kitty Sue said placatingly.
“We’re on a break,” I told Ally.
“You’re on a break? You’ve been together a week!” Ally yelled.
“We’re on a break,” I repeated.
“I don’t believe this,” Ally snapped, her hand at her hip, countdown to bitch smackdown mode hitting critical.
“Ally,” Kitty Sue put in, “it’s none of your business.”
“What do you mean it’s none of my business? Lee’s my brother, she’s my best friend.”
“She means it’s none of your business,” I told Ally, “back off.”
“Back off? Did you just tell me to back off? I’ve been waiting twenty-two years for this!” Ally was back to yelling. “You can’t be on a break. That’s ridiculous! Hank’s never gonna get married, there’s no one perfect for him. You’re perfect for Lee and you won’t sort it out with him. I’m never gonna get a niece named after me.”
“For God’s sake, Ally, make your own babies,” I yelled back.
“No please, don’t do that. Not until you’ve found someone special,” Kitty Sue threw in.
“Um… I don’t mean to interrupt your asinine conversation but, are we gonna let those diamond earrings just sit on the counter?” Tex asked.
“What’s happening?” Duke had walked in and was surveying the scene.
I didn’t know what to do. My life had never been this out of control before. I didn’t know how to deal. I needed space. I needed time. I needed rock ‘n’ roll.
“Duke, you okay to close?” I asked Duke and he nodded. In turn, I addressed everyone (but Ally, of course). “Kitty Sue, please help Mrs. Salim find a book. Mr. Kumar, the tea’s on the house. Someone put those earrings somewhere safe and if Lee or one of his boys comes to get them, give them to him. Tex, can I borrow your car?”
He tossed me the keys. “Bronze El Camino, parked out back.”
I stomped outside and slid into the El Camino and stared in shock at the 8-track player. After a moment, I noticed there was a huge, leatherette case on the passenger side floor and I popped it open.
That’s when I hit the mother lode.
I ran my finger down them, Carlos Santana, The Eagles, Heart, War, Neil Young, George Thorogood, Thin Lizzy, The Allman Brothers Band, Molly Hatchet, BTO… it was rock ‘n’ roll nirvana.
A yanked Free out of the case and slammed it into the 8-track. I turned on the car, rolled down the windows, turned up the volume, pulled my gold Elvis shades down over my eyes and peeled out of the alley, down Bayaud and onto Broadway. I screeched passed Lee who was slamming the door to the Crossfire which was parked in a spot right in front of Fortnum’s.