“Lawson and Widlow. He went to work for them.”
“If he was a tailor, why’d they need him?”
“He did his own bookkeeping for years, and he went to work for almost nothing. He stayed late every night finishing everything they gave him. He stopped laughing with me, and then one day the police came and take him away.”
“And then,” I said, seeing my opening, “after he was in jail a while, a woman named Elana Love came to your door.”
“You know her?” There was surprise and anger in the old woman’s voice.
“You see, Fanny,” I said, “Fearless an’ me aren’t really gardeners…” I related, more or less, the story of me and Elana Love.
“And this man, her boyfriend,” Fanny asked when I was through, “he’s the one that hurt Sol?”
“I don’t think it was him in the cowboy hat, but he was probably the other one. I’d bet on it.”
“But you will find out because you want the money back for your store,” she said.
“I’d like my store back,” I agreed. “At least I’d like a new place. But like I said, Leon is three kinds of bad. It might not be worth —”
“I will pay you.” It was the kind of interruption that I didn’t mind.
“What?”
“You don’t have money, Mr. Minton. You will need something.” She got everything right, right down to calling me mister. “Now that Solly’s in the hospital, I have to do something. My nephew is a fool, and Gella is just a girl. I don’t trust the police.… All I have is you and your friend. I heard those men shouting at Solly too. They said they wanted the money he stole.”
“I thought you said he didn’t steal anything?”
“He told those men that they were the thieves. He told them they were
“You tell the cops that?” I asked.
“I was afraid to tell them anything.”
“So what can I do?”
“You said they were looking for a bond. I gave a bond to that woman. Sol had given it to me. I asked him if it was stolen, and he told me no.”
“And you believe that even after those men came in here after him?”
“Solly would never lie to me,” Fanny said with dignity. “He’s in trouble, but he wants to protect me. I want you to help me find out what kind of trouble he’s in.”
“But I could tell you that right now,” I said. “It’s that bond.”
“No,” she said. “It is more than that.”
“What?”
“I don’t know. He told me the bond was nothing but in a way that I knew there was something he wouldn’t say.”
“You don’t think Leon came here after the money Sol owed him?”
“He wanted money stolen,” Fanny said stubbornly, “not money owed.”
“How much money we talkin’ about here?” I said. “I mean, what will you pay me?”
“I have one hundred dollars. I will give that to you and then, when you tell me what she says, I’ll give a hundred more.”
“And all you wanna know is why are they coming back after Sol?”
Fanny nodded.
“There’s just one thing,” I said.
“What?”
“Fearless thinks he can live on air, but we need that money. After what he told Sol, he won’t let you pay us a dime.”
Fanny nodded again and patted the back of my hand.
“Leave me your pants and shirt,” she said.
“Say what?”
“Leave your clothes out here when you go to bed. I’ll wash them and iron them in the morning and then I’ll put the money in your pockets.”
