The Escort

chapter 17

The maximum-security area was located in a small building next to the captain's office. A single dim corridor ran the length of the narrow building. Occupied cells lined either side. Her quick glimpses of the occupants stunned her. These couldn't be the same vibrant men that had frightened her with their mob mentality and violent thirst for power only weeks before. These were ordinary men, the kind she saw every day on the streets of Wallace. Individually, locked alone without the support of their peers, they looked defeated and tired and powerless.

Private Wilson stopped before a door with a small barred window. He spoke to her as he unlocked it. "Captain gave orders. No more than fifteen minutes. If you wish to leave before that call for the guard and he'll let you out."

The door swung open. She hesitated on the jamb.

"Domani, you have a visitor!" Private Wilson called out roughly. 4F

She stepped inside

"Good day, ma'am." Wilson locked the door behind her.

It took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the dimness of the cell. Tonio sat on a cot next to the wall, one leg bent on the bed, the other on the floor. He stared straight ahead at the wall in front of him, not looking at his visitor even when the door clanged shut and the private departed.

"Tonio, you might at least acknowledge me after all the trouble I've gone to, to get here."

"Angelina?"

Her heart leapt at the sound of his voice, but she thought he stiffened.

"I told May I didn't want to see you."

"I don't live by what you want."

"Apparently not." He didn't sound happy. "Speak to me in Italian, Angelina, but be careful what you say. This is a dangerous place to talk." He stood slowly and faced her. "How did you get in here? They're restricting my visitors."

"I told the captain we're cousins. I don't think he fully believed me. I had to throw in my basket of paste and dinner tomorrow night to get this time."

"Stay the hell away from the captain!" His words exploded into the room. Then his tone softened. "For our own good, Angelina. Think about why he'd let you in to see me when he's denied so many others. Wouldn't a social setting be the perfect place to seduce information from you?"

"Tonio!" She flew across the room and threw her arms around him in an emotional embrace that he did not return. I'm scared." She took a step back, grabbed him by the arms, and looked up at him imploringly. "The papers are calling this bombing a capital crime. Whoever's convicted will hang. They're saying you set the charge.

"I gave my statement to the captain, swearing that you were with me when it went off. But it's my word against the union henchman Clell, and who are they going to believe?"

His arms tensed beneath her grip. "Damn! What else did you tell him?"

She didn't understand his fear. "Nothing."

"You shouldn't have talked to him. I don't want you involved. You've put yourself at risk."

She ignored him and looked at the floor, afraid of the question she had to ask. "Tonio, you aren't involved are you? They're saying that you're tied up with Baker, that you're the mastermind. I don't mean to doubt, but there were those late night meetings with Baker. Your uncle and Gambino were concerned about your association with—"

He clamped his hand over her mouth and looked past her out the cell door window. Footsteps came down the hall and stopped just short of the door.

"I'm innocent, Angelina." The sound of footsteps moved on. Tonio dropped his hand from her mouth. "Whose side are you on? They're listening to everything we say. I want you to leave now."

"No! Tonio, I'm sorry, I believe you. I had to hear from you is all. I've sent for John Lawlor. He'll represent you."

"I don't want his help."

"You need his help! Whatever evidence they have against you must be convincing. They released Al already even though they accused him of being a willing accomplice and stealing the train to help the union."

"Go." He tried to spin her toward the door.

She resisted. "Tonio, they'll hang you if they can."

"They won't hang me. That's not what this is about. Both sides are playing a game and I'm caught the middle. You don't understand, and I can't take a chance explaining it to you here. I want you to leave now and get as far—

"I'm not leaving until I've said what I came to say." Her heart raced. Her eyes misted. She barely got the words out. "I love you."

She watched his reaction closely. He didn't move, no light leapt to his eyes. He remained unreadable. Despite their weight, her words hung in the still air unanswered.

When he spoke, it was not a declaration of love. "You and half the other women in Wallace. There's nothing as romantic as a tragic hero." He raised his voice and his tone was suddenly falsely teasing.

She couldn't believe his words. He made light of her declaration. Perhaps he didn't understand. "I'm serious, I—"

His hand went over her mouth again and she thought he shook his head in warning, but the movement was nearly imperceptible. He whispered so softly into her ear that she had to strain to hear him. "Loving me is a dangerous game. One I can't let you play."

He dropped his hand from her mouth and pushed her away from him. Aloud he said, "I want you as far away from me as possible. Italy wouldn't be far enough."

"I don't know what game you're playing, Tonio, but I'll have to trust you." She called for the guard to let her out.

There was a white envelope waiting for her on her bed when she returned. It was from John, written on his official letterhead, with a bank draft tucked inside. She didn't bother to look at the amount it was written for. Her eyes scanned the letter quickly. So quickly that she had to read it through twice before the message sunk in.

Yes, he would represent Tonio and he was pleased to send her a draft for the timber money.

The bank draft! She scooped it from the bed. Her eyes grew wide when she read the amount.



May walked into the maelstrom unprepared. Angelina whirled about the room packing bags and stuffing clothes into suitcases with such fury and determination that for a brief moment the usually boisterous May was taken aback and left speechless. "You taking a trip, Angelina?"

Angelina jumped and put a hand to her heart. "Oh, goodness, May! You scared me."

"I've been standing here a minute, but you were so involved with your task that you didn't notice. When did all this come about?" She nodded toward Angelina's packing.

"This afternoon. I went to see Tonio and tried to help get him out of jail. I gave a statement to the captain. Tonio was with me when the concentrator exploded.

"But Tonio wasn't happy that I had done it. He wants me to leave the Valley. Because of the guards, he couldn't explain. But I think it is because he loves me. He has a plan. I must trust him in this, even though it goes against everything logical." Her voice cracked.

"Where are you going?"

"Where Tonio told me to go—as far away as possible. New York." She held up her bank draft. "My money came. I can do as I please.

"I don't understand all this. Why am I always the one on the outside? Everyone knows something I don't and I'm left guessing." Angelina folded a skirt and stuffed it in her bag.

"If you thought about what's going on, you'd know, too."

"I'm tired of trying. I'm going to visit Nonna Gia. I can't stay here and see him hang if his plan goes awry."

"He's not going to hang." May looked exasperated, but Angelina ignored it. "He's going to stay in jail until he tells the feds everything he knows about Baker's operation, including who set the charge. That's all they want from him.

"In the meantime the union boys are afraid that he does know something. We're all being watched. We're all under suspicion. Tonio wants you out of the fray. He hasn't forgotten that Clell's still on the loose and as long as he is, you're in danger."

"I hope you are right, both of you." Angelina snapped her bag closed.

"Give me this Nonna's address. As soon as things are safe here, Tonio will want you to come back."



Several days later, Angelina sat in Nonna Gia's small apartment, restless and worried though she had just arrived.

"Thank you for letting me stay with you, Nonna Gia. Cousin Mario was upset about me not going back under his roof, but I think Lucia was relieved. They are crowded enough as it is." Angelina mindlessly toyed with Nonna's small sugar bowl as she sat at the table with a cold cup of coffee in front of her.

"But what of you, Angelina?"

"What do you mean, Nonna?" She let the sugar bowl go.

"When are you going to come back?"

"I am back."

"In body, perhaps. I mean, where is the old Angelina? Someone seems to have replaced her with a shell. I expected you to come back full of life, not beaten."

"And I'm by no means beaten. Just worried. They still have not released Tonio."

"Angelina, I must confess something to you. I didn't just happen to pick Tonio as an escort for you. I was playing matchmaker. Tonio is like a son to me, always has been. I know you both well. Tonio and you belong together. I knew that before you even met.

"I was disappointed when I heard you intended to go through with your marriage to that old man and had turned down the young handsome one I had offered. Yet, I see now that I was not wrong. There is something between you. You must tell me, every detail."

It was a relief to confess to a sympathetic ear. When she was finished Nonna Gia spoke. "He loves you, Angelina. And he is smart. Tonio will not hang. Let me ask you this, do you want Tonio?"

"Yes, of course I do!"

"Then stop acting like a frightened little Italian girl. Act like the American woman you've become. It is time to stop moping around and prepare for when Tonio sends for you."

It was the last thing Angelina expected Nonna Gia to say. She sounded more like May Hall. "What?"

"In Italy," Nonna Gia said, "The woman must let her parents arrange a marriage. The good Italian girl bows to her parents' wishes, as you have done once, and marries the man of their choice. Here in the Italian community the process is little changed. Ah, but the truly American woman, she makes her own choice!"

"What are you saying, Nonna Gia? I can't arrange my own marriage and Tonio is never going to ask me. What am I supposed to do, ask him myself?"

Nonna Gia shrugged noncommittally. "You have said it, not me. All I can say is that if I were a young woman, I would head for Idaho the moment he is free. He's much too handsome to lose." Then she stood.

Angelina followed suit.

Nonna Gia put her arm around Angelina and led her gently to the little guestroom. "Get some rest now, little one. You're still worn out by your long trip. When you have rested, listen to the voice of the American woman you have become; she will know what to do."



Over the next few days, Angelina found herself alone much of the time. One afternoon when Nonna Gia and Papa Joe were both out, Angelina paced the small apartment listlessly. She opened the only window in the apartment and climbed out onto the small iron balcony where Nonna Gia had an herb garden planted in old crates. Voices rose from the street below. Variously accented Italian drifted her way, but she longed to hear English.

Life in Little Italy seemed little altered from only a few months ago. She felt restricted then, she felt doubly so now. In Idaho she was free. She got up and wandered back into the apartment.

Back in the guestroom she rummaged through the few possessions she'd brought with her. She grabbed her coat. She needed a walk to sort out her thoughts.

She'd barely rounded the corner onto Mulberry Street when a commotion near the farmacia caught her attention. Ten or so men were shouting and handing out handbills to any man that walked by. Many of the takers filed into the bar next door, where the local Italian fraternal order usually met on Wednesday nights to drink vino. Intrigued by the stir the handbillers caused, Angelina strolled forward and stuck out her hand to receive a flyer.

"Sorry, these are for men only."

"Why is that?"

"There's a judge in there." He nodded toward the bar. "He's naturalizing immigrants."

"Women have naturalization rights, same as men."

"Yeah, but they can't vote." His smug demeanor irritated her.

"What's that got to do with it?"

He shrugged and laughed, as if he shouldn't have to explain.

She yanked a billet out of the man's hand and scanned it. "This isn't legal."

The man shrugged again good-naturedly. "It looks legal enough to the authorities."

"So it does," she replied. She headed toward the crowd at the bar door.

"Wait! You can't go in there," the handbiller called after her.

She didn't break her stride, but threw a parting comment over her shoulder. "I'm from Idaho. I can vote."

She threaded her way through the line and into the bar where she was greeted by the bouncer. He looked amused as she strutted up to him. "You here to become a citizen?"

When she nodded, he let her pass.

Twenty minutes later she walked back out onto Mulberry Street an American citizen, naturalization papers in hand. She was an American woman! The one Tonio had wanted all along!

When she got back to the apartment, she found an envelope stuffed under the door. A telegram. She opened it without thinking.

Angelina

I am free. Shall I come for you? If yes I will catch the next train East. Please reply.

Tonio

He was free and he wanted her! Her heart raced as she clutched the paper to her bosom and danced around the room. The danger must be past. Tonio was free. And so was she. Why should he come to her? They both belonged in Idaho.

"This time I'm taking charge," she said aloud. Then she laughed a joyous tinkling laugh. She had to go uptown. There was shopping to be done. And she needed to send a telegram to May.

Nonna returned to find Angelina joyfully packing.

"Where are you going? Didn't you just arrive?"

"Tonio sent a telegram. He's free. He wants to know if I'm here; if so he'll come East. He's expecting your reply."

"That's wonderful! We shall telegraph him first thing in the morning. I can feel it—a marriage is imminent."

"I hope so. That's why we'll telegraph him in the morning, and tell him that I have left town."

"Left town!"

"Yes, and it will be the truth. I leave for Idaho tomorrow and when I get there I intend to arrange a marriage—my own. No more dishonesty. And this time, I intend to have the upper hand."