“Speaking of, I’m getting a soda to keep the old pipes wet,” Billie said, walking over to join them. “Danni?”
“Water, Billie, thanks,” she said.
When he had gone, Tyler looked at Danni worriedly. “Are you guys sure it has something to do with a sax? Maybe this guy is after a song. You said he took some of their sheet music.”
“And a sax,” Danni reminded him. “You have no idea where the special sax could be, right?”
He shook his head. “And I was his best friend. Well, here, of course.”
“What do you mean, here?”
“He was close with a bunch of guys when he was in the service. He was a staff sergeant and squad leader. He had three fire team leaders under him, who each had three or four men under them. His best friend in the service was Corporal Kevin Hart—one of his fire team leaders—who hailed from Houma. I can’t imagine that Arnie kept secrets from me, but if anyone else knows anything, it would be Kevin.”
“So he would have been discharged about the same time as Arnie, right? Is he back in Houma? We can take a ride out and talk to him.”
“He’s not in Houma,” Tyler told her.
“Oh?”
“Kevin stepped on a mine. He’s been up at Walter Reed getting his prosthesis and working on his physical therapy.”
“Oh,” Danni said softly. “Maybe we’ll have to take a trip up to see him.”
Tyler smiled. “Maybe we can get a friend with one of the veterans’ organizations to send the band up for the day. We could play for the patients. And I’d like to meet Kevin, too. Any friend of Arnie’s, you know?”
“We could just call him,” Danni suggested.
“You want a dead man’s secrets from one of his best friends?” Tyler asked. “A fellow soldier? You need to see him face-to-face.”
Billie came back with his soda and Danni’s water. In a few minutes Blake, Gus and Shamus came in, as well. They were disappointed that Quinn wasn’t coming, but Shamus said, “Not to be crude, darlin’, and forgive me, but I believe we’re lucky we got the eye candy.”
Jessica had come by with her tray on her hip, checking whether she could get anyone anything. “Now, now, Shamus. Quinn is the eye candy to some of us, you know.”
“Big talk from a little girl who never goes out,” Shamus said.
“Ah, but I have a child, remember?” Jessica said.
Gus laughed. “And you turned us all down before that, too. But fine. To you, Quinn would have been the eye candy. I’m just glad it worked out so I’m the happy one, no offense intended.”
“None taken,” Jessica assured him. “Danni, did Tyler tell you? There are a couple of duets I’d love to do with you. I’ll give you a list. Of course, I can only go up when the other girls are on the floor and it’s not too busy, but if you don’t mind...”
“I’d love it,” Danni told her.
Jessica went back to work, the folksinger left the stage and the band went to set up. Danni discovered she wanted more water and walked up to the bar. It was still relatively early, but people were flocking in. The female bartender who had been on the other night came up and introduced herself to Danni. She was Sharon Eastman, and she said she worked weekends and sometimes Thursday. Danni asked for her water then stayed at the bar to watch as the band continued to set up.
“On your own tonight?” someone asked from behind her. “Well, not totally. I see that Billie is here. Where’s Quinn?”
She turned around. Eric Lyons was leaning on the bar, smiling at her.
“Quinn is sitting in with friends at another bar tonight,” she told him.
“Ah. Well, it’s fun to have you all. Hope he comes back, too,” Eric said.
“I’m sure he will. He and Billie love to play together.”
“And you?”
“Well, I don’t really play.”
“You’re good at harmony—not everyone is. Trust me, I see—and hear—it all here,” he said.
“Thanks.”
“I love to watch,” Eric said. “People in general. See, watch Gus and the way he looks at Jessica.”
“She’s a pretty girl.”
“He has a thing for her—he always has. Unrequited love.”
“She’s not married?”
“No, never was.”
“Maybe she’s still in love with the child’s father.”
“Maybe,” Eric said with a shrug. “Who knows? None of us ever met him. Anyway, she’s a great worker with a great voice.”
Just then Blake waved to let her know they were going on. Before she could get up, Tyler said something to him then walked over to her.
“Jessica is going to do a song while it’s still not too crazy,” he said.
“Wonderful!” Danni said.
And it was. Jessica sang a popular Adele song, and she hit every note with clarity and beauty.
When she came down from the stage, Danni was grateful that they only expected her to do backup—and that Shamus or Tyler would be singing lead.
“You’re phenomenal!” Danni told her, stopping on her own way to the stage.