Chapter 8 Envelope
Envelope
Savannah
My Sunday morning kicked off with a visit from two of Jacksonville’s finest. Seeing as I could hardly remember anything still, it was rather brief. I desperately wanted to tell them about Frank Darren, but with Cat staying at the house alone, I couldn’t risk her safety.
One of the officers put a victim’s report on the small table next to the bed.
“Keep that number handy, Ms. Smythe. You could have blocked that night out of your mind, and you may recall things later. My direct line is circled at the top. Don’t hesitate to call if you remember anything that can help the investigation. ”
“I will,” I said.
Both cops looked at me like they knew I was holding something back. After a moment, they nodded and left.
Two unexpected things happened while I waited to get discharged.
First, Rita swung by along with Muriel, and second, the dancers from Platinum’s came to visit, too. Not at the same time… though those worlds colliding would have been incredibly entertaining.
Both were surprises, and both for the same reason.
All of these women wanted to help me out financially.
Rita and Muriel bustled into my room with a box of fancy donuts from a small shop near Jacksonville University.
“If you wanted coffee, don’t blame me, blame your boss,” Muriel groused.
I grinned up at her. She had to be pushing seventy, but she had a movie-star like beauty. Her tortoise-shell frame glasses brought out her brown eyes. She had her sterling silver hair pulled into a low ponytail that hung over one shoulder.
“It’s all right, Muriel,” I said.
Her lips pressed together firmly while she aimed a stern look at me. “Those donuts are so sweet, they need something bitter to cut the sugar shock.”
Rita rolled her eyes and opened the box. “Muriel, you’re lucky I put up with your crumudgeony ways.”
Muriel aimed a dry look at Rita. “Explain what we’re really doing here before she gives the box to the nurses or worse, throws the box away.”
Rita looked at me, but opened and closed the box repeatedly. Waving the lid like some sort of puppet. “There’s something special about these donuts. Especially this box they came in if you look close.”
I focused on the box lid, and saw a white envelope attached to the inside. My brows furrowed and I looked to Rita. “What’s with the envelope? And why all the cloak and dagger?”
Muriel dragged a chair to my bedside and sat on the edge of the seat. “Because if either of us waltzed in here with an envelope, you’d refuse. But Rita and I know, you’re a sucker for sweets.”
I huffed out a laugh, then stopped short. Broken ribs were no joke, and laughing felt like sharp strands of barbed wire were wound around my torso.
Rita unfastened the envelope and set it on the table in front of me.
“Anyway, I know you aren’t cleared for driving for at least a week.
As far as I’m concerned you don’t need to show up for a month, just make sure your sister runs the car.
She can drive it around the block. I don’t want to come jump the thing because you haven’t driven it. ”
I felt tears pooling.
“Oh… now you did it,” Muriel announced in her driest tone.
I turned to her. “She should take the car back. It does double duty, gets people to the job sites and works as mobile advertising.”
Muriel’s lips twisted to the side and she dipped her chin. “Given where you were assaulted, I would think that is a great space for her car to do double duty.”
My eyes widened. “Have you been talking to Catalina or something?”
“Yes, on Monday. Did she have a similar sentiment?”
I shrugged. “Let’s just say, I thought better of it. For the sake of Rita’s business.”
Rita tapped a purple-tipped acrylic fingernail on the envelope. “That is an advance.”
Muriel stared at Rita. “Not an advance. We discussed this.”
Rita pulled a face at Muriel. “She can’t know that, and now you’ve screwed the pooch.”
Muriel speared me with a look. “It’s seven thousand dollars. We do not know why you were working at that club, but I can only imagine you have dire straits.”
“Will you stop being so prim, Muriel!” Rita sighed. She propped a hip on my bed and grabbed my hand. “It’s hard when people pass unexpectedly. I should have spent more time and found out what was going on with you.”
I shook my head. “I can’t take this money, Rita.”
Muriel leaned forward. “You aren’t taking money, Savannah. You’re taking the donuts… and the box they came in. It’s almost reminiscent of The Godfather. There is no gun—”
“There’s also no cannoli,” Rita muttered.
Muriel rolled her eyes. “I said ‘almost’.” She turned to me and squeezed my hand. “You take the money and do what you need to do.”
I closed my eyes, wondering if my blooming headache had to do with the blows to my head, or if it was the stress of how to pay off Frank. If only I could multiply that envelope five times.
No.
I couldn’t possibly ask these women for that much money.
Not only was that wrong, but I had a niggling feeling that even if I paid the entire debt, Frank would find some way to cheat me or force me to pay more.
After all, it wasn’t like this was a traditional debt.
I took a deep breath and blinked back my tears. “Thank you, both of you. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you.”
“Don’t,” Muriel said in a firm tone. “I mean it. Don’t even think about paying us back.
One day, a while from now, you’ll find yourself in a better place.
And when some other woman - it might be your sister or it might be a woman young enough to be your granddaughter - whoever she is, once you know she’s in a bad place or hard up, then you repay it, to her, Savannah.
We women have to stick together. Always have. ”
My eyes slid to Rita and, even through the film of unshed tears, I saw she was nodding vehemently. Finally, something they agreed on, even if I felt guilty as hell about it.
“Thank you,” I croaked around the lump in my throat.
Muriel let go of my hand and patted it twice. “That’s all you need to say. Now, hand me a Boston Cream.”
Not one minute after I tucked the envelope in the drawer of my bedside table, Lucy and Desiree led Heaven, Monique, and Sapphire into the room.
Desiree’s head moved on a swivel, her ash blonde hair swinging with her movement. “Girl! How’d you get such a fancy room?”
I opened my mouth to tell them about Muriel, but I was too slow to speak.
Lucy swatted a hand at Desiree. “Who cares? She’s gettin’ out of here today, right?”
I nodded. “That’s what they tell me. What are you all doing here?”
Desiree, Heaven, Monique, and Sapphire crowded together on a nearby couch.
Lucy sat in the chair Muriel had pulled close to my bed. “It could have been any of us that got beaten like that. We’re here to celebrate you gettin’ out of here, and the fact that you’re still alive.”
“Lucy, you weren’t supposed to say it like that,” Heaven said.
Lucy swung her gaze to Heaven. “It’s better to be direct with this kind of shit. Hell, I’m surprised they didn’t target me again.”
“Again?” I asked.
Desiree came to the other side of my bed, waving her hand as she walked. “Don’t worry about that. We wanted to get some money together for you, but the brothers said they’re footing your medical bills.”
I nodded. “That’s what Puncture tells me.”
Lucy wagged a finger at me. “One day, you’re gonna tell us more about how you know him.”
I grimaced. “Well, today is not that day.”
Desiree chuckled. “Fine. But, we heard you won’t be able to dance for a while.”
“Yes. I didn’t know Punc had such a big mouth.”
Lucy laughed. “Not him. He told Yak, and Yak told us.”
“Besides, it’s better for all of us to know what’s goin’ on,” Desiree said.
I lowered my chin. “Fair enough.”
“Since you can’t actually dance for a while, Desiree had the idea that you could help us with our routines,” Lucy said.
“I don’t need any help,” Heaven muttered.
Desiree tossed Heaven a look over her shoulder. “You could still take some constructive feedback.”
Heaven’s dark brows drew together. “Only feedback I need comes from the men sittin’ in front of the stage.”
Desiree shook her head and focused on me. “Never mind her, Yak and Turk said they want us working on our social media. I figured you can definitely help us with that stuff. How did you know your dance wouldn’t get banned from TikTok?”
My lips twisted. “I didn’t know, and to be fair, it was shadow banned. It just took a few hours before it happened.”
Lucy shrugged. “I don’t care. I suck at videos and shit with my phone, so come to the club tomorrow and help us out. Desiree and I are willing to pay you - though it won’t be much—”
“But we figure every little bit will help,” Desiree added.
I nodded. “Thank you.” Then I twisted my lips. “But I can’t drive for a week.”
“You live south or north of Platinum’s?” Desiree asked.
With a small grimace, I said, “I’m west of the club in Oakleaf.”
“I live in Orange Park. I’ll pick you up,” Desiree said.
“My kid’s sitter is in Oakleaf, so I can take her home, unless she’s staying late,” Heaven said.
“Who can you take home? And who would be staying late? All of you women have your own wheels,” Punc said, striding into the room. His hair looked different. A little longer, no, it struck me that he hadn’t parted it down the middle quite so much.
Heaven beamed at Punc. “I’m taking Ava home after she gives Desiree and Lucy pointers.”
“Not pointers,” I muttered.
Lucy and Desiree had been dancing for years. The idea of me giving them pointers was insulting, especially since it should be the other way around.
Punc shot me a curious look. “What are you talking about?”
Desiree spilled the tea about her plan.
Lucy aimed her glamorous smile at Punc. “Great idea, right? She can’t make any money if she isn’t dancing, but we can pay her for helping us out.”
Punc’s eyes skated to Lucy. “And how is she going to help you out?”