The Girl in White Pajamas Read online

  Annie turned to Rose. “I thought the coffin was going to be open.”

  “No. They couldn’t do it.”

  “But why?” Annie asked petulantly.

  Irked at Annie’s stupidity, Amanda said sotto voce, “Half his head was blown off.”

  Annie gasped then sobbed.

  Rose left the family and searched out the funeral director. Lots of cops would show up. Rose felt this should be an orderly procession, in and out. Cops from towns all over the State would be showing up for the walk through, and Rose wanted to make sure the line moved smoothly through the front door then out the back. She made a mental note to have the funeral director strategically place chairs for the women, especially the old lady, or they’d be picking her up off the floor in a half hour. Remembering what Bogie told her about Jeannie, Rose figured they’d probably need two chairs for her.

  As she walked down the hall, Rose smiled when she saw a bald black man the size of a small house come through the front door. She walked quickly to him and hugged him. “How’s it going, Pop?”

  Darryl Jones held his daughter. “I have to come here so I can see you. You never call.”

  “You sure we’re not Jewish? You sound like a Jewish mother.”

  The large man kissed her cheek. “How are you doing, Honey?”

  “I’m okay. Why’d you come so early? The walk-through doesn’t start until one o’clock.”

  “I wanted to pay my respects and get out. I don’t need to hang around and socialize with a bunch of suits.”

  Rose smiled. “Mr. Congeniality! Come in, Bogie will be glad to see you.”

  After soothing the old lady and Annie, Darryl Jones turned to Amanda and gave her a big bear hug. “Lordie, lordie, you’re a beauty!”

  “It’s so good to see you, Pop Pop!” Amanda said as she kissed him and hugged him back.

  Elizabeth McGruder winced at the display of affection between Amanda and Darryl Jones. Why did her granddaughter call this black man, who was nothing more than her late husband’s partner ‘Pop Pop’? He was no relation to the McGruders! This was the work of that miserable, spiteful Bogie, she was sure. He would do anything to embarrass the family even to the point of suggesting that Darryl Jones could be a grandfather to his child with black hair.

  Amanda introduced her ‘fiancé’. Randy blushed as the large man shook his hand.

  “Hey, Pop.” The voice came from behind him.

  Darryl turned, looked at Bogie and the two men embraced. “Rose said you looked great. You do. You look fantastic!”

  Bogie motioned for Darryl to step outside with him. When they were on the street, Bogie asked, “So, Pop, how’s retirement?”

  “It sucks, but it’s better than being on the job. I couldn’t take that crap anymore.”

  “So why don’t you work with us?”

  Darryl laughed. “Yeah, become a member of Rose’s army! You’ve got to be kidding me!”

  “Come to Florida and work with me. Maybe you’ll look fantastic like I do.”

  “Yeah, Rose told me. How many units do you have now?”

  “Thirty-six total in that complex, twenty-four rented. Still working on the last building, can’t rent those units out till they’re all done. Nobody wants to rent in a building with construction going on.”

  “That’s young man’s work. Look how skinny it made you.”

  “You afraid you’ll lose your boyish figure?”

  Darryl patted his large belly. “Hardly!”

  “I’m serious. Come down. Enjoy the sun. Look it over and decide. You’re always welcome. I still don’t understand why you didn’t come for Christmas. If you weren’t going to Germany, you could have come to Palm Beach and spent the holidays with us.”

  Darryl Jones shook his head. “I told you before, when I can visit both of your daughters, I’ll visit you and not before then.” As he watched Bogie’s mouth tighten, Darryl added, “You never forgave your father for deserting you when you were three years old. Now there’s a little three-year-old girl out there who hasn’t even met her father. What’s wrong with this picture?”

  “It’s complicated,” Bogie said.

  “That’s bullshit!” Darryl said angrily.

  Bogie’s eyes opened wide. He knew that Darryl rarely cursed. Darryl believed that as a deacon in his church it left a negative impression. Trying to avoid a confrontation, Bogie asked, “Is Walter out yet?”

  Darryl rolled his eyes and shook his head. Walter Beck was Darryl’s brother-in-law. When Darryl’s wife Gretchen was dying with breast cancer, her half-brother Walter came from Germany to spend time with the family. Once Bogie and Walter met, they immediately formed a bond. Walter taught seventeen-year-old Boghdun how to navigate through a strange new world called the internet. Bogie spent all summer at their apartment. When summer was over, he continued to go there every day after school to the only people he considered a real family. He and Walter worked on some sophisticated hacking techniques that Bogie still used. At that time, Bogie was unaware of Walter’s fame in the internet community. Because no one could catch him, Walter was considered the greatest hacker who ever lived. It took the Feds years of trying and Walter’s love affair with cocaine to bring him down. When Walter hacked into the TJX customer credit files and sold the data, he was at the peak of his performance as a hacker and a cocaine user.

  Watching the traffic go by them on Comm Ave, Darryl answered, “I don’t know when he’s getting out. See what drugs and arrogance can do for you?! Knowing how you felt about Bud, I’m actually surprised you’re here.”

  “Bud’s dead. I didn’t come to talk to him. I just figured…Annie... and it might be time.”

  “It is time!” Darryl said firmly.

  “Did the cops come up with anything on Bud’s murder?” Bogie asked.

  “Matt MacDonald was the one who found Bud and called it in. He was all broken up but never gave a good explanation as to why he just appeared on the scene after Bud was killed. And you know Elizabeth showed up at the scene, too, don’t you?”

  Bogie shrugged and shook his head in disbelief. “What the hell’s going on?”

  Darryl shook his head. “You tell me, then we’ll both know. Oh, I almost forgot. Chan, your neighbor in Quincy.”

  Bogie nodded acknowledging he knew who Chan was.

  Darryl reached in his jacket pocket and took out a white business card. He handed it to Bogie. Bogie turned it over and looked at a number handwritten on the back. He said, “Tell me this is a deposit and not a final offer.” When Darryl shook his head, Bogie added, “He’s wasting my time! I’ll never sell him the house for that!” Bogie stopped suddenly considering something. “Unless it’s too much trouble for you.”

  “Trouble?!” Darryl asked. “What trouble? I drive over there and take a look at the place every week or so. It gives me something to do. I think he’s just playing games with you, and I also think you’re right, he’s dissuading potential renters from renting the property.”

  “That weasel! He’d love to get his hands on that place for next to nothing so he could rent it out to about fifteen people.”

  “I heard the Quincy Police raided a lot of those places and forced tenants out because there were too many of them living in single family dwellings.”

  “Problem solved!” Bogie said. Then the corner of his mouth twitched into a Bogie smile. “Anyway, tell him you fought the good fight, but I’m considering having ten or fifteen of my own acquaintances move in there.”

  “Speaking of your acquaintances, I got a call from Jack this morning.” When Bogie stared at him without speaking, Darryl continued, “He said he tried to call you, and the call went to voicemail. He said nobody was picking up the office phone in Florida.”

  Bogie nodded. “I forgot my charger and left the cell at the shop last night. I talked to Carlos about answering the damn phone! What did Jack want?”


  Darryl opened his mouth to speak then smiled. “Speak of the devil, and he shows up!”

  A well-dressed man wearing a camel hair topcoat walked toward them. His red curls were pulled back in a ponytail.

  Bogie smiled. “Here comes the gingerhead man!”

  The redhead extended his hand and Bogie grabbed him and held him in a bear hug. Bogie noticed his young, boyish features were roughened, and he sported dark circles under his eyes.

  Jack Hampfield shook Darryl’s hand. “I was just telling Bogie that you called me,” Darryl said.

  Jack Hampfield shook his head in disbelief as he studied Bogie. “I can’t believe this guy! You look younger than you did the last time I saw you.”

  “Good clean living…and sunshine.”

  “I’ve been trying to reach you. I left a message on your office phone and your cell went right to voicemail.”

  “I forgot the charger, and the clown I left in charge in Florida wasn’t answering the office phone.”

  “I finally called Darryl. As soon as I hung up, I got a call back from Carlos. He told me you’d be here this afternoon. You should have let me know.”

  Darryl touched Bogie’s shoulder and interrupted saying, “I’ve got to go.”

  Bogie nodded, thanked him and turned back to Jack. “What’s up?”

  “Bailey. She...she needs your help.”

  “She’s ready to tell me I’m the father?”

  Jack shook his head. “Somebody’s trying to kill her!”

  Bogie stared at him. “What’s going on?”

  “I’m going to let her tell you. She wants to meet with you.”

  “And she sent you?” Bogie asked with an edge to his voice. “She made you her wingman?”

  “No! Bailey’s not feeling well.” When Jack saw the stunned look on Bogie’s face, he added, “She had an accident and has a slight concussion. She’s still a bit dizzy and has headaches.”

  “What happened?”

  “She fell on the ice.”

  “What ice? There’s no ice around.”

  “There was last weekend. We had a bad ice storm on Saturday night.”

  Bogie studied him then asked, “How’d she fall?”

  Jack raised his hand. “Why don’t you just let her tell you? She wants to meet with you.”

  “Where?”

  “She’s working in Rubin’s office. You know, One Boston Place, still on the twenty-sixth floor. ”

  “Today, tomorrow?”

  “If you could come today, it would be better. She’s terrified for herself and—”

  “How is Isabella?”

  Jack’s face broke out in a large smile at the mention of the little girl’s name. “You’ll see for yourself. She’s a character!”

  Bogie tried to smile but his eyes betrayed the sadness he felt at having a daughter he never held. “How’s George doing?”

  Jack tilted his hand from side to side. “He had a bit of a setback and hasn’t been able to work full time for the past few weeks.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Jack shrugged as if to say ‘so what are you gonna do?’. “I wish you had come to our wedding.”

  Bogie put his hand on Jack’s shoulder. “I appreciated the invitation. But I thought it might be awkward knowing Bailey would be there. Your twin sister trumps an old friend. It was yours and George’s day to be happy and not deal with other people’s high drama bullshit.”

  Jack shook his head. “She was hoping you’d come. Did I send you a thank you note?”

  “George did. At least the bride knows the proper wedding etiquette.”

  “Fuck you! I still can’t get over how great you look. Lean and mean!”

  “Don’t get any ideas, you’re married now.” He looked at his watch. “This walk through starts at one o’clock. It’s supposed to go on till two thirty. I can come by after that.”

  “That’ll be great. But he wasn’t killed in the line—”

  Bogie shook his head cutting Jack off. “It’s all bullshit!” While he spoke, large raindrops started falling. Jack quickly excused himself and ran to his car.

  As Bogie walked back inside the funeral home, he shuddered as he had a flashback to the letter Bailey wrote to him. She told him that he was too old for her. He was the biggest mistake she ever made. Each word was like another knife through his heart. When the pain grew unbearable and world grew darker, he held fourteen year old Amanda’s hand while she screamed for help.

  Bogie walked back in the building and found Rose in the back hallway. He whispered to her, “Bailey sent Jack to talk to me. She wants to meet this afternoon.”

  Knowing Bogie as well as she did, Rose could tell he was excited and scared. She casually asked, “Does she want to tell you about Isabella?”

  Bogie shook his head. “Jack said somebody’s trying to kill her.”

  “What!?”

  Bogie shrugged. “I don’t know what’s going on. I told him I’d meet her after I leave here.”

  Rose half nodded. “I’ll be in my office if you need anything.” She playfully punched him on the upper arm and opened the back door only to be greeted by Jeannie McGruder as she came in out of the rain. Rose’s quick intake of breathe brought Bogie out of his private world. Looking like Darth Vader in drag, Jeannie McGruder lumbered through the doorway breathing heavily, sounding like she was using a respirator. Jeannie was covered in a huge dark nylon raincoat that reached her ankles. She wore a black, wide-brimmed hat with a black widow’s veil attached. It seemed like a parody of Jackie Kennedy at the presidential funeral. Her brown shoes had slits on each side to make room for her swollen feet.

  Regaining her composure, Rose said, “Jeannie. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Jeannie stared at Rose trying to remember who she was. When Bogie called her name, Jeannie turned to him. “Do you want to go inside?” he asked. She nodded and he offered his arm. When Jeannie entered the room, the whispering stopped. As the family stared in total silence, Jeannie walked over to the closed coffin with Bud’s picture resting on top. She leaned over and rapped her knuckles on the lid. “Knock! Knock!”

  Elizabeth and Ann McGruder gasped. Elizabeth placed her hand over her chest believing she was having a heart attack. “You vile creature!” she yelled.

  Jeannie gave her a Bronx cheer before she allowed Bogie to escort her to the waiting chairs. When Jeannie sat down, she looked over at Amanda and studied her. “You’re so beautiful! Were you one of his whores?”

  Amanda quickly said, “Aunt Jeannie, I’m Amanda. Don’t you remember me?”

  Jeannie continued to stare at Amanda then put her fist to her mouth and cried. “You played with Jennifer. Oh, my God! My baby! This is where my baby…” She sobbed uncontrollably. While she screamed and cried, the funeral director opened the front doors as his associate opened the back doors. It was showtime!

  ****

  Black police buses, SUVs, black and whites and motorcycles were all converging on the parking lot of the Hotel Commonwealth so the uniformed officers could form a straight, dignified line up the street, through the front door of the funeral home and out the back door while saluting their fallen comrade. Unfortunately, someone in the BPD forgot to confirm whether or not the Red Sox were playing at Fenway that afternoon. The Soxs were. The staging area the police expected to use was crowded with cars belonging to Red Sox fans. The rain came down, and Commonwealth Avenue soon turned into a cluster fuck with police vehicles double parked while small groups of men and women congregated on the street in the rain until they were called to join the line. The officers exiting the funeral home couldn’t leave the area because they were blocked in by the ones who arrived later.

  No one thought the scene could get worse, but it did. Lightning lit up the sky and the thunder followed. At two-twenty, the Red Sox game was called because of rain, and fans running out of Yawkey Way joined the
mix. Bud McGruder’s walk through became the greatest fuck-up Boston had seen in years. Curses were placed on his soul and that of the BPD, assuming either had one.

  22 ASK ME NO QUESTIONS, I’LL TELL YOU NO LIES

  It was three-thirty in the afternoon before the McGruders were able to escape from the funeral home and be escorted to the limousine. Walking behind the ladies, Bogie and Randy looked at the gridlocked traffic. Bogie touched Randy’s arm and said, “I’d like to ask you a favor.”

  Randy smiled and asked, “What?”

  “You know I have a little daughter?”

  Randy nodded.

  “Her mother never told me about her. I’ve learned that they’re in danger. I need to go to Washington Street and find out what’s going on.”

  “Amanda will be—”

  “Just tell her to chill. I’ll talk to her later. We’ve all had enough drama for one day. Will you stay here and help the women? Get them in the limo and go with them back to the house,” Bogie said.

  Randy nodded. “Will you be back for the wake?”

  “Yeah. If I’m not, start without me.”