Sweet Mercy by Ann Tatlock

Author:Ann Tatlock
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042030, FIC042000, FIC014000, United States—History—1919–1933—Fiction, Prohibition—Fiction, Alcoholic beverage law violations—Fiction, Family-owned business enterprises—Fiction, Life change events—Fiction, Ohio—Fiction
ISBN: 9781441261496
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2013-04-02T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

For several anxious days, Daddy and I waited for Captain Macnish to act. In that time, a couple of things happened. For one, Jimmy and Marlene disappeared. Rumors reached me that they’d eloped, left town one night in Jimmy’s old jalopy, but I had no way of knowing whether the rumors were true. I wasn’t about to walk across the street and ask Calvin Fludd where his son had gone. Nor did I want to ask Marlene’s folks if their daughter had run off to get married. I figured I would find out sooner or later.

The other thing that happened was Uncle Cy received word that Aunt Cora’s health was declining. He told Daddy about it in an off-handed way while Daddy and I were on our way to the dining room for breakfast.

“Well now, listen, Cy,” Daddy said upon hearing the news. “Don’t you want to go see her? Rose and I can take care of the lodge while you’re away.”

Uncle Cy shook his head adamantly. He stood behind the front desk sorting incoming mail as he spoke. “If I go out there, it’d be the same as me telling her she’s going to die. I’m not going to give her permission. She has to believe she’ll get better.”

Daddy’s brow wrinkled with concern. “But what if she doesn’t get better?” He hesitated only a moment before adding, “You can’t let her die alone.”

My uncle stopped sorting the letters and looked up at Daddy. His expression was one of anger, terror, and sorrow all mixed up together. “She’s not going to die, Drew,” he said evenly. “Now let me get back to work.”

And so we waited. I went about my tasks at the lodge just waiting to find out when Captain Macnish would raid the station, where Jimmy and Marlene had gone, what Marcus would say when he returned from vacation, and whether or not Aunt Cora would die.

Finally, early on Saturday, Daddy came to my door with the morning edition of the newspaper. When I answered his knock, he held up the paper so I could see the front-page headline. One headline wasn’t enough for this story; the paper had given it three, laid out across two columns in descending point size.

RAID A BUST!

Police swarm Fludd’s Service Station

Find nothing more potent than motor oil

Without saying a word, I took the paper and turned aside into my room. Daddy followed and shut the door. My breath quickened as I stared at the headline and tried to make sense of it. I looked up at Daddy beseechingly. “Daddy, I know what I saw. The liquor was there.”

“I believe you, darling,” he said grimly. “Obviously, Fludd was tipped off.”

“By who?”

“I don’t know.”

“One of Captain Macnish’s men?”

“I don’t know, darling, but not likely. Neal pulled the raid with outside help. He went to a couple of state troopers he knew he could trust. No . . .” He shook his head. “It had to be someone else.”

I sat down hard on the edge of my bed.

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