Mary Jenkins - Innocent in Chicago Volume Two

She felt an icy chill pass over her and a premonition that something terrible was about to happen. She jumped out of bed, slipped into a skirt and sweater and ran into the living room. She wanted to be with Frankie, be where she could see him.

When she appeared in the doorway of the living room, Frankie was standing on the other side of the room, his hands thrust into the pockets of his bathrobe, his head to one side, a thin thread of blue smoke drifting up to one side of his head where his cigarette was dangling. His eyes were half closed and he was staring coldly at Gypsy who was standing directly in front of him, but with her back to her. She was swaying slightly from side to side, obviously in a drunken stupor.

Cynthia paused in the doorway, one hand on the doorknob, listening to what Gypsy was saying.

"But you've got to believe me, Frankie. You've just got to! Its the truth. It is! Honest, it is!" Her voice was high, pleading, tense and full of insistent passion. She reached out and grabbed the sleeve of his bathrobe, imploring him to listen to her.

He shrugged her hand away and said coolly, "Why don't you just get the hell out of here? I've heard this story so damn many times that you're getting worse each time you repeat it. So why not pack up and blow!" He took a menacing step toward her and she moved back, tripping over her own feet. "What in the name of God do I have to do to shut you up? Kill you!"

She clutched his arm again, stumbling and falling down on her knees in front of him, putting her arms around his legs and sobbing, "Frankie, I love you so. Please believe me and come away with me before its too late."

He reached down and roughly pulled her to her feet. Swaying drunkenly she grabbed his arm, her long, gnarled fingers hanging on to him like the talons of a hawk. "Frankie, she shouted, please come with me… please."

"You rotten drunk, for God's sake, pull yourself together and get the hell out of here."

"Why don't you believe me," she sobbed. "I only did it to get you back. Please believe me… please!" Her voice was shaking and shrill. "Torchy said that Cynthia has left you, so you're free. Free! Please come with me, I'll do anything you say, I promise."

Frankie looked at her disgustedly and spat out at her, "So Cynthia has left me, has she?" He took her by the shoulders and swung her around. "Well, look right over there, you raving maniac," he yelled, pointing at Cynthia who was standing spellbound in the doorway. "See for yourself, Cindy is right here and what's more, we're getting married immediately!"

In the sudden silence that followed Cynthia stared at Frankie, surprise and joy welling up in her heart. "Oh Frankie," she gasped, "you mean really get married? You really mean it?"

He walked over to her and took her in his arms, cradling her like you would a child.

"Of course, darling. I don't want to lose you again!" he murmured.

Gypsy glared at the two of them and began to gather her belongings where they lay on the coffee table. "Well," she muttered, "I guess that Torchy was wrong, but believe me Frankie I wasn't kidding about what I said earlier, they are coming to get you!"

Cynthia looked up at Frankie and his hand brushed over the thick mane of her hair, and kissed the nape of her neck gently.

"What's that all about, Frankie," she implored, her eyes showing their concern for him and her love.

"Oh, its just the same old stuff. Every once in awhile Gypsy has illusions of grandeur, that she is going to save me from the bulls, but its just so much crap, so don't worry your pretty little head about it."

"You mean about the narcotics boys picking you up?" she asked.

"Yeah, same story, but nothing's happened yet and she's told me this a million times," he answered. "She's just trying to cause trouble for us and nothing more. She can't accept the fact that I'm in love with you."

He held her close and together they walked back into the bedroom, falling on the bed in a warm embrace.

The next day she felt as though nothing could ever go wrong again. Frankie had asked her to marry him and even though he had not set a date, he had said that it would be immediately. She told Frankie that she had some shopping to do for the house and for her trousseau, kissed him firmly, deeply and walked out into the warm sunshine. Even though the wind was fairly strong, the weather was warm and pleasant, matching the good, complete feeling that she had inside her. She wasn't going to let anything that Gypsy had said bother her any longer. She knew that she was just a jealous woman who had been jilted and she was trying in every way she could to get Frankie back.

She grabbed a cab and headed for the downtown area when a car pulled up alongside her cab and someone was motioning to her from the driver's seat.

She looked over and saw that it was Al, so she asked the driver to stop and she hopped out. Al pulled the car over to the curb and helped her in.

"What a stroke of luck finding you like this," he said. "I was going to try the apartment, but I wasn't sure whether or not you had gone back and whether or not Frankie would be there."

"Oh yes, Frankie was there when I got back and everything is just fine. In fact, were getting married." Her face was radiant and she seemed to be glowing, almost ethereal.

"Well, that may not be a bad idea under the circumstances," he continued. "I hate to throw a monkey wrench into the whole thing, but I'm afraid that I've got some bad news."

Her face clouded and she was almost afraid to ask what had happened. Al had never bothered her with petty rumors and was not the type that delighted in making problems for other people.

"What's the matter? Is it something with Frankie," she implored.

"Well, you know what I told you the other day about Joe Flanagan's little investigation on Harris and how you may tie in with him. It seems that that little bastard has dug up some dirt or paid some people to say that you have been swinging not only with Frankie and Harris, but with just about anyone else who has the price."

She looked at him in disbelief, her eyes welling up with tears.

"I know that I've been far from perfect, but I've never been a working girl per se."

"I'm afraid that the local gendarmes aren't about to believe that especially since they have records of some of your recent purchases in the local stores and quite frankly, it is way over what you could possibly be making in a square job."

"Well, what can they do? Are they going to arrest me? What's going to happen, I've got to know!" she begged.

"Honey, I'm not sure what they're going to do, but if I were you I wouldn't be seen going into Harris' apartment for some time. They have a tail on him and unfortunately, it involves your tail."

She shook her head, not knowing what she should say, what she should do. Sure she had taken money from Harris, but that had been just to help Frankie out when he was short.

"You've been giving money to Frankie, right? The money you got from Harris, except for the little bit you stashed?" he asked.

She nodded, not able to speak, the words stuck in her throat and her tongue felt thick.

"Well, sweetheart, technically that makes him a pimp. They can bust you for prostitution and get him for living off the earnings of immorality. They are both felony counts and that adds up to a stretch in prison no matter how you cut it." He glanced over at her as he drove and he could see the tears were streaming down her face where there had been a cheery smile not a few minutes before.

"Well, there is one thing, honey, but it won't be of much help to you," he continued.

"What's that… anything," she asked.

"If they get to you first, and if they have the proof that Harris gave you money, they can arrest you, but you would have to be the one to point the finger at Frankie. You'd have to testify that you gave him money, that he was the one who introduced you to Harris and set the arrangement up."