Эд Макбейн - Love, Dad

“Yes.”

“What does he play?”

“Guitar.”

“Naturally,” Jamie said.

“Dad, the harpsichord went out of style in—”

“Lissie, I’m not in the mood for any of your smart-ass—”

“Jamie, calm down,” Connie said.

“I want you to come home right this minute,” Jamie said, “do you hear me? I want you to get on a plane...”

“I haven’t got enough money for a plane ticket,” Lissie said.

“I’ll prepay it on this end.”

“Anyway, I don’t want to come home yet. Jesus, I just got here!”

“Lissie, this isn’t a question of what you want. The minute you started lying to us, you lost the right to...”

“Dad, I’m eighteen years old, I don’t have to do everything you want me to do.”

“Would you like me to call the police? I’d hate...”

“The police? Jesus! You’ve got to be kidding! What’d I do, would you mind telling me?”

“You ran off to California with a boy we don’t even...”

“You’ll meet him when we get back, okay? I’ll bring him home the minute we get back. Calm down, Dad, willya?”

“I want you to come home,” Jamie said.

“No.”

“Lissie, I...”

“No,” she said, and hung up.

“Lissie?”

“She hung up,” Connie said.

Jamie immediately began jiggling the receiver rest.

“Operator,” a voice said.

“Operator, could you please get me 824-7996 in San Francisco?”

“You can dial that direct, sir, the area code is...”

“I know I can dial it direct, this is an emergency.”

“Well... all right, sir, I’ll try it for you.”

He waited as she dialed. On the extension, Connie said, “Now calm down, Jamie. Getting excited isn’t going to help.”

“What number are you calling from?” the operator asked as the phone began ringing on the other end.

“Rutledge 4-8072,” Jamie said.

“Hello?” a voice on the other end said. A boy’s voice this time. “Let me speak to Lissie Croft, please.”

“Who’s this?”

“Her father.”

“Oh, hi, Mr. Croft. This is Judd.”

“Get my daughter, please,” Jamie said.

“Sure, just a sec,” Judd said. The phone clattered as he put it down. Jamie heard voices. He waited.

“‘Oh, hi, Mr. Croft,’” he mimicked, “ ‘this is Judd.’ ”

“Calm down,” Connie warned on the extension.

“Hello?” a voice said.

“Who’s this?”

“Barbara.”

“Barbara who?”

“Barbara Duggan.”

“Barbara, may I please speak to my daughter?”

“Well... she can’t come to the phone just now,” Barbara said.

“Why not? I just spoke to her a minute—”

“She’ll have to call you back later, Mr. Croft.”

“I want to talk to her now.”

“Well, yeah, but the thing of it—”

“Would you please get her for me?”

“Mr. Croft... she doesn’t want to talk to you just now.”

“What’s the address there?” Jamie said. “Is this your apartment?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the address?”

“Well, Mr. Croft...”

“Young lady...”

“I’m not sure Lissie wants you to have the address.”

“Let me talk to Judd.”

“Sure, just a second.”

Jamie waited.

“Hello?”

“Judd?”

“Yes, Mr. Croft?”

“Listen to me, you little son of a bitch. If my daughter doesn’t come to the phone in three seconds flat, I’m calling the F.B.I. to tell them she’s been kidnapped. Now do you want to get her to the phone, or do you want more trouble than you’ve ever—”

“Hey, take it easy,” Judd said.

“Don’t you tell me to take it—”

“I mean, she’s not hanging by her thumbs here, okay? Just take it easy.”

“I’m counting, Judd. You’ve got thirty seconds.”

“Jesus,” Judd said, and again put the phone down. “Lissie!” he shouted. “You’d better come take this.”

Jamie and Connie waited.

“Hello?” Lissie said wearily.

“Don’t hang up again,” Jamie warned. “Don’t you ever dare...”

“Dad, I just don’t want to talk to you when you’re in this kind of mood.”

“Mood? If you think this is just—”

“Let me talk to her alone,” Connie said.

“Why? Why can’t I...?”

“Jamie, please. Get off the phone.”

“I want you home, miss,” Jamie said, and slammed the kitchen receiver down on the cradle rest.

“Boy,” Lissie said.

“All right, let me hear it,” Connie said.

“Is he gone?”

“He’s gone.”

“I’ve never heard him sound like that in my—”

“I think you can understand why he’s upset,” Connie said levelly. “How long have you known this boy?”

“Mom...”

“Lissie, I don’t think you realize how furious your father is. I suggest...”

“All right, all right. It’s been eight months now.”

“You’ve been living with him for eight months?”

“Well, no, only since January when I... Mom, I really don’t want to discuss this. Not with Dad, and not with you, either.”

“I’m afraid you’ll have to discuss it,” Connie said. “This woman Dad spoke to, this Mrs. Steinberg, said that you had no intention of returning to school. Is that true?”

“That is total and absolute bullshit.”

“Lissie, I would appreciate...”

“Okay, okay.”

“Do you plan to stay in California?”

“No. I told you no. But I’m not turning around tomorrow morning if that’s what Dad thinks.”

“When will you be home?”

“For Easter.”

“Why did Mrs. Steinberg’s son think you and Judd...”

“Because he’s crazy.”

“You didn’t tell him you planned to stay in California?”

“Why would we tell him anything like that? Mom, I’m really very tired. We were hassled halfway across the country, and we’re exhausted. So if you don’t mind...”

“What do you mean, hassled?”

“Hassled. The usual.”

“Tell me what you mean.”

“Could we please continue this tomorrow? I’d like to get some sleep. Really, we’ll talk about it tomorrow, okay? And tell Dad not to worry, I’ll be home for Easter.”

“You’re sure about that.”

“I’m positive.”

“I’ll tell him.”

“I’ll call tomorrow, okay?”

“When tomorrow?”

“When I get up. It’ll be afternoon your time.”

“We’ll be waiting for your call.”

“I promise.”

“Is this Steinberg boy Jewish?”

“Yes.”

“And Judd? Is he Jewish, too?”

“What difference does that make?”

“Is he?”

“No. Since when did you...?”

“I was merely curious.”

“It sounded like more than curiosity.”

“It wasn’t.”

“Well, he isn’t Jewish, you can relax.”

“Lissie...”

“I’m sorry, Mom, but I really don’t appreciate that sort of question.”

“I think we have a right to know who or what this boy you’ve been living with...”

“I’m not sure you do have that right, but I don’t want to discuss it now, okay? Mom, I’ll call you tomorrow, we’ll have a nice long talk, okay? Is it okay if I go now?”

“Yes.”

“Okay then. And Mom? Don’t worry, okay?”

“All right.”

“Good night, Mom.”

“Good night, Lissie.”

Connie put the receiver gently back on the cradle. She stood by the bedroom phone for several moments, staring at it, and then went downstairs to the kitchen. Jamie had poured himself a drink. He was pacing back and forth between the pantry bar and the table against the kitchen window.