The Righteous Cut Read Online Free Page B

limousine pulled into the small parking lot behind the Café Tristesse. The Negro helped them get their bags out of the trunk of the car and up the iron stairs to Farrell’s apartment before leaving them.
    As Savanna went to freshen up, Farrell took the opportunity to make some calls. Finding his father absent from police headquarters, he called his cousin, Marcel Aristide.
    â€œHow much money do we have in the bank, kid?”
    â€œHey, Wes! I thought you wouldn’t be here until tomorrow. Captain Casey’s wedding is taking place on Sunday, right?”
    â€œYeah. We decided to come back a little early. How’s the pretty girl from Brownsville?”
    â€œShe’s still here,” Marcel replied brightly. “She’s developed a real taste for big city life, so I guess she’s here to stay. Savanna come back with you?”
    â€œYeah, she was getting homesick for the people at her club and her friends. So how are things here?”
    â€œI think we need to hire an accountant.”
    â€œAn accountant? Things must be good.”
    â€œYou better believe it. Margaret Wilde’s doing a fantastic job with the lounge across the river, and we’ve had a banner year with our other businesses, too. The down side is that, with you gone, I’m the only person on the payroll who can handle the books. I’m running from one operation to the other to cover things and I’m beat.”
    â€œDamn, I’m sorry, kid. We’ll hire one this week, then. I haven’t had time to call anyone else yet. How are they?”
    â€œWell, Israel Daggett and his wife are expecting a baby in April. Jake Broussard said he wanted to see you when you got in. And I think your dad’s getting younger by the day.”
    Farrell laughed. “Well, a guy doesn’t get married every week. I can hardly wait to see him.”
    â€œHe may be busy this week with other stuff besides his wedding,” Marcel replied. “I just got word that Jack Amsterdam was murdered last night.”
    â€œMurdered how?”
    â€œShot in a fleabag hotel, supposedly by a call girl.” Marcel paused for a moment. “He was Councilman Whit Richards’ right-hand man, wasn’t he?”
    Farrell’s mouth hardened and his eyes glittered strangely. “Look, I’ll call you again later after we’re settled in.”
    â€œGreat. Glad you’re back, Wes.”
    â€œSame here.” Farrell put the receiver back into the cradle. As he looked up, he saw Savanna standing in the bedroom door, shaking her long dark brown hair loose to her shoulders. She wore nothing but a diamond-studded platinum wristwatch that Farrell had given her for her thirty-third birthday. The stones winked and flashed against the deep brown of her skin.
    â€œI was thinkin’ of taking a nap. Would you like to come help me?” she asked.
    â€œWhat if I’m not sleepy?” he asked.
    She chuckled. “I bet we can fix that.”
    As he walked toward her, loosening his tie, he had a fleeting thought about the city councilman named Richards, feeling a coal of anger that he’d thought long extinguished begin to glow again. He grabbed Savanna around her bare waist and kissed her fiercely, forcing the anger back into the box where he’d kept it hidden for almost twenty years.
    ***
    In the classrooms at venerable Sacred Heart Academy on St. Charles Avenue, the voices of the nuns quickened as they tried to get one more point across to their pupils before the 2:00 bell rang. Some were still talking, raising their voices to make themselves heard above the bustle and clatter of girls moving to their final class of the day.
    Out on the grounds, an older girl walked purposefully across the campus toward her job in the headmistress’s office. Sister Rosary was a peppery old thing who had let her know early in their association that she disapproved of tardiness more than any other human