“Here she is,” she said, a look of shock and surprise on her face.
I swallowed down a throat lump that would choke a horse, and as calmly as I could manage, said, “Hello.”
“What’s wrong with you now?” Mother darling asked.
“I think the Chinese food was bad.”
“It didn’t bother Cory or me.”
“Maybe I just had a nervous stomach.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re listenin‘ to me for once at least. We’re doin’ real well here. The owner knows people who he says he’s goin‘ to invite to hear us now that he has heard us more, especially me. I really think I’m goin’ to make it, Robin.”
“Good for you, Mother darling.”
She was quiet.
“I was hopin‘ you’d change your tone and your ways.”
“I am,” I said. “That’s a promise.”
“Okay, Robin. I’ll see you later.”
“I’ll be asleep, I’m sure,” I said, and hung up.
Keefer was standing in the doorway. I nodded, and then I laughed and he laughed.
“How’d you get here so fast?” Kathy Ann asked.
“We took the bus,” he said.
“The bus?” She looked at me and then at him. “You liars.”
We laughed again, and then Keefer heard something and turned to look down at the parking lot.
“Oh, no,” he said.
I stepped forward and looked down with him. There was a Nashville police car, its bubble light going, parked right behind Keefer’s boss’s truck. The two policemen got out, and one directed a large flashlight at the right front area of the truck. The other turned and looked up, so we backed into the apartment and closed the door quickly.
“What’s happening?” Kathy Ann asked.
“Shut up,” Keefer said. “Put out the lights, quick.”
“Why?”
“Just do it,” he said, and she and I went to every lamp and switch and turned off the lights.
We stood waiting, no one speaking, but the sound of my breathing and Keefer’s loud enough for us all to hear. Moments later, we heard footsteps on the second-story landing. We held our breath.
“Who is it?” Kathy Ann asked.
“Shut up,” Keefer snapped.
We waited.
There was a very loud rap on the door, a rap made with a police stick for sure, I thought.
“Open up, it’s the police,” we heard.