Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20A | 20B | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25-26 | 27 | 28-29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35-36 | 37 | 38A | 38B | 38C | 38D | 39 | 40 | 41 | 42-43 | 44-45 | 46 | 47 | 48-49A | 49B | 50 | 51 | 52 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 56 | 57A | 57B | 58-59| 60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68-69 | 70A | 70B | 71A | 71B | 72 | 73 | 74A | 74B | 75 | 76-77A | 77B | 78 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 84
PART III
GLADYS
85
F E B R U A R Y 1 9 3 0
SPRING WAS SPRINGING very early this year, but Trey hadn’t been able to think of anything for the last few months except his empty house, suicidal wife, baby that may or may not have been born, Lazia’s covetousness, Solly Weissman’s repeated (and foiled) attempts to get to Trey, Carrollo’s hatred ramping up into something close to a threat, and Seamus Byrne trying to hijack Trey’s heroin—at which he had not succeeded since Trey’s first missing shipment.
He still didn’t know for sure Seamus and his crew had done it, since he was still a baby gang boss and didn’t seem to be handling his business down in Midtown too well, or else he just got lucky.
Marina hadn’t spoken to Trey since he left her in St. Louis. His grandparents barely did. He wasn’t sure they would inform him when the baby was born.
Gio had no news because though Dot had immediately begun writing to Marina, she had received no more letters. Gio was of the opinion that both Trey and Dot got what they deserved. Albright had read Trey and Dot the riot act and was so impressed with Gio’s opinion of the situation, Gio was now invited to supper before the Tuesday activity and their services every Sunday. Dot was still not allowed to be alone with Gio, which said more about her than him. Unfortunately for Dot, Gio couldn’t dance even if he were allowed to dance with her.
Trey’s bank account was still growing, but more slowly than it had before the bet. He now had four assistant managers, three porters, and five hostesses. He had six cops on his payroll to walk his street, far easier to bribe when Trey made up half their income. He had hired another housekeeper and two more cooks since he’d given Ida some time off after she popped her kid out. She’d gotten enough from her baby to move into a suddenly vacant room on the third floor and pay rent.
His girls and gigs were charging higher prices, which, along with the Remus (coming at a faster pace now), his ongoing bootlegging operation, and his uncut drugs, were what made his profits grow.
While the stock market crash back in October had made absolutely no impact on him and his customers, Black Tuesday scared the shit out of him. He was still only flush because he’d done what he was told, like a child. It infuriated him that he didn’t know anything about the stock market so much he’d nearly bankrupted himself through sheer ignorance and arrogance. Then there was the household money Marina had stashed away, which was enough to live on for a year or so if they had lost the rest.
A good wife pinches pennies whether her husband appreciates it or not.
He’d hired an accountant to tutor him in the stock market, its workings, and explain what had happened and why, that his grandfather had been absolutely right about stuffing his Bon Ami cans, and that the future was uncertain for everyone. The accountant was contemptuous of President Hoover’s assurances that financial difficulties would ease within the next two months.
Trey looked around. His poker tables were full. The bookies tended their crowd of bettors. Drinks flowed from the bar, now with three bartenders and double the number of waitresses from last fall. Men and women went up and down the stairs. One of his tenants sought him out to pay his rent. Gio was at church with the Albrights.
Brody was kicking back watching the burly-q show with his arm around a middle-aged widow who was spending more and more money to feel appreciated as a person and desired as a woman by a handsome man. She didn’t want sex at all, which made Trey scratch his head, and she paid Trey by way of invoice once a month for “meals” instead of giving the money to Brody when he drove her home and gave her a soft kiss on the forehead.
You don’t know shit about women, do you?
No, I do not. Exhibit A: Wife who’d rather die than be with me.
Watch and learn, Boss, then give it a whirl. Maybe she won’t want to do that.
He had to have a wife present to do it, though. Elliott once said she was enjoying herself, but she remained as listless as when she arrived. He allowed as how, since she was pregnant, she might simply be tired. That was what Susanna said, anyway.
Trey knew better. Marina would rather feel nothing than the up-and-down of happiness and pain.
God, he missed her.
He was so intent on his thoughts—which he had every single night—that he was startled when some cat walked in at eleven thirty and immediately hollered his name.
“What!” Trey bellowed, just to be heard. He raised his hand and gestured at the boy to come upstairs.
“Telegram.”
Trey exchanged it for a fiver, which made the kid shout, “Thanks, Mr. Dunham!” on his way down the stairs.
Another one from his grandparents. He wondered what he was in trouble for this time.
He sloppily opened the yellow envelope and ripped the slip out.
WANT TO COME HOME STOP
PLEASE COME GET ME
86
CELIA SUSANNA DUNHAM was born on the westbound C&A Line somewhere between Columbia and Kansas City three days later.
87
TREY HAD NEVER been so terrified in his life.
The fact that he had a child now was the most shattering thing that had ever happened to him. The fact that he’d brought her into the world made him absolutely numb. He’d caught two babies after his girls got careless and he nearly had to catch Ida’s before Brody found a doctor, but never had he thought he’d catch his own.
He sat in his own comfy chair in his own comfy bedroom while Marina, exhausted, slept a healing sleep. He looked down at his daughter. She was an ugly little thing, but all newborns were and this one still had her white waxy coating and the occasional spot of blood. Ida’s doctor had told him in no uncertain terms, when Trey had demanded the baby be bathed first thing, to leave it as long as possible.
He’d botched this delivery but good.
No room, just the floor of a small compartment in a Pullman car swaying and bumping as it sped through the night.
No hot water, just a pitcher of drinking water.
No towels, just sheets ripped off their bunk.
No scissors, just Trey’s well-honed penknife.
No string except for a light cotton thread from Marina’s small sewing kit.
Little assistance, just Trey’s two big clumsy hands and one quietly panicking teenage waitress.
If Marina died now, it wouldn’t be because she was trying. If the baby died, it wouldn’t be because she was ill. Yet.
It would be because Trey was a stupid shit, a no-class low-life from the sticks aiming above himself, first by marrying way above, then by taking on airs he had no business taking on, getting arrogant about being an underboss in the Machine at such a young age, being smug about how educated and clever he was.
He slid down in his chair with a miserable groan, settling the tiny, tightly swaddled baby upon his chest.
He didn’t want this.
He didn’t want the responsibility of being attached to either this woman or this child, both helpless, both depending on him to protect them and provide for them, which would’ve been a lot harder had he not obeyed his grandfather. Like a child.
He didn’t want to be reduced to a weeping idiot over this tiny animal he’d pulled out of its cozy home into this cold, cruel world where its father was a thug and its mother was tetched.
He didn’t want this, but he had it and he couldn’t get rid of it.
Well, he could. He could do any number of things to divest himself of these freeloaders. Other cats did it all the time, even ones who weren’t thugs.
But he wouldn’t.
Why wouldn’t he? He’d done worse things.
He had no honor, didn’t need it, didn’t want it. He got rid of people who got in his way, somehow or another.
He caressed this tiny kitten’s tiny back. She sighed in her sleep and snuggled deeper into his body.
He was going to pay a far higher price for 1520 Main than anything anybody else could demand.
85-87
If you don’t want to wait 2 years to get to the end, you can buy it here.
Donations can be made here, if you so desire.
The proverbial bumpy ride.
Well Friday nights are quiet – maybe this will spice it up a little?
It is a legitimate and smart (particularly considering the venue) attack on Trump. But, I doubt it will land with the people that already support Trump.
Those folks are religiously set on their vote.
That is one thing that always caught me about Trump. The tenacious support by the Christian Right for a man who largely is nothing about their stated preferences about leaders. How can the Dems not grok that this demographic is supporting Trump a large reason because how the Dems threaten the religious communities* of this Nation far far more than this fallen man.
*The PBUH and left portions of the UU excepted.
It doesn’t matter if they grok it or not. They aren’t going to change their hostility or their actions.
“President Trump presided over the greatest restriction of individual liberties this country has ever known,”
Maybe not the greatest restriction, but definitely on the short list.
IMO, the easiest way to illustrate the decline of the American polity is to point to this year’s Presidential candidate. Who didn’t even have any serious challengers.
Trump has captured people’s emotions, hard to believe, he’s such a bull shitter, making promises and telling anecdotes that he never gets called on.
I watched a couple minutes of the Bronx fairy tales yesterday. He’s going to make New York City, the Bronx, more productive than ever, solve the homeless situation and end the war in Ukraine. Then on his second day in office…
The crowd cheered as if they really believed. I will say there were a lot of black people in the crowd, something I’ve never seen before in any rally.
I’m expecting the debt and inflation to skyrocket, Trump has no concept of Economics. His cabinet will be as lackluster as the first time around.
4X, I think Trump is going to hung with the blame for chickens coming home to roost. Of course, he eagerly signed off on a permanent $1TT increase in federal spending, so it’s not entirely unjustified.
I expect no lessons to be learned.
Are they ever?
Congress is not exempt from this madness but won’t do their fiscal responsibility. Power of the purse, uh-huh.
I’d take grifters over outright America haters.
Trump was hardly alone or the worst in his actions 2020, and the majority of the population either supported all of it or was willing to go along with it.
Love him or hate him, Trump speaks Normie like no other politician in modern history. And Normies are the majority.
Speaking normie at a Libertarian convention is almost a Cacophony society level stunt.
The only argument I can offer to that is that any human in that role at that time would have done exactly the same thing. And I question whether Kennedy would have done any different either.
I disagree, Trump was afraid of looking dumb – not knowing what to say so he “passed it off to my expert”.
And he wasn’t wrong – because the fucking public wants reassurance even if it is a goddam lie. Well, we got the lie alright.
Fifty state experiments plus what just about every other countries did suggests otherwise.
A commercial real estate developer President is faced with a global pandemic and relies on his career bureaucrat “expert” scientists who turned out to be in on it. I can forgive Trump quite a bit on this.
“That role” being “president of the United States”.
I’m not seeing any other believable occupant of that office at that time doing any differently than what was done.
Would Trump make that mistake again? Hopefully not.
But I’m loath to support this fuckin’ guy
(I’m in Mass, so it doesn’t matter who I vote for)
“I can forgive Trump quite a bit on this.”
I can’t. The buck stops here, and all that.
“ Would Trump make that mistake again?”
I see no reason to believe otherwise. Has he repudiated it? Has he said anything against Fauci and Birx? Has he ever given indication that he thought it was wrong and would do otherwise, given the chance?
I’ll point out that the only other viable option is light-years worse on this exact issue.
The choices are the guy who was a shit sandwich on the issue or the guy who was a shit souffle topped with arsenic, cyanide, and top shelf Wuhan fentanyl. Everything else is a protest vote.
I’m still on team sit on my ass and don’t bother voting.
It’s a fair point, but the shutdowns were ordered by the governors of the states, and what little pushback he did initiate was met with outrage. I’d prefer deSantis because he successfully pushed back, but he’s not going to be an option this time around.
What pushback? He went after governors who tried to swim against the current.
He enthusiastically supported federal policy supporting and funding the shutdowns to the tune of $1TT+.
Oh, and the lockdowns were done because his people said they should be done. Without Fauci and Birx, they wouldn’t have happened.
He did suggest getting America opened back up by Easter, and monsters like Andrew Cuomo suggested the “pause” (and yes, they actually came up with an Orwellian acronym to fit “pause”) was a state issue Trump had no control over.
I’ve joked that the way to end the lockdowns was to have them include the newspapers and the broadcast media: it was too unsafe for all the people actually running the presses and keeping the transmission towers going to be out there. The journalists would have immediately gotten that overturned.
But of course the mainstream media was “essential” to keep the people in a state of panic.
It’s true but Kennedy is the wrong messenger. He is just as authoritarian.
Trey is discovering his manhood, that is, acknowledging to himself that he is merely human and totally inadequate in knowing how to be husband and now a father.
“Yep, happens to all of us” Doug Flutie
Thanks, Moj. Now to see if Marina starts kicking Trey’s butt, figuratively speaking.
*bites tongue bites tongue bites tongue*
Interesting twist Moj, that the baby was born on time appropriate version of “born on the backseat of Greyhound bus.”
I love that song so much.
I tried to post a grin at the reunion but the squirrels aren’t having it.
Many thanks for the kind comments on my post on life in the desert last week. We are going to hit 100 degrees in Tucson next week, which is pretty late for us.
Pool party at RC’s house!
Hard to believe, I’m sure, but there’s no pool at the Casa Dean.
What!?! Alright, you’re invited to my place when it heats up.
Super Karen. Bonus secretarial badge too!
Steakhouse customer accused of pulling teen’s skirt down at restaurant is fired from job at Utah AG’s office: report
“Pulled down” suggests she was pantsing the girl, rather than covering the teen, not that really changes anything in the story itself.
Purgatory Correctional Facility is just perfect.
Please. A 19 year old in this day and age with pubes? OTH, it is a Japanese steakhouse…
https://nypost.com/2024/04/26/lifestyle/karen-confronts-teenage-girl-over-miniskirt-and-it-instantly-backfires/
Apparently thought it was the way to go at the meat market.
Because pulling her skirt down would cover her ass cheeks? The lady is an idiot.
Think it was under cheeks. So pulling it down might if there was enough fabric.
The short skirter was 19. Technically a teenager but she is a full adult. 1/2 the population would disagree with the Karen, in all likelihood.
I certainly would not complain
A repeat nut punch for Memorial Day weekend.
https://thefederalist.com/2024/05/24/the-censorship-regime-will-transform-america-into-soviet-russia/
The author is hardly a paragon of libertarian virtues, but that didn’t matter – or did matter very much- to the Gov.
Reverse Citizens United!
Apparently thought it was the way to go at the meat market.
New system, bad as the old one.
You’re not necessarily wrong.
OT – interesting point I hadn’t thought of concerning the “green” fantasy.
Just like computers would drastically reduce paper usage.
That has happened. Just roughly 30 years later than experts predicted.
Don’t be silly. The greenies are going to AI up a windmill that blows on itself.
TPTB, I sent something for review, hope I did it right, what with the new fangled thingy and all,
Tall Cans!
And I just found I am banned from Powerline,
How cool is that?
Pish. I got banned by those tightasses months ago.
The trashcan is buzzing with animals. Not only are the chickens getting to full size, not only is there a honey tree in my side yard, and not only did the cat who disappeared a week ago right before we went out of town come back, but we came back from our trip with puppies! One is ours and the other is going with my aunt and uncle next weekend.
Maremma?
Pyrenees.
Congratulations on the new addition.
I love my pyr mix, would not recommend. But since you’re putting it to work, you should be fine.
Why is Mötley Crüe so utterly incapable of doing a decent cover song?
“Smokin’ in the Boys’ Room” wasn’t awful.
What song are you referring to?
Tonight I heard their cover of Street Fighting Man. Awful. Their covers of Helter Skelter and Anarchy in the UK are also awful. Smokin’ in the Boys Room was okay.
Ironically, Vince Neal’s cover of Long Cool Woman is good.
I’m watching Atlas, the new J Lo AI flick on Netflix. It i profoundly stupid. Do not recommend.
When I say stupid, I mean if Rebel Moon is a 10 out of 10 on the stupid scale, this one is a 9.
Yikes!
FU Bill Gates, FU!
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/elon-musk-urges-millions-to-switch-off-controversial-windows-11-feature-that-takes-screenshots-on-your-pc/ar-BB1n11Sa?ocid=msedgdhp&pc=HCTS&cvid=3d35164d38dd4ad8b14f914d736d6ff0&ei=14
Spying on you is now a MS11 “feature”.
Does Bill do anything there besides cash dividend checks?
Arrange Epstein Island reunions?
This is why we’re building all those new data centers.
PS. Anyone else seeing this fad as a colossal waste of… everything?
Raise your hand if you’re excited about all the new AI features on your gizmos.
Very much so. It reminds me of EVs. Let me adopt it if it fits my use case. If not, then leave me be.
Reminds me of WiFi/“Smart” everything. Why people need their appliances hooked up to the internet or an app, I have no clue. We actually saved a couple hundred dollars on our washer and dryer by getting the ones without WiFi/the app. Since it is physically impossible to use them without being in the same room, I could not for the life of me figure out what the app was supposed to bring to the party.
Pretty funny MSN is reporting it.
Good morning all!
Let’s start the holiday weekend with a love song to the world.
Three Days Grace
Share and enjoy!
Morning Beau,
Traffic headed north yesterday looked like a funeral procession. Bumper-bumper, headlights on (rain), everyone in MN has a boat and/or a camper on the back of the pick-up. Monday will see the same headed south, back to the TC.
Glad I’m not a part of the caravan anymore.
Mornin’ FourScore,
I’m in full agreement on the PITA factor of holiday traffic. My dad was big on boating and camping, which burned me out on both well before college. No desire to experience either again, let alone the concomitant traffic.
Best of the day to you!
Yay! Saturday!
😋☕🌄⏰
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=bAkvb2Rhces
🎶🎶
https://www.wfmz.com/news/gen-z-credit-card-users-debt/article_937f745c-32a0-556d-aed8-684a3c260e33.html
“Roughly one in seven (15.3%) Gen Z credit card borrowers have maxed out their credit cards, according to new research from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. (The New York Fed defined Gen Z as borrowers born between 1995 and 2011, though others mark the cut off as 1996 or 1997). “
“Barnes, a manager of gift processing at Jackson State University”
What is a manager of gift processing? Need a college degree to wrap packages? I can understand why she has a credit card problem.
My wild ass guess is gifts to the university as in donations.
Many blams today! Even more tomorrow.
My mood today. Going on my first long ride for the year.
https://youtu.be/IqkoRugI3is?si=DVA2mr24a72YjNr6
Good morning, ‘loosey! Happy trails!
Good morning, NA, 4(20), Sean, and Beau! Everything is lovely this morning at Tranq Base! We’re starting to get warnings of dire weather, but we’re prepared! (We even have bicycle helmets stashed down in our basement tornado “bug down” spot now!) In the meantime, I’m going to enjoy the beautiful!
And for the record, I don’t think the remaining part of our wind-mangled magnolia, AKA Baby Groot, looks sad at all! There’s maybe one branch whose leaves look a bit droopy, but that’s not bad for having been through a nerve- (and limb-)shattering experience!