Tales of the City 05 - Significant Others

mentioned that to her, but she said they would need … a hook, I believe she called it.”
    “A hook!” All of a sudden he was mad. “They’re tearing down the steps! There’s the hook!”
    “I know, but … she’s the professional.”
    “That’s for goddamn sure! What does she want you to do? Chain yourself to the steps?”
    “Dear … calm down.”
    “Well, she pisses me off sometimes.” Mrs. Madrigal paused. “Why are you so cross with her?”
    “I’m not cross with her,” he said.
    He was back on the sofa, buried in his book, when the phone rang.
    “Yeah?”
    “Brian?”
    “Yeah.”
    “It’s Wren Douglas.”
    “Oh, yeah.”
    “If you’re wondering about your roomies,” she said, “I made off with them.”
    “Oh. That explains it.”
    “They asked me to call you. They’ve gone on a little mission for me.”
    “They’re not there, you mean?”
    “No. I’m gonna meet ‘em down in Monte Rio in an hour or so. I’m just here, waiting for their call. I thought you might wanna join me.”
    After a moment’s hesitation, he said: “Uh … sure. Great.”
    “We can hang out … talk. Whatever.”
    “Terrific.”
    “You remember the way?”
    “How could I forget?” he said.

Friends Are One Thing
    T HEIR STOMACHS AGLOW WITH FORBIDDEN FOOD, DEDE and Polly returned to the Halcyon-Wilson campsite, to find Anna reading comic books in her pup tent.
    “Hey,” said DeDe, “did you cut your quilting class?”
    Her daughter shook her head. “We got out early.”
    “You’ve been here all alone?”
    “Yeah.”
    DeDe felt a twinge of guilt. “Have you been O.K.?”
    “Mom.”
    “Polly and I just … took a walk.” She wasn’t quite sure why she lied about this, why her trip to the greasy spoon had felt so much like going AWOL. Polly was just as puzzled, apparently, giving DeDe a funny sideways look.
    “This lady was looking for you,” said Anna, turning back to the ThunderCats. “When?” asked DeDe. “Little while ago.”
    “What sort of lady, Anna?”
    The child shrugged, but didn’t look up. “A black lady.”
    “Did she tell you her name?”
    “No … yeah. Two letters.”
    “Two letters?” DeDe gave her daughter the evil eye. “Put that down and look at me.”
    Anna did so begrudgingly. “What?”
    “What do you mean, two letters? Was it Teejay?”
    “Yeah. Teejay.”
    “Did she say what she wanted?”
    Anna screwed up her face. “She said … meet her behind the Womb as soon as possible.” Polly snickered.
    DeDe glared at her and turned back to her daughter. “Why, Anna? Did she say?”
    “There’s gonna be a tri-something.”
    “A tri-something?”
    “A triathalon,” said Polly.
    “Shut up,” DeDe muttered. “A tri bunal, Anna?”
    “Yeah. That’s it.”
    “I’m supposed to meet her?”
    “Yeah. Behind the Womb.”
    “Dear God.”
    “What is it?” asked Polly.
    “Nothing,” said DeDe, her heart rising to her throat.
    She left Anna’s tent and walked back to her own, Polly nipping at her heels. “C’mon, DeDe, what is it?”
    “They’re gonna nail me,” she said. “They’re gonna burn me at the stake.”
    “Who?”
    “Rose Dvorak … and the rest of ‘em.”
    “I don’t get it.”
    “Teejay works for Rose.”
    “Oh.” Polly wrinkled her nose. “So what are they gonna do?”
    “I dunno. Whatever they do at tribunals.”
    “C’mon. They’re gonna try you? What for? Letting those rednecks in? That was a mistake.”
    “It isn’t just that,” said DeDe.
    Polly looked at her, slack-mouthed. “What else have you done?”
    “It wasn’t me. It was this woman named Mabel. I was with her when …” She ducked into her tent and collapsed on the sleeping bag.
    Polly sat across from her. “When what?”
    “It doesn’t matter,” said DeDe.
    “Aren’t you gonna see her?”
    “Who?”
    “This Teejay person.”
    “No. Hell, no. I’m gettin’ outa here first thing in the morning.”
    “What about … you know … D’or?”
    “What about her?” asked DeDe.
    “What if she doesn’t wanna leave?”
    DeDe shrugged. “She can stay. The kids and I are going.”
    Polly looked at her wistfully. “What if I don’t want you to leave?”
    “You’re sweet,” said DeDe. “You’re really nice.”
    Polly slid closer on her denimed butt, then leaned down and gave DeDe a clumsy peck on the mouth. “D’orothea is nuts,” she said, her voice turning husky. “I’d be with you all the time.”
    “Polly …”
    “All the