Part 18 (1/2)
”No, he isn't,” Johnny answered.
”I can't understand it,” she said. ”He left this morning to go to the studio.”
Johnny was silent for a moment.
”What's the matter?” she asked quickly. ”Anything wrong?”
”Plenty,” Johnny said. ”We gotta get out of town tonight. Can you make it?”
”I'll try,” she answered. ”But what about Peter?”
”I'll try to find him,” Johnny answered. ”But if he calls you before I can locate him, have him call me.”
”All right,” she answered, and hung up. She didn't waste time in asking questions. If Johnny said they had to get out, there must be a reason for it.
Johnny called the express company and they agreed to send out two wagons right away. An hour later Joe called back and said there was a train going out, but there weren't any sleeper accommodations on it.
”Are there any coach tickets?” Johnny asked.
”Sure,” Joe answered.
”Then what the h.e.l.l are you waiting for?” Johnny yelled. ”Get them. If we have to sit all the way to California we're going on that train tonight!”
”All right,” Joe said. ”I'll come right back to the office with them.”
”No!” Johnny yelled. ”Start callin' your people and make sure they're at the train. Then go home and pack our stuff. I'll see you at the train tonight.”
As the last wagon pulled away from in front of the door, the phone began to ring. Johnny picked it up.
”This is Borden. Is Peter there yet?”
”No,” Johnny answered.
”Then keep him away from the studio. The combine just got that judgment and they're planning to serve it on Peter this afternoon.”
”How can I keep him away from here if I don't know where he is?” Johnny was frantic.
”I don't know where he is,” Borden answered. ”When I saw him this morning I thought he was going to the studio.”
”You saw him?” Johnny shouted. ”Where?”
”At shool,” Borden replied, ”the synagogue where we go every morning.”
”Oh.” Johnny was disappointed. He knew the place, Peter wouldn't be there all day.
”And, Johnny, I found something out,” Borden said.
”What?”
”Somebody tipped off the combine that you were going out on Friday, but I couldn't find out who it was.”
”The b.a.s.t.a.r.d,” Johnny said bitterly. A phone on the other desk began to ring. ”Bill, the other phone's ringing,” Johnny said. ”It might be Peter. I'll try to call you later.”
He hung up the phone and went over to the other desk. It was Joe.
”What do yuh want?” he asked.
”I couldn't get hold of Craig,” Joe said.
”Forget him,” Johnny replied. ”I'll call Sharpe. You go home and pack.”
He called Sharpe. ”Somebody tipped off the combine and we got to get out of town tonight,” he told him. ”Can you get Craig?”
”Don't worry, Johnny,” Sam said. ”I'll bring him to the train myself.”
The day wore on. He couldn't sit still. Cigarette after cigarette was ground under his heel as he lit one from the b.u.t.t of the other. Where the h.e.l.l was Peter? He took out his watch. Four o'clock. Only three hours to train time. He prayed silently. ”Peter, Peter, wherever you are, call in. Call Esther. But for G.o.d's sake call somebody and let us know where you are.”
In seeming answer to his prayer the phone began to ring. He s.n.a.t.c.hed it up. ”Peter?” he shouted into the mouthpiece.
”Isn't he there yet?” came the reply. It was Esther.
He slumped in his chair. ”No,” he answered.
”Everything's ready, Johnny. The storage men were here and we're ready to leave,” she said.
Slowly he straightened up. ”All right, then, go down to the station. Joe will be there and I'll meet you there later.”
”But, Johnny,” her voice sounded perilously close to tears, ”what are we going to do? We can't find him. Maybe something happened to him.”
”Now stop worrying,” he said calmly, trying to soothe her. ”He was all right when Borden saw him in synagogue this morning.”
There was a silence at her end of the phone. Her voice came through incredulously. ”Willie saw him in shool this morning?”
”Yeanh,” Johnny said. ”Now, don't worry about-”
She interrupted him. ”I'm not worried any more, Johnny. That's where he is. What a dumbbell I am not to think about it before. It's the tenth anniversary of his father's death and he must be saying Kaddish for him!”
”You sure?” Johnny shouted.
”Sure, I'm sure,” she laughed happily. ”That's where he is. In my excitement and nervousness I forgot all about it.”
”Esther, I love you,” Johnny shouted. ”Now you go right down to the train and I'll get him to meet you there!”
Peter was sitting in the front row, his eyes on a prayer book, his lips moving with every word as he read it.
Johnny stopped opposite him. ”Pssst,” he hissed to Peter.