By any and all measure, signing up Cooler Heads had been a good move for Rich Kramer. His almost spur of the moment decision to sign these young, inexperienced kids had paid off. His story to Tommy about losing the band that was to have gone out on the road with the Bourbon Brothers was a total lie. He simply had come across a band that he knew would work for far less than he would have to pay a more experienced one. He was so pleased with them that he'd already had several discussions with Tommy about becoming their manager/agent, peppering his comments with the promise of record contracts and larger venue performances. Tommy had basically been stalling, making all kinds of excuses while not getting to the truth of the matter. Fact was, Tommy still had two more years of college and he'd made up his mind he was going to finish his education now. He possessed far more level headedness than anyone would have the right to expect from a twenty-year old that had actually achieved a measure of success in an exciting business. Tommy wanted to tell the guys of his plans before telling Rich Kramer, but it hadn't been easy. He'd put himself in the position of Brian and Mike, two nineteen year olds with dead end jobs and no potential to get anything better. Music was their life, their ticket off the little Island. And they had, in fact, made a quantum career leap these past two months. He wasn't as sure about how Eddie would take it, what with his impending marriage and upcoming fatherhood. But with Kramer pushing for some answers, Tommy decided that this afternoon would be when he laid it all out to the guys.
Around a swimming pool (with water) behind a Red Roof Inn in upstate New York, Tommy held court.
"Kramer wants to our manager and agent too. He's got big ideas for us, he really thinks we have a future. There's a problem though. It's me. I told him I've made up mind to finish school. I've just invested too much into it, too much time to let it all go to waste. I asked him what if you guys came up with a new lead singer and he said my singing was really what he felt separated us from so many other bar bands he'd checked out recently."
Tommy was having trouble continuing. He'd prepared for this, even practiced out loud but watching the faces of his friends as he dashed their dreams was even harder than he'd anticipated.
"That's it guys, I'm really sorry, I really am. I don't know what else to say."
Brian and Mike looked at each other and kind of shrugged. Mike was the first to speak'
"I'm not surprised and I don't think anyone else is. It's not something we wanted to hear but we all kind of figured you'd finish school. Maybe we can still stay together, work weekends and summers. Maybe when you get out of school you won't find anything worth doing. Maybe....I don't know, who the hell knows what's gonna happen in two years. I just know I love to play with you guys and I'll keep doing it for as long as there's an opportunity."
Eddie sat quietly as his dream faded. The twists and turns of the last few months had begun to numb him, almost, ALMOST dilute Tommy's words. But not quite. He nodded his head when Mike finished and didn't say much of anything for the rest of the afternoon.
That night, lying in bed Eddie tried to take stock of his life. Tried to understand what the hell was happening. Nothing was the same as it was barely a month ago. He would soon be married, have a kid, be in a dead end band that turned down their dream and if he was lucky he'd get a job about as good as had, in a goddamn supermarket. He decided he'd let himself cry but nothing happened.
On the day after Labor Day, Eddie and the band got back home to Shelter Island. The two months they were away was more time than any of them had ever been off the Island so it felt good getting on the ferry and even better getting off. When Eddie walked in the door to his home he found Rita and his mom waiting with red balloons and a chocolate cake. And there was a noticeable bulge in Rita's belly.
Daily phone calls precluded any need for catching up (the kind of catching up Eddie and Rita wanted required privacy), the conversation taking place was about the immediate future. Very immediate future, like a week from Saturday. The wedding would be in St. John's Lutheran Church, the oldest and prettiest church on the Island. The reception guest list would be small, less than twenty. The band members with dates, Big Bob, Margaret Brodsky and Randy Dunne, Eddie's family and grandparents on his father's side, a few yet unconfirmed other relatives and, of course, Maryann, Rita's maid-of-honor and Mr. Palladino. All Eddie was required to do was confirm Rita and his mother's belief that Tommy would be best man.
"You have asked him, haven't you?"
"Well, ah, no, mom."
Sherry Brown hadn't become a mother yesterday.
"Okay, no problem. Try and figure out what you're going to do as soon as possible and let us know."
Rita wasn't shocked. To her it was just a confirmation of her (ill founded) fear that somehow Eddie had become aware of the little something or another that happened or didn't quite happen between her and Tommy. Eddie's decision, coming a day later, to ask Mike Torre to be his best man further convinced her that Eddie was upset with Tommy but something didn't add up. She knew Eddie to be completely straightforward, never one to hold back bringing up a subject. Why wasn't he saying anything, asking her what if anything went on or, for that matter, was going on? One thing was definite, she sure as hell wouldn't be bringing up the issue any time soon.
Over dinner that first night home, Eddie's father had been the designated storyteller of what had rapidly become known as Big Bob's Revenge. Dennis Brown was pretty good as storytellers go
and with such juicy material he couldn't help but be a hit.
From accounts that had made the area and even Long Island papers and from additional details provided to Rita through Margaret from Randy Dunne (who had spoken to the officers on the scene), Eddie's dad had him frightened, laughing and shaking his head.
"Whatever happened to Julie?" Eddie finally asked after his head stopped moving back and forth.
"When Rita's dad went back home that night he took all of her and her son's stuff, it wasn't much, and dumped it in her car. He put the keys in the ignition and went to bed. Before he got up the next morning the police had dropped Steven off at his home and brought Julie back to Big Bob's house. She saw her things in the car, got in and drove away. Rita's been communicating with her father pretty regularly since it all happened and he says he hasn't heard a word from her.
"Something else you might be interested in," Rita added. "I'm not one-hundred percent sure what it means, but I've been over to the I.G.A. a few times and I didn't see Steven. Think old Mr. Burger gave him the boot?"
"Well, I think I'll take a ride over there tomorrow morning and check it out. So what time was it again when he threw them out of the car?"
In the six weeks Margaret Brodsky and Randy Dunne had taken care of Julie's son, they had fallen hopelessly in love with him. Typically rambunctious for a two-year old, he also showed the signs of neglect one would expect from a child being raised without a father and with an addicted to everything, drastically immature mother. But with all that, he was still a sweet, loving child who naturally craved large doses of love and affection. With Margaret doting on him all day and Randy's varying police detective hours often having him around when Robert was there, Robert got all the love that he needed. So when Randy told Margaret the Big Bob's revenge story, neither of them were laughing. Randy had quietly looked into Julie's background during the time he and Margaret were caring for Robert so they were very aware of what Julie's leaving Shelter Island could mean for the little boy. From the moment Randy heard she'd left he'd begun contacting friends on the New York City police force to help him try to locate Julie's new whereabouts.
On Friday, six days after Big Bob threw her out Randy got a tip Julie was staying in an apartment just off the Pelham Parkway in the Bronx. A New York City detective buddy said that the good news was it was a decent area. The bad news is that it was the residence of a known drug dealer who lived there with his girl friend. It appeared, Randy's friend went on, that all four of them are living there but as it's only been a few days, he hadn't been able to determine whether it was a permanent or temporary arrangement. He promised to have people monitor the situation and get back with any additional information they picked up. Randy took the address and thanked his old friend.
The next two days were for the most part an ongoing debate on the merits of going to Julie's new residence.
"We need to give it some more time honey, wait until I get some better information. We're not going to know what the hell we'll be walking in to."
"Randy, if something happens to that child while we had an idea of where he might be I'll never forgive myself. We've got to check it out".
Finally deciding to err on the side of the angels and against his police training, Randy agreed. As Margaret insisted on going with him he decided they would go on Sunday, in broad daylight. They would go unescorted, knock on the door and explain their position to whoever answered the door.
His friend's description of the apartment house and the area was right on. The term middle class could easily have been ascribed to the neighborhood. They parked and looked up the name Randell in the lobby and walked to the second floor. A short, light skinned black man answered the door. He was smoking a cigar and looked to be getting ready to leave the house. Randy showed him his badge, explained this was not in any way police business and accepted his invitation for Margaret and he to come in and sit down. After hearing their story and their concern, he matter-of-factly related what he knew about Julie, and why she was now living with him and his girl friend.
"I got up last Sunday morning and she was there. My girlfriend said she was an old friend of hers and she needed a place to stay for a few days." Jimmie Randell then went on to tell them that in a day or two it became clear that his girl friend, a girl from Queens named Maria, had in fact been Julie's lover a few years ago.
"I got to tell you man, I like the set-up. Lots of good points to it, know what I mean?" Margaret rolled her eyes while Randy nodded his head. Randell made it clear that whatever happened between them and Julie would be none of his business. Left unspoken but clearly understood by both sides was that Jimmie Randell also wasn't looking to upset the obvious arrangement in place between him and the cops in his precinct.
"Do you know where Julie and Robert are right now?" Randy asked.
"Well, Julie's asleep in the next room with Maria. I think the kid's downstairs with the babysitter."
Margaret looked at Randy and nodded her head. It was obvious that she wanted to try to finalize their plan right then and there.
"Look, I'd like you to get her up. We've got a major business proposition for her but we've got to try to close the deal now."
Jimmie Randell walked out of the room. It was several minutes before Julie, alone, shuffled in. She looked very tired but not too bad. And she didn't smell from alcohol. But after getting a closer look at her eyes, Randy recognized the cocaine footprints.
"How are you, Julie? How's Robert?" Margaret hadn't waited for Julie to sit down. She had stood up when she saw Julie, prompting Randy to get up. Julie was uncharacteristically quiet, clearly caused by what she perceived as a frightening situation. She took a pack of cigarettes out of her robe and lit up. She sat perfectly still and waited to hear what was on Margaret's mind.
"Julie, we're terribly sorry about how it turned out with you and Bob. We're concerned about Robert. It's very tough for a young woman alone to raise a little boy while trying to get her life together." She fumbled for her next words, then turned to Randy.
"What she's trying to say is that we want to help you and help Robert at the same time. We've brought along a thousand dollars and we will, starting next week, send you two hundred a week for every week we watch Robert in our home. We don't look at this as buying your child; we're not asking you to do anything legally. Whenever you want him just come and get him and that's it. You're his mother but we feel you need some help right now. And for choosing to let us help you by caring for Robert, we'll help you get through this financial crisis you're in. Just keep us up to date on where you're staying and we'll keep sending the checks. Again, we understand he's your child, not ours. We're not taking him from you, just watching him for as long as you decide is necessary."
Margaret started to open her purse but Randy put his hand over hers.
From her looks Randy felt Julie had taken coke fairly recently, probably the night before but he didn't consider her current condition as stoned.
"He really got attached to you, you know Margaret?" Julie paused, searching for a rationale to take the money. "I'm trying to find a job but it's not easy you know. I'm really lucky my old friend's lettin' me stay here for a while. Maybe it makes sense to let Robert stay with you guys, just 'til I get myself together."
Randy tapped Margaret on the hand ever so gently. She understood his sign, opened her purse and took out the envelope containing the thousand dollars.
"You're doing the right thing for the both of you, sweetheart, and we'll take good care of him until you're ready to take him back." Margaret slowly stretched out her hand and the envelope to Julie. Julie rubbed her hands together, hesitated for a second and took the money.
"He's downstairs. Wait here and I'll go get him."
She left the room and walked out of the apartment leaving the door open behind her.
"Honey, I feel terrible. I know that I want to do this but I feel like a ...."
"Listen, we're doing the right thing. You said it yourself a dozen times. If something happens to that kid we'll feel it's our fault. And you'll be ten times the mother that mess'll ever be."
In about five minutes Julie returned. Robert looked fine, holding his mother with one hand and a stuffed animal with the other.
"Let me get his things." Julie left Robert with his old friends. He seemed happy to see Margaret and was on her lap when Julie returned. She handed Randy a plastic trash bag with Robert's clothes and held out her arms to him. He quickly went to her and she picked him up. She held him and then turned and slowly walked him around the room, always with her back to Randy and Margaret. She wanted her whispers to be just between her and her son. In a few moments she brought him back and handed him to Randy. She walked to Margaret now standing and wrapped her arms around the woman who would be taking her child. Both women were crying softly. Randy made no move to do or say anything. Robert broke the silence by struggling to get out of Randy's arms.
"Go. I'll call you to see how he's doing. Go."
Margaret picked Robert up and the three of them quickly walked
out the door and down the steps to the street below.
Questions? Comments? Please send e-mail to jbearden@ieee.org
Material Copyright © 1998-2003 by Jim Bearden