Chapter 10: Closed by Order

By noon on Thursday, there were eleven women crying on the Night Heron's sidewalk.

Tavy stood in the middle of them with the notice in her fist.

"Thirty days," she said. "Thirty days of rent, thirty days of no tips, and the board won't say why."

"Everybody knows why," said one of the girls.

"Everybody can shut up until I say so."

She said it kindly.

She looked at me, and I looked at her, and neither of us had to speak.

A black car pulled up to the curb.

Carlisle got out in shirtsleeves, with a leather folder under his arm.

"I heard," he said.

"You hear everything," said Tavy.

"I own the pier. It's a small harbor."

He held out the folder to her, not to me.

"Eleven women, thirty days, and the rent on the building."

"It's a loan. Zero interest. You repay it out of the first month's cover charges when you reopen."

"Why?"

"Because someone with a county seat made a call at six this morning, and it wasn't about liquor."

His voice was level.

"And because Jess won't take a cent. So I'm asking you."

Tavy turned the folder over in her hands.

"Not for her," he said. "For them."

She looked at the girls.

Then she took it.

"Loan," she said.

"Loan."

"If you're lying, I'll ruin you."

"I believe it."

My shoulders came down with relief.

"I still can't take anything," I said.

"I know."

"I'm thirteen thousand a month short, now."

"I know that too." He didn't touch me. "Tomorrow, come to Harbor Pines. I'll be there at four with a radio."

On Friday, at four-ten, my brother stood up.

He did it by himself, with both hands on the walker and his jaw tight, in the corridor outside his room.

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