From behind bars, Tommy could hear Mama begging the officer to let her see him. He wanted to tell her not to bother, to close off the part of her heart that held Tommy in it. It would be easier that way.
“Please, Officer,” Mama said. “You know the women’s club is raising money for parole officers. That would be a much nicer position for someone like you. I saw your name on the list of men being considered. I’ll put in a good word for you if you let me see my son, let me talk to him.”
The officer laughed.
“Let her see her son,” Judge Calder’s voice came. “She’s having a rough time of it, this one.”
The judge’s words cut across Tommy’s skin like tiny knives. What was Calder doing there?
“If you say so, Judge,” the officer said.
“Thank you,” Mama replied.
“We’ll talk later, Jeanie,” Judge Calder said. His familiarity with Mama chilled Tommy further. “So much to discuss, to do. Isn’t there? But let me make this clear . . .”
Tommy fought the urge to scream that she shouldn’t see Judge Calder, ever. Their voices dropped, murmuring and Tommy could no longer hear what the two were saying. Soon, Judge Calder’s heavy gait sounded in the corridor, growing quieter as the man left.
“This way,” the officer said.
Mama came into view. She grasped the bars, wavering at the sight of him.
“That bad?” The officers had worked him over at the judge’s request once they reached the privacy of the jail cell at the back of the building.
She just stared.
The officer unlocked the cell and allowed Mama to enter the urine-scented room. She covered her mouth with a shaking hand. The officer lit a lantern, and the cell brightened enough that Tommy could see Mama’s eyes filling. She took Tommy in her arms, every bit of him smarting even under her gentle touch.
“I’ll get you out of here.”
He didn’t know how she’d manage to do that. Not after Tommy had humiliated the judge in front of the entire saloon.
She grabbed his hands. “This is exactly what Mrs. Hillis was talking about.” She looked around. “Children don’t belong with adults who are truly criminal. Even if . . . Why, Tommy? You know better, and you promised.”
“I was trying to help Pearl. She was . . .”
Mama rubbed his back, holding him. His shoulders shuddered with sobs.
“The reverend was attacking her. I hit Judge Calder because he tried to stop me from getting her away. He’s never going to let me out of here, and I’m worried they’ll grab Pearl.”
Mama leaned closer. “I can get you out. I can.”
Tommy held his aching side. “It’s not just that, Mama.”
She pushed his hair out of his eyes.
He thought of the headline that claimed Dreama was performing that night. He was hoping Olivia was pretending to be Dreama. “Katherine’s safe, right? She’s at home? Aleksey’s with her?”
Mama nodded. “Yes, yes. It’s you I’m worried about right now. Judge Calder said you owe enormous debt at Churchill’s.”
Tommy did owe money there, but he also knew the judge could increase his arrears equal to the United States debt if he chose.
“Why’d you go there?”
“This time I went for Pearl. She was working there and . . . Before that, I worked there to erase my debt, but they just keep putting the amount I paid off, back up.”
She smoothed his hair again and touched every inch of him that she could. “I’ll fix this, Tommy.”
“No. Don’t. I can leave and then . . . stay away from Judge Calder.”
Mama started to say something, but the officer latched on to her arm and pulled her away.
“I’m not done. This isn’t right. You have no idea what happened. He’s too young to keep here.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, come on, lady. He’s fifteen. That’s a man where I come from.”
Tommy lifted his head to see his mother being pulled away. He forced a smile and raised his hand to wave. “Mama, make sure Katherine doesn’t work for Miss Violet anymore. Don’t let her go back there.”
“What do you mean?”
“Let’s go, ma’am. Family time is over.”
“Tommy?”
A second officer pulled Tommy up under the arms, making him screech with pain before he could say another word.
Mama was yanked out of sight. “Hang on, Tommy. I’ll get you out of here,” she called as she was escorted out of the jail.
**
In that holding cell, Tommy was alone. He knew when they took him downstairs he would be sausaged into a cell with older men, that these were his last few minutes of peace even if the space was cold. He was slouched against the wall below the window when he heard a sound above him. He looked up and saw nothing. Then he heard it again. A pinging, then a barrage of pings. He stood and looked out the window. Pearl stood below. She was dressed in her normal clothing again, tossing stones at the building. Fern sat at her feet, and Frank perched on her shoulder.
Tommy put his hand to the window. Pearl raised hers. Her mouth moved, and her voice rose upward, muffled. He tried the latch on the window. It worked, but there was a metal bar welded into place so that the bottom sash could only slide up about five inches. He pushed it up as far as it would go and stuck his hand through the space.
Frank lifted off of Pearl’s shoulder and landed on Tommy’s outstretched palm. He had a tiny rolled-up piece of paper in his beak. Tommy took it with his free hand and stroked Frank’s soft black feathers.
“Frank!” Pearl yelled from below, and she took off running. Frank flew off, following her. Tommy started to yell good-bye to her when he saw Judge Calder pacing her direction. Tommy ducked out of sight when Judge Calder looked up. He sat against the cold plaster and could only hope that Pearl got away, that she’d be waiting for him if he ever got out alive. He realized he was still holding the rolled-up paper. He opened his palm and stared at it. He spread his thumb and forefinger, opening the roll. There in the palm of his hand was Pearl’s pretty writing.
Love forgives all,
Love, love, love,
Pearl
Tommy released the paper and let it roll back up in his palm. He put his head against the wall and closed his eyes. He thought perhaps Pearl was the first person in the world who ever really loved him without hesitation, only with a small pause that he deserved entirely. So grateful for her, he hoped he’d have a chance to love her right, too. He loved her. In that moment he knew without a doubt, he’d loved her since she first pledged to keep a secret and wrapped her pinkie around his, tying her heart to his for life.