Read Online Only Make Believe by Elliott Mackle - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Elliott Mackle
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Chuck, paused and plunged on. “Ma’am, facts is facts. Mr. DiGennaro was wearing a woman’s corset when they found him over at the hotel. Black stockings and garter belt. Face makeup. It’s already down in the ambulance driver’s’ report.”
“I don’t believe you.”
“Earlier last evening, he wore a dress and wig down to supper. It wasn’t the first time he’d been to the hotel and dressed up as a lady, either.”
“More lies. So we’ll have to hush it up. We can do that, can’t we, officer?”
“No, ma’am. There’s no way I see you can do that.”
“You’ll ruin us. Is that what you want? To take away our good name? Why aren’t you out there trying to find the madman who did this—this thing?”
“Well, ma’am—”
Her voice rose. “You won’t help me protect my children?” She reached into her purse, pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. “We have a daughter, she’s even younger than Chuck, innocent, almost a baby. People will say horrible things. This is a tragedy. Don’t you understand? Lies.”
“Facts is facts, like I said, ma’am. We ain’t intending to publish all this in the paper. But it could amount to murder in the first or second degree. Or manslaughter, depending. So we got to collect and preserve all the evidence. Some of the facts may have to come out at trial. It’ll be in the public record.”
Dr. Graves headed for the door. “I’ll just check to see if Doctor Shepherd has arrived.”
Bud glanced at me. “Dan, you want to fill us all in on what you and your staff witnessed? Just a general outline.”
I repeated what I’d said earlier, keeping it short but adding a few more details. “Your husband checked in before noon, called in a hairdresser and a musical accompanist, and spent Sunday evening wearing a long gown, wig, tiara, button-up gloves, makeup and heels. He told one of my people he was impersonating an opera singer. He sang Puccini and some show tunes. As far as we know, the Diva didn’t leave the hotel until the medics brought him here.”
“The Diva! How dare you say such things in front of my son? To my face! You’re insinuating, aren’t you? Suggesting things. I’m going to report both of you.”
Chuck took a step toward the door. “Let’s go, Mother. That hotel Daddy stayed at? I heard some things about it. Maybe these guys are in cahoots, trying to frame Daddy. Maybe Daddy was forced to dress up that way. Maybe they all wear dresses at that hotel—after dark, maybe.”
Bud set his mouth tight and stood a little taller. Personally, he no more wanted to wear dresses than fly to the moon. But Marine Sergeant Wright had heard too many stories and jokes about cross-dressing perverts and limp-wristed girly boys. Despite his proven bravery on the battlefield, he feared that one careless word or glance would forever label him a cocksucking fairy, a pansy, a disgrace to the Corps, rotten fruit. And he was well aware that sodomy, called the abominable and detestable crime against nature, was a felony in the state of Florida. In the back of his mind, we committed a crime every time we made love.
“Watch your mouth, Junior. You’re talking to an officer of the law.”
Chuck had begun to sweat. The hangover had hit him bad, turned him reckless. “You’re talking about my daddy. He wasn’t a homo, if that’s what you’re trying to say.”
“I ain’t trying to say nothing, Junior. What my job is is to find out what happened, and who did this to your pop.” Bud turned back to Amelia. “He didn’t ever use that name around you, ma’am? Diva? Miss Diva Capri? Or say he wanted to try on dresses?”
“Never. He wasn’t that way at all.”
Bud had taken out his notebook and pencil. “Appears that somebody was with Mr. DiGennaro in his room early this morning. We don’t know why or what exactly happened. Nor if it was a man or a woman, or how many people it was, come to that.”
“Mother of God! My husband was entirely
“I don’t believe you.”
“Earlier last evening, he wore a dress and wig down to supper. It wasn’t the first time he’d been to the hotel and dressed up as a lady, either.”
“More lies. So we’ll have to hush it up. We can do that, can’t we, officer?”
“No, ma’am. There’s no way I see you can do that.”
“You’ll ruin us. Is that what you want? To take away our good name? Why aren’t you out there trying to find the madman who did this—this thing?”
“Well, ma’am—”
Her voice rose. “You won’t help me protect my children?” She reached into her purse, pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed her eyes. “We have a daughter, she’s even younger than Chuck, innocent, almost a baby. People will say horrible things. This is a tragedy. Don’t you understand? Lies.”
“Facts is facts, like I said, ma’am. We ain’t intending to publish all this in the paper. But it could amount to murder in the first or second degree. Or manslaughter, depending. So we got to collect and preserve all the evidence. Some of the facts may have to come out at trial. It’ll be in the public record.”
Dr. Graves headed for the door. “I’ll just check to see if Doctor Shepherd has arrived.”
Bud glanced at me. “Dan, you want to fill us all in on what you and your staff witnessed? Just a general outline.”
I repeated what I’d said earlier, keeping it short but adding a few more details. “Your husband checked in before noon, called in a hairdresser and a musical accompanist, and spent Sunday evening wearing a long gown, wig, tiara, button-up gloves, makeup and heels. He told one of my people he was impersonating an opera singer. He sang Puccini and some show tunes. As far as we know, the Diva didn’t leave the hotel until the medics brought him here.”
“The Diva! How dare you say such things in front of my son? To my face! You’re insinuating, aren’t you? Suggesting things. I’m going to report both of you.”
Chuck took a step toward the door. “Let’s go, Mother. That hotel Daddy stayed at? I heard some things about it. Maybe these guys are in cahoots, trying to frame Daddy. Maybe Daddy was forced to dress up that way. Maybe they all wear dresses at that hotel—after dark, maybe.”
Bud set his mouth tight and stood a little taller. Personally, he no more wanted to wear dresses than fly to the moon. But Marine Sergeant Wright had heard too many stories and jokes about cross-dressing perverts and limp-wristed girly boys. Despite his proven bravery on the battlefield, he feared that one careless word or glance would forever label him a cocksucking fairy, a pansy, a disgrace to the Corps, rotten fruit. And he was well aware that sodomy, called the abominable and detestable crime against nature, was a felony in the state of Florida. In the back of his mind, we committed a crime every time we made love.
“Watch your mouth, Junior. You’re talking to an officer of the law.”
Chuck had begun to sweat. The hangover had hit him bad, turned him reckless. “You’re talking about my daddy. He wasn’t a homo, if that’s what you’re trying to say.”
“I ain’t trying to say nothing, Junior. What my job is is to find out what happened, and who did this to your pop.” Bud turned back to Amelia. “He didn’t ever use that name around you, ma’am? Diva? Miss Diva Capri? Or say he wanted to try on dresses?”
“Never. He wasn’t that way at all.”
Bud had taken out his notebook and pencil. “Appears that somebody was with Mr. DiGennaro in his room early this morning. We don’t know why or what exactly happened. Nor if it was a man or a woman, or how many people it was, come to that.”
“Mother of God! My husband was entirely
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