Read Online Red Beans and Vice by Lou Jane Temple - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lou Jane Temple
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someone die in your restaurant and didn’t a group of people have a bad experience with some contaminated flour as well?”
Heaven took a deep breath so she wouldn’t snap the man’s head off. “Notoriety seems to be okay. But this is much different.”
“I know it’s hard, but you must tell me exactly what the note said.”
Heaven told him.
“How was it arranged on the paper?” he asked.
She closed her eyes and could see it as though it was lying in front of her. “Three lines, each centered on the page. Why?”
“Although I don’t know their identities; some of these individuals have become familiar to me by the style in which they write these notes, and of course, the object of their hate.”
“Do you think this hatred is directed toward gay waiters, or personally toward someone who works for me? I’m concerned for my employees, and I don’t want a maniac to screw up my business with this bullshit,” Heaven said, more emphatically than she’d meant to. The poor guy didn’t need her to yell at him, just because he took the time to call and help.
“It could be one of those reasons, or another one,” he said quietly. “You are a high-profile woman. Your name and photo have been in the paper quite a bit. Many times this creates fixations, like the Jodie Foster stalker.”
“But this person doesn’t want me, they want to destroy me. I know you understand better than I what’s involved here. But I’m not a religion or a government that can survive this kind of opposition. If this letter was to get wide circulation, even if people didn’t really believe it, the damage would be done. If you were trying to figure out where to go to dinner and the nose-picking cook came to mind, you might choose another cafe, even if the choice was subconscious.”
“You’re right. And places like the
Kansas City Star
and city hall aren’t the most secure. I had a friend who wasan educator. Someone wrote a hate letter saying he was abusing young children. The letter was sent to the board of education office in his district. They discussed it with him, told him that they didn’t respond to unsigned accusations. But the letter got copied. Soon enough parents had seen it that they demanded the teacher’s resignation. He moved far away and has never taught again.”
Heaven felt sick. This was just what she feared. “What can I do? This is such a vulnerable position for me. I’m helpless,” she said.
“Do not give in to despair. If you do, this individual will have accomplished at least one of the things he was trying to do, and that’s to get the better of you. He didn’t say the waiters in all the restaurants in Kansas City were AIDS infested. He said the waiters in your restaurant were. That makes it personal.”
“But how can I fight this thing?” Heaven was in tears again. One trickled down her face.
“Tomorrow you are going to messenger the original letter out here to Michael’s office at the synagogue. Keep a copy for yourself, but send me the original. Then you are going to call your contacts at the
Kansas City Star
and at city hall and you are going to tell them that you will be down to pick up their originals in person in an hour.”
“What if they won’t—”
Howard Yukon broke in quickly. “It won’t guarantee that there aren’t already copies made. But it will stop the casual stopping-by-the-file-cabinet-to-view-the-gory-details kind of thing. And I’ve seen those photos of you in the paper myself. Don’t tell me a beautiful redhead can’t get her way with those boys downtown.”
Right now Heaven couldn’t talk a blind man into neweyes. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. What if I need to talk to you, what if something else happens?”
“Just call Michael,” the voice said soothingly.
“Thank you. Can I ask one more question?”
“Of course.”
“Why do you have to have the original letter?”
Howard Yukon paused. “Sometimes I can feel them. I’ll know if
Heaven took a deep breath so she wouldn’t snap the man’s head off. “Notoriety seems to be okay. But this is much different.”
“I know it’s hard, but you must tell me exactly what the note said.”
Heaven told him.
“How was it arranged on the paper?” he asked.
She closed her eyes and could see it as though it was lying in front of her. “Three lines, each centered on the page. Why?”
“Although I don’t know their identities; some of these individuals have become familiar to me by the style in which they write these notes, and of course, the object of their hate.”
“Do you think this hatred is directed toward gay waiters, or personally toward someone who works for me? I’m concerned for my employees, and I don’t want a maniac to screw up my business with this bullshit,” Heaven said, more emphatically than she’d meant to. The poor guy didn’t need her to yell at him, just because he took the time to call and help.
“It could be one of those reasons, or another one,” he said quietly. “You are a high-profile woman. Your name and photo have been in the paper quite a bit. Many times this creates fixations, like the Jodie Foster stalker.”
“But this person doesn’t want me, they want to destroy me. I know you understand better than I what’s involved here. But I’m not a religion or a government that can survive this kind of opposition. If this letter was to get wide circulation, even if people didn’t really believe it, the damage would be done. If you were trying to figure out where to go to dinner and the nose-picking cook came to mind, you might choose another cafe, even if the choice was subconscious.”
“You’re right. And places like the
Kansas City Star
and city hall aren’t the most secure. I had a friend who wasan educator. Someone wrote a hate letter saying he was abusing young children. The letter was sent to the board of education office in his district. They discussed it with him, told him that they didn’t respond to unsigned accusations. But the letter got copied. Soon enough parents had seen it that they demanded the teacher’s resignation. He moved far away and has never taught again.”
Heaven felt sick. This was just what she feared. “What can I do? This is such a vulnerable position for me. I’m helpless,” she said.
“Do not give in to despair. If you do, this individual will have accomplished at least one of the things he was trying to do, and that’s to get the better of you. He didn’t say the waiters in all the restaurants in Kansas City were AIDS infested. He said the waiters in your restaurant were. That makes it personal.”
“But how can I fight this thing?” Heaven was in tears again. One trickled down her face.
“Tomorrow you are going to messenger the original letter out here to Michael’s office at the synagogue. Keep a copy for yourself, but send me the original. Then you are going to call your contacts at the
Kansas City Star
and at city hall and you are going to tell them that you will be down to pick up their originals in person in an hour.”
“What if they won’t—”
Howard Yukon broke in quickly. “It won’t guarantee that there aren’t already copies made. But it will stop the casual stopping-by-the-file-cabinet-to-view-the-gory-details kind of thing. And I’ve seen those photos of you in the paper myself. Don’t tell me a beautiful redhead can’t get her way with those boys downtown.”
Right now Heaven couldn’t talk a blind man into neweyes. “Thanks for the vote of confidence. What if I need to talk to you, what if something else happens?”
“Just call Michael,” the voice said soothingly.
“Thank you. Can I ask one more question?”
“Of course.”
“Why do you have to have the original letter?”
Howard Yukon paused. “Sometimes I can feel them. I’ll know if
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