“Why do they want us, Arnie?
What’s in the picture that they want it so bad as to chase all over creation?”
Tommy Hastings said, his voice was so close to being baby whining, that he
cleared his throat into his fist and said, “Why do you think they want us?”
Arnie Volz, truck driver and
boyfriend of Edwina Olds scowled then said, “Only thing I can think of, boys,
is that the picture shows not just your mom, but the two men shaking hands are
not supposed to be friendly to each other.”
Freddie said, “You mean like
one’s a socialist and ones a Communist?”
Arnie’s eyebrows went up as
he said, “That’s EXACTLY what I mean, son. Exactly.” He paused then asked, “Do
you know either of the men?”
"I never seen ‘em before. Dad
says he hasn’t seen them either.”
Arne shrugged, “Can’t imagine
any man admitting his wife was with another man, he wasn’t anywhere in sight,”
he paused, “Was he?”
“Was he what?” Tommy asked.
“Was he in the picture?”
“Who?”
Arne gave him a strange look
before he said, “Was your father in the picture of the two men and you mother?”
“No! I said that! That’s why
the Finns want the picture!”
“Because your ma was with a
man who was a socialist – who was caught on film shaking hands with a man who
was a communist, right?”
Tommy blinked in surprise,
eyeballs reflecting light from the gauges on the dashboard of the truck as it trundled
down the coast of Lake Superior. Night had fallen quickly, and it was dark as
pitch outside the cab. Occasional headlights passed them going north, but for
the most part, it was dark, and it was night. Finally he said, “Nobody’s sayin’.”
Freddie piped up, “That must
be! I seen the picture, too! In the kitchen cabinet, behind the nice dishes –
but sorta hidden like.”
“My mom’s got nothing to
hide!” Tommy exclaimed, shoving Freddie – and setting as a lie what he was
saying with his mouth. In truth, he wasn’t sure that Freddie was wrong. Arne
seemed to believe it.
Arne said, “Duluth in the
early Oughts was a hotbed of Socialist revolution. That’s what Ed says, and she’s
lived up here her whole life. If the man hangin’ on your ma’s arm was a
socialists – maybe even someone who’s famous now – and she has a picture of him
making all nice with the Commies, that could be bad for him. ‘specially now.”
Tommy sat back. “You mean my
mom and dad were messed up with Communists and Socialists?”
“The Socialists for sure –
that’s what your mobster friends are.”
Freddie said, “You mean they
aren’t from the mob?”
“You make it sound like that’s
a good thing, kid.”
“It’s not?”
Arne drove for a long time in
silence until he finally said, “Mob involvement is local, kid. Socialists and
Communists? That’s world-wide. Your parents could be in some deep trouble, Tom.
Real deep trouble.”
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