“Hello, Miss Stanton.” He placed his arms behind his back, and Mattie wondered for a moment if a button on his white shirt would pop under the pressure of his flexed muscles. “What’s the trouble now? Full-scale invasion or run-of-the-mill fracas?”
“Run-of-the-mill fracas, Henry. Run of the mill,” Thelma said conversationally with an easy grin. “My friends here got into a spot of trouble definitely not of their own making. Would you be so kind as to escort them safely to the back exit?”
“Of course, Miss Stanton.”
As the singer turned to leave, Carrie said, “Thank you so much for coming to our rescue.”
“Don’t think anything of it.” Thelma waved her gloved hand, the gesture just as graceful as her voice. “Anything for Carrie Wilcox.”
“You’ve heard of me?” Carrie, who generally was unflappable, had widened her brown eyes in surprise.
“You’re the Flying Angel, friend to Brave Bessie. I’ve read all about you in the papers. Maybe someday I’ll see you soar.”
“You can do better than that,” Carrie said. “If you’re interested, I can take you up for a ride.”
“I’d love that!”
Carrie extended her gloved palm. “It’s a deal.”
The two women shook hands. When they separated, Carrie added, “I’ve been listening to your records for three years now and reading all about you too.”
Thelma laughed. “Imagine that. Us following each other in the papers. I’m glad we met.”
“So am I.”
“Well, I have a brawl to settle down. I am turning into a regular Orpheus with this gig.”
With one final elegant wave, Thelma ducked back into the secret passage. A few seconds later, her rich voice wove through the cacophony.
“Will she be safe up there?” Leo, ever the worrier, asked.
“Yes, sir. All the bouncers at the club will make sure to protect her if things get out of hand.” Henry nodded as he pressed the button to an elevator that Mattie had overlooked in her excitement. Even with the turmoil, she had no idea how she had missed the doors, since they were shiny chrome with a copper-inlay starburst pattern.
Henry entered with them and served as a rather overmuscled operator. The well-engineered contraption whooshed downward and opened into a concrete, subterranean tunnel. It was narrow, poorly lit, and damp, but it served its purpose. Their group quickly breezed through the passageway and reached a set of stairs that led to the back of a storage room. Henry shut the escape-route door behind them, revealing that the corridor was hidden behind a false shelf. They snaked through towers of stacked dining room chairs, discarded lamps, and wobbly tables. Finally, Henry pushed open the exit, and they all spilled out into a moonlit alley.
Henry made his goodbyes and then quickly disappeared to resume his post. John heaved a sigh, the sound heavily laden with relief. Leo shifted his body, his shoulders uncoiling. Carrie shook her head, as if still in disbelief over what had transpired. Alice, Aida, and Sadie also relaxed their taut forms, and Mattie could feel herself doing the same. Even Lily seemed remarkably subdued.
Vera, however, laughed—bright, happy, and triumphant. “That,” she declared, tossing her arms toward the inky night sky, “was a thrilling adventure. I’ve never started a brawl before. If any of the papers pick it up, it will definitely cement our image as daredevils—or she-devils, even.”
“Technically,” Aida said, straightening her light-blue dress, “Mattie began it. Very impressively too.”
“Four brothers.” Mattie was feeling enough like herself again that she could accompany the words with a smile.
Sadie sighed. “My brothers would never show Lily and me how to fight.”
“That’s because you had a tendency to always win.” Lily fluffed her hair and then paused for dramatic effect. “She is very scrappy.”
“I preferdetermined.” Sadie shrugged. “But even I don’t know if I could have managed that brute so handily.”
A swell of pride rushed through Mattie. “I did dispatch him rather quickly.”
“Maybe he’ll think twice before pawing another woman.” Lily reached into her beaded bag to retrieve a small compact mirror.
“Doubtful.” Aida sighed. “He seemed rather thickheaded.”
“Leo, you were very impressive as well.” Alice patted his arm. “The way you sent that man sailing with such little effort was quite remarkable.”
With his free hand, Leo rubbed the back of his head. Alice’s compliment clearly not only embarrassed him but made him almost palpably uncomfortable.
