I don't own the characters and make no monetary profit from this story. I'd love to own Pete but I know that's an impossibility. His heart will always belong to his girl Edie.
I want to thank everyone who has read this story as well as those who gave suggestions, provided input or made comments. All were more helpful than you can imagine. I wish I could reply to those "guests" who left reviews, but since it's not possible, just know that I have truly appreciated your kind words. A huge thanks goes to Melchy, who I consider my partner in crime. But my greatest appreciation goes to Pete and Edie for being the beautiful and loving characters they are.
A Lifetime in Eight Days
Chapter 38: [Epilogue] All is Right With the World
Edie Hart stepped to the microphone for her third song of the evening, allowing her gaze to linger on the front door of Mother's and wondering what Pete was doing, where he might be and whether he would have time to stop by or call. The PI was working only his second job since going back to work following his release from the hospital. The first job didn't really count because it involved a friend of Mother's from her speakeasy days, a woman named Jemima Simpkin. Miss Jemima had been under the delusion she was being followed by some nefarious criminal type. That was Mother's story anyway. According to Edie's boss, Miss Jemima had ventured to ask if that nice, young, good-looking private investigator friend of hers would extend her the favor of finding out just who was doing the following.
Pete had been good for a solid week subsequent to his visit with his doctors. Edie had to give him credit for that. She'd known without a doubt he wouldn't last the full two weeks Dr. Carson had suggested. The PI wasn't used to sitting and not working and had become restless and fidgety to the point that he was ready and willing to do anything, something even as silly and as obviously bogus and pre-planned as Mother had conjured up. He had gone along with Mother's little ruse, visiting with her friend to discover the particulars and then lurking in the shadows to try and ferret out this 'despicable character' who was attempting to prey on the elderly lady. The only followers she had were her own shadow and a gray-haired gentleman from her apartment building who walked his Heinz 57 mutt at the same time every early evening that Jemima Simpkin took her daily constitutional. The PI had the distinct impression that Mr. Bartholemew Kraus was in on the snow job but he somehow managed a straight face while he read the aged fellow the riot act after following him following Miss Jemima. He did smile as he declined his client's attempt to pay for his services, telling her it had been no trouble at all to do a favor for a friend of Mother and accepting her offer of supper some evening in the future. Pete resolved to one day say something to Mother about her little scam, not to berate her but to let her know how much he appreciated that she had cared enough to do something like she did.
As the combo played the interlude the blonde smiled out at the crowd that had packed into Mother's on this oddly warm and humid night. The weather had been up and down for a couple weeks now, jumping arbitrarily between the normal rains of late summer and the breezy sunshine of early fall, but Barney had arrived bearing the news that the weatherman on television was forecasting an early cold front to come through the area sometime late Sunday morning. Maybe the people in the audience felt the change in the air, maybe that's what had brought them out in such droves this first Saturday night in October. Edie's gaze shifted to the front of the club as the door swung open, her eyes squinting against the cloud of cigarette smoke as she took her cue and began the final refrain, and her expression slipped a little. Still no Pete.
Giving a grateful smile for the ensuing applause the girl singer bowed her head in silent acknowledgment then quickly left the stage and headed in the direction of her dressing room. On several mornings this past week, as their lives slowly returned to normal, Pete had called a cab to pick him up at his apartment and had shown up to accompany Edie home. The first time, Tuesday morning, he'd been leaning against the passenger door of the Fury, smoking a cigarette and gazing up at the stars in the night sky when she turned the corner with Emmett and trombonist Owen Snyder in tow. Then yesterday morning he had come through the front door as she helped Mother count the night's income for the older woman to take to the bank later that day. But tonight Pete had the car and was working a real job and closing time, which on Saturdays was midnight, wasn't much more than fifteen minutes away. Edie had a feeling it was her turn to call that cab and head home. And while she knew either Emmett or Barney would be glad to give her a lift, and that Pete would prefer she took one or the other up on their offer, sometimes the quiet time the few minutes in the taxi afforded her was a welcome respite after a long night.
Deciding she'd hang around to help Mother with her Monday deposit or waitresses Betty, Marge and Wendy with the clean-up, Edie slipped her heels off and donned more comfortable shoes and headed out back. She stood with her arms resting casually on the rail as she gazed at the lights reflected off the water of the big river below, her thoughts lingering on Pete and some shopping she needed to take care of and what chores still remained for her to do as she moved out of her old apartment and into her new. She was still standing in the same position some ten minutes later when the door leading onto the dock opened with its telltale soft whir and a hazy shaft of artificial light found its way about half the distance toward her. Her lips curved softly with a knowing smile but she made no other outward sign that she knew the PI was there, keeping her face toward the river, allowing the shadows to hide her expression.
The light that had escaped from the little hallway beyond shifted and morphed as Pete moved further onto the dock and allowed the door to fall shut. Soft footfalls that belied the grace of a jungle cat brought him close behind her and she could feel the resulting duck bumps automatically rise to the occasion. Then his arms slipped around her waist, pulling her close against his chest, and her body reacted with an uncontrollable shiver as his lips found that certain place between her neck and shoulder.
"I wasn't sure you'd come tonight." Her smile widened and her head fell back against his shoulder as Pete's arms tightened and his lips traveled to nibble at her earlobe.
"The night's still young," Pete teased, his words barely above a whisper and his breath a warm tickle against her cheek.
Edie twisted around, her arms going to his shoulders, her hands finding the back of his neck as she leaned into him. He lowered his head and their lips clung for a long moment before the man pulled away and met her hopeful gaze with his own smiling eyes.
"Does that mean you're finished with your job?"
"Not quite." He kissed the tip of her nose and admitted there were still a few loose ends that needed to be tied up with his client.
She suggested that if he had plans to do the tying up tonight it might be wise for him to drop her at her apartment so she could pack up the remainder of her things and slip the duplicate keys into Mr. Bartel's mailbox. Her brunch earlier that day with the girls had turned into an impromptu moving party, with Sheila's husband Danny being called upon to gather her few personal items of furniture into his plumbing truck and deliver them to the small storage space allocated to Pete in the basement of his own apartment building. So there really was very little left to do at her place on Willow Street. Or she could do as she'd originally planned and stay to help Mother and Barney clean up. She said maybe Pete could come back by the club to collect her after finishing with his business. The PI thought otherwise, telling her that he'd help her do the apartment thing Monday morning and that Mother was already in the process of closing, having sent the waitresses and her trusty bartender on their way. Even Emmett and the guys had quickly scattered, happy to begin what counted as their weekend.
Her fingers fiddled with his lapels and she smiled demurely into his eyes.
"I could go with you and wait in the car while you do whatever it is you have to do."
"It's another thing that can wait until Monday," Pete assured her.
Feeling a cooling breeze lift off the river, Pete removed his suit jacket and draped it over the woman's shoulders. His mouth tilted in an affectionate smile and his hands drifted to her hips to bring her closer. He bent his head to kiss her, his hands sliding to her bottom and pulling her more tightly against him as her lips parted in response to his caress. So lost were they in their embrace that neither took notice of the door opening or of the tall bejeweled woman who stood watching for a moment. Mother finally cleared her throat quite loudly but several long seconds passed before the two broke their clinch.
"I'll be locking up in just a few minutes." Her glance moved to catch Pete's gaze and she made an unsuccessful attempt to look stern. "You'd best finish what you're doing so Edie can gather her things."
The PI made certain the back door leading to the dock was firmly shut and then twisted the little brass knob to force the deadbolt into place. He flipped the hall light switch off as they passed it by and then accepted his suit jacket back when Edie shrugged it off. He stood inside the half-open doorway of her dressing room and followed her with his eyes as she slipped out of her dress and removed her stockings and donned comfortable gray slacks and a wide-collared white cotton blouse with large blue buttons running down the front. After slipping her shoes back on she picked up her bag and draped the dress across her arm, turned off the lamp and pulled the door shut as she followed behind Pete. When they reached the front of the club, where Mother remained at the register finishing with her receipts, the man paused and looked like he was trying to make up his mind about something. He told Edie he had caught Mr. Minelli just before closing time at the Italian restaurant next door and he had dinner in the car. Would she want to eat it here or take it home? Edie in turn glanced at Mother, commenting that it had been a long day and she was sure the older woman was tired and probably wasn't interested in having the two of them hanging around making nuisances of themselves.
"Don't worry about me. I'm planning to make myself a cup pf tea, get comfortable in my favorite chair and stare at the test patterns on the television until I fall asleep. Just make sure you lock up when you leave." Mother smiled as she pushed the cash register drawer shut and headed toward the half hidden flight of stairs that led up to her apartment. She stuck her head around the corner to give them a last look and a wink. "And try to keep the noise down."
Edie Hart's eyes met Peter Gunn's across the small candlelit table. The flickering flame blended with the yellow halo from the front light to lend a soft glow to the corner where they sat, their knees bumping occasionally as one or the other leaned forward or back while answering a comment or reaching to touch hands. She smiled as she watched the PI swipe his garlic bread at leftover spaghetti sauce and take a big bite. Pete grabbed a napkin and wiped his fingers as he chewed, the deep blue of his eyes darkening as he gazed at the woman occupying the chair opposite him.
"This was a very nice idea.," Edie said, her eyes twinkling back at him.
The blonde gently pushed a small bowl of Italian style rice pudding toward him across the red and white checkered table cover and moved her own plate to make room for her dessert. She picked up her spoon and dug in, all the while watching curiously as her companion appeared to do little more than move the contents of his bowl from one side to the other. After playing with the dessert for a minute or two he finally set the spoon and bowl aside, leaned back in his chair and stared across the table at her.
"S'matter? Do I have pudding on my face?"
Her eyes smiled merrily at him over the liptsick-smudged rim of her coffee cup and she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, encountering the delicately sweet flavor of vanilla and nutmeg. The smile turned impudent as she watched his gaze drop to her mouth and follow her actions. Then his eyes slid away and he leaned a little to the left as he dipped his right hand deep into his pants pocket and brought out something small and shiny. He shuffled the object around in his fingers for a moment then extended a hand and placed it between them, his forearms resting against the red and white checks of the tablecloth as he sat forward.
"You've been using the landlord's key the past few weeks. He told me Jacoby borrowed it to get into the apartment when I went missing. I let him know I'd get one back to him but I have a pretty good idea he wouldn't want one painted up with red nail polish." The PI's lips tilted in a teasing smile as he noted the change in the woman's expression at his words, the solemn blue gaze that suddenly accompanied tenderly curved lips. "Besides, this one belongs to you."
"The color helps me pick it out faster. You're the one who told me I should always take my keys out and have the one I need ready before I get to the door," Edie reminded him, her own smile brightening. "Just in case, you said."
He slid the key toward her but kept his fingers on it, his large hand covering hers as she reached for the silver Corbin-branded key that fit his apartment door. The same key she had slipped into his hand all those long weeks ago. Her cornflower blue gaze lifted to his as he turned their hands to lace his fingers with hers, the dancing blue and yellow flame of the candle casting alternately dark then lighter shadows across the woman's face.
"It's not the only thing of mine that belongs to you." Those same shadowy reflections skittered across the PI's face, bringing a dark intensity to his eyes as they searched those across from him. "Everything else comes along with it. All of it. All of me. Don't ever forget that." His lips tilted in an affectionate smile that matched the one growing in his eyes. "And you already had all of me before you had this." He gave a motion with their clasped hands toward the key.
"And I enjoyed having all of you very much," Edie quipped in an attempt to match the lightness of his final comment, her own eyes shining with mischief. She pursed her lips to contain her laughter as his gaze narrowed.
"Edie." There was a hint of amused warning in his tone.
"That wasn't what you meant?" Her eyebrows rose innocently.
Pete leaned in closer and lifted her hand to his lips, the warmth of his caress bringing with it duck bumps and an involuntary shiver. Then he released her hand and picked up the key and stared at it a moment before placing it in her palm and closing her fingers around it.
"I thought the scariest moment of my life was the moment I gave this to you," Pete said, lifting his gaze from their joined hands to stare into her eyes. "But it wasn't. The scariest moment of my life was when you gave it back to me."
Peter Gunn accepted a small bottle of ginger ale from Barney and brought it to his lips, the ice-cold liquid burning its way down his throat as he took a long swallow. Then he set it on the bar and watched as the condensation slowly dribbled down the sides of the bottle to be absorbed by the square white napkin the bartender had placed before him.
"What's all this about Edie moving to a new apartment?" Mother demanded, appearing out of nowhere to stand next to Barney.
Pete reminded her of the episode of the corpse in the shower and how Edie's landlord had been less than amused. Mother tsked and offered her watered down opinion of what Mr. Bartel could do with himself and how the world just wasn't as nice a place to live in as it had been when she was a girl.
"Seems a waste though." The old woman's eyebrows rose and she attempted innocence at the PI's questioning look. "Paying rent on two apartments. Real waste of hard earned money if you ask me."
The PI's lips tilted in a tolerant smile as he leaned an elbow against the bar and turned his attention to the woman stepping to the microphone.
"There's a cure for that you know," Mother continued, her tone disinterested yet pointed at the same time.
Pete felt the woman's gaze boring softly and gently into the back of his neck and could swear he heard a muffled snicker come from Barney's general direction. After dipping into his shirt pocket for his ever-present pack of Luckies, he dug in his pants pocket for his lighter and offered a resigned ear to whatever it was Mother might have on her mind. But apparently she decided she had nothing further to say on the topic. She leaned her forearms on the bar instead and looked toward the stage. Pete lit up and maneuvered himself onto a stool and swung around to watch their girl singer acknowledge the crowd as the combo launched into the notes of a familiar tune.
She was wearing a new dress she had picked up that morning at Francine's Boutique. It was black with those spaghetti straps that Pete decided he liked very much immediately upon seeing them grace Edie Hart's shoulders the very first time. After their visit to the dress shop they'd stopped by her apartment and he had helped her pack up the rest of her things, just as he'd said he would, and then he'd watched from the lobby as she returned her keys to the landlord's mailbox. It had felt funny pulling his copy of the key from his key ring but his spirits had lifted when Edie handed him the one for her new apartment. The one at which she assured him she wouldn't spend any more time than necessary.
She spotted him at the bar and smiled that secret, or maybe not so secret anymore, smile she reserved just for him. Other people might see that smile but they were never ever on the receiving end. It was only his, just as she was only his, just as she always would be his. The privilege of accepting and returning that smile belonged to him. Peter Gunn.
The PI allowed his gaze to wander the pretty picture his girl made up there on the stage, surrounded by the musicians, and his lips tilted in their own greeting. His eyes dropped again to those bare shoulders and he couldn't help but reminisce on the smoothness of their skin beneath his fingers yesterday and last night. They had spent all of Sunday in bed, falling into it as soon as they got home, making love, sleeping until well past noon. He had cooked them a late breakfast, they'd dawdled over the newspaper and then had done it all over again.
The payphone on the wall opposite the bar rang and he heard Mother's voice answer it in her usual tone of half welcome and half irritation. It was a wonder callers weren't chased away by her perceived grumpiness but everyone took the woman in stride. She said his name and when he didn't respond she let the receiver dangle, stepped over to poke him in the shoulder and told him to get up and talk to whatever man it was that was looking for him. The PI took a last draw from his cigarette and finally dragged his gaze from the stage as he ground it out in the ashtray. He was still talking to his client, casually leaning against the wall and facing the telephone, when Edie appeared before him. The blonde stood gazing at him with suspicious eyes as he ended his conversation and hung up the receiver.
"And who was that?" The same suspicion laced Edie's voice though the sound of a smile seeped through. She reached a hand to straighten an already perfect lapel on the jacket of his charcoal gray suit.
"My client." Pete leaned in and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. "The one I'm supposed to get back with this evening."
"I suppose that means I won't be seeing any more of you tonight," she lamented.
"I just need to tie up those loose ends I mentioned and then I'll be back," he assured her. "You won't even realize I've been gone."
"Mmmhmm. Famous last words if I've ever heard any."
"Keep the good thought." The PI tweaked a stray curl of blonde hair that had escaped from behind the woman's ear and then dropped a kiss on her nose, his hand gliding down her arm and leaving a trail of duck bumps as he turned to leave. Their fingers clung for a moment and then Edie was left watching the front door slowly close behind him.
"The nose," she grumbled beneath her breath. "We're back to the nose again."
But a long-suffering smile curved her lips.
All was suddenly right with the world.
~ The End ~