“Oh,” LuAnn said. It wouldn’t be the first time she had gone hungry. At least Lisa had eaten.
However, when the man caught sight of Lisa and then looked at how tired LuAnn seemed, he smiled kindly and told her to wait just a bit. Twenty minutes later he came back with a tray loaded with food and even set it out for her, using the lower bunk as an impromptu table. LuAnn tipped him generously from her stash of funds. After he left, she devoured her meal. She wiped off her hands and reached carefully into her pocket and pulled out the lottery ticket. She looked over at Lisa; the little girl’s hands were gently swaying in her slumber, a smile played across the small features. Must be a nice dream, LuAnn thought, smiling at the precious sight.
LuAnn’s features grew softer and she leaned down and spoke quietly into Lisa’s tiny ear. “Momma’s gonna be able to take care of you now, baby, like I should’ve been doing all along. The man says we can go anywhere, do anything.” She stroked Lisa’s chin and nuzzled her cheek with the back of her hand. “Where you wanta go, baby doll? You name it, we’ll go. How’s that sound? That sound good?”
LuAnn locked the door and laid Lisa down on the bed, checking to make sure the straps on the baby seat were tight. LuAnn lay back on the bed and curled her body protectively around her daughter. While the train made its way to New York City, she stared out the window into the darkness, wondering mightily about what was going to come next.
CHAPTER TEN
The train had been delayed at several points along the route and it was nearly three-thirty in the afternoon when LuAnn and Lisa emerged into the frenzy of Penn Station. LuAnn had never seen this many people in one place in all her life. She looked around, dazed, as people and luggage flew past her like sprays of buckshot. She tightened her grip on Lisa’s carrier as the train ticket agent’s warning came back to her. Her arm was still throbbing painfully, but she figured she could still deck just about anybody who tried something. She looked down at Lisa. With so many interesting things going on around her, the little girl seemed ready to explode out of her seat. LuAnn moved slowly forward, not knowing how to get out of the place. She saw a sign for Madison Square Garden and vaguely recalled that several years ago she had watched a boxing match on TV that had been telecast from there. Jackson said someone would be here, but LuAnn couldn’t imagine how the person would find her in the middle of all this chaos.
She jerked slightly as the man brushed against her. LuAnn looked up into dark brown eyes with a silvery mustache resting below the broad, flattened nose. For an instant LuAnn wondered if he was the man she had seen fighting at the Garden; however, she quickly realized that he was much too old, at least in his early fifties. He had the breadth of shoulders, flattened, crusty ears, and battered face, though, that marked the man as an ex-boxer.
“Miss Tyler?” His voice was low but clear. “Mr. Jackson sent me to pick you up.”
LuAnn nodded and put out her hand. “Call me LuAnn. What’s your name?”
The man started for an instant. “That’s not really important. Please follow me, I have a car waiting.” He started to walk away.
“I really like to know people’s names,” LuAnn said, without budging.
He came back to her, looking slightly irritated, although somewhere in his features she thought she discerned the beginnings of a smile. “Okay, you can call me Charlie. How’s that?”
“That’s fine, Charlie. I guess you work for Mr. Jackson. Do you use your real names with each other?”
He didn’t answer as he led her toward the exit. “You want me to carry the little girl? That thing looks heavy.”
“I’ve got it okay.” She winced as another stab of pain shot through her injured arm.
“You sure?” he asked. He eyed her bandaged jaw. “You look like you’ve been in a fight.”