Being careful not to brush even lightly against any chairs or tables in her path, the lanky blonde in a tight-fitting green sheath dress ankled her way across the dimly-lit room. Reaching the other side, she paused just long enough to look daggers at the state of cleanliness of the leather surfaces before selecting a stool and wriggling her way to the cushioned top.

“We’re closed,” the bartender said. She shared the gender, but not the hair color of the intruder.
   
The blonde crossed her legs, leaned forward to rest her elbows on the bar and steepled her fingers. “I didn’t come here to drink,” she said. “Are you Lily?”
   
The brunette moved down the bar to stand in front of the other woman. Twisting her torso slightly to bathe her upper body in the light of a low-wattage bulb, the bartender pointed to the name embroidered on her white blouse.
   
“So you are Lily?”

Lily shrugged her shoulders.
   
“Aren’t you curious to know why I’m here?”
   
Lily shrugged again.
   
“May I speak frankly? “

Lily nodded her head.
   
“I’m having man trouble. Oh, by way of introduction, my nickname is Ginger. In a strong light my hair sometimes has a reddish tint.”
   
“What makes you think I can help?” Lily asked.

Ginger lowered her voice. “I’ve heard whispers.”
   
“We’re alone here. You can speak up. What exactly do you want?”
   
“I want to break off a relationship. Permanently.”
   
“A mutual parting of the ways?”
   
“Far from it! The man’s a control freak. He gets his kicks out of bossing me around. If I don’t respond exactly the way he wants, he hurts me. I can show you the bruises.” Ginger moved her right hand toward her left shoulder, reaching for the strap of her dress.
   
“That won’t be necessary,” Lily said. “Go on with your story.”
   
“Lately, he’s become increasingly abusive. I’m in fear for my life.”
   
“Why don’t you go to the police?”
   
“The man I’m talking about is a crime boss. He claims to control all of the criminal activity on the South Side and it’s likely that he has at least some influence all over town. There are lots of cops in this city, but I don’t know which ones, if any, my—for lack of a better word—‘boyfriend’ has in his back pocket.”
   
“Why not hire a lawyer?”
   
“Same answer.”
   
“See a judge?”
   
“Ditto.”
   
“Why come to me then?” Lily asked. 
   
“I thought you could take care of my bad relationship problem for me personally.”
   
This time it was Lily who lowered her voice. “I suppose you want to bring your so-called boyfriend by for a deadly drink. Have me serve him a killer cocktail or a lethal liqueur?”
   
“Would you?”
   
“Of course not,” Lily said. “That would be more than my life is worth. From what I know about him, the boss man never goes anywhere without his bodyguards. By the way, did anybody see you sneaking in here?”
   
Ginger hesitated. “I don’t think so.”
   
Lily shook her head. “That isn’t good enough. You’re acting like an amateur. What you need is a pro.”
   
“Aren’t you one?”
   
“Whatever gave you that idea?”
   
“I’ve heard that the bad guys have a hands-off policy for this place. They leave you strictly alone.”
   
“Those whispers again?”
   
Ginger nodded her head.
   
“Whether that’s true or not, you’ve created a dilemma for me. I seem to have no choice but to help you.”
   
“Thank you,” Ginger said.
   
“For what? I haven’t done anything yet.”
   
“You will though.”
   
“Yes, I will,” Lily admitted. “Or die trying, but you need to understand I’ll be acting in my own best interests, too. If it comes down to a question of you or me, you’ll be on your own.”
   
“I don’t believe you.”
   
Lily shrugged her shoulders to show her complete indifference to what her supplicant believed. Then, without saying another word, she turned her back on the blonde and busied herself mixing a drink. When she’d finished, Lily set the alcoholic beverage on the bar. 
   
“Here. Drink this,” she said.
   
“Why?”
   
“To settle your nerves.”
   
“It won’t help.”
   
“Then drink it to settle my nerves,” Lily said.
   
“What do you mean by that?”
   
“Nothing sinister. Think of it as a demonstration of confidence. If you don’t trust me completely and without reservation, I won’t be able to help you. Now, will you drink up?”   
   
Ginger said, “I’d rather not.”
   
“Why did you come in here today?” Lily asked.
   
“I already told you.”
   
“So you did. Now, tell me what story you have prepared to tell the police about where you were this afternoon or, better yet, what excuse you’ll give your boyfriend’s thugs if they’re waiting outside for you.”
   
“I, uh... I don’t have one.”
   
“That’s what I thought. To play it safe, you need to get some alcohol on your breath before you leave. Now, drink up, or else I suggest you get out of here right this minute and take your chances that no one saw you coming in.”
   
Ginger took a gulp of the drink and swallowed hard.
   
Lily reached out her right hand and rested her fingertips lightly on Ginger’s hand that held the glass. “It’s okay to sip while we talk.”
     
“This isn’t half bad,” the blonde said, before again tilting the glass. This time she took a sip. “Not half bad,” she repeated.
   
Lily ignored the lukewarm compliment.
   
“Tell me about your boyfriend, Ginger. Where do the two of you get together for whatever it is you have going on?”
   
“At his home. He keeps one section of his house off limits to his wife and family. There’s a separate driveway and entrance. He tells them it’s to protect them from the criminal element he deals with on a daily basis, but the fact is he also wants to have a convenient place for trysts with his many mistresses. I’m not the first. I may not even be the only one he has right now.”
   
“Are you jealous of the others?”
   
“No! I only mention them because I’ve heard some of the earlier ones disappeared without a trace. If I’d known about that wrinkle earlier, I’d never have got involved with the man in the first place.”

“I don’t suppose you’ll tell me the source of your whispers.”   
   
“I’d rather not,” Ginger said.
   
Lily didn’t press her for details.
   
“Let’s get down to business then. You want me to help you pick out a parting gift for your boyfriend. Something that will surprise him and also make a lasting impression. Perhaps an in-your-face magnum.”        
   
Lily crooked an index finger, put the hook-shaped digit inside her mouth against her cheek, then removed the finger quickly to mimic the sound of a cork popping out of a bottle.”
   
Ginger flinched.
   
“Judging by your reaction, I take it you would prefer someone else deliver the present.”
   
“That’s right.”
   
“How would that someone gain access to the house?”
   
“There’s an electronic lock for the business entrance. The keypad is on the left side of the outer door.”
   
“Do you happen to know the access code?”
   
“Yes, it’s one-one-one-one.”
   
“How often is the code changed?”
   
“Never,” Ginger said.
   
Lily sighed. “Let me guess. That’s because your boyfriend thinks of himself as being number one in every way.”
   
“There’s that, of course, but I also suspect he’s a bit absentminded. Sometimes he calls me by the wrong name.”
   
Lily reached under the bar and pulled out a cell phone. 
   
“This is a throwaway phone. It’s for customers who want to make calls that won’t show up on the bills sent to their home. There should be enough minutes left for one last call.”
   
Ginger extended her hand.
   
“Not yet,” Lily told her. “First, I need to coach you on what to say. I hope you’re a quick study. What’s more, you don’t even know what number to call.”
   
“You mean I won’t be talking to my boyfriend?”
   
“No, you won’t.”
   
“Who then?”
   
“Nobody. You’ll leave a message on an answering machine. Never mind whose. Use as few words as possible. Simply give the name and address of your boyfriend. Ask that a magnum of champagne be delivered to that address as soon as possible. No card. Give the access code and the exact location of the keypad, and then hang up. Do not give your name or phone number. Do you understand?”
   
“Not really. Will I be talking in code?”
   
“No. You’ll be ordering an expensive gift for your boyfriend. Nothing more, nothing less. Only one thing will be out of the ordinary—on account of your excitement, or for some other unspecified reason, you’ll forget to give your name and your credit card number. So what? No harm, no foul. Ready?” 
   
Lily punched in some numbers and handed the phone to Ginger. “Wait for the beep.”
   
Ginger delivered the message and handed back the phone.
   
“Problem solved,” Lily said. 
   
“It can’t be that simple,” Ginger responded.
   
“It is though. Would you like me to explain?”
   
“Please.”
   
“Let’s assume there are many, many people who share your dislike for the boss of the South Side. Within that rather large group, there are surely some very powerful people who have both the means and the determination to avenge past wrongs, but they’re sadly lacking in opportunity. Suppose, too, that an innocent call to a liquor store somehow went astray. The message could have been picked up by the answering machine of a retail merchant who’s tired of paying protection, a vigilante, a rival gangster, a random crime victim, or maybe even the distraught father of one of the young women who disappeared. This is all hypothetical, of course, but there could be dire consequences for your boyfriend if the access code to his house fell into the wrong hands.”                  
   
“Now what?” Ginger asked.
   
“We wait for the evening news. I’ll turn on some music. Would you like another drink?”
   
“That’s why I’m here,” Ginger said.
   
Lily nodded her head once in approval then turned around to mix the drink.

Bio:

John H. Dromey has written short, humorous fillers (light verse, daffynitions, and one-liners) that have appeared in over one-hundred publications, including Grit, Reader’s Digest and The Wall Street Journal. He’s had short fiction published in Woman’s World (a mini-mystery), Six Word Story (SJ Rozan’s website), Flashshot, and several print anthologies.