Seduced By The Badge. Deborah Fletcher Mello

salad and some candied yams, baby! You plan to eat it here, or you want it to go?”

      “I actually need two plates,” he said, gesturing over his shoulder toward Danni. “And we’ll have a seat so you and I can catch up.”

      “That sounds like you want something, sunshine!”

      “Something,” he answered.

      Miss Nanette nodded. For a brief moment it seemed as if she were sizing him up, as if such was necessary. “How is that handsome father of yours?” she suddenly asked.

      Armstrong smiled. Amusement danced across his face, and Danni sensed there was something in the older woman’s question that only they understood. Armstrong finally answered. “He’s doing very well. And so is my mother. She’s good, too!”

      Miss Nanette laughed heartily and winked an eye at the man. She shifted her attention toward Danni. “What have I told you about picking up strays? Whose child is this?”

      Armstrong shrugged. “Don’t let her fool you, Miss Nanette. She’s not as young as she looks.”

      Miss Nanette’s eyes narrowed as she studied Danni intently. Her head bobbed ever so slightly before she spoke. “She’s too skinny. We’ll need to put some weight on her. Looks like she might blow away if the wind picked up.”

      * * *

      Danni smiled, a slight bend to her lips that Armstrong found beguiling. “I like your music,” she said, her voice soft like spun cotton.

      Miss Nanette smiled back. “You’ll like my cooking more.” She led them to the dining room, shooing three boys out of their seats. “Sit down and make yourselves comfortable. You want corn bread or a yeast roll?”

      “Corn bread,” Danni said.

      “Yeast roll,” Armstrong answered.

      Miss Nanette chuckled. “Sweet tea, baby girl?” she asked.

      Danni nodded.

      “Baby girl has some Southern roots. I heard it in that accent. The tea just confirmed it for me.”

      “I’ll have a glass of...” Armstrong started.

      “Boy, I know what you drink. Sit on down!”

      Armstrong grinned. “Yes, ma’am!”

      Armstrong pulled out a seat for Danni and then took the one beside her. There was an elderly man and a couple still seated at the table with them. The old man had drifted off to sleep, leaning so far forward that he looked like he might fall face-first into his empty plate. The couple were focused on their meal and each other, barely giving Armstrong, or Danni, a look.

      Armstrong spoke anyway. “How’s everyone doing this evening?”

      The younger man gave him a quick stare and a nod. “Good. How about yourself?”

      He nodded. “I’m good. Glad for a hot meal.”

      “Miss Nanette put her foot in this here supper!” the woman exclaimed. “Best potato salad this side of town!”

      “I’m a fan of her fried chicken,” Armstrong responded. “I come at least once a month to get me some.”

      The man shifted his gaze from Armstrong to Danni. “Your daughter doesn’t look like she gon’ eat much,” he said teasingly.

      Danni laughed as Armstrong rolled his eyes at her. Before he could respond, Miss Nanette swept back into the room with an oversize tray that held two plates loaded with food and two red plastic cups filled with drink. She placed both down in front of them, completing the setting with yellow paper napkins.

      “Eat up, baby girl. There’s seconds for you if you want,” Miss Nanette said as she placed a warm hand against Danni’s shoulder. “And I have some banana pudding for dessert, too.”

      “Thank you,” Danni said as she reached for the plastic fork. As the decadent aroma of the home cooking wafted up her nostrils, she suddenly realized she hadn’t eaten since breakfast and she was starved.

      The first taste of macaroni and cheese was orgasmic, the creamy cheddar thick and rich and loaded with flavor. It was an explosion of flavor against her tongue, and it was only when everyone around the table burst out laughing that Danni realized she’d moaned, a low purr escaping past her lips. She blushed profusely but kept eating. The fried chicken instantly became a favorite and, Danni and Armstrong both agreed, part of a necessary food group, as they licked the seasonings from their fingers. Minutes later there wasn’t anything left on either’s plate.

      * * *

      Armstrong was amazed at the amount of food the petite woman had been able to consume. She had a healthy appetite and clearly had no interest in hiding it. He found himself watching her, staring in anticipation of her saying or doing something that he didn’t want to miss. His response to the nearness of her had him feeling slightly out of sorts, and he found it disturbing. He shook his head, trying to wave the sensation away, and then he realized Miss Nanette was staring at them both. He smiled as the woman narrowed her gaze then shifted her attention back toward Danni.

      “You should own a restaurant,” Danni said as she finished her last spoonful of banana pudding. “This was wonderful!”

      Miss Nanette smiled. “This suits me just fine. I feed folks once, maybe twice each month. I get something out of it. They get something, and everyone’s happy.” She turned to face Armstrong. “So why don’t you tell me what you came here to get.”

      Armstrong looked over his shoulder. The crowd had thinned substantially. The old man was still sleeping soundly, having laid his head down onto the table, his plate pushed to the side. The couple was long gone. His voice dropped an octave. “We’re looking for someone. They call him Pius. I was hoping you might be able to give me a name or point me in his direction.”

      “Pius?”

      Armstrong nodded. “Do you know him?”

      Miss Nanette smiled. She rose from her seat and reached for all the empty plates. “Come help me in the kitchen. Bring your friend.”

      In the other room, she dropped the plates into a sink filled with soapy water. She extended a pair of rubber gloves toward Danni and pointed her index finger. “Earn your keep, baby,” she said. She spun to the other side of the room and pulled a plastic container from an upper cabinet. She moved back to the counter and filled it with what was left in a pan of banana pudding.

      Danni took a deep breath, shot Armstrong a look and then moved to wash the dishes that cluttered the sink.

      Armstrong laughed, stopping when Miss Nanette slapped him in the chest with a drying towel. He sputtered as the two women both giggled heartily. Minutes later, with the dishes washed and dried, Miss Nanette handed him the container of dessert. In return, he pulled a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet and pressed it into the older woman’s palm. “So, do you know this Pius?”

      “Alexander Balducci has a grandson. Paul Balducci. He’s been bad news since preschool. He’s coming up fast in the family business and fancies himself to be quite the kingpin. His mother used to call him her little priest. But that was wishful thinking on her part. In her mind, he was a good Catholic kid. The truth was his grandfather bailed him out every time he got into trouble—and he got into trouble a lot.”

      “Do you know who he runs with?” Armstrong asked.

      Miss Nanette shrugged. “If it helps, there’s a coffee shop on California Avenue that he and his associates are known to frequent,” she concluded. “They say he’s quite the Renaissance man. You might find him there.”

      “Thank you,” Armstrong said.

      “We really appreciate everything,” Danni added.

      Miss Nanette winked an eye at the young woman. “Be careful out there,” she said, staring directly at Danni. “Pius and his kind chew up pretty girls