Rat Catchers

Everybody Loves My Baby

"Like we said," she whispered. "We'll do it like we said."

#

Her father was there and her uncle Finn and her aunt Polly. All of them standing straight and proud, waiting for them.

Come on girls and cuddle near... Mister Changretta stopped walking, so Rose did, too. She tried to made up her mind where to look and settled on the middle button of her father's jacket. It was a compromise. She could look at him, without looking at him.

Something I want you to hear... Some of the guys went over and patted what was left of Rose's family down. One of them ripped her aunt's blouse open, but neither Tommy nor Finn did anything about it.

About someone that I hold dear, got to let it out... It was sad that she wouldn't get to apologise. Hopefully, they'd know she hadn't meant to ruin everything.

It's my daddy, can't you guess... Rose could see they were talking, but between the ocean and the music inside her, she couldn't hear a thing. It didn't matter. She didn't need to know.

Wild about him, I confess... She wanted so badly to look at her father's face. It wasn't a good idea, she wouldn't be able to keep it together if she did.

Does he love me, oh my yes... Mister Changretta was over there now, near her family, spreading papers out on a table.

Yeah, everybody loves my baby But my baby don't love nobody but me, nobody but me... Would he shoot her in the head or the heart? Probably the heart. It would look wild on her white dress...dramatic. Mister Changretta had a flair for the dramatic.

Oh, everybody wants my baby But my baby don't want nobody but me; that's plain to see... He flipped the table so suddenly that Rose jumped back a tiny bit and bumped into Mimo behind her. He very gently pushed her back into position.

He's completely sweetheart... Mister Changretta's back was heaving. Even though she couldn't see his face, Rose knew he was contorted with fury.

Honest, I ain't talking Greek... Her father knelt down. It brought his face right into Rose's line of vision and she was too slow to look away. For the briefest instance their eyes met. Tommy's jaw tightened and the ocean inside Rose turned into a tornado.

No one can come between us... Her father looked up at Mister Changretta, talking, signing things and talking as if they were both seated at the desk in the office.

I'm his Sheba, he's my Sheik... Once, when they were little, her uncle Finn had fired a gun by accident, right next to Rose's head and she'd not been able to hear properly for ages. There'd been a long, high-pitched tone. It had just gone on and on and on. It was back now. Really loud, much louder than it had been then.

Yes, everybody loves my baby But my baby love nobody but me... The room seemed to be tilting. Mister Changretta wheeled around and stared. At the guys. At Rose. He drew his gun and Rose, unwilling to wait even another second, took a step towards him.

Nobody but me... Rose's legs gave way. Like someone had cut the string on a marionette. She didn't feel any pain. She'd not heard a gunshot, but that didn't mean anything.

Rose lay on the floor and watched her father beat Mister Changretta. There was a lot of blood. His hair was everywhere.

The guys didn't interfere.

That was good.

Rose was a little impressed. Even though he was really, really copping it, Mister Changretta seemed determined to stay true to his word.

Otherwise someone would have shot her father already.

Rose wondered whether she would be leaving her body soon. Or whether her soul would just stay in it until they burned her in a vardo.

Or whether perhaps she wasn't dead yet. Not quite.

She wanted to look and see where she was bleeding...if there was a lot of blood yet...but she couldn't move.

But then, just then, her uncle Arthur was in the room. Storming in like an avenging angel. He pointed at Mister Changretta and Mister Changretta dropped dead.

Spectacular.

It would be orright now that her uncle Arthur was here. He'd show her what was what in the afterlife. Maybe they'd go haunting together.

Rose lay patiently, waiting for him to come and take her with him to wherever the dead stayed when they weren't messing with the living.

Her father was above her now. There was some blood on him, but it wasn't his. He was on the floor with her, lifting her in one arm, trying to sit her up, but she was too floppy.

He had his free hand on her cheek, in her hair, back on her cheek; his face was close to hers and she could see he was saying her name, or maybe even shouting it, but she couldn't hear.

He looked terrible. Sad and scared and terrible.

He was shaking her now, slapping her cheek.

Soon he'd stop and he'd put his hand over her eyes and close her lids for her. That would be nice, too. She'd have a bit of rest then.

Her uncle Arthur was there as well now and Finn and Polly...with massive effort Rose found her uncle Arthur's eyes and gave him what she hoped would count for a smile.

"Where d'we go now?"

It took her a couple of attempts to get it out.

Before Arthur could answer, a hand turned her face so Arthur was gone and there was only her father.

"Where d'you want to go, my little love?"

She could just hear him over all the white noise inside her.

"Rosie. Rose. Where d'you want to go, ay?"

She frowned up at him.

"Did you hear me?" she asked croakily.

"'course..."

He was so close, their noses were nearly touching.

"But...did you get killed, too?"

"What?"

He looked so worried. Like he'd no idea what was happening.

"It's orright..." she whispered. "We can be dead together."

"Rosie..."

"You and me..." Rose tried another smile "...and uncle Arthur...and..."

Tommy hoisted her higher, sitting her up with her back against his chest.

"No one's dead, Rosie." His voice was low and urgent and right by her ear. "Not you. Not me. Not your uncle Arthur."

"But-" Rose's breath hitched and she suddenly felt every tiny piece of her body alive with coursing blood. "But...I was ready."

She couldn't see her father's face like this, with her back to him, but she thought she could feel his mouth and nose on top of her head, burying into her hair. There was an odd noise, sort of like the sound people made when they snorted the white stuff.

"Come on," Tommy finally said with a rough sort of voice. "Let's go outside a bit, ay?"

As he carried her outside, Rose caught sight of Mister Changretta, face up on the ground in a puddle of blood and gin. All the other guys seemed to have disappeared.

She closed her eyes and buried her face against her father's neck.

"I was ready," she whispered. "I was...I promise. I was ready."