Bronx Requiem(129)

As they laid Packy to his final rest, Beck thought about that day at Port Authority, waiting for his friend who had never appeared. Not having been able to spend one second of Packy’s freedom with him, and knowing he would never see Packy again had caused a deep, permanent ache in Beck’s heart. Thankfully, some of that pain was assuaged when he gazed at the calm, statuesque Amelia standing at the grave site. They had saved her, Beck told himself. At least they had saved her.

In the safety of the Red Hook headquarters, they all continued caring for Amelia. Demarco took her shopping for clothes until she was outfitted to his satisfaction. They talked about makeup, hairstyles, movies, YA books, and the latest TV shows. Willie continued to watch over her. Manny tutored her. Ciro made her feel formidable and confident.

Beck separated Amelia from her Glock, explaining the risk it presented. He had his doctor friend Brandon Wright, gently and carefully do a thorough evaluation of Amelia’s health. The good doctor maintained doctor/patient confidentiality, but he let Beck know Amelia had not emerged from her life of abuse unscathed. Among other things she had contracted a common sexually transmitted disease that had to be attended to. She had several vitamin deficiencies, and had never received the immunizations and vaccinations she should have had as a child. The good doctor also discovered that Amelia needed glasses, which, of course, gave Demarco another reason to shop.

As they approached two months, Beck became anxious to get Amelia out of New York. There were still witnesses from Mount Hope Place. Jackson, Bondurant, and others were all awaiting trial, and there was always a possibility her name might come up in the ongoing investigations. He knew the farther away from him and the others she got, the safer she’d be.

Most important, Beck was determined to give Amelia a chance to live the life she deserved. To attend school regularly, to have a boyfriend, to simply be a teenage girl. It was time to guide Amelia on to the next phase of her life, even though it meant he would have to bear the loss of saying good-bye to her for a very long time.

Beck didn’t look forward to breaking the news to Amelia. She acted reserved around Beck, treating him as an authority figure, something akin to the father she’d never had. Nevertheless, they had fallen into the habit of sitting together at the bar downstairs while Beck read the morning paper and sipped his coffee. Sometimes Beck would talk about a piece of news he came across, or ask Amelia what she thought about a topic. But on the morning of July fifteenth, Beck cleared his throat, suppressed the emotion churning inside him, and said to Amelia, “I think it’s time.”

“For what?”

Beck found himself unable to answer.

Amelia pressed. “Time for what?”

He cleared his throat. “For you to meet someone.”

“Who?”

“A friend of mine.”

Amelia gave Beck a look. “You going to tell me what’s up, or make me be patient and wait until you’re ready to tell me what’s really going on?”

Beck put down his coffee cup, turned to Amelia, pleased at her perception and straightforwardness. He spoke to her calmly and carefully. He told her his thoughts, his concerns for her safety, his hopes for her future. He told her about Janice Elkins and about the restaurant/bar she now owned, although he didn’t tell Amelia how he had let Janice know she could buy the place from Edward Remsen at a good price because he needed cash for lawyers, and lent her the money to do so. He explained to Amelia that Janice Elkins needed help with her restaurant, and suggested Amelia might like working for her, and perhaps living with her in Ellenville, while she attended high school. He told Amelia about the demographics, the school system, all the information he had carefully studied and wanted her to know.

Amelia asked, “Why all the way up there?”

“We need to put some distance between you and New York City, Amelia. If something happens, it would be too easy for them to find you. And it seems like, everything considered, Ellenville might be a good place for you.”

Amelia didn’t argue. Beck didn’t try to sell her on his plan.

He told her it would be up to her. He asked her to try it out. Then explained how he had set up a trust fund for her from the sales of Eric Jackson’s properties, and how they would invest her money so she wouldn’t have to worry too much about supporting herself, or paying for college, or maybe even buying a house or starting a family someday. Beck knew these were things Amelia couldn’t quite grasp, but he spoke of them anyhow.

Finally, he explained to her that it would be safer for her to start out with a new name.

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Like what?”

“Well, we were thinking Amelia Jones. Alex already has it all set up. If you like it.”

“Jones?”

“It’s Demarco’s idea. What do you think?”

It was then that Amelia felt the depths of what had gone on between her and Beck and his men, and the bittersweet sting that came with knowing this brief, secure interlude in her life was about to end. Tears filled her eyes.

Beck patted her arm and tried to console her, even though he felt like he might cry, too. “Hey, c’mon. It’s because he loves you. We all do.”

She blinked back the tears, wiped her cheeks, and forced a smile. “I ain’t cryin’ just about the name. You know that.”

“I know.”