Fat Tuesday(43)

When they reached Gregory's townhouse, he wheeled into the driveway and applied the brakes with such resolve that the car rocked to a halt.

Gregory reached for the door handle."Reluctant as I am to admit it, it was fun. See you around, Basile. But only if I'm very unlucky."

To his consternation, Burke got out of the car along with him and accompanied him up the brick walkway."I'm glad you had a good time.

Because you're not finished yet, Father Gregory."

Pinkie cut into his rare filet mignon."What's it called?"

K} Remy looked away from the blood-red juice oozing across his plate.

"Jenny's House. Named in honor of a three-year-old girl whose mother abandoned her. She was starving when they found her. They couldn't save her."

"That's incredible," Flarra exclaimed."In America, a nation of overweight people who spend fortunes dieting, a kid actually starved to death?"

"Horrible to think about, isn't it?"

Remy had carefully chosen a night when Flarra was joining them for dinner to broach this subject with Pinkie. She knew Flarra would rally to her side. Her sister was a crusader against any social injustice.

Pinkie swirled his stem of Merlot."This priest, Father?"

"Gregory," Remy supplied."He called and asked if he could meet with me to discuss the special needs of the facility."

"Needs, meaning money." She conceded with a nod."He said they're struggling financially to get Jenny's House open and operative."

"Places like that are always begging for donations. How come you're not eating?" he asked, motioning down at her plate.

"I'm not very hungry."

"Your appetite was spoiled by all this talk of starving little girls.

My wife, the soft touch." He reached across the table and stroked her hand."If it'll make you feel better, I'll have my secretary send Father Gregory a check tomorrow." "That's not good enough," she said, sliding her hand from beneath his.

"I want to become directly involved."

"You don't have time to become involved."

Believing that he'd put an end to it, he went back to his steak.

But Remy couldn't let the matter drop. This was more than just a need for a hobby. It was a spiritual matter. The priest had said, "Maybe if you did something to benefit children ..."

Jenny's House had been a direct answer to her prayers. She'd asked for an opportunity to atone, and it had come in the form of Father Gregory's telephone call this morning. If this is what God wanted her to do, not even Pinkie Duvall could deter her.

Keeping her voice casual, she said, "I have a i that aren't committed to anything else."

"I think it would be good for her, Pinkie," Flarra chimed in.

"She's been so despondent lately."

"I have not," Remy said.

"You've noticed, too?" Pinkie ignored Remy's protest and addressed Flarra.

She nodded, her black curls bouncing."For months she's been a real drag."

"Thank you."

"Well you have, Remy. It must be true if both I and my favorite brother-in-law noticed." She batted her eyelashes at him."May I please have some wine?" "No, you may not," Remy said, answering for him.

"Jeer, no public school. No boys. No wine. I might just as well live on Mars."

"Sister Beatrice would have a fit if we returned you to the convent tipsy."

"I bet Sister Be takes a nip on the sly. Can we talk about Mardi Gras?"

"Not tonight." Pinkie had let the conversation between her and Flarra go uninterrupted, Remy noticed. He was focused on her, and his hard scrutiny made her uneasy."What are you thinking, Pinkie?"

"I'm thinking how much I hate the idea of my wife rubbing elbows with riffraff."

"I don't even know what Father Gregory plans to propose," she argued.

"He may only want permission to add our name to their list of supporters, or to ask that we encourage our friends to contribute I won't know until I meet with him, but I'd really like to get involved in this project. At the very least, I'd like to personally present our check." few hours a week "Where is this new facility?"

"He didn't say specifically."

"Where did he propose the meeting take place?" "He said I could pick the place."

His index finger impatiently tapped against his wineglass."Why is this so important to you, Remy?"

How she answered was critical. For Pinkie to agree, he must hear something he liked."It's important to me because little Jenny didn't have a Pinkie Duvall appear in her life in time to save her. She wasn't as fortunate as Flarra and I." "That gives me goose bumps," Flarra said.

Pinkie relaxed and signaled Roman to refill his wineglass."All right, Remy, you may have your meeting. Here in the house. During the day."

"Thank you, Pinkie." "Cool," said Flarra.

Father Gregory hung up the pay telephone and turned to Burke.

"Their house, tomorrow afternoon."

During their previous conversation Father Gregory had given Mrs. Duvall the number of a telephone in the men's room of one of her husband's own strip joints. The sounds of bass instruments vibrated through the paper-thin walls.