The Bootlegger Blues Read Free Page B

Grace" on his ribs. Come to think of it, Boney was also related to Angie's mother, twice removed from her grandfather's cousin. So these two met, Boney and Clyde, and god forbid if they didn't raise a whole batch of kids, one of whom was James.
    ANDREW:
    Wait a minute, wait a minute, that was Angie's father?
    MARTHA:
    He was no relation. Pay attention, Blue. He was adopted by Boney and Clyde cause his family couldn't take care of him. Now this was your father's cousin. So James ended up staying with Boney and Clyde and he eventually fell in love with Maggie and married her. Now Maggie is the aunt of Angie. See? Simple.
    ANDREW:
    ( Rubbing his temples ) We got any Tylenol?
    MARTHA:
    Bathroom, top shelf in the mirror.
    ANDREW:
    ( Dejected ) Cousins.
    MARTHA:
    Of course that's just the short version of the story.
    ANDREW:
    Oh well, it's back to the magazines.
    MARTHA:
    Pardon?
    ANDREW:
    Nothing, just a dream going up in smoke.
    MARTHA:
    That's nice, dear.
    There's a knock at the door.
    MARTHA:
    Biingen. [Come in.]
    David enters looking upset but perfectly dapper, as usual, in his designer jogging outfit.
    DAVID:
    ( Breathing deeply ) Martha …
    MARTHA:
    That's a very nice outfit, David. You always look so good.
    DAVID:
    It's my new jogging outfit. I bought one for Marianne too, if I can ever find her. I want her to try it on before I remove the tags. You see, Martha, image is everything. That daughter of yours doesn't seem to understand that. Nor does she realize the effects her emotional problems toward machines will have on my relationship with the band manager.
    Marianne enters the room, almost floating in.
    MARIANNE:
    Hello everybody.
DAVID:
    Do you mind telling me where you've been all this time? Huh? Do you?
    MARIANNE:
    Oh David, you're here. Nice outfit. Let me guess, you got me one too?
    DAVID:
    Can you guess where I've just been?
    MARIANNE:
    ( Looks at David's suit ) The circus?
    DAVID:
    The community center, Marianne. And do you know what I found there?
    MARIANNE:
    A dead body draped over the stove, with a knife deep in its back, and a cryptic message scrawled in blood.
    DAVID:
    A broken typewriter. The band's broken typewriter.
    MARIANNE:
    Maybe the dead guy was holding it when he was stabbed.
    DAVID:
    You, Marianne, will be the death of me yet.
    ANDREW:
    Lighten up, David, nobody dies from a broken typewriter.
    DAVID:
    They do when it's band property. Remember what happened to Fabian last year?
    MARIANNE:
    But that's different. You just don't decide to party in a cement mixer. That's stupid.
    ANDREW:
    He did end up as a damn good war memorial though. Where were you anyways?
    Martha slaps his arm urging him to be quiet and inconspicuous.
    MARTHA:
    Bzaanyaan. [Be quiet.]
    DAVID:
    Marianne, I think you need professional help. The band manager …
    MARIANNE:
    Professional help?! Hell, David, you need some serious partying help. Try singing a song or doing a dance once, you might like it. Do you know what your problem is, David? You need to live on the wild side for a while. Go crazy, put the pedal to the metal, go skinny dipping, try seeing a movie without reading two reviews first, or even, if you dare, try calling the band manager Frankie.
    DAVID:
    I did. Once.
    MARIANNE:
    When?
    DAVID:
    Remember last February when I got sent to Moose Factory for three weeks? Just before then.
    Marianne and Andrew laugh.
    DAVID:
    That's enough of this. Marianne Elizabeth, I demand to know who you were with.
    MARIANNE:
    I went for a drive.
    DAVID:
    But I had the car.
    MARIANNE:
    ( Dreamily ) Other people drive cars too, you know. Cars with balls, that still have a speedometer in miles, and seats that go down.
    DAVID:
    Do these people have names?
    MARIANNE:
    A friend named Noble.
    DAVID:
    Noble?! What kind of name is Noble?
    MARIANNE:
    He told me it's short for Noble Savage.
    DAVID:
    Noble Savage! How amusing. It's time to go home now, Marianne. I've invited the band manager over for dinner to better explain your problem with