Southern Cross the Dog by Bill Cheng Page A

silver across her temples, her full doughy breasts. She was strong. Powerful. Eli said something and Duke heard her laugh. That same laugh, he remembered. Full mouthed, full bodied—heavy and sticky and golden with sex.
    Duke cleared his throat.
    â€™Morning, he said.
    He crossed over and they both fell quiet. Duke clapped Eli on the shoulder, perhaps too roughly.
    I see you’ve found the place, all right.
    This is Miss Lucy, Eli said, standing.
    Yes, we’ve met before, Duke said.
    Lucy cocked her lovely head to the side. A curl of hair swung down in front of her face and she passed it back behind her ear.
    Have we?
    Some time ago, yes.
    Oh! Well, excuse me, she said. A lot of folks come through here.
    She held out her hand and Duke was suddenly aware of how sweaty his palms had become. He bent and kissed the back of her supple hand.
    Yes, Duke said, I can imagine.
    An uncomfortable look passed across the woman’s face and he realized he’d been staring at her a little too intensely. Duke averted his gaze.
    I hope Mr. Cutter here has not been giving you too much trouble, miss.
    Lucy laughed. No, no trouble at all.
    Mr. Cutter here is a person under my employ. A musician.
    Oh, she said and looked to Eli. He never said anything to me.
    I’m sure the old boy is just being humble. I’ll have you know that you’ve been acquainting with a genuine star. You see, he’s been waiting for me here these last few weeks, and it seems that we are finally reunited, isn’t that right, Eli?
    Yes, boss, Eli said. His voice was dumb, flat.
    Duke ran his hand across his nose to hide his anger.
    I’m impressed, Lucy said. I look forward to hearing him play one day, Mister—
    Augustus Duke, he said. He watched her face but if she recognized his name, she did not show it. He bowed to hide his disappointment, then straightened himself, the smile forced hard against his face.
    If you would indulge me for a moment, miss, I believe there’s something I’d like both of you to see.
    He walked them to the front of the house to where he’d left the car. The A-Model was well worn from hard travel. A skin of dust coated the walls, and the wheel wells were caked with mud. Across the top, the cabinet was covered in a canvas sheet and tied down with ropes. Duke could not hide his excitement. He and Eli unstrapped the thing, and together they lowered it down on the ground. Duke worked the slack of the canvas into his palms. With one hard yank, a cloud of dust kicked into the air. Lucy turned her head, covering her eyes and mouth.
    There it was. A small organ with large flat pedals at the base and what looked like knobs spaced above two rows of keys.
    That some kind of piano?, Lucy asked.
    It’s called a harmonium, miss, Duke said. It uses air and reeds instead of steel cables. The principles are essentially the same.
    Oh, she said.
    It looked to have been from before the flood. There was water damage to the body and the valves were still caked with river mud. Eli gingerly lifted up the fall board and a cluster of weevils frightened into the keys.
    Duke narrowed his eyes.
    Is there a problem, Mr. Cutter?
    Eli set the fall board back down and said nothing.
    Looks like it has seen better days, Mr. Duke, Lucy said.
    Some repairs will have to be made, of course, Duke said. But I’m sure if anyone can do it, me and Eli can. Well, come along, Eli, help me get this thing inside.
    Inside? That thing is not going inside my place, Lucy said. I keep a clean establishment, Mr. Duke. You’ll have to take it someplace else.
    Duke could feel the rush of heat in his cheeks.
    Eli cleared his throat. He looked at Lucy, his eyes still and staring, his mouth made into a firm hard line.
    Please, he said softly.
    Lucy shut her eyes and took a small breath.
    You can keep it in the yard, she said. Then she turned around and went inside.

    THE HOTEL KEPT ITS LIQUOR in a small storage room off the second-floor hall.