The Crooner: A Fool's Gold

By M.L. Lindberg

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• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 3, 2008
• ISBN: 9781469101941

M.L. Lindberg

Marvin Lindberg is an author of many books of fiction including the Crooner series, four books with Wayne Davis, a Texas private investigator as the central character. Mr. Lindberg lives in Racine, Wi.

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The Crooner

A Fool’s Gold

M.L. Lindberg

Copyright © 2008 by M.L. Lindberg.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

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Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

This book is dedicated to my sister, Betty Nicka

Chapter One

Al Nightengale is the owner of Romeo’s nightclub in downtown Chicago. He was awakened in the middle of the night by Protective Security, a company hired by Al to provide late-night security at Romeo’s.

Hello, this is Al. It’s three o’clock in the morning! This better be important.

Mr. Nightengale, you better get over to Romeo’s real quick. A water main broke, and there is water all over the place. I don’t have a key to get in the building, but I think you have considerable water damage.

Oh great, just what I need. Is anyone from the water department there yet?

Yes, they just arrived. They are trying to locate the water main break.

I’ll be right over. Thanks for calling.

Al quickly got dressed, and drove over to Romeo’s. He wanted to pull into the parking lot in the back of Romeo’s, but it was all sealed off by the water department.

Oh shit, there’s water everywhere, Al said to out loud, as he drove around the rear of the building. He located a City of Chicago worker who was waiting for him.

I’m Al Nightengale, the owner of the building. I’ve got the key. Do you need to go in?

Nice to meet you Al. I’m afraid we have a real mess on our hands. I need to get in the building and into the basement.

Al opened the door. There was water all over the floor. The service man explained that the water main break flooded the street near Romeo’s. The water entered into the building through the bottom of the doors. There was enough water in the building to totally soak everything.

We have to shut the electricity off Al. Where is the electrical box?

It’s at the foot of the stairs, over on the right.

I see it. You stay here. I don’t want you getting electrocuted. I’ll be right back.

The service man quickly went down into the basement and shut off the main electrical breaker coming into the building. He returned up the stairs, his flashlight providing the only light in the building.

Everything is off. It’s safe to walk around now if you want to inspect in the morning. Do you have a generator that you can use?

No, never had one.

I’d get one. You’ve got to get light and fans going in here right away. We’ve located the break, and the crew is now in the process of repairing it. It will probably take 12-14 hours to fix it. We’ll let you know when it is safe to use water or flush toilets. I have a couple of companies you can call to remove the water. They are very good. I wouldn’t rely on your staff or mister fix-it down the street. You don’t want a mold problem developing.

Thanks for the advice.

Al locked the door, and walked back to his car. He would have to close the club down. He had thought about replacing the carpet throughout the building anyway, as it was getting a little old, and even a little musty smelling in spots, from the many spills over the years. Now was a good time to do it.

Romeo’s is a restaurant and lounge. Morey Ames is the headline singer there. Morey and the rest of the band members, Pete, Sam, and Mike, as well as the entire staff of the restaurant would have to be notified right away.

Al arrived back home, and immediately went over to the phone. He dialed Morey’s number.

Morey, this is Al. Sorry to wake you so early, but we had a water main break in front of the club. We have considerable water damage in the restaurant and the lounge. I was over there a little while ago. The bad news is we are going to have to close the club for awhile. I’m guessing it’s going to be a couple of weeks.

Not good news Al.

I got a call from the security guy about three o’clock. The water crew was over there already when I got there. We had to go into the building and shut off the electrical power. I’ve got to get an electrical contractor over right away to check on the wiring. I’ve got to call Pete and our two managers. I’ll have them call everyone else. Can you come over to Romeo’s at about noon today?

Oh yes, I’ll be there Al.

See you then.

Sally, Morey’s wife, couldn’t help but overhear the conversation, and by this time was standing right next to Morey.

Morey, what happened?

We had a water main break at Romeo’s. The club is going to shut down for awhile. There is water damage in the lounge. I’m going to meet Al and the band at noon over there. I’ll know more details then.

Oh, that’s terrible news. You know, that area of Chicago has had its share of water main breaks. I think the sewer and water system is the oldest in Chicago. I’m sure Al is beside himself.

He didn’t sound like he was in a very good mood. He wants me to come over to talk about the situation. I’m sure we will be getting a short vacation.

I feel sorry for Al, said a sympathetic Sally. You have enough problems running a restaurant, and then something like this happens. But look on the bright side. It’s not like Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans. Can you imagine being flooded out like they were? That was not just one or two businesses, but the entire city.

Yes, Al knows he’ll be up and running in a couple of weeks. I’m sure the insurance will probably cover the damage.

Morey, tell Al to get rid of that carpet right away. The sooner someone comes in to rip it out of there, the less problems with mold or mildew. I’m off to work. I’ll see you later sweetie.

Oh, before you leave Sally, it does look like I’m going to have some time off. Why don’t you try to arrange a few days off for yourself? We’re about due for a little vacation anyway, don’t you think?

Now that’s a great idea. We haven’t had a vacation since Door County. What do you think: Paris, London, Hawaii? I would love to go to Paris, wouldn’t you?

Yes I would, but I don’t know if we would have enough time. Anyway, think about it at work. My guess is I’ll have the next couple of weekends off.

Oh great, I mean, not for Al. I mean we can have a little vacation together. Now Morey, don’t let Al con you into helping clean the place up. I don’t want you to get sick, or hurt your back. Promise me.

Oh don’t worry Sally. I won’t let him do that. I don’t get paid to do that.

Now you’re talking. I’ll see you later dear.

Sally kissed Morey goodbye, and went over to Sally’s Restaurant. Morey sat down at the kitchen table, made himself a cup of coffee, and started reading the morning paper.

The paper featured a travel section. There was an article on Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, as a popular destination for Illinois people. Many of Chicago’s wealthiest people, in years gone by, would come up to Wisconsin and spend a few days in Lake Geneva. Morey had just purchased a 25 foot Bayliner, and was anxious to try his boat on a lake. This might be a great place to do it.

Morey arrived at Romeo’s at noon. Al was inside, inspecting the damage. The other band members: Pete, Sam and Mike had already arrived.

Hi Morey, said Pete, as Morey slowly walked into the lounge area. What a mess, huh?

Oh God, what a mess is right! The entire carpet is soaked. It is safe to walk, right?

Yeah, all the electricity is turned off.

Al spotted Morey walking in, and immediately walked over to where he and Pete were standing.

Isn’t it amazing what a little water can do?

Al, said Morey excitedly, have you contacted anyone about cleaning up?

Yeah, there is a company that’s coming by this afternoon. They handle everything. They’re like a general contractor. They even deal with my insurance company on all the details. I was really relieved after I got off the phone with them. They told me not to worry about a thing. They said that they will call the insurance adjuster and will come to a meeting of the minds today. He also told me not to do anything. They don’t want injuries on top of the damage.

Oh great Al, said Sam, laughing. I was thinking you’d want us to help clean up.

No, I don’t want any of the help doing anything right now. The restaurant and lounge will be shut down for at least two weeks. The adjuster told me that two weeks is a pretty normal time for these kinds of situations. By tomorrow, they will have all the carpeting out, and start the process of drying everything out.

So Al, we won’t be performing the following two weekends? said Pete.

You got it. I’m shooting for re-opening two weeks from today. None of you do anything until Pete calls a rehearsal. What do you say Pete?

Let’s have a rehearsal in two weeks then.

Sounds fine to me Pete, said Al. I’ll see you all in two weeks then. Have fun on your vacation.

We’re all about due anyway Al, said Mike, the drummer.

You know Mike, I think you’re right. The only person not getting a vacation is Al, added Pete.

Don’t worry, said Al, I’m taking a few days off myself. I’m not going to get in the way of the workers

Good for you Al, said Morey.

Oh, here’s the insurance guy. I’ll see you in two weeks then. Don’t forget to come back, said Al, with a little laughter in his voice, or I may have to go over to House of Blues, and hire some of their performers.

Morey had made several phone calls to Lake Geneva motels by the time Sally arrived home for supper. He wasn’t sure how Sally would take the news of going to Lake Geneva. He thought he would show her the article on Lake Geneva, and perhaps she would convince herself.

Hi sweetheart, said Sally, as she walked into the kitchen. How is Al doing?

He seems to be taking everything in stride. He’s got a company handling the whole thing for him, so he’s a little more relaxed. He gave the band the next two week-ends off.

That’s kind of what I thought. Most restaurants, when they get this kind of water damage, shut down for a couple of weeks at least.

Sally, I was reading today’s paper. There’s an interesting article on Lake Geneva. Why don’t you sit and relax. I’ve got supper already going. You serve people all day, so I’m going to serve you tonight.

Oh, you are such a sweetheart. What’s for supper?

Spaghetti and meat-balls.

Oh, how creative, said Sally, with that humorous giggle in her voice. No, really Morey, the last time you made it, it was really good. Sophie must have given you some tips at Romeo’s.

Sophie is the mother of Al, and the head chef at Romeo’s. Romeo’s specializes in Italian food. Every so often Morey would wander into the kitchen, and just talk with Sophie. She has been known to give him some cooking tips. Sally had a great deal of respect for her.

Well, to tell you the truth dear, Sophie did give me a couple of pointers about her marinara sauce. She told me to put lots of garlic and virgin olive oil, with just a little anchovy.

O-o-o, trade secrets, said Sally as she took the paper and sat down in the chair.

She began reading the article on Lake Geneva, just as Morey hoped she would. She seemed to be very absorbed in her reading, as she didn’t utter a word.

Supper’s ready Sally.

Morey, that was an interesting article on Lake Geneva. You know, I never realized that so many Chicagoans went down there. Even the Wrigley family built a mansion on the lake there. Many of Chicago’s wealthy families have built homes there. That would be interesting to go there sometime.

How would you like to go there now? said Morey, as he passed the pasta to Sally.

Now?

Yes, now.

Well, I guess. I’ve already said something to Julie about us taking a few days off. She was shocked when I told her about Romeo’s. But she has already agreed to manage the place while I’m gone.

Sally, that’s great. When do you think you can get away?

Tomorrow the restaurant is closed. I’ll go in and make the schedule out for the next two weeks. I’ll let Julie know tonight. We can leave on Wednesday if you want.

To Lake Geneva?

Yes, to Lake Geneva.

Great, I’ll make a few calls to get reservations.

Morey was proud of himself the way he convinced Sally into going to Lake Geneva. He just gave her the article, and she was persuaded. He conveniently didn’t tell her that he had already made a few calls about motels.

They finished their supper. Sally washed the dishes and Morey dried them.

Morey, I’ve got a great idea.

What’s that sweetheart?

Let’s go to a bed and breakfast.

You want to do that?

Yes, I’ve never done that before. It sounds like real fun.

I was thinking about a motel with a pier for my new boat.

Maybe we can find a B & B on the lake?

Well, we can try. I’ll start calling right away.

Morey wasn’t exactly thrilled about the bed and breakfast idea. A friend of his in St. Louis had told him about his experience. It didn’t sound all that great to Morey. Morey liked the idea of being anonymous in a motel, coming and going as you please. But if Sally was determined to do this, he would go along with it. After all, it was his idea to go to Lake Geneva. He would let her have her choice of lodging.

Sally, I think I’ll go on the internet. That might be the fastest way.

"Good idea. Let me know when you come up with something. I’m going