Cover-Up Story by Marian Babson Page A

white, but stood his ground.
    â€˜What did you say?’ Bart demanded dangerously.
    â€˜You heard me.’ Sam’s voice was almost steady. ‘I told you before that that number shouldn’t be played for laughs. Now I’ve proved it. From here on in, she warbles it straight. And the devil with the laughs.’
    â€˜Maybe you still ain’t got the picture,’ Black Bart said softly, still dangerously. ‘She’s here for laughs. Look at her – you think any man’s gonna look at her and not laugh?’
    Lou-Ann rose, with terrible eagerness. ‘I told him, Bart. I said I didn’t want to do anything that wasn’t funny.’
    â€˜You want the song to stay in –’ Bart ignored her, still glaring at Sam – ‘then I’ll sing it. It goes better with my image, anyhow.’
    â€˜I don’t know.’ Maw Cooney seemed to be tired of living, too. She came forward slowly to face Bart. ‘The audience liked it. ’Course, they always go crazy for Lou-Ann, but this was something special. They –’ she lowered her voice into an awed, hushed tone – ‘they really loved her. Maybe we ought to keep it in like that.’
    There was a slight scrabbling noise, like rats abandoning ship, as the Cousins edged back against the wall. Bart took it quite mildly, for him. ‘You think so, huh? Who told you you could think? I built this act, what I say goes. Just remember – none of you would be nothing, if it wasn’t for me.’
    â€˜I don’t know about that.’ Maw Cooney’s jaw set in a stubborn line. ‘ You just remember a few things, yourself. Lou-Ann was pretty famous before you ever came on the scene. So you needn’t think you’re the big shot who’s done it all. I tell you, you wouldn’t be where you are today if you’d had to play the Nashville Circuit all by your lonesome. An’ that ain’t all –’
    â€˜Maw, Maw.’ Lou-Ann was tugging at her sleeve anxiously. Perhaps she really loved the old bat – the silver cord was a wonderful thing. At any rate, she seemed concerned to stop Maw Cooney’s tirade before Black Bart reached out those big hands that were twitching at his side and knotted them around Maw Cooney’s neck. ‘Let it go, Maw. Just forget it.’
    â€˜I ain’t gonna forget it.’ But Maw Cooney let herself be pulled back a couple of steps. ‘You’re too easy-going, my girl, that’s your trouble. I don’t know where you’d be, if you didn’t have me to look out for your interests.’
    â€˜Better off.’ But I was the only one to hear Sam’s low murmur. Black Bart, head turning restlessly from side to side, had spotted a new vent for his anger. Uncle No’ccount and Crystal were trying to slip out of the door before he got around to raging at the rest of them. They didn’t quite make it.
    â€˜You come back here,’ he yelled. ‘Where in hell do you think you’re sneaking off to?’
    â€˜Nowhere, Bart.’ Crystal halted in the doorway, hovering there. ‘Just thought we’d like a little breath of fresh air, that’s all.’
    â€˜There’s plenty of air right here. Get back and sit down.’ He glared at her while she came back into the room. Nasty grins broke out like a rash across the faces of the Cousins.
    Uncle No’ccount still hovered in the doorway. ‘I oughta go get some work done,’ he said. ‘You don’t want me, do you, Bart?’
    â€˜Hell, I don’t want none of you,’ Bart snarled. ‘But I’m stuck with you.’ He swung back suddenly and caught up his big sombrero from the back of the chair, then grabbed Crystal by the wrist and thrust her towards the door.
    â€˜Okay,’ he said, ‘I’ll give you some fresh air. Come on, we’ll walk back to the hotel.’
    There seemed to be a lot more