The two men eyed each other. Sirocco had perhaps an inch on Rhodes’ own six feet one and weighed a good twenty pounds more than Rhodes. Sirocco put out his hand and Rhodes took it.
“I’ve heard good things about you, Chief,” Sirocco said. “I asked Commander Rudd about the Chief of the Boat yesterday and he talked for twenty minutes about you. I hope you’ll give me the benefit of your knowledge and experience when I draw up the Watch Quarter and Station Bills and in all other matters?”
“I’ll do my best, sir,” Rhodes said. “Welcome aboard.”
“One other thing,” Sirocco said. “I’d like to come out to the hotel and meet the other Chiefs and the leading petty officers. At your convenience, of course. If you would do so, please get in touch with me through Commander Rudd’s office.”
“I will do that, sir,” Rhodes said. Grilley turned to Joe Sirocco.
“We were all going out to my house for coffee and doughnuts, sir. My wife makes the best doughnuts you ever broke a molar on. I’d be honored if you’d join us?”
“I’d like that,” Sirocco said.
“It’s a shame we can’t go aboard Mako,” Bob Edge said. “She’s a great ship! But the word is that we can’t go aboard until sometime tomorrow.”
“I was aboard last night,” Sirocco said slowly. “With Captain Mealey and the Chief of Staff.” Mako’s officers bunched around Sirocco, their eyes questioning.
“Was it messy?” Edge asked.
“Very,” Sirocco said. “Inside the Conning Tower and later, in Captain Severn’s office.”
Rhodes caught up with Barber and Hendershot as they were getting into Barber’s car.
“Can you give me a lift home, John?” Rhodes said. “June drove me here but she had to get back to the house right away.”
“You hear how Simms spit out that word ‘Reserve’ when the new Exec said he was a feather merchant?” Barber said as he started his car. “That man Simms is about to pop his relief valves! He could be a problem for me, for you, for the new Exec and the Captain this next patrol.”
“He’s already a problem,” Rhodes said. “What I’m going to tell you goes no farther than you two. Reason June had to go home is that Mary Simms called her last night from a drug store and June drove over and got her. She was crying when June got her to our house. Simms slapped her around pretty hard, I guess. June was up all night.”
“He break anything on her?” Barber said. “Mark her up any?”
“Not where any can see it,” Rhodes answered. “June said both her breasts are bruised and she’s got some black and blue marks on her stomach and ribs.”
“He must of found out she was puttin’ out to that civilian,” Barber grunted. He slowed for a sailor weaving down the street.
“I don’t know,” Rhodes said. “June told me she asked her that pointblank and Mary Simms said that all he, all Simms said when he was slapping her around was that she was a lousy housekeeper. I don’t know if he knows about the civilian or not. I don’t think so.”
“He knows,” Hendershot growled. “He’s gotta know. He’s done the same thing too many times himself when he was single and after he got married. He’s a tom cat, always been.
“He even tried to make the radioman’s wife, what’s her name? Yeah. Samantha. Samantha Aaron. Hell of a pretty girl. He tried it when we were on the East Coast; it was just before we went to sea.”
“Why didn’t you tell me if you knew that?” Rhodes asked.
“No need to, Dusty. You had a lot on your mind then and old Aaron handled it real good. He didn’t need any help. One of my electricians was down in the engine room flats checking out the light circuits and he heard Aaron take on Simms right above him, in the Engine Room.
“My guy said Aaron was very polite. Said he figured that Mr. Simms had mistaken his wife for one of the town girls. Said he could forgive that kind of mistake and the language Simms had used because his religion taught him to forgive honest mistakes. Simms tried to bluster it out but my guy said Aaron cut him off short and said he was glad it was a mistake because if his wife had been dishonored he would have had to kill the man who dishonored her! From what my guy said Simms was doing a shuffle on those deck plates, almost shitting in his pants!
“That Aaron could do what he said, too. He’s big enough to pull a gang plow through a rocky field. I don’t like being around those religious types when they get their dander up! I want to be on the other side of a thick brick wall and when they bust through the wall I want to have a machine gun handy!
“No, I’d say that Simms knows that someone else been plowin’ in his field. He knows the routine. You said he didn’t hit her where it would show? That sort of proves it. That man’s got a mean streak in him a yard wide.”
Rhodes was whistling a tuneless tune. He stopped and took a deep breath.
“If he’s got that eating at him and if he’s eating his guts out over not being the new Exec it could mean a lot of trouble this patrol. And if the Chief of Staff made the assignment of this dude Sirocco then it means that the Chief of Staff was taking a dig at Simms. He ain’t going to be easy to live with.” He paused, “Either of you people know anything about this Sirocco?”
“When I heard he was the new Number Two I called a Chief I know was on the Gudgeon first two war patrols,” Barber said. “This Sirocco was sent to Gudgeon before the war as a sort of Reserve super-cargo. He made two runs on Gudgeon, good runs, too.
“This Chief, Masters is his name, I had him when he was a first class, good dude; he said that Sirocco is one helluva smart dude. Very easygoing until you fuck up and then it’s Katy-bar-the-door! Sirocco’s a big old boy, isn’t he? Bigger’n you are, Dusty. Got a face looks like it came through a cement mixer!”
“You people want to have coffee at my place?” Rhodes asked.
“Not if Mary Simms is there,” Barber said. “I’ll drive Hindu out to the hotel and then I’m goin’ home. What the hell you gonna do with Mary Simms, Dusty?”
“Me? Nothing. That’s June’s department. She’s got her own ways. She sat down last night in the room where she put Mary to sleep, she fed her some warm milk with something in it to make her go to sleep. She sat down on the floor and began to meditate. She says she talks to the old gods of her fathers. I woke up about four and got up and looked for her and she was still sitting there on the floor in the room. Her lips were moving but I couldn’t hear what she was saying so I got the hell out and went back to bed. She’ll handle the thing her own way.”
“Sounds spooky,” Hendershot said.
“I used to think it was spooky but I don’t anymore,” Rhodes said. “I’ve seen her come up with the right answers to all sorts of problems I didn’t know how to tackle.” He peered through the windshield.
“There’s young Gordy. Better stop, John. I’ll get out here.” He got out of the car and walked toward his older son.
“Mom says to tell you that she put your dungarees and tennis shoes in the car,” the boy said. “I got the bat and the mitts and a baseball and we’re supposed to go over to the playground. Alan is in the car. You can change clothes in the head at the playground. Mom gave me the car keys. Can I drive the car here, where you are, Dad? I’ll be careful.”
Rhodes nodded. “You may. Remember to let the engine warm up a little before you put it in gear.” The boy started to race away and then stopped and came back.
“I almost forgot. Mom says chow is at eighteen hundred and we should be home in time to take a shower. Mrs. Simms will be gone by then, sir.”
“Orders received and acknowledged,” Rhodes said gravely.