Chapter 29

After a furious fallout with Charlie, Birdie finds Charlie’s ledger and is shocked by the multifaceted plan to monetize the house. Garnett’s push to revoke Meg’s placement convinces Birdie to reconsider, seeing the brothel front as their only quick path to saving the house.

When Charlie and Flossy try to leave for Byhalia, Birdie stops them. Birdie allows a dance-club front but forbids Charlie from visiting Meg, promising to contact the adoptive parents herself. Charlie insists Birdie take a full share if she is in at all; Birdie grudgingly agrees.

They immediately plan hiring. Over a sparse meal, Flossy outlines necessities, warns about Anti-Vice crackdowns, and stresses medical testing. Charlie aims to open within a week and to use all rooms if needed. They settle on placing a coded classified ad across neighboring counties—avoiding Lafayette—to draw desperate applicants quickly.

With Garnett’s threat hovering, they conceal identities and risks. Flossy learns Garnett’s name and role and braces for trouble, while Charlie focuses on speed: upfront fees, private phone later, and doctor testing first.

The next day, a party-line telephone is installed, creating both opportunity and eavesdropping risk. While Flossy files the ad and Charlie does chores, Birdie secretly calls Byhalia, reaches a woman at the Heidelberg residence, and requests a callback from Lucille Heidelberg to discreetly learn if Garnett has contacted them about reclaiming Meg.