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Authors: Mary Daheim

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Judith sat down and put an arm around her cousin. “Good grief! What happened?”

Renie sighed. “Since it's our last day here, I thought I'd try the Black Leopard dollar machines. They were really paying off, so it was hard to find one that was open. I finally did, and on the first try, I hit a three-hundred-dollar jackpot. My nemesis was right behind me, claiming it was her machine and that she'd just gotten up to get change. That's when we got into it.”

“She had her jacket over the back of the chair to reserve the machine,” Bill pointed out, no doubt for the third or fourth time.

“I didn't see the damned jacket,” Renie retorted. “Besides, it's a no-no to do that in most casinos.”

“Who won?” Joe asked.

“I did,” Renie said with an air of satisfaction. “Security came over, in the form of Amos Littlebird. I guess after all that's happened with our party, he has a soft spot for us. Anyway, he broke up the fight after I busted the old bat's glasses, and now she's going to get charged with attempted homicide.”

“What?” Judith was incredulous.

Renie, who had put the sunglasses back on, smirked. “On a crazy whim, I accused her of trying to run us down in the parking garage and dropping that sandbag from the catwalk. She admitted it, and said she was damned sorry she missed me. Bill figures her for a nutcase. I think she's just a jerk.”

Joe raised his glass of Scotch, which had just arrived. “To Serena Jones, world featherweight champ.”

“Here, here,” Renie echoed, then paused. “Hey—what about my taffeta skirt? Was that really blood on it?”

“Fake blood,” Joe replied. “It'll come out. You must have run into Grisly. She impersonated Sally in the first part of the saber illusion. They had to wrap Sally in the cape to move her into the Corvette. Grisly couldn't impersonate Sally for the conclusion. She doesn't have the figure for it, so they put one of the mannequins in the cabinet and brought the curtain down fast. They also had a mannequin of Freddy and one of Micki, in case she had to stand in for Sally.”

“So,” Judith mused, “the redheaded mannequin was placed in the 'Vette just to add to my confusion?”

Joe nodded. “They didn't need a power failure for that. They did it in the wee small hours when the casino was virtually empty.”

Judith's dark eyes narrowed. “What about that threatening note in my purse?”

Joe looked sheepish. “I did that.”

“No!” Judith burst out. “That wasn't your handwriting!”

“It looked odd because I wrote it when the lights went out in the coffee shop and put it in your purse while you were sitting with Lloyd Watts.”

“You twit,” Judith said, but she lacked the energy to be angry. “It certainly was an elaborate hoax.”

“Lloyd thought up most of the plan,” Joe said. “The Mandolini gang loved doing it. They really threw themselves into their parts.”

“Indeed,” she noted archly. “So what were you all doing at the sheriff's office yesterday?”

“We weren't at the sheriff's office,” Joe replied, the gold flecks dancing in his green eyes. “We were playing poker in one of the meeting rooms on the second floor. I won two hundred bucks. Speaking of winning, when do you want to show me who you thought killed Sally and Micki?”

“Uh…” Judith grimaced. “Is that necessary? It was all a big joke, right? The bet's not a real bet.”

“A bet's a bet.” Joe was adamant. “With all your experience, you could have figured out that the so-called murders were a prank. Let's face it, from what I could tell, you never ever had a handle on the case. Coming up against all those dead ends should have made you think twice about what was real and what was not.”

Judith's mouth was in a tight line.

“The main thing,” Joe went on, “is that by not guessing correctly, you've agreed to stop getting mixed up in murders. Recent involvement notwithstanding.”

Judith got up from her chair. “All right. Let's get it over with. If we don't, I'll lose my appetite.”

Joe also rose from the table. He glanced at Bill and Renie. “You coming?”

Renie shook her head. “I want to try to read my favorite literature—the menu.”

Bill said he'd stay with Renie to help her.

Five minutes later, the Flynns were at the cashier's window on the casino floor. Dolly was on duty, agog when she recognized Judith.

“Oh, sweetie, I heard about what happened to you last night!” Dolly exclaimed. “Are you sure you're okay?”

“I'm fine, thanks,” Judith replied, handing over her receipt.

Dolly leaned closer, looking at Joe. “So this is Mr. Flynn?”

“It always has been.” Joe smiled.

Dolly let out a gusty laugh. “Okay, be right back.”

Judith and Joe waited in silence. She looked grim; he seemed smug.

Dolly returned, holding four envelopes. “This morning, Mrs. Jones asked me to put her envelope with yours. I assume you wanted everything out of the safe?”

“Ah…” Judith winced. “Yes, I guess so. We're checking out tomorrow.”

Joe eyed the envelopes. “Don't tell me you made four guesses. That's cheating.”

“No,” Judith replied, then thanked Dolly, who wished the Flynns good luck. “I had some windfalls,” Judith remarked as they walked away. “Shall I show you the name now?”

Joe suggested that they return to the Johnny-Jump
Up Room. “You should do it front of the Joneses,” he said, heading for the elevators. “That way, if you lose your mind over the bet, Bill can help you.”

“Very funny.”

“What about those other envelopes?” Joe inquired as they waited for the express elevator that went straight to the penthouse restaurant.

“They're a surprise for after we get home,” Judith replied. “A good surprise.”

Joe looked curious, but didn't badger Judith further. By the time they rejoined Renie and Bill, a waiter was serving various appetizers.

“Well?” Renie asked. “Did she or didn't she?”

“We'll soon find out,” Joe said, sitting down again.

Judith handed the envelope to Joe. “You open it.”

“Okay.” His movements were deliberately slow. When he finally read what was on the slip of paper, his jaw dropped. “I don't believe it. You win.”

Judith stared. “What?”

“I don't know
how
you did it. You seemed as amazed as anyone when Sally and Micki were restored to life.”

“I was,” Judith answered with a frown. “But what has—”

“Stop the suspense. Either read it aloud or give it to us.” Renie lunged at Joe.

He held the slip of paper just out of Renie's reach. “Okay.” Joe cleared his throat. “My lovely bride has written, ‘It'sNobodyAtAll.'”

Judith looked as stunned as Bill and Renie. “I did? I mean, I
did
write that down.” Feeling her cheeks grow warm as she remembered making a notation of the long shot that had won her big bucks, Judith turned to Renie. “You wanted me to…er…ah…mmm…”

“Yes,” Renie intervened. “I wanted you to do that. You win.”

Joe was shaking his head. “I can't believe it.”

Judith was rummaging in her purse. “I need lipstick,” she said in a strained voice. Sure enough, when she delved deep enough she could see another slip of hotel paper. She left it in her purse, but she could see the name she'd written: “Freddy Polson.” As she took out her lipstick and compact, she couldn't believe she'd put the wrong note in the safe. Except for Renie, nobody would ever know of the mistake. Judith couldn't resist smiling into the compact's mirror.

 

Joe and Bill were herding the old ladies and the luggage. Judith and Renie were checking out. Judith looked over the room charges and shook her head.

“I'm sorry,” she said to the desk clerk whose name tag identified her as “Willow Windrush,” “but there's a mistake for the Grover room. What's this eight hundred and fifty-six dollar charge for?”

Willow examined the bill. “It's for keno games,” she said. “See the symbol next to it? HTVK stands for ‘House Television Keno.'”

“Good grief!” Judith cried. “I forgot all about Mother playing keno!”

Willow again pointed to the charge. “She won a few. There's a thirty-dollar credit.”

“Great.” Judith signed off. At least her winnings of $5,800 would cover it, though she knew she needed every cent to pay for the new furnace and the overrun costs at Hillside Manor. At least the keno games had kept her mother occupied.

It was drizzling as Judith and Renie went out to meet their husbands and mothers. The old ladies were
being loaded into the Camry and the Subaru. Judith decided not to say anything to Gertrude about her gambling losses. What was done was history.

Bob Bearclaw was wishing the old girls a safe trip. He turned when he saw Judith and tipped his cap. “You're a brave woman. May the wind always blow in your favor. But,” he added, taking Judith's hand, “be careful. Evil exists.”

“I know,” Judith said, squeezing Bob's fingers. “Thank you. You saved my life.”

Bob didn't respond. Instead, he looked into Judith's eyes as if he were trying to impart some of his own wisdom to her.

As she walked away to get into the Subaru, she heard the sound of a bird somewhere in the trees. It wasn't the flicker, but a songbird. Judith glanced up into the branches of a tall hemlock. She recognized the bright yellow coloring and black wings. The bird was a goldfinch.

Then she saw Joe standing by the car. There was love in his green eyes with their golden flecks. Magic eyes, Judith always called them.

Not everything in life was an illusion.

About the Author

Seattle native
MARY DAHEIM
worked on smalltown newspapers and in corporate public relations after graduating from the University of Washington�s School of Communications. But her goal was to write fiction, and she began publishing the Bed-and-Breakfast series in 1991, adding the Alpine mysteries a year later. She lives in Seattle with her husband, David Daheim, and they have three grown daughters. Daheim received the Pacific Northwest Writers Association 2000 Achievement Award �for distinguished professional achievement and for enhancing the stature of the Northwest literary community.�

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

Praise
for
MARY
DAHEIM's
BED-AND-BREAKFAST MYSTERIES

“DELIGHTFUL.”

Kansas City Star

“Like Joan Hess' Maggody series, Daheim's bed-and-breakfast mysteries show a funny and often stinging insight into people's relationships and behavior.”

Houston Chronicle

“Mary Daheim is one of the brightest stars.”

Seattle Times

“A SUPERIOR AND WELL-ESTABLISHED SERIES.”

Statesman Journal
(OR)

“Judith and Renie are sleuths to treasure.”

Carolyn Hart

“A JOYOUS SERIES.”

Romantic Times

“If you're not familiar with award-winning author Mary Daheim, become so.”

I Love a Mystery

Bed-and-Breakfast Mysteries by
Mary Daheim

H
OCUS
C
ROAKUS

S
ILVER
S
CREAM

S
UTURE
S
ELF

A S
TREETCAR
N
AMED
E
XPIRE

C
REEPS
S
UZETTE

L
EGS
B
ENEDICT

S
NOW
P
LACE TO
D
IE

W
ED AND
B
URIED

S
EPTEMBER
M
OURN

N
UTTY AS A
F
RUITCAKE

A
UNTIE
M
AYHEM

M
URDER
, M
Y
S
UITE

M
AJOR
V
ICES

A F
IT OF
T
EMPERA

B
ANTAM OF THE
O
PERA

D
UNE TO
D
EATH

H
OLY
T
ERRORS

F
OWL
P
REY

J
UST
D
ESSERTS

Available in hardcover

T
HIS
O
LD
S
OUSE

This book is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents, and dialogue are drawn from the author's imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

HOCUS CROAKUS
. Copyright © 2003 by Mary Daheim. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

ePub edition February 2007 ISBN 9780061737206

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

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United Kingdom

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United States

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http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com

BOOK: Hocus Croakus
9.56Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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