The Cardturner (31 page)

The declarer sometimes needs to be able to lead from the dummy, rather than from his hand. Expert declarers plan ahead in order to save
entries
to the dummy, so that they can win a trick in the right place at the right time. Similarly, expert defenders will do what they can to disrupt the declarer's transportation. It's often the game within the game.

Trapp was involved in such a contest. This was the situation with four cards left to play. The contract was three no-trump, and Trapp had taken six tricks. He needed three more.

If the lead could come from the dummy, it would be easy to take three tricks. The queen of hearts, the jack of hearts, and the nine of diamonds were all winners.

Unfortunately, he was stuck in his hand. The defenders had cut off his transportation.

I saw no way he could take three tricks. He could lead the
9. That would win, and it would get rid of East's
7. So then he could lead the
4 and that would also win. But after that, he'd have to lead a club, and no matter which club he led, West was sure to win the last two tricks.

The best he could do was settle for down one. That was what I thought.

"Four of spades," said Trapp.

Now, I didn't know exactly what cards were left in the East and West hands, but I was pretty certain that the
4 would lose. Even if I was wrong, why not play the nine first, just to be safe? For the first time ever, I wanted to ask, "Are you sure?"

Half expecting to be called a donkey again, I set the
4 on the table, and then, at his direction, discarded the
3 from dummy.

Sure enough, East won the trick with the
7. Now he was on-lead. He shook his head and said, "You got me!"

Whatever card he led would allow the dummy to win the last three tricks.

Trapp didn't have the transportation to get to the dummy by himself, so he purposely lost the trick in order to hitch a ride with a defender.

Trapp purposely lost a trick he could have won, which allowed him to win the last three tricks.

"I never would have thought of that play," East said.

"Me neither," I agreed.

He looked at me oddly.

"I mean, I never would have thought of it until right then, when I did think of it."

Finnick and Trapp had a 61 percent game, and earned two platinum points. Lucy and Arnold met us afterward. They'd had a 57 percent game.

They knew they didn't stand much of a chance of winning the event, but even finishing in the top twenty could earn them 15 platinum points.

"What does the winner get?" I asked.

Lucy guessed it was around 125 platinum points.

Arnold asked how Toni and I had done.

"The best we could," I said, trying to sound like I was trying not to sound too dejected.

"That's a good attitude," said Arnold.

"What's wrong with your neck?" asked Lucy.

"He slept on it funny," said Toni, who then suddenly turned bright red and stammered, "That—that's what he told me. I wouldn't know!"

"Turn around," said Lucy. "I give great massages."

I'd heard that before.

Lucy placed her hands on me, and my relief was almost instantaneous. With each squeeze of her fingers I could feel the knot in my neck gently unravel.

"He doesn't like massages," said Toni. "He says it just makes it worse."

"Really?" asked Lucy.

That's what I had told her back at the park. I knew it had hurt her feelings, but I could only take so much pain. I wouldn't make a good spy. I'd crack after thirty seconds of torture.

I now had to weigh Toni's hurt feelings against the bliss of Lucy's massage.

"Yeah, you better stop," I said. "It only makes it worse."

My feeling of bliss abruptly ended.

Arnold invited us to join them for dinner. "Our treat," he said.

Toni and I glanced sideways at each other. It might be good to get a real meal for a change. I gave a half-nod.

"Okay," she agreed. "Thanks."

"Great," said Arnold. "Deborah heard about a sandwich shop not too far away that's supposed to have amazing food."

72
The Final Session

As we headed to the restaurant, I already regretted that we had agreed to go with them. Partly, I was afraid they might become suspicious if they started asking us questions about bridge hands. But even more than that, I realized that this was my and Toni's last night at the hotel. We'd be flying home the next morning. I would have liked some alone time with her.

Before entering the shop, I stepped away from the group and checked my cell phone. I had another text message from Leslie.

ur in BIG truble

Tell me something I don't know,
I thought. I was getting annoyed with my sister's love for text messaging.

This time I tried calling the return number. Marissa answered. She said that Leslie had left a while ago, and asked if she could help me. For a second I considered that maybe Marissa knew what was going on, but then decided I really didn't want Leslie's eleven-year-old friend involved in my problems.

Dinner was actually kind of fun. For one thing, Arnold had a strict rule: no bridge talk between sessions. He said it was important to give your mind a break.

I found out that Carl, Lucy's husband, was a retired judge. He had Toni and me laughing at all the stupid things that defendants, and
lawyers,
had done and said in his courtroom.