Bride of the Wolf

Chapter X: Pinochle

Chapter X: Pinochle

"Look, I'm not going to wait all day!" shouted Detective Miklos.

"I tell you, she is getting dressed," Zolfina attempted to explain. "She will be out any moment."

Miklos was about to make another demand when the wagon door opened. Larry emerged, the epitome of a beautiful gypsy dancing girl.

"I'm sorry everyone had to wait for me," he said, his nervousness easily mistaken for an endearing shyness.

Zolfina stepped forward. "You can see, she is fine. Now you can leave us in peace," she said to Detective Miklos.

The Detective looked at Larry, not completely convinced. "So did you see Miss Williams' grandfather?"

Larry looked at the man. He turned back to the wagon in confusion. "There's nobody in there, just me."

"On the other side," said Gwen, hoping Larry would take the hint. "Did you see my grandfather, on the other side?"

"Where?" asked Larry. "Oh, wait! Your grandfather, on the other side! Yes, I saw him. I'm a gypsy. That's what we do."

"And?" prompted the Detective. Larry just stared dumbly.

"How is he?" prompted Gwen.

"Oh, right!" said Larry. "He's fine. They're treating him well. Um... the food is good."

Everyone just stared, and Larry felt perhaps he should build on this. "They had a, uh, a pinochle tournament last night. He wanted you to know, he won twelve dollars."

When she realized that was all Larry had, Gwen jumped in. "Oh, that's, wonderful. He always loved... pinochle."

"That's it?" said Miklos, working himself up into an outrage. "All that in there, with trances and cages and chains and screaming and barking and naked gypsies, and that's all you come back with? Pinochle?"

"Don't you have a special message for the beautiful lady?" asked Zolfina, strongly hinting that Larry had better come up with something.

"Uh, right!" said Larry as if he had thought of something, when he really hadn't. "Your special message. He said... he said he loves you very much!" Larry looked at Zolfina, who merely glared back a strong look of disapproval. "And... he also said..."

Larry licked his full, red lips, which were suddenly feeling very dry. He closed his enchanting green eyes and tilted his delicate pointed chin upward in what he hoped looked like a meditative stance, his long dark hair cascading down his back. He then spoke in what he hoped sounded like an otherworldly voice, saying, "He wanted you to know... the key, is under, the flower pot. By the back door." Larry opened his eyes and looked around.

"Does that load of crap mean anything to you?" Miklos asked Gwen.

Gwen tried to react positively. "Oh! The key. Is that where it was, this whole time. Thank goodness. Um, mother will be so pleased."

A gypsy man approached the group, and began playing his accordion. A couple of gypsy girls came over and began dancing.

"Larissa," said Zolfina. "You may go and dance. We will finish with the policeman."

Larry raised his hands while his mouth hung open in an expression of exasperation, but one look from Zolfina told him he had better move on. He dropped his arms and sighed in frustration, but watched the other gypsy girls for a moment and then did his best impersonation of their spins and footwork.

Zolfina turned to the Detective. "I hope you are now satisfied that my granddaughter is not mentally challenged. Well, not much."

"That's some act you have there," Detective Miklos had to admit. "Right up to the end. Your granddaughter needs to work on the closer."