Emerald's Secret

CHAPTER 15 -- DANCING

That evening in the Emerald C's restaurant, Irene flirted with Marco and Irving, who were seated on either side of her, while the dinner dishes were being removed from the table.

Gino squired Teresa around the dance floor, slowly in deference to her injured foot that was wrapped in gauze and crammed into her shoe.

Big C and Emerald danced by them, and Emerald made eye contact with Teresa. Emerald's look said, Why are you still here? and Teresa's subtle shrug answered, I tried.

Over in a corner, beside a towering potted plant, Gregory chatted affectionately with Stefan's waiter from the night before.

Stefan rose from his seat opposite Irene and rounded the dinner table to squeeze between Irene and Marco. He gave Mrs. Dupree a kiss on the cheek and said, "Will you excuse me for a few minutes, dear?"

"Of course, darling." Irene gestured to Marco and Irving. "After all, I am in good hands."

Stefan winked at her. "Dear me, yes! All four of them. Enjoy."

He left the table. It was Stefan's turn to search for the hidden casino entrance.

From the dining room, Stefan slipped into the kitchen, where he walked confidently past chef, cooks, dishwashers, waiters, and busboys as if he belonged there. He must have been convincing, because no one even looked twice at him.

Stefan passed from the food preparation area to the food storage area, where he opened and closed pantry doors, working his way toward the room-size refrigerators. He began searching each of those.

Just before he could open the door of the last room-size refrigerators, Stefan heard footsteps nearby. He turned to see one of the cooks entering the storage room. Stefan smiled as if he welcomed the cook.

"Oh, thank goodness you're here. Can you help me, please? I was invited to the dressing room by a ... friend ... in the orchestra, but I seem to be hopelessly lost."

The cook gestured as he told Stefan, "Back to the dining room, and take the double doors on the other side of the stage."

"Ah!" Stefan sighed gratefully. "That's what I did wrong. Thank you very much. Ciao."

Moments later, Stefan rejoined Irene, Marco and Irving at the table. He gave Irene a tiny wag of his head in answer to the question in her look. No, he had not found what they were seeking.

When Teresa's injured foot was tired of dancing, Gino graciously returned her to the family's table.

Gregory deserted his waiter in a flash. He, too, went back to the table, where he said to Marco and Irving, "I think that man over there was trying to catch your eye."

The two executive vultures followed Greg's pointing finger and saw that he was indicating Big C's table. The two rose immediately, made their excuses, and departed.

The remaining Duprees spoke carefully into the table's floral centerpiece.

"Well, Teresa," the fatherly Stefan enunciated, "if it had not been for that nasty lurking sea urchin which ambushed your foot this morning, you, too, could've beaten the old man at golf today. Then it would have been unanimous."

In the Emerald C's clandestine surveillance center, a bored technician listened to the conversation being recorded from "Table 22 – Dupree."

Irene's voice said, "Nonsense, darling. I only beat you because I was keeping the scores." The whole family laughed.

In a brotherly way, Gregory's voice said, "You gonna drink your tea?"

Teresa's voice responded as if she was accustomed to such requests from him at every meal. "No. You can have it."

Unseen by the listeners, both human and electronic, Greg quietly lifted Terry's half-empty iced tea glass and placed it alongside his own, near the centerpiece.

Terry pronounced toward the plants, "Why do you still play with her, Daddy? You know how she cheats."

"Yes," said Stefan jovially, "but I do love to watch her swing." The family laughed again.

Greg spilled Terry's iced tea into the centerpiece, sploosh. Direct hit.

In the surveillance center, a sudden, high-pitched squaaaaaaaawk from the recording device had the technician ripping off his headphones and nearly falling out of his chair. The squawk preceded a long burst of static, followed by an ear-splitting, whining screech of feedback.

The Dupree family, at their table, acted startled and apologetic, scrambling to escape or to repair the mess. Their waiter rushed forward, righted every wrong and dried up every puddle. When he left, taking the dripping flowers and vase with him, the family settled again and resumed their conversation.

Greg began, addressing Stefan. "Now that we're off the air, what's new in the kitchen, Dad?"

"Not a slot machine in sight."

Greg looked and saw Lola, the "reformed" prostitute, coming across the dance floor toward the Dupree family's table. Behind her, he saw Big C listening to a message from Irving (who had an earplug pressed to one ear). Big C and Irving turned to look at the Dupree table with scowling new interest.

"Dang!" said Greg, and he tried to leave the table unseen, but he didn't make it.

Lola sashayed up to the Dupree table, using a lot of hip action, and launched into the shrill, far-sounding call of the North American Big-Breasted Floozie: "Gregory Hallstead, you sweet Montana marshmallow! What are you doing here?"

AUTHOR'S NOTE:  Busted! Greg dealt with the hidden mic at dinner, but can he deal with the floozie who calls him her sweet Montana marshmallow? We'll find out how he handles this new danger in the next installment of Emerald's Secret.  

Thanks for reading, and bless you for your sweet comments.