Page 28 of Welcome to Gothic

“Whatareyou talking about?” Why did everyone act as if they’d been listening to that scene behind the pillar? Was there a microphone hidden back there? Was there an ill-placed mirror?

In much the same move as his nephew, Vince planted himself in front of Wendy. “After we give testimony to law enforcement...” He looked inquiringly at Deputy Dave.

“For sure,” Deputy Dave said.

“Would you like to go to dinner with Roy and I? The kid has to tag along because I’mbabysitting.”

Roy beamed. “That’s the way, Uncle Vince!”

More laughter rippled through the group.

“I would love to go to dinner with you and Roy,” Wendy said.

A light round of applause and the first sounds of oncoming sirens rewarded her.

“You might want to fix your lipstick, first.” With a smirk, Ariel pulled a compact out of that magic purse of hers and handed it to Wendy.

Wendy flipped it open and looked. Ruby red lip color, stage paint from 1940, smeared her mouth, her forehead, her cheeks.

She shut the compact, handed back it to Ariel and advanced on Vince.

He laughed and backed up toward the door. “Just staking a claim.”

She kept stalking. “You sneaky bastard!”

He kept retreating. “One way or the other, I do like to hold the trophy—even if I have to cheat to get it.”

Hugh’s voice echoed in her mind. She stopped. Tears prickled her eyes.

“Hey!” Right away, Vince was there for her, holding her, hugging her. “Please don’t cry. I tease like I’ve known you forever, and I have no right. I just feel as if we met—”

“In another lifetime?”

“In another lifetime.”

Minnie and Mabel gave a final wave to party stragglers, law enforcement and curious neighbors.

“The fog is gone,” Minnie said in a low voice. “It’s a clear night.”

“Not a breath of wind. Not a current stirring.” Mabel wearily shut and locked the door of the shop.

Minnie slipped out of her low heels, picked them up and wandered toward the entrance of their upstairs apartment. “I thought we were in trouble this afternoon.”

Mabel did the same with her heels and limped after her sister. “Yes. That turned out better than I feared. I told you so.”

“No, I told you so.”

“Dear, don’t you remember what I said this morning?” Mabel held the door for Minnie.

Her sister passed through and started up the stairs. “Yes, dear, and I was right.”

Mabel followed. “No, dear—”

The door slammed behind them.

The theater settled into silence.

Backstage, as the long-ago strains of “I’ll Be Seeing You”softly played, dust swirled on an unseen current.

* * * * *