myself I’m saying this out loud—”
“You told him what you saw ?” Kendal asked, his eyes growing even bigger.
“I told you, I couldn’t stop myself, and he says, ‘Yeah, I’ve killed someone,’ like it’s no big deal.”
“He admitted it?”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Kendal! Will you catch up?” I squealed, not bothering to whisper.
“Sorry, sorry, please continue,” he said.
“So then I looked back at the cards, and it dawns on me that he’s killed more than one person; in fact, he’s killed a lot of people, and again before I can stop myself I tell him what I’m getting.” Kendal’s hand abruptly moved to his brow, where lines of sweat were forming, as I continued, “And he admits that too! So next I start telling him that this is a family business, and there’s some kind of feud, and he who lives by the sword dies by the sword. . . .”
“Wait, wait, wait!” he said, holding up his palm in a stopping motion. “How do you know that this guy isn’t just some guest? I mean, maybe he’s just here as a wedding guest, like a friend of the family . . . a distant friend of the family?”
“Well,” I said, shaking my head, “I mean I don’t know . . . but I know . . . you know? He’s related, and this is a mob wedding!”
Kendal’s brow furrowed in thought as I waited for him to do something. Exactly what I expected him to do, I wasn’t sure, but I wanted him to do something —anything. “Let me ask you this,” he said after some thought. “Would you recognize this man if you saw him across the room?”
“No,” I said, exasperated. “He was wearing a mask.”
“I know, I know, but maybe you’d recall his tuxedo or something.”
“He was wearing a tux with a rose cummerbund.”
Kendal’s face fell. “He was wearing a tux with a rose cummerbund?”
“Yes, why?”
“Well, the first person I read tonight was one of the guests, who owns a tailor shop, and he said that he supplied all the tuxes for the bride’s family. Her side are all wearing tuxes with the rose-colored cummerbunds. This guy must be a relation.”
“Mob wedding, Kendal.”
There was a beat as we both looked at each other, then said simultaneously, “We’re outta here!”
Together we ran back down the hallway, and stopped abruptly in front of the double doors. I looked at Kendal and asked in a panic, “Wait! What’s our story? What’s the reason we give for leaving early?”
“I’ll tell the wedding planner that you have some sort of food poisoning or something, and that I have to get you to a doctor right away. You look pale enough to fit that bill anyway. We’ll both go in, and you just do your best to lean on me and look sick, okay?”
“Got it,” I said, taking his arm and leaning on him.
We pushed through the doors together and spotted the wedding planner immediately. Kendal waved his hands frantically to get her attention, and, spotting us she came quickly over. The look on her face was not friendly. “Where have you two been? We’ve got a whole line of people waiting for you!”
“Constance, I’m so sorry; however, my partner here has fallen very ill,” Kendal explained. I groaned convincingly, and let my head bob onto Kendal’s shoulder, playing it up for all I was worth. “I’ve got to get her to a doctor right away!”
The wedding planner backed up a few paces, probably afraid I would spew at any moment. “But what about the guests?” she demanded.
“I know, I know,” Kendal said soothingly. “They’ll be disappointed, but I really must get her to a doctor. Tell the bride that I will mail her a full refund tomorrow, first thing. . . .” At that moment I groaned again, this time more loudly, and grabbed my stomach. The wedding planner backed away a little farther and said, “Fine, Mr. Adams, go then. I’ll explain it to the guests, but be sure to mail that check in.”
“Of course, of course,” Kendal said with a wave of his hand. Sitting me in a nearby
“You told him what you saw ?” Kendal asked, his eyes growing even bigger.
“I told you, I couldn’t stop myself, and he says, ‘Yeah, I’ve killed someone,’ like it’s no big deal.”
“He admitted it?”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake, Kendal! Will you catch up?” I squealed, not bothering to whisper.
“Sorry, sorry, please continue,” he said.
“So then I looked back at the cards, and it dawns on me that he’s killed more than one person; in fact, he’s killed a lot of people, and again before I can stop myself I tell him what I’m getting.” Kendal’s hand abruptly moved to his brow, where lines of sweat were forming, as I continued, “And he admits that too! So next I start telling him that this is a family business, and there’s some kind of feud, and he who lives by the sword dies by the sword. . . .”
“Wait, wait, wait!” he said, holding up his palm in a stopping motion. “How do you know that this guy isn’t just some guest? I mean, maybe he’s just here as a wedding guest, like a friend of the family . . . a distant friend of the family?”
“Well,” I said, shaking my head, “I mean I don’t know . . . but I know . . . you know? He’s related, and this is a mob wedding!”
Kendal’s brow furrowed in thought as I waited for him to do something. Exactly what I expected him to do, I wasn’t sure, but I wanted him to do something —anything. “Let me ask you this,” he said after some thought. “Would you recognize this man if you saw him across the room?”
“No,” I said, exasperated. “He was wearing a mask.”
“I know, I know, but maybe you’d recall his tuxedo or something.”
“He was wearing a tux with a rose cummerbund.”
Kendal’s face fell. “He was wearing a tux with a rose cummerbund?”
“Yes, why?”
“Well, the first person I read tonight was one of the guests, who owns a tailor shop, and he said that he supplied all the tuxes for the bride’s family. Her side are all wearing tuxes with the rose-colored cummerbunds. This guy must be a relation.”
“Mob wedding, Kendal.”
There was a beat as we both looked at each other, then said simultaneously, “We’re outta here!”
Together we ran back down the hallway, and stopped abruptly in front of the double doors. I looked at Kendal and asked in a panic, “Wait! What’s our story? What’s the reason we give for leaving early?”
“I’ll tell the wedding planner that you have some sort of food poisoning or something, and that I have to get you to a doctor right away. You look pale enough to fit that bill anyway. We’ll both go in, and you just do your best to lean on me and look sick, okay?”
“Got it,” I said, taking his arm and leaning on him.
We pushed through the doors together and spotted the wedding planner immediately. Kendal waved his hands frantically to get her attention, and, spotting us she came quickly over. The look on her face was not friendly. “Where have you two been? We’ve got a whole line of people waiting for you!”
“Constance, I’m so sorry; however, my partner here has fallen very ill,” Kendal explained. I groaned convincingly, and let my head bob onto Kendal’s shoulder, playing it up for all I was worth. “I’ve got to get her to a doctor right away!”
The wedding planner backed up a few paces, probably afraid I would spew at any moment. “But what about the guests?” she demanded.
“I know, I know,” Kendal said soothingly. “They’ll be disappointed, but I really must get her to a doctor. Tell the bride that I will mail her a full refund tomorrow, first thing. . . .” At that moment I groaned again, this time more loudly, and grabbed my stomach. The wedding planner backed away a little farther and said, “Fine, Mr. Adams, go then. I’ll explain it to the guests, but be sure to mail that check in.”
“Of course, of course,” Kendal said with a wave of his hand. Sitting me in a nearby
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