dollars the night he was killed.
“Considering how drunk he was, it was impressive,” Ethel said.
“Drunk?” I gave Candy a meaningful look, and she got the idea.
“Gosh, I thought people don’t do well if they drink too much.” She batted her eyelashes at Spencer, and he shrugged his broad shoulders.
“Fritz was even worse off than her.” He pointed to the Drunken Dancer. The poor woman had once again fallen over, and Bobby was helping her up. “Melissa had to help him out.”
Melissa agreed. “Fritz was a goner all right.”
“You brood of vipers!” Henry Jack exclaimed as he popped over from his post near the stairs.
He waved his Bible aloft. But as he listed a whole smorgasbord of sins, including fornication, theft, adultery, avarice, deceit, licentiousness, pride, and folly, I had to wonder just how many vices were actually represented by the gang at the Wade On Inn. Apparently I wasn’t the only one confused by all the options.
Henry looked around at the perplexed faces of his audience. “Pastor Muckenfuss says intemperance is the work of the devil,” he concluded, simplifying matters considerably.
Avis Sage thanked him kindly for the sentiment.
“Would you stop encouraging him?” Melissa scolded. “Next thing we know he’ll have Pastor Muck-In-Face in here preaching to us himself.”
“No, Mel.” Henry shook his head vigorously. “Pastor Muckenfuss says the Wade On Inn is my responsibility.” He again lifted his Bible, and was threatening to regale us with some more sins, when Candy stepped forward.
“My friend Karen’s looking for a new dance partner,” she told him, and as if on cue, the music switched.
“It’s Lila Dewees,” Henry said. “She’s my favorite!”
Candy smiled sweetly and walked him arm in arm onto the dance floor. She left him in Karen’s capable hands and continued onward, landing herself back at the bar and next to Mackenzie. Wilson might insist Candy Poppe needs a chaperone twenty-four-seven, but she certainly was handling the Wade On Inn crowd with aplomb.
***
Meanwhile, I played some pool. I took game two and three of the match. But as Mr. Sage worked on clearing the table in our fourth game, I returned to Melissa and the topic of Fritz Lupo.
“Avis tells me Fritz Lupo was planning a road trip,” I said casually.
“No way,” she said.
“Oh, yeah, Mel.” I jumped and turned around and into Bobby Decker’s chest. “He was gonna take Angela with him.”
I frowned. “Did Angela play that well?”
“No, she did not.” That was Melissa.
“I think Angela was a good little player,” Ethel said, and Doreen tapped her cane in agreement.
“Good enough to go out on the road, though? I’ve never had the nerve to do it myself,” I lied.
Bobby grinned and enlightened me that not all pool players are as cautious as I.
“Fritz and Angela had themselves a plan,” Avis said. He sunk the nine ball and stepped back for me to rack.
I held off. “So the two people who got killed had plans to leave town together?” I feigned shock. “Do the cops know about this? I mean, it sounds like it could be important.”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Spencer said. “Angela was not about to take off anywhere with Fritz Lupo. Bobby just wants it to look that way.”
Bobby twisted his cowboy hat. “I keep telling you guys Angela wasn’t really interested in me. Jeepers, it was just a joke.” He fumbled with his hat so much it toppled off his head.
“Now I’m really confused,” I admitted honestly as I finally began racking.
Kevin Cooper leaned over and handed Bobby his stupid hat. “Angela wasn’t going anywhere,” he told me.
Bobby swung around to Kevin. “How would you know?”
“I know a few things.” Kevin spoke quietly, but with certainty, and I wondered what else the Clarence cops knew that Wilson was keeping from me. For instance, you would think this road trip Fritz and Angela had planned would have been worthy of mention?
Avis
“Considering how drunk he was, it was impressive,” Ethel said.
“Drunk?” I gave Candy a meaningful look, and she got the idea.
“Gosh, I thought people don’t do well if they drink too much.” She batted her eyelashes at Spencer, and he shrugged his broad shoulders.
“Fritz was even worse off than her.” He pointed to the Drunken Dancer. The poor woman had once again fallen over, and Bobby was helping her up. “Melissa had to help him out.”
Melissa agreed. “Fritz was a goner all right.”
“You brood of vipers!” Henry Jack exclaimed as he popped over from his post near the stairs.
He waved his Bible aloft. But as he listed a whole smorgasbord of sins, including fornication, theft, adultery, avarice, deceit, licentiousness, pride, and folly, I had to wonder just how many vices were actually represented by the gang at the Wade On Inn. Apparently I wasn’t the only one confused by all the options.
Henry looked around at the perplexed faces of his audience. “Pastor Muckenfuss says intemperance is the work of the devil,” he concluded, simplifying matters considerably.
Avis Sage thanked him kindly for the sentiment.
“Would you stop encouraging him?” Melissa scolded. “Next thing we know he’ll have Pastor Muck-In-Face in here preaching to us himself.”
“No, Mel.” Henry shook his head vigorously. “Pastor Muckenfuss says the Wade On Inn is my responsibility.” He again lifted his Bible, and was threatening to regale us with some more sins, when Candy stepped forward.
“My friend Karen’s looking for a new dance partner,” she told him, and as if on cue, the music switched.
“It’s Lila Dewees,” Henry said. “She’s my favorite!”
Candy smiled sweetly and walked him arm in arm onto the dance floor. She left him in Karen’s capable hands and continued onward, landing herself back at the bar and next to Mackenzie. Wilson might insist Candy Poppe needs a chaperone twenty-four-seven, but she certainly was handling the Wade On Inn crowd with aplomb.
***
Meanwhile, I played some pool. I took game two and three of the match. But as Mr. Sage worked on clearing the table in our fourth game, I returned to Melissa and the topic of Fritz Lupo.
“Avis tells me Fritz Lupo was planning a road trip,” I said casually.
“No way,” she said.
“Oh, yeah, Mel.” I jumped and turned around and into Bobby Decker’s chest. “He was gonna take Angela with him.”
I frowned. “Did Angela play that well?”
“No, she did not.” That was Melissa.
“I think Angela was a good little player,” Ethel said, and Doreen tapped her cane in agreement.
“Good enough to go out on the road, though? I’ve never had the nerve to do it myself,” I lied.
Bobby grinned and enlightened me that not all pool players are as cautious as I.
“Fritz and Angela had themselves a plan,” Avis said. He sunk the nine ball and stepped back for me to rack.
I held off. “So the two people who got killed had plans to leave town together?” I feigned shock. “Do the cops know about this? I mean, it sounds like it could be important.”
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Spencer said. “Angela was not about to take off anywhere with Fritz Lupo. Bobby just wants it to look that way.”
Bobby twisted his cowboy hat. “I keep telling you guys Angela wasn’t really interested in me. Jeepers, it was just a joke.” He fumbled with his hat so much it toppled off his head.
“Now I’m really confused,” I admitted honestly as I finally began racking.
Kevin Cooper leaned over and handed Bobby his stupid hat. “Angela wasn’t going anywhere,” he told me.
Bobby swung around to Kevin. “How would you know?”
“I know a few things.” Kevin spoke quietly, but with certainty, and I wondered what else the Clarence cops knew that Wilson was keeping from me. For instance, you would think this road trip Fritz and Angela had planned would have been worthy of mention?
Avis
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