mouth to signal he should be quiet. He jerked his head up silently, telling me he understood, and bent his head in near to us to hear what I was going to say.
“We’ll have dessert,” I said to him. “Why don’t you grab us a piece of cherry pie and two forks,” I said, nodding toward Lily, who was as silent as a meadow mouse. “And Delbert, don’t say our names.”
“Okay, you two,” he said and nodded. “Would you like that à la mode?”
“Of course, dear Delbert,” I said, keeping my voice low. “If we’re going to hell in a hand basket, it may as well be worth our while.”
Chapter 30
I had pictured Lily and myself sneaking out of Tammy’s, after Rick and Tom ate their meal and left. We would dart into Walgreen’s together, where I wished to make a purchase. Then, Lily would bring me back to the hotel property via Winter Garden Road and drop me off at the gravel path where our Fire Station stood. The hunky firemen would wave at me and their friendly Dalmatian, Domino, would trot by my side for a while, then turn and go back to the station where he belonged.
It would already be noon and the air would be fragrant with the scent of the pines and the sweet acacia that grew wild on the property.
Normally, I walked along, breathing that sweet air, not a care in the world. But not today. Today, once Lily dropped me, I would be alone, scared, missing French, and at the same time, hoping he might have turned up last night or this morning, while I was away. I would also be looking over my shoulder every step of the way, since I seemed to be sporting my own private stalker.
But no. As it turned out, I rode home in the back of Rick’s Grand Victoria cruiser. It smelled a little of dog.
“Well, as I live and breathe.” Rick’s voice had rung out as he paid his check. “It’s Maya French and her friend, Lily!”
We were caught. What could we do but swivel on our stools, smile with cherry-stained teeth and greet him in return?
“Would you like a ride home, Maya?” Rick asked.
“No thank you, Rick. Lily’s got it covered.”
“No, really. I insist,” he said. Then, to Lily, “You get along home now—we’ve got it from here.”
Lily didn’t argue with Rick and I didn’t, either. She was driving back to Bay Hill alone. We gave each other an air kiss and parted ways in the parking lot, where she hightailed it to her Range Rover, while I followed Rick and Tom to their car.
I slid into the back seat and sniffed the air. “I didn’t know this was a canine unit!” I exclaimed in surprise.
Rick and Koenig shot each other an irritated glance.
“It’s not,” Rick said.
“Oh, come on now. Don’t be coy, gentlemen,” I said. “I can smell Lassie in here. Where do you hide the Milkbones?” I was already in deep doo-doo for having left the property without their permission, that much was obvious, so why not get further under their skins?
Rick’s eyes, slitty and mean-looking, were visible to me in the rear view mirror.
“Very funny, Maya,” he said.
About as funny as a dead armadillo in the middle of the road.
Koenig burped loudly, didn’t even try to excuse himself. Hard to excuse a guy like him. He must have sensed it.
“Why were you off property?” Rick asked in an accusatory tone.
“It wasn’t really my choice, Rick.”
“And that means—”
“Someone abducted me and schlepped me to the back of the Sword and Chalice property,” I answered.
“At Disney? What on earth for?” I saw Rick’s jaw working silently.
“How should I know?”
He was silent for a moment while he thought it over. Koenig stared at him like a dog waiting for a command from his master. Maybe that accounted for the smell in the car.
“When were you going to tell us this?” Rick finally asked.
“I don’t know.” I looked down at my lap, feeling a tiny bit guilty. I had never intended to mention it to them at all and Rick knew it.
Koenig made a disgusted, snorting sound and
“We’ll have dessert,” I said to him. “Why don’t you grab us a piece of cherry pie and two forks,” I said, nodding toward Lily, who was as silent as a meadow mouse. “And Delbert, don’t say our names.”
“Okay, you two,” he said and nodded. “Would you like that à la mode?”
“Of course, dear Delbert,” I said, keeping my voice low. “If we’re going to hell in a hand basket, it may as well be worth our while.”
Chapter 30
I had pictured Lily and myself sneaking out of Tammy’s, after Rick and Tom ate their meal and left. We would dart into Walgreen’s together, where I wished to make a purchase. Then, Lily would bring me back to the hotel property via Winter Garden Road and drop me off at the gravel path where our Fire Station stood. The hunky firemen would wave at me and their friendly Dalmatian, Domino, would trot by my side for a while, then turn and go back to the station where he belonged.
It would already be noon and the air would be fragrant with the scent of the pines and the sweet acacia that grew wild on the property.
Normally, I walked along, breathing that sweet air, not a care in the world. But not today. Today, once Lily dropped me, I would be alone, scared, missing French, and at the same time, hoping he might have turned up last night or this morning, while I was away. I would also be looking over my shoulder every step of the way, since I seemed to be sporting my own private stalker.
But no. As it turned out, I rode home in the back of Rick’s Grand Victoria cruiser. It smelled a little of dog.
“Well, as I live and breathe.” Rick’s voice had rung out as he paid his check. “It’s Maya French and her friend, Lily!”
We were caught. What could we do but swivel on our stools, smile with cherry-stained teeth and greet him in return?
“Would you like a ride home, Maya?” Rick asked.
“No thank you, Rick. Lily’s got it covered.”
“No, really. I insist,” he said. Then, to Lily, “You get along home now—we’ve got it from here.”
Lily didn’t argue with Rick and I didn’t, either. She was driving back to Bay Hill alone. We gave each other an air kiss and parted ways in the parking lot, where she hightailed it to her Range Rover, while I followed Rick and Tom to their car.
I slid into the back seat and sniffed the air. “I didn’t know this was a canine unit!” I exclaimed in surprise.
Rick and Koenig shot each other an irritated glance.
“It’s not,” Rick said.
“Oh, come on now. Don’t be coy, gentlemen,” I said. “I can smell Lassie in here. Where do you hide the Milkbones?” I was already in deep doo-doo for having left the property without their permission, that much was obvious, so why not get further under their skins?
Rick’s eyes, slitty and mean-looking, were visible to me in the rear view mirror.
“Very funny, Maya,” he said.
About as funny as a dead armadillo in the middle of the road.
Koenig burped loudly, didn’t even try to excuse himself. Hard to excuse a guy like him. He must have sensed it.
“Why were you off property?” Rick asked in an accusatory tone.
“It wasn’t really my choice, Rick.”
“And that means—”
“Someone abducted me and schlepped me to the back of the Sword and Chalice property,” I answered.
“At Disney? What on earth for?” I saw Rick’s jaw working silently.
“How should I know?”
He was silent for a moment while he thought it over. Koenig stared at him like a dog waiting for a command from his master. Maybe that accounted for the smell in the car.
“When were you going to tell us this?” Rick finally asked.
“I don’t know.” I looked down at my lap, feeling a tiny bit guilty. I had never intended to mention it to them at all and Rick knew it.
Koenig made a disgusted, snorting sound and
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