She started to get her purse from the kitchen
when she heard the sound of hurrying feet on the
stairs. “I smell Wienie Wizards!” cried Ellie Linn.
“Yum, yum!”
In a flurry, Judith scooped the hot dogs off the floor
and dumped them into a crystal bowl. “They’re nice
and warm. Be our guest.”
“I already am.” Ellie giggled, her dark eyes shining
with delight. “Mmm . . . my faves!” She immediately
pitched in, grabbing four wieners and four buns at
once.
Finally reaching the kitchen, Judith dialed Arlene’s
number.
“What food?” Arlene asked in a puzzled voice.
Judith reminded her neighbor about the large order
from the caterer. “I thought you wanted some of it for
your family dinner tonight.”
“What family?” Arlene asked. “They canceled.
They all decided to stay home because of Halloween.”
“Rats!” Judith muttered. “Okay, sorry to bother
you.”
“Why don’t you freeze it?” Arlene suggested.
“Frankly,” Judith said, “we’re running out of room
in the freezer. But you’re right, I’ll try to squeeze in
some of the items that won’t keep.”
By the time she returned to the living room, Renie
was finally hanging up the phone. Ellie Linn had disappeared, apparently going upstairs to savor her Wienie Wizards.
“Guess what?” Renie said, looking dazed.
Bill and Joe barely looked up from their places on
the matching sofas. The TV screen showed Nazi planes
swooping over England. Bill had one eye on the set
and the other on his chart, which was spread out over
the coffee table. Sweetums was weaving in and out between his ankles, the cat’s great plume of a tail swishing back and forth.
“Go away,” Bill snarled under his breath, “or I’ll
turn you into cat chowder.”
“What is it?” Judith asked of Renie.
Bill spoke up before his wife could answer. “Get
this damned cat out of here. And I could use a purple
pen.”
Renie swooped down, grabbed Sweetums, and
made a face at Bill. “The marker pens are under your
chart, Galileo.” She moved away, unceremoniously
dumping Sweetums near the entry hall.
“My mother actually read
clared. “So, of course, did my father. He made her read
