fella.”
Bruno, however, held up a hand. “That’s all right,
Mrs. . . . ?”
“Grover,” Gertrude put in and shook a crooked finger. “You remember that when you make the movie
about me.”
Bruno forced a chuckle as Judith tried to move her
mother along the walk toward the toolshed. “The problem is,” Bruno called after them, “someone else already made a movie about the
ago.”
Gertrude refused to move another inch. “What?”
“Yes,” Bruno responded, backing up the porch
steps. “It was a big success, an Oscar winner.”
“I’ll be,” Gertrude muttered, allowing Judith to
make some progress past the small patio. Then the old
lady suddenly balked and turned around to look at
Bruno Zepf. “Hey! Did I tell you about being on the
“Keep moving,” Judith muttered. “We’re both getting wet.”
“You always were all wet,” Gertrude grumbled, but
shuffled along the walk under her daughter’s guiding
hand. “Who was that guy? Cecil B. DeMille?”
“No, Mother,” Judith replied as an agonized scream
erupted from behind her. She turned to see Bruno Zepf
clutching at the screen door and writhing like a madman.
“I can’t get in! I can’t get in!” he howled.
Abandoning Gertrude, Judith rushed to the back
porch. “What’s wrong? What is it?”
Bruno swung his head to one side. “There! By your
foot! It’s a spider! Help!”
Judith peered down at the tiny arachnid that was
scooting toward the edge of the porch. A moment later
the spider disappeared into the garden.
“It’s gone,” Judith said, over Bruno’s wails. “That
is, the very small spider has left the building.”
Bruno’s head jerked up. “It has? Are you sure?”
Judith was about to reassure Bruno when Winifred,
with Dirk Farrar right behind her, opened the back
door. Bruno all but collapsed into Winifred’s arms.
“What’s going on?” she demanded.
Judith grimaced. “Mr. Zepf saw a spider on the
porch.”
“Oh, no!” Winifred looked aghast. Dirk snickered.
“Does Mr. Zepf have arachnophobia?” Judith asked
as Bruno’s shudders subsided.
“Not exactly,” Winifred replied, patting Bruno on
the back as if he were a frightened child. “They’re bad
