longer. In fact, your parents might as well leave, too.
I’ll go out to the kitchen and thank them.”
Arlene, however, refused to leave Judith with such a
mess. “Cathy can go, Carl can go,” she asserted, “but
I’m staying until the bitter end.”
“I think we’re already there,” Judith said over the
hum of the dishwasher.
“I’ll stay, too,” Carl volunteered.
“Really,” Judith protested, “there’s no need. Joe and
I can clean up by ourselves. It’s late. Please, we’ll be
fine.”
“Not entirely,” Carl said, pointing to the sink.
“You’ve got a backed-up drain.”
Judith grimaced. “Renie! She never uses sink strainers. She says they don’t work for her.”
“What’s to work?” Joe asked, gazing into the eightinch basin of dirty water. “You put them in, turn the
button on top, and there you go.”
Judith shook her head. “Not for Renie. She says it’s
too complicated. I gave her a pair of brand new strainers for Christmas last year and she stuck them on her
ears and said that’s as close as they’d ever get to her
double sinks.”
Carl was still peering at the water. “Maybe if I used
a plunger . . .”
“No, you don’t,” Joe said, taking Carl by the shoulder. “Go home, Hansel. Your gingerbread house awaits
you.”
Carl shot Joe a dark look. “With Gretel or the
witch?”
“Gretel, of course,” Judith said, patting Arlene’s
arm. “Go on, please. Poor Cathy has to get out of that
panda suit.”
With reluctance, the Rankerses exited with their
daughter. Joe went into the living room to tend bar, and
Judith scanned what was left of the crowd. On the window seat, Dirk and Angela were speaking with Eugenia in a serious manner. Chips Madigan was standing
by the piano, framing imaginary camera angles with
his hands. Dade, Ellie, and Ben were nowhere in sight.
Winifred stood behind the sofa, where Bruno sat with
Morris Mayne at his side. Sweetums remained tucked
in the folds of Bruno’s robes.
As innkeeper and hostess, Judith couldn’t help but
take Bruno’s gloom personally. She knew it wasn’t her
fault, but it upset her to see a guest in distress.
As if sensing Judith’s consternation, Eugenia
slipped off the window seat and moved quickly across
the room.
“I’m wondering if Bruno shouldn’t leave for L.A.
tonight,” she murmured. “Of course it’s none of my
business, really. I’d mention it to Winifred, but she and
