from, I realize they
are the cut portions of her clothes.
Millie hits Irving on the back with her fist. "Rapist!"
she shrieks. "Sodomist!" Where did she ever learn that word?
"Assassin!" Irving freezes, mortified, standing there letting the blows
fall on his bent shoulders.
I am vaguely aware of someone quite tall pushing his way
forward through the growing crowd. But I can't take my eyes off Millie
and Irving.
"She's ill," I finally say to the two policemen. "She
doesn't know what she's doing."
"Irving wouldn't hurt a hair on her head," I hear Sophie
say behind me.
"This is all a terrible mistake," Evvie says.
The short one speaks kindly to us. "Can you handle it
from here, or do you need our help?"
"We'll manage," Ida says.
Millie's fit is already lessening. She now leans her head
on Irving's shoulders, dropping the scissors as she does. He reaches
behind and holds onto her. Taking charge, Ida hurries in to help him.
As Ida closes the door, the crowd begins to disperse. The
patrolmen walk to their cars, but stop to greet someone. "Detective," I
hear one say, and I wheel about. And there's Morgan Langford.
I hurry over to him, Evvie following right after me, with
Sophie clutching her arm.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
He bends as if in greeting and smiles. "Mrs. Gold. Mrs.
Markowitz."
"Such a good memory," Evvie marvels.
"Just call
me
Sophie," Sophie says, pushing her
way in front of Evvie.
By now Harriet has joined us and she introduces herself
as well. Evvie pointedly explains to Sophie and Harriet, "This is the
cop we talked to, the one who wouldn't believe us when we told him
about our murders."
"Enough, Ev," I say. "He's here now."
"I heard the police call," Detective Langford says. "I
thought I'd check it out."
"Then you did believe me!" I am feeling vindicated.
"I didn't say that," he answers mildly, bursting my
balloon.
"Morrie!" I hear an excited voice coming up behind me.
To my astonishment, there's Bella, obviously recovered
from where we left her resting, hurrying over as fast as she is able.
And then, standing as high as she can on her toes (all four foot eleven
of her), which still only brings her up to his belt buckle, she reaches
up (as Langford leans way down to accommodate her) and gives Detective
Morgan Langford a big, gushy kiss. Good thing he didn't pick Bella up,
she could have gotten a nosebleed.
Morrie?
"You know him?" Evvie asks, beating me to it.
Bella grins. "This is Jack Langford's son from Phase Six.
You remember, I was in Hadassah with his mother, Faye, until she
passed, aleha ha-shalom, may she rest in peace."
Langford smiles way down at her. "So, you're one of these
troublemakers, are you?" Bella looks confused.
Ida rushes up to join us, worried she is missing
something. "Millie's back in bed," she reports. "And who is this tall,
handsome stranger?" she gushes. Next she'll start to bat her eyes.
Evvie fills her in. Ida, being Ida, immediately leaps in
where fools would fear to. "How dare you not believe Gladdy!"
"Hey, whoa. Easy, ladies."
"Lay off," I growl at Ida. Making an enemy of Detective
Langford is not smart.
"Look," he says to me, "just find me a shred of something
to go on, then I promise to get involved."
"Fair enough," I say, thinking guiltily of the cake
crumbs I let get away.
"But, Mrs. Gold, be very careful. If there really is a
killer, he's smart. He hasn't made any mistakes. That makes him very
dangerous. Do not, I repeat, do anything foolish. If anything comes up,
call me!"
Langford leaves and everyone voices an opinion.
"Gorgeous," breathes Ida.
"Ooh, so tall," says Sophie.
"Wow!" says Harriet. "Next time take
me
to the
police station.
"I'm reserving judgment," says Evvie.
"Such a
shayner boychick,"
says Bella. "I know
him since he was this tall." Her hand moves up and down trying to
measure the man as boy. If we believe Bella, Lanky was six feet tall at
two years old.
I smile. So, he's Jewish? Well, what do you know!
You've heard
are the cut portions of her clothes.
Millie hits Irving on the back with her fist. "Rapist!"
she shrieks. "Sodomist!" Where did she ever learn that word?
"Assassin!" Irving freezes, mortified, standing there letting the blows
fall on his bent shoulders.
I am vaguely aware of someone quite tall pushing his way
forward through the growing crowd. But I can't take my eyes off Millie
and Irving.
"She's ill," I finally say to the two policemen. "She
doesn't know what she's doing."
"Irving wouldn't hurt a hair on her head," I hear Sophie
say behind me.
"This is all a terrible mistake," Evvie says.
The short one speaks kindly to us. "Can you handle it
from here, or do you need our help?"
"We'll manage," Ida says.
Millie's fit is already lessening. She now leans her head
on Irving's shoulders, dropping the scissors as she does. He reaches
behind and holds onto her. Taking charge, Ida hurries in to help him.
As Ida closes the door, the crowd begins to disperse. The
patrolmen walk to their cars, but stop to greet someone. "Detective," I
hear one say, and I wheel about. And there's Morgan Langford.
I hurry over to him, Evvie following right after me, with
Sophie clutching her arm.
"What are you doing here?" I ask.
He bends as if in greeting and smiles. "Mrs. Gold. Mrs.
Markowitz."
"Such a good memory," Evvie marvels.
"Just call
me
Sophie," Sophie says, pushing her
way in front of Evvie.
By now Harriet has joined us and she introduces herself
as well. Evvie pointedly explains to Sophie and Harriet, "This is the
cop we talked to, the one who wouldn't believe us when we told him
about our murders."
"Enough, Ev," I say. "He's here now."
"I heard the police call," Detective Langford says. "I
thought I'd check it out."
"Then you did believe me!" I am feeling vindicated.
"I didn't say that," he answers mildly, bursting my
balloon.
"Morrie!" I hear an excited voice coming up behind me.
To my astonishment, there's Bella, obviously recovered
from where we left her resting, hurrying over as fast as she is able.
And then, standing as high as she can on her toes (all four foot eleven
of her), which still only brings her up to his belt buckle, she reaches
up (as Langford leans way down to accommodate her) and gives Detective
Morgan Langford a big, gushy kiss. Good thing he didn't pick Bella up,
she could have gotten a nosebleed.
Morrie?
"You know him?" Evvie asks, beating me to it.
Bella grins. "This is Jack Langford's son from Phase Six.
You remember, I was in Hadassah with his mother, Faye, until she
passed, aleha ha-shalom, may she rest in peace."
Langford smiles way down at her. "So, you're one of these
troublemakers, are you?" Bella looks confused.
Ida rushes up to join us, worried she is missing
something. "Millie's back in bed," she reports. "And who is this tall,
handsome stranger?" she gushes. Next she'll start to bat her eyes.
Evvie fills her in. Ida, being Ida, immediately leaps in
where fools would fear to. "How dare you not believe Gladdy!"
"Hey, whoa. Easy, ladies."
"Lay off," I growl at Ida. Making an enemy of Detective
Langford is not smart.
"Look," he says to me, "just find me a shred of something
to go on, then I promise to get involved."
"Fair enough," I say, thinking guiltily of the cake
crumbs I let get away.
"But, Mrs. Gold, be very careful. If there really is a
killer, he's smart. He hasn't made any mistakes. That makes him very
dangerous. Do not, I repeat, do anything foolish. If anything comes up,
call me!"
Langford leaves and everyone voices an opinion.
"Gorgeous," breathes Ida.
"Ooh, so tall," says Sophie.
"Wow!" says Harriet. "Next time take
me
to the
police station.
"I'm reserving judgment," says Evvie.
"Such a
shayner boychick,"
says Bella. "I know
him since he was this tall." Her hand moves up and down trying to
measure the man as boy. If we believe Bella, Lanky was six feet tall at
two years old.
I smile. So, he's Jewish? Well, what do you know!
You've heard
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