Page 120 of The Newcomer
“O-63,” Joe called.
Trudi stabbed at one of their cards with her forefinger. “We got one, Merwin. Pay attention.”
Billie colored numbers on her cards. “Yeah, Merwin. Quit yer bitching and pay attention. Not that it’ll do you any good.” She pointed at her cards. “I got the winning combination right here.”
Letty peered over her shoulder. She saw three cards that only lacked one more winning number.
“Come on B-7. Or G-48,” Ruth chanted, rubbing her hands together. She held out one of the troll dolls to Billie, who kissed the top of its head for luck.
“I-29,” Joe called.
Oscar Jensen erupted from his chair the next table over. “Bingo!” he yelled, waving his hands in the air. “Bingo, bingo, bingo!”
With one hand, Billie swept her losing cards off the table, knocking over Merwin’s half-full cup of punch in the process. The sticky red liquid dripped off the table and onto his lap.
“Oh, sorry,” she said, dabbing ineffectively at the mess with a paper napkin.
Letty hurried away from the simmering feud to check Oscar’s card, matching the numbers on the screen against the numbers on his card. “We’ve got a winner!” she called to Ava.
“Oscar, you get a six-pack of Sprite and a free round of putt-putt at Island Golf,” Ava said.
“What? I don’t want no stinkin’ Sprite,” Oscar griped. “What about the cash?”
“Sorry, you won the warm-up game. Next game is a cash prize,” Joe answered. “Ten dollars and a genuine Murmuring Surf souvenir tote bag. This one is a postage-stamp game. Cover any four numbers in a contiguous block on your card. Okay, let’s roll. O-75.”
The next hour passed in a flash. The bingo players were a raucous, rowdy bunch. They cheered and booed and played blackout,four corners, black diamond, and half a dozen other variations of the game that Letty had never heard of before. In between games they bought cards and claimed prizes and argued (in vain) with Ava over who was first to call bingo.
At eight, Joe called for a fifteen-minute break, and people surged toward the buffet and the bar.
“How’s it going out there?” Joe asked, offering Letty a glass of lukewarm white wine.
“It’s crazytown,” Letty reported. “I never knew people could get this worked up over winning a Pancake House gift card. Merwin and Billie Feldman almost got in a fistfight because Merwin bitched that Billie was invading his territorial imperative.”
“Bingo is serious business,” Joe said. He looked up and grinned as Oscar Jensen approached. “Speaking of loony tunes…”
“Joe, Joe,” Oscar said. He tugged at the cop’s arm. “I was taking a smoke break just now, and I saw some guy, skulking around outside, peeking in windows.”
“Where?” Joe said.
“Out there. He was looking in the window of the office. I saw him.”
“Show me,” Joe said. He looked over at Letty. “Tell Mom she needs to take over calling numbers. It’s probably nothing, but stay here, and don’t let anybody leave.”
He bolted out of the room, with Oscar trailing behind.
Letty looked out at the darkened parking lot, where the Murmuring Surf’s cheerful neon sign blinked off and on, spilling pink and green and blue reflections onto the pavement. She retrieved her purse from beneath the card table and called Vikki Hill.
“Hi,” she said, keeping her voice low. “Just checking to make sure you guys are okay.”
“We’re fine,” Vikki said. “Your kid’s still alive. We’ve had Popsicles and popcorn, and watched a lot ofPAW Patrol.I tried to convince her of the moral superiority ofScooby-Doo,but she’s a stubborn little thing. Just put her to bed and she’s already snoring. How’s it going with Aloha Bingo?”
“It’s okay.” Letty hesitated. “One of the regulars thinks he saw somebody lurking around outside, peeking in the window at the office.”
“Shit,” Vikki breathed. “Does he need me to go out there? Or call the local cops?”
“Not yet,” Letty said. “The old guy who reported the prowler is kind of a kook. Easily excited. Joe’s out there now, checking things out. I’m sure he’ll call you if he needs you. He made me promise to stay in here for now, but the minute he comes back, I’ll head home.”
With the break over, Ava resumed calling numbers. Letty continued patrolling the room, glancing out at the parking lot every chance she got. Ten minutes later, Joe returned.
