“Keep your eyes open for Maxine,” I said to their departing backs.
I walked the room for an hour, lost $40 shooting craps, but got a free beer for a $5 tip. I hadn't run across Maxine, but then that wasn't a surprise. I found a sectional with good visibility and settled in to watch the people.
At eleven-?thirty Grandma appeared and sank down next to me. “Won twenty bucks on my first machine, and then it turned on me,” she said. “Bad luck all night after that.”
“Got any money left?”
“None. Still, it wasn't all wasted. I met a real looker. He picked me up at the two-?dollar poker machines, so you know he's no cheapskate.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“You should have stayed with me. I could have gotten you fixed up, too.”
Oh boy.
A small white-?haired man approached us. “Here's your Manhattan,” he said to Grandma, handing her a drink. “And who's this?” he asked, turning to me. “This must be your granddaughter.”
“This here's Harry Meaker,” Grandma said to me. “Harry's from Mercerville, and he had bum luck tonight, too.”
“I always got bum luck,” Harry said. “Had bum luck all my life. Been married two times, and both wives died. Had a double bypass last year, and now I'm clogging up again. I can feel it. And look at this. See this r
ed scaly patch on my nose? Skin cancer. Gonna have it cut out next week.”
“Harry came down on the bus,” Grandma said.
“Prostate problems,” Harry said. “Need a bus with a toilet on it.” He looked at his watch. “I gotta go. Bus leaves in a half hour. Don't want to miss it.”
Grandma watched him walk away. “What do you think? He's a live one, huh? For a while, anyway.”
Lula and Sally trudged over and plopped down on the couch next to me.
“Didn't hear no gunfire, so I guess no one saw Maxine,” Lula said.
“Maxine was the smart one,” Sally said. “She stayed home.”
I looked at him. “Not a good night?”
“Cleaned me out. I'm going to have to do my own nails this week.”
“I could do them for you,” Lula said. “I'm real good at nails. See those little palm trees on my nails? I put them on myself.”
“Hold it,” I said, getting to my feet. “Look at that woman in the turquoise slacks by the craps table. The one with all the yellow hair . . .”
The woman had her back to me, but she'd turned a moment ago, giving me a good look at her face. And she looked a lot like Maxine.
I started walking toward her when she turned again and stared directly at me. Recognition registered simultaneously for both of us. She pivoted on her heel and disappeared into a crush of people at the far side of the table.
“I see her!” Lula said, one step behind me. “Don't lose sight!”
But I had lost sight. The room was crowded, and Maxine wasn't dressed in red spangles like Lula. Maxine blended right in.
“I got my eye on her,” Grandma yelled. “She's going for the boardwalk.”
Grandma had climbed onto a blackjack table and was standing, sneakered feet planted wide. The dealer made a grab for her, and Grandma hit him on the head with her purse. “Don't be rude,” she said to the dealer. “I just come up here to get a good look on account of the osteoporosis shrunk me and now I'm too short.”
I took off at a run for the boardwalk entrance, weaving between clusters of gamblers, trying not to mow anyone over. In two heartbeats I was out of the game room, into the wide hallway leading to the door. I caught a glimpse of big straw hair in front of me, saw it bob through the double glass door. I was pushing people away and yelling “Excuse me” and I was breathing heavy. Too many doughnuts, not enough exercise.
I swung through the door and saw Maxine ahead of me, running for all she was worth. I kicked it up a notch, and I heard Lula and Sally clattering and swearing half a block back.