Hocus Croakus Read Online Free PDF

Green,” Judith said, forcing a smile.
    â€œMrs. Flynn,” Pancho said with a grin that revealed dazzling white teeth. “Joe’s been telling me all about you.”
    â€œReally.” Judith tried not to sound skeptical. Had Joe told Pancho how he’d broken Judith’s heart thirty years ago, leaving her pregnant? Had Joe mentioned that the woman he’d married in Vegas had virtually shanghaied him onto an airplane? Had Joe revealed how both he and Judith had ended up married to a couple of alcoholics and suffered through their first marriages until finally meeting again more than twenty years later?
    â€œYes,” Pancho replied. “He told me that if he didn’t win a dime here, he was still the luckiest man in the world.”
    â€œOh.” Judith wondered if that was the truth or if Pancho was merely a smooth talker. He looked like it, with his custom-tailored suit, impeccably cut silver hair, and flashing smile. But maybe that was part of his role as a casino manager.
    Joe’s own smile was unusually wide. “Pancho’s given us four complimentary tickets to the dinner show for the Great Mandolini tonight. We won’t have to waitin line. Our table’s reserved. I’ll tell Bill if I see him; you let Renie know.”
    â€œOh,” Judith repeated. “Yes, I know where Renie is. But what about our…”
    â€œMothers?” Joe finished for her, then looked at Pancho. “We have Judith’s mother and aunt with us. They’re both in wheelchairs. Would that be a problem? They wouldn’t have to sit with us, of course.”
    â€œNot at all,” Pancho replied, digging into a pocket inside his suit jacket. “I’ll make sure their table is wheelchair accessible.” He handed Joe two more comps. “I’ve got to go back to work. Great to see you, Joe. Wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Flynn.” The casino manager moved smoothly away.
    â€œNice guy,” Joe observed. “I haven’t seen him in twelve years.”
    Judith looked surprised. “Twelve years? Are you sure it hasn’t been more like thirty?”
    Joe’s expression turned serious. “That was the first time I met him. He…sort of took me under his wing. Then, just before we were married, Woody and I had to fly to Vegas to confer on a homicide case there that was linked to one of ours.”
    Woody was Woodrow Wilson Price, Joe’s longtime partner in the homicide division of the city’s police department. But it wasn’t Woody’s name that had caught Judith’s attention.
    â€œWhat do you mean by Pancho taking you under his wing?” she asked as they moved toward the craps tables.
    â€œWell,” Joe responded carefully, “Pancho stood up for me at the quickie wedding to Vivian. Not that I remember much about it. But when I sobered up, I told him I’d made a terrible mistake. He advised me to call you right away, explain everything, and try to get themarriage annulled.” Joe shrugged. “You know the rest of the story.”
    Judith knew it all too well. Joe had called her several times, but Gertrude had answered the phone. She’d informed Joe that Judith never wanted to speak to him again and didn’t care if he were in Vegas or on Venus. It wasn’t true, of course, but Gertrude’s interference had cost Joe and Judith dearly. Despondent, Joe hadn’t gotten the annulment. Abandoned, Judith had married Dan McMonigle on the rebound, not because she loved him, but because she wanted a father for her unborn baby. The story didn’t have a happy ending for over two decades.
    â€œYou never mentioned Pancho before,” Judith said. “How come?”
    â€œThat time in Vegas wasn’t exactly a highlight of my life,” Joe replied with a sour expression. “I’ve always tried to forget it, even while I was married to Vivian.” He brightened suddenly. “Hey,