Read Online Hocus Croakus by Mary Daheim - Free Book Online

conducting an orchestra, and strange yet haunting music filled the air. At first, Judith detected the sound of a tuba, but it was followed by high-pitched tones that were more like squawks. The young man’s hands never touched the instrument.
    â€œWhat is it?” Judith whispered to Renie.
    â€œI’m guessing it’s a theremin,” Renie said. “My friend Melissa Bargroom told me about it. It’s not magic, even though it looks like it. The theremin was the first electronic instrument, dating back to just after World War One.”
    â€œI’ve never heard of it,” Judith said, “but being a music critic, Melissa ought to know.”
    Another flurry, not of snow, but of brilliantly colored confetti, swept across the stage. When it evaporated, drums rolled and the houselights dipped for a few moments while a murmur of anticipation welled up from the audience.
    Judith, however, remained distracted. She should have called her mother from the casino floor to make sure that the old ladies were all right. She should have called Bart Bednarik to spur him on with the B&B project. She should have checked with Corinne Dooley to make sure that Sweetums wasn’t causing any feline problems with the neighbor children while the Dooleys cared for him in the Flynns’ absence. Judith squirmed in her chair.
    â€œAnd now,” the Great Mandolini announced, “for our finale, a truly death-defying performance by the lovely Salome.”
    Instead of stagehands, Pancho Green and the young man who’d played the theremin pushed a large cabinet out of the wings. Salome produced two lethal-looking sabers from under her silver cloak. She handed the weapons to Mandolini. Deftly, Salome swirled the cloak around her body, revealing glimpses of a sparkling silver ball gown that dazzled the eye. Then she opened the cabinet, waved her hands every which way to show that it was empty, and stepped inside, closing the door behind her.
    More drum rolls. Mandolini slashed the air with the sabers, which gleamed under the stage lights. As the drums reached their crescendo, he rammed the sabers again and again into the wooden box. The audience gasped. Mandolini flung the sabers aside and stared into the farthest reaches of the cabaret. The drums rolled more softly while Mandolini strolled up to the saber-riddled box. To the clang of cymbals, he openedthe door to reveal Salome, unharmed and smiling brightly in her stunning silver gown.
    Applause, whistles, and cheers exploded from the onlookers. The curtain fell. A moment later, Mandolini appeared in front of the curtain and bowed. A puff of smoke suddenly filled the front of the stage. When it quickly subsided, Mandolini was gone. The houselights went up. The show was over.
    â€œNot bad,” Joe said, getting up from his chair. “I’m heading for the craps table. How about you, Bill?”
    Bill was stretching his neck every which way. “I’ll watch,” he said.
    Renie had grabbed her purse and was practically running out of the cabaret. “Quarters!” she shouted, giving her husband a quick peck on the cheek. “See you when I see you, Bill. Come on, coz. Let’s kill ’em!”
    Judith did her best to keep up with Renie. But her cousin was moving too fast. What was worse, Renie was short. Judith lost her somewhere beyond the dollar slots.
    Earlier, Renie had been in the Summer section. Or was it Spring? Judith couldn’t remember. She wandered through the maze of machines, trying to find either her cousin or a familiar sight she could recognize from her afternoon forays.
    At last, she spotted the red Corvette on the platform. As luck would have it, Renie was close by, at another bank of quarter machines.
    â€œThese are good,” Renie said. “The chairs are comfortable, even if we’re not at a console. Try the one next to me. It’s different, but it pays the same.”
    â€œThree quarters?”