The Bingo Mystery

Part I

Trixie Belden, her hair tied up in a messy ponytail and wearing an apron appliqued with the Ingram’s Antiques’ logo, stood in an aisle of the popular shop and stomped her foot loudly.  

“Get out of my head, you stupid song,” she ordered.

“Is something wrong, dear?” asked Imogene Ingram, owner of the establishment,  who had walked quietly up behind her.

“Yes!   I have an earworm and it’s driving me crazy.”

“Oh my!” Imogene’s eyes were wide with alarm. “ Do you need to see a doctor?”

Trixie shook her head.  “Don’t you know what an earworm is?”

“I’m afraid not.  Is it some kind of a parasite?”

“No.  It’s the term given for songs that you keep hearing over and over in your head.”

“I see.”  Imogene waved her hand through the air.  “Please don’t tell me why this particular condition is called an earworm.”  She paused, then asked,  “ What’s the song?”

Trixie rolled her eye and gritted her teeth together. ” Disco Duck.  And it’s all your fault!” She  shook her finger at her boss.

Imogene fingered the stack of necklaces that was draped around her neck and laughed.  “I love that song.  That’s why it’s my ringtone.”

“Grrrr.  Somebody called you this morning, I heard that song, and now it’s stuck in my mind! Maybe you should keep your phone on vibrate when I’m around.”   Trixie pulled the tie off her ponytail and ran her hand through her hair.

Imogene walked away, a pleased smile on her face.  “If you have to have an earworm, Disco Duck is the way to go,” she called over her shoulder.  “Just be glad you’re not stuck with Mairzy Doats.”

“What?”  Trixie stared at her boss’s retreating back for a minute, then gathered her hair and tied it back up.  “Do I dare ask what Mairzy Doats sounds like?” she demanded loudly.

Hoping a cup of tea might banish the song from her mind, Trixie grabbed the inventory sheets  she was working on and headed toward the connecting restaurant that was partnered with Ingram’s Antiques. She stopped when she heard the soft tinkling of the bell over the front door.

“Do you want me to see if they need any help?” Trixie called out to her boss.

“That would be lovely.  I’m up to my sorry rear in all these old books.  Unless you want to take over inventorying them?” answered Imogene.

“No, thanks.” Trixie hurried to the front of the store.

As she approached the front door of the tidy shop, she saw a short, stout, elderly woman with neatly styled hair.  Small glasses were perched on the end of her long nose. She was dressed in a red velour running suit and several bracelets clanked on her wrist.  A floral basket, attached to the front of the walker, held the woman’s handbag.  

“Welcome to Ingram’s.” Trixie closed the door behind the woman.  “Can I help you find anything?”

The woman looked closely at Trixie, her blue eyes sharp and probing.  “Do I know you?” she asked.

“I don’t think so.  My name’s Trixie and I work here.”

The woman stared.  “Trixie? You said your name’s Trixie.  Trixie what?”

“Trixie Belden.”

“Hmmm...Trixie Belden. That’s certainly a memorable name, don’t you think?”

Trixie bristled at the thought that anybody besides herself would find fault with her name.  “Can I help you find anything?” she asked again, her voice taking on a slight edge.

“No,  I think I’ll just look around. I was hoping to find  a few replacement pieces for my good china.  If you could just point me in the right direction, I’ll be on my way.  I’ll call you if I need any help.”

After Trixie pointed out the aisles with the china displays, the woman moved past her, perusing the merchandise as she walked slowly in the direction Trixie had indicated.

Trixie grabbed her mug and again headed toward the restaurant.

“Hey, Ian,” she called when she spotted the talented chef of the eatery.  “Anything special and delicious on the menu today?”

“Need you ask?” answered Ian with a slight bow.  “All of my fare is extremely tasty.  Are you looking for anything in particular?”

“Yes.  I’m in dire need of some caffeine, preferably in the form of tea.”  Trixie held out her travel mug and watched as Ian carefully filled it with boiling water then dropped in a tea bag.  As he was handing it back to Trixie, a frown crossed her face.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot,” he said.  Then he quickly added two packets of sugar and a healthy splash of cream.  “Happy?”

Trixie sighed contently.  “More so now.  Thanks for the hit, Ian.”  She returned to the antique shop and sat down at the front counter where she began checking her physical count with what the computer said was in the store.  She was so intent on the device in front of her that she didn’t hear the  elderly woman approach and was visibly startled when the woman spoke.

“Miss…Trixie?”

Trixie looked up from the computer.  “Yes.”

“I need your help.”

Trixie stepped around the counter and stood in front of the woman.  “What can I help you with?”

“I don’t know how to say this…” began the woman.

“Go ahead.”

“Well,” the woman chewed on her index finger.  Taking a deep breath, she blurted, “Aren’t you the young woman who’s responsible for catching a lot of crooks in Sleepyside?”

Trixie’s eyes widened and she froze for a moment, surprised by the question.  “Uh...yes.”

“Then you can help me,” announced the woman.

“Help you with what?”

“I need you to catch a thief.”

“A thief?”

“Yes.”

“Shouldn’t you be talking to the police?”

The woman shook her head.  “They can’t help me. When you introduced yourself, I said, ‘Ruby, this is fate.  Something brought you into this shop and this is it.’”

“Ruby?”

“Yes, Ruby Stevens.  That’s my name.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” responded Trixie.

The woman moved closer to Trixie and whispered.  “Meeting you was exactly what I needed.  You simply have to stop this man.”

“I do?”

“Yes. He’s gotten away with it far too long and I think it’s high time he got what’s coming to him.  I cannot tolerate one more evening of his thievery.”

“Who?”  Before the woman could answer, Trixie held up her hand.  “Wait a minute.  Why don’t you start at the beginning.  I’m afraid I’m a little confused.”

Ruby glanced around the shop.  “Perhaps there’s somewhere I could sit down?”

“Of course.”  Trixie led the woman to a cluster of small  floral settees that were grouped  with other furnishings in a corner of the shop.  She watched as the woman gently lowered herself onto one.

Ruby looked up at Trixie.   “Aren’t you going to join me?”

“Okay.”  Trixie plopped down next to the woman and waited, curious about the woman’s story.

“Now, what do you need to know?” asked Ruby.

“I think you should just tell me your story.”

The woman shifted on the divan, then began her tale.  “You see, we have Bingo every Thursday night at the home.”

“The home?” questioned Trixie.

“Yes, Sunset Shores, the retirement village on the north side of town.”

“Oh…”

“And there’s this man, Albert, who cheats and wins the big pot.”

“Oh?”  

“Yes.  See, we have Bingo every Thursday night but on the first Thursday of the month, the big  prize is $250.  And he always wins that prize. It makes me so mad.”

“How do you know he’s cheating?”

“Because he always, always wins the big pot of money. I don’t know a single person with that kind of luck.” Ruby set her mouth in a firm line. “Need I say more?”

“So you believe he’s cheating at Bingo?  Is that even possible?”

“That’s what I want you to find out.”

“What do you want me to do?” asked Trixie, her curiosity piqued.

“I want you to come watch him and see how he does it.  Then I want you to call him out.”

Trixie tried to picture herself standing up in a room full of Bingo -playing senior citizens,  pointing her finger at some old man, and loudly accusing him of the crime of cheating.   “I’m not sure I could do that,” she decided.

“Well, then, do it however you want.  I just want a fair chance to win that Bingo pot and with Albert cheating away, that will never happen.”

“Have you talked to anybody at…” Trixie’s voice trailed off as she tried to recall where the woman lived.

“Sunset Shores.  And yes I have.  But those young people never believe me.  Besides, the winner’s cards are always verified.  But I know that Albert is a cheat.”  Ruby pounded two fists against her well padded thighs.  

“Trixie,” called Imogene.  “Where are you?”

“Right here,” answered Trixie.

Imogene appeared in front of the two.  “Is everything all right?” she asked when she saw the older woman seated on the couch.

“Everything’s fine,” assured Trixie.  “This woman just wanted to discuss something with me.”

Imogene looked back and forth at the two, clearly concerned.  “Well, if you’re sure everything's all right,” she added hesitantly.

“It is,” answered Trixie.

“Then I think I’ll take a quick break.  I’ve had enough Mcguffey Readers to last me a lifetime.  Why did I ever say I’d try to sell all those old books?”

Trixie grinned.  “Because you’ll find a clever way to market them and then you’ll wish you had more.  Remember when you had all those old textbooks and that woman bought all of them and made them into furniture and stuff like that? You should give her a call.  She might be ready for some more supplies.”

Imogene snapped her fingers.  “That’s right.  I forgot about her, although I wouldn’t think you’d want to do that with these old books.  Nevertheless, I’ll give her a quick ring this afternoon.”  She moved toward the restaurant.  “Hold down the fort, dear.  I’ll be next door if you need me.”

After Imogene left, Trixie turned to the woman.  “Why don’t you give me your number and I’ll see what I can do.” she suggested.

Ruby clapped her hands together.  “You mean you’ll take the case?”

“Absolutely.”

“That’s marvelous,” Ruby beamed.

“Maybe I should come visit you.  That way I can look around a bit and get a feel for the facility.”

“You mean ‘get the lay of the land’?”

Trixie smiled.  “I guess that’s another way to put it.  What’s a good time for me to visit?”

“Oh, anytime.  I”m always around somewhere.”

“Okay.  I’ll try to come out tomorrow.  Would that work?” Trixie stood, then helped Ruby to her feet.  

“Of course.  Now, dear, what’s your fee?”

“My fee?”

Ruby nodded.  “What do you charge?  All those detectives on tv charge, except Jessica Fletcher.”

“Jessica Fletcher?”

“Yes, dear.  Don’t you watch Murder, She Wrote?”

“Oh, her. No, I’m usually busy in the evenings.”

“But it’s on all day long,” Ruby insisted.

“I’m here all day.  Anyway, don’t worry about my fees.”  She leaned forward. “I do this for fun.”

“Just like my Jessica.  I’m happy to have you on the case.”

After writing down Ruby’s room number at Sunset Shores, Trixie ushered the woman to the front door and walked her out  to her ancient volkswagon bug.  After stowing Ruby’s walker in the back, Trixie stepped back and watched as Ruby climbed into the front seat.

“See you tomorrow, Trixie.”  called Ruby as she shifted the car into first gear and took off down the street.

Trixie waved then pulled out her phone, eager to share the morning’s interesting conversation with her boyfriend.

“Hey, Tad,” she said, grinning into the phone when her boyfriend answered.  “You’ll never guess what just happened?”

“You just found a lost treasure map?”

“Haha.  Very funny.” Talking quickly, she filled Tad in on the odd encounter she had just experienced.

“Wow, you’re right.  I never would have guessed that.  So, you told her you’d investigate this?” asked Tad.

“Do you even have to ask?  Of course, she seems to think I’m some kind of big investigator, like Jessica Fletcher.”

“Who?”

“The main character on Murder, She Wrote.  Apparently, Ruby loves her.  Anyway, I’m going out to Sunset Shores tomorrow to look around.”

“Sunset Shores?”

“That’s the name of the senior community she lives in.  It must be pretty nice because the Bingo pot is $250, at least on the first Thursday of the month.”

“What is it the rest of the month?”

“I’m not sure. Her story confused me a bit.  I’ll have to get the rest of the details when I see her tomorrow.

Tad whistled into the phone.  “$250 is a nice bit of change. Maybe I should think about moving out there and joining them on Bingo night.”

“I don’t know, Tad.  It seem the competition for the Bingo pot is pretty stiff.”

“Hey, I bet I could play a mean Bingo game if I had to.”

“Really?  You want to play Bingo at a senior community?”

“Nah.  I’d rather play other games with you.”

“Haha, very funny, Webster.”

After chatting for a few more minutes, they ended the call.  Settling herself down at the front counter with her inventory sheets, Trixie tried to work but instead found her mind wandering back to the earlier conversation and wondering how somebody could actually cheat at Bingo.

*****

Later that evening, Trixie and Tad sat down to dinner at the apartment Tad shared with his brother, Spider.  

“This is a really, uh, interesting spaghetti sauce,” frowned Trixie as she twirled some pasta on her fork.  “Where’d you get it?”

Tad finished chewing.  “I just took the leftover ‘Sloppy Joe’ mixture and added a can of tomato soup to it. I call it ‘glop.’”

Trixie lowered her fork.  “You’re kidding, right?”

“No, why?  Don’t you like it?”

Trixie shrugged.  “Not really. Maybe you should try rinsing off the meat.”

“Why would I rinse off the meat?” demanded Tad.  “That would make everything all wet.”

“But it would get rid of the weird, tangy taste,” argued Trixie.

“That’s the best part. I can't believe you don’t like my creation?”

“Wellll…… “Trixie shrugged.  “But next time, if there is a next time, add garlic. Lots and lots of garlic!  You can never go wrong with garlic.”

Tad clutched at his chest.  “You wound me, Belden.  Here I thought I could wow you with my culinary talents.”

She twirled another forkful of the pasta and reluctantly put it in her mouth.  “What’s for dessert?”

Tad waggled his brows.  “Do you need to ask?  It’s me, of course.”

Trixie flopped back in her chair, feigning indignation.  “Leftovers, then more leftovers?”

Tad’s eyes widened.  “Don’t you like the choice?”

“I didn’t realize I had one.”  Trixie took a sip of water.  “At least I never serve you leftovers.”

“That’s cuz you’re the perfect dish,” said Tad, lifting his glass and tipping it toward Trixie.

Trixie rolled her eyes.  “Maybe after dinner, we can do a search on the computer for ways to cheat at Bingo.”

“Do you really think a computer search will turn up anything,”

“Probably not.  But I have to start somewhere.” Trixie placed another bite of pasta in her mouth and gazed at the kitchen beyond Tad’s shoulder.

“What?” asked Tad.  “Is there a giant spider in there?”

“Huh?”  Trixie shook her head.  “No.  I was just thinking that even though this pasta dish is uh, quite unique,  at least you had the opportunity to make it.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Trixie shrugged.  “I don’t know.  I guess I think it might be fun to decide for myself what I want to eat for dinner.”

“Aha!” Tad’s eyes twinkled mischievously. “You’re wishing you could have your own kitchen so you could prance into it and whip up some fabulous concoction for dinner.”

Trixie scowled.  “Tad, first of all, I don’t prance.  Ever!  Secondly, I don’t want to whip up something fabulous for dinner.  But it might be nice to have a grilled cheese sandwich or maybe even ramen noodles or anything else I might be in the mood for.”

“So this is less about having your own kitchen and more about being able to do what you want and when.”

Trixie nodded.  

“You know, Trixie, you hadn’t talked about moving out lately so I thought maybe you had decided to stay at the farm.”

Trixie placed a mound of pasta in her mouth and shook her head. “No.  I just can’t seem to find what I want.  I  got on the computer and checked out that big apartment complex between here and Croton.”  She shuddered slightly.  “It just isn’t me.  There were pictures of young adults playing volleyball and sipping drinks by the pool.  Everybody was lean and tan and…” Trixie stopped and frowned, then stabbed her fork into her spaghetti.

“Belden, first of all, you fit in wherever you are.  But I know why that place didn’t appeal to you.”

“You do?  Why?” Trixie’s eyes widened as she waited for Tad’s response.

“Because it isn’t you.  Am I right?”

Trixie nodded slowly.  “Yeh.  I think I should want to have an apartment in a complex like that, but I don’t.  As much as I want to get out of Crabapple Farm, I find myself wanting a place that has the same warm, cozy feel to it.  I don’t need mixers by the pool or a workout room full of buff men. I…” she hesitated.

“If you end that statement with ‘I’d rather have you’,” grinned Tad. “I just might have to agree with you.”

Trixie giggled. “I was going to say I want a place that feels like home, not like singles’ night at the local bar.”

“We’ll keep looking.” Tad slurped his pasta into his mouth.  “And when you find that place, I’ll be happy to let you do the cooking and then you can tempt me with some new and exotic uses for leftovers.”

Trixie snorted.  “As if I’d ever have any.  You’d eat anything I’d put in front of you.  And don’t deny it.” Trixie pointed her fork at Tad for emphasis.

“Is that a challenge?”

“Yes.”

“Challenge accepted.” Tad made a slight bowing motion with his hand then shoved another forkful of pasta into his mouth.  “But seriously, Belden, this ‘glop’ is going to be hard to beat.”

“Keep telling yourself that, Webster,” grimaced Trixie as she put another bite of pasta into her mouth.

Trixie and Tad chatted about other happenings in Sleepyside as they quickly finished their dinner. After the dishes were done, Tad opened his computer and he and Trixie searched for various ways one could cheat at Bingo.  

“So far I haven’t learned anything” grumbled Trixie.  

“Well, you did learn how to make Bingo into a drinking game,” replied Tad.

“That’s true.  And those people in the video were having way more fun playing Bingo than I ever thought possible.  But no clues about cheating.”  Trixie sighed.

“You’ll figure it out.  I have faith in you.”

Trixie stared at the screen, a worried look on her face.

Tad closed the computer and shoved it aside. While pulling Trixie into an embrace,  he snapped off the living room light. “Time for dessert,” he whispered into her ear.

“If you insist,” said Trixie smiling as she snuggled into his arms, temporarily pushing her mystery to the back of her mind.

**************

The next afternoon, Trixie drove to Sunset Shores.  When she arrived, she got out of her car and looked around, surprised at the size of the sprawling community. On one side she saw a four- story building with balconies that overlooked  flower and vegetable gardens.  On the other side, she saw an enclave of free-standing cottages.  And in front of her stood a large stone building with a walkway that led to double doors.  Benches covered with colorful cushions and pillows lined the walkway.  After passing through the double doors, Trixie checked in at the front desk, then followed the directions she was given until she arrived at Ruby’s door.  She rapped  lightly, then waited.  When Ruby swung open the door, Trixie smiled.

“Hi, Ruby.”

“Hi there, young lady.”  Ruby stepped back and motioned for Trixie to enter.  

Trixie followed the woman into a cozy apartment that was decorated in multiple pink and purple floral patterns.  Beyond the decorating, Trixie noted the layout and and charm  of the unit. “I really like your place. It has a nice, cozy feel to it.  And the little patio off your kitchen is darling.” Trixie looked around enviously.

“I’m happy here.  It reminds me of the apartment I had with my dear Harold, God rest his soul.”

“Harold?” Trixie looked at Ruby quizzically.

“Yes. Harold.  My husband, or should I say my late husband.  Although, he was always late so maybe I should call him my dear, departed husband.”

Trixie continued her exploration of the unit, peeking into the small kitchen and peering out the door to the patio.   “I’ve been trying to find an apartment for myself but so far I haven’t found anything that feels right,” she said as she returned to the living room.

“Well, dear.  I don’t think you can move in here.  You’re far below the recommended age.”

“Do you like it here? It seems like there’s a lot going on. I noticed somebody was playing the piano in the lobby and there was also a notice for a speaker who will be here tomorrow.”

“For the most part, yes.  But that Bingo cheater keeps me all riled up.”

“I’ve noticed. Do you think we could walk around so I could see more of the layout?”

“Sure.  Let me get my walker.”

Trixie waited while Ruby got her walker from the corner of the room, then followed her out the door and down a long, sun-filled hall that was lined with pictures painted by the residents. Ruby chattered away while she showed Trixie a restaurant, a small store, a comfortable movie theater, and an Irish pub.  “I know for a fact that Albert spends a lot of time there,” she harrumphed, “clearly spending his earnings that rightfully belong to somebody else.”

“This is a really nice community,” remarked Trixie.  “You seem to have a lot of friends here.”

“Most of the people here are nice.  Except for…”

“I know,” finished Trixie, “except for Albert.  Can you show me where you play Bingo?”

“Right this way.”  Ruby pushed her walker through a set of double doors and into a large multipurpose room.  Trixie stopped in the doorway and studied the room.  She noticed folding tables were stacked in one corner while padded chairs were lined up against the wall. Several large potted plants framed the floor to ceiling windows and opaque drapes puddled on the brightly colored carpet.  Ruby fumbled a bit, then suddenly switched on the overhead lights.

Trixie spun around.  “This is a nice room.” she sniffed.  “Do I smell popcorn?”

Ruby nodded knowingly.  “Yes, last night we had a sing along in here.”

Ruby walked over and stood next to Trixie as she pointed out the different parts of the room. “We get our cards here at the door  Each person’s allowed three at a time.  After somebody wins, we all get new cards.” She pointed to an empty table at the front of the room. “That’s where the Bingo caller sits, and Irene the supervisor, and Wally, the number verifier.  And this is where I sit.” Ruby tapped the floor with the tip of her shoe.

“Where does Albert sit?”

Ruby pointed to a corner.  “Right there.  He says he likes to sit in the corner because he thinks he has a cold and doesn’t want to get anybody else sick. At least that’s what he says. He sure isn’t that concerned about any illnesses when he’s at the pub.  When he’s there, he seems to be trying to hang onto any woman who’s nearby.”

Trixie nodded as she assessed the room.  Leaving Ruby, she wandered over to Albert’s corner and checked under several of the chairs and poked through the plants.

“What are you looking for?” whispered Ruby, who had crept up on Trixie.

Trixie stood up quickly.  “Ruby!  You startled me.” She pointed to Ruby’s walker.  “I didn’t even hear that.”

“Oil,” answered Ruby.

“Oh, that makes sense.”

“I like to keep my walker nice and oiled so it doesn’t make any squeaky noises.  You never can tell when you want to go into stealth mode around here.”

“Stealth mode!  Do you need that?”

“I believe in being prepared, just in case.”

“I see.” Trixie checked the edges of the carpet to see if any of it was loose then knelt down and ran her fingers along the bottom of several chairs.

 “What are you looking for?” asked Ruby.

“I just wanted to see if Albert had stashed any extra cards under the chairs.  But that wouldn’t work since he might not have the same chair every week.”

“Hmmm...that’s a good thought. But the cards have a different design each week.”

Gnawing her bottom lip, Trixie studied the rest of the room, willing herself to come up with an answer to the mystery.

“Now, Trixie,” said Ruby, interrupting the young woman’s thoughts,  “we play Bingo on Thursday night.  It’s not the big prize, mind you, but you can still watch that sneaky Albert.  Do you think you can be here?”

Trixie nodded.  “Yes.  But won’t it look odd if I suddenly show up for Bingo night?”

Ruby shook her head.  “Not a problem.  I’ve already told everybody that you’re my third cousin once removed and in town visiting for a couple of days.”

“Okay.”  Trixie hesitated.  “I wish I could meet Albert.”

Ruby swung her walker around.  “Come on.  It’s after four so I’m pretty sure he’ll be seated at the pub.  We’ll walk by casually and, knowing him, he’ll want an introduction to a pretty, young girl. By the way, I also told everybody that your name is Marty.”

“Marty!” Trixie, her eyes closed tight, screwed up her face.

“Yes, it’s short for Martina. I once had a calico cat named Martina. Is there something wrong with that name?”

Trixie shook her head.  “I guess not.  One of my brothers is named Mart and he can be a real pain.”

“I can’t change the name now. I’ve already told people about you.”

Trixie rolled her eyes. “What’s done is done.  Let’s get going.”

She and Ruby hiked back through the facility to the pub.  True to Ruby’s words, Albert was perched at the end of the small bar,  talking to the bartender and smiling at all the ladies who passed through the area on their way to other activities.  Spotting Ruby, he called out,

“Hey, Ruby.  Who’s your friend?”

“Told you,” mumbled Ruby under her breath, then addressed Albert.   “This is Marty,  my third cousin, once removed.” Ruby waved her hand toward Trixie.  

Albert struggled off the stool.  “Well, any third cousin once removed of Ruby’s is a third cousin once removed of mine.  How do you do?  My name’s Albert, Albert Dupay.  You know, rhymes with toupee, which is something I don’t need yet.” Albert winked at Trixie.

Trixie shook the man’s hand while giving him a quick assessment.  He was tall and thin, with an incredibly obvious combover that did little to hide his shiny head and his aged face had an oily sheen to it.  She noted he was wearing plaid slacks with a plaid sports shirt, although the plaids clashed violently.  Trixie realized that Albert had kept a hold of her hand, which she struggled to remove from his grasp.

“My cousin’s visiting for a few days,” explained Ruby.  “You’ll probably see her around.  In fact, I’ve convinced her to join us for Bingo night.”

Albert smiled broadly.  “Bingo night!  My favorite activity here. You’ll love it too.”

Trixie finally extracted her hand, then immediately slid it into the pocket of her jeans.  “I’m sure it will be a lot of fun.  You never can tell what will happen with Bingo.”

“No, you can’t,” chuckled Albert. “If you have any questions or need anything, just holler.  I know people,” he winked again.

“Come on.  I want to go rest,” announced Ruby.

Trixie turned and followed Ruby out of the pub area. Leaning down, she whispered into Ruby’s ear,  “He’s definitely sleazy.”  

“Hrmph.  He’s so slippery I’m surprised he doesn’t just slide off that pub stool and onto the floor,” grumbled Ruby as she pushed her walker down the hall toward her apartment.  Once inside,

Ruby settled herself on the couch, then clicked on the television.  

“Do you need anything before I leave?” asked Trixie.

“Nope.  Not a thing.  I’m going to watch my Murder, She Wrote,  then go to dinner.  Thank you for coming out today.”

“My pleasure.  I’ve yet to meet a mystery I couldn’t solve.  See you later, Ruby.”  Closing the apartment door, Trixie noticed that Ruby was already engrossed in her television program.  Since Tad was working late, Trixie decided to head home to Crabapple Farm.  “I still don’t know how one can actually cheat at Bingo”’ she muttered. She rapidly flipped through the radio stations in her car before spinning out of the parking lot.

*****

The next morning at work, Trixie hopped up on a stool and watched as Imogene counted out the money in the cash drawer in preparation for the day’s business.

“What’s on your mind today, Trixie?” asked Imogene.  Finished with her count, she closed the drawer firmly.   “Did you visit that woman yesterday.  Do you think you’ll be able to help her?”

“I hope so.” Trixie gnawed her bottom lip.  “But the other night, Tad and I did a computer search on Bingo cheating, but we didn’t come up with anything.”

Imogene patted her teased, strawberry blond hair.  “I’ve tried to figure that out too.  Don’t you just cover the numbers on your card as they’re called.  How could one possibly cheat at that?  You either have that number or you don’t.”

“I know.  Maybe this Albert guy doesn’t cheat at all and is just a really lucky person.”

Imogene gave Trixie a dubious look.  “I seriously doubt any one person is that lucky.”

“Me too.”

“My dear, I can’t wait to see how you work this out.”

Trixie sat up on the stool.  “Wanna come with me?” she grinned, her eyes snapping.

Imogene threw her hands up in front of her. “No. thanks.  I’ll leave all the detective work to you and the local police. Although spending the day with several men in uniform sounds like a complete delight,  I definitely don’t want to venture into the seedier side of life.”

“I’ll keep that in mind, Imogene.”  Trixie frowned slightly.  “I’m going to join them for Bingo tonight. I’m just not sure what I’m going to do when I catch Albert cheating.”

“You have all day to work on that.  I’m off to an estate sale this morning so you’re in charge.”

“Okay.”  

Imogene continued to chatter but Trixie didn’t hear her, she was so intent on her own thoughts about Bingo and cheating.

***************

The afternoon sun was low in the sky when Trixie pulled into Sunset Shores. She strode quickly through the parking lot and lobby until she arrived at Ruby’s door.  

“Marty,” winked Ruby when she opened her door in response to Trixie’s knock.  “Right on time. Are you ready?”

Trixie shrugged.  “I don’t really know what to expect, so I’m going to have to play it by ear.”

“Do you mean to say you don't have a plan?” demanded Ruby, her eyes narrowing.

Trixie shook her head.  “I just can’t picture how this Bingo cheating happens.  I really want to sit in the corner and watch him.  Do you think I’ll be able to do that?”

“Hmmm...I told everybody we were going to be spending time together.  That would be weird if you were sitting someplace else.”

“I’ll think of something.  Get your walker and let’s go.

Ruby stood up and walked over to the mirror that hung next to the door.   She paused in front of  it and carefully applied bright red lipstick.  Then she picked up several different colored beaded necklaces with tiny troll dolls dangling from them and slid them over her stiffly coiffed hair, fanning them out across her plum colored track suit. Finally, she gave her cheeks a firm pinch and grabbed her walker. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“Ruby,” asked Trixie as she watched the woman lock her door.  “What are all those necklaces for?”

“Luck.”

“I see.” Trixie grinned,  “But you won’t need luck to win tonight.”

“Right.”  Ruby swung her walker around and the two made their way to the multi-purpose room where other Bingo players were congregating.

“Hi, Ruby!” Several voices rang out above the hum of multiple conversations when Ruby and Trixie appeared in the doorway.

Trixie surveyed the room.  The tables and chairs that were previously stacked against the wall were now laid out in neat rows, with plenty of room for walkers or wheelchairs to get through.  Trixie noted the Bingo caller and the supervisor taking their places at the table at the front of the room. Their table was covered with several prizes such as boxes of candy, gift baskets, and other small trinkets. A large wire ball spinner sat in the center. Off to the side sat a young man who yawned broadly, then pulled out his phone from his back pocket.

“Hey, Ruby, is that Wally?”

Ruby waved at several people, then turned to Trixie and rolled her eyes.  “Yeh, that’s Wally.  His job is to verify the numbers called when the winning cards are turned in.  I don’t think he likes his job very much because he always seems bored and practically runs out the door when the evening is over. The woman with the grey hair is Irene and I don’t know the number caller’s name.” She shrugged.  “Anyway, where do you want to sit?”  

“I’ll follow you,” murmured Trixie.

When Ruby stopped to exchange pleasantries with another resident, Trixie studied Wally. “Interesting,” she thought as she watched him play with his phone. ”He seems so out of place here with his short, spiky hair and those big glasses that make him look like a giant bug.”  Wally  was still fiddling with his phone, seemingly oblivious to the activity going on around him. Scanning the rest of the room, Trixie located Albert who already was seated in his corner spot. There were several empty chairs around him.

“I guess I could go sit next to him,” mumbled Trixie.

“What?” asked Ruby.

“I said I could go sit near Albert, you know, keep an eye on him. But that would be too obvious.”

Trixie pondered silently.   “I’ve got it.  I’ll walk around the room with my phone taking pictures.  That way, it would perfectly natural for me to be in the corner.”

Ruby pounded on the table.  “Now that’s a plan. I’ll help.”

“How will you help?”

“I’ll simply suggest that you take lots of pictures to show the rest of the family how well I’m doing here.”

“Okay, Ruby.  Just don’t overdo it,” Trixie cautioned as she stepped aside, allowing another resident to find her seat at one of the tables.  

“Don’t worry, cousin.” Ruby winked at Trixie, then called out loudly.  “Why don’t you take some pictures so you can show the rest of the family how happy I am here.”

“Good idea, Ruby.” Trixie weaved among the tables, chairs, and walkers until she got to the room’s perimeter.  She pulled out her phone and fidgeted, anxious for the evening’s games to begin.

After a few minutes of introductory small talk, the festivities got underway.  Trixie strolled around the room, holding out her phone while several games ended with a happy shout.   She kept her eyes on Albert as she moved steadily toward his corner. When she got there, she pushed the potted plant aside and held out the camera.  Seeing Albert turn to look at her, Trixie smiled pleasantly.

“This is a great shot of my cousin.  Everybody back home will love seeing how many friends she has here.” Trixie smiled, hoping she looked pleasant and charming.

“Aren’t you kinda far from Ruby?  I would think your pictures would be blurry,” Albert said sharply. “Maybe you should move closer to her.”

“No need to worry about that.  I just zoom in for a closeup.”

Albert turned back to the three cards placed on the table in front of him.  “Don’t get too close to me.  I think I’m coming down with something and I’d hate for you to catch it.”

“Oh, pooh,” answered Trixie. “I’ll be fine.”  Trixie clicked some more shots, then lowered her phone.  “Oh, darn,”

“What?”  Albert twisted around in his chair.

“I have too many pictures on my phone.  I need to delete some before I can take any more.”

“Well, maybe you should do that in the hallway,” advised Albert.  “I’m sure the light is better out there and you won’t be bothered by the activity in here.”

Trixie laughed lightly.  “Oh, Albert.  Deleting pictures doesn’t require a lot of concentration.  It'll only take a minute or two. I won’t even miss any of the action.” She fiddled with her phone. “There! All done.”

Trixie snapped a few more pictures while monitoring Albert out of the corner of her eye.  Suddenly, Albert sneezed loudly, causing Trixie to jump back.  He sneezed again then began to cough. Trixie backed further away.  Albert pulled a huge cotton handkerchief from the pocket of the pink plaid jacket he was wearing.  Covering his face, he sneezed again, then began blowing his nose. Trixie watched Albert wad up the handkerchief and stuff it into an inner pocket of the jacket, which he then flapped several times.  She quietly stepped forward to get closer to Albert but as she did, she stepped on one of her shoelaces.  Struggling to maintain her balance, she grabbed frantically at the nearby plants.  Her hands ripped through several leaves of a large ficus tree before grabbing hold of a branch.  The potted tree tipped, hovered precariously for a few seconds on its bottom edge before it crashed to the floor, pulling Trixie down with it.   The announcer stopped calling numbers as every head in the room turned to look at the loud spectacle in the corner.  

“I’m so sorry,” stammered Trixie, her face red with embarrassment, her arms entangled in the plant’s leaves.  After struggling to her feet, she set the plant upright and scooped up the dirt that had fallen out.  

“Miss, are you all right?” asked an assistant who had scurried over to help Trixie.

“Yes, I’m fine.”  Trixie stood up, brushing dirt from her jeans.

“Look at your hands,” Albert said pointedly. “They’re all dirty.  You better go wash them off before you make a bigger mess.”

Flaming with embarrassment, Trixie carefully wound her way through the tables and chairs and into the hallway where she found a nearby restroom. After quickly washing her hands, she headed back toward the multi-purpose room. Just as Trixie passed through the doorway, she heard Albert call out.

“Bingo!” His voice carried across the room.

Dismayed, Trixie glanced at Ruby then at a smug Albert who was proudly carrying his full Bingo card to the front of the room.   Wincing at Ruby’s stern expression, Trixie made her way over to the woman.

“Sorry, Ruby.  I guess I really messed up.”

Ruby glared at Trixie.  “That’s obvious.  What happened?”

“I tripped over my own shoelaces.”

Ruby looked at Trixie’s feet and frowned.  “Maybe you should try velcro fasteners.”

Trixie and Ruby watched as a triumphant Albert returned to his seat in the corner, waving a gift certificate to a local restaurant.  

“I’ve been wanting to go here for the longest time,” Albert announced.  “But it’s not for a man on a fixed income.  But now I can go...for free!” Albert laughed at his own joke while the others in the room ignored his bragging.

Ruby stood up.  “I’ve had enough.”  Grabbing her walker, she headed toward her apartment with Trixie following.

After unlocking her door,  Ruby turned to Trixie, “I hope you have a better plan next week because that’s the big prize.”

“Don’t worry, Ruby.  Now that I’ve seen how Albert plays the game, I’ve got something to go on.”

“I hope so.”  Ruby stepped back and closed the door, leaving Trixie standing alone in the long hallway.

After hurrying out of the building, Trixie inhaled the cool night air and tried to calm herself. “Why did I have to fall at that exact moment?”  she groused as she walked through the well- lit parking lot. Frustrated with herself and the evening, Trixie drove to the Sleepyside Community Center where she knew Tad would be finishing up his day and would want to hear about her evening.

The quiet swish of the double doors announced Trixie’s arrival.  Looking around the bright lobby, Trixie didn’t see Tad.  She noticed his office door was open, so she went in and sat down in the chair across from his desk.

“Hey, you.” Tad breezed in, stopping to drop a quick kiss on Trixie’s cheek before sitting down in his chair.

“Hey,” mumbled Trixie, her eyes cast downward.

“What’s wrong?  Did you lose at Bingo?”

Trixie scowled at her boyfriend.  “And then some.” She gave Tad a quick version of the disastrous night at Sunset Shores.  “I can’t believe I fell over a stupid plant,” she groaned.  “I’ve really lost my touch.”

“Are you sure?  Didn’t you tell me last week that you stepped into a box of glasses at the shop  and broke several of them?”

“Is this your pep talk, Webster?  If it is, I don’t like it.”  Trixie slumped down further in her chair.

Tad came out from behind his desk and knelt in front of Trixie.  “I’m sorry.  I was just trying to make you laugh.  But, as I recall, your scrapes usually lead to successful endings.”

Trixie raised her head and looked into Tad’s eyes.  “But all I did tonight was make Ruby mad and embarrass myself.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Before Tad could say anything else,  he noticed two young boys throwing water on each other as they played near the drinking fountain.  “I’ll be right back,” he said as he stepped out of the small windowed office.

Left alone, Trixie pulled out her phone so she could delete all the pictures she had taken that evening.  She scrolled through them, pausing briefly on each shot.  “Wait a minute,” she said, sitting up straight.   Trixie quickly flipped back and forth between several pictures of Albert,  scrutinizing each one.  “What’s that?”

“Did you say something?”  Tad strode back into his office.

“Yes, I did.  Take a look at these pictures”  Trixie held out her phone and quickly flipped through several photos.

“Whoa.  Slow down.  All I saw was a blur.”

Trixie took a deep breath.  “Okay, look at these two pictures.” She pointed to the screen.

“Okay.”

“Now look at these.”  Trixie moved the pictures on her phone.  “What do you see?”

Tad looked carefully at the additional photos.  “I don’t know.”

“Tad!  Look, in the first two pictures. Albert is sitting at the table and that obnoxious plaid coat he’s wearing is buttoned.  Then is this picture, the coat is unbuttoned and it appears that something is on his lap.”

“Huh?” Tad looked at the pictures again.  “Maybe he got warm and that’s why he loosened his coat.”

“Maybe.  But what’s on his lap, particularly on his left thigh?”

Tad squinted at the phone.  “Beats me.”

Trixie enlarged the picture, then held out her phone.  “Now what do you see?”

Tad studied the photo.  “Hmmm…. At first I thought it was the huge handkerchief you said Albert had in his pocket  but now I don’t think so.  What do you think it is?”

Trixie studied the picture again and chewed her lower lip.  “I’m not sure.  But what if it was an additional Bingo card or two?  Maybe he uses his suit jacket to cover them up.”  She jumped up and paced the small office.  “Let’s see, how would he do this?  He has extra cards that he keeps in his big jacket.  He pretends to be sick so people don’t sit near him.  That way he’s able to actually play the extra cards, thus increasing his odds of winning.”  She turned and looked at Tad.  “What do you think?”

Tad shrugged.  “I suppose it’s possible.  Where do you get the Bingo cards?  I thought you said each person was only allotted three per game and they were handed out by the staff.”

Trixie sat down.  “They do.  That’s just one of many flaws with my theory.”

“Maybe he saves them,” suggested Tad.

Trixie shook her head.  “Ruby said they turn them in at the end of the night.  Plus, they use different colored cards with seasonal themes. There’s no way he could use the same card twice.”

“You may not have all the answers, but I definitely think you’re onto something.  When do you go back to see Ruby?”

“I don’t know.  She was pretty annoyed with me tonight.  She was so sure I would solve the case and her problems with Albert would be over.”

“Give her a day to cool off.  Then go visit her. If I know you, you’ll figure out some things before you see her again and that will make her happy.”

Trixie looked at Tad.  “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For listening to me and helping me slow down my thoughts.”

Tad grinned.  “It was nothing.  Besides, if you didn’t think it through now, then you’d toss and turn all night and then tomorrow you’d be all tired and cranky and would want to go home right after work and then...I wouldn’t get a chance to see you.”

Trixie laughed.  “So, in the end, this was all for you.”

“You bet.” Tad walked to his office door.  “Give me a few more minutes and then we can leave.  We can grab something to eat at my place.”

Trixie groaned. “Not leftovers.  No leftovers ever again!”

“We’ll see, Belden. We’ll see.”  Whistling lightly, Tad left his office while Trixie studied the pictures she had taken that night.  

“Maybe tonight wasn’t a total waste after all,” she decided.  

Suddenly realizing she was starving, Trixie stood up and went out into the lobby, anxious for Tad to be done so the two of them could get something to eat.

*************

Author's notes: A big “thank you” to my sister Judith who edited and to Katia who patiently went through this story, keeping the storyline intact.  And, as always, a grateful “thank you” to Vivian, who has been so patient with me when it comes to actually putting a story on my site.

Disco Duck - a satirical disco song from 1976, performed by Rick Dees.

Mairzy Doats - a novelty song written in 1943.

Mcguffey Readers - a series of graded primers for the younger grade levels.  They were used from the mid 1800’s -mid 1900’s.

Murder, She Wrote - a crime drama television series that ran for 12 seasons on CBS.  The title character, Jessica Fletcher, is a favorite in the banning thread.

Ramen noodles - Chinese-style wheat noodles that provide a quick and inexpensive meal.

Bingo graphic courtesy of Google.

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