Tales of the City 03 - Further Tales of the City

was what?”
    “I’m not sure … somebody yelling, I think. You didn’t hear it?”
    “It could be the children,” said Mrs. Madrigal.
    “Children?”
    “Down on Leavenworth … skateboarding. It’s quite bloodcurdling sometimes.”
    “It sounded closer than that.”
    “Look, dear … if you want to have a little chat, why don’t we just stroll down to North Beach. It’s such a balmy evening, and we could have a lovely little dinner somewhere.”
    “All right,” said Jon, “but on me, O.K.?”
    “You’ve got a date,” said Mrs. Madrigal.
    After changing clothes, she hurried him through the foyer, chattering as noisily as possible. Bambi’s outburst seemed to have subsided, but Mrs. Madrigal breathed a secret sigh of relief when they were finally out of earshot on the lane.
    They dined in a window seat at the Washington Square Bar and Grill.
    “So how is he?” asked Jon, after they had placed their orders.
    Mrs. Madrigal pursed her lips in thought. “A little restless, I suppose.”
    “How so?”
    “Well, he makes a lot of fuss about his independence, but I don’t think he really enjoys it very much.”
    “But he has friends,” said the doctor.
    “Plenty,” said the landlady.
    “That’s good.”
    “Friends,” smiled the landlady, “but no capital F Friend. That’s what you wanted to know, isn’t it?”
    The doctor reddened. “I guess it was.”
    “Good.”
    “It’s been a long time, though … almost two years.”
    “And you think you can pick up where you left off.”
    “No,” said Jon, “I just …”
    “It’s all right, dear. I think you can, too.”
    He smiled at her almost timidly. “I’m not sure either one of us could handle it at this point.”
    “Why not?”
    The doctor shrugged. “Things change.”
    “Do they now? Do you know what I think?”
    “What?”
    “I think you should stop beating around the bush, because you came here to get him back.”
    “You do, huh?”
    “Uh-huh. And I think I’m going to help you.” Her big blue eyes flowed into his.
    Embarrassed, the doctor looked down.
    “I’m a cranky old hen,” said Mrs. Madrigal. “I like all my eggs in one basket.”

To Russia with DeDe
    A NDY OMIAK’S PROPOSAL STRUCK MARY ANN AS EXCEPTIONALLY foolhardy, and she told DeDe so as soon as they were alone.
    “What choice do we have?” countered DeDe.
    “Well … we could notify the mainland police, and they could conduct the search.”
    “And go charging in there with guns and bullhorns, loaded for bear. If we tell them who he is, my children will be the last thing they’ll worry about.”
    “Then we won’t tell them. We’ll just say … well, we could tell them the truth.”
    “Which is?”
    “That a man from the ship kidnapped your children in Sitka … and we think he brought them up here.”
    “Do you seriously believe he’ll think that’s what we told them? Look … there’s no reason for you to go with me, really. Andy’ll be there, with a gun and all. It isn’t fair to ask you …”
    “Forget that,” said Mary Ann. “I’m going.”
    “I’d feel awful if …”
    “Don’t. This is my decision.”
    DeDe squeezed her hand. “Thanks.”
    “Besides,” added Mary Ann. “I’ve never been to Russia.”
They napped for several hours, after which Andy returned.
    “Have you had a chance to think it over?” he asked.
    “We’re game,” said DeDe. Mary Ann nodded her agreement.
    “O.K.,” said Andy. “We should leave about an hour from now.”
    Mary Ann made a face. “In broad daylight?”
    The Eskimo grinned. “We don’t have much else.”
    “Oh … right.”
    “Anyway,” continued Andy, “this’ll be almost as safe as darkness. Between eight and ten o’clock the whole town’s at the schoolhouse.”
    “Everybody?” asked DeDe.
    “All eighty-two of ‘em,” smiled Andy.
    “For classes or what?”
    The Eskimo shook his head. “We get a movie from the mainland once a week.”
    “Oh.”
    “Tonight they’re showing Superman II. I think we’re safe.”
    “At least as far as Ingaluk is concerned.”
    “What do you mean?” asked Andy.
    “The Russians,” said DeDe. “Don’t tell me they’re watching a movie, too?”
    “Oh,” said Andy drily. “Don’t worry about them.”
As predicted, Ingaluk looked like a ghost town when the trio left the dock in Andy’s fifteen-foot motor launch. Mary Ann stared up in awe at the dark cliffs above the village, the sun-bleached coffins flecking the rocks like