point because it was Barbro's turn to count and she started in with, 'One, two, buckle my shoe. Three, four, shut the door.' She come up with some dandy rhymes once she got into the hundreds."
Unh-oh. Had Sylvia's dislike of Gabriel hit the breaking point? Great. That's what this tour needed. More ill will between the guests.
"And I seen Jackie pass by on her way to the potty," Nana continued, "but she looked real different. Tell me, dear" -- she bowed her head close to mine -- "why was she dressed like that?"
I touched my forefinger to my lips for secrecy. "She's undercover."
Nana made a quiet O of her mouth and nodded understanding. She lowered her voice even more. "As what?"
The roar of an engine vibrated the pavement, and diesel fumes filled the air as our bus pulled up to the sidewalk. Bodies moved. Feet shuffled. And Nana and George hobbled off to beat the crowd. By the time the door whooshed open, the guests were lined up like beasts ready to board the biblical ark. I made a quick visual check.
I saw a lot of now familiar blond heads. Brandy Ann and Amanda were halfway back in the pack, weighed down by dozens of packages. Gillian Jones was standing beside Philip Blackmore, who was downing his water like a thirsty desert dweller. I hoped he realized there were no comfort facilities on the bus. Keely stood sandwiched between some guests I hadn't met, her red hair considerably shorter, but not half as stylish as mine. Sylvia Root and Marla Michaels stood side by side, examining the outside of Marla's shoulder bag. It would be a shame if her bag had gotten scuffed up in the purse-snatching attempt, but on the bright side, maybe the new markings would elevate it to one-of-a-kind status again.
I began counting heads starting from the back, where I found Fred looking nervous and agitated and checking behind him every five seconds. Curiosity getting the better of me, I sauntered over and took up a position behind him. "Did you enjoy Pisa?" I asked brightly.
He startled, then almost looked relieved to find me behind him. He trained a long, searching look over my shoulder. "You can have Pisa. I never want to come back here. Ever."
"Why?"
"Because some pervert was following me around all day, is why! Probably wanted to pick my pocket, or steal my hat. Some weird cross-dresser with really big feet and a sinister face. Cripes, it was terrifying. I just want to get back on the bus where I'll be safe."
I knew I could count on Jack. He had really perfected the art of blending unobtrusively into the crowd.
"I'm here! I'm here!" I heard a voice yell far behind me. "Hold the bus!"
I turned around. Speak of the day-vil. Jackie was pounding the pavement toward us, hair streaming, arms pumping, trumpet skirt flying. Look at that. She was back to being a girl again. I excused myself from Fred and walked a few steps to meet her out of earshot of the group. When she caught up, she lunged for my arm and doubled over at the waist, sucking in air.
"I thought you were going to...leave without me."
"I don't think tour companies like to do that. Too much liability involved." I slapped her on the back to assist her breathing. "What held you up?"
She waved her arm in the direction of the public restrooms. "Zipper got stuck. Then I couldn't find my...eyeliner. And I put on the...wrong color lipstick, so I had to...reapply. But those unisex restrooms...are great. You go in a guy...come out a girl...and no one notices."
She inched upward slowly, holding her side. "And to think I used to run...track in high school." Spying Fred at the end of the line, she turned her back toward him and made a head gesture for me to step closer. "I stayed with him all day, Emily, except for the last two hours when he kinda gave me the slip. Into museums. Out of museums. Down by the river. Through the botanical gardens. And get this. He never saw me. Not even once."
I smiled indulgently. "Imagine that. And did you find anything out?"
"Yeah, surveillance work is as boring as it was yesterday. I don't want to do it anymore."
"Being undercover didn't help?"
She shook her head. "They make it look exciting in the movies, but it's all a crock. You're at the complete mercy of the person you're tailing. Like, get this. Fred didn't stop