Dress Sense!
Or … what do you wear to the Halloween Costume Ball?
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Jo blew into the break room like a bejewelled whirlwind, yanked open a cupboard and pulled out a mug and slammed the door closed with a bang.
Danny shot a look at Lindsay and pulled a face. "So I … er … take it he's still saying no then?"
Jo turned around and banged the mug on the worktop. "Agh! He is the most stubborn … pig-headed … obstinate man I have ever come across."
Lindsay smiled at her sympathetically. Danny nodded in understanding.
"Maybe Don can persuade him?" suggested Adam hopefully wondering at the same time whether the boss would now be in a bad mood and not let him off early.
"Nah!" Danny shook his head. "Tried and failed. Apparently he doesn't do costumes! His idea of dressing up is a tux. Don even tried lending him his vampire getup. It was only a cape and false teeth but he flatly refused." Danny threw his hands in the air. They had tried everything. "And you know the rule. No costume, no entry!"
There was a moment's silence then Adam added, his mind still on getting away early, "Well I guess if Jo can't persuade him, no one can." Jo looked at him quizzically but she couldn't help a small blush as Danny and Lindsay grinned cheekily at her before settling their gaze on Adam. Realizing that everyone was waiting for him to explain he stammered. "Oh! Er … well … I mean, that he really likes … I mean … er … you know? … er … he clearly has a thing … er … " He slid off his stool and began to back towards the door. "I should be going .. gotta … er … search … thing … to do!" He muttered something unintelligible under his breath and escaped.
Lindsay smiled at Jo who turned around huffily to make tea though she couldn't help smiling to herself. "Well, Jo," she began getting up from her seat. "you tried your best. Adam's right. If you can't work your womanly wiles on him no one can. Come on Danny. Let's get cleared up then we can go home and change." Danny sighed deeply and tried giving her an appealing look. "Oh stop it, it's for your daughter!" He caved and followed her obediently out of the door.
Jo stirred her tea thoughtfully. Womanly wiles huh? Her smile broadened. She looked at her watch and wondered if she had time.
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Mac Taylor hated Halloween. Not only was the entire team giving him a hard time about his refusal to dress up but the following year's budget proposal was due. He sat in his office trying desperately to focus on the spreadsheet that filled the screen in front of him. Cuts, cuts and more cuts. He glared at it wishing that the figures would magically rearrange themselves into something coherent that would allow him to keep all his staff, upgrade the mass spec and fulfill Adam's desire for some new 3D simulation software. At least thinking of Adam brought a glimmer of a smile to his face as he rubbed his over-tired eyes. An hour earlier he had come into Mac's office, full of barely suppressed excitement and stammeringly asked to leave early to 'get ready'. Of course he had let him go not wanting to spoil the young man's enjoyment. God knows he deserved it. Though Mac had to confess that he felt a tiny spark of envy at his child-like enthusiasm. But he just couldn't. The thought of dressing up, something he hadn't done since he was a child. What would people think? The head of the crime lab as a vampire? What did that say about him? Don's words echoed in his mind. "Oh come on Mac, all you have to do is wear your tux, add a cape and pop in a set of plastic teeth. A little make-up … perfect!" Mac grimaced. Make-up! Over his dead body!
Concentrating on the spreadsheet became more and more frustrating as the evening went on. Too many distractions. Danny and Lindsay had left shortly after Adam to pick up Lucy and get changed. Sheldon had popped by to say he was heading to autopsy. He left carrying two enormous carrier bags. Just as a vague idea for reducing the clean-up costs manifested itself somewhere at the back of his brain, his attention was drawn to the ghoulish trio of vampire, witch and skeleton that walked past the glass walls of his office. There were times he could strangle the person who had designed the crime lab's layout. He forced himself back to the numbers but it was no good. The more he looked the more they seemed to merge into one another like a physiological illusion till they appeared to float of the screen.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and turned away from the monitor. He glared at the pile of files teetering on the edge of his desk. At least they only required signatures. He picked up the first one. The final DNA results on the poisoned muffin case. He swept his pen under Adam's signature with a satisfied smile. He'd done a good job on that. Case closed. He looked up. A ghost pirate and a clown walked past. Mac shuddered. The clown was creepy!
He signed a couple of standard purchase orders idly thinking that anyone who could find a process for recycling latex gloves would save him a fortune. The next was a summary of evidence collected from Benny's army surplus depot. They had suspected him of helping to supply illegal weapons including one that had killed a drug dealer. The evidence was inconclusive. Mac scrawled a signature on the bottom. Not the most important case on his desk right now. His attention wandered again as a werewolf sauntered past accompanied oddly by a Nasa astronaut and Fred Flintstone carrying a large plastic club. Fred waved.
Mac shook his head and wondered whether he should just give up and call it a night. He straightened the files he had already signed and reached for the next. As he did a demon temptress complete with short pointy red horns poking out from an impossibly long black curly wig walked past in a crimson red satin outfit. Mac couldn't help gawking as she winked and blew him a kiss. Cindy from DNA? Shy, timid Cindy? Cindy who was so nervous she could barely look him in the eye when she handed him reports to sign? Cindy who had a crush on Adam? The pile of buff-coloured folders teetered and crashed to the floor.
Dammit!
Mac got up and bent down to pick them up. His computer bleeped with a new message. Probably the chief of detectives wanting his budget proposals. He bent down to peer under the desk and retrieve a sheet of paper.
"Goodnight Mac!"
Her voice floated in through the open door and Mac felt a twinge of guilt for having turned her down earlier. He would have given anything for an evening with Jo Danville but just the thought of the NYPD/FDNY Halloween Costume Ball was too much for him. He glanced up.
"Night Jo. Have a good ..." The words faded on his lips. His eyes widened. His jaw dropped. Jo flashed him a brilliant smile and walked on. Mac shoved the files haphazardly onto his desk only for them to cascade to the floor again. The phone started to ring. Sinclair! He hesitated but chose to ignore them as he scooted over to the door. Jo stepped into the elevator, her gorgeous smile still aimed at him and she waggled her fingers as the doors began to close.
"Jo!" But it was too late. She was gone.
He looked helplessly at the elevator and then at his office. The screen with the evil spreadsheet shone out at him accusingly. A mass of papers were scattered over the floor and the phone rang on insistently. Mac ran a hand through his hair. What was he going to do? "Dammit!"
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The party was in full swing. Jack Sparrow danced with Cat-Woman. An Orc was shimmying with Alice in Wonderland and a giant banana was sipping a lurid coloured cocktail through a straw. A prisoner was being dragged towards the bar by a woman in a very unorthodox policewoman outfit. Don Flack couldn't help casting a sideways glance at the stockings and suspenders as he lounged against the bar looking cool. Or at least he hoped he was. Looking cool. He smiled broadly as couple of women in gothic outfits checked him out.
"Ooo! Bite me!" one them offered as the other giggled. Don winked and thought about fulfilling her wish when he was distracted by three people heading towards him. He laughed as they approached. "Oh man! Themed outfits! Nice! Well aren't you the most gorgeous princess here?" He bowed.
Lucy smiled prettily and twirled around in her Snow White dress. Lindsay looked out from under her hood and stuck a hand in her basket. "An apple my dear?" she cackled. Don almost took it but the twinkle in Lindsay's eye put him off. Was this a continuation of the feud that had started with the life-size doll? Besides he thought, he would have to take out his vampire teeth to eat it. Instead he waggled a finger at her and tried to wind up Danny. "Woodsman huh?" He nodded in approval. "Nice pantyhose!"
Danny shot him a death-glare. "They're leggings!"
"And that makes it better?" Danny harrumphed irritably and yanked down the long suede jacket but before he could come up with a half-decent come-back Lindsay burst out laughing looking past Don.
"Oh that is awesome!"
"Cool!" squealed Lucy.
The two men turned around. Sheldon Hawkes was leading a mummy across the room.
Danny crossed his arms. "Really? A psycho surgeon? Original Doc! Original!"
Sheldon shrugged. "Give me a break. It took me almost two hours to wrap him up!"
"I think it's brilliant Uncle Sid!" Lucy smiled brightly up at him.
"Thank you Lucy." Sid mumbled from under the bandages wrapped so as only to show his eyes and his lips. "But how did you know it was me?"
She giggled. "Your glasses are still hanging around your neck!" Then she tipped her head on one side and screwed up her face. "What do you do if you need to go to the bathroom?"
"Ah well, I thought about that and I have a ..."
Sheldon coughed. "Er Sid … er … you don't want to go there!"
"Excuse me but may I have this dance?" A deep mournful voice came from behind them. Lucy gave a small scream that turned into a squeal of delight.
"Adam!"
Lindsay groaned wrinkling her nose in disgust. "Oh that is … gross!" The others looked at him admiringly.
"Adam? That really you?" Sheldon peered at the person in font of him. "Okay that is impressive."
"Those stitches must have taken hours." added Sid
"I have a friend … from theatre class … she's training to be a special effects make-up artist. She volunteered … er … said she needed the practice." He looked down at Lucy and changed his voice into a deep droning mumble. "So would the beautiful princess take pity on this poor monster and dance with him?" He held out his hand and Lucy giggled again as they moved off to the dance floor.
"That's Halloween for you! Frankenstein dancing with Snow White." Danny shook his head in amusement as Adam held Lucy's hands and twirled her around. "Although I'm not sure that's quite as weird as Rambo and Velma." He nodded in the direction of another couple jiggling their way past.
"Woulda' been weirder if it was Scooby-Doo?" quipped Sid.
"Nah! He's dancing with Batman!" Don grinned as he pushed himself away from the bar and looked around as various zombie waiters and waitresses appeared with trays of food. He rubbed his hands. "Ah about time too! Let's ..." He broke off as he caught a glimpse of the latest arrival. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "Jo?"
They all turned. Sheldon and Danny stared. "Whoa!"
"Oh I say!" muttered Sid.
Lindsay smirked under her hood. "Josephine Danville, you wicked woman!"
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Jo was experiencing a moment of regret as she stood on the threshold. Her usual confidence had suddenly abandoned her leaving her feeling shakily nervous and more than a little embarrassed. What had she been thinking? The elation she had felt on seeing Mac's reaction to her costume had dissipated the minute she stepped into the elegant ballroom with it's high ceilings and bright lights. She felt like she had stepped into the spotlight as she glanced nervously around. One or two men were looking at her openly. One of them, A FDNY captain she had worked with on a recent case, pulled an encouraging face and gave her a thumbs up which restored a little confidence but there were one or two more whose stares made her feel slightly sick. She wished that Ellie had been there but she understood that she wanted to be with her friends and she was mightily glad that her daughter had decided to dress more discretely for her party.
"Auntie Jo!" A little voice from the dance floor attracted her attention. She smiled at Lucy in her pretty dress as she danced with Frankenstein's monster who strangely enough was waving at her. She raised her hand in acknowledgement wondering who it was as her eyes scanned the room desperately searching for friendly faces. She had just spotted Don looking cool in full evening dress and a vampire cape with Sheldon, Danny and Lindsay when an oily voice whispered in her ear.
"Well hello, sexy thing, how about a dance?". She turned to spy one of her 'admirers' ogling her. He was dressed as a devil, in a cheap hire suit, with slicked back hair smoothed over fake red horns. His thin lips were pulled into a semblance of a smile giving him a cruel leer. The look in his eyes made her shiver and she was tempted to turn tail and leave but a second voice interrupted. A second, very familiar voice.
"Oh my Queen!" She turned to see a mummy bowing deeply before her. "May I say how fetching you're looking this evening? Would you allow me the pleasure of this dance?"
Jo sighed with relief. Sid! She held out her hand and accepted his gratefully unable to resist a smirk at the thought of dancing with a medical examiner dressed head to toe in bandages.
"Oi! I asked first!"
Sid tucked her arm in his and looked over his shoulder. "Sorry but us Egyptians have to stick together!"
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Rico swivelled in his seat and peered out of the window at the seedy looking store. "Here? You're sure?" he asked tentatively wondering what on earth the well dressed man would want here at this time of night. Besides the store was closed.
Mac leaned forward and thrust some dollar bills at him. "Keep it running. I'll be back in a minute." Rico counted the money and shrugged.
"Sure thing. Take all the time you need." Rico watched as the man got out of the cab and headed towards the store but instead of going up to the door, he disappeared down the side alley. He looked around in distaste at the gloomy decaying buildings, half of which were boarded up. He wondered if the man knew what he was doing going into a darkened alley alone in this neighbourhood but then he had picked him up at Police Plaza and he looked like a tough sonofabitch. Rico reckoned he could take care of himself. He continued counting the money. Besides it had to be better than driving around mid-town with tourists who wanted to photograph zombie hordes.
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The door opened by half an inch and a pair of eyes topped by thin greasy black hair peered out at him. "Detective Taylor?" a little voice squeaked. Mac pushed the door open sending the man staggering backwards. "Oh come on! Not again! Give me a break Detective. It's all legit. I swear!" he stammered nervously peering past Mac into the inky blackness wondering if he'd brought that other tall lanky detective who'd given him a hard time about ruining his suit.
"I'm not here for that," Mac stated. "I'm here to buy."
The man stared at him in surprise. "But I'm closed." Mac glared at him. "However, for you..." he stuttered. "I can be open!" He waved a hand invitingly towards the store.
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Rico was happily listening to a radio phone-in about the decline in safety on the streets. Some grouchy old guy called Howard was giving the presenter a hard time rambling on about how it weren't safe for kids to walk the streets any more and parents shouldn't allow them to go trick-or-treating when the back door opened and the cab rocked as his passenger threw himself into the back seat. Rico turned around in amazement.
"Problem?"
Rico swallowed, surprised by the rapid transformation. "Er, no Sir! Where to ... now?"
"Royal Plaza. Ballroom entrance." Mac smiled. "As fast as you can."
Rico turned back to the wheel with a shrug. "He'd seen weirder things at Halloween."
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Jo was beginning to relax a little as she sipped her wine. She had managed to avoid Mr Oily as she had danced twice with Sid, once with Sheldon, once with Don and once with Frankenstein who she had been astonished to discover was actually Adam. She had marvelled at the extension that made his head look square, the clever latex patches that gave the impression his face was stitched from three different ones. The whole effect was downright creepy.
Lindsay, who had divested herself of her cape and ugly nose to transform herself into an elegant looking Evil Queen with stark black and white make-up, swivelled her bar stool towards her smiling as they watched Danny dance with Lucy. Jo realized that Lindsay was staring at her. "What?" she asked innocently.
"I thought you said you were coming as a witch?"
Jo cleared her throat. "I changed my mind."
Lindsay leaned a little closer. "Mac see you in that?" Her eyes danced with merriment.
Jo pretended not to notice. "He might have," she answered.
"I bet he had a heart attack!"
Jo turned to look at Lindsay and winced as she remembered the look on his face. "A bit too over the top?" she asked wishing that she had stuck to her original idea.
Lindsay gave a wry smile as she looked gorgeous golden head-dress and gorgerine, the tight-fitting floor-length tube of white satin with it's jewelled brassiere, the front and back sections held together by lacing down both sides that showed a hint of creamy flesh. It was accentuated by the gossamer fine cape that was affixed to bangles on her upper arms and wrists. "Well let's just say that ninety percent of the men in the room are salivating and … if Mac sees them...?" She didn't finish. Jo sighed and wished for the thirtieth time that she hadn't changed her mind. Two small children dressed as pumpkins wandered past hand-in-hand. The serious looking, dark-haired little boy looked up at her in amazement, his thumb in his mouth. The girl who was a little older, was all eyes.
"I think you're beautiful," she whispered before they scampered away. Lindsay's oh was audible and Jo had to smile.
"Mommy, take a picture of us!" Lindsay turned to spy her daughter who had managed to find her best friend who was dressed all in pink as an Arabian princess. Lindsay dug into her basket of apples and brought out a camera.
"Okay stand over there by the pumpkins," she ordered spying a beautiful floral decoration with intricately carved jack-o-lanterns that would be perfect as a backdrop. The girls skipped off happily followed by Lindsay. Jo sipped her wine as she watched the little girls pose like seasoned models at a photo-shoot.
"So Cleo, howz'about that dance?" A slurred voice whispered in her ear and she caught a whiff of beer that turned her stomach. She turned and cringed. His eyes were a little glazed although they had the same look as earlier and he was clearly the worse for wear. His clothes looked dishevelled and his fake horns had slid to one side. She shuddered as he breathed over her looking down her cleavage.
"I think you've had a little too much to drink for dancing," she replied acidly as she tried to cover the strip of exposed thigh with her flimsy gauze cape that trailed delicately from the golden bangles at her wrists.
He leered down at her and ran a hand over her thigh. "I'll be the judge of that."
"Take your hand off me!" Jo hissed pushing him away.
"Oooo," he mocked. "Playing hard to get! You should have thought about that before you got dressed up. I know what you want." He moved closer and opened his mouth in a sneer but suddenly he froze.
"Leave!"
The quietly spoken single word was said with such venom that the man whirled around and staggered backwards his eyes opening wide. "What the hell?"
"Leave! Now!"
The man gulped at the veiled threat and backed away before turning and scooting off. Jo stared after him. She realized that a number of other people including Don, Danny and Sid who had managed to snag some canapés were staring them or rather at Mac.
She took a deep breath to try to calm the hammering of her heart and turned back to him. She faked a smile to cover her nervousness and pointedly looked him up and down. "Rambo?" she asked.
Mac grimaced and moved a little closer eyeing her costume. "Just think of me as Mark Anthony ..." Jo eyebrows shot up in disbelief. "... in modern dress!"
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Jo was finally enjoying herself. She felt safe waltzing around the room, Mac's arm firmly encircling her waist. Lindsay caught her eye and she gave her a discrete thumb's up. Fortunately Mac's attention was elsewhere as shy, timid little Cindy from DNA sashayed past him in the arms of Rambo who was looking more than a little disconcerted. He looked unhappily down at his flesh-coloured padded sleeves complete with painted scars and the bandolier of plastic bullets across his chest then he looked back at Mac. "Watch it!" Cindy nudged her partner. "That's my boss!" Mac flashed him a smug smile as he whirled Jo away.
The music ended and Mac escorted Jo back to the table where the rest of the team were installing themselves having got drinks and, miraculously, two trays of canapés to themselves. Mac strongly suspected Don! Don folded his arms and stared as he walked up and pulled out a chair for Jo. "Well I never thought I'd see the day when Mac Taylor wears make-up!" Mac rolled his eyes heavenward.
Sid grinned at him from under his bandages. "Leftover from your army days?"
Mac laughed as he remembered the look on Rico's face in the rear-view mirror as he sat in the back of the cab in army drabs and black boots, kitting up, strapping on weaponry and smearing camouflage black and green on his face and arms. "Er … not exactly!"
Lindsay sniggered. "Hardly! I'm pretty sure that tactical leg holsters, leather gloves and the latest in assault jackets were not standard issue in the Marine Corps?" She merely arched an eyebrow at their contents wondering if they were entirely legal.
Mac gave a little grin having to admit that he looked more like a character from a video game than a Marine. He chose to ignore her next question on how he had acquired them. In fact, Benny had been very accommodating. He pulled out a chair and seated himself next to Jo and surveyed the room with all the diligence of a personal bodyguard. The others concealed smirks. Protective or what?
The loudspeaker squawked announcing the beginning of the prize-giving. The best family costume went to the family of farmers and their little pumpkins. Lucy was disappointed but Lindsay pulled her onto her lap and told her there'd always be another year. Jo clapped delighted to see the two children go up on stage with their parents and older siblings. Oddly, the little boy, still with his thumb in his mouth, gazed only at them as his sister took the prize. On the way back to their table Jo realized that the little boy hadn't taken his eyes off them. As they neared the little boy yanked on his mother's hand. "Mommy, soldier!" His mother looked down at him in surprise and then at Mac who looked a little disconcerted at being stared at by a three year old pumpkin. He felt Jo nudge him.
Mac smiled at the little boy and leaned forward slightly. "A Marine," he whispered and flipped the boy a salute. The little pumpkin grinned from ear to ear and pulled his thumb from his mouth and made a valiant attempt to salute back.
"A Maweeen!" he repeated in awe. His mother smiled nervously at Mac and ushered her child away only to come to a grinding halt a few feet away, the high-pitched little voice carrying across the room. "Mommy wanna Maween costoom."
Jo sniggered. "I bet you looked just like that when you were little," she whispered in his ear.
Mac arched a disdainful eyebrow. "Jo there's one thing that I can guarantee you. I have NEVER dressed up as a pumpkin!" Everyone burst out laughing at the very thought but Mac was saved from further mortification as the presenter announced another prize for the best make-up.
"And the prize goes to Frankenstein!"
"Oh it's Adam!" Jo, Lindsay and Lucy squealed together, clapping enthusiastically as he walked up to the stage to claim his prize.
Danny stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly while Sheldon shouted, "Attaboy! Adam!"
"That's Adam?" Mac was taken aback but he nodded thoughtfully and applauded his lab tech as Adam bashfully made his way to join them at their table clearly surprised to see Mac. Mac smiled at him. "Impressive, no wonder you wanted to leave early. Congratulations Adam."
Adam sat. "Thanks boss! But it's not really me, I have a friend who did the make-up." He lifted the wrapped box of candy. "I'll give this to her. After all, she earned it."
"You know, strictly speaking, he's not Frankenstein but Frankenstein's monster. In the novel he has no name." Sid flapped a hand trying to catch hold of a piece of bandage that had come loose. "Victor Frankenstein, his creator, only refers to him as the creature, wretch, thing. He was abhorred by his creation and refused to name him causing the monster to flee in search of kindness and acceptance." Sheldon leaned over to help him with the bandage while Lindsay encouraged Lucy to go get some candy that was being handed out to the children in costume. "But in the novel the monster does refer to himself twice as Adam." Sid looked at him pointedly.
Mac noticed Adam shuffle a little uncomfortably looking down at his feet for a few seconds. He met Adam's eye and wondered for a moment if there wasn't a little more to his choice of costume. Adam gave a half-laugh at the question he saw there. It was true he had decided on his costume after re-reading the book.
"Maybe a little," he conceded his voice barely audible.
Mac frowned. "Only his kindness, his intelligence and his good manners I hope?"
Adam blushed under his make-up. "So what about you boss?"
Mac jiggled his head and thought about it for a moment. "Well, I had to get something at ... er ... short notice but I guess it does sum me up pretty well."
"A soldier at heart huh?"
"A Marine!" Mac corrected teasingly. Adam laughed and held his hands up in mock surrender. The same thought struck them at the same moment and they looked at each member of the team in turn. Sid, the ME as an embalmed corpse, Sheldon as a surgeon, Danny as a woodsman protecting the young princess, Lindsay playing her most important role with her daughter on her lap counting her candies. Adam looked back at Mac, his eyes asking the question. Don? Mac studied his friend for a moment much to the latter's consternation wondering why he was suddenly why he was the focus of their attention. Don, a blood sucking vampire? Well he was looking a little dark and mysterious and eyeing the basket of apples wondering if he could snag one. Mac shrugged. "Well, they are always hungry," he whispered. Adam laughed and Don pulled a face. Perhaps their costumes did say just a little something about them.
Suddenly Adam leaned forward and whispered. "What about Jo?"
Jo looked surprised at the question wondering what on earth they were talking about. She looked back and forth between them. Mac considered the question for a moment as he looked at her intently. "A woman of surpassing beauty, possessed of a most charming voice and a knowledge of how to make herself agreeable to every one. Brilliant to look upon and to listen to, with the power to subjugate every one, even a love-sated man already past his prime!" Jo's jaw dropped. Mac was suddenly aware of everyone's stares as they read a little more than he intended into his quote. He raised his eyebrows at Adam who was looking as thunderstruck as was possible for a man in heavy theatrical make-up with a bolt through his neck. "Cassius Dio, Roman Consul and noted historian," he added by way of explanation. Adam nodded blankly. "Er … perhaps that's enough psychology for one night!" he whispered to Adam. They both laughed.
Don leaned discretely towards Sid and Sheldon who were looking equally baffled by the odd conversation. "Did I miss something?"
Lucy looked up at the adults around the table. "So are we going trick-or-treating now?"
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The doorbell rang.
"Here we go again!"
Gertie didn't look up from her book, her mind half on the hero's dashing rescue of the heroine. "Oh stop moaning Howard and go give them some candy."
The old man levered himself out of his chair and shuffled off to the door complaining under his breath. He peered suspiciously through the spyhole before pulling back a chain, undoing two bolts and unlocking the door.
"Hello Mr Andrews. This is my friend Emma," announced Lucy cheerfully. "Trick or Treat!" they chimed lifting their little beribboned pumpkin baskets. Howard's face softened slightly as he stared at the two little girls.
"Oh is that little Lucy?" cried Gertie pulling off her glasses and dropping her romantic novel on the couch.
"Hey Mrs Andrews."
"Oh! Let me see you in your costume." Gertie joined her husband. She clapped her hands. "Oh don't you both look just lovely?" The smile froze on her face as she looked at third person standing on their doormat. "Well don't just stand there, give them some candy Howard." She elbowed her husband who picked up a bag from the hall table. She spied Danny and Lindsay further down the hall ushering a strange assortment of costumed friends into their apartment including a man in blood-stained scrubs, a mummy, Frankenstein arm in arm with a little she-devil dressed in crimson red. She waved. "Happy Halloween." They all waved back.
"There you go." Howard pushed a handful of sweets into the girl's pumpkin baskets. Gertie nudged him again. He sighed and rolled his eyes. "Happy Halloween!" The girls thanked him nicely and left. The man who had been standing quietly behind them nodded politely, smiled and followed them down the corridor. Mr and Mrs Andrews craned their necks peering around the edge of the door.
Howard looked at his wife and lowered his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "See! What did I tell you? It's not safe to let the kids go trick or treating these days. Even the Messers have had to hire an armed guard!"
Gertie pursed her lips as the 'armed guard' politely ushered the Queen of Egypt through the door, his hand in the small of her back. "I'm not surprised in a dress like that!"
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