Some Lips Tell Lies Read online

  Chapter 2

  Anne looked up with a start when she heard a loud knock on the front door. She glanced at her watch and realized she had dozed off. The Thrift shop workers were at the front door. She showed them what they were supposed to take. She watched them remove the boxes and furniture from her dad’s house. After they left, she walked through the house one last time, stepped outside and locked the door. Anne walked down the driveway, got into her old clunker, and drove over to the real estate office. She finished signing the listing agreement and turned over the house keys.

  One part of her life had ended; now it was time to go back to finish her Practicum at St. John’s Children’s Hospital. Anne’s apartment felt strange to her after being away from it for four months. She unloaded the boxes she had packed from her Dad’s house and put them in the closet.

  When Anne went back to her job at St. John’s Children’s Hospital, she threw herself back into the program. None of the patients she had worked with before were still there. She got busy and began learning about each child in her care. Occasionally she heard from Tracie and Rachel’s mothers. Rachel was still doing well, but it seemed that Tracie was just hanging in, but was not doing very well.

  Anne’s co-workers expressed their sympathy at her father’s death, but no one reached out in any practical way. Anne’s life fell into a routine: work her full shift, take extra shifts if needed, go home, eat something, and go to bed. She longed to have someone to talk to, someone to see, just someone who cared that she was alive.

  Day after day, Anne plodded away at her job. The only thing that seemed to bring her joy was seeing one of her charges making progress. She remembered John and what he had said about how important the nurses were to him when he was a seriously ill child. Remembering John’s kind words, Anne began to gradually get her attitude back to where it had been. She thought often of her father and frequently her thoughts turned to John. She shook her head in amazement when she realized how much he had come to mean to her during those times when they had shared a cup of coffee.

  When Anne’s Practicum was over, she was given her nursing certification. She looked around the state of California and sent out resumes to several hospitals in the Los Angeles and San Francisco area. The one reply that sounded most interesting to her was one from a small Children’s Hospital near Santa Monica. It had a great reputation for quality care of its young patients, and they offered a salary high enough for her to be able to live fairly well. She interviewed and was hired. She found a cute little apartment about two miles from her job at a reasonable rent, and she decided to move there.

  Getting started at her first real nursing job was an exciting time. There were so many things to learn and all new co-workers to get acquainted with. A couple of the other nurses seemed to take her under their wing and help her get acquainted with the building, procedures, and staff. Maybe because she was actually hired to work there, Anne felt more accepted. She began eating lunch in the cafeteria and opened up more with her peers. She enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and started feeling more comfortable. She was a hard worker, an efficient nurse and soon had the respect of her peers. She felt happy at work, but she still felt lonely when she went home. In the past, she could always call her dad and he would cheer her up. Of course, that was no longer possible. It was in the evenings that she felt her loneliest and saddest.

  Anne had only been working at the hospital about three months when she received a phone call from Tracie’s mother. Anne could tell something was wrong as soon as she heard Hannah’s voice. She could tell that she had been crying.

  “Hannah,” Anne asked. “What’s wrong?”

  “It’s Tracie,” she sobbed. “She died this morning. I knew she was feeling tired, but I didn’t realize how bad it was. When I went in to see her this morning, she wouldn’t wake up. The paramedics tried to bring her back, but it was too late. I talked to her oncologist. He thinks her heart gave out. I knew it could happen at any time, but I never thought it would be this soon. I know she isn’t hurting anymore, but I don’t know how to go on living without her.”

  “Do you have any family nearby who can come and stay with you?” Anne asked.

  “No. My family is spread out all over the United States. My mom and dad are in Idaho. My brother is in North Dakota. I don’t even know where my ex-husband is living now. After Tracie got sick, he just pulled away from both of us. I’ve been so tied up with taking care of Tracie; I haven’t had much time for friends. I’m sorry to call you, but I didn’t know what else to do.”

  “I’m so sorry to hear about Tracie. I know how much you loved her. Everyone who knew her loved her. I just lost my father to cancer so I understand what you mean. Even though we know it is going to happen, it is always a shock. Would it help if I come up and see you? If you want me to, I’ll drive up tomorrow and help you make the arrangements and help you get things in order,” Anne said.

  “Would you really do that for me? I hate to see you make that long trip, but I would love to have you here. I know you loved Tracie, too,” Hannah cried.

  “Give me directions on where you are located. I’ll have to get in touch with my job so they can get someone to fill in for me. I’ll call you before I leave tomorrow. Please take a sleeping pill, if you have one, and get some rest. I’m sure you are very tired. Once you get some sleep, you’ll be able to handle everything better. Take care of yourself. I love you, Hannah,” Anne said.

  Anne called the hospital nursing supervisor and explained, “A close friend of mine’s daughter died this morning. She is all alone and has no family nearby. I need to go up to her in San Jose and help her with this for a few days. I’m sorry to leave you shorthanded, but I’ll work extra shifts when I come back to work.”

  Anne could tell the supervisor wasn’t happy about her request, but she did give her permission to go. Anne packed her suitcase and got ready to leave early the next morning. The next morning, Anne loaded her suitcase into her clunker and headed out of the city. She looked around as the city changed to open road. Anne turned on the radio and searched for a station. The radio was about the only thing in the car that still worked. She noticed her odometer had turned over again. “That means this car has gone over 200,000 miles in the twenty years we’ve had it. I can remember when it was brand new. Momma loved it. It was a bright yellow then. Now it is a nondescript beige color. My family made countless trips to the beach and to Disneyland in it. After Mom died, Dad drove it to work and to my high school activities. When I got old enough to drive, he passed it down to me. By now, the Clunker had become a part of my family memory. The big stain on the floor mat happened when Momma was taking spaghetti to a potluck dinner at church. The car in front of her stopped quickly and the pot of spaghetti slopped over and drenched the mat. My father said for months the car smelled like an Italian restaurant. Now six years later, I’m still nursing this old clunker along. It needs so much work, but hopefully it will hold out until Dad’s house sells. Even though I love the memories we’ve made in this car, once I get the money from the sale of Dad’s house, I need to get something more reliable,” Anne thought. Each time she filled it with gas, it was a little harder to start, but after a while, she always managed to get it going again. She rarely took it out of the city, but today it chugged along just like always.

  Anne reached San Jose about 3:30 pm. She followed Hannah’s directions and felt a sense of relief when she pulled up in front of Hannah’s house. It had been a long drive alone, and she was tired from the long journey. When she climbed out of the car, Hannah opened the front door and hurried out to meet her. She took Anne’s suitcase inside and put it in the guest bedroom.

  After giving her a glass of iced tea, Hannah sat down across from Anne. Her eyes were puffy from crying and she looked exhausted. She took Anne’s hand in hers and said, “Thank you for coming. I don’t know how I would have managed without your help. Ho
w can I ever thank you?”

  “I hope I can help you. I just went through this with my father. He had everything pretty well planned out, but I hope I can help you get through everything, not just the planning. It is normal to feel lost and hopeless and lonely and angry .You will feel all these emotions and more as the days and weeks go by. I can assure you that you are perfectly normal. We have to take time to grieve and feel all these things; sometimes we just feel numb. There will come a time when the pain begins to ease and you will return to calmer, more settled feelings. It takes time and faith to get through a loss like this, but I know you can do it. Death is a part of life. It is when we go from one form into another. Tracie will always live in our hearts, and one day when we reach the end of this life, we will see her again. I truly believe this with all my heart,” Anne said.

  The next day, they went to make funeral arrangements. Anne sat quietly and encouraged her. It wasn’t so much advice; it was having another person nearby that helped her get through the process. They looked at pictures of Tracie’s life and shared favorite memories of her life. As the memories came tumbling out, the tension and tiredness began to drain out of Hannah’s face. Anne cooked simple meals, encouraged her to get some extra sleep, and spend time outside in the fresh air. By the time Hannah’s Mom and Dad arrived from Idaho, Hannah had begun to relax and process things better. When her brother flew in from North Dakota, the family gathered around her. Seeing that she now had a loving support system, Anne got ready to drive back to Santa Monica.

  When Anne walked out to leave, Hannah held her close for a long time. She squeezed Anne’s hand and said, “Thanks for being a loving nurse and friend to Tracie. She talked so much about you and a man called John and how you two helped make her time in the hospital so much brighter. I appreciate all the cards and letters and gifts you sent her. She loved getting mail and looked forward to talking to you on the phone. I wish I could tell this man named John how much he helped her. I hated having to leave her there alone. I wanted to be there with her, but I had to work to pay the bills and to keep the insurance. I can’t even begin to explain how much you helped me now and over the months she was sick. I love you, Anne. I’ll never forget you. Drive carefully.”

  “You’ll be in my thoughts and prayers, Hannah. I’m so glad your family is here with you. Together you will get through this. Take care of yourself and each other and keep in touch,” Anne said. She gave her another quick hug and then climbed into her car. She drove through San Jose and then turned onto Highway 101 heading toward Los Angeles.

  It was a bright sunny day as she drove through the rolling hill near Salinas. About 5 pm, she pulled off at a truck stop/gas station. She asked the attendant to fill her tank with unleaded gas while she went in and used the restroom. She came out and paid for the tank of gas. When she turned the key in the ignition, the starter began cranking, but it wouldn’t start. The attendant walked over and offered to look under the hood. He poked around under the hood, checked the battery cables, oil level, spark plug wires. No matter what he tried, the car just wouldn’t start. When he looked at the odometer, he looked surprised at the low mileage.

  Anne explained it had just turned over and was really over 200,000 miles. He shook his head. “That may be why it isn’t starting. Our mechanic is out on a call. He’ll be here later this afternoon. He can check it out for you then. He’s the only mechanic along this stretch of road for more than 100 miles. Even if he checks it out, it may need parts. You might want to consider getting a room at the hotel down the block. They usually have rooms this time of day, but fill up fast later. I can have the mechanic check it out and call you at the hotel. That’s about the best I can do,” he said apologetically,

  “I guess I don’t really have much choice. I can’t drive it, if I can’t get it to start. How can I get to the hotel from here?” Anne asked.

  “One of my workers can drive you over there, if you want. Just let me get your name and phone number so we can call you as soon as we figure out what’s wrong with your car,” he said.

  Anne thanked him for his help. She got her suitcase out, climbed into the guy’s car and rode over to the hotel. When she stepped out, she was surprised to see a very large well-landscaped hotel. It had a café attached to it. The vacancy sign was lit and flashing. She carried her suitcase through the front door and entered the lobby. She heard loud voices coming from the bar. Several men were inside drinking beer and playing pool. The sound of music drifted out into the lobby area. Anne felt awkward standing there alone. She walked up to the registration desk and asked for a room for the night. The clerk was a cheerful young man. He asked how long she was staying.

  “One night unless something unexpected happens,” she answered.

  The desk clerk gave her a strange look. He put the key he had originally picked up back in the box and handed her another key. “Your room is on this floor. Go past the elevator, turn right and down to the end. If you need anything, just call the desk. I hope you enjoy your stay,” he added with a smile.

  Anne took her suitcase and walked down to the last room at the end of the hall. She unlocked the door, walked inside and locked the door behind her. She looked around. The room was nothing fancy, but at least it looked fairly clean. She looked in the bathroom. “This will do well enough for tonight. I’m glad it is far away from the bar. Hopefully it will be quiet enough to sleep in” She pulled out her cell phone and called her work. She told them her car had broken down and that she was having trouble getting it fix. She promised to let them know in the morning how soon she would be back. She was feeling tired from the long drive and the tension of helping Hannah with her grieving.

  Anne left her suitcase and purse sitting on the stand by the door and slipped off her shoes. She lay down on the bed and decided to take a nap before going out to get something to eat at the café. About two hours later, she awoke with a strange feeling. She listened carefully to figure out what had awakened her. She sat up quickly when she saw her room door being pushed open. A large red-headed man lurched into her room. When he saw her sitting on the bed, he smiled and said, “Hey, honey, are you ready to have some fun?” He had a large full glass of beer in his hand.

  “What are you doing in my room? Get out right now!” she ordered.

  “Aw, come on,” he slurred. “I know it’s early, but I want some fun. Ready or not, here I come!” He said as he staggered over towards her.

  Anne jumped off the bed on the far side of the bed. She looked around for some way of escape. ”Get out or I’ll scream!” she yelled.

  “Aw, nobody cares about screaming. That’s part of the fun,” he said.

  Anne waited until he had come around the corner of the bed. She jumped across the bed, grabbed her purse, her suitcase and her shoes and sprinted for the door. He staggered back and tried to grab her. She swung her purse and hit him in the side of the head. He reeled sideways, splashing his beer all over her dress. She dashed out the door and ran towards to desk. She thought she heard him coming behind her down the hall. When she rounded the corner, she tried to look back to see if he was still following her. Instead she crashed into a tall sturdy object. She yelled and lost her balance. She was starting to fall when she felt two hands grab her upper arms and keep her from falling. She tried to pull away, but the hands held her steady.

  “Whoa, steady there,” a man’s voice stopped her. “Where’s the fire?” he asked.

  Anne turned quickly and looked up into the most welcoming dark brown eyes. When their eyes met, they both exclaimed.

  “Anne, Nurse Anne, what in the world are you doing here?” John asked.

  “John, My God, I’m so glad to see you!” she gasped.

  “I’m delighted to see you, too, but what’s going on?” he asked again.

  “I was taking a nap in my room when this big drunk guy broke in. He tried to grab me. I managed to grab m
y things, hit him with my purse and get away,” she exclaimed. “I think I heard him chasing after me. That’s why I was running. I’m sorry I crashed into you.”

  “Joe, check the hall,” he ordered. “I guess I should say it was good running into you,” he laughed.

  “I can see you still have your sense of humor. Thanks for catching me. I shudder to think what you would come up with if I had fallen at your feet,” she giggled back.

  “There’s a tall red haired guy staggering this way,” he reported.

  “That’s him,” Anne shuddered.

  About that time, the drunk turned the corner and stopped with a puzzled look on his face. “Does this mean you’ve already got plans?” he asked.

  “She sure does. If I catch you coming around my girl, I’ll make sure you won’t ever be able to do it again. She’s with me. Get lost,” he ordered, putting his hand on his gun.

  The guy’s eyes got big as saucers, “Take it easy, man. I don’t want a fight. I was just looking for some fun. Sorry, ma’am,” he mumbled and staggered away.

  John felt her trembling with fear, and noticed how shaken she was. He put his arm around her shoulders and held her close. “It’s all right now. He’s gone, but this isn’t a good place for you to be, especially all alone and looking so pretty,” he added quietly. “Just stay with us for now. We’ll take care of you and keep you safe. This is definitely not the place for you to be wandering around alone.”

  He guided her into the elevator. Once inside, he said, “Anne, this is my friend and business partner, Joe. We have an important business meeting with a man in a few minutes.He doesn’t like to be kept waiting. Let’s just put your stuff in our room and come and get it later.”

  John opened the door to room 388, and they walked inside. He said, “I hate to rush you, but do you need to freshen up or change clothes before we go up to the lounge?”

  Anne looked at her reflection in the mirror. She saw the huge beer stain on her dress. She quickly grabbed her suitcase and disappeared into the bathroom. She hurriedly washed off with a wet washrag, dried herself off, pulled a sun dress out of her suitcase, and slipped it over her head. She grabbed her brush and smoothed her hair away from her face. In just a couple of minutes, she was standing outside in the hall between John and Joe. Both of them were broad shouldered, well-built, athletic looking men. Joe appeared to be in his late forties. John was closer to thirty.

  John whistled when he looked at her changed appearance. “That was a mighty quick change. Now you look more like the woman I remembered. I’ve wondered about you many times since the last time we met for coffee. I went back one time about a month after Rachel went home to say hello, but they said you were on a Leave of Absence. I wanted to ask more, but they didn’t act very friendly. I didn’t think I’d ever see you again. This is a very pleasant surprise.”

  Anne blushed. “They didn’t tell me you had stopped by when I went back to work there. You’re right; they weren’t friendly there at all. I’ve wondered about you, too.”

  Joe interrupted him. “You’d better tell her what to do or say before we get to the door.”

  “Basically, just sit there and look pretty. Don’t offer a lot of information. I’m trying to get a job with this man. The less you tell him about yourself or us, the better it is. If he speaks to you, of course, answer back, but keep things light and happy,” he instructed. “Do you understand?”

  “Yes, I’ll just keep my eyes and ears open and my mouth closed,” she answered.

  “Yes, that’s about right,” he smiled. “Remember I always said you were smart.”

  When they got to the door to the Cocktail lounge, Joe opened the door. John put his arm protectively around Anne’s shoulder and walked inside. It was dark inside except for the bar area and the stage. A man sat behind a piano and played ‘elevator music', as some young people refer to music of the forties. There were lit candles on each table in holders that looked like cheap stained glass lanterns. A layer of stale cigarette smoke hung like a brown cloud at the ceiling level.

  John spoke to the host. Soon they were escorted to a large overstuffed curved booth near the back of the room. Booths with deep crimson upholstered seats and back cushions lined the outer walls. Wooden tables that would seat 4-6 people filled in the remaining area between the booths and the lighted stage. A group of musical instruments were arranged on the stage indicating that there might be live music later that night.

  Anne loved watching people and she took the scene in at one glance. There were five women sitting alone at the bar. Based on the way they were dressed, she wouldn’t have described them as ladies. Along the bar, there were several groups of men standing in groups of two and threes. The women appeared to be ignoring the men who were obviously staring at them. From time to time, one of the men would go over, sit down next to a woman and begin talking to her. As Anne watched them covertly, she saw the man pull out money and slip it to the woman. Then both would get up and leave together. In a little while, first the man and then the woman would wander back in and go back to where they had been sitting or standing. Although she had never openly observed the activity before, she easily figured out the women were doing a booming business selling their personal favors. Although she was repulsed by the idea of what they were doing, she was fascinated watching the business being conducted so openly. There were a lot more men than women in the place. Anne felt glad that John left his arm around her shoulder. She would never have come to a place like this, but that just added to her curiosity. She saw a group of men, all huskily built, standing talking to the bartender.

  Anne turned and put her head against John’s shoulder. He looked down at her face and smiled. From here, Anne could clearly see a group of tables she had missed before. One table had three men seated at it. They kept glancing around and whispering. They reminded Anne of police shows she had watched with her dad that showed criminals plotting nervously to commit a crime. The one man in the middle was especially interesting to watch. He was smaller. His chin was sharply pointed, and he wore dark glasses even in the dimly lit room. He had on a bright red vest and a dull gray sports coat. He looked nervous and uncomfortable. The man to his left wore a dark suit and a strange multicolored tie. He looked around quickly, almost twitching with nervous excitement. The other guy, wearing an out-of-style dark suit, kept puffing a cigarette, barely finishing one before lighting another. He was a true chain smoker. As Anne covertly watched them, she automatically began reading their lips.

  Lip reading had been such a part of her life and education that she dropped into it without even thinking about it. She had worked extensively with deaf children and had helped train them to use lip reading as part of their communication skills. She had developed great skill over the years. Sometimes, when she was bored, just for fun of eavesdropping, and to keep in practice, she would tune in on strangers’ conversations. As she focused on this nervous trio, she began picking up pieces of their conversation. Suddenly, her attention was captured by the words she was ‘seeing’. The man in the red vest was reviewing a plan. He mentioned that they had to kill him tonight so they could get back to the airport and catch their charter flight out to Chicago. The guy with the funny tie kept asking when should we take him out. They agreed it would be stupid to kill him here with so many witnesses. They decided to ‘wait until just before closing time’. One at a time they would leave and wait in the hallway by the elevator. “When Mr. M leaves, we’ll be waiting around the corner by the elevator.” They figured, he’d have ‘three guys with him, but they had plenty of firepower to take them all out.

  Anne sat there in shock at what she had just observed. She looked up at John. He was still talking to the older man seated next to him. Joe was seated on the other side of the older man they were meeting. Anne kept glancing around wondering who the three men had been talking about. They needed to get out of the lounge before it
happened, no matter who the target was.

  When there was a pause in the conversation at the table, Anne reached up and touched John’s chin. He turned and looked down into her eyes. She whispered, “John, please ask me to dance. I have to talk to you now. It’s very important,” she begged. He saw her eyes were wide and he sensed the urgency of her words.

  He turned to the old man and said, “My girl wants a dance. Would you excuse me for a minute or two?”

  The old man looked closely at Anne for the first time and noticed the fresh beauty of her face. “Sure, you got to keep the lady happy. She’s a real beauty,” he added.

  A small jazz trio was playing now, as John led her out to the dance floor. He put his arms around her and pulled her close. She laid her head against his chest and spoke softly into his ear.

  “Please don’t turn around and look, but there are three men sitting at a table behind you that are planning to kill someone in this room tonight,” she whispered.

  John looked down at her pale face. “How do you know that?” he asked quietly.

  “I’m an expert lip reader. I’ve been watching people while I was sitting next to you. One group of men has been discussing a plan to shoot a Mr. M or M something when he leaves tonight to go to his office. I couldn’t catch the exact name. They all have ‘plenty of firepower, semiautomatic weapons.’ They expect he will have three guys with him and they are ready to kill all of them. They have been sent by someone in Chicago. They have a private charter airplane at McGray or McGrath airport to get them away tonight. We have to get out of here or we may be caught in the crossfire,” she urged him.

  John slowly spun her around so he could see the men she was talking about. He looked over her head and sized up the men.

  “How sure are you about what you saw and read?” he asked urgently.

  “I’ve testified in court and have worked with lip reading for years. I wouldn’t make up a story like this if it weren’t true,” she protested.

  “Just keep quiet while we go back to the table. I’ll take care of you and us. Do you trust me?” he asked.

  “Yes, I do,” she murmured by his ear.

  John led her back to the booth. He slid in and drew her in beside him. He smiled and turned to the old man sitting in the middle. “Marco, you have some enemies here tonight.”

  Marco looked at him and said, “I probably have enemies everywhere tonight.”

  “Please don’t look around. Right now there are 3 men fully armed sitting at a table in this room that are planning on killing you tonight,” John repeated.

  “That’s not a funny joke,” Marco said slowly.

  “It isn’t a joke. I am telling you what I just learned,” John said.

  “How do you know this information?” Marco asked suspiciously.

  “Anne, my girlfriend, is an expert lip reader. While she’s been sitting here, she’s been watching people. She read what they were saying. They are planning to kill you when you leave here tonight. They are all armed with semiautomatic weapons. Someone from Chicago hired them. After they kill you, they have a rental car waiting in the back parking lot to take them to McGray or McGrath airport to a charter plane that is waiting there for them,” John stated quickly.

  Marco stared at Anne. “Is what he is saying true? Can you really read lips that accurately? Is this the truth?” he asked staring intently at her.

  Anne flushed and said, “I can’t tell you if what they said was true or not, but I do know what they said to each other. I think it is truth, because why would they sit here and whisper details of a false plan to kill someone. I swear what I saw them saying is accurate, but sometimes lips tell the truth, but those same lips can also tell lies. All I can swear to is what I saw their lips say, but I certainly wouldn’t make up a story like that!”

  Marco looked around and said, "Are you sure of what you learned from watching them.?”

  “Yes, I know what they said. It was basically what John told you. I couldn’t swear to the name of the airport, but the rest I am sure I observed correctly,” Anne said.

  “What you say makes a lot of sense. Most people can tell both truth and lies. Sometimes their lips lie, but other times they tell the truth. Do you see that big guy standing by the bartender. What is he saying right now?”

  Ann looked over and watched him for a minute. “May I paraphrase it? I don’t usually use that kind of language,” she added with a blush.

  “Don’t worry about the language. Tell me exactly what he just said,” he ordered.

  “He said, ‘Look at the big titted bitch over there. Her boob job looks like shit, but I’ll bet it increases her business’,” Anne reported blushing a deep shade of red.

  Marco signaled and the man came walking over to the table. “Luigi, tell me exactly what you just said to the bartender,” he ordered.

  “I was just talking about that tall blonde at the end of the bar,” Luigi admitted.

  “No. Tell me word for word what you just said. Don’t try to clean it up to make yourself look better. This is important,” he repeated.

  “As far as I can remember, Boss, I said, ‘Look at that big titted bitch over there. Her boob job looks like shit, but I bet it increases her business’,” he repeated.

  Marco laughed out loud. “Luigi, listen close. This is important. Don’t look at the back door. There’s a table with three men, the middle one has on a red vest. They’ve been sent here to kill me tonight when I leave. You and all the others go outside. When you hear the band do a drum roll and say they have a big announcement, come in the back door, grab them and take them to the basement. Have a little talk with them. They probably all have semiautomatic weapons. After you have them locked away, come and tell me.”

  Luigi said, “Are you sure, boss?”

  “I ‘m not sure if it is true or not, but I can’t take the chance to just ignore what I heard. Take them out and question them. Then come back and let me know what you’ve learned,” Marco ordered.

  “Sure boss. I’ll take care of it.” He walked over and motioned for all three of the guys at the bar to leave with him.

  Marco signaled the bartender. “In a minute or two, walk over to the band and tell the band leader to do a drum roll and announce that because it is this little lady’s birthday, everyone who comes to the bar right now will get a free drink. That should divert their attention.”

  The bartender walked over and spoke to the bandleader. When the band leader made the announcement, the people at all the tables rushed up to the bar. The four bouncers grabbed the three men and hauled them outside. No one except for Marco’s table noticed a thing.