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the same Grady Barber who had a big hit last year with ‘Remember Me in April.’ ” She smiled, as if I couldn’t possibly have overlooked this—which, of course, I had.
    Veronica finished on a note of triumph. “He’s agreed to come to Emerald Springs and be our judge. At quite a reduced fee, may I stress again. But after all, this is where he got his start.”
    “I know it’s too late to reconsider,” Sally said. “The tryouts are almost upon us, and I’m aware the contracts have all been signed—”
    “It’s certainly official.”
    “And there’s truth to what you say about better attendance with a celebrity. But there are ways to lighten our financial load,” Sally went on. “Since we’re also responsible for all his expenses, let me suggest we make sure he has as few as possible. We can give quiet dinner parties so he doesn’t run up extravagant restaurant bills, stock his room with quality snacks and drinks. We can chauffeur him everywhere he needs to go, so he doesn’t call a limo service or rent a Porsche.”
    Sally was definitely reaching to make her point. To my knowledge Emerald Springs has one shoestring limo service, and anybody who needs to rent a car usually does it in Columbus or Cleveland and chugs into town under Chevy power.
    “We’ve booked him the best suite at the Emerald Springs Hotel.” Veronica’s tone was noticeably frostier.
    Sally smiled. “Of course we have. I wasn’t going to suggest a room in my attic.”
    The tension eased a little. Some of the other women entered into the conversation, volunteering to host a dinner at their homes or assume chauffeur duty for a day. One volunteered to make baskets of local snacks and baked goods to be delivered to his room. Another agreed to stock the suite’s refrigerator with carefully chosen drinks. A curly haired brunette said that her husband’s dry cleaning service would wash or clean Grady’s clothes for free.
    My gaze flitted back to the cages. I wondered how I could help with this phase of the committee’s work. Volunteer Ed to preach a sermon while Grady had his breakfast? Ask Teddy, my serious eight-year-old, to do tempera portraits of Noah’s animals to adorn the suite? Ask Junie to tuck Grady in every night with one of her prizewinning quilts?
    “And that’s on top of your other assignments, right, girls?” Veronica asked. “We’re all going to be busy-busy.”
    I’ve never believed you can actually feel a person’s gaze. I was sure that was only a plot device used in Gothic novels. But I’d been admiring the birds—cockatiels and maybe small parrots of some variety—when I suddenly felt the hair on my arms and nape begin to sizzle. I refocused and realized that indeed, a number of previously maligned Gothic authors were having the last laugh. I was being watched. Times eight.
    I had missed something.
    Unfortunately, I wasn’t that lucky. I hadn’t missed anything yet. What I’d felt was only anticipation. Theirs.
    “So that brings us to you, Aggie,” Veronica said, neatly stacking an inch-thick pile of papers in front of her. “Everybody’s plate is heaped to the brim. Logistics. Promotion. Coordination with the college for use of parking space and room rentals. Our big party for the hospital board and largest donors. Tours of the present pediatric wing so people will know why this is so important—”
    “I’d be happy to help with that.” Suddenly, a job I could fit in between summer dentist appointments and soccer games. It might be a stretch, but surely I could manage a tour or two.
    “We have that covered, thanks,” Veronica said. “That and nearly everything else.”
    Nearly is not a good word. I know what nearly means. Nearly, as in: We’re nearly finished giving out all the prizes except the booby prize . . .
    I steeled myself. “What did you save for me?” I smiled like a team player. Like a hard worker. Like a practical woman with no choice other than slinking out of town with her