Party Trap

"hello, everyone!" gavin cardigan called out as he entered the Pub.

"hey, gavin!" danny blake shouted from behind the bar above the noise as he poured a beer.

"what's going on?" cardigan flung an arm toward all the people.

"a party for burkie's little brother. it was his birthday the other day."

"oh, the one who stands in holes?"

"i don't think he really stands in holes," blake replied as he handed cardigan his pint. "i think he rescues cats from trees. anyway, help yourself to some pizza. monte made it."

"monte? the pub dog?"

"yeah. whod've thunk, huh?"

cardigan grabbed a slice and turned toward the crowd, almost bumping into burkie. "oh, hello."

"hey, cardigan! good to see you," burkie greeted his protagonist and indicated the woman at his side. "i'd like to introduce you to my friend ava. ava reinier, this is gavin cardigan. he's a private eye."

"wow!" ava grinned and shook his hand.

"cardigan, i need to mingle. can you show ava around and introduce her to people?"

"sure, this way." caridan led her over to his regular crowd. "everyone, this is burkie's friend ava. ava, this is sierra charles, marian elfman, taylor young, and Mysterious Lurker."

"aloha, hola!" ava smiled at them.

marian looked around, shrugged, and replied, "i, marian, i too fall; a foot-in-air am i!"

the Lurker pointed at the corner, where monte lay curled on a rug. "and that's monte."

"a dog! a panic in a pagoda!" ava said, knowingly.

"yep," cardigan drained his beer faster than usual. "here, let's go meet tucker." he led her over to the shaggy-haired guitar player. "tucker, this is burkie's friend, ava."

"hi, ava!"

"hi, tucker. nice to meet you! do you know the song, "rats live on no evil star" by ookla the mok?"

"no, i'm sorry," tucker shook his head. "how about 'UFO tofu' by bela fleck?"

ava nodded eagerly, and the woman sitting near tucker took the time to introduce herself. "welcome to the Pub! i'm linda nulo, tucker's girlfriend. beyond that, nobody is quite certain what my character does. heck, i don't even know what kind of car i drive."

"a toyota," ava stated with certainty.

"really? thanks!"

at that moment, a determined man strode in. "burkie, i don't like this talk of cars when everyone here is drinking. you need to set a good example to your half dozen or so readers! damn, that smells good!" he snagged two slices of pizza and a napkin.

"don't worry, judge st. bishop," burkie assured the high-strung magistrate. "that's why hepzibah is here, to be the designated driver."

the judge nodded, chewing with satisfaction. "so, why the party?"

"it's for burkie's brother," linda informed him.

"the one who rescues coal miners?"

"i thought he was a lineman for the county," tucker looked puzzled. "is that him over there?"

"oh, no. that's one of danny's friends, otis," cardigan explained, waving otis over to make introductions.

"nice to meet y'all," said otis. "my feet are killing me, though. i need to find a place to sit."

"sit on a potato pan, otis," ava suggested.

"good idea, ava. thanks!"

"good evening, friend cardigan!" a colonial-looking figure walked up, patting cardigan on the back with one hand and holding a slice of pizza in the other. "who is this ravishing creature?"

"hello, mr. franklin. this is burkie's friend, ava."

"it is a pleasure, miss. have you tried some of this pizza with salami on it? it's the bomb!"

ava shook her head. "go hang a salami. i'm a lasagna hog!"

mr. franklin nodded. "i like a mean lasagna, too. so, what's the occasion?"

"we're celebrating burkie's brother's birthday."

"oh, the one who digs moats for texas oilmen and cattlebarons? i'd like to meet him!"

"er, i'm not sure if he's even here," cardigan looked around. "hey, shakespeare! have you seen burkie's brother?"

"the elvis impersonator? no, i haven't," said the balding man with the neat goatee picking up dirty dishes.

"that's william shakespeare?" otis asked. "he looks rather drab to be the greatest playwright of all time."

"drab as a fool, as aloof as a bard," ava observed.