The Raft

  Chapter 9

  “Maggie! Maggie!” A thick, Eastern European accent called the length of the Geoduck's rear deck. Maggie, shocked out of her torpor, was happy to have something to distract her from Rachael. She stood as a stout woman came charging joyfully across the deck of bistro tables. “Maggie! My petrushka!”

  “Piroshki,” Maggie smiled as they embraced. It was anbear hug that lifted Maggie clean up off the deck. The woman then took Maggie's face between her two thick, slab-like hands and planted a kiss square on Maggie's lips.

  “Petrushka!”

  “Rachael,” Maggie turned, apparently unfazed by the display of affection. “This is Piroshki, the owner of the Geoduck. Piroshki, this is my old friend from the dryland, Rachael.”

  “Little petrushka!” the woman cried out, her mass quickly eclipsing Rachael. Before Rachael could react, her face was also squeezed between two massive hands, and a wet, maternal kiss planned full on the mouth.

  “Nice to meet you,” Rachael said in shock, as the two hands were withdrawn.

  “Ah, the chowder today...” Piroshki gestured at table with the used dishes. She seemed displeased.

  “No, it was delicious,” Maggie assured.

  “Yes, yes...” Rachael stammered to add.

  “Ah, too kind. My Maggie...” Piroshki slapped Maggie's cheek, then turned to directly address Rachael. “Maggie, she take good care of old Piroshki. She take good care of whole Raft. My petrushka...” She was still holding Maggie by the cheek. Her tone suddenly turned serious. “I hear news. News of Meerkat. No good, no good at all.” She shook her head in disgust.

  “News travels fast,” Rachael remarked.

  “You have no idea,” Maggie affirmed.

  Piroshki brightened again. “But Maggie, she solve. She great hero. You know?” Piroshki nodded at Rachael.

  “Yes, I just learned.”

  “She find out what happen to Meerkat, yes?” She looked expectantly into Maggie's eyes. “Poor little petrushka...”

  “Don't worry, that is why we're here.” Maggie took Piroshki's palm away from her face, held it affectionately, and slid back into her seat. “We heard word that Meerkat was here last night with Horus.”

  “Ah!” Piroshki threw up her hands. The shock caused Rachael to almost jump out of her seat. “No good Horus! You find Horus, no?”

  “Yes, but -”

  “But Meerkat here, dancing in disco last night, yes, but Horus, no. She dancing late... until grandson Kalashnikov turn music off. No more dancing. Tell girls to go home! Too late.”

  “Girls?”

  “Yes,” Piroshki said with unmovable certitude. “Meerkat dancing with Tea Queen. No Horus!”

  “Tea Queen?” Maggie seemed surprised. “Are you sure?”

  “Sure? Sure? Maggie, my sweet Maggie, you think I not know all my little petrushkas?”

  “No, no, of course. And they left together? Just the two of them?”

  “Yes. In little dinghy. No one else.”

  “Thank you, Piroshki,” Maggie said, the wheels in her head visibly turning. “Can we get our check?”

  “Ha! Check!” Piroshki laughed, turning to Rachael. “Maggie think her money good here. Ha!”

  “Then thank you,” Rachael smiled.

  Piroshki gave Rachael an affectionate slap on the cheek, a slap hard enough to knock out a filling. “Little petrushka. So lovely.”

  And the heavy woman charged off across the deck with the same intensity she'd shown charging towards Rachael and Maggie's table.

  “Who's Tea Queen?” Rachael asked when they were alone. She knew she should have returned to the topic of leaving the Raft, but her curiosity got the better of her.

  “A witness? A suspect?” Maggie shrugged.

  “I mean what's her connection to Meerkat?”

  “Oh, they're good friends. Best friends, once, before Tea got married, had a baby.”

  “She's obviously the last person to see Meerkat alive.”

  “Mmm...” Maggie mused. “Had enough to eat?” she asked.

  “Sure. We're going to talk to Tea Queen?”

  “We are,” Maggie replied, wiping her mouth with her napkin and dropping it on the table. Rachael grabbed her coat.