Blackjack Magic Murder (The Dead Ex Files Book 3)

by Claire Kane

He felt righteous indignation course through him like a driving fire. Three demons seized him from behind, their chilling touch shocking him. He whirled around violently, flinging one free, and sending it spinning into the street and directly into the path of a city bus; it disappeared inside with a shriek.

  Grabbing another demon by what passed for hair, he hauled it off his back with a mighty pull, and threw it away. The third demon continued to work on him with its talons, leaving trails of frigid pain all across his arms and flank. He grunted, but reached behind himself with both hands and grabbed its neck.

  Some part of Victor’s mind reminded him that choking a spirit was useless, but he couldn’t help but revel in the feeling of destroying these things that had brought so much misery to the world. He envisioned himself as an avenging angel with a great sword, swooping down from Heaven and cutting the forces of darkness to ribbons, slashing over and over and over until every last scrap of evil were no more.

  Suddenly, he felt weary. His grip on the demon weakened, and it jerked free, ramming its claws deep into his midsection. He couldn’t bleed, and he certainly couldn’t die, but all at once the memories of that night in the modeling agency in Seattle began trickling back in. The horrible images he’d been subjected to, the rending emotions and blinding despair. He fought to keep his thoughts in check, but the demon hissed triumphantly, and a cluster of its comrades scurried in to take advantage of it.

  Victor clenched his jaw, and focused on the little girl sitting on her father’s shoulders. She was sweet, innocent, and pure. He knew what would happen to her if Legion got too firm a hold of her dad’s mind. Roaring, Victor leapt for the sky, hurling himself free of the swarming creatures. They followed almost immediately, only to be cut down by a lance of light that spiked through the group, bringing wails of terror and pain. In an instant, Jessica was there beside him. Her demeanor was calm, but he could feel real concern for him just below the surface.

  “That was really stupid, Victor,” she said.

  He shook his head and looked back toward the magician. The crowd was dispersing, and the woman floundered with failing tricks, desperate to keep her show going. Legion had been cast out, though Victor could still see and sense so many other pockets of the wicked spirits of men lingering up and down The Strip.

  “I told you not to lose your head. You’re an angel. Not the spirit version of the Incredible Hulk.”

  He sighed. “You’re right. And I felt the change when I started letting my rage get to me. I just… I wanted to end them. All of them.”

  Jessica placed a hand on his shoulder. “They’re not worth your time, Victor. And we can’t really get rid of them. We can just keep them away from people who aren’t inviting them into their lives. Even God lets people choose whether they want to entertain Legion.” She glanced meaningfully down toward the street magician, who was collecting herself while cursing and trying to call her audience back.

  “Some days,” Victor said, drifting down toward the father-daughter pair as they got on their way, “I still don’t fully understand that.”

  Jessica descended next to him. “You will in time. All good things to those who wait.”

  He glanced sideways at her. “You’re starting to sound like Rao, only without the snark.”

  I heard that, the cat’s voice echoed in his mind.

  “Wouldn’t have it any other way, Ms. Tibbits,” he said, deliberately calling Rao by her mortal name. Rao, as expected, sputtered and grumbled, but shut up after that.

  “Still,” Jessica said, smiling at the exchange, “you weren’t half bad for someone as obviously clueless as you are. You were a flop in the fashion department, but you’ve always been a stud.” She eyed him up and down. “In fact, that T-shirt and those jeans ought to be standard dress code for hot, male angels.”

  “Thanks. My ego just got so huge.”

  She laughed lightly. “Come on. Let’s get you a little more on-the-job training. I’m sure Lacey will thank you.”

  Victor paused. A cold feeling formed in his stomach as he looked toward the room Lacey had been put up in. “Rain check,” he blurted, and then he was gone.

  EIGHT

  “We’re staying here?” Nainai’s exclamation mirrored Lacey’s shock as the hotel staffer opened the door on the penthouse suite at The Illusion.

  While the man carried their luggage into a bedroom, Lacey stood dumbfounded on the threshold. Eyes strayed across the cultured marble flooring and matching countertops of a fully-equipped kitchen nearly half the size of her Seattle apartment.

  Just beyond the bar, with its dark wood stools, was the expanse of the living room. She was certain the hardwood was real and, if she had to guess, the rugs were imported Persians. The furniture seemed to beckon her to come in, sit down, and lose herself in their cushions, or watch anything she pleased on the flat screen that yawned across the wall above the hearth. Tasteful accents were strategically placed around the room to provide an ambience of carefully-cultivated luxury, and she couldn’t wait to see the bedrooms and bathrooms.

  Soft jazz played from overhead speakers, and a delicious floral scent welcomed Lacey with each breath. At last, she allowed herself to take in the glass wall opposite the doorway. Opening onto a balcony fit for accommodations like these, it also gave Lacey a view of the Las Vegas Strip that casually competed with the interior of the suite itself.

  “If you ladies should need anything,” the porter said, returning, “please don’t hesitate to call. The wine cooler is fully stocked, and the contents are on the house. Our concierge will meet your needs at any hour. Is there anything more I can do to make your stay more enjoyable?” Lacey shook her head mutely, and the porter bid them farewell.

  “Well,” Nainai said, “I guess we’d better call the motel and let them know we’re checking out.”

  Lacey finally came to herself and wheeled Nainai through the door and into a miracle. She set her belongings on the counter, then turned in a circle, taking it all in.

  “Good thing I didn’t have to pay for this with my slot winnings,” Nainai said. She shrugged casually and added, “But I was only getting warmed up tonight. Just wait until tomorrow, when I really hit my stride.”

  “I should phone Cathy,” Lacey said, feeling stupid that the first words out of her mouth were about her friend. And yet, even Lacey wasn’t accustomed to such luxury, despite the very real comforts of her former digs, back when she worked for KZTB full-time.

  “Go draw me a bath, baby girl,” Nainai said. “And see if they have any of those fizzy bath bombs. If not, call that porter back and have him bring an armful.”

  “Sure, Nainai,” Lacey said absently, pushing her grandmother’s chair into the bedroom on the right.

  As expected, the room blended perfectly with what she’d already seen of the suite. She readied a bath, helped Nainai into the tub, and waited while the woman soaked. At last, she helped her out, and then tucked her in for the night. Nainai cared for, she made her way across the suite and into her own room.

  Eyeing the Cal-king bed, she threw herself onto it, then decided to luxuriate in a bath of her own, complete with a scented bath bomb. She turned the water on, got the temperature right, and went back to the kitchen for a drink. Pulling her phone from her purse, she dialed Cathy’s number. Her friend picked up on the third ring.

  “Hello?”

  “Cathy, hey. It’s Lacey.”

  “Oh hi, Lacey! So, you’re in Vegas now, right?” The woman squealed. Then she cleared her throat. “Um, I, ah, hope your room’s okay.”

  Lacey smiled wide, and decided to keep her good fortune a secret, just for kicks. “The room is everything I hoped for and more.”

  “Okay,” the redhead said, sounding simultaneously confused and relieved. “Any leads on the story?”

  Lacey nodded reflexively. “I’ve got an interview arranged with them already.”

  “That’s my girl!”

  “Zigmund is a grade-A jerkwad, but Ross is actually
pretty nice. And I love his hair.”

  “Is that all you love?” Cathy prodded, a hint of playfulness clear in her voice.

  Lacey rolled her eyes. “Just because you’re all over the dating scene doesn’t mean that I’m examining every man that passes by as a prospect. I’m perfectly fine with how I am.”

  “Sure you are,” Cathy said, clearly disbelieving. “But if you’re not going to go after ‘Mister Rich and Famous,’ then maybe you could give him my number?”

  Lacey laughed and looked upward again. “I’m going to go take a bath. I just wanted to check in. I’ll call again when I’ve got more to tell you. Thanks again for giving me a chance.” The two women exchanged some more pleasantries and a little office gossip, then ended the call.

  Lacey peeked into the bathroom. Sure enough, a warm pool of bubbly relaxation was waiting for her. She slipped out of her clothing and into the hot suds and stayed in the Roman tub until the water began to cool. She yawned and stretched and reached behind her for one of the supple towels resting on a rack next to the tub. She blinked when her hand bumped against something firm that hadn’t been there before. She turned to look.

  Lacey screamed as she hadn’t screamed since childhood.

  The man was a blur of black, wearing a ski mask and long sleeves as he dove into the bathtub with her. His hands wrapped around her neck. Lacey kicked, flailed and scratched at him, before throwing herself out of the water as fast as she could. She slipped on a puddle, and went down, dazed as her head slammed against the marble flooring.

  Lacey groaned and when she looked up, the intruder was gone. The sound of the suite’s front door banging open confirmed she was out of imminent danger.

  What in the world had just happened? Lacey pulled herself off the floor and sprinted to Nainai’s room, barely noticing that the suite’s front door was still open. Hopefully, her grandmother hadn’t been harmed.

  Flipping the light on, she skid to a stop at the foot of Nainai’s bed and sighed in relief to see the woman apparently unharmed and breathing. Nainai grumbled and jerked, her head coming up briefly, but she rolled over and mumbled herself back to sleep. Lacey brought a hand to her chest, and exhaled in relief. She exited the bedroom, her heart still hammering.

  “Lacey? I came as quick as I—”

  Lacey yelped and spun, her foot shooting out at whoever was behind her, but only meeting air.

  There, in the foyer, was Victor. “I, ah,” he stammered in embarrassment, “I was fighting some demons outside, and sensed you were in trouble. Sorry I wasn’t here earlier. I didn’t, um, expect you to be, well…” He stared on in shock.

  Lacey looked down and gasped. In her haste to check on Nainai, she hadn’t even grabbed a towel. Wrapping her arms around her body to hide all right places, she burst out, “Well, turn around.”

  He did, and privately mouthed the word wow. Once he caught his breath, he said, “I’m sorry. I didn’t expect—like I said, I was fighting some demons and sensed you were in trouble.”

  Lacey dashed to her room and snatched one of the plush robes hanging in the small closet just outside the bathroom. Noticing blood on her fingernails, she rinsed it off, hoping her attacker hadn’t passed on some horrible infection to her.

  “I promise I didn’t mean to stare,” Victor called from just outside her bedroom. Then she heard him think, Though I regret even more that I didn’t get to marry you.

  Shaken, humiliated, and freezing, Lacey wrapped her hair in the towel, and made her way unsteadily out of her room and crossed to the kitchen, she poured herself a stiff drink.

  “Lacey, you’ve got comp—”

  A knock at the suite’s open door interrupted Victor mid-sentence. Startled, she spun and gasped to see Ross standing just beyond the threshold, still dressed to the nines. He hadn’t said he was planning on stopping by tonight.

  “Ah, Lacey,” the magician said. “I wasn’t expecting you to be expecting me.” His eyes swept briefly over her, and he raised an eyebrow. “Looking lovely as ever, although this gives the term ‘evening wear’ a new twist.”

  Her face flamed and she tugged the robe even tighter around her. The laughable thought of how perfectly terrible she looked flashed through her mind. You get attacked in your bathtub by a psychotic stranger and you’re still concerned about looking good for a man? What’s wrong with you, Lacey?

  She swallowed and leaned against the wet bar, chewing her lower lip. “Hello, Ross. I wasn’t expecting our interview to happen quite so soon.”

  Ross smiled and shook his head. “No, no. This is merely a courtesy call to see that you are comfortable.” Then he frowned. “But clearly, I see that you are not.” He surveyed the suite and Lacey followed his eyes, noting the large, wet trail from her room to Nainai’s, as well as signs of the struggle in the bathroom.

  “What happened?” he asked, voice tight. He strode into the room, scowling.

  Lacey shivered. “I didn’t even hear him come in. I don’t even know how he came in. These doors automatically lock upon closing. You need a key card to get inside.” She glanced at the balcony, but the sliding glass door was still secure. His appearance in her bathroom had been as mysterious as the tricks Zigmund and Ross had pulled at their show. “Who would even want to do something like that? Who even knows I’m here?”

  Ross crossed to her and took her shoulders gently. Victor stepped between him and Lacey, staring Ross down, but the magician didn’t so much as blink.

  He can’t see you, Victor, Lacey thought.

  No, Victor replied, but you can, and I can at least block your view a little.

  This isn’t the time for stupid jealousy, Victor. This is serious.

  He pivoted and locked eyes with Lacey. I’m perfectly serious, too.

  Lacey sighed and pulled away from Ross, who released her without comment. She sat on a barstool and buried her face in her hands. “I think Nainai and I are going to need to leave,” she said, hating the way that thought hurt. The whole evening had been an emotional rollercoaster; ending it on a low note—especially after the promise of being put up in such a nice place—was heartbreaking. But if someone could sneak into her room in what should have been a secure place, was there anywhere that was safe in this town?

  As if sensing her thoughts, Ross leaned on the counter and said, “I’ll have the hotel post a security officer on this floor. The Illusion isn’t Fort Knox, but any casino knows that it’s very bad for business to spook the customers. I will contact Las Vegas Metro PD and have them look into it as well. Would it comfort you if I stayed until they arrived?”

  Victor shook his head. “I can take care of her just fine, Fabio.”

  Back off, Victor, Lacey thought, frowning. She looked at Ross. “I don’t think that will be necessary, but thank you. I’ll just stay vigilant until the police arrive. The psycho caught me… at a bad time.” She breathed deeply, trying to slow her racing heart. “The security officer should be enough, but Ross?”

  He looked up. “Yes?”

  “If there’s any way we can do an interview tomorrow morning, that would be great. My stay here may be a bit shorter than I had originally planned.”

  He nodded, grim-faced. “Rest assured the hotel will figure this out,” he added. “The Illusion may be new, but it has learned from the best. I do hope you’ll reconsider your stay; you’re a breath of fresh air already, and I’ve barely met you.” He gave Lacey a small smile. She struggled to return it.

  “Thank you, Ross,” she said, wondering what it was about her that was refreshing. “It’s nice to know that someone around here cares.”

  Victor wanted to roll his eyes, but he knew what she meant and nodded instead.

  “It’s my pleasure.” He stepped to the door and paused to examine it. “Hmm,” he said.

  Lacey perked up. “Did you find something?”

  The Vegas performer shook his head. “I wish I had. That could have given us something to work with. Don’t look so surprised—when you’re in m
y line of work, you spend a lot of time figuring out how mysterious things work.”

  Lacey bit her lip. “Of course. Well, goodnight, then. I’ll stay here until the cops show.”

  “And you’ll cooperate with them, yes?”

  Lacey arched a brow. “Why wouldn’t I?”

  Ross laughed. “Failed humor, Lacey. Of course you’ll help them. Again, goodnight.” He gave an elaborate bow and disappeared into the hall, pulling the door closed behind him. Lacey hurried up to latch and deadbolt it, while Victor walked through the door and followed Ross. He returned not a minute later.

  “He didn’t seem to be up to anything fishy, but I didn’t follow him all that far.”

  Lacey retrieved her phone and .45 Magnum from her purse, then dropped into an overstuffed couch, exhaustion sapping her. “Why do you have to be so suspicious and jealous of every man to cross my path?” she asked as she searched for the number for the police.

  “Why do you have to keep hanging around with creepy guys ever since I left?”

  Lacey made to protest but Victor held up a finger. “Mister ‘I totally belong on TV’? Or, what about Mister ‘Hey, baby, lemme take your picture’? Or ‘I’m a crazed homeless guy who talks to dead people’? And now, guys who make a living playing with man-eating creatures and working black magic?”

  “It’s not black magic,” Lacey retorted automatically. “It’s smoke and mirrors. Lots of performers have done it. It doesn’t make it the dark arts. And as for those other guys—”

  Victor raised his eyebrows and Lacey paused, clenching her teeth. Finally, she sucked in a breath. “Who I’m interested in is my business. How many times do I have to tell you to quit babying me? Why won’t you let it go? You’re dead for Heaven’s sake. I know you still love me, but we’re not going to start dating again. Look, in case you missed it, I was just nearly murdered in the bathroom. Your post-mortem insecurities aren’t really at the forefront of my mind right now.”

  Victor’s face fell and his shoulders sagged. “You’re right. And I wasn’t trying to start a fight. I just… don’t always know how to really tell you I care, and yeah. It comes out wrong.” He straightened. “I’m still going to do all I can to keep you safe. I’ve been getting… training on that, too. So we’ll let the cops handle the break-in, but I promise you I will watch over you. You should get some sleep. I’ll wake you if anything even looks suspicious. Keep your Mag by your bed, just in case. I’ve also been learning a few tricks for distracting the living.”