Family & Fortune (The Adventures of Anabel Axelrod Book 5)

by Tracy Ellen

  Anna’s back slid down the wall until she landed on her butt on the carpeted floor. Her eyes never left my face as we stared at each other in mutual shock.

  “Yes, a woman was found murdered in that bathroom,” Detective Bobby confirmed, tucking her phone away in her jacket pocket.

  Anna mumbled, “Jesus Christ, so that’s what a dead person smells like?”

  I’d never experienced a decomposing corpse, either. I was in that bathroom two minutes and had to leave. It was no wonder Anna thought she’d been poisoned.

  The detective agreed it was gruesome, saying, “You never get used to it, that’s a fact.”

  “Wait a minute. You said we entered the bathroom at 4:30 PM?” I asked, and then checked with Anna for verification. “Didn’t we get there more like 4:10?”

  Anna didn’t have to think. “We did. I remember seeing the time on my phone in the bathroom.”

  Detective Bobby shrugged. “I didn’t say enter. The time was in reference to when you left the bathroom hallway into the main corridor.”

  She didn’t enlarge on that answer, but rapidly asked us a series of questions. Other than noticing the awful smell, we had little to offer. The detectives were clearly disappointed.

  I was used to the Chief Jack Banner police mentality of not sharing information with civilians at any cost, so I was a little surprised when Detective Bobby was more forthcoming.

  She volunteered the body had been discovered by a maintenance worker at 4:35 PM, and there was no doubt it was murder. She used the word eviscerated, which made Anna moan. I wasn’t too thrilled with that E word, either.

  Detective Bobby was as no-nonsense as her shoes. She was upfront they were under extreme pressure from their bosses at the Metro Police to do whatever it took to solve the murder. I had no doubt the Bellagio management was not cool with a murder taking place on the premises, especially over the New Year’s Eve holiday. The case being a top priority explained how the detectives came to be knocking on our door less than two hours later.

  After cleaning up, Detective Ray had been standing by listening attentively to his partner talk with us. When she glanced over at him with slightly raised brows, Detective Ray nodded slightly in return.

  Detective Bobby turned back to us and stared hard in our eyes. “This next information is not going to be public knowledge, understood?”

  Anna and I nodded in unison again.

  “There was a glitch in the security footage in that general area of the hotel. Previous to your exit of the hallway, the cameras weren’t recording correctly for the last twenty four hours. Besides the maintenance worker that found the body, you are the only two people we know that were in the vicinity of that restroom. Anything you noticed may be of value to our investigation.”

  I asked thoughtfully, “By ‘that general area’ are you referring to more than the restroom hallway?”

  “Yes. It was an entire section on the security grid.”

  “By ‘glitch’ do you mean it was a system error or sabotage?”

  “That is unknown at this time.”

  I pushed my luck. “Do you have an approximate time of death?”

  Detective Bobby hesitated, but answered, “It’s still a broad estimate, but anywhere from 2:00 AM to 11:00 AM today.”

  “One last question. Have you identified the victim?”

  “Yes.” She glanced briefly at Detective Ray and his shoulder twitched. “She was Caucasian, single, twenty-three, with no known address. Until we’ve located and notified her family, if possible, her name will be withheld.”

  Now I didn’t have to speculate why the detectives were generously sharing info. They’d already verified we were 1600 miles away when the murder took place. I suppose we could have hired a hit on the woman, but that was far-fetched considering it was Anna’s and I first visit to Vegas for her wedding and the woman was a transient.

  I hadn’t divulged that I wandered into the staff area and ran into Melody, Pee Wee and Kyle Koch. Not that I’d held back the information intentionally. When Detective Bobby said the area was under camera surveillance, I’d assumed they’d located the three of them the same way they had Anna and I. Besides, it hadn’t crossed my mind any of them could be involved. Even before the detective told us the approximate time of death, I’d also assumed the body was in that stall for quite some time to stink that terribly.

  Yes, my assumption was based on my extensive forensic training from watching detective shows. And yes, I was feeling like a bit of an asshat for assuming.

  Hearing the security cameras weren’t working changed everything. The detectives had no idea there were three people in the staff hallway. From the story Melody had told me of her break up with Pee Wee, they were at his place together during the time span of the woman’s murder. They should be each other’s alibis. I had no problem throwing Kyle the Cock to the wolves.

  Anna was thinking along the same lines. She gestured and nodded emphatically at me.

  Detective Bobby placed her hands on her ample hips, her voice laced with heavy sarcasm. “Ms. Axelrod, if you’re done playing twenty questions with us, the Metro Police would be grateful if you returned the favor and told us whatever Ms. Johnson urgently thinks you should.”

  Anna turned red and spluttered, but I smiled. “Yes, ma’am.”

  I explained how I’d run into the three people in the staff hallway. I kept the personal details between Melody and Pee Wee as vague as possible, saying I’d intruded on them breaking up before their shift and that Kyle Koch had also gotten involved before I arrived. Melody seemed thankful for my interruption, and after the two men left, we had chit-chatted for a few minutes while I waited for Anna to finish. I shared how Melody informed me that Kyle Koch wasn’t a Bellagio employee, but had the run of the casino due to his high roller boss. I also mentioned Melody had been warned to stay away from the man by her coworkers, and how he lurked in staff areas for no apparent reason.

  “For what it’s worth, my quick impression of Kyle Koch is he’s a creepy dude.” I lifted a shoulder. “I know creepy doesn’t mean he’s a murderer, but he’s something.”

  The police exchanged another speaking glance, and then Detective Bobby nodded slowly while replying, “We’ll follow up on all you’ve told us.”

  A few questions later, the detectives were satisfied we’d told them everything we could. We were given their business cards. They reminded Anna and I to keep our mouths closed about the security cameras and extracted our promises to contact them if we had any more information to share.

  Anna was so giddy with relief they were leaving without arresting us, she would have promised them her first born. She settled for profusely apologizing to Detective Ray for snorting water all over him, which he accepted politely.

  When the elevators dinged closed behind them, Anna ran her hands through her hair and exclaimed, “I’m still shaky. I’ve never wanted a drink more in my life!”

  “You and me both. I’ll order a double, so you can live vicariously,” I vowed with a small laugh, letting out a deep breath.

  Travelling with eleven females and knowing some freak had gutted a single woman in the hotel where we were staying was not comforting.

  The door of the suite swung open wide. The women were packed three deep in the foyer, Jazy was in the front with Tre, Pam, Mac and Stella.

  My sister whistled softly. “Thanks for keeping the detectives close by. We heard everything.” She motioned with her head back in little Lucy’s direction before lowering her voice, “Tre says evisceration is some seriously bad shit.”

  “No pun intended,” Tre added quickly.

  Jazy laughed. “Oh, I intended it. That was a good pun.”

  Anna shot my sister a reproachful glance. “It’s not funny. That poor girl.” She pleaded anxiously, “If you’ve all heard everything, can we please not talk about it anymore tonight?”

  “Sure, we’ll cut it out,” Jazy agreed amiably.

  I started to giggle at Jazy’
s play on words, but then I glanced at Anna’s anxious face and remembered my promise not to be such a sucky maid of honor.

  So, instead I pasted on a big smile that hadn’t seen the light of day since my misguided cheerleading days—all one week of them before I quit. I just didn’t have it in me to sustain the necessary level of chirpiness to get through a whole season, despite how much fringe was on the cute uniforms. I’ve always believed the crowd, if they’d only be honest, would prefer mean girl cheerleaders who posed in skimpy little outfits and called out snarky comments like, “Hey, football dudes from the other team, if you call that blocking, I call you a bunch of little bitches.”

  But still, I could handle doing the “rah rah sis boom bah” for two days to please my best friend and favorite niece.

  Big smile firmly in place, I put an arm around Anna and Stella’s shoulders. “Beautiful brides, ladies, and Jazy. To the elevators! We have a bachelorette party calling our names!”

  Anna and Stella grinned delightedly, the ladies clapped, and Jazy frowned when asking, “What’s wrong with your face?”

  Chapter XVI

  “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

  Sunday, 12/30

  6:20 PM

  Our bachelorette party was pampered like minor royalty in the Bellagio Spa. I heard the baron’s name bandied about and Anna and Stella were jumping and squealing. The generous man had been busy again ensuring the bridal party received the V.I.P. treatment. I was getting more curious about the baron every day.

  We had a large private room. Crazy stayed far away on the other side from me, but that didn’t stop the porn pics flashbacks whenever my glance inadvertently strayed her way. I had a deeper empathy for crime victims suffering from PTSD than ever before.

  Anna and Stella were in la la land after gentle prenatal massages. They also had cooling eye treatments where chilled marbles and organic chamomile were used to soothe and refresh their puffy eyes.

  I had a deep coconut surrender massage, which lived up to its name, and so did the hot toe bliss. We were all exfoliated with silky grape seed scrub. I don’t know if it left me soft and radiant on the outside as advertised, but despite the discordant background noise of Crazy snarling at her masseuse because something tickled or hurt, my insides were never calmer.

  Clad in plush terry cloth robes and slippers, our enervated group then staggered into a lounge with tinkling fountains and lots of marble. Punch drunk with the effects of our spa visit, we all collapsed across leather chaises and benches. We were served a light buffet, a succulent selection of chilled seafood, delicious cold salads, and perfectly ripened fresh fruits. I tossed juicy grapes into Anna and Stella mouths while they reclined in languor. It was a Romanesque moment of female bonding decadence. I was digging being a suck-free bridal attendant.

  The spa treatments and meal ran longer than anticipated. Afterwards, we parted ways with Stella, Kate, and Sammy with hugs and promises to meet up in the main lobby for brunch tomorrow. Betty Jasnik also called it a night to take Lucy back to their suite. The rest of us were going to get glitzed up and meet at Anna’s suite.

  Waiting in a loose group for the next elevator, Anna smiled eagerly at us all and asked, “What is everyone wearing tonight? Are we all wearing dresses?”

  Normally, I would tell Anna she could damn well hold her horses and see for herself in an hour, but tonight I waved excitedly and volunteered first. I described my little black tube dress and black ankle high heeled boots in sufficiently loving detail to warm the cockles of Anna’s bridal heart.

  She listened in such happy shock, I got carried away. “Why don’t I take a quick shower and then I’ll bring my stuff to your suite and we’ll do our makeup together?”

  I raised my brows at Anna’s dropped mouth, and then at everyone’s dropped mouth. “Or is that not a fun idea?”

  “Oh no, that’s a great idea,” Anna quickly answered with a huge grin, bouncing up and down in her imitation of a giddy pogo stick. “I have some new eyeliner you’re gonna love.”

  “Cool.” I smiled back.

  Anna turned an inquiring smiling face to Tre. “What are you wearing tonight?”

  Tre J, Mac, and Kenna good-naturedly described their cocktail dresses. Pam was too distracted tracking Crazy’s every move to say much more than, “Purple dress.”

  Jazy stared levelly in return at Anna without answering because she hated being asked that question worse than I did. Anna and my sisters started giving her crap for being too cool to hang with us while I laughed.

  Little Lucy had been hopping from one foot to another as she listened to the fashion interrogation, but now she yanked on my arm to pull me down.

  In her boisterous voice, she announced, “I’m really, really ready to go to bed right when me and my mom get up to our room.”

  “You are?” I fought going to bed early tooth and nail when I was a kid. “Why?”

  She rolled her eyes like I was an idiot. “Cuz when I wake up it will be one day closer to my flower girl day.”

  Lucy called it her “flower girl day” in the same proprietary tone Anna did when discussing her wedding day. In fact, Pig-tails could be Anna’s clone at that age.

  I chuckled. “You are going to be the best flower girl ever.”

  “Yes, I will,” Lucy agreed seriously. “You should come see my pink dress. It’s so bootiful.” She spit a little when lisping the word. “My dad says I’ll be prettier than a princess fairy floating down the aisle.”

  “How lucky you are to have a beautiful dress. You should see my pink dress.” I scouted to verify Stella wasn’t still within earshot. “It’s so tight; my boyfriend will say I’m pretty as a wiener dog when he sees me waddling down the aisle.”

  As Lucy laughed heartily and screamed out, “Weiner dog!” I noticed the un-cousin was standing closely off to one side of us. She glared fixedly at the little girl. Almost absently, Crazy’s tongue repeatedly swiped at her shiny lips pumped up with enough dermal filler to resemble a small inner tube. The thick coating of girlishly peach lip gloss was at odds with the unpleasant sneer on her face. Not that lapping her lipstick as if she hadn’t eaten in days or sneering at the world were necessarily unusual behaviors coming from the ex-cousin. The woman’s tics had tics. But I wasn’t taking any chances Crazy might have an appetite for little girls, too.

  I snapped my fingers to get her attention off Lucy.

  Slowly her protuberant brown eyes came into focus. “What?”

  “You’re crossing me,” I stated flatly. “Isn’t that against Luke’s HR policy?”

  It was fun watching the demon struggle not to curse viciously at my rudeness. The wedding trip wasn’t the time to taunt Crazy into an explosion, but I was satisfied knowing whenever I was ready, it wouldn’t take much effort.

  I wouldn’t have believed it possible without causing a blow out, but she managed to curl her upper inner tube at me before flouncing off to stand by Kenna.

  “That lady is really, really mean.”

  It was not a question, and my respect for the kid’s perspicuity went up another notch.

  “Yes she is, so stay away from her, alright?”

  “I will,” Lucy promised with alacrity, and then she whispered sotto voice, “She sure has the fattest boobies.”

  “Lucy Kathleen Jasnik!”

  Pig-tail’s eyes bugged out comically at her mother’s sharp voice. Betty had barely finished speaking her name before Lucy’s monotone sang out, “I’m sorry, Anabel!”

  Betty marched her daughter into the elevator, lecturing her on polite behavior in a low voice. Feeling for the kid, I decided to wait for the next car. Lucy waited until her mother glanced away and then flashed a grin at me and waggled her fingers as the doors closed.

  ‘Okay, strike that. It was Betty Jasnik who deserved sympathy.’

  Loaded down with my party clothes and make up, but smiling determinedly, I buzzed Anna’s suite forty-five minutes later.

  We both had our
hair up in hot rollers and wore short silk robes.

  “Cute!” she cried out, motioning to our matching get ups. She went on talking, so luckily I wasn’t required to answer. “Guess what? I’ve got a dream come true news alert.”

  “The baron has purchased the Bellagio and crowned you Queen for a day?”

  “For a day?” she repeated incredulously, taking the makeup case off my hands as I entered. She lowered her eyelashes and smiled coyly. “Oh, I think the baron would Queen me for more than one whole day.”

  “I know, right? I assured him it was fine with me to share my crown for at least two days a year, but bah!” I threw up my free arm. “There’s no dealing with minor noblemen.”

  Anna’s tinkling laughter rang out. “Ha ha! Frickin’ fickle barons. Who needs them?” She danced a few steps into the living room. “Kenna called. She and Crazy are going to ‘meet up’ with us later.”

  “Woo hoo!” I danced with her because we both knew that was never going to happen. “Other than making my night, it’s probably safer for everybody if they go out on their own. Have you noticed the détente between Pammie and Crazy is growing thin?”

  “Oh, yes I have.” I followed her into the marble bathroom, as Anna made a sad face over her shoulder. She set the makeup bag on the long double vanity. “I’m happy not to have Crazy slinking around, but getting to see a catfight would have been another dream come true.”

  “Geez, Ms. Greedy, I already arranged for you to smell a dead body today and get questioned by the police. Now you want a catfight, too?” I sighed loudly, hanging the garment bag on a convenient hook. “Good thing the night’s far from over.”

  We laughed.

  “Okay, let’s see the dress and ankle boots. Where did you buy them? I don’t remember you buying a black dress or boots when we were shopping. Are those new earrings? Usually CZs that huge don’t look real, but hot damn, those sparkle,” she chattered on, already unzipping my garment bag.

  I hadn’t mentioned my Christmas present from Luke to anyone. I wasn’t used to being showered with expensive gifts from a man. It was incredibly fun, but after receiving the Drake family earrings, Fortress Anabel, and the very public present of BJ, I had enjoyed privately savoring the present of my obscenely large diamond studs.