Outrageous Vegas Vacation (An Agnes Barton Senior Sleuths Mystery Book 8)

by Madison Johns

  “Yes, it was his idea, but he knew I wasn’t comfortable with it.”

  “And he still pushed you to do it?”

  “Sure, but he insisted that I needed the money to keep the show going and that’s why he wasn’t able to give me more spending money.”

  “Are you sure that was the case? Did you have a private accountant look over your finances?”

  Kayla shook her head sadly. “Malcolm took care of everything for me and now that he’s gone, I’m lost.”

  “Don’t despair yet. Malcolm must have been working with someone else, at least. He couldn’t be doing everything by himself. Of course, you could hire your own accountant to go over you finances, or else contact the entertainment company that he worked for.”

  “Yes, and you might only need to go through his paperwork,” Eleanor suggested.

  “Unless he’s been robbing you blind, you should have your own accounts set up. I bet the casino could give you the information you need to find out what accounts the money is deposited into, and you could divert future payments into your new account. I think you just need to make a trip to a bank and open a new account. That way you know you’ll be in control of it. You could hire an entertainment attorney until a new manager is in place,” Eleanor said.

  I was shocked past belief. “How do you know all of this?” I asked Eleanor.

  “You see, there was this Lifetime movie—”

  “Enough said. Look, my husband is an attorney and I bet he’d be happy to help you out and tell you how to proceed. He might even know a good attorney to call.”

  Kayla blew her nose and it was genuine enough, since her eyes were red and swollen. The poor dear must have cried herself to sleep over Malcolm’s untimely death.

  “Is it true that Malcolm has been stealing money from you?” I asked.

  “I can’t say since I don’t have access to my accounts.”

  “You must have been given some spending money,” Eleanor said.

  “Sure, Malcolm put two thousand on a debit card for me per month, but that’s about it. It was a sore spot between us, one we’d argued about often.”

  “Two thousand?” Eleanor said in a shocked voice. “That would hardly dress a pop star for a week.”

  Kayla laughed. “All my stage outfits are paid for by Malcolm, or were. And as you can see, I dress down usually. It’s kind of who I am. Besides, it makes it easier if I want to go out. My phone has been barraged with requests for interviews since Malcolm’s death hit the airwaves.”

  “We need to check with the casino office that handles payments first,” I said. “I’ll give Andrew a jingle and ask him to come up here and look through Malcolm’s documents. We better get a move on, though, before someone shows up and takes them all.”

  “You mean, like the police, Agnes?” Eleanor said. “You should know by now that the cops most likely took all those documents when there were here the first time.”

  “Kayla should call Detective Mader and ask him real nice like if she can get them back to overlook her finances,” I suggested to Kayla. “He should at least give you some copies. If you tell him you need to know what bank Malcolm might have been stashing your money in. Then I’ll have my husband look through them for you.”

  “I don’t see how I can convince him to do that,” Kayla said.

  “Never underestimate the power you have as a woman. And you’re also a pop star, so that can’t hurt. I think he’s a fair man, at least. Except when he’s pinning Malcolm’s death on Mark.”

  “I know. I still don’t understand that. Mark was the only one besides Malcolm that I could say I really trust.”

  That didn’t say much for either of them, I suppose, since I had a feeing Malcolm has been pillaging money from her, but if Mark possibly had an alibi, he was off the suspect list. I just needed to prove who really was responsible before Mark was railroaded for the crime.

  Kayla quickly called Detective Mader, who promised to bring copies of the documents later, giving us ample time to go down to the office of the casino and ask a few questions.

  When we opened the bedroom door, Sue was still positioned on the sofa, looking up only as we walked out.

  “Finally. I thought you all got lost in there.”

  “Mom,” Kayla began. “I need you to stay here while I go out with Eleanor and Agnes for a little while. Feel free to order room service,” she said. From the looks of Sue, that satisfied her.

  Kayla wore a knit cap on head, pulling her straight hair back into a ponytail. She was wearing thick-rimmed sunglasses and dressed as she was, I doubted that anyone would recognize her.

  We strode into an empty elevator and it magically took us all the way down with no stops and Kayla mentioned that it was set up that way. It was then that I realized this elevator was not the same one we had used to come up here.

  When the elevator came to a stop at the bottom floor, Kayla led the way through the casino and waited in the cash-out line. “I’m here to see Vinnie.” She flashed her identification and a security guard approached, leading us up three stairs and into a narrow hallway. We passed men in three-piece suits, none of whom seemed all that interested in us. Either they didn’t recognize Kayla, or they didn’t care.

  Kayla knocked on a golden door and a pretty woman answered it, wearing a demure-length skirt and silk blouse, her blonde hair bouncing about her shoulders.

  She stared over at Kayla now and opened the door wider for us to enter. In this room, I didn’t see any Vinnie at all, but a desk that I now assumed was the desk for the secretary.

  “I’ll let Vinnie know you’re here,” she said. Picking up the phone, she told whoever that was on the other end that Kayla White was here to see him.

  “Bring her in,” came the voice over the telephone loud enough for us to hear.

  We walked in and the man behind the desk actually looked shocked as he straightened in his chair.

  “Hello, Kayla. I wondered when you’d be stopping by.”

  My brow shot up. “Oh? And why is that?”

  “I’m sorry, who are you?” Vinnie asked.

  “I’m Agnes Barton and this is Eleanor Mason,” I said, thumbing in her direction.

  “I see, but why are you here, exactly?”

  “We’re here to assure that Kayla isn’t taken advantage of now that Malcolm is, well … dead.”

  “She’s right. I’d like to know where the money you’ve been paying me is going?”

  Vinnie eased back on his chair. “And you don’t already?”

  “Not really. Malcolm handled all of my finances.”

  “That’s not the smartest thing to do, but I’d be happy to assist you.” He walked over to a file cabinet, removing a folder and handing it to Kayla. “This is the account the money is deposited into.”

  Kayla stared at it, sighing. “I don’t recognize this account at all and my name isn’t even on it.”

  “Probably isn’t, but you might want to head over to First National to check it out. If you’re not listed as a co-owner of the account or listed as a beneficiary, you won’t be given any information.”

  “That’s just dreadful,” Eleanor said. “You need to cease and desist dumping any more money into this account. Kayla will be opening a new one that you’ll need to be paying her in from now on.”

  “That’s not how it’s been set up, but I’d be happy to make the change. Kayla, you do know that you’ll need someone to oversee your expenses now that Malcolm is gone. You have employees that will need paying and there are other costs that you might not even be aware of.”

  “I’ll be having my husband look into hiring an attorney for her,” I said. “Until then, you need to quit paying into this account.”

  “I’ve said as much. I’m very sorry about your loss, Kayla. Malcolm was a nice man to deal with.”

  “Th-Thanks.”

  “What was Malcolm like dealing with, business-wise?” I asked.

  “He was easy to talk to and made a good deal w
ith us concerning Kayla’s residency here at Caesars. Contrary to common belief, organized crime no longer runs Las Vegas or the casinos. We don’t do underhanded deals. I want Kayla to be paid what she’s due. She’s the best act we have here.”

  We thanked Vinnie and took our leave with the folder in hand. I called Andrew on my cell and he met us in Kayla’s room, where Detective Mader happened to also be inside, talking to Sue.

  The detective smiled when we entered and he handed over copies of the documents he had found. Andrew took them, promising to keep it between them. “I just want to look over the papers to see if Malcolm was indeed stealing from Kayla.”

  “And that’s the only reason I’m giving them to you. Mark was charged for murder this morning, though, so I don’t know what good looking over these papers will do.”

  “They can be compared to the documents the casino gave us. We really want to help Kayla get the money she is due,” I said.

  “Thanks again, Detective,” Kayla said. “I really appreciate it. I have no idea where Malcolm put my money or if I can even access it now.”

  “You’re welcome, but I’d appreciate you not mentioning that I gave you copies of his financial documents.”

  “I certainly won’t say a word,” I said. “How about you, Andrew, Eleanor?”

  They both shook their heads and that left Sue. After she was stared at by all of us for a moment, she said, “I don’t even know what any of you are talking about. I only came here to offer my daughter some support since her manager was murdered, jeez.”

  Detective Mader nodded and took his leave.

  “It’s going to take some time to go over these papers,” Andrew said.

  “I expected as much. We’re taking Kayla to a bank so she can open a new account so the casino can pay her directly. I was hoping that you might know of someone like an entertainment attorney, who wouldn’t mind taking on a new client.”

  “I can make a few calls on Kayla’s behalf if she’d like me to.”

  “Yes, please,” Kayla said. “I’m lost without Malcolm.”

  Chapter Eight

  “We should get going, Kayla,” I said. “I’d hate for you to be late for rehearsals today, or whatever else you have to do later.”

  “I’m fine. I don’t have anything to do other than this. Let’s go.”

  Kayla left the room and we followed. I hoped that Kayla hadn’t been taken for a ride by Malcolm, but all fingers sure seemed to be pointing at him, which made me wonder who besides Kayla would have a reason to want him dead for what he was doing to her. Could Mark really be the one who put a stop to Malcolm?

  Sue hopped up. “I’d love to go, too. It sure beats sitting around here all day. Of course, I wouldn’t mind hanging around this silver-haired devil,” she said, referencing my Andrew.

  Kayla sighed. “I had hoped you could find something else to do.”

  “Like get a facial or massage,” Eleanor suggested.

  Sue’s eyes lit up. “That sounds great.”

  I wondered about Kayla’s relationship with her mother. Sue wasn’t like her daughter, that was for sure. I was beginning to feel protective for Kayla. Did her mother show up to help her out, or to take advantage of her? It was bad enough that Malcolm seemed to have had his hand in the cookie jar.

  It wasn’t long before we were downstairs and out the door, where a taxi awaited us, since Kayla had called for one on her iPhone. We hopped into the taxi and off it went to Second National Bank after Kayla told the driver where she wanted to go. Kayla gazed out the window, not saying a word, and from the look on her face I wondered how she felt right now, but talking about it in a taxi sure wasn’t the thing to do.

  When the driver stopped the taxi, we piled out, heading into the bank. It was quite busy inside, I went over to the receptionist and we were shown to a waiting room. Kayla shifted nervously in her seat, holding onto her purse like it was a life preserver.

  “Are you worried about something?” I asked Kayla.

  “Actually, yes. I’ve never had to open a bank account before.”

  “I’m sure Malcolm had you sign banking papers before.”

  “I suppose, but I’ve signed so many papers that I lost track. I don’t even read them anymore.”

  My brow shot up like a cannon. “I certainly hope that you have. I’d hate to think you signed everything over to Malcolm. If your name isn’t on anything, you’ll be left out in the cold.”

  Kayla swallowed hard. “I hope that’s not the case. I can see him pocketing some of my money, but not everything.”

  I squeezed her hand. “I’m sorry. I’m just upset that you weren’t properly represented. Didn’t you have your own attorney?”

  She shrugged and I clammed up. It was never my intention to upset Kayla and now I realized that I had. I hope Andrew could sort out Malcolm’s paperwork and soon.

  A woman walked into the room and said she could see Kayla now.

  Eleanor moved forward and I said, “I’m not sure that Kayla wants us to go with her.”

  Kayla’s eyes widened. “Yes, of course I do.”

  We followed the woman into the room and Kayla sat nearest to the desk, with Eleanor next to her. I chose to stand, declining the offer for the banker to get another chair for me.

  “So, what can I help you with?”

  “I-I—” Kayla tried to say.

  “Go ahead and tell her what you need to do, Kayla. You can’t have someone to do everything for you,” I encouraged her.

  “I need to open an account so that Caesars Palace can deposit my salary into it,” Kayla said. She took out her identification and handed it to the woman.

  The banker keyed in the information and smiled. “I wish I could tell my granddaughter that her favorite pop star came into today to open an account. I won’t, though. I respect your need for privacy.”

  Kayla smiled. “How old is your granddaughter?”

  “Twelve tomorrow.”

  “You should bring her to the show tomorrow. I’d be happy to leave tickets and backstage passes for you both.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t ask you to do that,” she said, continuing to key in her information.

  “You didn’t ask me, I offered.” Kayla took paper and pen out of her purse, asking the woman her name and then her granddaughter’s name.

  “I’m Tammy and my granddaughter’s name is Dawn. I so appreciate it.” After a few more minutes, Tammy asked, “Would you like a beneficiary for the account?”

  “I don’t see why she’d need one of those,” Eleanor said. “Not at her age.”

  “I know, but it’s an important thing to do. It’s totally up to Kayla, of course.”

  “I’d like to add my mother as beneficiary, Sue White.” She fished out a notebook and read off her mother’s information to Tammy.

  “Good,” Tammy said. After a few more moments, she asked, “Will you be depositing any money today?”

  “Oh, yes.”

  Out came a rolled up cloth bag from Kayla’s purse and she then pulled out two stacks of bills, hundred dollar bills from what I saw.

  Tammy nodded and took off the money bands from the bills and placed them into a machine that counted them for her. She went back to her computer and before we knew it, Tammy pulled papers that had been printed, handing them over to Kayla for her signature.

  Kayla handed Tammy the account number Vinnie had given to her. “Can you check to see if my name is on this account, or if I’m listed as beneficiary?”

  The woman’s fingers glided across the keys and she frowned. “I’m sorry, but I can’t help you. The only way I could tell you any information is if you were listed as a beneficiary on this account, or if your name was on it.”

  “I understand. Thanks, Tammy.”

  We left once Kayla had her receipts and paperwork. On the way back to the taxi, I said, “I didn’t know you had any cash on hand.”

  “Oh, I must have forgotten. I’m not quite the airhead that people take me for, even th
ough I’m not all that clear about the details that Malcolm took care of for me.”

  Once we were back in the taxi, Eleanor asked. “Do you have the address where Malcolm’s family lives?”

  “Yes.” She told the driver the address and off they went.

  It was still early, but already it was stifling hot and dry. I hoped that we’d get back to the hotel before it became insufferable.

  I rather enjoyed the hustle and bustle of Vegas and was overwhelmed with all the chapels in town. I had no idea that so many people were married here. Sure, they said that on shows, but seeing it first-hand was much different.

  Once we left the main strip, the taxi headed down a street that looked like it went straight into the desert, but instead, we were on a residential road that ran into what was a subdivision, the homes quite large and mainly stucco.

  The driver pulled into the driveway and said that he’d return to pick us up if need be and Kayla paid the man, including tip.

  We exited the taxi and made way for the door. Kayla pushed the doorbell and loud chimes could be heard from where we stood waiting.

  The door opened and a maid stood there. “Can I help you?”

  “We’re here to speak with Malcolm’s parents,” Kayla said.

  “Oh, but h-he’s d—”

  “Who do you have there, Maria?” a woman’s voice said.

  “They want to speak with you and your husband.”

  The door was opened the rest of the way and Kayla hugged the woman. When she pulled away, Kayla said, “I’m so sorry about Malcolm. I can hardly believe it myself that he’s gone.”

  “Come inside, quickly, before the neighbors see you. They’ve had their necks craned over here since Malcolm died.”

  Eleanor and I walked inside and the maid promptly closed the door. We were then led to the far side of the house and into a room we’d call a sunroom back home, but I wasn’t sure what they called it here. In the backyard was a huge covered deck that led to a swimming pool, with lights hanging down from the covered deck. The yard also had a privacy fence, as did most homes in the neighborhood.

  We sat down and the maid promised to bring back lemonade and iced tea. Malcolm’s mother sat down with a sigh. “I apologize for my husband’s absence. He should be home soon. We’ve been planning our son’s funeral and hopefully his body will be released sometime before the service…”