Vegas, Lies, and Murder

by Sibel Hodge

  ‘Yep, that’s me.’ He flashed me a smile. ‘Nose-diver, right?’

  I cringed as I thought about my earlier catapult into the old guy’s lap. ‘Yep. I’m the new waitress. Cristal said you’d show me the ropes. I’m starting tonight.’

  ‘Great. Come round.’ He beckoned me with his finger.

  I stepped around the entrance to the bar.

  ‘You done this before?’

  ‘Yeah, loads of times!’ I lied. How difficult could it be taking drinks orders? I mean, I knew how to drink. It was my favourite hobby. So, it couldn’t be too hard to serve them.

  ‘Your job is to try and get the customers to spend more on drinks. That means flirting with them,’ he said. ‘Keep an eye on the tables, and when their drinks are half-empty, check to see if they want to order more. In the VIP rooms, they have to order a minimum number of drinks, so you’ll be in and out of those as well as working the main floor. We’re still using the old-fashioned pen and paper for orders, not tablets.’ He tapped a stack of receipt pads next to the till. ‘You bring the orders to whoever’s tending bar. We don’t do tabs, so they pay as they go. You bring me the money, I’ll give you any change, and you take it back. As simple as that. A few times throughout the night, one of the bar staff takes the till money to Ivan’s office so he can put it in the safe. One of the security guys will search you when you go in there.’

  ‘Does he get many staff stealing from him?’ My heart rate kicked up a notch.

  ‘Not usually. It’s not like you can get in there without the code, and he’s the only one who knows it, but one of the girls apparently stole something the other night, and now security is extra tight.’

  I wondered how Dana had managed to find out the code to the keypad lock. ‘What, she stole money?’ I did a fake gasp.

  ‘I guess so.’

  ‘How did she manage that if there’s a bouncer outside?’ I replayed the video clip, in my head, of Dana talking to Watermelon Arms and him looking out onto the club floor before disappearing.

  ‘There was a commotion going on out here. A group of drunk guys started a bar fight, so he had to leave his position. Ivan was in the VIP room at the time. Apparently, she must’ve discovered the door code, and she went in his office.’

  ‘Wow. What happened to her?’

  ‘I dunno.’ He shrugged. ‘Anyway, at the end of the night, we split the bar tips between the bartenders and waitresses, OK?’

  ‘Great.’

  ‘So, any more questions?’

  Yeah, I had a hundred, but all of them concerned Dana and none were about drinks. I couldn’t jump in straight away and ask any more about her—it would look too suspicious—so I bit my tongue and looked around the club, trying to seem excited about my new job. ‘Nope, I think I’m good. It seems pretty straightforward.’

  ‘OK. I’ll see you at eight tonight.’

  I walked out of the club, craving some clean, fresh air, as Christina Aguilera’s song ‘Dirrty’ came on. I felt dirty, too, after being in there, but I would’ve definitely added a few extra Rs.

  Chapter 12

  I was about to phone Brad to give him an update after I left the club when I saw a text from him. It said he’d borrowed Elvis’s car and was waiting for us in a Burger King parking lot a little farther up the road so he could give us all a lift back to Hell. Cristal was still talking to Tia, Mum, and Suzy inside Polesque.

  ‘We’re in business,’ I said to Brad as I sat in the passenger seat. ‘We all start tonight.’

  ‘How did the dancing go?’

  I told him. His top lip quirked up.

  ‘Hey, are you laughing?’

  ‘No.’ He shook his head. ‘And Ivan actually hired you after that?’

  ‘Not as a dancer. I’m a waitress, which might be better, actually. It means we can cover more angles.’

  ‘I wish I was covering your angles right now.’ He leaned over, cupped my cheek in his hand, and brushed his lips against mine.

  I let out a groan of appreciation, winding my hand around his neck and pulling him closer. Good job I wasn’t wearing nipple tassels—they might’ve shot off.

  Then the back door opened, and Suzy, Tia, and Mum piled in, interrupting our lip-lock.

  I growled slightly. It was bad enough that I was going to be working as a waitress in Polesque on my wedding night, but not getting to spend any quality time alone with Brad was getting on my nerves.

  ‘What did you find out?’ I swivelled in the chair and looked at them, hoping that they’d discovered something important that might put an end to this right now so Brad and I could at least enjoy the rest of the holiday even if we couldn’t manage to get hitched.

  ‘I found out from Cristal that it’s better to use liquid chalk on your hands rather than acetone to stop yourself from sliding too much on the pole when you’re sweaty,’ Suzy said.

  ‘Yes, that’s fascinating,’ I said. ‘What did you find out about Dana?’

  ‘Oh,’ Tia said. ‘Um… her locker’s free.’

  ‘I know that!’

  ‘She stole something last night and left,’ Mum said.

  ‘I know that, too!’ I threw my hands in the air.

  ‘She’s a size two,’ Suzy said.

  ‘Yeah, that’s all really helpful. In case you’ve forgotten, you’re supposed to be investigating what happened to her so we can all get back to doing nice holiday things. When you go back tonight, try to ask questions, but do it subtly.’ I was unsure if they knew the meaning of the word. ‘Anyway, what is a size two? It sounds like Barbie size.’

  ‘A US size two is the UK equivalent of a size six,’ Tia said.

  ‘Did she have her ribs removed to get in her clothes or something?’ Mum said. ‘That’s tiny.’

  ‘Look, don’t you worry about us helping you with this case,’ Tia said. ‘We won’t let you down. I swear. Although, it is kind of fun, isn’t it?’

  Mum and Suzy nodded their agreement.

  Fun? FUN? What planet were they on? I’d rather stick my head down the toilet than be working at an exotic-dance club on my supposed honeymoon. I rolled my eyes at Brad.

  He shook his head. ‘Maybe we’ll have more luck later.’ He switched the ignition on and drove. When we got back to the motel, Brad whisked me back to our room for some much-needed time alone before we all met up later for dinner.

  I sat on the bed, pulled off my shoes, and rubbed my heels. ‘I’ve only been wearing these a few hours, and my feet are killing me. I’ll probably be crippled after one shift.’

  ‘How about a foot rub?’

  ‘Sod the foot rub. I can think of something else that needs rubbing.’ I pulled him down on the bed on top of me.

  He rested his weight on his forearms, staring into my eyes as I wrapped my legs around his waist. ‘I can’t believe the way this day’s turned out.’

  ‘Me neither. And it’s not even over yet. Are you rethinking the whole jinxed thing now?’

  He kissed the hollow of my throat.

  ‘Mmmm,’ I mumbled, his touch igniting every fibre in my body. I closed my eyes, and my hands roamed his skin under his shirt.

  ‘Are you sure you want to carry on with this?’ He kissed the spot behind my ear.

  ‘Definitely,’ I drawled.

  ‘No, I mean trying to find Dana.’

  I opened my eyes and stared into his.

  ‘I know this isn’t what either of us had planned,’ he said.

  ‘That’s an understatement. But I’m worried about what Dana’s got herself involved in and what’s happened to her, too. And I know why you feel responsible for Elvis and Dana’s welfare. What else can we do?’

  ‘What else can we do?’ he repeated, tracing a finger over my jaw, sending shivers of pleasure down my spine, and other places. ‘How long have we got before you start your shift?’

  ‘A couple of hours.’ I pulled him closer, and his lips met mine.

  ~~~~

  Suzy, Mum, and Tia left for the club tha
t night before me so they could do some slots on stage. Tia was already on one of the poles when I got there, swinging around it with one arm while her legs stretched out at a perfectly horizontal angle like an acrobat. Mum was flirting with one of the old guys from earlier, asking if he wanted to go in the VIP rooms for a private dance, which was the last thing I ever wanted to hear my mum saying. When I went backstage into the changing room, Suzy was there, talking to Candi—or was it Candy, or Candee?

  I dumped my handbag in my locker and squeezed into my miniscule outfit, pulling up the bustier part to hide as much as possible. I definitely didn’t want any more wardrobe malfunctions. I tried to listen to what Suzy was saying to one of the girls I hadn’t met yet while they were getting changed. Something about how to avoid boob bruises when pole dancing. I glanced over and made hurry up gestures with my hand, sending her silent messages to stop talking titbits and start asking about Dana.

  Suzy ignored me with a snooty nose in the air, so I headed out to the bar. The place was busier than before. There was a large group of Japanese men watching Tia, who was spinning around the pole with it tucked behind one knee as she arched her back, arms trailing down behind her. Even watching all the spinning made me feel sick. She already had a wedge of dollar bills tucked into a black-and-silver garter on her right thigh, and she’d only been at it a short while. I didn’t want to even contemplate how many germs could be on those sweaty notes. Urgh.

  ‘Hi,’ I said to Cooper, who was filling a drinks order for another waitress at the bar.

  ‘Hey. This is London.’ He tilted his head at the waitress.

  She smiled at me. ‘Hi. You’re the new addition? What’s your name?’

  ‘Chardonnay.’ I smiled back.

  ‘Welcome to the madhouse!’ She laughed.

  Cooper added a bottle of beer to her laden tray, and she walked towards the table with the Japanese guys.

  ‘OK, here’s a tray and order pad.’ Cooper retrieved them from underneath the bar and slid them towards me.

  ‘Okeydokey.’ I wandered around the room with one eye on Tia, who was upside down now. No wonder Hacker always had a smile on his face these days. There were two guys at a table with half-empty tumblers, so I wandered over to them and asked if they wanted a refill.

  ‘Hell, yeah!’ one of them said without taking his eyes off Tia. ‘Two Jack Daniel’s on the rocks.’

  ‘Coming right up.’ I walked back to the bar and passed on their order, scanning the room.

  ‘So.’ I leaned in towards Cooper, flashing my cleavage. Well, trying to. My C cups were no match for some in the breasticle department around here. Although, having said that, even though they were on the small size, at least they were firm and pert. ‘How long have you worked here?’

  He shrugged, ignoring my cleavage. ‘About three years now. The tips are pretty good.’

  ‘I bet you’ve seen some sights.’

  He raised his eyebrows. ‘Yeah.’

  ‘What’s Ivan like to work for?’

  Cooper glanced around, making sure Ivan wasn’t in the vicinity. ‘He’s been in the business for years. I suppose you don’t get to be in the top two gentleman’s clubs in Vegas without putting in a bit of effort, but I guess he’s well connected, so that helps.’

  ‘What do you mean, well connected?’

  He shrugged again as he filled two glasses with ice.

  I contemplated what he was getting at. Did he mean Ivan was into dodgy things? Mob things? And if so, which ones? Elvis was certain Dana wouldn’t steal from anyone. Brad had obviously trusted Tyler, but Elvis and Dana weren’t above suspicion just because they were related to Tyler. And Dana could’ve been involved in something Elvis wasn’t even aware of. Maybe she’d found a huge stack of money on Ivan’s desk, and it was just too tempting to leave it there. Then she’d panicked and run away. But in that case, where had she put the bills if not in her bikini? Or was it something else Dana took—like drugs, maybe? She could’ve been an addict with a habit to feed and was hiding it from her brother.

  Cooper put the two drinks on my tray as Suzy appeared on the stage. I walked back to the customer’s table, watching Suzy slide up the pole just using her hands, her legs dangling gracefully down. When she got to the top, she gripped it in between her thighs and leaned forward, hair flopping over her face. Wow, she must have thighs of steel. She could break a man’s neck in one move if he ever found himself in between them.

  I set the drinks down on the guys’ table, and one handed me the money plus a ten-dollar tip, which I took back to the bar and gave to Cooper.

  ‘Those two new girls are good.’ Cooper nodded towards Suzy and Tia.

  ‘Yeah. What was that other girl like who left? What was her name again… Delia?’ I played it vague.

  ‘Dana? She was really sweet. I never would’ve guessed she’d rip Ivan off. She must have had a death wish.’

  ‘Do you think she stole money?’

  ‘I don’t know. I wasn’t working the night she left. Coco and Shawna were. But what else would it be? Everyone who works here knows Ivan would have a stash of it in his office. He counts it out during the night when we give him the takings.’ He frowned. ‘The thing I couldn’t figure out is how she actually got into the safe, though. I mean, it’s not like Ivan leaves the money lying around. As soon as he’s done counting, he puts it in the safe, and he’s the only one who knows the combination.’

  I lifted my eyebrows. Interesting. Dana had obviously managed to get the code to open Ivan’s office, and had she also managed to get the safe code, too? Or was it something else she took that wasn’t in the safe? And if so, what could it possibly be? I was leaning towards drugs, but so far, I hadn’t seen any obvious signs of dealing going on. I wondered about what went on in the private VIP rooms. Anything could happen in there, and Dana had been working them the night she disappeared. I needed to get a shufty inside. Hopefully, Brad and Snoop-Hacker would manage to get themselves in there later, but I wanted to see them for myself.

  ‘Do you ever get anyone famous in here?’

  ‘Yeah, we’ve had movie stars, pop stars, and high-profile sportsmen when they were in town. We’re expecting a lot of celebrities this weekend. They’re flying in to watch the big boxing match.’

  And you’re about to get a rap star, too. I faked being star struck. ‘How cool.’ I threw in a giggle for good measure.

  ‘Most nights we get Paul Winger in here.’

  I’d never heard of the guy. ‘Who’s he?’

  ‘The Vegas District Attorney.’

  ‘Really?’ I quirked an eyebrow.

  ‘Yeah. He’s good friends with Ivan. They go way back. Went to school together or something.’

  The music died down, and Tia and Suzy walked offstage to a round of applause. Suzy tossed her hair over her shoulder again, a new habit she’d picked up, and wiggled her thong-clad arse. She had a huge stack of bills in her garter, too. Then a spotlight beamed on the stage, and Candy—or Candi, or Candee—went on stage. I still couldn’t remember which was which.

  Two hours later, the only thing I knew for certain about the club was that wearing four-inch stilettos was a bad idea. My feet were screaming at me.

  Chapter 13

  ‘Look, it’s Snoop Dogg!’ I whispered to Cooper as I stood at the bar.

  Hacker was dressed in baggy jeans, an oversized white T-shirt that hung to his knees, and a huge gold chain. Dad and Brad flanked him. Dad looked pretty much the same except he wore a shiny yellow T-shirt, a baseball cap with the peak on sideways, and sunglasses. Bodyguard Brad was sexy as hell in well-worn, arse-hugging jeans and a tight black shirt. He also wore a baseball cap and sunglasses since some of the dancers might recognise him from earlier in the day.

  Ivan, who was standing at one end of the bar, surveying his kingdom, heard me. He wasted no time rushing up to Hacker and saying something I couldn’t hear over the music. Hacker gave a nonchalant nod then sat down at one of the tables. Brad glanced around t
he room and caught my eye. Dad sat, all slouchy and homeboy-ish, arms folded. London rushed over to their table, tray in hand, huge smile in place, probably thinking of the great tip she might get. Her smile dropped a little when Brad said something to her.

  She walked back to the bar and poked a finger at me. ‘They want you to serve them.’

  ‘Me? How exciting!’ Well, who’d have thought it, eh? I allowed a smug inner smile and went to the table.

  Ivan was chatting with Dad. Hacker, doing his pretend-celebrity bit, ignored him, eyes on the stage, pretending to be interested.

  ‘Well, if there’s anything else I can get you to make your visit more special, just let me or one of the girls know,’ Ivan said. ‘If you want a private show, our VIP rooms are the best in town.’

  ‘Yeah, OK. We’ll let you know. We want to check out the dancers first.’ Brad turned around and ignored Ivan, signalling the conversation was over.

  ‘Hi!’ I beamed at them all. ‘What can I get you to drink tonight?’

  Ivan left the table and walked back to the bar, watching us.

  ‘A bottle of Moet & Chandon,’ Hacker said.

  I wrote that down and nodded. ‘Anything else?’

  ‘How about you?’ Brad made a show of looking me up and down.

  ‘Oh, sorry, I’m not available. I have a fiancé.’ I winked at him.

  He beckoned me down towards him and whispered in my ear. ‘You look hot!’

  ‘Thanks,’ I whispered into his. ‘You definitely need to get in the VIP rooms.’

  Brad nodded.

  I walked to the bar, and Ivan sidled up to me. ‘I want you to look after them well, OK? Anything they want, they get. I make sure I cater to any of the celebrities’ specific needs when they’re in my club. I don’t want them going to one of my rivals when they’re in town.’

  ‘Anything?’ Was he talking about drugs here?

  ‘Anything,’ he repeated then turned on his heels and walked away.