by Rose Pressey
“I just think it’s odd that you would be behind me today. We just met you and the woman who owns the place where you work is missing.” I crossed my arms across my chest.
She narrowed her eyes. “I have no idea what you’re implying. Maybe we should call the police.”
I quirked an eyebrow. “Yes, maybe we should.”
Derek stepped between us. “You know, we’re holding up traffic. If both cars are fine and we all appear to be fine, then maybe we should just be on our way.”
She glared at me for a couple seconds longer. “Yeah, I guess we should.”
“I know where to find you,” I added as she walked back to her car.
Derek stared at me as we headed back to the car. “What’s on your mind, Cece?”
I slipped behind the wheel and took off. “I think she was following us.”
“Why would she follow us?”
“How should I know?” I shifted the car into gear. “I just don’t think it was a coincidence.”
“We’re not far from where she works.”
I made the next right and moved into the next lane to pass a slow car. Now that I thought about it, I supposed she could have been leaving work and just happened to fall in behind us. Maybe I was overreacting. Regardless, I still wasn’t ready to admit that Tabitha was innocent of any wrongdoing. Maybe I’d have to look into her.
As we continued down Las Vegas Boulevard our chitchat settled into a pleasant silence. Derek reached down and picked something up from beside his foot. Panic set in. I’d dropped my purse earlier. Had something fallen out that I wouldn’t want Derek to see? Like one of my spells? I couldn’t get a good look at what he had found. Traffic was demanding my attention. I couldn’t take my eyes off the road for more than a few seconds. Thank goodness we came to a red light. I glanced over. Derek was holding a piece of paper. I knew instantly it was a spell. I tried to snatch it from his hands, but he moved it away. The light turned green and a car honked.
“You’re holding up traffic, Cece,” Derek said as he unfolded the paper.
Silence filled the car as Derek read the paper. This was embarrassing. How would I explain this away? I’d gotten by with the bottles, but this would be impossible to explain. He refolded the paper and said nothing. In my opinion that was even worse than if he’d said something right away. He knew just how to torture me. I had to know what was on his mind.
“Okay, are you happy? You read my paper.”
“I have to be honest with you, Cece, that’s a little strange.”
He wasn’t even asking for an explanation, which meant I had to give one. I couldn’t say that it was a recipe. He’d never fall for that. I tapped my fingers against the steering wheel nervously. We sat in silence. I had to say something.
“I found that paper.” I didn’t bother looking at him.
His suspicion radiated over to me. Words weren’t necessary for me to know how he felt.
“Where did you find it?” he asked.
“Outside my apartment.”
Well, that had come off my tongue surprisingly easy. I thought it sounded convincing.
“I think it might have been Agatha’s.”
See, I should have stopped at finding it. The more I talked the worse it got.
“Are you sure you’re not hiding something?” Derek asked.
“Positive.” I smiled.
He handed the paper back. “If you say so.”
Again I felt his suspicion. The casino lights on the huge sign up ahead blinked as if taunting me. I wasn’t looking forward to going back in there again.
I pulled up to the doors and cut the engine. “I don’t know about this, Derek. I don’t want to go to jail today.”
He opened the car door and climbed out. “You wanted to be a private investigator. Sometimes that means getting in trouble.”
I got out from the car. “Or in your case, a lot of times.”
He flashed his sexy devilish smile. “You know you love trouble.”
I pushed my shoulders back and headed toward the door. “No, I most certainly do not. And don’t try to flirt with me, it won’t work.”
“Whatever you say, Cece Cash.” He was so cocky and his attitude only grew worse by the minute.
The wreck was still on my mind as we walked up to the casino doors. I’d have to do a spell and see if I could get any help with the case. For now though,I wanted to sneak into this place, find out what I could, and then get the heck out of there. I hoped I could do all that without being kicked out… or worse.
“I hope your friend can help us this time.”
“He’s cool. Plus, he owes me.”
I wouldn’t even ask why Russell owed Derek.
“We need to find out more about why Morgan was kicked out of here. I wonder if she was kicked out of other casinos,” I said.
“I guess we have gambling in our future,” Derek said.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” I asked.
“Just having a little fun, that’s all. Let your hair down.” His gaze went to my hair.
I glared at him. “That’s not funny.”
So far no one seemed ready to toss me out on my butt. I just needed to blend in with the crowd. I stayed close to Derek, holding onto to his arm.
Derek glanced over. “I could get used to this.”
My stomach did a little dance as he stared at me. I shook off the feeling and focused on getting into the building. The noise of the machines instantly smacked us in the face as we walked through the door.
“Where is Russell?” I asked.
“He’s probably by the blackjack tables,” Derek said.
“Can he meet us by the doors? I don’t want to get too far into the building. Less chance of me getting caught.”
I peered around for Derek’s friend. I’d only seen him once, so I wasn’t sure I would remember what he looked like.
“Do you see Russell?” I asked, still hiding behind Derek.
He glanced over his shoulder. “You know you’re going to draw more attention to yourself if you keep hiding like that.”
I supposed he had a point. Why did he keep throwing logical arguments at me? I stepped out from behind him.
“I’ll go ask for him,” Derek said as he headed for the information desk.
“Don’t leave me standing here alone,” I said as I followed after him.
I weaved around a couple people and caught up with him. The woman who’d helped us the other day was working again. She took one look at Derek and smiled. It didn’t surprise me that she remembered him. He always left an impression on people.
I found myself being drawn to the slot machines again. The blinking lights and tinkling sound lured me in. Somehow I managed to resist this time. I supposed the thought of being dragged out when they saw me gambling was a big deterrent.
After speaking with her for a couple seconds, Derek turned to face me. “She’s getting Russell for us.”
“I just hope she hurries up,” I said. “I want to get out of here.”
“Don’t be so paranoid… oh wait, I think someone’s watching you,” Derek said.
“What? Where?” I asked as I scanned the area.
Derek laughed. “I was joking. Besides, of course people are watching… they just think you’re gorgeous.”
“See, Derek North, this is what you do to people. You charm them with compliments. It has never worked with me.”
He held his hands up. “I’m only being honest, Cece.”
Maybe they just hadn’t noticed that I was supposed to be banned. Soon enough they would spot me again.
I shifted from one foot to the other. “Where is he?”
“Here he comes now,” Derek said. “Just take a couple deep breaths.”
“Easier said than done,” I said.
“Hey, how’s it going?” Russell asked when he approached.
Russell had dark hair that was shiny from hair gel or sweat. His large, muscular body was crammed into the cas
ino’s navy blue and gold uniform.
“Never been better.” Derek shook his hand.
Russell studied my face for a long moment. Surely he noticed my panicked expression. Would he throw me out too? The pulsating noise from the machines rang in my head. The lights practically hypnotized me. Suddenly the room began to spin. I hoped that I didn’t pass out. Maybe I should have taken deep breaths like Derek had suggested. I’d tuned out Russell and Derek.
“Cece,” Derek yelled.
I snapped out of it and looked at him.
“You okay?” he asked.
I looked around, still a little dazed. The stress was getting to me. “I’m fine.”
“Russell was saying that we should talk to a pit boss here. He knows about Morgan.”
Well, maybe this trip wouldn’t be a waste after all.
“Really? That would be great,” I said.
“I’ll call him over here,” Russell said.
When Russell stepped away Derek turned to me. “What’s wrong?”
I blew the hair out of my eyes. “I guess it was just the stress of possibly going to prison. I’m better now.”
Derek reached up and brushed the hair out of my eyes. “Everything will be fine, Cece.”
For a brief moment, I forgot about our surroundings. The dizzying lights and sounds faded away and it was just the two of us. As I studied Derek’s handsome face, my thoughts were pulled back to a faded, but never forgotten memory. To the time when Derek and I had sat on my parents’ front porch swing. We’d talked for quite some time that hot summer evening, and not once had he seemed cocky or like the womanizer I knew him as now.
That innocent face of a fifteen-year-old was stuck in my mind until he said, “Cece, are you listening to me?”
I snapped back to the present day. “What?”
Derek gestured. “Russell’s back.”
I spotted Russell headed our way again with a tall, muscular blond man walking next to him. This man wore the casino’s uniform too.
When they reached us, Russell said, “This is Joe Schultz.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
I supposed if they wanted to kick me out they would have already, so I calmed down a little. If I wanted to be a successful private eye, then I needed to take the good with the bad. Derek was asking about Morgan.
“Yes, I saw her here a lot,” Joe said. “She spent quite a bit of cash, but she wasn’t one of the high rollers. There are people here who spend a lot more.”
That was a scary thought. Gambling wasn’t my thing. What little money I had would stay in my bank account.
“She came in here a lot though?” Derek said.
“More than just a few visits,” Joe said.
That wasn’t telling us much.
Joe turned his attention on me. “You know, she came in here with that other woman. She was tall with long blonde hair.”
This description matched the photo I’d seen in the newspaper.
I exchanged a look with Derek. “Amber?”
Joe shrugged. “All I know is they were in here a lot together.”
“Were they here together last time?” I asked.
“I’m not sure, but it would be a safe assumption.”
This wasn’t much to go on, but it was something, and that was better than nothing. I’d take what I could get.
“I’d better get back to work,” Joesaid.
“One more thing before you leave,” I said. “Why was I kicked out of this casino?”
Derek quirked an eyebrow. “What are you talking about, Cece? You weren’t kicked out of the casino.”
When Joe and Russell turned their attention toward me, Derek frowned and shook his head. It was kind of sweet for Derek to protect me like that. I figured since we were leaving anyway, what was the harm if they kicked me out again?
Joe looked me up and down. “Yeah, now I remember. You were the one kicked out.” A little chuckle escaped his lips.
Maybe he was ready to kick me out again now that he realized. Derek gave me a look as if to say, Good job. I rolled my eyes. He acted as if he was perfect or something.
“You look like Morgan. That’s why they asked you to leave. They thought you were her.”
I scoffed. “I look like her?”
“You could be twins,” Joe said.
That was strange. If that was really the case then the way I saw it, the casino owed me an apology. I wouldn’t push my luck and ask for one though.
“So they had kicked Morgan out?”I asked.
“Apparently that was a new development,” Joe said. “I guess she had a bit of a gambling problem considering she spent so much time here.”
“You don’t know the specifics of why she was asked to leave?” Derek asked.
Joe shook his head. “No, but I’ll try to find out for you.”
I had no idea if this had any relevance, but it was definitely a start. And it felt good to know I was vindicated. Now Derek couldn’t make fun of me for it. Though he’d probably find something new to make fun of me for.
“Thanks a lot,” Derek said and then shook his hand.
I smiled. “Thanks again.”
Once Joe walked away, we thanked Russell and then headed out of the casino. Of course I still watched to see if anyone was making a move for me.
“Maybe Morgan owed a lot of money?” I asked as we walked out the door.
So far so good.
“But what would Amber have to do with that?” Derek asked.
“I guess we need to find out more about Amber and her relationship with Morgan, don’t we?”
How would we uncover for sure if Morgan had a gambling problem? A few employees watched me as I walked away from the entrance. Now I knew why. They must have seen Morgan here a lot. Of course now I was curious. Did we really look similar? Based on the picture of Morgan, I didn’t think we looked alike at all.
Hurrying to the car, I climbed behind the wheel. As I shoved the key into the ignition, I released a deep breath.
“At least you can gamble now,” Derek said.
I started the car and pulled away. “I don’t even like to gamble.”
“Maybe you should start,” he said.
Chapter 11
After dropping Derek off at his car, I stopped at a café for a quick bite. On my way out my cell rang. George was calling. When I answered, he didn’t speak. Of course this sent me into a panic. Terrible scenarios played out in my mind. Had he been kidnapped? Had Steve done something horrific to George? Immediately I dialed George’s number again and waited with bated breath for him to answer. Since he still didn’t pick up, I grabbed my keys and headed for my car. Thank goodness when I reached the car he called back.
“George, are you okay?” I asked as soon as I answered.
“Someone broke in again,” he said breathlessly.
“Oh, George, are you okay?” I opened my car door and jumped behind the wheel.
He released a deep breath. “I’m fine. Just a little shaken. I barely even remember dialing your number.”
“I’ll be there right away, but if you feel you’re in danger you should call the police right away. Maybe they can find the person who broke in.”
“I’ll have to break out my karate skills. I’m a little rusty, but it’s like riding a bike. It’ll come back to me.”
A picture of little George attempting a karate kick popped into my head. I hurried out of the parking lot. I didn’t want George fighting with anyone.
After fighting traffic, I pulled up to the office and jumped out of the car. As I ran toward the door, I glanced around to see if I noticed anything suspicious. I was sure that the person was gone now though. Apparently they were intent on scaring George. But why? Just to get at me? Was it really Steve? Maybe it could be someone else. Derek probably wasn’t without his enemies.
I opened the main entrance and ran to my door. I hoped the damage wasn’t too extensive. George was probably holding off telling me about the exten
t of the destruction. I rushed through the door and found George pacing. Again nothing looked out of place.
“George, where’s the damage?” I asked.
He pointed toward the floor beside the door. There was a broken vase on the floor with the flowers spilled out.
“Is that it?” I asked.
He frowned. “Isn’t that enough?”
I reached down and picked up the vase. I hardly doubted I could get the police to come by and check a broken vase for fingerprints. Besides, it looked as if the vase had just been bumped and fell to the floor. I hated that George was so upset.
“You didn’t notice anything else?” I asked.
Before he answered, the door opened and Derek strolled in. He wore faded jeans that fit him all too well. With a quick glance in my direction, he flashed his blatantly sexy bedroom eyes and roguish smile… a smile that turned female’s heads everywhere he went. Derek was laid back, sweet talking, and unfortunately, sexy as hell. Try as I might, there was no way to ignore that. Derek was a distraction and bad for business.
Derek looked from me to George. “What happened? You all look like someone died.” His eyes widened. “Someone didn’t die, I hope.”
I shook my head. “No, everyone is fine. George said someone broke in again.”
Derek and I looked at George.
“Did you leave the door open?” I checked George’s desk and spotted the key on top.
He looked at his feet. “I suppose I stepped out for a moment to get coffee across the street. I assumed it would be fine to leave the door open.”
I didn’t have the heart to fuss at George for leaving the door open. I folded my arms in front of my chest. “Perhaps from now on we can lock the door, okay?”
George nodded. “Of course. From now on I will lock the door.”
Derek looked around. “How do you know someone broke in?”
“The vase was on the floor.” I examined the floor to make sure I hadn’t missed any small shards in the carpet.
Derek nodded, as if that made perfect sense. “Is that the only thing out of place?”
I looked around. “As far as I can tell there is nothing else.”
When nothing seemed out of place, I focused my attention toward George. That was when I spotted a letter on George’s desk. I picked up the envelope from the desk. It seemed out of place teetering on the edge. George kept everything neat and orderly. He never would have left this dangling on the side, ready to fall at the least little movement.
