The chief smiles. “A hell of a job, if I do say so myself.”
Mikey grins broadly as we walk in the fire chief’s office and walk right back out again with a permit safely in Mikey’s black briefcase.
“Where next Mikey?” I ask.
“Hookers. And this one might be tricky. It isn’t completely legal in Las Vegas, but we’ve registered the girls as out of the area into one where it is legal.”
We walk to the office for the head of the girls’ registrations and health certificates. We step inside and a spectacled woman looks up from her desk.
“And what do I owe this pleasure?” she asks.
“Dolores, I was just passing by and I was wondering about my permit for the club,” Mikey says.
“Sweetie, can you close the door please,” Dolores asks me.
I turn and close the door. “Don’t call her that,” Mikey says. “This is Janey.”
“Sorry Janey, habit. I deal with so many girls it's easier to call everyone ‘Sweetie.’”
“No offense taken, but I'm definitely not a regular girl,” I reply.
“Tell me, how is the permit?” Mikey asks.
“You have put me in a position here. How the hell did you find out that information on me?” Dolores asks plainly. She looks very annoyed.
“Here and there, but we’re not here to point fingers we just want our permits,” Mikey says. “And you might have the chance to make sure you can’t be found out when the shit does hit the fan.”
Dolores leans on the table. “It was kind of good to have a heads up of what might happen,” she says. “I have your clearance for your girls, but if anyone asks, they’re from out of town.”
“We know, we have a ranch out of the city where they say they’re working,” Mikey says.
“Here you go. Just make sure they have plenty of check-ups to ensure they’re clean. And include drugs, because it really is a big problem these days,” Dolores explains. Dolores opens her drawer and hands Mikey his second permit.
“Thanks,” says Mikey.
“Of course, you have a copy of all this information, don’t you?” Dolores asks. “My information, I mean.” Mikey smiles as he takes the licenses from her fingers. We walk from the office with our second permit.
“How come you didn’t invite her to the club?” Mikey asks.
“I'm not sure we want her sort visiting there, she isn’t the most kind woman in the world,” I reply. “She’s a snob, plain and simple. We rub up the wrong way.”
“Building permit next,” Mikey says as we walk to the end of the hallway. “This is like taking candy from a baby. So far, anyway. Although, the gambling committee is last, and that’s the biggy out of all of them.”
Mikey knocks on the door of the planning chief. We walk in and we see his shoulders droop as he sees Mikey.
“You better come in and close the door,” he says.
“You make it sound like there’s a problem,” Mikey adds.
“Not really a problem, but I can’t just issue a permit without giving you the once over. I actually have to see the place.”
“No problem. You can come with us and I'll get you a cab back.”
“That isn’t the standard way of doing things.” The planning chief looks annoyed.
“We’re not leaving here without you, or a permit. It’s one or the other. Write the permit now, and then when you're satisfied later, you can issue it,” Mikey informs the chief.
“Okay. If it makes you happy, I'll come with you, just give me thirty minutes to get my staff to do all the paperwork.”
“No problem, I have to pay a visit to the gambling committee,” Mikey says. He really knows how to make it all happen and I am impressed by his ability.
“Have fun, if they have a folder like mine, they’ll be overjoyed,” the chief says sarcastically.
“We’re just here to do everything by the book. We’re fully open with everything,” Mikey says plainly, rubbing in his heightened stance on the matter at hand.
“I wish every applicant was as easy as you lot, apart from the folder on my private life,” the chief says.
“That’s of no interest to us really,” Mikey replies.
“Good. Um, I'll see you in half an hour.”
“Yes, you will.
We walk down the hall again and I turn to Mikey. “Does anyone ever confuse you with Mike the builder?” I ask.
“Nah, I’m far more good looking, how could anyone think I’m him?”
“I meant because of your name similarity.”
“No, no one has. But I would look hot in tradesmen clothes. That could spice up my life, what do reckon, Janey?”
“No, stay business-like, it suits you way more.”
“Yeah, I love blackmailing people while I’m wearing a suit. It’s delicious!”
“Blackmail is more efficient than bribery.”
Owen
“I shook my family tree, and a bunch of nuts fell out.”
We arrive at the doctor’s surgery and walk inside. Susan was a little nervous about going inside to ask about her headache.
We sit in the waiting room until we are called. “Susan Foster,” the receptionist calls.
I sit with my hands folded on my knees as Susan turns to me. “Can you come in with me?” she asks.
“Are you sure? I mean, this should be personal, even if it's just a headache,” I reply.
“I know, but I'll feel better.”
I stand and follow Susan into the doctor’s office. Susan sits on the chair as he takes a couple of readings. “So, Susan, what seems to be the problem?” the doctor asks.
“I'm on these two pills for quitting smoking and sleeping problems.”
“Aha, how long have you been taking these?”
“A couple of months now.”
“Whoever prescribed these two together, they should have warned you about the side effects of mixing these.” He smiles. “Do you do things without knowing?”
“I have been told that, yes, and I have really vivid dreams sometimes. You know, like it's actually happening.”
“Susan, depending on what your dreams are, you might have actually done these things and not remembered.”
Susan looks at me and blushes slightly. “Before, I had a dream of having sex when I was in a club,” she says. “Are you saying I might have actually had sex?”
“It's highly possible, but without the other person saying, we would never know.”
“What do you recommend?” I ask the doctor.
“I can get your sister off these two and just give something for the sleeping and the smoking. But nothing too harsh. Just sticking to gum or even the patches would be my recommendation.”
“She's not my sister, we just work at the same place,” I say.
“Oh, I never realized, you just have the same eyes,” the doctor says. “Maybe I have too many families coming in together.”
Susan looks at me and stares into my eyes. I look back into hers. We do look similar. I never noticed it before. The doctor coughs awkwardly and makes us break our gaze. He prescribes Susan a new sleeping aid and some nicotine patches to help her with sleeping.
“You can get rid of those two packs here if you like,” the doctor says.
Susan chuckles. “I'm glad I can explain why I was having headaches, one was working off the other.”
“Yes. If you kept on with those two, you could have been in a real mess,” the doctor says. “Just come back in a week or so, and I'll see how you're doing.”
We walk from the doctor’s surgery toward the vehicle. “Thanks for coming in with me,” Susan says.
“No problem, that’s what brothers are for,” I say laughing.
“I know, I can’t believe he said that.”
“Now we have to pay Ingrid a visit. Just keep it to yourself about whatever is said when we speak to her.”
“Top secret, is it?” Susan asks.
“There are a couple of situations. The first
one is that we have some corrupt councilors to deal with for the club. Secondly, we have a person who is looking to get revenge on Shona and her friends, even Bell and Drake might be involved,” I explain.
“Who is that?” Susan asks.
“We don’t know. I was given information about a guy called ‘The Kingmaker’ who is now passed. And he apparently has a daughter and she is here in Vegas,” I say.
“And is she?”
“Well, we thought we had signs because strange things were happening, even the note I received. We couldn’t explain them, but a few were actually you and those pills you were taking.”
“You thought I was this Kingmaker’s daughter?” Susan asks.
I start laughing. “Yeah, we did at one point, especially when you went to the pharmacy.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, I'm just little old me from Philadelphia,” Susan says. She gives a kind smile.
“I was originally from Philly as well.”
“I heard. I was found in a hotel with my siblings, we went into the orphanage and we got separated.”
“I don’t know that far back. I thought I was part of The Kingmaker’s experiment and genetically reared. Since that note, I have found out it's all wrong.”
“What do you know then?” Susan asks. “About your past.”
“Well, I was in the forces, nothing major at that point in time for a few years. But I was asked to be part of a new team. From that point on, I have no real memory of before,” I explain. “So, for my childhood, I don’t know. According to the recent note, I have real parents somewhere, unless they’re passed.”
I pull the car into the parking lot of the hotel. We make the same trip I did last time, past all the Russian security that line the hallway of the hotel floor.
“Jesus, she has some guards here,” Susan whispers.
“She's a very wealthy and powerful woman, and I'm glad she is on our side,” I say.
“Why is she helping us?” Susan questions.
“I was told she had a crush on Alex, but I think there is a little more to it than that,” I say. “We’ve said we’ll pay her back what the councilors stole from her. That’s a few million.”
“Fuck me, that is ridiculous.”
“Now you can see what we’re up against,” I say.
We stand by the hotel suite door waiting for the guard to return. He opens the door and ushers us inside.
“Good afternoon, Ingrid.” I say.
Ingrid turns from looking out of the large window. “Ooh, a surprise. Fancy seeing you so soon.” She smiles and I notice her light-blue, satin dress. She looks stunning.
Susan smiles politely at Ingrid. “I’m Susan.”
“Hello, I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.” She looks to me. “You have more info on the plan?” Ingrid asks.
“We do. It has changed slightly.”
“Good or bad?”
“I think both.”
“Owen, don’t talk riddle, just say whatever you need to say.”
“We think they move the money every week. The area has no power for one hour on Sundays, so we’re going to watch this weekend,” I explain. “Then we have to make a move next Sunday.”
“What you need from me?”
“This weekend nothing. Next weekend we need guys in vehicles, we think they’ll use more than one vehicle to move,” I say.
“Standard diversion tactics. Very common. Waypoints; you using waypoints?”
“That is why we need your guys. In and out of the area is easy, three roads in and three ways out. After that, they split which is where the problem comes in.”
“Simple. No problem. Just let me know.”
“We also need to know how much money we have to give you from the councilors.”
“Four million I pay for the hotel and casino. Alex say double it, so eight million.”
“That seems fair,” I say. I give her a smile and notice how timeless she looks. She’s like an old movie star that’s trapped in our time.
“Good thing. We have started our construction again. These mudderfuckers put me a month behind.” I smile as she says the swear word in Russian.
“That’s why we’ve done all this on the quiet,” I say.
“I come to your club soon. I hear good stories. Not big like mine, but cool. Very cool,” Ingrid says. “A big Alice and a Mad Hatter.”
“You can come anytime,” I reply.
“Any more things you two need help with?” Ingrid asks.
Susan giggles. “I'm not sure you can help us with our problems.”
Ingrid frowns. “Try me, a woman my age has a lot to bring to your table.”
“I can see that,” Susan says.
“Owen here has a sister in a coma. She has been taken from the hospital in Philadelphia,” Susan explains.
Ingrid pauses for a moment. “Hospital no good for coma patient, they just watch. They have to be with family.”
I huff and shrug my shoulders. “That’s the thing. I had a note that said I have family, but I don’t know.”
“I'm sure you find out soon. Sometimes family are there, they just wait for the right time,” she says.
“And I'm looking for parents as well. I was found in a Philly hotel,” Susan explains.
“Susan not your real name. That given by orphanage. You look like Alyona. A beautiful Russian name for girl,” Ingrid says.
“I like that, it's very different,” Susan says smiling.
“It means torch. Light of my life sort of thing,” Ingrid says laughing.
“Owen. You want wodka?” Ingrid asks.
Susan gives a smile. “Can I have one, please? I love vodka.”
“Alyona. You can have anything you want.”
“I like that name. I might change it from Susan to that,” Susan says grinning.
“Ingrid; a quick question for you. Why have you decided to build in Las Vegas?” I ask.
“A couple of reason. Investment, and for family.”
“Family?” I ask.
“Yes. Family very important. Especially when they have been lost, or taken.”
I look at Ingrid. I can see she has some deep hurt with that comment. I won’t ask any more on that subject.
“Drink, much to do,” Ingrid says.
We lift our glasses. “Prost,” Susan shouts.
“Alyona, you drink like Russian,” Ingrid says grinning.
“I'm still Susan at the moment,” Susan says as she has her glass filled again.
“Not to me. Alyona from now on.”
“Okay then. Ingrid, I find it a pleasure that you wish to call me Alyona. Your Torch,” Susan says.
I like Ingrid. She has a real motherly feel about her. Even though you know she could have you killed instantly.
“We better go. We have much to do,” I say.
“Come back before the robbery. Next time you can both come for dinner,” Ingrid says.
“Or you can come to the club restaurant?” I say.
“Here better, more like family, not customer. You are like family, now.” She gives a half-smile. We leave as she looks back out the window.
“I shook my family tree, and a bunch of nuts fell out.”
Janey
“Don’t steal, lie or cheat. Governments hate competition.”
Mikey, the building chief and I walked from the exit of the government building and climbed into Mikey’s car. I slipped into the rear seat as the chief sat next to Mikey. He pulled his car onto the street and headed back toward the end of the strip.
“I take it you don’t want to talk much in your office?” Mikey asks.
“Damn right, everything always seems to get back to the four councilors,” the chief says.
“You never use their names.”
“Never will do either, it's too risky and too obvious.”
“How many construction sites are they pressuring at the moment?” Mikey asks.
“About six. This is the latest. ‘The Torch,’ th
ey’ve been hit for four million and I’ve only just given them permission to carry on with construction.”
I lean on the front seats. “Now you can see why we’ve been all hush-hush,” I say.
“Hush-hush isn’t the word. We had no idea any construction was going on until Mike came the other day,” he replies. “It must be a very slick operation.”
“Slick, well-oiled, runs like clockwork. Any way you want to term it, that’s the way it has been run. Twenty-four seven,” I say.
“You’ve been working around the clock on it?”
“Yeah, gutted the place. Insulation fitted and then we closed the doors at night,” Mikey says.
The chief shakes his head in disbelief. We arrive back at the front of the club and the construction workers are busy installing the front doors and the canopy.
“You have no front door yet?”
“One more reason why your office inspectors never suspected anything,” I say giggling.
He looks at me and smiles. “Very smart. And I suppose inside is nearly finished?” he asks.
I smile. “Not nearly. It is finished.”
“I think this trip will be more pleasing than what I expected,” the chief says.
“We hope so, and we hope you don’t see any problems,” I emphasize, distinctly into his right ear.
“I'm sure there won’t be.”
Mikey halts his car and we walk through the side door to the front of the club. The reception area splits for the front exit of the restaurant and toward the gaming side.
“Where do you want to start?” I ask.
“How many zones are there?”
“Four really. Restaurant, gaming, bar, and then the club.”
“Show him around, I want to go and see Bob,” Mikey says. Mikey walks through the door and vanishes.
I smile. “Here is, as you can see… the restaurant.”
“This looks impressive. Can we just look behind in the kitchen?”
The chief and I walk around the counter and enter the kitchen area. He shakes his head in astonishment. He takes his time looking at everything. He touches the walls and looks at the pots and pans.
“This is one of the nicest kitchens I have ever seen.”
“Yeah. It was designed so no oil or fat can get down the sides of the surface, and it's all constructed as a single unit,” I explain.
Sunday Funday Page 10
