Jingle of Coins

by C. D. Ledbetter

  “Plastic surgery? That’s too drastic.”

  She patted his arm. “It wouldn’t take much. Believe me, I know about facial structures from being an artist. You simply tighten the muscle tone in various parts of your face, plus a few minor changes along the bridge of your nose. That alone would make a tremendous difference. And, if Mike does download the information, he’ll never match the facial calculations. What do you think?”

  Glen scratched the side of his neck. “I hate to say it, but you might be right. We’ll need somebody who does reconstructive surgery for a living and not anybody from this town, either.” He paused for a moment. “Mike has too many connections in Vegas.”

  “Right. I’ll tell Dozer we want an outside specialist. Say, somebody from the Midwest.”

  He traced the outline of her breasts against the sheet. “God, you’re smart. That’s one of the things I like best about you.”

  She swatted at his hand. “Hand me the phone before I lose my nerve.” She punched in Dozer’s number.

  “Dozer.”

  “What did you find out?”

  “You’re in.”

  “What about Glen?”

  Dozer sighed. “Him, too.”

  “There’s one other thing.”

  “Don’t push it, Emily.”

  “Look, it’s my life we’re dealing with, not yours. I’ll do whatever it takes to stay alive. The only other thing we want is to have our facial characteristics changed so that no facial recognition program can find us. It has to be a reconstructive surgeon from the Midwest. That’s it. There’s nothing else.”

  “Wait one.”

  Emily heard the buzz of voices. Dozer came back on the line a moment later.

  “All right. But that’s it. When can I get the CD?”

  Glen stuck his hand over the mouthpiece. “Tell him to meet you in the morning at nine in my casino’s security office.”

  “I’ll meet you at nine tomorrow morning in the Golden Temple’s Security office. Bring the paperwork.” She disconnected the call and glanced over at Glen. “Looks like we’re in.”

  He rolled her over on her back and tugged at the sheet. “Not exactly, but give me a few minutes, and I will be.”

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  “Wake up, sleepyhead. It’s time to go back to work.”

  Emily opened one eye, then the other. It took a moment to recognize her surroundings, and she was tempted to pinch herself to make sure she wasn’t dreaming. Not only was she in Reno, she even had the witness protection and plastic surgery paper signed by Dozer’s boss. She smiled and stretched. “How much are we ahead?”

  “About twenty grand, but that’s nowhere near enough. I want a hell of a lot more money before we board that plane.”

  She sighed. “I tried to tell you that sometimes the machines don’t change pitch. When that happens, there’s nothing I can do. We’re just lucky that woman got tired of playing the five dollar machine before it paid off.”

  “I know. I wasn’t complaining.”

  “Be glad we’re here at all. Did you see Dozer’s face when you told him we were going to Reno? I thought he was going to stick us in protective custody under the jail,” she commented as she slipped into a pair of cargo pants.

  Glen’s smile widened. “He was pretty pissed. Guess he doesn’t like making his guys beat the bushes for exercise. But even he has to agree that as long as his men act like they’re still searching for the recording, Mike won’t know he has it.” He tossed a pillow her way and then ducked when it zoomed back toward him. “Hurry up. We only have about twenty-four hours left for you to find the machine that’s going to make us rich.”

  “That was pretty smart of you to give Dozer the PO Box key as we got on the plane.”

  “Yeah.” Glen rolled over onto his side and rested his head on one hand. “But I felt bad about making it so difficult for him to find, so I called and left a message telling him which post office had the recording. He should have it by now.”

  “Well, at least he knows we’re not totally heartless.” She grabbed Glen’s cell phone and stuffed it into one of the pockets on her pants, then reached for a comb.

  “What kind of business do you think they’ll set us up in after we get into the program?”

  Emily perched on the edge of the bed and leaned over to tie her shoelaces. “I know what I’m going to do. Didn’t you hear me tell Dozer to give me my own flower shop?”

  “Don’t you think that’s a little obvious? Mike knows you do floral designs. That’s the first place he’ll look.”

  She shook her head. “He can look all he wants, but he won’t find me. That’s why we’re having plastic surgery. Besides, I don’t want a big shop, just something small and cozy.”

  “I told them to pick something.” He sighed. “I’ll probably end up with a desk job.”

  She finished tying her shoes and stood up. “Somehow I doubt that. You ready?”

  “Yeah. Let me get some money out of the safe.”

  Glen looped his arm through Emily’s as he guided her through the throng of guests scurrying around the lobby. “Hang on. I’m going to buy a paper,” he said as they walked hand-in-hand toward the Grecian Garden restaurant. “You want anything?”

  “No, thanks.” While he went inside, Emily amused herself by listening to people’s conversations. That was one of the few perks of having intensified hearing. Even with her hearing aids in, she could still hear what people said without seeming to eavesdrop.

  Suddenly, a voice she’d never forget sounded among the din. She listened closer. It couldn’t be. Not here, not now. She swung around. Dear God, it was him! Frantic, she spun around and ducked into the gift shop.

  “What’s wrong?” Glen asked as she hurried toward him. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  “Worse. It’s Stu. He’s here! I saw him standing in the foyer, talking to a group of men.”

  Glen tightened his grip. “Are you sure? Did he see you?”

  She shook her head. “I don’t know. As soon as I recognized him, I ducked in here. I don’t think he saw me, but I can’t be sure.”

  “We’ve got to get out of this hotel. Now.”

  “Do you think he’ll come after us?”

  “I’m not taking any chances. Come on.” He waited until a large group of people walked past and stepped into the crowd.

  “Where are we going?” Emily asked as they headed for the bank of elevators.

  “Back to the room. I left all our money in the safe.”

  She glanced frantically around the lobby, searching for Stu. “Just leave it. We can get more later.”

  Glen hustled her into an empty elevator and pushed the button for the sixth floor. “Emily, it’s twenty thousand dollars. Besides, if Stu didn’t see you, he won’t be looking for us.”

  “Yeah, right. But what if he did?”

  “Then he still has to figure out which room we’re in. That’ll take him a few minutes. We’ll just run in and grab the money. It’ll take five, maybe six minutes max.”

  She breathed a sigh of relief when they entered the room. “Hurry up,” she urged as Glen unlocked the safe.

  He grabbed several stacks of money. “Don’t just stand there,” he said. “Help me.”

  She snatched a handful of hundred-dollar bills and shoved them into her pockets.

  “That’s it. Let’s go.”

  “Right behind you,” she said as they escaped into the hallway. “Where to now?”

  “Stairs. Elevator’s too risky.”

  They hurried down the corridor and slipped into the stairwell as the elevator bell chimed. Stu, accompanied by three men, stepped out as Emily closed the stairwell door. She peeped through the wire-enforced glass panel and watched them stick a key card into their door lock.

  “He did see me,” she whispered as she caught up with Glen. “They just entered our room.”

  Glen kept silent as they continued down the stairs and paused on the third-floor
landing.

  “Why are we stopping?” she asked between gasps. “They’re bound to come after us once they realize we’re gone.”

  “If they went up to our room, they’re probably watching the elevators and the first-floor stairwell exit.”

  “That’s great. Just great. What are we going to do?” She poked him in the shoulder. “This is all your fault. We should’ve left right after I spotted Stu. But no, you just had to go back and get the money. I knew we should’ve stayed in Vegas where it was safe. Now look what you’ve got us into. How the hell are you going to get us out of here?” she demanded.

  He ignored her jibes. “We’ll be fine. Just do what I tell you and don’t ask any questions. The pool’s on the second floor. There’s a small service platform behind the cabanas that leads down to the street. As soon as I make sure that nobody’s waiting for us, we’ll slip out that way. Wait here while I see if any of Mike’s goons are stationed in the hallway.”

  Emily waited impatiently as Glen moved to the second-floor doorway. The sound of voices boomed above her, and she realized Stu and his guys were running down the stairs. She flattened her body against the platform wall, then descended to the second floor.

  “I thought I told you to stay put.”

  “Stu and his guys are coming down the stairs. They’re almost here.”

  “Come on. We’ll have to risk it.” Glen opened the stairwell door and hurried toward a set of double glass doors.

  The pool was crowded, and nobody noticed as they slipped behind the row of cabanas stretched along one side. Glen paused as they reached the last one, located near the service platform.

  Emily crept in beside him. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of three uniformed guards walking toward them, armed with guns and walkie-talkies.

  “The guards are at the other end of the pool,” she whispered. “I don’t think they’ve seen us yet. What do you want to do?”

  Glen grabbed her hand and dragged her to the top of the stairs. “Run,” he said as he nudged her down the first step. “Run as fast as you can.”

  “Is everybody here?” Stu asked as he joined a group of men in the center of the lobby.

  “Yeah,” one the men replied.

  “I don’t want any slip-ups. If you see anything unusual, call it in. Get to it.”

  He watched the men disappear into the crowds that swarmed through the newly opened casino and wondered what the day would bring. With any luck, everything would go according to plan, and tomorrow he’d be back in Vegas.

  The two cylinders of nerve gas were secured in a special storage unit in the basement. Three armed guards stood watch over the door, and he’d placed a man at every intersecting corridor. In addition, special cameras enabled his security team to watch the hallway that connected the basement to the hotel. Nothing would slip through their security net unnoticed.

  He turned toward the Chief of Security’s office and paused when a familiar face caught his attention. Startled, he looked again, but she was gone.

  Had he imagined it? Surely, Kate’s neighbor, the woman from the florist shop, wasn’t here. He hurried through the door. It was easy enough to check. All he had to do was replay the lobby tape.

  Three minutes later, his worst fears were confirmed. She was here and so was the man she’d been staying with. Their appearance was too much of a coincidence; something must be going on. He checked the register for their room number, then called in three of his men. “Don’t kill them,” he said as they rode the elevator to the sixth floor. “We have to find out why they’re here and how much they know.”

  Inside the hotel suite, Stu surveyed the signs of a hurried departure. “Spread out; they couldn’t have gone far,” he ordered as he walked back to the elevator. Moments later, he entered the security chief’s office. “Search every inch of this hotel until those two are found.”

  One of the guards motioned him over. “I see them,” he whispered excitedly. “They just left the second-floor stairwell. Looks like they’re headed for the pool.”

  Stu grabbed the console microphone. “The man and woman we’re looking for were last seen heading for the service stairwell behind the cabanas. Don’t let them leave. I repeat. Don’t let them leave. Bring them to the security office for questioning.”

  Dozer handed the recorded CD over to Patrick. “Careful,” he warned. “That’s our only copy.”

  Patrick Fulcrom gingerly inserted the CD into the playing unit. “Anybody else know you got this?”

  Dozer shook his head. “Only Nick, and he’s waiting outside.”

  “Good. At least we got to it before Mike’s people did,” Patrick commented as the pre-recorded music began. He and Dozer remained quiet until the voices stopped. When it was over, Patrick switched off the unit and removed the CD. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

  Dozer nodded, grim-faced. “Yeah. I’m fucked. My investigation just got a whole lot more complicated.”

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  “Glad you could make it,” Beaumont said as Dozer walked into the crowded conference room. He waited for Dozer to take a seat, then pointed to the blueprint taped to one wall.

  “I’ve assigned six men from my task group to cover the front and side entrances of the hotel. The six FBI agents who’ve been temporarily assigned to work with us will handle the construction area in the back.” He glanced at Dozer. “You’re with the FBI group.”

  Dozer bit back the retort that sprang to his lips. “What’s your position?”

  “Rooftop. I’ve got sharp shooters positioned on every building in a two-block radius. Once Hector Peruvador’s chopper lands, there’s no way it’s going to leave. The sharpshooters will disable it as soon as I give the signal.”

  “What about the nerve gas?” Dozer asked.

  “My undercover agents are already in the building, dressed as service personnel. There’s no way those cylinders will get out on the casino floor. My men have orders to detain anybody who even looks suspicious.” He peered at the group. “Any questions?”

  When nobody answered, Beaumont pulled on his jacket. “All right. Let’s roll.”

  Emily took the last three stairs in a leap. The moment her feet hit the ground, Glen landed beside her. “Keep running,” he urged as he dragged her down the embankment.

  They crashed through the thick undergrowth and ducked into an alley at the back of a nearby hotel. Glen tossed a glance over his shoulder as they turned the corner.

  “Do you see them?” Emily asked as she bent over to suck in a lungful of air.

  “No, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t right behind us. Keep moving.”

  They hurried toward the closest service entrance. Glen rattled the doorknob, but it was locked. They continued checking doors until they found one, featuring a Blue Lion logo, propped open. Cigarette butts littered the ground nearby. “Must be close to the employee lounge,” he surmised as they crept into the building.

  “Where we going?”

  “This is a vendor’s entrance. Chances are it leads to a kitchen or laundry area.” They turned another corner and Glen held up a hand. “Time for a quick break.” He moved sideways and leaned against the wall.

  “Do you see anything?”

  “No. Looks like we’re okay—for now.”

  The conversation of two employees walking down the hallway startled them, and they ducked behind a nearby cart laden with sheets.

  “What do we do now?” Emily asked after the employees disappeared around a corner. “We can’t hide here all day.”

  “We’ll stay another few minutes, then make our way to the street. By that time, Stu and his goons should’ve figured out that we’re long gone. We can grab a cab and head for the airport.” He glanced over at her. “What do you think?”

  “Sounds good.” She inhaled a quick breath of air and tried to relax her leg muscles. “You think they will have the airport covered already?”

  “Probably not yet, but we need to hurr
y. You ready?”

  “No, but I’m going anyway.”

  Nobody bothered them as they strolled down the hallway. Glen spotted a cocktail waitress, and they followed her to the casino floor. “I don’t see anybody,” he whispered in Emily’s ear as they stood near the bar. “Let’s make our way out front.”

  She followed him through the maze of slot machines and then suddenly stopped as they passed a bank of Superbucks slots.

  “What’s the matter?” he asked. “Come on; we gotta get out of here.”

  “One of these machines is going to pay out,” she whispered. “It just changed pitch.”

  “Son-of-a-bitch. Are you sure?”

  She nodded, then tilted her head. “There it is again. It must be on the next aisle. Damn it. I know it’s going to pay off. I can tell by the sound. What should we do?”

  He looked at the digital display. “The jackpot’s two million dollars. What do you think my answer is?”

  She inhaled deeply. “What about Stu?”

  Glen shook his head. “You play the machine. I’ll take care of Stu.”

  “There he is!” She grabbed his sleeve and pointed. “He’s right over there! Look, over by the Triple Dollar machines.”

  Glen shoved a wad of hundred dollar bills into her hand. “Go on and play. I’ll draw his attention and lead him out of the casino.”

  “What if he catches you?”

  “He won’t. I’ll make sure of that.” He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Meet me at the airport. If I don’t make it by nine, take the next plane and leave without me. I’ll meet you at the hotel we stayed in. Do you remember where it is?”

  She clutched at his sleeve. “Yeah. Look, the money’s not worth dying for. Please. Let’s just make a run for it, before Stu sees us.”