[Mystic Caravan Mystery 04.0] Freaky Games
Page 6
“I’m looking forward to seeing you guys again.” I waited until I was sure they were out of earshot to speak again. “What do you think?”
“I think that an old ghost story doesn’t explain the webbed footprint you saw,” Kade replied. “It also doesn’t explain the glowing eyes you thought you saw right before the storm hit.”
“You saw glowing eyes?” Luke asked. “Why am I just hearing about this?”
“Why do you think we were up in the middle of the night when you got back from your gambling excursion?” Kade challenged. “That’s what we were talking about.”
Luke balked. “I thought you were worried about me and decided to wait up.”
Kade snorted. “Yes. We decided to wait up for a grown man.”
Luke made a “whatever” face and focused on me. “What did you see?”
“I’m not sure I saw anything,” I cautioned. “I thought I saw red eyes, but it was only a second before the storm hit. I’m wondering if I imagined it because I somehow intuitively realized the storm was coming.”
“Do you think that’s a possibility?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know what to think.”
“We can conduct more research on that mine story when we get back to the circus,” Kade offered. “I haven’t hooked up the internet hub yet, but it’s not much work. You seemed intrigued by the story.”
“I’m not saying it was disgruntled miners. I’m not sure what I’m saying. I don’t think it can do any harm to research.”
“I agree.” Kade rubbed my back. “Because Luke is so worried, he can help us.”
“Oh, that’s not going to happen.” Luke grabbed a bag and shoved several kiwi fruits inside. “I’m going back to the casino tonight.”
The simple statement hit me with the force of an out-of-control sandstorm. “What? Why?”
Luke didn’t glance in my direction, so he missed the momentary bolt of panic that I’m sure flashed over my face. “Because I had fun and I want to see if my luck holds.”
“But … you won five hundred dollars,” I reminded him. “Don’t you want to quit while you’re ahead? Why risk giving that money back?”
Luke shrugged, unbothered by my pragmatic suggestion. “What fun is that? As long as I’m not risking my own money – and now I’ll be gambling with house money, there’s absolutely no risk – what does it matter?”
“But … .” I caught Kade’s serious stare and snapped my mouth shut when he offered a small headshake.
“As long as you get your work done I don’t think it matters,” Kade said. “We won’t be waiting up for you, though, so don’t come barging in when you get back.”
“I don’t plan to stay late,” Luke said. “We’re going for like an hour.”
“Who is going with you?”
“Naida, Nixie and Nellie want to go back, too.”
I didn’t like the sound of that one bit. The pixie twins aren’t exactly young – time passes much slower on the fairy plane – but they can be naïve when it comes to the ways of this world. As for Nellie, he has a tendency to get caught up in things just as easily as Luke.
“I was thinking we’d have a bonfire tonight,” I hedged. “I was going to buy some of that expensive liquor at the front of the store and make a real night of it. You know … s’mores and everything.”
“That sounds great for you guys,” Luke said, blasé. “I’m going to the casino. I’ll be back in plenty of time to see Kade drunk walk you back to the trailer. That’s always a fun feat I never want to miss.”
I felt helpless. I wasn’t Luke’s mother. I could hardly tell him what to do with his time or money. In fact, he had a point about gambling with the casino’s money. Still, something struck me as off about the situation.
“You’ll be careful, right?” I hoped my tone didn’t belie my worry. Luke’s beaming smile told me he appreciated my concern but had already dismissed it.
“I’m always careful, Poet.” Luke surprised me when he leaned in to give me a kiss on the cheek. “If you play your cards right – er, well, if I play my cards right – I might even buy you a special gift if I win again.”
“That’s not necessary.”
“Hey, what are best friends for?”
I remained rooted to my spot, Kade at my side, as Luke shuffled toward the deli counter. “I don’t like this,” I admitted.
“I’m not thrilled with it either, but he’s an adult,” Kade noted.
“I guess.”
“If you’re really worried, we can go with him.”
I slid my eyes to Kade and couldn’t help but notice that he didn’t seem thrilled with the suggestion. “That’s okay,” I said after a beat. “We have research to do.”
Kade cracked a smile. “And s’mores to eat.”
I grinned, a bit of the weight I carried diminishing. “You’ve got that right.”
“He’ll be okay.” Kade pressed a firm kiss to my mouth. “Now, let’s get our shopping done and head back to the fairgrounds. We’ve got a decent amount of work left to do.”
“And the show must go on,” I said, following him toward the lettuce.
“You’re the one who taught me that.”
“And I’ll never let you forget it.”
7
Seven
“Do you want to tell me what you’re thinking?”
Kade stood next to me a few hours later, both of us shucking corn for dinner as Naida and Nixie readied the steaks. Cooking outdoors is a challenge, and we often prepare the same meals on a regular basis because they’re easy rather than popular and delicious. Thankfully for us, steak is always a big crowd pleaser. Of course, I’ve found throughout the years that people will eat almost anything as long as they don’t have to cook it.
I flicked my eyes to Kade, uncertain what he was getting at. “What do you mean?” We left the store with a direction in which to point our research efforts and set up the computer to start doing exactly that in my trailer before getting distracted with … well, each other. What? It’s the beginning of a relationship. You’re supposed to act goofy at the beginning of a relationship.
We moved the computer to the table in front of my trailer shortly after that, but dinner called and we decided to resume the research once we’d finished eating. We’d been largely silent and task-oriented since then.
“You seem lost in your own head,” Kade noted. “Are you worried about Luke?”
I was worried about Luke. Sometimes I think I worry about Luke more than myself. That’s what happens when you love someone completely. Still … . “You don’t find it strange?”
“Find what strange?”
“The fact that four people went to the casino last night and all four of them won?”
Kade shrugged, seemingly unbothered by what I deemed a huge coincidence. “It’s not as if they won millions of dollars,” he pointed out. “All told they probably only won two thousand.”
“Still, all four of them won.”
“Who won?” Naida asked, appearing at my elbow.
“You won,” I replied, refusing to hide the fact that I was talking about her. “All of you guys went to the casino last night and each of you left with more money in your pockets than when you entered.”
“I know!” Naida’s eyes sparkled. “It’s great, isn’t it?”
That wasn’t the word I would’ve used, but I didn’t want to cause a scene. “It is great,” I confirmed. “I’m glad you won. I hope you spend the money on something fun.”
“I want to get some salt solvent for the hot tub.”
“I … okay.” I honestly didn’t care what she spent the money on. Naida wasn’t known for being frivolous and, quite frankly, it was none of my business. “That’s not the point.”
“What’s not the point?” Nixie asked, tilting her aquamarine head as she inserted herself into the conversation. “What are we talking about?”
“The casino last night,” Naida answered.
“Oh, that was
so much fun!” Nixie’s face positively lit up, making her look younger than her years. Of course, by our standards Nixie should look like the Crypt Keeper but that was hardly important now. “I swear it was like magic. I felt a magical hand guiding me on the slot machine.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Actual magic?”
“Well, no, not actual magic,” Nixie hedged. “It was simply euphoric. I had no idea it was so much fun to gamble. I can’t wait to go back after dinner again tonight. Luke is trying to get more people to go so we can make a real event out of it.”
That’s exactly what I was worried about. “You guys already won. Why do you want to risk that money?”
“Because we might win more.” Nixie giggled. “I want to win more.”
“Except that you probably won’t win more,” I argued, knowing I sounded like everyone’s least favorite childhood babysitter but unable to stop myself all the same. “Casinos aren’t in business because they give away money to everyone who walks through their doors.”
“What do you mean?” Nixie looked legitimately confused.
“She means that there’s a reason casinos are one of the most profitable business ventures out there,” Kade interjected, shooting me a warning look before continuing. “Casinos have huge profit margins. Why do you think that is?”
“Because they’re good at what they do,” Nixie answered without hesitation. “They have a lot of entertainment and food. That’s how they make money.”
“The food and entertainment are free,” Kade pointed out.
“Oh, well … .” Nixie broke off, glancing at her sister. “I guess I never thought about that.”
“You need to be careful,” I supplied. “I’m not telling you what to do … .”
“It sounds as if you’re telling me what to do.”
I ignored her pouty countenance. “I’m not. I want you to have a good time. It’s just … it seems funny to me that you all won the first night you visited the casino. Maybe you should take your winnings and call it a day.”
“But how will I win more money if I do that?”
I was at the end of my rope … and I kind of wanted to tie it around Nixie’s neck and throttle her until she came over to my way of thinking. “What happens if you lose all of the money you’ve won?”
“Then I won’t be out any of my money,” Nixie replied easily. “It will simply be a fun way to spend two nights. Will I be sad? I guess a little. But what happens if I win more? I’ll be twice as happy.”
It was a difficult logic to argue with. That didn’t stop me from doing just that. “And what happens when you lose what you’ve won and start dipping into your own funds because you’re certain you’ll start winning again?”
“I have no intention of doing that.”
“Nobody ever intends to do that. It still happens.”
“Well … it won’t happen to me.”
I opened my mouth, ready to explode, but Kade stopped me by slipping an arm around my waist and tugging me toward the portable stovetop we used to boil food. “Why don’t you come with me and see that I’m doing this right, huh?”
I blinked several times in rapid succession, trying to get a handle on my temper. “Doing what right?”
“If you need her to tell you that you’re doing it right, odds are that you’re doing it wrong,” Nellie announced, appearing under the tent we erected to keep out the sun. He had a laptop and seemed interested in whatever was on the screen.
“Thank you for that, Nellie,” Kade said dryly, rolling his eyes. “I want you to make sure I’m shucking the corn right.”
“There are so many dirty ways I could go with that sentence,” Nellie muttered.
Kade ignored him and focused on me. “Am I doing it right?”
Was he joking? “You need me to help you boil water?”
Kade let loose with an exasperated sigh as he ran his hand over his short-cropped hair. “I need you to not make enemies of your friends.”
“I … what?”
“Man, you’re slow today,” Nellie said. “He pulled you away from Nixie before you stuck your foot in your mouth and called her stupid or something.”
I balked. “I do not think she’s stupid.”
“Yeah, that’s not what your attitude suggested.”
I risked a glance at the table and was happy to see that Nixie and Naida had taken advantage of my distraction and escaped to the grill area, putting necessary distance between us. At least I could rest assured they hadn’t overheard Nellie’s take on the conversation.
“I don’t think she’s stupid,” I repeated, focusing on Nellie. “While you’re here, though, I want you to talk everyone out of going to the casino. You’re well respected by our co-workers and they’ll listen to you.”
“No can do, sister,” Nellie said, his eyes never moving from the screen. “I’m keen to win more money myself.”
Sometimes I think I’m the only one who actually listens when I talk. “And what happens if you lose?”
“Then I’ll be a sad man in a dress,” Nellie replied, not missing a beat. “It’s nothing for you to worry about.”
“But … .”
“He’s right,” Kade said, wrapping his hand around my wrist. “I know this upsets you – although I haven’t entirely figured out why – but you’re not their mother. As long as they’re finishing up their work what they do on their free time isn’t up to you.”
“Oh, well, great.” I jerked my arm from Kade, not caring in the least that I was taking out my anger on him even though he didn’t deserve it.
“Now, don’t be like that,” Kade chided, refusing to engage in a potential argument and instead poking my side. “I won’t let you have some of my s’more when I make them later if you’re not careful.”
I rolled my eyes but couldn’t tamp down the smile curving my lips. “You’re lucky you’re handsome. That wouldn’t work if you weren’t.”
“I know.” Kade kissed my cheek before turning his full attention to Nellie. “What are you looking at?”
Nellie answered without hesitation. “Porn.”
“Nice.”
Nellie snorted. “It’s not really porn,” he said. “It’s the history of mining in this area. It’s kind of fascinating.”
I jolted, shifting my eyes to the table in front of my trailer. “Is that my laptop?”
Nellie nodded. “I saw you were searching for something and decided to take a look. I thought maybe it was porn.”
“What’s your infatuation with porn?” Kade asked.
“I happen to like looking at naked people,” Nellie replied. “I’m odd that way.”
“You apparently like looking at mining history, too,” Kade noted, moving so he could look over Nellie’s shoulder. “Why is that?”
“I’m a dwarf,” Nellie reminded him. “We like to mine for gold.”
Kade’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. “I thought that was a fairy tale thing.”
“Everybody likes gold, man,” Nellie said. “I like axes, too. I’m a big, old, hairy stereotype.”
“Speaking of that, you’re due for a shoulder wax,” I reminded him. “It’s been awhile.”
“You know how I feel about hot wax,” Nellie countered. “I think the bearded lady should be allowed to have shoulder hair.”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Because it grosses people out and makes them wonder if you’re a man,” I replied. “A bearded man isn’t quite the draw that a bearded woman is.”
“She has a point,” Kade added.
“No one is talking to you, you corn shucker.” Nellie’s grin belied his mood. “Fine. You guys can oil me up and wax me. But I need to be drunk first. You know the drill.”
“I’m almost terrified to see this ritual,” Kade muttered.
“He wears a bikini,” I said, smirking as Kade grimaced. “What did you find on my laptop, Nellie? If you’re going through my stuff you can at least share with the class.”
“Are gold and silver the only things they mined?”
Nellie shrugged. “I don’t know. Coal mining doesn’t exactly whip me into the interested frenzy that gold does. I’ve always been a fan of history, though. Everyone knows about the Comstock Lode, but the rest of these finds were fairly interesting, too.”
“Remind me about the Comstock Lode,” Kade instructed, the tips of his ears turning red when I focused my attention on him. “What? I wasn’t a good student when it comes to history. Sue me.”
“It was a big pile of silver,” I supplied, searching my memory. “It was in the 1850s, I believe. It sparked a silver rush much like the California gold rush.”
“Give the girl a silver star,” Nellie teased, clearly enjoying himself. “Like any other business venture that comes out of nowhere, fortunes were won and lost quickly, and the state of Nevada was essentially built on the big strikes of the time.”
“I thought that kid said the miners died fifty years ago,” Kade pressed.
“What kid?” Nellie asked.
I told him about our running into with David and Trent at the store. “The problem with kids is that they have no idea how to mark the passage of time. To him we seemed ancient.”
“Okay, well, were there any mining travesties during this Comstock thing?”
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from laughing at his historical ignorance. “There were a lot of tragedies,” I answered. “Nevada was also one of the places where some of the earliest mining innovations were made. Even with that you’re going to have tragedies when you’re dealing with stuff like this.”
“We’re looking for a tragedy that happened closer to here, right?” Nellie asked, knitting his eyebrows. “There is one that happened in 1901. It’s the Gorgon Mine.”
“Gorgon?” I pursed my lips. “That’s interesting.”
“Why is that interesting?” Kade asked.
“Because in Greek mythology a gorgon was a woman or creature who usually had snakes for hair,” I replied. “Supposedly anyone who looked upon them turned to stone.”