by Lane, Aubree
Cara lowered her voice as they continued to put distance between themselves and the nosy cop. “I don’t have a clue what this is about, but whatever it is, you can bet my ex-husband is behind it.”
Wrapping his arm across her shoulder, Tanner gave her a little squeeze. “You think this is serious then.”
“Not yet. I hope I can nip it in the bud before it has a chance to spiral out of control.” She sucked in a deep breath and shivered. “I may be overreacting by getting my lawyer involved, but it’s better to be safe than sorry where Duncan is concerned.”
Tanner shot her a pained look. “Please tell me you didn’t call your divorce attorney.”
Cara couldn’t help but chuckle. “No dad, my lawyer teaches part-time at the college, but he also has a thriving criminal practice in Tahoe. You may be surprised to hear this, but a lot of people in this gambling town try to work an angle for an easy buck. Fraud, money laundering, you name it, if it has to do with cold hard cash, Martin Langley is the man to see.”
Tanner’s mouth opened in surprise. “You have Martin Langley’s phone number in your cell phone, and he drops everything to help you? You must be one very special woman, Cara Lee.”
Cara rolled her eyes. She and Martin had been friends since she first began teaching at UTC. He had come a long way since then, and he was one of the few people she could turn to that Duncan couldn’t corrupt. He didn’t need the money teaching offered, but it was his way of giving back to the community, which in turn, helped make him so successful. The few times when Martin and Duncan talked, they hadn’t hit it off. The two didn’t get each other. Next to Martin, Duncan was nothing more than a spoiled child with too much money and too much power.
Tanner’s reaction at the mention of Martin’s name irked her. She always hated it when Duncan casually threw out names of famous people and acted as if they were the best of friends. She knew she was out of line, but she couldn’t contain her irritation. “I’m sorry. Did I just drop a name? Is that the highlight you’re taking away from this conversation?”
Tanner rubbed her arms compassionately. “Not at all, you just caught me off guard. Do you realize how in demand he is?”
She glared up at him. “He’s a friend, Tanner. Friends help friends.”
Her phone rang and Tanner was momentarily let off the hook. It was Martin. “What’s the verdict? Am I going to The Bay, jail, or home?” Cara barked sarcastically into the phone.
A few seconds later she disconnected and looked at the man who had done nothing except be impressed that she was acquainted with someone of Martin’s caliber. Cara sucked in a deep breath and knew the man she was really angry at was Duncan. “I’m sorry for going off on you.” She took hold of his hand and pressed it to her cheek. “Martin is going to meet me at the Cascade Bay Resort. I am going voluntarily. I am driving myself, and I am not to get into that squad car,” she repeated Martin’s instructions verbatim.
Tanner looked at her with his worried blue eyes, but she had no comfort to give. If Duncan was setting her up, he would have done a thorough job. She hoped this was all a misunderstanding, but her gut told her she was screwed. “I need you to do me a favor. A few of my students are coming over for a little pizza party tonight. It’s a chance for my crew to get to know the new members coming aboard. It’s something I do every term. I don’t have time to reschedule, so could you order a few pizzas and let them in?” She talked fast, knowing she had to get a move on. “There’s an ice chest full of soda ready to go right outside my back door. Matt and Jena from the bar last night will both be there. They will know what to do, and I’ll give Mrs. Grimes a call to see if she wouldn’t mind keeping an eye on them until I get home.”
Tanner shook his head. “Don’t worry about your students or about calling Mrs. Grimes. I’ll handle it. You just focus on getting this mess straightened out.”
Cara looked up at him and nodded. She squared her shoulders, and turned towards the policeman.
Tanner watched Cara walk away. She waved for the police officer to come along. They each entered their own vehicles and drove off. Every move she made appeared confident and calm, but he saw the fear in her eyes.
He ran his fingers through his hair and wondered about his new employee. This was Lisa’s first day. He had gone over all her duties the day before and left her a detailed list of instructions before taking off and playing hooky with Cara. It seemed exceptionally coincidental that the moment Duncan’s mistress began working at the complex that her arch nemesis was been hauled off for questioning.
Chapter Five
Cara passed by the all-seeing eye and was thankful that Jena and Matt, along with eight other students whom she had yet to meet, had made themselves at home. She was bone tired. It seemed as if the entire police force turned out for the opportunity to search every nook and cranny of the office space she occupied during gala season. They found nooks she hadn’t even known existed and crannies so small they had to be examined through a magnifying glass. The search had taken hours, but fortunately had not turned up anything suspicious. She hoped the matter was settled.
She didn’t believe that for a moment, but for tonight she was going to try not to worry about the future.
“Hi everyone,” she called out in a pathetic attempt to sound upbeat and energetic. “I’m glad you all made it. I’m sorry I’m late, but at least you had a chance to meet and get to know each other a bit before our first day out on LOLA.” She looked at an imaginary watch on her arm and tapped a freckle. “I hate to do this, but in about ten minutes I’m kicking you all out. Feel free to finish your pizza and take a soda for the road. I know I’m making a terrible first impression, but this day didn’t work out as I planned.”
After giving Jena and Matt a nod, Cara rapidly traveled around the room and introduced herself to the new students. Not soon enough, she beat a hasty retreat into the kitchen.
Mrs. Grimes was behind the counter bagging up the remnants of the salad and dessert she must have brought over for the kids.
Cara gave the old woman a grateful smile. “Mrs. Grimes, you are too nice. College kids are easy and they live on pizza. You didn’t have to trouble yourself with all this.”
Coming out from around the counter, Mrs. Grimes opened her arm and wrapped Cara in a comforting hug. “All the more reason to get a few greens in them.” She stepped back and shot Cara a sly wink. “You want me to get rid of them for you?”
Cara was extremely grateful for the offer and let out a huge sigh of relief. She grasped the elderly woman’s hands and shook them with earnest. “Mrs. Grimes, you are truly a blessing and the best neighbor I’ve ever had.”
“I’m happy to help.” Mrs. Grimes nodded her head in the direction of Cara’s back patio. “Someone has been waiting for you.”
The light from outside drew her towards Tanner’s silhouette. He sat in one of her Adirondacks, nursing a beer. Cara felt her face relax and her eyes close. He had taken care of everything, just like he said he would, and then stayed to make sure she was okay.
He stared off into nothingness with a worried look on his face. Cara touched a finger to her lips, heartened by his concern. A girl could get used to coming home to this, Cara thought. She opened the door to the patio and called out softly, “Hey there.”
He jumped at the sound of her voice and asked anxiously, “How did it go?”
She pointed to his beer. “Do you have one of those for me? Where’s your stash? I know I didn’t have any in the ice chest for the kids.”
Tanner bent down to his mini cooler, which he had hidden away in the corner, and retrieved a frosty cold one.
She rubbed her hands in anticipation. The crisp sound of the top being popped was music to Cara’s ears. She pulled back, surprised at her reaction, and wondered if perhaps she’d been partaking in the magical brew a bit too much lately. It wasn’t like her to be affected in that manner.
Cara shook off the thought. If she was going to wind up in jail, she certainly wasn’
t going to deprive herself tonight. It had been a long day, and the lager Tanner held out was exactly what she needed.
They sat down side by side and held hands. Cara let her beer rest on one of the oversized arms of the chair. She knew Tanner wanted to know the outcome of today’s witch hunt, but she didn’t have the energy to talk about it. He must have sensed her need for quiet because he didn’t push for an answer, instead he stroked her fingers tenderly.
Halfway through her beer, Mrs. Grimes poked her head out and informed them that the coast was clear. She bid them both goodnight and left the couple alone.
Cara glanced at Tanner. “You want to go inside?”
He nodded and the two made their way through the kitchen. Tanner immediately began opening cabinets and cupboards.
Cara watched him with curiosity, but didn’t say a word.
He worked his way to the hall closet and dug into her things. He obviously didn’t find what he was looking for, because he opened the door to her bedroom and walked inside.
Cara followed him. “Can I help you?” she asked, totally confused by his actions.
He stooped and peeked under her bed. “There’s a certain box which I have been curious about since the day you moved in. I think we need to have a little fun.”
Cara scratched her ear and wondered what he was talking about.
“The bottom fell out,” he explained, “and I caught a glimpse of some pretty interesting objects.”
Her eyes flew wide and she gasped with horror. He was talking about her box of sex toys! “No, no, no, no, no!” Cara screamed. Her face turned beet red, and she covered her eyes with her hands. “You’ve seen too much already.”
“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!” Tanner countered happily when he successfully found the box in the back of her closet. He brought it out and placed it on her bed. He grabbed her hands and tugged them away from her face. “I have a few questions for you.”
The playful twinkle in his eye was contagious, and Cara found herself giggling like a school girl.
He opened the flaps and pulled out something which could have been mistaken for a small plant. “For instance, what the heck do you do with this?” He turned it on and the leaves began to vibrate in his palm.
Cara tried to steal it away, but he was too quick.
He snatched her around her waist and held her squirming body next to his. The plant was just out of her reach and he teased, “This must be one of your favorites. I think we should put it to use.”
On her third try, Cara successfully rescued her treasure. She clutched it to her breast like a selfish child. “No, it’s mine,” she pouted.
Tanner picked up a pretty pink dildo. “Just how far do you go with some of these things?”
Cara sat on the edge of the bed and wondered if she should tell him the truth. Life with Duncan had been beyond difficult and a few of the playthings had come in handy, but Duncan had been the one who had purchased most of the toys. He had been fixated on using them. She had to admit some of them were fun to use upon occasion, but the longer they were married, the more it felt like Duncan used them as an excuse not to touch her. Instead of bringing them closer, the walls had grown thicker.
She pointed at the toy Tanner held. “The representative who sold me that must have been a comedian in a former life. Her routine sold a lot of merchandise.” She cocked her head and let out a soft little snicker. “I know you’re going to find this hard to believe, seeing my vast collection and all, but I prefer the human touch. The last few nights with you have been much more satisfying than anything I ever achieved with a mechanical device.”
Tanner pitched the dildo back into the box and sat down beside her. He nudged her shoulder playfully. “You know, I’m trying really hard not to puff up my chest and walk around the room all studly like, but you just made my day saying that.” He touched the side of her face. “You must be exhausted. Should I leave?”
She grabbed his hand. “No, please don’t go. But can we forgo the sex tonight? I just want to curl up next to you. I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep any other way.”
Tanner nodded kindly. “I’ll go give the kitchen a quick cleaning while you get ready for bed.”
Cara watched him go and the fear of being sent to prison for a crime she didn’t commit began to creep in. She knew that no evidence had been found at The Bay, but she couldn’t shake the doom and gloom. She had a feeling that this was just the tip of the iceberg and she was headed right into the storm. “Come back soon,” she called out.
The moment Tanner turned and saw the worried look on her face, he was instantly back at her side. He guided her to the bed and pulled off her shoes. Then he quickly made his way around the place, turning off lights, and locking all the doors while Cara slipped into a tank top and a pair of loose shorts. When Tanner returned, he kicked off his shoes and climbed in next to her, fully clothed.
Wrapped safely back in his arms. Cara closed her eyes.
The aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafted in around her. Cara rolled over and stretched, completely surprised that she had slept. Giving herself a few moments, she luxuriated in the knowledge that Tanner was in her kitchen pampering her. After the day she had yesterday, she was determined to be thankful and enjoy every moment of freedom she had left. If, as she suspected, Duncan was behind the on-going police investigation, she had no illusions about how this might go down. Duncan was brilliant in his own fiendish way, and the man was nothing less than thorough. Even though no evidence had been found at the Cascade Bay Casino, she was certain it was only a matter of time before it miraculously came to light.
Duncan viewed her as a possession. A few months after their honeymoon, Cara knew she had made a colossal mistake in marrying him. He was never cruel or abusive in the standard sense of the word, but there was always an underlying bite and a controlling aspect to his requests.
In the beginning, Duncan had been discreet with his affairs, but as time went on, he no longer felt the need to protect his wife from either his other women or the shadowy men in black suits who frequented the Cascade Bay every other Tuesday night without fail. If Cara had any real information on Duncan, she would have gladly made a deal with the prosecution yesterday to make the fraud investigation go away.
She hadn’t done anything wrong, but this year in particular, she hadn’t kept a tight rein on the money. She had been so preoccupied with the divorce, moving out on Duncan, then moving out of Leah’s, that anyone could have absconded with some of the proceeds. When she walked out of The Bay on gala night, it was with the understanding that the regents would close out the event and be responsible for the final accounting. Now she was left out in the cold without any documentation to support her innocence.
One of those regents was her ex-sister-in-law, Drew. Cara might not have had the heart to force Drew into the planning and execution of this year’s event, but since she was destined to run it from here on out, Cara figured it was high time she got involved and made sure she participated with the final few steps. Drew was fanatically loyal to her twin, and Cara couldn’t help but wonder if she had helped cook the books in order to destroy Cara for leaving her brother.
It was a well-known fact that the Alexander family had more than one dark horse in the family. Mobsters and shady dealings ran rampant during the prohibition era. The tunnels, which ran under the Cascade Bay Resort and Casino opened up to the lake, had been the main hub for barrels of illegal liquor to be funneled into the area. Inga, Duncan’s mother, had told Cara many stories of how her grandfather, Rikard Hanson, used her father to relay messages to some extremely dangerous men who lurked in dark alleyways as they waited for the next shipment of bootleg whiskey and moonshine to arrive.
Back then, the Cascade Bay was nothing more than a hole-in-the-wall dive bar which ran an underground poker game twenty-four/seven down in the tunnels. Rikard used the bar as a front for his more lucrative business as a bootlegger. Despite his illegal activities, Inga adored her grandfather, who c
ould be a charming and elegant man one moment and a cold hearted bastard the next. The man had ties with Chicago mobsters like Dion O’Banion and Johnny Torrio, and managed to come out on top.
In the early nineteen-thirties when gambling became legal in the state of Nevada, Rikard turned the Cascade Bay into one of the state’s earliest casinos. After prohibition ended a few years later, Rikard Hanson already had a network in place to supply his casino with the now legal alcohol and his fortune was made.
When Inga’s father, Viggo, took over the operation, he refurbished the bar and added a hotel, and the Cascade Bay Casino reigned supreme for many years. During Inga’s tenure, she built a five star restaurant and an event center and gained the title of Jewel of the Lake. Under Duncan’s regime the gem had lost some of its luster, but still managed to hold on to its crown.
Cara rolled over and pulled a pillow over her head. She was in trouble. She had to face it, but it all seemed too overwhelming. Numbers from her personal accounts ran through her head, and Cara wondered if she had enough money to bug out and hide until the truth could unfold.
She didn’t.
When Cara walked out on Duncan, she left the lifestyle and their joint bank account behind. Cara had a good job and had never embraced the glitz and glamor of casino life. Walking away from it seemed like the amicable thing to do, considering Duncan hadn’t been the one who wanted the divorce.
A light knock on her bedroom door drew her out of her trepidation. “You don’t have to knock, Tanner, we slept together for Pete’s sake.”
The door opened and Mrs. Grimes ducked her head around the door. “I’m not TJ, but I have coffee. Is it still okay for me to come in?”
Cara did a quick check to make sure she was decent, the blue tank top and gray shorts qualified as sleeping attire, so she gestured for Mrs. Grimes to enter. “Where’s Tanner?” she asked as Mrs. Grimes placed a tray over her lap.
