by Laina Turner
“Hey,” Pricilla, one of the other waitresses at The Pink Pony, said to me as she walked by. “Someone at the bar has the sweets on you.”
I turned, thinking it would be Sweetie. He had never acted in any way but brotherly toward me, but he’d given enough hints to let me know he was interested. I almost dropped my tray of empty glasses when I realized it wasn’t Sweetie, but rather Cooper staring at me from the bar. How in the hell did he know I was here? I was going to kill Jared or Anna. One of them had to have squealed. Did they call him or something? Why was he even back in Vegas? Surely not to come hang out at The Pink Pony.
Cooper didn’t have a very nice look on his face, but I was going to have to go to the bar sooner or later to get the drink refills. It didn’t seem like he was going anywhere anytime soon, so I figured I might as well get it over with. On my way to the bar, I hoped I didn’t look as nervous as I felt. Sweetie gave me a sympathetic glance as I walked up. It made me wonder if Cooper had said something to him.
“What are you doing here?” I said.
“I would like to ask you the same question,” Cooper said. “Are you that hard up for money?”
“This is a respectable job,” I replied indignantly.
“I didn’t say it wasn’t, and I love your outfit, but I seem to recall that time at Muldoon’s…”
“Geezz, you drop a few glasses, one time, years ago, and no one will let you forget it. Besides, you weren’t even there. Did you hear that from Jared?”
“Don’t try and change the subject, Pres. What do you think you’re doing?”
“Waitressing”
“Don’t be difficult. Why on earth are you waitressing here?” Cooper said, his voice rising.
“Be quiet,” I hissed. “Why the hell do you think? I’m trying to find out more information about Ashley. I think it’s called recon in your business.”
“Has it worked?” Cooper looked at me skeptically, his eyebrows lifting.
“Not yet, but these things take time. Isn’t that what you are always saying to me?”
“This environment is out of your element, Presley.”
“Oh, please,” I said rolling my eyes. “I’m fine. Besides I have Sweetie here to watch over me.” I nodded in Sweetie’s direction.
“I’m not sure that makes me feel any better.”
I looked at Sweetie to see how he reacted to that comment, and he just smiled. “Listen, I have to get these drinks back before the natives get restless,” I said.
“When are you done here?”
“In about an hour.”
“I’m staying at the Harrah’s, room 1543. Come over after. We need to talk.”
“Fine!” I stuck my tongue out at him.
While I was a little annoyed at his demand, I couldn’t help but think back a few months to the last time I had been invited into his hotel room. Even though the conversation he wanted to have might not be all pleasant, the memories of him and a hotel room definitely were.
The rest of the night passed without incident, although Michelle never showed up for her shift. As I stood at the bar cashing out at the end of my shift, Sweetie asked me, “Going to see lover boy?”
“Please. I’m sure love is the last thing he has on his mind.”
“He might not be thrilled to see you here, but he loves you. That part is pretty obvious.”
“Really. You think?”
“Of course. I’m a guy. I know these things.” He winked at me and I blushed like a kid.
I rode the elevator up to Cooper’s floor, wishing I had brought a change of clothes with me to work. At the time I figured I would be going right back to Jesse’s apartment to relax. Waitressing was hard work.
Stepping off on the fifteenth floor, my mind wandered off the topic of the case at hand. Visiting Cooper in a hotel room brought a whole slew of non–business–related thoughts to mind. In those daydreams, he wasn’t mad at me. Maybe it wouldn’t be too hard to get him to forget about that.
I turned the corner in the hallway and remembered last time I walked up to his room to see him outside his door, leaning against the door jamb, talking to a beautiful brunette. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be the case this time.
It wasn’t so far. I knocked on his door.
“I’m glad you stopped by, King,” Cooper said warmly using my hated nickname, leaning in to give me a hug.
Me too , I thought, drinking in his scent and loving the way his warm body felt on mine.
He had ditched the jacket he’d had on at The Pink Pony and loosened his tie, as if he’d meant to take it off and then forgot. He had on charcoal gray dress pants, which fit in all the right places, and a blue and gray pinstripe dress shirt. He should have taken his socks off, too, since they were burgundy. He must have been in a hurry that morning when getting ready. I could overlook the mismatched socks because he looked good enough to eat, making me wish I had gone to my room to change before coming here. “I didn’t think I had much choice.”
“I can understand your reasoning for working there, Pres, but I still don’t like it.”
“Just get over it, Coop. Like I said, Sweetie looks out for me. No one’s going to mess with me. Plus, it’s been kind of fun. The other girls are great.”
“Just Sweetie,” Cooper said under his breath.
“Oh stop,” I pretended to be annoyed, but inside was excited that Cooper seemed to be just a tiny bit jealous.
“Besides, you need to know the truth about Sweetie.”
“What do you mean the truth?”
“He’s not just some average Joe. Or in this case average bartender.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s an ATF agent.”
“WHAT!”
“You know, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms.”
“I know that.”
“I had him checked out. There seemed to be something that wasn’t quite right about him.”
“What do you mean you had him checked out?”
“I had a weird feeling about him tonight and had one of my guys do a background check.”
“Cooper!”
“Well, I wanted to know who you were spending time with. Besides, I knew he worked at The Pink Pony and thought maybe it might help find Ashley.”
I wanted to be annoyed, but this was Cooper. It was what he did; he couldn’t help it. I was a little flattered that he was so concerned and was trying to help.
“So, why would an ATF agent be working at a strip club?” I asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure he’s not moonlighting. They pay their field guys well enough. There has to be a reason he is undercover.”
“He must know more about Ashley’s disappearance than he’s letting on. Do you think that’s why he’s there?”
“Ashley didn’t disappear until long after he started working there, so it’s not directly related. But the reason she’s disappeared, and the reason he is there could possibly be connected. There’s no way to know without asking.”
“Then we can ask him.”
“He may not tell us.”
“He likes me, so maybe he will,” I said defiantly.
“I’m sure he does like you, but he’s a professional, and he won’t just give up information that he is gathering for his own purposes. It’s his job.”
I yawned. “So when should we ask him?”
“Tomorrow. After you get some sleep.”
Cooper was right. I needed some sleep. I was dead on my feet. Some vacation this was turning out to be. I was working harder than I did at home.
Chapter 16
C’mon Jesse,” I said. “Come with us.” Jared and I were trying to get him to go to The Pink Pony with us for a few cocktails, but really to talk to Sweetie and Michelle.
“You know what, Jesse?” Cooper said. “They’re right. Let’s go. I want to talk to Sweetie, anyway.”
“Cooper…”
“What?” Cooper said innocently. “I just need to ask him a few questions, professional
to professional.”
“As long as you keep it that way. He’s a nice guy.”
“I’m sure.”
We all walked in, and the place was hopping with all the businessmen stopping in after work to unwind before heading home. Even after working there a few hours, I had a hard time realizing that this was such a norm for some people. A lot of these guys weren’t pervs, as I would have first imagined. Now, I didn’t agree with the married ones being there, but that wasn’t my business.
“Hi, Michelle.” I waved as she walked through the room, presumably to get to the back. She didn’t look too thrilled to see me and waved unenthusiastically.
“What’s her problem?” Cooper asked.
“That’s Michelle. She happens to be Sweetie’s sister. Or at least that’s what he told me. Supposedly, she was Ashley’s best friend here, but she hasn’t warmed up to us much. I think she knows something she’s not telling. But she pulls a disappearing act whenever I’m around.”
“Interesting,” Cooper said. “Listen, you guys go ahead and sit down. I’ll be right there. I need to make a stop at the bar first.”
“Be nice, Coop,” I warned.
“I’m always nice.”
Jared, Jesse, Anna, and I went and sat down, and Pricilla came over and took our drink order.
“I need to get Michelle to talk to us, but how?” I said. “You’d think she would want to help us.”
“Maybe you’re right and she’s hiding something,” Jared said.
Cooper returned to the table. “You’re right. That Sweetie fellow isn’t a bad guy.”
“I told you. So, what did you two talk about?”
“Well, obviously this isn’t the best place to have a private conversation, but he knows I know what I know. He didn’t seem too bothered by it and said for us to meet him in a few hours at this bar down the street: The Brass Ring.”
“That’s a biker bar,” Jesse said.
“Makes sense then,” Cooper said.
“Why does it make sense?” I asked confused.
“Because, the folks who hang out at biker bars are people who keep to themselves and mind their own business.”
“Meaning they don’t blab,” Jared said.
“Exactly,” Cooper said.
“I need to talk to Michelle, then.”
“No, let’s wait. I have a feeling we should talk to Sweetie first.”
“Where is he? This place isn’t exactly warm and friendly,” I said, as we sat in The Brass Ring waiting for Sweetie. He was ten minutes late, and I was glad I was with the guys. It was a rough crowd.
“I’m not so sure they’re used to people like you here either, but don’t bother them and they won’t bother you,” Cooper said.
“You make it sound as if they’re wild animals.”
“That’s probably not that far off, Pres,” said Jared.
“Nah, these guys are a little rough around the edges maybe, but their harmless unless you mess with one of them, which we most certainly won’t,” said Jesse.
“There he is,” I said, noticing Sweetie walking through the door. Now he looked like he belonged. He waved at a few guys when he came in.
“Sorry I’m late. Had to have a talk with a customer. Made sure he understood the rules if he wanted to come back.”
“So, why did you lie to me?” I asked Sweetie as he sat down.
“I didn’t lie. I just didn’t tell the whole truth. Besides, it’s not like you asked me what other jobs I currently had besides bartending.” Sweetie smiled.
“Don’t split hairs with me. You knew exactly what I was looking for when we went to dinner, and yet you led me to believe you didn’t know where Ashley was.”
“That’s because I don’t,” Sweetie said rubbing his hands over his shaved head in an exasperated fashion. “Trust me, I wish I did.”
“Pres, give him a second to fill us in. He’s here, so he must be willing to tell us something,” Jesse said.
“Yes, please do fill us in. I, for one, would like to know what an ATF agent is doing undercover.”
“I trust you guys to keep this quiet. I can’t afford to have my cover blown. But with the field he’s in”—Sweetie jerked his head in Cooper’s direction—“I feel like I can let you in on what’s going down. Yeah, I had you checked out, too,” Sweetie said in response to Cooper’s body language. “For the same reasons you got the lowdown on me.”
“I would expect nothing less of a man of your caliber,” Cooper said.
“I was assigned undercover duty at The Pink Pony to get some solid evidence on the Benigni family. They are into fixing games, racketeering, loan sharking, illegal guns, you name it. If it has to do with money, they have their fingers in it, or at least they’re attempting to. Ashley was my contact.”
“What?” Jesse almost shouted, his stunned surprised obvious. “She’s a schoolteacher. What do you mean she was your contact?” He sat back dejected. All the energy seemed to drain from him. I could just imagine what was going through my brother’s mind. He had to be wondering if there was anything he really knew about Ashley, the girl he loved, the girl he told me he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.
“Jesse, I’m sure Ashley had good reason for all of this,” I said. I felt so bad for my brother. For the first time he had fallen for someone. It was hard enough to think maybe she was the one, without having to learn she wasn’t turning out to be who he thought.
“She did actually,” Sweetie said. “You were right about one thing: Ashley started working at The Pink Pony to pay off her student loans. However, a little over a year ago there was a drug bust here. Ashley was arrested with the rest of the girls, and for some reason they decided to use her good–girl–nature–at–heart against her. She was mortified that she had been arrested, and the detectives could see that. They thought her trustworthy and civic minded enough to convince her to help them. She’s a sweet girl, so of course she said yes. If it weren’t for that, she would have quit here a long time ago. She doesn’t need the money anymore. Or at least she doesn’t care enough about money to keep being a showgirl, but she didn’t want to quit until the police had what they needed.”
“See, Jesse,” I said, “she may not be what you thought, but she had good reason.”
“I know, Pres. This is just so hard to take in.”
“So, what happened to her, Sweetie?” I asked.
“I think that Benigni guys have her.”
“Really?” Cooper asked.
“Yeah. She was getting a little too close to the action, and I wasn’t comfortable and told her so, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“Now that sounds like the Ashley I know,” Jess said.
Sweetie smiled. “Then you know it would have been futile to get her to stop. I told her she was going too far, but she felt she was close to getting the information she needed to give to the cops and get herself out of the whole mess. She really wanted nothing but a normal quiet life.”
“Do you know what it was she was close to?” Cooper asked.
“Yeah. She told me she knew of a shipment of drugs and guns coming in from South America. She had been flirting with one of Benigni’s top guys—sorry Jesse—and he was starting to be a little careless in what he said around her. Benigni wasn’t too happy with him. My guess is he let too much slip, and they took her to hide her away until after the shipment.”
“She said something to Jesse when she called about making sure he fed her cat,” I said. “She doesn’t have a cat. Do you know what she could have meant?”
“Hmmm, no. I…” Sweetie stopped in mid–sentence and glanced to his right. He looked at Cooper, who looked back with one of those special looks. The kind guys in covert operations used, where intricate instructions were conveyed without any words passing lips. Whatever Sweetie was trying to say, Cooper got it loud and clear.
“Okay, well thanks. We’ll be sure to check it out. Sounds just like the touristy type thing we are looking for,” Cooper said, stand
ing up and tugging on my arm. Jared and Jesse took the hint and got up as well. We were moving toward the door, when I noticed a couple guys who must have just walked in. I didn’t recognize them, but Sweetie must have, and he clearly wanted us to leave. I heard Sweetie order a drink, so it seemed he was planning on staying.
What the hell was going on? Cooper walked briskly toward his rental car and clicked the remote entry once we got close enough. We all got in the car, and Cooper drove off, not saying anything for a few seconds.
Finally I couldn’t take it anymore. “What was that all about?”
“I’m not exactly sure, but I recognized those guys as some heavies who work for Garrison. I’m assuming Sweetie knows that, too. Why he wanted us out of there because of them, I’m not sure, but I have a few guesses.”
“Wait a minute. Garrison’s in jail. How can they work for him?”
“Don’t be naïve, Presley,” Jared said, leaning over the back of the seat. “Running an illegal business isn’t hard from jail. Neither is a legal one. I mean look at Martha Stewart.”
“Jared is right. Garrison hasn’t let jail slow him down. It’s been an issue Simon has been dealing with.”
“So if these guys have Ashley, how are we going to get her back?” Jesse asked.
“We have to first figure out if they have her for sure and where they are keeping her,” I said. This still wasn’t any easier than it was when it first started. “We need to be careful. If Benigni’s guys do indeed have her, we don’t want to tip them off that we’ve figured it out. It might make it more difficult to find her.”
Chapter 17
Wake up, Pres. C’mon, get up,” Cooper said, shaking me awake.
“What? Geezz, it’s barely light out.” I squinted, eyes too tired to open all the way. “What’s the urgency? Did you hear from Ashley?” Remembering the situation, I sat straight up in bed, all of a sudden awake. “How the hell did you get into my hotel room?”
“My guys were finally able to get a handle on where the signal from the cell phone she used to call Jesse came from. It has been very intermittent, therefore hard to triangulate, but we finally got a location. I want to go check it out.” He completely ignored my question about now he got into my room. I guess he had his ways.
