Lost in Las Vegas

by Kristen Painter

  “It’s the only way,” my father said. “His show runs at the same time ours does. So he would have been on stage when Lila disappeared.”

  “Okay, good point,” I said. “Of course, he’d have to really trust whoever he hired. This is the kind of thing that could get him blackmailed for the rest of his life.”

  Jayne rubbed her hands together. “He’s still our strongest lead right now. Let’s get Birdie working on locations. Meanwhile, Anson, think hard about who else might do something this stupid. And you should probably go home. On the off chance we’re wrong and this wasn’t Tortellini, there could be a ransom note or call coming your way.”

  My dad nodded. “I hate not doing anything, but you’re right. I should be home. Just in case.”

  I looked at Jayne, already knowing she had a plan. “And us?”

  “We’re going to see what we can see at Tortellini’s house or condo or wherever he lives. Can’t hurt.”

  Oh, it could hurt. But Jayne always had a way of getting out of the toughest situations, so I wasn’t worried. Besides, all my worry was already focused on my mom.

  Jack cleared his throat. “You should take me with you.”

  I looked at him. “You don’t want to help Birdie?”

  “She doesn’t need my help on the computer. And I can turn into a raven. It’s amazing what you can see from an aerial view.”

  My dad, still looking very grim, sighed. “I know where Tortellini lives. An aerial view could help.”

  In less than an hour, we had Birdie set up at my parents’ house with her laptop, which thankfully she’d brought. My dad was making her something to eat. I wasn’t sure if she was really hungry or not, but it gave him something to do besides pace the floor and worry, so I was grateful. Of course, knowing Birdie, she probably was hungry. She and Jayne shared very similar appetites.

  Jack, Jayne, and I left in my parents’ SUV and headed to Tortellini’s. He lived in a fancy gated community not far from my parents. I wasn’t sure if that was coincidence or another instance of him wanting to emulate my father’s success, but at least we didn’t have a long drive.

  Thanks to Birdie’s quick digging, we had a gate code to get in, too. We also had the cover of night on our side. Even so, we’d changed into dark clothing. Not full-on cat burglar, but dark enough that none of us would be super obvious. Jayne’s sparkly sequined top and heels weren’t snooping-friendly anyway.

  I parked at the neighborhood pavilion next to the community playground. Parking on the street at this hour in this neighborhood could very easily get the cops called on us, but there were a few other cars there so I hoped we’d blend in.

  Besides, there was already a car parked in front of Tony’s. If we were lucky, it was whoever he’d hired to kidnap my mom coming to report on how things had gone.

  “Let’s hustle,” I said. “If his hired help is there, I don’t want to miss anything. In fact, if that’s who that car out front belongs to, we need to follow it when it leaves. Could take us straight to my mom.”

  “Good thinking. Let’s all make sure our phones are on silent,” Jayne said. “We don’t need someone’s ringtone giving us away.”

  Jack shook his head. “I’m not bringing mine. Gonna leave it in the car, if that’s all right.”

  “Sure,” I said. “I’m locking it up.”

  With that, we all got out. I’d looked at the GPS long enough to know where we were going, so I led the group. It was the stucco monstrosity just up ahead and around the block. Tortellini’s house wasn’t as big as my parents’, nor did he have as much land, but he’d done his best to make it as ostentatious as possible.

  I pulled my phone out and snapped a photo of the license plate of the car out front, just in case.

  Tony’s house might have been the biggest in the neighborhood. It was certainly the best lit, which didn’t help us out except that it allowed us to see the property a little better. We just had to be careful to stay in the shadows.

  There was no fence except on the rear property line, where the house backed up to a golf course. Thankfully, the course wasn’t lit, so that part was darker and provided more cover. There was also a stone path through the side yard, dividing the house from the thick trees and shrubbery that surrounded the property, but taking that path seemed like too big of a risk. We took a quick look around, then slipped into the greenery to maintain our cover.

  Jayne immediately started spitting and waving her hands.

  I kept my voice down, but I was instantly concerned. “What’s wrong?”

  “Spiderweb,” she whispered with a grimace. “I’m fine.” She wiped at her face one more time.

  “Listen,” Jack said. “This is a perfect place for me to shift. I can do my own recon around the house while you two do yours here. If I find anything, I’ll come right back and let you know.”

  I shook my head. “No, if it’s something good, stay and get all the info you can. Chances are, we’ll miss something if you leave.”

  “All right. Just don’t split without me.”

  “Not intentionally. But if something happens…”

  Jack smiled. “It’s not that big of a deal. I can fly back to your parents’. That house is probably visible from space, so I don’t think I’ll have any trouble finding it.”

  I gave him a thumbs-up. “Good.”

  “All right. Let’s see what I can see.” The air wavered, and a moment later, a large black bird flew up from where Jack had been standing. The bird perched on a nearby branch, gave us a nod, then took off.

  As he left, Jayne grabbed my arm and leaned in. “Do you hear voices?”

  I listened. “Someone’s talking close by. But it could be the neighbors. Maybe we can get closer and figure it out.”

  Together we made our way through the trees and brush along the side of the house until we came to the backyard and the pool. The underwater lights were on, giving the pool an aqua glow that illuminated everything around it. Two people stood near the sliding doors, which were wide open, allowing a glimpse into the house.

  The man was Tony Tortellini, and he was actually just inside the house. The woman standing a few feet closer to the pool looked like his assistant Carrie Caruthers, but it was hard to tell. I was used to seeing her in full stage makeup and a spangled costume, although the skimpy two-piece rhinestone-embellished bathing suit she had on wasn’t that much different than what she wore on stage.

  Although her lower back tattoo wasn’t visible in her stage outfit.

  “I think that’s his assistant,” I told Jayne. “Not completely sure.”

  They looked to be in a heated conversation, so we listened.

  Carrie seemed to be pleading with him. She shook her head, making her blond curls quiver. “You said we’d talk. You said after the show.”

  “That was yesterday. And that’s not exactly what I said. Listen, I’m really tired.” Tony was frowning, hands on his hips.

  “Yesterday, today, what does it matter? A date is a date, right?” She wiggled her hips a little, obviously trying to entice him.

  It didn’t work.

  “It matters because—look, you shouldn’t be here, Carrie,” Tony said. That confirmed my guess. He looked irritated. “The neighbors will talk.”

  “Tony, I’m your assistant.”

  Jayne poked me, nodding that I’d been right.

  Carrie continued. “They’re not going to talk. There’s nothing odd about us hanging out.” She put her hands on her hips. “Besides, I have a surprise for you.”

  “There’s something very odd about it when my wife is out of town and you’re here in a bikini.” He raked a hand through his hair. “Carrie, what we had was amazing and you’re a sweet kid, but it’s over. I’m trying to make things right between Gabrielle and me. That’s why, when you asked about coming over earlier, I said we’d talk about it later. I didn’t mean here at my house.”

  Jack, in his raven form, landed on the roof.

  Carrie looked on
the verge of tears. “Why now? Why all of a sudden? What’s changed?”

  “Because…she’s pregnant. I can’t leave with a kid on the way. That changes things. You have to understand that.”

  “I don’t have to understand anything except that you’re a jerk.”

  “Hey,” he snapped. “I’m still your boss. Unless you want to find another magic show to hire you without a reference. Don’t forget I took a chance on you.”

  “Don’t be like that, Tony. You know I love you. You used to love me too.”

  That seemed to placate him a little. “I’m sorry, kid. It can’t be like that anymore, and that’s all there is to it.”

  She sniffed, grabbed up a filmy pile of chiffon that I took to be a swimsuit cover-up and stomped off toward us.

  We ducked. I hoped we couldn’t be seen from the path that went around the house.

  But Carrie trudged on by, obviously too upset to be aware of anything beyond her own broken heart. I felt for her. She clearly had been made to think their relationship was going to be more than…this. And while I’d never liked Tony, I liked him even less now.

  Knowing he was a cheater made me think he could very well be behind my mom’s disappearance.

  “We should go,” I whispered to Jayne.

  “Wait,” she said, pointing toward the house.

  Tony had come out of the house and had his phone up to his ear. He seemed to be looking around to make sure Carrie had left. “What’s up, Lou?”

  “Lou Scholtz,” I said to Jayne. “That’s his manager.”

  Tony took a few more steps, stopping near the tiki bar by the far side of the pool. “No, I hadn’t heard. Really? Missing? Come on, you’re sure? They could be starting that rumor for publicity. Think about it. A magician claiming his wife has disappeared? I mean, that’s awfully on the nose, isn’t it?”

  “They’re talking about my mom.”

  “I know.” Jayne put her hand on my arm.

  Tony shook his head. “Look, if it’s true, then I feel for the guy. If it’s for publicity, he’s a jerk.” He nodded. “Yeah, okay. Talk to you tomorrow.”

  Raven Jack took flight, headed for the street.

  There was so much I wanted to talk about, but this wasn’t the place.

  As if sensing that, Jayne tugged on my arm. “Let’s go. Come on.”

  The muscles in my jaw tightened as I fought my frustration. I nodded, unable to say anything. She led us back.

  I followed in that kind of mindless way where my body did what my brain couldn’t. I was too wound up with everything I’d heard. I felt like a pot about to boil over.

  And Tony Tortellini was going to get scalded.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Jayne

  Sin was mad. And with good reason. For one thing, how did Tony’s manager know about Lila being missing? For another, if Tony was a cheater, was it that much more of a leap to become a kidnapper?

  Jack, already returned in his human form, waited for us near one of the big trees at the front of Tony’s property. It was a lovely, if somewhat over-the-top, house. The whole neighborhood was nice. Nothing like where Sin’s parents lived, but that was basically a self-contained resort.

  We all exchanged some looks, but no one said a word until we were safely back in the SUV.

  Then Sin unloaded. “How does Lou know my mom is gone? There wasn’t supposed to be anyone left in the theater, but someone must have overheard. Which begs the question, which one of my parents’ stagehands is reporting to Tony’s team? Or did one of the stagehands just tell someone and they told Lou? However it happened, I don’t like it.”

  “Who’s Lou?” Jack asked.

  “Tony’s manager,” I supplied. “Lou Scholtz.”

  “Do the stagehands have to clock out when they leave?” Jack asked. “Or maybe there’s another way to find out when they left. Parking garage stamp?”

  Sin shook his head. “I don’t know if they clock out or not. I’ll have to ask my dad. The parking garage isn’t a bad idea, but a lot of them don’t park in the garage. And some take public transportation.”

  “Maybe Birdie can tap into the hotel’s security cams,” I suggested.

  Sin snorted. “I know Birdie’s good, but casino security is next-level stuff. However, my dad might be able to call in a few favors and get the video we need.”

  He was starting to feel better. I could see it. “Hey, what about video in the lobby? They must have that, right?”

  Sin shook his head. “I don’t know. Something else to ask my dad about.”

  I looked back at Jack. “Have you heard anything from Birdie? Maybe she’s found something out.”

  Jack pulled his phone from the seatback pocket where he’d stored it earlier and brought the screen to life. After a moment, he shook his head. “Nothing new.”

  He shut the screen down. “I guess it doesn’t matter as much now. Doesn’t seem like Tony had anything to do with it. He sounded genuinely surprised to hear the news, and he didn’t know we were listening, so he had no reason to pretend. Unless you think he’d lie to his manager.”

  “No,” Sin said. “They’ve been together since the very beginning. I don’t think there’s much they don’t share.”

  I thought about that. “What about Carrie, the assistant?”

  “What about her?” Sin said. “You don’t honestly think she had anything to do with my mom’s disappearance, do you?”

  “I don’t know. She did tell Tony she had a surprise for him.”

  Jack laughed softly. “I think that surprise was a little more personal in nature.”

  Sin smirked. “I’m with Jack on this one.”

  I rolled my eyes. Such men. “I know what you’re saying, but I don’t think that’s what she was talking about at all. A woman like that, clearly in love and out of her depth, could definitely do something crazy. Especially if she thinks she needs to prove herself to Tony. Just saying I think she’s worth checking out.”

  “Well,” Sin said. “You’ll be happy to know I got her license plate number.”

  “Excellent. Let’s get it to Birdie and find out where Crazy Carrie lives. Tony wouldn’t risk keeping your mom at his house, but Carrie wouldn’t have his resources, so she might.”

  Sin glanced at me. “You really think so?”

  “You want to leave that stone unturned?”

  “Nope.” He took his phone out and handed it to me. “First picture in my gallery.”

  I found it and texted it to Birdie with a note requesting she find out who it was registered to. I sent a second text saying Tony might not be suspect number one anymore.

  Then I tucked Sin’s phone back in his pocket.

  “One other thing,” Jack said. “I did a quick fly through upstairs. Tony’s bedroom has a balcony that overlooks the golf course, and his sliders were open, so I figured, why miss an opportunity.”

  “Nice,” I said, eager to hear what he’d found. Must be something if he was bringing it up.

  “There was a contract on his bed. I only took the quickest look at it, but it seemed like it was to renew his gig at the Crystal Palace. It wasn’t signed yet, either. It still had those yellow sticky tabs on it indicating where the signatures should go.”

  “That’s interesting,” I said. “And it could be enough to give him motive if he thinks getting rid of your mom and dad would open up a spot for him.”

  Sin’s eyes narrowed, and his grip on the wheel tightened. “It could. But Jack’s right that he seemed genuinely surprised by the news about my mother. Which means we’re overlooking the most obvious person.”

  That got my attention. “Who? What did we miss?”

  “If something happened to my parents so they could no longer perform their show and the Oasis had to fill their spot, who benefits the most?”

  “Tony, right?”

  “Sure. But if he’s not involved, who else benefits? The same man who somehow knew about my mother’s disappearance even though we were the o
nly ones left in that theater. And even if we weren’t alone, whoever was there reported to him.”

  I glanced at Jack, and we said the same name at the same time. “Lou Scholtz.”

  I whipped my phone out and starting texting as fast as my fingers could go. I filled in Birdie on all the details, asking her to check out Lou Scholtz and find out everything she could. Maybe we were grasping at straws, but we had so little else to go on.

  By the time we got back to Sin’s parents’ house, Birdie was waiting for us.

  “Whose information do you want first?” She held up two pieces of paper. “Carrie’s or Lou’s?”

  I put my hand out. “We’ll take them both.”

  Anson stood nearby, looking as worried as he had when we’d left. Sin went over to talk to him and, I assumed, fill him in.

  Jack gave Birdie a wink. “Good job, honey.”

  “Just doing what I do,” she said.

  “Well, I want you to do more of it.” There was no reason to take Birdie off the case. If she could discover anything of use about Carrie or Lou, it could lead us to Lila. That was all that mattered.

  “I’m happy to help,” Birdie said. “Is there anything or anyone specific you want me to focus on?”

  “Just dig in,” I said. “Anything you find might be useful. I think Lou is more interesting than Carrie at this point, so start with him, but I’m happy to know anything about them you can find.”

  She nodded. “Between us, I still don’t like Tony. After all, any man who cheats on his wife…”

  “I know. And I agree. But he really sounded surprised. Jack can tell you.”

  “He did.” Jack looked at her. “What can I do to help, honey?”

  “Get me a mocha latte. With whip. And keep them coming.” She smiled at me. “All I need is my laptop and a steady supply of caffeine. Possibly some snacks. Pastries maybe. Or a little chocolate.”

  Caffeine and snacks were easy. I just hoped she could find something useful. I went over to where Sin was talking to his dad. “I have the addresses.”

  Sin nodded. “Dad, we should get going. If you hear anything, let us know.”

  “You’ll be the first one I call.” Anson took a deep breath. “Find her.”