Dazzled, page 15
part #5 of Charlie Cooper Mystery Series
He gave me a glare, paused what he was doing, but he turned the sound up just enough for us to hear.
The girl was speaking breathlessly into the microphone. “Police now tell us that the woman is twenty-seven-year old Emanuela Raken. As you first heard on Channel Twelve (your top source for news!), the body was found yesterday in an apartment near Downtown Las Vegas. Authorities, it seems, were familiar with the woman, who they suspect may have been involved in a series of diamond thefts that have plagued the city of Las Vegas and the nearby area.”
The screen split to show an anchor sitting behind a desk with a large number twelve on front. “Thank you, Casey, for your good work. Do we know how Raken died?”
“Few details have emerged, Don, about the circumstances that surround this death, but police revealed to me there was a gunshot to the stomach. According to police reports, the shooter felled the victim at close range. Things seem to be moving quickly, Don, in this investigation. Police also now tell Channel Twelve (your top source for news!) there has been one arrest in the diamond thefts that have left jewelers anxious. On the screen now, we are seeing a man named Dave DeMunn, who today was arrested and questioned by the LVPD. They have released this photo, which shows both DeMunn and Raken.”
They both were wearing hoodies, and the guy held up a beer. The close-up was super fuzzy, but I knew the girl. Once you see a person sprawled out dead on the floor, the image doesn’t leave you. I couldn’t tell for sure, but the guy could have been one of the two men we saw in the apartment. I hadn’t looked too closely; I was too busy running to save my life.
“Will there be more arrests?” the anchor boomed, echoing my thoughts.
“Police do suspect that DeMunn and Raken did not act alone. They are searching for a man they’ve identified as Gabriel Horton, and today police are asking for the public’s help.”
Another photo flashed across the screen along with a phone number. “If you see this man, police are asking that you please call the number on the screen.”
Oh, I had seen that man, and I would see that man again tomorrow afternoon at two at the Golden Wheel. I could tell the cops exactly how to make that next arrest go down.
“Now we know for sure he’s going to skip town as soon as he has his stuff,” Marge whispered. She and Celeste locked eyes and exchanged worried looks.
“I know we didn’t want to do this,” I said to the others, “but we have to tell the cops what we know. Otherwise, he’s out of here, and if he steals again or…murder maybe, whatever he does next, those crimes will be on us.”
“Charlie’s right,” Marge said.
“Yeah.” Celeste stared into her drink. “Our job is to uphold the law. We don’t have a choice.” She sighed. “We might as well go do it now.”
First, I headed to the restroom. Despite the lateness of the hour, there were crowds of people in the lobby. They were moving in and out of shops, pulling suitcases toward the doors, standing around in groups, and taking photos. I guessed Vegas never slept.
I was lost in thought, wondering how it all would go with the cops. If I could go back, I’d do things a different way. With my mind so full of questions, I hadn’t noticed a man crossing my path and me heading straight into an all-out collision.
I landed hard against his chest. Dang. Could this day get any worse?
“Oops, sorry there,” I said.
I couldn’t help but notice his strong and woodsy scent as a muscled arm reached out to keep me steady. On any other night, this little accident might be the start of something good—a fun way to spend my last night as a twenty-something.
Softly, the man chuckled. Very gently he reached to straighten out my glasses.
I looked up.
It was Alex.
Chapter Fifteen
Alex?
Was I dreaming again?
But it was him. It was Alex, a rolling bag in one hand and a sheepish grin that slowly spread across his face. I didn’t understand what exactly was happening.
“Hello, Charlie Cooper. I see you’re still a little clumsy. It’s a good thing you’re so cute. That’s always been your saving grace.”
What the heck was going on?
For some reason that I couldn’t grasp, it seemed that half of Springston had up and flown to Vegas.
All I could do was stare. Ever since my little meeting over bracelets with a likely killer, I’d been in a daze. Then the TV hit me with news of the arrest, and now…Alex? In the lobby?
Again, what?
“Wha…what…what are you doing here?” I asked, in no mood to be polite.
“You won’t pick up your phone, so I had to come to you,” he said. “You’re a hard girl to catch.”
I could not imagine what could possibly be up to bring him all the way to Vegas. “Has all hell and mayhem broken out at home?” I asked. “Did you come here to tell me I had to rush back to Massachusetts to help you nab some crooks?”
Speaking of crooks and mayhem, I really had to run. I still had business to take care of.
He hadn’t stopped watching me with a big grin plastered on his face. “I stopped by your house to see you,” he explained, “and your mom and dad told me you were here.”
Of course, they did. My mom probably bought his ticket and suggested “darling wedding venues” in the heart of Vegas. They could at least have clued me in and warned me he was coming.
“No, all is well at home,” he said, “but I can’t be in Springston on your birthday while you’re in Las Vegas.” He led me toward the wall, out of the line of traffic. He peered into my face. “You don’t look older, yet.” He gently touched my nose and ran his finger toward my cheek. “Whoops, I spoke too soon. I believe I see a wrinkle.”
NOW he wants to see me—in the middle of a crisis. I was not the kind of girl he could just ignore and then come poking at my nose when he got good and ready. I moved away from him and frowned.
“You know, I’ve barely seen you for the past couple of weeks,” I said. “At least I now know you’re still alive.”
He held up both hands. “Guilty as charged,” he said, and gazed down at the floor. “I’m sorry, Charlie. For most of this past month, I’ve been on a stakeout. It was a complicated case—no time for any fun, but I know I should at least have called.”
“So it was your job, huh?” I asked and crossed my arms.
“Isn’t it always?”
I sighed. I didn’t have time to get into an argument here. I had bigger problems to solve and the fact that Alex was now here, didn’t help one little bit.
“Let me duck into the bathroom, then we’ll find the others,” I said, smiling at him wryly. Somewhere deep inside of me, it felt good he came all the way out here to see me.
Celeste let out a gasp when we walked into the bar, and Marge clasped her hands in glee.
“Look who I found,” I said. “I guess it must be true what they say about this place: nothing should surprise you when you come to Vegas.” I sat back down in my chair.
Alex found a fourth chair and pulled it very close to mine.
Marge grinned at me and winked. “What brings you to Vegas?” she asked Alex.
“I hear there’s a birthday that needs celebrating,” he explained.
“You got that right,” Celeste said. “Are you staying at the Kaleidos too?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a room on the second floor. Barbara filled me in on where you girls would be, so I thought I’d show up and surprise you for Charlie’s big three-O.” He flagged a waiter and ordered a Moscow Mule. “What have you girls been up to?” He leaned back in his chair. “Staying out of trouble?”
I watched Marge turn white.
Sweet pickles on a stick. If he only knew…
Quickly Marge recovered and told him we’d toured the strip. She described the dancing fountain, the meeting with my folks, the bus rides.
“Sounds like you’ve been busy,” Alex said as he took his drink from the waiter.
“You knew we would,” Marge said. “We crashed a bachelor party, and I went surfing in the pool.”
“That’s unfortunately true,” Celeste assured him when Alex looked confused. With a few hand gestures and some help from Marge, Celeste tried to describe Marge’s unexpected flight.
“The groomsmen were impressed,” Marge told him with a grin.
“I can imagine,” Alex said.
During all the mindless chatter, all I could think about was the monster in the room that we were leaving out of the conversation. I was way too tired of the whole thing to discuss buffets and light shows. My mind drifted to the unfinished job we still needed to take care of. The truth was that I had no idea what was coming next and it was unsettling.
Alex turned to me. “You’ve been awfully quiet. Is this crazy city treating you okay? Is Vegas fabulous?”
Vegas wasn’t fabulous. Vegas kind of sucked.
“Talk to me. What’s up?” he asked. “You’re looking kind of freaked out. I’ve seen that look before. I can smell another classic Charlie Cooper mess. Do we have a situation?”
We always seemed to land here: me in major trouble, Alex right there to witness it all.
I was way too smart to keep landing in these messes, but for once I didn’t care about what Alex thought. We needed help, and we needed it badly. I looked at Marge and Celeste. There was a long pause as nobody spoke. The girls knew what my look meant: I can’t hold it in any longer and I can’t talk about being a tourist in Vegas right now. They nodded their okay.
I glanced down at my glass. Why did I have an empty glass?
“Alex,” I began, “we have to tell you something.”
***
I woke up the next day to an odd sound somewhere in the room. Half asleep and groggy, I was slow to figure out that it was Marge’s high-pitched squeak.
“Good morning, birthday girl,” she said loudly. “Happy, happy birthday!”
I sat up, and a sharp pain seemed to hammer into my right temple. I thought back on the night before; I might have had one drink too much.
Marge flung her ample body across the end of the bed, which made my head explode.
“Rise and shine!” she said. “It’s almost eight. We need to take care of some business, then we can celebrate.”
I forced myself into the shower. The warm water soothed my head a little, but the ache didn’t go away; neither did the sense of dread.
My phone pinged as I reached into the top drawer to pull out my pink t-shirt. The message was from Alex: Downstairs in the lobby.
“Alex says he’s there,” I said as I pulled on my blue jean shorts. I ran my fingers through my hair to loosen up the tangles.
“Let’s do this thing,” Marge said. “I’ll let Celeste know we’re ready.”
***
Several hours later, we were raising glasses for a birthday toast. I looked around the table at my parents, Marge, Celeste, and Alex. Yes, my mother had asked Alex to the birthday brunch…because of course she had. Everyone was smiling.
“May this new year bring much joy to my little girl!” my mother said.
“This fine occasion, I believe, calls for a knock-knock joke,” my father boomed.
My mother softly touched his arm. “I don’t think so, Jack.”
“May all your dreams come true,” Marge said. She cut her eyes toward Alex then turned back to me and winked.
I knew he probably saw (Marge was bad at subtle), but I let it go. I had bigger worries.
“May this be a fine year,” my father said.
And may I please live through it.
“Thank you all so much,” I said. “I’m so glad you’re all here.” Surprisingly, I was.
“Hello, hello!” a chorus of overlapping voices joined in the conversation.
I looked up to see our friends from the bus. Man, these women were everywhere.
Marge made the introductions. “These are Charlie’s parents, and this is our friend Alex. Today is Charlie’s birthday, and not just any birthday. Today’s the big three-O.”
“That is so great,” one of the women said. “Honey, you’re still young.”
Another touched my mother’s shoulder. “We have so enjoyed getting to know your daughter on the different bus tours.”
“A tour group? That’s so nice.” My mom took another sip of her mimosa.
The ladies wished me a happy birthday.
I could only smile and nod as my mouth was full; I had just taken a huge bite of my goat cheese frittata.
Celeste grabbed her phone, and I could see she typed a message to Nayeem.
The plan is still a go. Meet at the north entrance as discussed.
That was the hotel’s Uber spot.
The thought of the upcoming expedition made my right temple ache again. I stuffed some bacon in my mouth. For a little while, I enjoyed my birthday, with the diamonds and the lowlifes no longer at the forefront of my mind.
A waitress appeared beside me with a cupcake that had a candle in the middle.
“Did I hear there’s a birthday girl?” she asked as she slid the plate in front of me. When she lit the candle, Marge sang “Happy Birthday” and everyone joined in. My father sang the loudest and the most off key. People turned to stare when they heard Celeste. That girl could really sing.
“Win big on your birthday!” an older man called out from a nearby table once the song was done. Our section of the restaurant was filled with applause.
Alex gently squeezed my knee. “You’re the star here,” he said.
I saw a tenderness in the way he smiled that made me wish so badly we could make things work between us.
“German chocolate,” Marge said, staring at the little cake. “That looks good.”
I cut her a bite. “You can have some too,” I said. “You look like you’re almost ready to dive into the frosting.”
Alex glanced down at his phone. He’d been discreetly sending texts all throughout the meal.
“This is just the start of your birthday celebration,” my mother said to me with a twinkle in her eye.
“Oh, yes,” my father said. “We’ve got a big day ahead of us.”
Well, unfortunately, someone else had some plans for me—and they weren’t as festive.
Marge exchanged a look with Celeste.
Celeste smiled at my mother. “She’s popular, our Charlie. If it’s okay with you, we’d like to whisk her off for a while this afternoon.”
“Then we’ll bring her back and we can celebrate tonight,” Marge said.
“Oh,” my mother said. “We could tag along with you and join in on the fun.” She grabbed my father’s hand. “We can’t wait to see what kind of trouble you young people will get us into here in Vegas.”
My father put his arm around her and let out a booming laugh. “It’s too bad that Barbara mostly travels with an old man like me. It’s good for her to have young people to hang out with now and then.”
First rule of police work: Never take your mother with you to hand off stolen jewels.
My friends jumped in to fix things.
“I’m so sorry!”
“You see…it’s just that…well…”
“We have tickets.”
“Tickets to a show.”
“A sold-out show.”
“With no more seats.”
“It sold out the very second we bought the tickets.”
“That must be some show,” my mother said, disappointed. “But you should absolutely see a show while you’re here in Vegas. We once saw Celine Dion. Do you remember, Jack? She was spectacular.”
I kissed her on the cheek as we all stood to go. “I can’t wait to see you guys tonight,” I told her. “Thank you so much for such a nice surprise.”
“You girls work so hard,” she said. “Go out and have a blast; you deserve it—absolutely. Your dad and I will go out and have our own adventure, because here we are in Vegas, the greatest playground in the world.”
“First up is a nap.” My father yawned.
“No time for that,” my mother said. “I want to see that fountain, and also Caesar’s Palace.”
My father smiled and shrugged. “The boss has nixed my nap,” he said.
Luckily, they won’t be at the Kaleidos when the Horton guy shows up.
My mom reached out to smooth my hair. “You take care, my darling. I’ll see you tonight,” she said.
I wondered: would she really? A lot of terrifying stuff could go down in the next few hours.
I gave my parents the address for Fountain Square, then Alex, Marge, and I went with Celeste to her room to get the diamonds from the safe.
Marge took a deep breath and glanced around at each of us. “Okay kids, it’s showtime.”
Chapter Sixteen
I watched the colors dance across the Golden Wheel, which sat squarely in the middle of a line of slot machines. It was a little bit past two, and we’d been there for a while. Punctuality, I figured, could save a life—if there was a creepy killer in the mix who wanted his stuff back.
My heart was hammering in my chest. I wanted to get this over with and hopefully we’d all still be alive to enjoy my birthday and Las Vegas.
Marge gave the slot machine a go, because…because why not? “Fingers crossed, you guys,” she said. “If anyone is due for luck, it’s definitely us.”
“Understatement of the year,” I said. Plus, a little gambling action would help us blend in with the crowd.
“Wouldn’t it be funny if you hit it big right now?” Celeste took a long drag on her cigarette. I’d lost count of how many cigarettes the girl had smoked since breakfast. She was in luck that you could smoke in the casino areas.
“Come on, Golden Wheel,” Marge said. “Do it for the birthday girl.”
A waitress came with drinks—champagne all around.
“It’s your birthday,” Marge explained, “so I told her to bring it. Plus, I think we all need a drink right now.” She took a glass and gave me a nervous smile.
“I think we say the phrase ‘I need a drink right now’ too often here in Vegas,” I said.
