Hot Shot, page 14
“I don’t think we missed anything, kid, for the simple reason there was nothing to miss. We’re a little further ahead than we were when we got here. We all feel Gentry Lomax is not what he seems and might possibly be racist in the bargain. Then we have Zack Meadows, who is Cosmo Cricket’s partner at Happy Village, who might or might not be involved somehow in Cricket’s shooting. We just have to sit down and figure out the why of it all.”
“We’re coming up to the turnoff for Happy Village. Lionel told me to turn off my lights, cut my speed to ten miles an hour, and park. He said the elderly don’t do a lot of sleeping at night and instead spend a lot of time looking out their windows. I assume he knows what he’s talking about, so we’re going to do what he said. Watch for the street and building signs.”
Dennis laughed when he heard Cyrus unbuckle his seat belt. “He knows where we are, so make a right turn and go one block. There it is, Lilac Lane! Coast around the back. I hope your guy wasn’t yanking your chain and is here to meet us.”
Lionel Lewis stepped out of the shadows the moment Jack turned off the engine. Jack opened the door and stepped out into the velvety, humid darkness. Cyrus inched closer to Jack’s leg but allowed Lionel to stroke his head.
“Anything happen since you called me?” Jack asked.
“Yes and no. As I explained earlier, we take turns patrolling at night, so some of us can catch a few hours’ sleep. Dom was watching Gentry Lomax’s place. The guy doesn’t believe in closing his blinds, so Dom could see him clearly. He was in for the night, watching wrestling. His lights went out at 1:37. Dom hung around for fifteen minutes to see if he’d make an appearance, but he didn’t.”
“If the driver of the Benz is Zack Meadows, then who is he here to see? I was under the impression he didn’t have much of a relationship with the tenants.”
“And that’s true. But it doesn’t mean he couldn’t meet someone here at one of the empty units. He has access to all the keys. Lights usually go out for the night around eleven, give or take a few minutes. Except for Miz Louise. She leaves her porch light on all night in the hopes her wayward son will come for a visit. He’s in jail, but she doesn’t know that. It’s the only light that’s on in the whole complex, discounting the sodium vapor lamps at the end of each street.”
Dennis strained to see in the darkness. “So then, what’s our game plan here? Or don’t we have one?”
Lionel shrugged. “My boys are on foot patrol. They check in every ten or fifteen minutes. So far, no one is out and about, so whomever Meadows is visiting, they’re indoors, probably sitting in the dark, hatching some devious plan. I’m assuming it’s Meadows. I could be wrong. Stay close, and I’ll lead the way to where the Benz is parked.”
“Let me make sure I have this right,” Jack said in a deep whisper. “We’re going to stake out the car and see who drives off in it, is that your thinking?”
“Yep. No sense running around like clueless chickens. We wait him or her out, as the case may be. At least we’ll know for sure if it’s Meadows.”
“And then what?” Dennis hissed.
“Then I don’t know. That’s up to you and your people. I’m just doing my job here to the best of my ability. You guys are the investigators. We’ll help in any way we can, but our help is limited to this immediate area.”
Jack looked down at his watch. “It’s after four now. Another hour and it will start getting light out. I’m thinking whoever is driving that car will want to be long gone before that.”
“I agree,” Lionel said. “What are you going to do if it turns out that it is Mr. Meadows?”
“You mean other than confronting him? No clue,” Jack said. “For now, we just tuck that little factoid away for the future. Dennis, you having any luck running that Kansas plate number?”
“Actually, it’s coming through right now. That plate was issued to one Ethel Farmington, and it belongs on a 2012 Ford Explorer. I’m googling Ethel right now. Ahhh, okay, here we go. Ethel has worked in the passport office for the past thirty-nine years. She is set to retire next month. She posted on Facebook that she was driving with three friends to Las Vegas for a preretirement party. If she stuck to her plan, she got here two days ago and is staying at the Luxor with her friends. According to her post, she will be here for an entire week.”
“Makes sense,” Lionel said. “She arrived, parked her vehicle, and takes either a taxi or an Uber to get around. You saw how clogged the roads are. It’s stop-and-go twenty-four seven, and usually more stop than go. She’d never know her plate was switched. The driver of the Benz will replace it shortly, and no one will ever be the wiser.”
Jack looked at Dennis, who nodded that he understood. “You want me to go to the Luxor and scout out the Ford Explorer, right? How am I gonna get there? I don’t see a bunch of taxis or Ubers lined up waiting for me.”
“Take the van. Lionel can give me a lift back once we make a clear ID on the driver of the Benz. Just be sure you’re in a good position to take a picture of the guy putting the plate back on the car. There will be light in the garage. I’ll do my best to take a shot of him getting into the car here, but I’m not hopeful it will satisfy Charles. He likes everything verified one hundred percent, so do your best. Go already!”
Dennis hit the ground running.
Cyrus suddenly bounded upright from where he’d been dozing at Jack’s feet. “He’s coming like now,” Jack said.
In the blink of an eye, Lionel ripped into his backpack and pulled out two sets of night-vision goggles. “You know what these are, right?”
“You betcha,” Jack said, slipping them on. The world immediately turned green, but the images were crystal clear. His hand dropped to the big shepherd’s head to calm him. “Easy, boy, easy.” Cyrus calmed immediately.
“Here he comes,” Lionel whispered.
Having met Zack Meadows only once, Jack wondered if he would be able to ID the man. Black hoodie, black pants, black shoes. The dark-clad figure turned to look around. Beard. Meadows did not have a beard. He blinked when he saw the hooded figure press the key fob to open the door at the same moment he reached up to rip off the beard on his face. Bingo! Jack held his phone out and snapped picture after picture, hoping at least one of them would be worth something in Charles’s eyes.
“It’s him. It’s really Mr. Meadows!” Lionel all but squealed.
“Sure is,” Jack whispered in return.
He quickly sent off a text to Dennis, telling him that they had confirmation the driver of the Benz was indeed Zack Meadows.
“Back, back,” Lionel said as he pulled at Jack’s arm. “His headlights will light you up like a Roman candle. Move, damn it!” Cyrus moved, then Jack simply dropped to the ground, as did Lionel. “We’re good,” Lionel said, packing up the two sets of night-vision goggles. “That was close for sure.”
“Too close,” Jack said, his nerves twanging all over the place.
“I have to check in with the guys. Ten more minutes and it will start getting light out. I can take you to town and be back here to write up my report just in time to end my shift. Does that work for you and Cyrus?”
“Sure. Take your time. What are the chances that one of your guys saw who Meadows was meeting?”
“Not good. They would have been in touch right away if that had happened. Whoever it was got away, so that has to mean he knows this complex, knows we patrol, and knows how to make a quick, quiet getaway. We can’t be everywhere. I wish I had more people, but I don’t, so we just do the best we can. Ten minutes and we can head to town.”
Jack sat on the ground, his back to a spindly young tree, and hugged his knees, Cyrus at his feet. His thoughts were flying in all directions as he tried to make sense of what had just happened. Who was the nameless, faceless person Zack Meadows met here at Happy Village? That fact alone had to mean that Gentry Lomax was in the clear where Cosmo Cricket was concerned. And yet . . . his gut was telling him that Lomax was not what he appeared to be. Maybe there were two factions working against Cosmo.
Charles and the others were going to want answers, and he didn’t have any to give them.
What the hell am I missing here?
Lionel was as good as his word. Exactly ten minutes later, he led Jack and Cyrus to his car. He grinned at the expression on Jack’s face. “If I told you what this baby could do on the open road, you would pass out cold. Everything under the hood is brand-new. Took me and the boys over a year to finish it. We left the outside looking as it does on purpose, so no one would steal it. So far, we’ve been lucky. Mr. Lomax, however, insists we hide it when we bring it here. Said the optics are not good as far as advertising the place goes. He does have a point, I guess. When we’re here, we can use the Jeep, and there are three golf carts. He doesn’t like that Mr. Cricket gave me a set of keys to all of them. I wish I could figure him out. By the way, where am I taking you, Mr. Emery?”
“To the underground garage at the Luxor. I sent Dennis a text to wait for me there. I appreciate the ride. You’re right about that engine. Purrs like the proverbial kitten.”
Jack leaned back and closed his eyes. He knew Lionel wanted to pick his brain, but even if he was willing to share, there was nothing worth picking inside his head. He felt as if he were surrounded by brick walls with no exit anywhere in sight. He hated these moments, because he felt he wasn’t doing something. What that something was, of course, he had no idea. That, by definition, is what makes it one of those moments.
Jack was jarred from his thoughts when Lionel said, “We’re here, Mr. Emery. I’m going to drop you off here on the side. Just walk to the left, go down the ramp, and scoot under the bar. Cyrus won’t have a problem. Call me if you need me to do something for you. Just remember, we don’t go on duty till seven o’clock. I probably shouldn’t tell you this, but since you’re one of the good guys, I will. Bessie Love checks in with me to let me know what’s going on. Usually, she texts me twice a day. Even if she has nothing to report, which is pretty much the case every day.”
“Okay, and thanks again for the ride. I’ll be in touch, Lionel. I’m going to make it my business to go out to the hospital at some point. I’ll send you a text on what the doctors tell me.”
“Thanks. Good luck.”
Jack and Cyrus watched the rickety, rusty car until it was out of sight. “I like that kid, Cyrus, I really do. He’s got his head on straight for sure. Let’s go see what Dennis has for us. When we get to the middle of this level, I want you to bark your head off so Dennis knows where we are, you got that?” Cyrus let out a soft woof to show he understood what he was to do. And he did it right on cue. The sound bounced off the cavernous walls, then bounced again. Jack thought his eardrums would rupture. Within seconds, Jack could hear Dennis shout, “I’m on three and coming down. Don’t move. Stay where I can see you.”
Jack winced when he heard tires squeal as Dennis put the pedal to the metal. When he slammed on his brakes and skidded to a stop, Cyrus let loose with a mind-blowing howl of outrage. The van’s doors slid open, and Cyrus hopped in, still indicating his displeasure with a low growl as Jack slid onto the passenger seat next to Dennis.
“I got pictures. The lighting on three is bad. Some of the lights were burned out or turned off, which I’m thinking Meadows did beforehand. The third floor is full, not a space to be found.”
“How did you find out where Ethel was parked?”
“Called the desk and asked. I told them I tapped her fender and wanted to leave a note with my insurance information. They were okay with that. She has a handicapped sticker, so she was assigned a spot closest to the elevator and service door. Which, by the way, is usually very well lit. Today, it was dark as Hades. My phone has a built-in something or other for extra lighting. Here’s the kicker, though, Jack. I don’t know if Meadows could see the flash. It didn’t look like he did, but you never know.
“The other thing is that he had that license plate off and back on within seconds, and he was out of there like a bat out of hell. He knew what he was doing, that’s for sure. We’re making good time here. This must be the time of day you can go out and actually arrive at your destination in a reasonable time. Let’s grab some breakfast in that café on the mezzanine level at Babylon. I’m starved. We can bring Cyrus, since you have all his service credentials,” Dennis babbled until he was out of breath.
“Sounds good to me. I’m sure Charles will make breakfast when we all show up at eight o’clock, but it will be nine before we eat, so yeah, let’s head to the café. I see a stack of buttermilk pancakes with my name on them. I don’t know why I’m so hungry,” Jack said.
“It’s the adrenaline rush we’ve been dealing with since three o’clock this morning. Even Cyrus seems antsy. A nice, leisurely breakfast is a good way to wind down,” Dennis said as he brought the van to a stop in front of the casino and turned it over to the valet.
“You go in and get us a table. I’ll walk Cyrus and meet up with you in a few minutes. I’ll wash up, then you can take your turn when I get in there.”
Jack looked left and right. “Okay, big guy, pick a direction and let’s have at it.” Cyrus dutifully sauntered off and returned in seven minutes.
Business taken care of, Jack sat down at a table and savored his first cup of coffee of the day. It was always the best. They gave their order and just stared at each other. Dennis spoke first.
“I know you must have some thoughts swirling about inside that head of yours, Jack, so let’s hear them. Tonight was definitely not a waste of time, but I have no idea what it all means other than that Zack Meadows is fully professional at lifting license plates and doing things he shouldn’t be doing at three in the morning. Do you think there’s a mole, a ringer, a plant of some kind, someone living in Happy Village who is tied to Meadows?”
“I’d say that’s a pretty good bet since nothing else makes sense. How would anyone know? He could have had whoever it is moved in years ago, months ago. In the business, we call them sleepers. They operate legitimately, have jobs, go about their business until they’re called upon to do something. It’s all about blending in so no one gets suspicious. If that’s the case, the next question is why? What’s the end game? What is it they’re aiming for? Was it to shoot Cosmo Cricket? That doesn’t even make sense, since no one knew he was going out to Happy Village that day.”
“I don’t think we’re going to know anything until Mr. Cricket is able to talk and make sense. For all we know, he might know nothing and was simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Ahhh, here comes our food.”
Jack blinked at the stack of a dozen fluffy pancakes with melted butter and warm syrup dripping down the sides and onto his plate. He sighed mightily as he wondered if he could possibly eat all of them. Then he eyed Cyrus’s plate—four scrambled eggs, one sausage patty, and four slices of bacon, extra crisp, along with two side dishes of carrots and apples. A metal water bowl with a few tinkling ice cubes was set on the floor by the waiter. Cyrus waited patiently, knowing his food had to cool before Jack would let him eat.
Jack eyed the food on Dennis’s plate. Waffles smothered with sliced chicken and gravy, applesauce, and skinny string beans on the side. “How can you eat that for breakfast, Dennis?”
“I grew up on it, that’s how. My grandpa said it would grow hair on my chest, and he was right. Soon as I started eating it, I got hair on my chest. Also, it is delicious. My question is, How in the hell can you eat a stack of pancakes that’s a foot high?”
Jack stuck his finger in the mound of scrambled eggs and decided they were cool enough for Cyrus. He set the plate on the floor and tucked into his pancakes. He ate them all. Cyrus licked his plate clean, and Dennis polished off his food in record time.
“Now all I want to do is go to sleep,” Jack grumbled. “I’m stuffed, and it’s all your fault, Dennis. This was your idea. We should have just gone with coffee and toast and waited for Charles to make something.” Cyrus growled deep in his throat to show what he thought of that particular idea. Dining out meant he got a real meal as opposed to what Charles fed him—a skimpy, lean, and mean meal on Dr. Pappas’s orders.
Jack dug around in his pockets for money to leave for the waiter. Then he signed the check, knowing the hotel would pick up the tab. Thank God for Annie and her generosity. “Dennis, let me see those pictures again.”
Dennis took out Jack’s phone, which Jack had given him earlier; clicked it on; and scrolled through the apps till he found what he wanted. “If you dare tell me that isn’t Zack Meadows, then I am a monkey’s uncle. That’s him! The lighting isn’t all that good, but you can still make out his features. Charles will have to agree, Dennis.”
“You know what, Jack. I bet if we went to wherever it is that Meadows lives and broke into his car, we’d find that damn beard he ripped off back there at Happy Village. You wanna go for it?”
“Nah. These pictures are good enough. I caught him ripping it off, so that’s just as good. C’mon, I want to take a shower and wash the stink of the night off me. I’ll meet you up at the penthouse when I’m ready.”
“Works for me,” Dennis said, pushing his chair back under the table. “Do you want me to take Cyrus out for you?”
Jack looked down at the big dog. “You need to do anything?” Two short woofs. No.
“Thanks for a fun night, Jack,” Dennis said, a wicked grin playing around the corners of his mouth. “Let’s just not make a habit of middle-of-the-night trysts.”
Jack laughed out loud.
“What’s so funny?” Dennis demanded.
“I was just thinking of Maggie and how ticked off she’s going to be when she finds out we went without her.”
“Yeah, that is pretty funny.” Dennis chortled as he stepped into the elevator. “But five will get you ten she had more fun than we did.”
Jack scowled. “There is that.”
Chapter 10
Cyrus was the first off the elevator. He bounded through the foyer and headed straight for the state-of-the-art kitchen, where everyone was seated at the large round table, drinking coffee. The big shepherd made the rounds to get his ears tickled, his belly rubbed, and a few treats, which he devoured before settling himself next to Jack’s chair.
