The Case of the Stolen Art Work

by Karen Stillwagon

  After a few more hands Michael took his winnings and excused himself, thanking the other players for a good game. He tossed a chip to the dealer. The dealer blushed and thanked him.

  “How much do you leave for a tip?” Lorelei asked as she tucked her hand in his arm, not waiting for an invitation.

  “I try to leave ten percent of what I win,” he said as he led her to the restaurant at the back of the building.

  “How much did you win?”she asked. “Or is that bad manners?”

  “It’s not bad manners if you’re the lady luck who helps the gambler win.” He stopped at the door to the restaurant.

  “Do they have good food here?”

  “You haven’t been here?” he asked.

  “No,” she said. “I told you this was my first time coming. I’m not much of a gambler. After my dad passed away, my mom spent her money playing the lottery.”

  “I’m sorry,” Michael said.

  “Why are you sorry? You don’t know me, my mom or my brother, which is, by the way, the only family I have.”

  “I just figured she lost her hard earned money by the way you’re talking.” Michael said, wondering where his parents were.

  “Actually, she won, but because she won doesn’t make me a frequent visitor to the casinos.”

  “Then why are you here?” Michael stared into Lorelei’s green eyes. She stared back, not wanting him to think of her as weak if she looked away.

  “Actually, I am here as a courtesy to a friend.” Lorelei wished his parents would arrive so they did not have to continue this conversation.

  “And who would that be?” Michael asked, not looking away from her.

  “My boss,” Lorelei lied, thinking of the lie she told the security guard. “She suspects one of her employees of embezzling and wanted to know if she has a gambling problem.”

  “Does she?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I haven’t looked around enough to see.”

  “Where do you work? I thought you just moved here, a couple days ago,” he said as his eyes narrowed slightly.

  Lorelei’s face reddened as he caught her in a lie. She looked around and found a handsome couple approaching them. The man had the same strong features as Michael, and the woman’s blue eyes and blonde hair were the same as her son’s.

  Michael stepped back from Lorelei, “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet my friend, Lorelei. I ran into her in the casino.”

  “It’s so nice to meet a friend of Micky’s,” his mom said. “We meet him often but he never brings a friend.”

  “Especially a friend as beautiful as you,” Michael’s father continued.

  Lorelei felt her cheeks flush.

  “That’s unfair,” Michael said. “You know I work too many hours to have a personal life.”

  “It’s nice to finally meet one of Micky’s friends.” His mom held her hand out to Lorelei, which Lorelei reached out to shake.

  “Welcome to the family,” his dad said as he shook her hand.

  “Why don’t you join us for dinner,” his mother asked, and without waiting for an answer turned to her husband and said, “That’s alright with you, isn’t it Mike?”

  “Um… sure. If it’s okay with Michael, I mean,” Lorelei stammered as a blush crept across her face.

  Michael held Lorelei’s elbow and walked with her into the restaurant, as an answer to her question, and was followed by his parents.

  “I have reservations for Smith. It was for three, but I need a table for four. I didn’t realize my girlfriend had the evening off.”

  “Follow me,” the hostess said. She grabbed the menus and another place setting before leading them to a bay front table.

  “Really?” Lorelei laughed quietly, leaning toward Michael so only he could hear, “Your girlfriend?”

  “I could have said I met you at the bar.”

  Lorelei gently punched Michael’s arm.

  “A man could do worse than having a woman like you on his arm,” he said.

  “Give me a break!” Lorelei pulled off her baseball cap and let her hair out of the ponytail bindings. Her red hair cascaded down her back in unruly curls.

  “I guess you don’t look in a mirror that often,” Michael said as the reached the table. He pulled out her chair. Lorelei sat down and he took the seat next to her. His mom sat across from him and his dad sat across from Lorelei.

  The hostess handed out the menus. Lorelei left hers sitting in front of her. Her thoughts wandered back to Dee. What was she doing here? She was here to help find the man who robbed the house Dee was taking care of, not have dinner with a cop and his parents.

  “How long have you two been dating?” Michael’s mom asked.

  The heat from her embarrassment reached clear to Lorelei’s ears as she felt them burned. She was grateful she let her hair down.

  “Mom, I told you, she is just a friend,” Michael said.

  “And yet you told the hostess differently,” Lorelei jested, as a way to make the situation more bearable. “Anyway, it’s nice to meet you, um…” Lorelei didn’t know how to address them.

  “I’m so sorry,” Michael interrupted, “these are my parents, Ann and Mike.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Ann and Mike,” Lorelei said, relaxing a bit.

  “Micky, what do you recommend?” Ann asked, after giving Lorelei a warm smile.

  “Everything here is good, you really can’t go wrong.” Michael said as he picked up his menu.

  Lorelei followed his example and picked up her own menu. Now she wanted a cheese burger but didn’t want to order something so ordinary. She would just order something lite since she knew Dee had dinner waiting for her at the house.

  “So,” Lorelei smiled at Michael, “what do I call you? Michael or Micky?”

  “Michael,” he said as the color on his cheeks rose.

  “Oh, you can call him Micky, most his family does,” Ann laughed.

  The waitress showed up and put the uncomfortable conversation to a halt.

  “What can I get y’all?” she asked. Lorelei hadn’t heard anyone use that expression since she came to Oregon.

  “Lorelei?” asked Michael.

  “I’ll have just have a dinner salad.”

  “And anything to drink,” the waitress asked.

  “I’d like a Corona with lime.”

  The waitress wrote it down before continuing around the table.

  Ann Smith ordered the fresh grilled salmon with steamed vegetables. Mike ordered Prime Rib along with his son, who added a baked potato and whatever vegetables were served with it.

  “Anything else for drinks?” the waitress asked.

  “I’d like a Whiskey Sour,” Ann Smith said.

  Lorelei caught the look Michael and his dad exchanged. If she hadn’t been looking at Michael, she would have missed it.

  “I’d like a coffee,” Mike said.

  “And I’ll have a Corona with lime, too,” Michael said.

  Lorelei couldn’t help but wonder if she made a mistake asking for a beer.

  After the waitress walked away to place their order, Michael leaned toward Lorelei and said, “You could have had more than a salad.”

  “Oh, I’m not afraid to eat, trust me, but I have dinner waiting for me at home.”

  “I guess this was spur of the moment for you,” he said with good humor.

  The dinner was good, the company was wonderful, except the glances between Michael and his father when Ann ordered a second, then a third Whiskey Sour. Lorelei didn’t order another beer but asked for water when the waitress came back to check on them. She nursed the first beer, but had not finish it by the time dinner was done.

  “I don’t mean to cut the evening short, but I have an early appointment in the morning,” Michael said after he finished his meal. “I’m on call so I have to be up before six.”

  “And I have some business to finish before I can call it a night,” Lorelei said, following Michael’s lead.

  A
nn Smith swirled the ice cubes in the empty glass. “I guess we should be going too.”

  “Will we see you before we have to leave?” Mike asked.

  “When are you leaving town?” Michael asked as the waitress handed Mike the check.

  “We are leaving Sunday morning,” Ann said as she kept swirling the ice.

  “How about I take you out to breakfast,” Michael said. “There is a good restaurant across the street, and about a quarter mile north of the light.”

  “Will you bring your charming friend with you?” Ann slurred.

  Lorelei’s cheeks flushed as Michael looked at her.

  “If she’s not working,” he said.

  Lorelei didn’t know if he was giving her a way out or if he was leaving it up to her to decide.

  “Sunday? I’ll check my calendar and get back to Michael,” Lorelei said, not knowing if this was the correct answer.

  “Then it’s set!” Ann said, a big smile crossed her rosy face. “We will see you two Sunday morning! What is the name of the restaurant?”

  “The Pancake Mill,” Michael answered, looking between his father and Lorelei for acknowledgement.

  “It’s a date,” Ann said as she stood. She held the table’s edge to keep her balance.

  “Let’s get you up to our room,” Mike put his arm around his wife and carefully helped her out of the restaurant.

  “They aren’t staying in their motorhome?” Lorelei asked after his parents left.

  “It’s too far for her to walk in her, um, condition.”

  “I’m sorry,” Lorelei said, “if I had known, I would never had ordered a beer.”

  Michael watched until his parents were out of site, his shoulders slumped, his eyes were tired. “She would have ordered it whether you ordered a beer or not. She’s been struggling with health issues and decided it was easier to deal with them with alcohol.”

  “I’m so sorry,” Lorelei said again.

  “It is what it is,” Michael said as he led her out of the restaurant.

  Lorelei couldn’t help herself, she turned and wrapped her arms around Michael, hugging him close, trying to erase the sorrow she’d seen in his eyes. He held her for a moment before pulling away, the sad look still in his eyes, as he walked with her.

  They meandered through the casino, her arm tucked neatly in his, until they were both at the entrance doors.

  “Can I walk you to your car?” Michael asked.

  “I have a bit more work to do,” Lorelei said as she reached into her purse. She pulled out a pen and grabbed Michael’s hand. “You can call me if you want to see me at breakfast Sunday.” She wrote her number on Michael’s hand. “I feel like I’m back in junior high,” she laughed.

  “You’re the first girl to write her number on my hand,” he said, smiling at her.

  They stared at each other for a moment before Michael leaned over and kissed Lorelei on the cheek. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow to see if you’re free Sunday morning.” He stared into her green eyes.

  “And I will let you know that I will be there,” she said. She squeezed his hand before turning to head back into the casino. She turned back to see him watching her walk away. She waved before heading into the crowd.

  Lorelei sneaked a few more pictures before calling it a night.

  She made it home close to nine o’clock. She didn’t see any lights on at Dee’s so she went straight home to the little apartment above the garage. She didn’t get any groceries since her night was high jacked by Michael and his parents. She would go to town in the morning, after showing Dee the photos she was able to get.

  Bindi was whining at the door as she slipped the key in the lock.

  “Let’s go outside,” Lorelei said as she went back downstairs, following Bindi who took off into the dark side of the yard. Lorelei could hear the jingle of her collar even though she lost sight of her.

  “Go potty, Bin,” Lorelei called out after a few minutes. “It’s bed time.”

  The door to Dee’s house opened and Lily came bounding out and she chased after Bindi. Dee stood in the doorway.

  “I didn’t mean to disturb you,” Lorelei said.

  “Nonsense,” Dee said. “Lily always goes out around nine. I’m just glad to see it’s you here and not some dark figure lurking, waiting for me to be alone.”

  “I’m sorry I was out so late. I meant to be home sooner,” Lorelei started before being cut off by Dee.

  “It’s fine. I may have had a scare but it’s okay now,” Dee told her.

  “Tonight?” Lorelei’s hand went to her mouth. Bindi bounded over and sat between her and Dee.

  “No,” Dee laughed, “from the fall. It’s been quiet here.”

  “Okay, I got some pictures if you want to go through them.”

  “How about you come in, I have a plate of pasta waiting for you, but we can look at the photos in the morning over coffee,” Dee said as she waited for Lily to come back.

  “I lost track of time, and I would’ve called but din’t have your number.”

  “I’ll make sure you have it before you head out again,” Dee said as they made their way to the kitchen. Dee pulled a plate out of the refrigerator and handed it to Lorelei. “You have a microwave at your place so you can heat it up. And I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “What time?” Lorelei asked.

  “Is seven too early for you?” Dee asked.

  “I’ll be there. Do you still have bagels and cream cheese?”

  “Of course I do!”

  Lorelei and Bindi went home to their little apartment and Lorelei ate the pasta, sharing it with Bindi.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  THE SOUND OF rain pelting the windows woke Lorelei. Bindi was still curled up at the end of the bed on an old blanket of Lorelei’s. Lorelei sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes before getting out of bed. Her feet scuffed along the carpet as she made her way to the bathroom. Before she had a chance to close the door, Bindi was in the bathroom with her.

  “I can go by myself,” she said as she nudged Bindi out of the bathroom with her foot before closing the door.

  Bindi decided, after moving in with her person, that she needed to be with her every morning. It was a daily routine with them. Bindi tried to shove her nose under the door, sniffing to make sure her person was still in there, and hadn’t left from a different exit, as she did every morning. Lorelei would reassure her, as she did every morning, that she hadn’t snuck away, the whole time she was behind the closed door.

  Lorelei used the restroom, washed her hands, brushed her hair and teeth, before deciding she was awake enough to get dressed in sweats and a t-shirt and go visit Dee. Back in the bedroom, she grabbed the Levi’s she wore last night but tossed them in the corner, along with the sweatshirt she’d worn. The clothes smelled like cigarette smoke. Last thing she wanted to do was walk around smelling like an ashtray.

  “Let’s go, Bin,” she called as she grabbed her cell phone. She checked the time. Just a little after seven so she knew Dee would be up. Bindi was down the steps and doing her business before Lorelei turned to close her door. She made a mental note to ask Dee about laundry facilities. She was going to have to get those clothes washed before she stunk up the whole apartment.

  Bindi was waiting for her as she reached Dee’s door, which was still locked. She knocked and waited for a response.

  “Is that you Lorelei?” Dee’s voice sounded distant.

  “It is. Are you okay?” Lorelei tried to door again but it was still looked. Her cell rang, it was a number she didn’t recognize. “Hello?”

  “Hi, it’s Dee. I’m up but having issues with the stairs. There is an extra key in a fake rock in the planter with the pinwheel in it.”

  “Do you need to go to the doctor?” Lorelei asked.

  “Come on in and we can talk.”

  Lorelei hung up, found the rock and slipped the key out, unlocked the door, placed the key back and hid the rock again. If anyone had been watching
, they would have seen her look at a rock and put it back.

  Lily met her at the door. She stepped aside and let her out. Bindi chased Lily out in the yard but came back. Lily was still out the yard. “Is this towel by the door to dry Lily off?” Lorelei called up the stairs.

  “It is, if you wouldn’t mind waiting for her,” Dee said.

  “Of course not!” She grabbed the towel and used it on Bindi, drying her wiry coat while waiting for Lily to come back inside. Once Lily was in, and both dogs dried off, they all headed upstairs.

  “Before you say anything,” Dee said as she poured a cup of coffee for each of them, “I’m fine. Just stiff and didn’t want to try to navigate the stairs alone. You’re here so I wasn’t worried.” She pulled the creamer out of the refrigerator along with the cream cheese for the bagels.

  “And if I wasn’t here?” Lorelei asked.

  “I would have had to make my way down the stairs so poor Lily could do her business outside. Poor dog would hold it all day if she had to.” Dee placed a bagel in the toaster and was splitting open another one, getting it ready to toast.

  “Where is the closest laundromat? I need to wash the clothes I was wearing last night at the casino. My whole apartment is going to stink like an ashtray if I don’t get them cleaned.”

  “The closet in the hallway, next to the bathroom, is actually the laundry room. It has a stackable washer and dryer.”

  “Guess I should explore my new surroundings,” Lorelei laughed as she accepted the offered bagel. She spread the cream cheese on it, watching it melt. “I need to stock my own kitchen, eating this way will not be good for me. All the running I do would be useless, and then I’d have to buy new clothes.”

  “Two bagels will not do you in, and you’ll be happy to know I didn’t buy these for the house. Jim and Fran asked if I would take some food they knew would go bad before they came home.”

  “So you’re feeding it to me.”