“Definitively.”
“You use words like that to make me mad, don’t you?”
“I am disheartened that you would think such a thing.”
“You’re gonna be disemboweled if any of this gets us bad press or loss of revenue. I’m already in trouble with Tribal Council for having that stupid shark removed tonight.”
“You’re taking the Mako from the hotel lobby tank?”
“Yes, I’m taking the fucking Mako out and donating it to the Mystic Aquarium. I had it done on third shift in case the divers got their leg bit off. In fact it’s already gone. That’s what everybody gets for naming it Lizzy. There’s gonna be a plaque at the aquarium with the story of the Tribal Council Member catching it, and advertising the casino. That’s the only reason I’m not fired. Now I’m going to call the Casino President and I’m going to tell him everything else is fucking perfect, because Antonio Cruz Head Butler has it all under control.”
“Understood.”
“If I get in any more trouble because of you, I’m throwing your body under the bus, where it will be pulverized beyond recognition. Now turn your butler super powers back on and get back to work.”
“Good night, Liz.”
“It better be,” she said and ended the connection.
Antonio took a deep breath, attempting to clear his mind of the extraneous pressures of his problems so that he might focus on solutions. He longed for the solitude of his office so that he may sit and think, but the presence of Max would only distract him to attending what needs he might have upon awakening. His BlackBerry buzzed in his hand, and he hesitated to even look at the screen. When he did so, against his nature, he braced himself for the worst.
“Mark,” he said. “Please tell me you have good news.”
“I just caught me a Kamikaze.”
Antonio emitted a silent sigh of relief. “Most excellent, my friend. Was he ensconced in the attic?”
“If that means hiding, then yes he was.” Mark burped copiously into the phone. “Sorry. I think my ulcer is back. Anyways, he was in there, but I have no idea what he was doing. I looked around when I first came in, didn’t see him, but found his little campsite. Sodas, snacks, a laptop. Then he took off and we played hide-and-go-seek. He’s being dragged down to the State Police casino offices right now.”
“Did he have his camera on him?”
“Not in his hands where I could see it. Could be in a pocket or under his clothes.”
“The contents of that camera may very well reveal what he was doing while you waited. Will he be searched?”
“I’m going to head down and talk to the Staties right now. Wanna meet me there?”
Chapter Twenty-Six
The door was located just off the casino floor but back-of-house, where individuals could be removed from the public view if such situations arose. There was an overhead camera and a call-box for entry.
As Antonio approached Mark he extended a packet of antacids and a bottle of water he’d retrieved on his way past the bell desk in the hotel lobby. “How are you feeling?”
“Not as bad as I look. Wow, your tie is crooked.”
“It’s been a very demanding day.”
“Want me to fix it?”
Antonio pressed the button on the call-box. “Let’s talk to Ang Wang and see if we can bring this evening to a suitable conclusion so that we both get some rest.”
“Works for me. How’s my tie?”
Antonio glanced down. “Sticking out of your jacket pocket.”
“Oh right. Forgot I took it off.”
They were buzzed in.
The casino offices designated to the State Police contained two desks, live video feed from main cameras within the complex, a locked fire arms cabinet and an interrogation room with three small holding cells.
Inside were two plainclothesState Police detectives sipping coffee from take-out containers. One was wearing a polo shirt and tan slacks, medium build, trim hair, and a lariat around his neck holding a Player’s Card, in the fashion of a casual slot player. The other was shorter, heavier, and wore a black button-up shirt, black slacks, and shiny black hair to match his shiny black shoes. Dressed as a high roller, he wouldn’t appear out of place among the table games on a busy weekend.
“Hey Mark, we got him in the interrogation room,” said Detective Davidson, the man in black. “Antonio, how’s business?”
“Profitable,” said Antonio. “The hotel is sold-out and so is Brandon’s show tomorrow night.”
“Great,” said Detective Jameson, the one disguised as a slot player. “That means we’ll have at least twenty deadbeats working the floor, stealing slot vouchers outta machines when people aren’t looking and cashing them in.” He nodded towards his partner. “How much was that two-man team holding last weekend?”
Detective Davidson said, “Couple hundred on them. Their sister, who provided the distraction for the old fellas playing slots while one of her brothers reached over and punched out the ticket, was cashing in about four or five hundred next door. All together they had over eighty slot vouchers in their pockets, socks, underwear – the sister’s breasts were a lot smaller after her strip search, and less distracting.”
Mark pointed at the closed door down a short hall to their right. “Speaking of strip search, what can we do with Ang Wang?”
“Depends,” said Detective Davidson. “What’d he take?”
“We have him on camera using a master key to get into a Villa. Under his jacket he’s probably wearing a stolen Engineering Uniform shirt,” said Mark. “Also he has a camera that might have pictures of either Shannon or Brandon or both.”
Detective Jameson asked, “Doing what?”
“Naked or screwing,” said Mark.
“Or both,” said Detective Davidson. “So we can search him for the master key. Make him take off his jacket and give back the uniform shirt. That’s all casino property.”
Antonio asked, “And the camera?”
“That’s his personal property,” said Detective Jameson. “And what’s on it his personal property too.”
Antonio frowned. “Our guests would be very interested in knowing what type of photos, if any, he has managed to get.”
“I’m sure they would, but he has rights. If he won’t hand over the key, we can make him empty all his pockets. If the camera comes out with everything else, we can make him leave the room. What he doesn’t see can’t be proven, you get my drift?”
Mark and Antonio exchanged a look.
Mark nodded. “Since he hasn’t broken any laws, mind if we handle this?”
Both detectives shrugged.
Mark took the one of the two antacids and a swallow of water. “You wanna be good cop or bad cop?”
Antonio opened the door to the interrogation room. “Your choice.”
“I’ll be both,” said Mark, following him in.
Ang Wang sat in the stark room in one of six chairs. On the table in front of him was a wireless recording device, a stack of notepads, a coffee mug of pens, and a folded Engineering uniform shirt. On top of the shirt was a hotel master key. Ang’s jacket had been zipped back up, the collar of a white t-shirt showing. “Can I go now?”
Mark took the shirt and the master key and said, “Shut up.”
Both Mark and Antonio exited the room and closed the door. Mark placed the Engineering uniform shirt and key on one of the desks, and picked up the final antacid and the bottled water. “Saved you one,” he said, holding them out to Antonio.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Antonio and Mark exited the elevator onto the hotel floor.
Antonio asked, “How long can they hold Ang Wang in the interrogation room?”
Mark yawned. “Maybe fifteen minutes. He could always call a lawyer.”
“Was his cell phone taken from him?”
“No. We couldn’t even hold his laptop. All personal property.”
“How are you holding up?”
“I
could use an energy drink. Or a shot of adrenalin. You got a key to this door?”
Antonio removed a small key ring from his pocket and selected one for the attic door. “Show me where you found his things.”
They searched the nearby armoires, drawers and beneath the cushions of furniture within reach of where Ang Wang had set-up his hiding spot.
“No camera,” said Mark.
“And no memory card for a camera,” said Antonio. “Let’s walk the route he took to hide in the mattress cage.”
They searched quickly but thoroughly. Together they removed most of the mattresses from the cage and scanned the dusty floor within as well.
Mark used his necktie to wipe sweat from his forehead. “Mind if I take a nap on one of these mattresses?”
Antonio brushed dust from his tuxedo jacket. “Let’s check any air vents that might be within easy reach.”
Antonio withdrew a silver penlight from his inner jacket pocket, and Mark took out a keychain with a flashlight attached. They worked their way around the walls of the storage room, stepping over insulated pipes and ducking beneath steel girders angled floor to ceiling.
“All the vents are too high up. I don’t see him climbing up there when there’s so many places to hide a camera down here.” Mark scanned his light over a small green metal door. “Oh.”
Antonio shone his own light on the door. “I believe you mean, ah-ha.”
Within five minutes they were back inside.
Mark held the climbing harness. “This guy is crazy.”
Antonio said, “The top floor guest rooms of the Sachem Suite both have balconies with sliding glass doors. When you first encountered Ang Wang in the attic, what was his mood?”
“Before he put eyes on me, he looked like he’d just won the lottery.”
Antonio withdrew his BlackBerry.
He dialed the number of an individual he knew in Information Services. After a few rings, it went to voicemail.
Mark said, “It’s late.”
“He’ll answer,” said Antonio. “He is the only one on staff that can resolve major problems. He is never, technically, off duty.”
“Must suck to be smart. Try him again.”
Antonio had already redialed. A groggy voice answered. “What’s broken?”
“Nothing. I want to break something.” Antonio paused. “Are you fully awake?”
“Do I have to be? What’s going on, Antonio?”
“I want to shut off the Internet access for the entire building. I need to have this accomplished with all haste.”
“Now I’m awake. Who’s authorizing this?”
Antonio hesitated, but it was nearly imperceptible. “Liz Fiore, the Executive Assistant to the Casino President.”
“I know who she is. I have to make a call to the company that provides the service.” The man exhaled loudly. “Antonio, to do this fast, it’s gonna be a shitstorm. I can’t kill the Internet without killing the cable feed to every TV in the casino, including the hotel tower. Restaurants, player’s lounges, bars, Twilight nightclub, even the flat screen TVs we got around for people to watch while they’re waiting for their bus. I gotta cut the cord on everything, it’s all tied in together and it would take too long to figure it out from home with some overnight tech on the phone.”
“Do it,” said Antonio.
“Three minutes,” said the man on the other end of the line, and hung-up.
Mark stared at him. “You just used Liz Fiore’s name to kill all the Internet in the casino.”
“And the cable feed as well, in the entire complex.” Antonio straightened his tie using a dusty full length mirror. “If Ang Wang did in fact get a picture of Brandon and his…mystery guest, in a compromising position, he could email it across the world before we were able to retrieve the image from his camera.”
“I’ll make sure I wear my good suit to your funeral. The one with pinstripes.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
“What the fuck are we doing here?” Ang Wang sniffed the air. “Smells like dead fish.”
“We are above the showcase tank behind the front desk of the hotel lobby,” explained Antonio. “The equipment on the wall is used by divers to clean the faux coral and rocks within the tank, as well as the plexiglass front, and remove fish that are ill or deceased. The refrigeration units over there hold squid and silverfish for feeding. These machines are mechanical and biological filtration units. Behind you, beneath the wire screen, is the tank itself, holding ten thousand gallons of water and approximately thirty different varieties of fish.”
“Thanks for the tour,” said Ang Wang. “Now I’m leaving.”
“Shut up,” said Mark. “You’re being detained until the local police come and arrest you for climbing a privately owned building without a permit.”
“That’s all you guys have on me? I’ll pay a fine and be gone in ten minutes. Can I wait in the bar?”
Antonio took a step closer to Ang Wang. He held out his hand, palm up. “Please hand over your digital camera, Mr. Wang.”
Ang looked down at the hand. “You gotta be kidding me.”
Mark took a step closer as well. “He ain’t kidding.”
Ang shuffled backwards, the heels of his feet bumping into the ledge that surrounded the top of the tank. “What is this? You guys can’t muscle me into giving you my personal property. Where’s the cops? They’ll tell you both that I don’t have to hand over anything.”
Antonio lowered his hand. “You are correct. You do not. Mark?”
Mark walked around the tank and turned the hand-crank that caused the screen over the water to lift. He was whistling Anchors Aweigh.
Ang looked over his shoulder at the water. He looked at Mark. He looked at Antonio. “You wouldn’t do it.”
Antonio clasped his hands behind his back. “You could simply allow me to see your camera. I promise to give it back as soon as I’m finished with it.”
“Listen,” said Ang. “Water doesn’t do shit to memory cards. I’ve dropped them into the toilet before. Dry em out, good as new.”
Mark said, “Well, at least we know he’s got his camera on him somewhere.”
“And that he has questionable bathroom habits,” said Antonio. “Can you swim, Mr. Wang?”
Ang’s eyes darted wildly back and forth. “First one of you guys who come over here, I’m grabbing you and taking you with me.”
“Good point.” Mark removed a long aluminum pole from the wall rack with a net on the end. “I’ll use this.”
“I know you’re fulla shit. You’d never push me in there with the shark.”
“We would not,” agreed Antonio. “Luckily the shark has been removed.”
Ang side-stepped along the edge of the tank. “Didn’t you hear me? Water doesn’t hurt memory cards you fucking morons!”
“You’re correct,” said Antonio. “But I believe you’ll find that salt water is much more corrosive.”
Mark jabbed the net into Ang Wang’s stomach. “Now hold your breath…”
Ang Wang shouted, “HELP!”
He grabbed the aluminum pole and yanked, attempting to wrench it from Mark’s grasp. Mark immediately let go of the pole and Ang toppled backwards.
Antonio and Mark both stepped back to avoid the splash. The floor speckled wet with salt water, they walked back over to the tank and looked downward.
“I thought we agreed we were only going to threaten to push him,” said Antonio.
“Hey, he yanked the stupid thing outta my hands.” Mark laughed. “Must be quite a show watching from the lobby.”
Antonio observed carefully as Ang turned himself in the depths using a piece of coral as a handhold. “He’s swimming back up.”
“What kind fish are those? The yellow ones?”
“They are…” Antonio turned abruptly.
Behind them were two suited divers from the Mystic Aquarium. They had an eight foot container on wheels that said LIVE FISH on the side. Stacked on top of it
were large duffel bags and diving equipment.
Mark said, “Why are you bringing back the shark?”
One of the divers said, “We just got here, man.”
Just as Antonio and Mark turned back to the water the four foot Mako shark named Lizzy swam out from beneath a rock ledge and turned sharply towards the paddling paparazzo.
Antonio dove into the tank.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Antonio’s weight carried him quickly down through the spirals of coral and faux rock outcroppings. He was surrounded by a cloud of bubbles and colorful fish were exploding outward from him like fireworks. As Ang Wang shot upwards past him, the rock display scraped along Antonio’s back as he pushed aside to allow the paparazzo an adequate escape route. The Mako shark twisted away at the increased activity in the tank, but bumped his nose into a corner. The momentary flash of pain snapped him back around and his tail flashed, shooting him upward at Antonio.
Antonio dug his hand into his inner jacket pocket, which was engorged with water and air bubbles. He extracted his silver penlight.
The Mako opened its jaws against a backdrop of blurry front desk agents transfixed on the other side of the glass. Antonio kicked off one of his shoes in the path of the shark. It snapped it up with its teeth and thrashed violently. Using the brief distraction, Antonio looked above him to see Ang Wang being lifted from the tank. He quickly turned his attention back to the Mako shark just in time to see the severed toe of his shoe spiraling down to the depths and it’s decapitated other half falling from the shark’s jaws as it boldly swam forward, its fighting instinct aggravated.
Antonio pulled his knees to his chest and used his arms to swim backwards into a hole in the faux rock. The indentation was just big enough to scrape the top of his head. As the shark swam past, Antonio thrust his silver penlight between the flexing gills of the Mako. The reaction was immediate. The shark turned and with a massive sweep of its tailfin darted back downward to where it had been previously hidden, beneath a rock ledge at the bottom of the tank. Lungs strained, Antonio pushed free of the hole and within three strong kicks he was breaking the surface and being pulled from the water.
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