Nanna smiled. “What can I say? Wes swept me off my feet, and it’s been well worth it!”
I was about to go and say hello to my mother, who must’ve been adding last-minute touches to lunch in the kitchen, when there was another knock on the door.
I heard my mother go out to answer it, and then she returned to the den, followed by Karma and Glenn. I gave my mother a quick hug, and once again, loud voices erupted as everyone said hello to everyone else.
Finally, when things quieted down a bit, my mother said, “Why don’t we all go into the dining room? The food’s almost ready.”
Everyone headed that way, and I helped my mother bring the food out and set the table, and then we were all sitting around, helping ourselves to the delicious lamb roast and mashed potatoes and salad, and talking about everything all at once.
“Marriage seems to suit you,” I said to Nanna.
“It would suit you too,” she said sharply. “When are you going to come around and decide to get married?”
I groaned. “Why can’t we go a few minutes without having to talk about my love life?”
“Because it’s important,” said my mother from the other end of the table. “You’re not getting any younger, and we both know there aren’t that many suitable men in Vegas. I keep trying to introduce you to people, but I can’t help you if you don’t meet any of them.”
“And what about that nice friend of yours, Stone?” said Nanna. “Have you heard from him again?”
I shook my head. “I’m still trying to get in touch with him. I think he might be in trouble.”
“Stone is a kind soul,” said Karma. “I knew the minute I saw him.”
I looked at her nodded. “That’s what I think too.”
I couldn’t believe that Stone had done the things the CIA men told me he had—there must’ve been some kind of misunderstanding, and I knew that when the time came, I would help Stone out.
“How was your honeymoon?” I asked Nanna, glad that the conversation had shifted away from my love life.
“It’s been so much fun!” said Nanna. “We’ve been traveling all over. We rented a caravan, so it’s not costing that much, and we got to see all the lovely national parks. I had no idea Yellowstone was so beautiful.”
“I’m jealous!” said Ian. “I wish I could travel!”
“You’ve got a trust fund,” said Nanna. “Why don’t you ask your lawyer to let you access the money?”
“They never let me do anything!” said Ian.
“Actually,” I said, “Nanna has a point. They should allow you to access some of the money to travel. It’s not like you’d be wasting the money—travel broadens your horizons and is good for you. You should ask them.”
“I will,” said Ian. “What part of your honeymoon did you like the best?”
“I liked the cruise the best,” said Wes. “We sailed to Alaska, and we got to see the ice melting.”
“It was great!” said Nanna. “I think that was my favorite part, too. Plus, they have fun things to do on the ship every night, and all the food is free and unlimited. Of course, I’m used to unlimited buffets in Vegas, so I didn’t eat too much or get sick.”
“Yes,” said Wes. “But she did get kicked out of the seniors’ aerobics class for suggesting that the instructor use more modern moves.”
“Just because we’re old doesn’t mean we have to do the same things every day,” said Nanna. “The world is changing, and I’m changing with it.”
“I love how modern you are,” said Wes. “So many people just give up at our age.”
“No, this is a fresh start!” said Nanna. “Neither of us is giving up. Plus, people are scared of you when you’re older and they don’t say anything. It’s just as well, they should respect us old people.”
Wes and I shared a glance, and I said to Nanna doubtfully, “I’m not sure you should go around intimidating people.”
“I’m not intimidating people,” said Nanna. “Sometimes I just give them advice, and if they don’t want to take it, more fool them. Like when we went to bingo night in Wisconsin once, and they didn’t have any good prizes. So I told them that they needed to have steak meat, or some really good knives, and maybe some gift cards to Bed Bath & Beyond. Everybody needs towels.”
“You almost made that stand-up comedian on the cruise ship cry,” Wes reminded Nanna.
“He needed to be put in his place!” Nanna looked at us indignantly. “He was being mean to these two young girls in their twenties, and I told him that he wasn’t very funny and that if he’d been any good, he wouldn’t have to work on a cruise ship, and he’d have proper jokes instead of having to make fun of his audience.”
“He almost cried,” repeated Wes.
“It served him right,” said Nanna. “I don’t like mean people.”
“What are you going to do now that you’re in Vegas?” said Ian. “Are you going to hang out in the casinos again?”
I looked at Nanna and she gave me a broad wink.
Nanna had taught herself to play professional poker, and when she’d lived with my parents, she had spent most of her nights winning money off gullible tourists. My parents didn’t know this, and now Nanna said, “I’ve been teaching Wes some of my skills. So we might go to the casinos later tonight. It should be fun to play together.”
“Well, don’t lose too much money,” said my mom.
Nanna and I shared a look of exasperation. My mother had no idea how good Nanna was at poker, and she would never have believed us if we’d told her.
“Is there any way we can convince you to move back to Vegas?” I said. “We miss you so much! I mean, I know you’ve got to enjoy your honeymoon, but why can’t you move back here once you’re done with traveling around the US?”
Nanna and Wes shared a tender look and smiled.
Nanna said, “Wes’s family is all out in Indiana, and I don’t want him to feel like he’s giving up their company for me.”
“But I don’t want Gwenda to have to stay away from her family either,” said Wes. “We’re thinking of maybe spending six months in Vegas and six months in Indiana.”
Ian and I looked at each other and grinned broadly.
“That’s great news!” said my mother. “We’d be so happy to have you living with us again.”
“I’m not sure the house is big enough for all of us,” said Nanna. “Wes and I will have some savings left over after the honeymoon is finished, and Wes will probably sell his house in Indiana to buy a smaller condo. We’ll have enough cash left to buy a small apartment—like something in Tiffany’s building. But maybe a little further away from the Strip. That would make it cheaper.”
Nanna and my mother got into an argument about whether Nanna should stay at my parents’ house or get their own place.
“We’re happy to have you living here,” my mother kept saying. “I don’t want you living by yourself, and what will you do for cooking and cleaning?”
“Wes and I can take care of ourselves,” Nanna said. “And you can hire people to help you with cooking and cleaning. I’ve lived with you for so long. It’s time for me to move out on my own—just like Tiffany did.”
My mother looked at me and glared. Clearly, I was setting a bad example for Nanna.
I didn’t want to be blamed for Nanna’s bad behavior, so I quickly asked Nanna where she and Wes were going next.
“We’re staying in Vegas for a week,” said Nanna, “and then we’re going to travel down the West Coast, and then we’ll see Hawaii.”
Ian groaned. “I’m so jealous! I’m going to have to talk to my lawyer and see if he’ll give me any money to go traveling.”
“You really should do that,” said Nanna. “You can always ask Tiffany for advice about how to talk to your lawyer.”
“It’s a shame that you’ve got all this money in your trust fund, but you can’t access it,” said Wes.
“I think it’s a good idea,” said my mother. “It means that Ian c
an’t accidentally lose all his money.”
Nanna turned to me and said, “Are you working on anything new these days, dear? I do miss hearing about your cases.”
“I am, actually,” I said.
Ian and I quickly told everyone about our case, starting with Carl’s murder, the fact that Gary couldn’t possibly have killed him, and that we were trying to get in touch with Ellen and Trish, so far unsuccessfully.
“That’s kind of funny,” said Wes. “Ellen used to be a teacher in my town. I knew her parents quite well when they were alive, and my daughter used to be friends with her.”
I looked at Wes in surprise. “Really? Do you think she remembers you?”
Wes nodded. “I think so. She’ll definitely remember my daughter.”
Ian and I exchanged an excited glance.
“I don’t want to impose,” I said, “but you think maybe you could try to get in touch with her? I’ve called the house they’re staying at and left a message on the answering machine, but no one’s gotten back to me.”
“No imposition at all,” said Wes. “In fact, as soon as we’re finished with lunch, I’ll call my daughter, and tell her to call Ellen. We should be able to work something out.”
Ian and I talked about the case a little bit more, and then the conversation shifted over to politics, and how much all of us distrusted politicians.
“Everybody lies,” said Nanna. “They owe favors to lobbyists and other countries and other politicians. I don’t know how anything ever gets done in this country.”
Wes kept his word, and after lunch, he called his daughter, who called Ellen. A half hour later, my cell phone rang.
When I answered it, the voice on the other end said, “Hi, Tiffany. This is Ellen Wareheim. I was told you wanted to talk to me?”
My heart hammered with excitement. “Yes. I’m a private investigator looking into your husband’s death. I know this is a very difficult time for you, but could my partner and I come over to chat with you for just a few minutes?”
“That sounds okay,” said Ellen. “I don’t have much to do these days. You can come by anytime you like.”
I checked my watch. I wanted to spend some more time with my family, and I had an appointment with Russell Zimmerman in the evening, but we needed to talk to Ellen as soon as we could. “How about an hour from now?”
“That’s fine,” said Ellen. “I’ll see you then.”
I thanked Wes profusely for his help, and then we all dug into the desserts; my mother had baked a chocolate pudding, and Glenn had brought over some red velvet cupcakes.
Finally, when it was time to leave, Ian and I reluctantly said goodbye to everyone.
“Good luck with the case,” said Nanna. “I’m sure you’ll do fine. And remember, now that I’m back in Vegas, I’m happy to help out anytime.”
I looked at Nanna doubtfully. She had the best of intentions, but whenever she tried to help out, things had a strange way of going awry.
Chapter Eleven
By the time Ian and I got to Ellen’s house, it was late afternoon. The sun was shining brightly, and I knew that right now the Strip would be packed with tourists who had just arrived for a long weekend away. They would be walking along, not looking where they were going, and stopping abruptly every now and then to take selfies. The Strip would be busy, loud and crowded, but here in Henderson, the neighborhood was quiet and sleepy. Most people were at work, and houses were empty.
When Ian and I knocked at the door of the house where Ellen was staying, a thick, heavyset man opened the door.
He couldn’t have been more than five feet ten, but he looked as intimidating as a giant. His skin was tan, his hair close-cropped, and his eyes dark and expressionless. He wore a black T-shirt and loose-fitting jeans, and a big tattoo of a dragon adorned the side of his neck.
He stared at me and Ian wordlessly, so I said, “I’m Tiffany, this is Ian. We’re here to see Ellen? She’s expecting us.”
The heavyset man nodded silently. He opened the door a fraction more, giving Ian and me just enough room to step inside. After closing the door behind us, he walked down the hallway and indicated with a jerk of his neck that Ian and I should follow him. The hallway was painted a light gray, and ornate mirrors and black-and-white photographs hung on both walls. The man opened the door to a sitting room and indicated that we should sit down.
The sitting room smelled of vanilla and was decorated in formal, sophisticated tones. A sofa set with dark wooden trim and cream-colored upholstery was arranged around a cream rug with intricate floral patterns. Heavy oil paintings hung on one wall, and a window overlooked the immaculate garden.
“Mrs. Wareheim will be with you in a minute.”
“Hang on,” said Ian brightly. “We want to talk to you, too.”
The heavyset man raised one thick, disapproving eyebrow at us.
“Ian and I are private investigators,” I said. “We’re looking into Carl’s death. What’s your name?”
“Steve.”
“Steve, were you here on the night that Carl was killed?”
Steve glanced from me to Ian, and then back at me. “I’ve already talked to the cops.”
“We’re not cops, we’re private investigators. But we’d still like to talk to you.”
“I can’t talk on duty.”
“When does your shift end?” said Ian. “We can talk to you then.”
“In five minutes,” said Steve.
“Great!” Ian beamed at the man. “If you can wait for a few minutes, we’ll talk to you right after we’ve talked to Ellen.”
“I’m not sure why I need to talk to you.”
Just then, a tall, rather plain-looking woman appeared behind Steve. She had wavy brown hair parted down the middle, and her face was devoid of any traces of makeup. Her eyes were pale brown and tinged with sadness.
“I think it would be helpful if you talked to them, Steve,” she said. “They’re looking into my husband’s death, and you were here on the night he died.”
Steve turned to look back at Ellen and bowed his head a fraction of an inch. “If you say so.”
He left the room, padding out softly like a quiet cat, and left us alone with Ellen Wareheim.
“I’m sorry about Steve,” said Ellen. “We all have our own ways of dealing with grief. But he’s a good employee.”
“I understand,” I said. “I’m Tiffany, by the way. This is Ian. We really appreciate you meeting us like this.”
“It’s not a problem,” said Ellen. “Marissa told me that you two are good investigators, and you can usually turn up things that the police overlook.”
“It’s very kind of her to say so,” I said. “And I hope we’ll find something new in this case.”
Ellen, Ian and I sat down on the sofa, and I said, “This seems like a gorgeous house.”
There was a low, carved wooden coffee table before us, displaying a bowl of chocolates—Kit Kats, Mars bars, Milky Ways, and Hershey’s Kisses. Ian leaned forward to help himself to a bar, and I nudged him gently with my foot and looked at him disapprovingly.
“Please,” said Ellen. “Help yourself to a chocolate. I keep these here for guests.”
Ian looked at her gratefully and helped himself to a Kit Kat. I looked longingly at the bowl but decided that it would be hard to focus on the conversation if I was distracted by delicious chocolates.
“How long are you and your daughter going to be staying in Las Vegas?” I said, ignoring the delicious Kit Kat smell that wafted out from Ian’s bar. “This must be a very difficult time for you. I’m so sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you,” said Ellen, crossing her legs. Her voice was low and musical, and as Karma would say, she had a very calming aura. I could tell that her elementary school students must’ve loved having her as a teacher. “We’re supposed to stay here until they find out a bit more about what happened. I’ve been told it could be up to a month.”
“How are you coping?” I
said. “None of this could have been easy.”
“I’m doing okay, I suppose. It’s more Trish that I’m worried about. There are all kinds of articles in the papers, and I’m doing my best to protect her from gossip.”
“Doesn’t she have to go to school?” said Ian in between bites of his chocolate. “How can you guys stay here for another month?”
Ellen shook her head. “Trish was on school break, which is why she joined us here, but her break ends in a week’s time. I’m going to have to contact her school and see if she can try to study a bit at home. It’ll be difficult for her, but she’s always been a good student, and I know she’ll be able to handle it.”
“I read that she goes to a boarding school,” said Ian. “Is she going to go back there?”
Ellen looked from Ian to me and sighed. “This whole process has been so difficult for us. Do you two know about Carl’s will?”
Ian and I nodded.
“I’m really sorry about that,” I said. “That must make everything so difficult for you.”
Ellen clasped her hands together tightly. “I don’t care about money at all. I know it must sound odd because I married one of the richest men in the world, but I didn’t marry him for his money. I never cared for those parties and private jets and jewels. But I did appreciate that I could send my daughter to a good school—and now I won’t be able to afford that. Her fees are paid till the end of the year, but she’s got two more years left till she graduates.”
“What are you going to do?” said Ian.
Ellen pursed her lips and looked off into the distance. Finally, she said, “I’ve been thinking about moving back to Indiana. I always liked living there—it was a simpler existence. That’s part of the reason I sent Trish to boarding school—I didn’t like her being in New York and being exposed to the social whirlwind. I didn’t want her to think that was normal life.”
“It must’ve been a huge shock for her when she moved to New York,” I murmured.
Ellen nodded. “I wanted her to grow up like a normal kid, and boarding school let her focus on studying and sports. She was doing so well there, and I hate to have to take her out and put her back in public school. But I guess I don’t have any other option. And really, things could have been worse. Trish had two years at a great school. I’m sure she’s picked up enough skills to do well wherever she is.”
Pesky Politicians in Las Vegas Page 6