I could have done that, too.
Logan wasn’t going to let her within a hundred feet of that club. He’d been clear on that. The only reason he was even going in himself was because Tanner was the sheriff in Springwood and the deputies were known as well. She’d reminded her husband that the deal was that he wouldn’t be shot at any more. He’d assured her that he and Kim were simply going in to talk and get the lay of the land. They weren’t going to be dragging anyone out of there to be questioned.
There was always a tiny chance that Logan would be recognized in the club and that could be dangerous, but it wasn’t a big risk. The club was in Springwood and that was far enough that most residents of Corville wouldn’t be driving there on a weeknight. Ava had a feeling its location had been one of the bonuses for Lyle. He wouldn’t know anyone there and Mary would never find out.
“Say something,” Tanner said, fiddling with the electronic equipment on the kitchen table. “Let’s check the sound again now that you have your jacket on.”
“Can you hear me, you old bastard?” Logan teased with a grin. “How’s that?”
Tanner snorted and fiddled with a button. “Loud and clear. Damn, I love technology. It wasn’t that long ago we would have had to shave your chest and tape wires to you. Now you just have to put a damn pen in your pocket.”
Kim touched her ear. “Or wear an earring. These are genius. No one would ever guess that we’re listening in.”
“The internet is a wonderful place,” Tanner laughed.
“And a little scary,” Ava muttered. “Surveillance isn’t even a skill anymore. Anyone can do it. It’s kind of a letdown.”
As the writer of mystery stories, it took the wind out of her sails a bit. The whole idea of surveillance in a book was the danger involved. With a pen and an earring there was no suspense. No buildup. No adrenaline rush.
“But much safer,” Kim said with a smile. “I have to admit that I’m glad we don’t have to be wired like in the movies.”
“How do bad guys tell if they’re being bugged?” Ava wondered out loud. “How do they know? I can hide a camera in a teddy bear and spy on the babysitter. No one is safe. Big Brother is always watching.”
“I’m guessing that they don’t say much in front of people they don’t trust,” Logan replied. “That’s why I don’t think we’ll find out anything tonight. This is not so much information gathering as just seeing what we’re dealing with. We need to know if Natalie is telling the truth. Lyle’s attorney was no help.”
After speaking with Lyle’s lawyer, Logan had reported to the group that the divorce had been in flux. Lyle had at one point put the divorce on hold but then had called Marshall a few days before the shooting and said he wanted to meet. Was he going to change his mind and go ahead with the divorce? They’d never know.
“Did you find anything in the financials?” Tanner asked. “Anything that pointed to a gambling habit?”
Ava had been through those documents until she was cross-eyed. “Not that I’ve found. But of course, that assumes that I have all the information. We have what we’ve subpoenaed. It’s the old conundrum of we don’t know what we don’t know. Some things we know we don’t know, but this? We’re flying blind here.”
Logan checked his tie one last time in the mirror. “I’ve got Jared doing some digging. If Lyle had any hidden accounts of money, he’ll find it.”
Tanner’s lips twisted and he rubbed his chin. “I hate to ask this, but do you think your sister knew about the gambling, Ava?”
Sighing, she plopped down into a chair at the table. “It’s nothing I haven’t asked myself since we heard Natalie’s story. But I don’t think she did…or does, I guess I should say. Mary has something of a temper and I think if she found out that Lyle had lost a bunch of money and owed dangerous people she would have been screaming from the rooftops. We’d still be hearing her bitch about that.”
Kim’s brow rose. “According to witnesses, she did chase her own husband out of the house with a gun.”
Mary was still a suspect, although Ava wasn’t happy about it.
“True, and that doesn’t help the way she’s perceived by the police. But the one thing Mary loves more than anything is to be the victim in a scenario. If Lyle had done this, you’d think she’d tell everyone. My mom, my dad. The local butcher. Hiding in the bushes and shooting her husband just doesn’t fit with her personality.”
“In other words, she’d go after you head on,” Logan added. “She wouldn’t hide like a criminal. She’d think what she was doing was justified.”
Almost like Wade. Ava wasn’t blind to her sister’s faults but even she didn’t want to think that her sister was a sociopath with narcissistic tendencies.
Tanner tucked the receiver under his arm and stood. “Are we ready to go?”
Logan smiled and stood right next to Kim. “I think so. How do we look? Like a believable couple?”
Sadly, yes. They made a beautiful pair.
Ava didn’t like it one bit.
Chapter Twenty-One
Logan wasn’t the most self-aware man. He spent far too much time with his nose in case files to often take a look at the world around him. His wife’s moods were a mystery a great deal of the time as well. Ava could be the sweetest thing ever and the next minute mean and surly as a snake, especially when she was sleep deprived from working on a book deadline.
But even he could tell that Ava wasn’t the happiest of campers. He knew why, of course. She’d wanted to accompany him into the club but he wasn’t going to allow that. Far too dangerous. He shouldn’t be doing it either but there wasn’t anyone else. Sure, Jason could have sent another agent along with Kim but this was easier. Besides, this would hopefully be his last case with Kim. She’d be getting her full-fledged status soon and Logan would be taking the new position.
The room was smoky and loud, a combination that grated on Logan’s nerves. There was a time in his life that he would have enjoyed this but those days were long gone. He liked the peace and quiet of an evening at home now. As much quiet as a man could get anyway with twins tearing up the house.
“Looks like a happening place,” Kim remarked as he led her toward a table that had an excellent view of the large room. The club was busy for a weeknight but not packed and they were able to slip into seats without any trouble. A pretty waitress took their drink order and then melted away somewhere in the direction of the bar, which took up an entire wall at the front. “I don’t see him. Do you?”
Luckily Natalie had shown him a photo of Cory on her phone so Logan knew what the man looked like. What he didn’t know was whether anything the young woman said was the truth. According to her, there was a gambling den upstairs. From their vantage point, he should be able to see if anyone came or went from the second floor.
Leaning close to Kim as if he was whispering in her ear, he spoke just loud enough that he hoped Tanner could hear him in the car across the street. “We’re inside and so far I haven’t seen anyone go upstairs, nor have we seen Cory.”
The waitress came back with their drinks – beer for Logan and a martini for Kim. Since they were playing the part of people with more money than sense, he tipped the young girl far too generously and then gave her a broad wink. The waitress gave him a sultry smile in return and tucked the bill into her bra. Her hips swayed as she walked away and she shot him another glance over her shoulder. Just as she disappeared behind the bar, he watched as another waitress climbed the stairs carrying a full tray of drinks.
“Look,” Logan said, smiling at Kim but his gaze was on the far side of the room. “That’s a hell of a lot of drinks to be taking upstairs.”
Before Kim could reply, a man came down the stairs and headed toward the exit.
“Looks like Natalie might have been telling the truth,” Kim replied.
“But was she telling the truth about everything? We just don’t know yet. I really want to find a way to get up there but I doubt that’s going to be p
ossible our first time here.”
“You may have to have someone vouch for you. That’s what I’d do if I had an illegal gambling club.”
“Invitation only,” Logan agreed, almost gleeful to see a couple climbing the stairs. Something was definitely going on. “What if we just went up there? What do you think they’d do?”
“Throw our asses out. If we’re lucky.”
Ava was listening in to this conversation and she wouldn’t be happy to hear him talking about taking stupid risks. It was just that he hated being in Corville and the sooner he solved Lyle’s murder, the sooner he could get the hell out of town and back home. Didn’t she feel it too? The animosity? The resentment? People hated him and tolerated Ava. He’d upended their comfortable little world and they weren’t likely to forgive him whether he found Lyle’s murderer or not.
“So we won’t do that. Any ideas?”
This was Kim’s final exam, after all. He should be letting her take the lead but in a situation like this it simply didn’t come naturally to him.
“I could go powder my nose. Maybe you can get one of the waitresses or customers to talk.”
As ideas went it wasn’t too bad. Kim slipped out of her chair and headed of the ladies room, leaving Logan at the table. He eyed their young and pretty waitress from afar, letting her feel the weight of his stare. When she noticed, she turned and gave him a wink. It was almost too easy. Sitting back down, he sipped at his rapidly warming beer. The drink was really only for show, not for relaxation.
The girl sidled up next to him when she was done with the other table. “I think you could do better.”
“Do you? I think so, too.”
The young woman slid a cold beer he hadn’t ordered in front of him. “She doesn’t seem to appreciate you.”
Logan gave her a mocking smile. “Maybe I’m a total asshole.”
The waitress ran her fingers down between her cleavage where she’d tucked that fifty.
“I doubt it. I bet you’re just…misunderstood.”
“That’s exactly what I am.” He leaned back, pretending to get a better look at her. “What’s your name, pretty girl?”
Ava had to be about to blow a gasket right about now listening to this. I’ll make it up to her.
“Cindy.” The girl propped her hand on the table so that her breasts were almost falling out of her tight white blouse. “What’s yours?”
“Logan,” he replied, taking a swig of the fresh beer. “Thanks for the beer, baby. What do I owe you?”
“That one’s on the house.”
That wouldn’t do. He was supposed to be throwing around cash. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out another fifty. “Then this is just for you, gorgeous.”
Her cheeks turned pink either from the compliment or plain greed. Cindy tucked it away with the other one but kept her hand there, stroking the top of her breast.
“I get off at two.”
That was straight to the point. No foreplay, baby?
“Going home to your husband?” His gaze fell on her bare left hand. “Or a boyfriend?”
“I’m free as a bird.” She leaned farther toward him, her lips next to his ear. Ava would probably still be able to hear her. “And ready to party.”
He checked his watch, an inexpensive Rolex knockoff but he hoped Cindy couldn’t tell the difference. “I’ll have to ditch my girl at some point but that’s easy. She doesn’t like to stay out much past midnight. I can send her home in a cab. It’s only eleven now. I could kill some time upstairs.”
If Cindy was surprised that he knew about the gambling room she didn’t act it. If anything, she behaved as if this was a common request. Perhaps it was.
“If you want into the poker game, there’s a minimum.”
He didn’t ask what it was. It didn’t matter.
“That’s fine. Can you get me in, darlin’?”
“Sure, follow me.”
This was turning out to be a productive evening after all.
* * * *
Tanner clapped his hands together with glee. “He’s going to get in there. I never dreamed he’d get in the first night. Looks like throwing around some cash was the key.”
Money talked, that was for sure, and Logan looked every inch the prosperous businessman. Not that it mattered. Women flirted with Ava’s husband on a regular basis even when she was standing right next to him. She’d grown used to it and in fact, it amused her. Logan, on the other hand, usually didn’t even notice. If he did, he didn’t care. Clearly he’d been paying attention this evening to little Cindy.
“How’s he going to get Kim in with him?” Ava asked. “He can’t leave her alone.”
Impatiently she waited, listening to the background noise of the nightclub almost drown out their small talk. She caught something about needing another drink but the rest was either too low or too garbled to make out.
Ava leaned down, straining to hear. Cindy and Logan were speaking but she couldn’t decipher what they were saying.
Stupid technology.
All it took was a massive sound system playing songs from the eighties with way too much bass and she couldn’t hear a thing.
“What are they saying?”
Tanner too was leaning in close, his brows pinched together in concentration. “I can’t tell. They’re talking and it doesn’t sound angry or anything.”
They could be discussing the weather or Cindy could be trying to make plans for after closing time.
Sorry, hon. Logan’s busy.
“You’re going upstairs?”
Kim’s voice came through loud and clear.
“No, we’re going upstairs.” Logan must have moved his jacket out of the way and now the pen was easily picking up the conversation. “You’re not staying down here alone.”
“It sounds boring.”
Kim sounded convincing as the pissed off girlfriend who didn’t want to follow her man anywhere. As much as Ava wished it was herself with Logan, she couldn’t deny that she felt confident with the other woman by his side.
“Just try it for a little while. If you don’t like it, I’ll call you a cab or an Uber.”
“Fine.”
More noise and the sound of footsteps. Muffled voices from a distance. There was the deep voice of a man and then the beat of the music faded. A more subdued noise palette took its place. The soft murmur of conversation and the tinkling of laughter in the distance.
Logan was in. A shot of adrenaline ran up her spine. He might be able to speak to someone who had seen Lyle there, or even better he might get Cory to talk.
She heard him order a drink for both of them and then Kim said they should walk around. Mingle. Lose some money.
“Sounds like a good idea. Best place to lose money fast is probably the roulette– Wait…we need to abort the mission. Did you hear me, Tanner? Abort. Right now. Kim and I are out of here.”
Logan must have been recognized. Damn it.
Now he had to get out of there alive.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Logan wasn’t his father-in-law’s favorite person and that was fine. He’d grown used to Bruce’s bitching and complaining about every little thing. He didn’t like Logan’s profession. He didn’t like Logan’s motorcycle. He didn’t like it when Logan had married Ava. He sure as hell didn’t like it when they’d moved out of Corville and ended up just outside of Seattle. Since Bruce had retired a few years ago he had only become worse, basically unhappy about everyone and everything. Poor Carol was a wonderful woman and she deserved far better.
So it was a complete and utter shock when Logan had surveyed the gamblers in the secret room and found his holier-than-thou church deacon father-in-law playing poker. It was – literally – the last thing he’d expected. If a purple gorilla had been dealing blackjack, Logan would have been less surprised.
Not knowing how Bruce would react, Logan had no choice but to pull the plug on the operation. His father-in-law wasn’t exactly known for his mild
manners and discretion, although he’d been keeping a mighty big secret lately. He doubted that this was Bruce’s first time here. He looked far too comfortable.
Luckily Kim didn’t ask too many questions, quickly catching on that something was amiss. She immediately feigned stomach cramps and Logan hustled her down the stairs and out of the front doors before Cindy could do more than make a few half-hearted protests. He bundled Kim into the car and hightailed it out of the parking lot trying to think of a good way to break the news to his wife.
Hey honey, your dad has a gambling problem. Oh, and by the way, he probably knew about Lyle and his gambling habit. His girlfriend, too.
This was going to make Thanksgiving awkward as fuck.
He pulled into the parking lot right next to Tanner’s SUV. They’d chosen a rendezvous spot ahead of time.
Tanner and Ava jumped out of the truck the moment they pulled alongside his vehicle.
“What happened?” Ava’s gaze swept him up and down. “Are you okay? Did someone recognize you?”
Scraping his fingers through his hair, Logan blew out a long breath. He owed them an explanation but dammit, this wasn’t going to go well.
“I’ll explain if you give me a minute.”
All three of them were looking at him expectantly. Kim had been patient so far but he couldn’t expect that to continue for much longer.
“First of all, great thinking, Kim,” he praised. “We got out of there smoothly. I appreciate your help.”
“No problem. Glad that we got out of there without any questions.”
He leaned a hip against the hood of his car. “I did see someone I knew in there and I didn’t know how they would react to seeing me, so I pulled the plug on our operation.”
Tanner nodded grimly. “We’ll just call Griffin or Reed. They might be able to lend us some men that wouldn’t be known there.”
Justice Divided (Cowboy Justice Association Book 10) Page 11