Death on the Strip (Death Card Series Book 1)

by J. S. Peck

  “Yes, you can be the first one to taste whatever you want from the buffet.”

  “Thank you, my dear friend.”

  Romano puffed himself up and generously said, “And you are mine.”

  I scurried down the hallway to the employee lounge. As I was putting my purse into my locker, I broke a nail. “Damn!” I said out loud. I pulled my purse back out of my locker, and took my special small metal nail file kit out and slid it into the spare pocket that wasn’t holding my phone. I’d fix it at my desk. Right now I had to get back to Johnny a. s. a. p.

  I had just opened the door from the employee lounge into the hallway when I thought I heard someone crying. The sound was coming from one of the closed offices we weren’t allowed to enter. I stood there for a few seconds and I heard nothing more. It must be my imagination, I thought. Then, the vision of the little girl in my dream floated in front of me and I shivered. I stood there a few more seconds and all was silent. I literally ran down the hall, past Romano’s kitchen into the bar area. I didn’t bother looking for Brian or Mike.

  When I arrived at the front desk, Johnny didn’t seem upset that I had taken so long. He simply said, “It’s all yours,” and walked away. Time passed. It seemed to be the usual type of men coming in. Those who were obviously on vacation and wanted to experience what they thought Las Vegas was all about; those more experienced guests who knew what they were getting into; and those men who were drunk and obnoxious keeping both Johnny and the valet out front busy trying to keep things in order. In other words, nothing unusual so far.

  I remembered that the pool area had their own entrance and wondered whether some of the guests would enter and leave from there. It probably was too early to tell as I wouldn’t think the special guests would arrive until around 8 o’clock or so if dinner was going to be served at 9.

  Cindy showed up at 7 o’clock sharp. I was glad to see her. I felt a little guilty for having been a bit jealous of her because of Mike for she was a great person. Cindy was obviously happy to see me as well for she gave me a big hug. “Hey there, Rosebud! I’m glad we’re together tonight!”

  “Me, too. Do you know what all is going on?”

  She searched around to see where Johnny was and when she saw he was standing outside with the valet, she said in a low voice, “I wish I did. Ever since I returned to work here 9 months ago, things have not been the same. We’ve had two deaths…” and after seeing my expression at the word deaths, she amended, “We’ve had two murders and for what? Some of the girls are getting hooked on drugs now. That was never allowed before. That’d have never happen if Sophia were still alive.”

  Hearing Sophia’s name spoken made by heart fall. “What was Sophia’s role?”

  “She had a tiny piece of the business with her boss having the rest of their 60 % ownership…”

  “How do you know all this?” I interrupted.

  “I’ve taken over some of David’s responsibilities. He is very careless about what he leaves around. So it’s pretty easy for me to figure things out.”

  It was making so much sense now how Melissa could have gotten those pages with codes. On a whim, I asked Cindy, “Did Melissa have a special nickname for David?”

  Cindy chuckled. “David would die if he knew I had overheard them one time whispering together. She called him Big Boy of all things!”

  I felt lightheaded. Of course, it would’ve been David who had given the big diamond ring to Melissa. And Lord knows, all you had to do was look at him to know he’s never gotten over her death.

  In a flash, I thought of Brian being teased by his friends calling him B. B. I could see it now. His “big boy” must certainly be referring to his anatomy. No wonder he turned red whenever he was called that.

  I couldn’t help myself. I began to laugh until tears rolled down my face. I was a mess. I was hiccupping and laughing at the same time. Cindy looked as if she didn’t know whether to shake me or slap me. Finally, she just joined in the laughter. We hugged, holding each other up, and continued laughing. We barely heard the gentleman in front of us clearing his throat. When we realized he was standing there, we immediately let go of each other and turned to him.

  “I’m here to see Mama,” he said, in a quick, hurried tone.

  “I’ll get Johnny,” I said to Cindy, who nodded her head in agreement as she wiped her eyes on one of the tissues behind the desk.

  Johnny looked at me in a funny way, but strode forward and shook the man’s hands without saying a word to me, and led him to the back. Cindy and I looked at each other questioning if we both thought it was the same person we thought it was. “That was Roman Castille wasn’t it?” I asked.

  “It sure was,” answered Cindy.

  “I wonder why a porn star would have anything to do with Mama.”

  “Beats me.” Cindy looked at me and smiled. “Rosebud, you need to go and fix your makeup. Your mascara is all over your face.”

  “Oh, no! You’ve got to be kidding! I wondered why Johnny looked at me in a funny way. I’ll hurry back.”

  “Take your time. Why don’t you take your break as well? No need to hurry back as we are off our schedule anyhow.”

  “Thanks, Cindy. See you later!”

  CHAPTER 33

  I stepped into the Women’s restroom and threw water across my face to wash away the mascara that was indeed all over my face. That laugh with Cindy had done me good for I looked happy in spite of what was going on around me. I washed my hands and headed down to the employee lounge where I could touch up my makeup and look half decent again. As I reached the door to go inside, I again heard what sounded like someone crying.

  This time I was determined to see who or what was making that noise. I went further down the hallway past the first, then the second closed offices off limits. It was at the third door that I heard scuffling sounds. I lightly tapped at the door and called, “Any one there?”

  I heard more scuffling sounds. “Please, anyone there?”

  I felt someone more than heard a person on the other side of the door. Then, I could barely make out what was being whispered. “Help me, please.”

  I tried the handle of the door and it was locked. I shook it a bit hoping the lock wasn’t all the way set. Nothing. I remembered my nail file still in my pocket. I took it out and put it into the lock. I wiggled it around hoping I could unlock the door. In the distance I heard determined steps making their way down the hallway. Once they rounded the corner they would see me there and I would be in big trouble. I shook the door handle again and twisted the nail file further in. It opened just as the steps got closer. I went inside and quietly closed the door and hoped no one would check this office.

  I looked into the eyes of the girl I had seen yesterday and held my fingers to my lips signaling her to be quiet. I waited until I heard the steps go further down toward the pool area before I turned around searching the room. There were four of them in total. All young girls looking to be around 10 to 12. Then it hit me. I knew exactly what was happening. There was not going to be a drug bust! This was all about human trafficking!

  I felt sick remembering how the pool room was set up. Were they really planning to auction off these girls? It was set up that way! Oh, my God! I had to remain calm. I had to get these girls out of here and keep them safe. How was I going to do that? I heard a cart coming down the hallway and knew it had to be Romano. I kept my finger to my lips and told the girl, “Keep the others quiet.”

  As I turned to leave she grabbed onto my arm and begged me with her eyes not to leave her there. I looked directly into her eyes and told her, “I’ll be right back, I promise. You have to trust me.” She nodded her head and I stepped outside just before I could see Romano pushing his food cart my way. He had it all fancy with a long white table cloth covering it. I knew then I had found their escape.

  “Ah, Rosebud, what are you doing h
ere?”

  “Romano, can I trust you?”

  “With anything, my little flower! What’s wrong?”

  “You have to promise…”

  “I’ll do whatever you need. Just tell me what it is!”

  I tugged on his arm and pulled him into the room to face the four little girls who stood huddled together, staring back at us. The two smallest ones had tear-stained faces while the older two looked 90 years old with hopelessness emanating from their eyes. It took Romano a few seconds to realize what was going on. “Oh, my God! What have we got here?”

  “Little girls who are going to be sold unless we help them escape. Are you in or not?”

  “What can I do?”

  “Here’s my plan,” I said. “See if you agree. Let’s put this girl and one of the younger ones under the cart and you immediately go back to the kitchen as if you have forgotten something. I’ll follow you and get them settled into the kitchen storage area. Then, on your way back from taking more food to the pool area, you’ll stop by this door and settle the other two underneath the cart and return to the kitchen.”

  After hurriedly explaining what I wanted to do, Romano nodded his head in agreement. One of the two older girls spoke English and understood what we were planning and explained the plan to the other three. They nodded their heads in agreement. “Okay, let’s get started,” I said.

  I listened at the door and heard nothing. I grabbed the two girls who would be transported first and got them settled underneath the cart. Just as the last leg was going under the table cloth, there were footsteps coming our way. Romano and I both looked at each other in alarm and tried to remain calm. I began chatting with Romano as if it were the most natural thing in the world as we headed down the hall. It was Johnny who was leading another special guest toward the pool room. “On your break, I see.”

  I smiled and said, “Yes, I am.”

  He continued on. We hurried the cart along its way to the kitchen. Romano’s other helpers had punched out for the night, thank God. We pushed the cart all the way to the kitchen storage area and helped the girls out. Immediately, Romano left to go back to the pool area and pick up the other girls. I moved some of the boxes of paper towels, napkins and such to create a hiding place. I gently put the two girls behind the boxes and signaled them not to move. I placed my finger to my lips so they knew they were to be quiet.

  I waited there in the kitchen area. The 15 minutes it took for Romano to return seemed like hours. As he entered the kitchen, his face was red and he was perspiring heavily. The other two girls got out from underneath the cart and we put them alongside the others, signaling them to stay there and be quiet. Romano, true to who he was, gave each of them several cookies to eat and small bottles of water to drink.

  We were lucky in how the storage area was configured. It was an area behind the large walk in refrigerator and freezer on the back wall so that you had to come in behind them. Unless you were standing right in front of it, you wouldn’t even know the doorway to the storage area was there because the refrigerator and freezer blocked the entrance. Beside it was a door that opened to the outside. But there would be no use trying to escape from there at this time. The girls wouldn’t know where to go and they would be picked off in a hurry by the extra security guards on duty tonight.

  Right now it was important to keep the girls safe. In order to block off the girls’ hiding place, both Romano and I hoisted boxes in front of where they were sitting so it looked as if there was no empty space there at all. Luckily, Romano had a delivery this morning and we were able to pull it off.

  We looked at each other, both disheveled by now, and smiled at our cleverness. But we both realized there was trouble ahead and we’d have to face the music at one point. My break was long over, and I wouldn’t have time to eat. Romano also had to check out the pool area and make sure everything was in order.

  “My dear Romano, I don’t know how to thank you for helping me out. I hope I haven’t gotten you into trouble that neither of us can get out of.”

  “Not to worry, my little Rosebud. What you’re doing is the right thing to do. We have to find a way to get the girls out of here.”

  “I’ll see what I can do,” I promised. I was glad that it was Cindy out front instead of Bambi or Johnny would have sought me out long before this.

  I slipped into my spot at the front desk and Cindy looked me over and questioned, “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

  “I’m not feeling that great, but I’ll be okay.” I lied.

  Cindy knew I wasn’t telling the truth. It was written all over her face. I was worried to death about the girls. I was wondering how I was going to get them out of this place without being caught.

  “What’s really going on?” Cindy asked me.

  “Oh, Cindy, I…”

  We heard a screech coming from the back of the building it was that loud. One loud, long wail and then all went quiet. I said nothing to Cindy and waited to see what would happen next. Nothing. As we were standing there together, I saw through the one-way window the large advertising truck pull through the car port. Sally’s picture was plastered on it as if she were still alive and available. I found that depressing. Then it hit me. Perhaps it would be Sally to be the one to help the girls escape.

  “Cindy, what’s that truck doing here?

  “You mean the advertising truck? We own it; it’s ours. Sometimes, they keep it here overnight. That’s probably what they’re doing now.”

  This could work, I thought. All I needed were the keys to the truck. Then I could pull it up to the door in the kitchen and because it was so big, it would block anyone seeing us as we loaded the girls inside before I took off with them.

  “Cindy, I really need your help. Can I trust you?”

  Cindy looked at me long and hard, deep into my eyes. My heart began to gallop in fear that I had made a mistake by asking her. “Tell me what’s going on,” she demanded.

  I swallowed hard and quickly filled her in. I expected her to be surprised and alarmed at what she was hearing, but she took it all in stride. My heart dropped for perhaps I had read her wrong and she was in on the deal. “Stay right here. I’ll get the keys,” Cindy said.

  My body felt like putty and I could hardly stand up. I had been so intense while waiting for Cindy’s answer that my body felt drained of any strength at all. I tried to regroup, but the minutes waiting for her to come back were painfully long, filled with anxiety. When she returned, she was not alone. Johnny was right on her tail and I knew I was in trouble. Cindy edged close to my side and without looking at me, I could feel her hand slip the keys to the truck into my pants pocket. Then, Johnny pulled me toward him and whispered harshly, “Have you seen the girls?”

  “What girls?”

  “You know what girls! The ones that are missing. Do you know where they are?”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about!”

  “Don’t give me your fucking shit! I saw you and Romano in the hallway where they were.”

  “Where who were?” I pushed. “I don’t know what you’re referring to and I don’t have anything to do with any girls you’re talking about!”

  I knew he didn’t believe me. He yanked me toward him, close enough for his smelly breath to cover my face. He was sweating and determined that I was involved with the missing girls. He was getting angrier by the second and yelled at me, “I know better than that. Let’s see if Romano says the same thing! C’mon,” he said as he roughly grabbed my arm, pulling me along with him. As I turned back to Cindy, I mouthed, “Brian. Get Brian.” Hopefully, he was already here and she’d be able to find him. I would need him and Mike to come to my rescue.

  When we got to the kitchen, Mama was already there. She was a mess! Her hair was awry, her dress was wrinkled and pulled up unevenly. Her face was purple with rage. Romano was facing her down, “No one’s he
re. Out! Out! Get out of my kitchen! Now!”

  “Not this time, Romano, not this time. Johnny, check out the storage area,” she ordered.

  Romano was getting apoplectic, “Stop! No one’s allowed back there. Get out!”

  Mama looked from Romano to me, nodding her head up and down. “I knew we’d find them here.”

  Romano and I looked at each other, not saying a word. We could hear Johnny in the storage area heaving boxes around and making a mess of the room. I was so nervous that I wasn’t registering that other than Johnny making noise, there were no sounds from the girls. Several minutes went by and then Johnny appeared with a face the color of a beet and covered with sweat. He looked at Mama shaking his head. “Nothing.”

  “I told you so. Now, get out of my kitchen. Now!” Both Mama and Johnny reluctantly left. We could hear them hurry back down the hall and then hear doors opening and shutting. I was left standing alone with Romano, who was wearing a satisfied smile.

  Panicked, I asked, “Where are the girls, Romano?”

  “Not to worry,” he said. He walked over to the walk-in refrigerator and opened it. I saw 4 pair of eyes staring back at me in fear. The girls were shivering but okay. “How did…?”

  “Cindy warned me. Just in time, too.”

  We gathered the girls in our arms to warm them. We sat them back on the boxes in the storage area. I told them what was going to happen next. Romano was already packing them some food and I slipped out of the kitchen door and ran to the advertising truck. My hands were shaking so badly I couldn’t fit the keys into the lock. They dropped to the floor and I had to dig among the garbage left there by the previous driver until I found them and scooped them up. Finally, I got the keys into place and turned the motor on. I hadn’t driven this type of truck before but I have driven a van so what could be different?

  I slowly backed the truck up to the kitchen door and Romano helped me load the girls in. Just as the last one was safely inside, I put the truck into forward and began my way around the large, mostly empty parking lot to go out onto the main street. I was almost there when I saw the valet standing in front of the truck, waving his arms for me to stop. I was determined to move the girls to safety so there was no way I going to let anyone stop me now. I kept driving. The look on the valet’s face as I continued driving toward him was one of complete surprise. That is what kept him rooted in his spot for a second or two longer than he should have stayed there. He barely had time to jump out of the way or had I knocked him down?