***
“Heck of a show,” was all I could think of to say, words having left me, by the time I managed to reach Marik backstage. Surrounded by his little band of merry men, he was grinning like a fool. A champagne cork popped. Someone thrust a plastic cup into my hand and splashed bubbly into it.
I looked into the sad eyes, but smiling face, of Dimitri Fortunoff.
“It’s over.” He held up his glass in toast.
I mushed my cup to his. “You guys played one heck of a risky game. Carl—”
“Knew what he was doing,” Dimitri interrupted. “At least he seemed to until he lost it.”
“I’ll take your word for it. But then Danilov broke. That must’ve been a surprise.”
“When we told him you knew where Carl was, he was worried you would inadvertently lead Molly to him before we were ready.”
“Then he led her there himself,” I finished. “But don’t be too hard on him. He had a good reason.”
I’d said too much, but thankfully Dimitri didn’t push me further. “And you followed. Thank you, by the way. Carl and Danilov owe you, big time. I’d never seen anything shake Marik until I saw him after the altercation. He had no idea Carl would try to shoot Danilov. And he was in no position to stop him. If it helps, the whole thing didn’t go down quite as we planned.”
“Nothing ever does,” I said, as Teddie flashed into my semifried brain. Then Jean-Charles. And The Big Boss. “I’m the poster child for the unexpected.”
“Keeps life interesting.” Dimitri drained his glass, then holding the bottle by the neck, poured himself another. He held up the bottle and raised an eyebrow.
I declined with a shake of the head. “You were the one following me, weren’t you?”
“Guilty. We needed to cut you off if you headed back to the storm drains.”
“Understood. I guess I should say thanks for watching my back, but since all of this is your fault in the first place, my gratitude would be misplaced.”
“It was the least I could do.”
I started to agree with him, then decided to drop it. After all, no one had been permanently perforated, so sins could be forgiven. Besides, I really like it when the bad guy gets what’s coming to him…or her, as the case may be. Somehow, when that happens, it makes the world seem a little bit better.
“I have a feeling Danilov and Carl have more of a history than you know,” I said, slightly altering the course of the conversation. “It sounds like some crazy stuff went on in Eden.”
“Carl and Joy took the worst of it. They were the most talented.” Dimitri pushed aside his sadness with visible effort. “Then Jenkins got to Molly. She couldn’t handle it. We didn’t see the signs until she flipped.”
That answered the last question. “Jenkins, he was playing outside the rules, wasn’t he?”
“Yeah. He let loose Satan incarnate and they shut down his program and ushered him silently, without fanfare, out of the military.”
“And covered up not only his participation in Eden, but Molly’s as well.”
“Sweeping the dirt under the rug.” Dimitri raised his eyes to mine. “If it’s any consolation, we didn’t leave Molly to prey on the public. We had been promised she was getting psychiatric care. Imagine our shock when she showed up in Vegas.”
“You hired her to keep her close?”
“She didn’t know me. I was Joy’s husband, but I had nothing to do with Eden.”
The magician was right, that did make me feel better about all of them. “That leaves Jenkins, who was shamed, no longer the luminary, the shining star.”
“He landed on his feet, but it wasn’t the same.”
“And hopefully he’d learned a good lesson,” I said.
“What was that?”
“Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.”
“I think we all learned that the hard way,” Dimitri said, as he refilled his own glass and turned his sad eyes to me. “Catching the killer was retribution for him, I think. Maybe for all of us.”
I let that comment go. What was there to say? I suspected he was right—a chance at closure, at moving on… at saying good-bye.
“Marik told me how clever you were seeing through our charade,” Dimitri said after a bit. “But how’d you come to the conclusion it was Molly we were after?”
Rethinking my need for alcohol, I stuck out my glass and watched the magician fill it before I began. “For starters, I could tie everyone to Eden or to one another in some way.”
“Except Molly and Mortimer,” Dimitri explained for me.
“Yes, except for them.” As I took a sip of champagne, the others joined us, all of them looking very pleased with themselves. Since no one had been hurt and justice had been done, I started to share their good spirit. Of course, the bubbly wasn’t hurting. “Then Bart Griffin’s message got me thinking. If you guys were trying to actually deliver a message, then the recipient had to know a lot about Houdini.”
“But that didn’t necessarily leave out Mortimer,” Zoom-Zoom added.
“No, even though he claimed he didn’t know what the code words meant, he could have been lying,” I agreed. “But Molly showed her hand twice. First, I started to suspect her when she broke into my apartment the second time. Why she went to all the trouble to scale the building and leave again by the same route when, with her talents, she could have used the fire escape, a much easier route.”
“Why did she do that, do you think?” Marik asked as he joined us.
“Dimitri was watching the front of the building. The fire escape is plainly visible from there. On the other hand, my balcony is on the side of the building, somewhat out of sight.”
“And what was her second mistake?” Danilov shouldered in next to Marik.
I still wasn’t sure I trusted the man, and what he did in Eden was probably criminal, but the others apparently held him in high esteem, so I answered. “My phone.”
I turned and locked eyes with Zoom-Zoom, who lurked behind the others. He took a step back.
“Your phone?” Danilov said.
I nodded. “Tell me, who knew where Carl was? All of you?” I held my gaze with Dr. Zewicki.
“Only Dimitri, Danilov, and myself,” Marik said. “We thought the fewer who knew, the safer.”
“Well, somebody had to tell Molly that not only did I know where Carl was, but that Teddie did also.”
“Who would do that?” Marik asked.
“Her accomplice.”
“What?” Marik, Danilov, Jenkins, and Griffin said in unison—the latter two coming in late to the discussion.
“Isn’t that right, Dr. Zewicki?” I advanced on him.
He cowered back, but Marik grabbed his arm.
“You were sniffing around the van pool when Teddie and I brought back the van. Later, when you heard from the rest of the gang that I had been to see Carl, you put two and two together. You knew I wouldn’t tell where I had gone, but you thought, if you could get your hands on my phone, then you could dupe Teddie into telling you.”
“You’re nuts!” the astronaut said as I advanced on him.
“You were the last person seen with Jenkins before he found himself wandering lost in the desert. You also had a tight relationship with Molly, one I witnessed myself.”
“But, I tried to stop Danilov from leading Molly to Carl! I ended up bound and gagged in the laundry for my efforts,” Zoom-Zoom implored, his voice cracking.
“No, Danilov discovered your duplicity, immobilized you, and rushed to warn Carl,” I said, as I searched the group that had gathered around for the face of the mentalist. “Isn’t that right, Mr. Danilov?”
“I can’t prove anything,” Danilov responded, as he pushed to the front of the throng. “I acted on a hunch, that’s all.”
“You both are nuts!” The astronaut looked imploringly around the group. “Surely you don’t believe her, do you?”
Stony silence greeted him.
“You can’
t believe her!” Zewicki’s voice rose. He glared at me. “You can’t prove any of this.”
“Not a damned thing,” I admitted. “Maybe Miss Rain will roll on you, maybe she won’t, but I do know one thing: With this group, paybacks are hell.”
***
I found Carl in a corner, out of sight, and apparently out of mind. Seated on the floor, hugging his knees to his chest, he glanced up at me as I lowered myself to sit beside him. “She’s gone,” he said simply, as if I would understand.
“I know.” Putting my arm around him, I pulled him tight. “Are you going to be okay?”
He nodded once, his mouth set in a determined line. “I could hear her, you know…my sister. She talked to me, even after…” He swallowed hard. His eyes held tears, but no madness. “She kept me company, just like when we were kids. It was like she’d never left, never died.”
Figuring Carl only needed someone to listen, I stayed quiet.
“But now, I don’t hear her anymore. I know she’s gone. She thanked me, said good-bye, and told me she’d be waiting, but not to waste the life I had left.” He sat up straight and wiped his eyes. “I’m not sure how to do that by myself.”
“But you’re not by yourself. None of us are. And, truth be told, none of us know how to muddle through by ourselves.” I made a sweeping gesture, taking in the whole of the backstage, encompassing Marik, Danilov, Bart Griffin, and Jenkins, who stood just out of earshot watching us. “That’s the magic of friends: We’re all here for each other.”
***
The night was late, I was tired, and I needed a hug, une étreinte, if you will. And I knew just the place to get one.
The Bondage Ball had grown in intensity, the overflow filling every nook and cranny of the hotel’s public places. Staggered by the crowd’s intensity, I paused at the entrance to the casino unable to muster the courage to dive in. A band played on a stage in the far corner. By the time the music reached me, the decibel level had fallen just below terminal levels. For the revelers dancing near the stage, the amount of alcohol necessary to withstand the pain boggled the mind.
A woman in full S and M regalia (such as it is) and carrying a whip in one hand and holding a leash in the other, sashayed by. The leash was attached to the metal spiked collar around her escort’s neck. Clad only in a black leather thong and the collar, he looked happy. I couldn’t get my mind around that, not that I really wanted to. Sometimes life is too real. This was one of those times.
Flash found me there, mouth agape, weighing my options. “Girlfriend, the party looks awesome. What’s keeping you on the sidelines?”
“Good sense and self-preservation,” I said, as I gave my friend the once-over. “Besides, I left my whips and chains at home, silly me.”
“What were you thinking?” Dressed as Little Bo Peep in a dirndl with cinched waist, a gathered neckline that perfectly framed her ample chest, and just enough length to put her legs and nothing else on display—if she didn’t bend over—Flash looked ready to join the fray. With her hair in two loose braids, her pink stilettos on her feet, her lips painted a come-hither red, she would fire many a male fantasy tonight, of that I was certain. Amazingly, her bruises had faded until I had to look for them, finding only the barest shadow under her makeup.
“Did you get your story?” I hooked my arm through hers, I don’t know why. I guess I just felt like it.
“Written and filed, thanks to you.” She patted my hand on her arm. “Another headline in the R-J. I owe you.”
“I’d say we’re square—we both took lumps for the team this time around. Are you going to join the festivities?”
She snagged a flute of champagne from a passing waiter. “I never thought I’d say this, but I’m just not in the mood.”
“Me, neither,” I sighed, shouldering an unexpected weight of sadness—melancholy was so not my thing. Maybe Teddie had hit me harder than I thought.
She cast troubled eyes up at me. “Do you think we’re getting old?”
“Us?” I rolled my eyes. “Never.”
“Wise, then?”
“Wisdom would be good,” I said. “If the Fates are going to give us wrinkles, there sure as heck had better be a quid pro quo.”
“Amen, to that.”
“I’m thinking a hamburger might be just what the doctor ordered.” I shot Flash a grin.
She waggled her eyebrows at me. “Count me in.”
***
Jean-Charles held the door for his last patrons as my little party arrived. On the way, Flash and I had corralled Miss P and the Beautiful Jeremy Whitlock who, with his lady love at his side, seemed to be recovering nicely.
“Is the kitchen still open?” I asked.
“For you, always.” Jean-Charles grabbed my hand and pulled me to him. He wrapped an arm around my waist, holding my body to his. He was really good at that. When he lowered his lips to mine, his kiss held all the fire, all the passion, all the promise I hoped for. The ball of warmth exploding in my core was an added benefit. I wondered just how long I’d be able to resist. Just how long a cool head would prevail. Just how long I’d wait before I screwed up my life once again. Right now, the smart money was on “not very long at all.” Of course, right now my defenses were down.…
My friends had eased around us into the restaurant by the time we came up for air.
“You French,” I teased, as I put an unsteady hand in my chef’s chest, pushing him to a safer distance. Breathing was impossible when he was this close. “You always want desert first.”
“But, of course!” His face clouded as he took his first good look at me. “What has happened to you? You are all right, non?”
“But, of course!” I teased, forcing a jaunty smile. “I’ll explain later. Right now you have guests.”
With my hand clutched firmly in his, he pulled me inside the restaurant, closing and locking the door behind us. We joined the others who were now seated around the oval table in the kitchen.
Jean-Charles whispered to me, “Will you get some glasses and a couple of bottles of wine from the bar?”
As I moved to do as he asked, he clapped his hands for attention. “Welcome, my friends. The kitchen is open. What is your pleasure?”
Boy, he’d better not ask me that question!
A few minutes spent rummaging behind the bar while excited voices and easy laughter wafted from the kitchen and I’d managed to find two bottles of nice Bordeaux, enough appropriate glasses, and my smile. As I walked across the restaurant, arms laden, I caught sight of Dane, his nose pressed against the window, his arm raised to rap on the glass.
Seeing me, he stepped back, waiting.
After depositing my armful on the nearest table, I unlocked the door for him and held it wide. “Come on in. The party’s in the kitchen.”
“When Romeo finishes, I think he and Brandy might join us as well,” Dane said as he stepped inside, then grabbed a bottle and some glasses off the table.
“I doubt he’ll be too long,” I said, picking up what was left to carry. “Molly Rain fired a loaded weapon, injuring a police officer. Anyway you look at it, that’s a felony and a hefty one at that.”
“And she’ll still do time on the other murder?” Dane asked.
“Doubtful,” I said, not liking it one bit. “They didn’t have any proof, only supposition. So they lured her into committing another felony, one she’d do time for. I guess they’ll have to be satisfied with that. I guess we all will.”
“Do you really think the astronaut helped her?”
“I don’t know,” I said as I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. I didn’t like thinking about the seedier sides of human nature.
“Why would he?” Dane pushed.
“She had the talent, he had the platform?” I offered. “I don’t know. Who knows why people do what they do?” I turned to join friends, to partake of the comfort they offered.
“What about the others?” Dane’s hand on my arm stopped me.
&nbs
p; “They got what they wanted and I can’t think of any law they broke.” I stopped just outside of earshot of the others in the kitchen. “They didn’t think she’d shoot Romeo, but they put too many innocents in the crossfire. It was a dangerous game they played. And, although I understand it, that doesn’t make it any easier to swallow. All that being said, they got what they wanted and remained in the clear. Sort of divine justice.”
Dane’s smile lit the emerald in his eyes. “You and me are reading from the same hymnal.”
***
Everyone greeted our newcomer, Miss P patting the chair next to her—smart woman. There were worse ways to spend a few hours than bracketed by two of the most tempting of the male species. Of course, in Vegas, that often was just the start to an interesting evening…or so I’ve been told.
I busied myself with glasses and wine. After serving those seated at the table, I grabbed a glass for myself and one for Jean-Charles, who was monitoring food preparation in front of the stove. “Are you sure you don’t mind doing this? You’ve already had a long day,” I asked him as I watched his practiced movements, his studied nonchalance, his attention to detail.
“Apparently not as long as yours.”
“Can we not talk about that now? I’ll tell you if you wish, but most questions you have will be answered in the morning paper.”
He raised his eyebrows, but instead of asking more questions, he raised his glass. “To the future.”
I clinked my glass with his.
Behind me, Jeremy cleared his throat. “I have a toast also.”
We gave him our attention.
“To my beautiful lady on the day after her fiftieth birthday. No matter the years, you will always be the light of my life.”
That elicited awwws from the women as we toasted the two of them. She had found the courage to face life, to face the truth no matter the cost. When I looked at her, her eyes caught mine and I could tell she knew what I was thinking. We raised our glasses to each other.
“Now, it’s my turn,” I said. “To the same beautiful lady, who happens to be the Babylon’s new Head of Customer Relations.”
So Damn Lucky (Lucky O'Toole Vegas Adventure Book 3) Page 34