“She wouldn’t have it that long from the sound of her voice.” I had hoped by the time I finished distracting Sue that Kayla would be able to slip out the door with Eleanor. “What do you plan to do with me now?”
“We’re going for a little ride after I inject this syringe into Kayla’s arm. You know, one of those rides that you don’t come back from.”
“The only problem with that is Kayla isn’t here now.”
Sue raced toward me, searching the room. “Ugh.” She went back into the room and picked up the bag, telling me to carry it while we left the room. Right up ahead of us Kayla and Eleanor disappeared into the elevator and Sue pushed me to the stairs.
“I can’t climb down these stairs.”
“There’s a service elevator on the far side of the hallway,” a maid said.
Sue shoved the barrel of the gun into my ribs, concealing it from the maid who we passed, making way to the other elevator, pushing me inside it.
The service elevator wasn’t anything like the regular one and not only did it move slower, but it smelled like chemicals. I pressed my shirtsleeve against my nostrils when I realized it was ammonia. That’s the only chemical that sends me straight to the floor and I can’t risk that now.
Sue now put the pistol to my brow. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll call that friend of yours and tell her to meet you at the entrance of the casino. If she’s not there waiting for us with Kayla, I’ll put a slug in that noggin of yours.”
I pulled away. “It’s all over, why don’t you just face it. Eleanor and Kayla have alerted security by now and the police, no doubt. You can’t get away with this.” I pulled out my phone anyway and made the call, telling Eleanor to bypass the Elvis impersonators and meet us at the casino entrance.
“But Agnes—” Is all she had the chance to say.
I hung up quickly. “She’ll be there.”
I swallowed hard at every floor we passed. When the door finally opened, Sue had her hand holding my arm tightly, the pistol shoved into my back. I tried to plot my move and when I saw the line of Elvis impersonators, I slammed my elbow back and was able to free myself. I ran and disappeared through the throng of Elvises and headed straight for the center of the casino.
“Move out of my way, Elvis,” Sue hissed.
“He’s not, Elvis, I am,” another impersonator said.
The music was blaring and the Elvises were singing, with Sue trying to free herself from them and finally cracking off a shot in the air. I was dodging so that hopefully no bullet would find me as security raced forward.
Instead of Eleanor being safely hiding somewhere near the entrance, she raced forward with the power of a linebacker and knocked Sue over. Sue’s gun flew into the air and it then landed on a blackjack table. Sue was back on her feet as she slid across the table, chips and cash flying into the air. Luckily, though, a player retrieved the gun and Sue tumbled off the side of the table.
“Someone catch her, she tried to kill Kayla White,” I shouted.
The crowd tried their best to catch her as she jumped on tables, unsettling the chairs, and nearly made it to the door even though security was hot on her tail. With a whiz of powered wheels, Mr. Wilson wheeled forward and knocked Sue on the top of his mechanical buggy, taking her with him. He then slammed on the brakes and she flew off, landing at the feet of Detectives McCullum and Mader, who had just raced into the casino.
“She’s the one who killed Malcolm,” I shouted, as Andrew, Eleanor, Wilson, and Kayla walked over.
“My mother was working with Simone Lively, who was giving me those threatening phone calls while my mother killed Malcolm so she could get her paws on my money,” Kayla said.
“You should find Simone’s fingerprints on that murder weapon. She was the one who planted it in Mark’s room. They were working together, since Simone will replace Kayla if Kayla loses her spot here at Caesars. It’s in Kayla’s contract with the casino if she’s unable to finish her dates, Simone will be able to take her place.”
“What?” Kayla said.
“Yes, apparently Malcolm was trying to appease Simone since he had promised her that she’d be going to a studio so she could record her first single, but he never did it. Malcolm was only able to book Simone at the House of Blues.”
“So Malcolm kept this from me?” Kayla asked.
“Yes, of course.” I then turned my attention to the detectives. “When Yvonne told us that Kayla wasn’t there yet to prepare for the show, I just knew there must be trouble. When we went upstairs, sure enough, Kayla was tied and bound. You’ll find an empty floor safe.” I handed over the bag to McCullum. “I believe this is the cash that Malcolm has been skimming from Kayla.” I paused. “It seems that’s where Bambi Baboom got the fifty thousand she paid for her mother’s stay at Sherwood Oak, but that’s an unrelated case. Although she stole the money from Malcolm.”
“That case at Sherwood Oak is being currently investigated and Gwen is on administrated leave,” Mader said.
“That’s good to know. I didn’t want to tell you about Bambi, since I really like her mother, but it’s wrong what she did.”
“We’ll have another detective pick Bambi up since we’re not on that case.”
“My mother was planning to make my death look like an overdose,” Kayla said. “If it wasn’t for Eleanor and Agnes, I’d be long gone, leaving many heartbroken fans. It’s bad enough I missed another show tonight.”
“You don’t have to,” Ted said, as he appeared from between the crowd. “I told them there would only be a short delay. If you feel up to it.”
“Do I ever!”
Kayla was led away as her mother Sue was cuffed and walked from the casino.
“Why would Sue want to murder her daughter?” Andrew asked. “It seems like she’d want more than Malcolm stole from Kayla?”
“Apparently on the new bank accounts Kayla opened, her mother was put down as her beneficiary. Sue would also have inherited everything, including future royalties, not to mention a huge insurance check.”
“Money is the true evil,” Andrew said.
“Thanks for all your help, Agnes and Eleanor,” McCullum said. “Apparently, you were there when it counted and uncovered details that we might never have.”
“I’m sure you both would have in time. I’m just surprised that Sue and Simone would work together. None of us knew that Sue was in Vegas the whole time. Kayla even had to call her and she didn’t immediately show up, so we really thought she just flew in,” I said.
“Why don’t you go enjoy Kayla’s show,” McCullum said. “We can wrap everything up now. It’s going to be quite the case. I called a Sheriff Peterson where you’re from and he told us you two are experienced investigators. I’m going to be sad seeing you go, but don’t stay on our account.” He winked.
“No problem there. I miss our small town and my friends. We haven’t been home since we were married.”
“Oh, so this isn’t your honeymoon?” Mader asked.
“No, Eleanor won the tickets when we were on our honeymoon cruise. Apparently everywhere we go, crime follows, or it finds us.” I laughed.
Eleanor anxiously pulled me away, and we were in our assigned seats for Kayla’s show not long after. I didn’t even know there were assigned seats for us. When Kayla was announced, she hit the stage with pink, purple, and red spotlights. She wore a pink sequined cat suit and danced her way across the stage, singing into a headpiece microphone that was attached to her. It sure didn’t seem like she was lip-syncing like Simone suggested. If anything, Simone was the one who would need studio tricks to make her sound better.
I gazed around at the mostly young crowd and their happy faces could be seen as they sang the words to the song, ‘Girls Like Me.’
By the time the show was over, Andrew tugged me outside with Eleanor and Mr. Wilson alongside us as fireworks flew into the air and exploded in vibrant colors. It was so beautiful with the lights of the casino in the backdrop. Andrew held me tig
htly and Eleanor crawled onto the buggy and sat with Mr. Wilson on her lap! I snickered to myself, but I couldn’t blame Wilson, since he’s a might frail, compared to the well-fed Eleanor. It was surely an Outrageous Vegas Vacation, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world, even if we were in the midst of a crime wave at Caesars Palace. But like all things with Eleanor and me, they have a way of being resolved and thankfully we were spared any bullets this go around.
About This Author
When independent writer Madison Johns began writing at the age of forty-four, she never imagined she'd have three books in her Agnes Barton Senior Sleuths mystery series make it onto the USA Today Bestsellers list. Sure, these books are Amazon bestsellers, but USA Today?
Although sleep-deprived from working third shift, she knew if she used what she had learned while caring for senior citizens to good use, it would result in something quite unique. The Agnes Barton Senior Sleuths mystery series has forever changed Madison's life, with each of the books making it onto the Amazon bestseller's list for cozy mystery and humor.
Madison is now able to do what she loves best and work from home as a full-time writer. She has two children, Australian Shepard and hilarious husky to keep her company while she churns out more Agnes Barton stories with a few others brewing in the pot.
Visit her on the web at: http://www.madisonJohns.com
Sign up for Madison's mystery newsletter http://bit.ly/1sPnGmK.
Other Books By Madison Johns
An Agnes Barton Senior Sleuth Mystery Series
Armed and Outrageous
Grannies, Guns & Ghosts
Senior Snoops
Trouble in Tawas
Treasure in Tawas
Bigfoot in Tawas
High Seas Honeymoon
Agnes Barton Paranormal Mystery
Haunted Hijinks
Ghostly Hijinks
Spooky Hijinks
Kimberly Steele Romance Novella (Sweet Romance)
Pretty and Pregnant
An Agnes Barton/Kimberly Steele Cozy Mystery
Pretty, Hip & Dead
A Cajun Cooking Mystery
Target of Death
Kelly Gray (Stand alone) Sweet Romance
Redneck Romance
Paranormal Romance
Writing as Maddie Foxx
Clan of the Werebear
Hidden, Clan of the Werebear (Part One)
Discovered, Clan of the Werebear (Part Two)
Betrayed, Clan of the Werebear (Part Three)
Shadow Creek Shifters
Katlyn: Shadow Creek Shifters-Book One
Taken: Shadow Creek Shifters-Book Two
Tessa, Shadow Creek Shifters-Book Three
Outrageous Vegas Vacation (An Agnes Barton Senior Sleuths Mystery Book 8) Page 16