by Doug Welch
“Right. – All of us. They promised they would bring in the best professionals in town.” Elizabeth added.
“Will this be one of those 'don't muss me' days?” Caesar asked Alex.
“You bet, big boy. However, after the wedding, if I am not properly 'mussed', you and I will have to return to the training room, and you know what that means...”
Caesar laughed “Oh…I'm terrified! I guess I'll have to take my training like a man.”
“Wait a minute, the men aren’t escaping,” Elizabeth said. “We've scheduled all of you to be barbered, shaved, manicured, and washed behind the ears. Get ready for it. Eight o'clock.”
“Yes ma’am,” Paris said. “I guess that means it’ll have to be an early night?”
“We can maybe postpone until eight-thirty or nine but no later,” Elizabeth said. “The wedding is at one o'clock. Don't be late.” She laughed. “To be honest, this whole thing’s giving me butterflies. I don't think I'll be able to sleep at all.”
“Well if we're doing this, I guess we have to start getting ready. June, are you coming?”
“If you don't mind Paris, I'll pass. I want to see a show, and the valet said I could get tickets for one of the good ones. Maybe I'll ask Tom to accompany me. Have you thought about gambling money?”
“No, I forgot. How do we get some?”
She laughed. “I thought so. Not to worry boss. I set up a line of credit at the casino. You can draw on it for cash or chips.”
“How much?”
“A hundred grand. Don't lose it all.”
“I don't plan to. I just want to look like a rich fool with a beautiful date.”
* * *
Paris, Caesar and Dan stood in the foyer waiting for the women. Paris wore his black tailored suit with a pale blue silk shirt, open at the throat. Caesar and Dan appeared sportier with slacks, turtle neck shirts and sport coats.
The girls finally emerged from the bedroom.
Alex wore a near floor-length dark-green velvet gown that clung to her body, with a split on the side that ran up to her hip. The back of the dress revealed her naked back and in the front, the start of the cleft between her breasts. As she walked, her leg flashed from the skirt revealing glittering, green high-heeled sandals.
Roxanne was clad in a form-fitting gold dinner dress that came to mid thigh. It had a deep V in the front. Her feet were clad in delicate, gold, open-toed pumps.
Elizabeth sported a violet, silk party-dress, with a front dip that ran down to her waist. It had full skirt that came to just above her knees and swished around her legs as she walked. She wore matching t-strap shoes with four inch heels. All three carried purses to match.
As they walked up to the men, Alex said, “I hope you don't mind boys, but we spent a ton of our money today.”
None of the men could speak. They just stared, wide-eyed and transfixed.
Paris cleared his throat and whistled. “Whatever the cost, it was worth it.”
As they exited the elevator at the ground-floor level and began to walk to the casino, Emily beckoned them over to her desk.
“Excuse me Mister Fox, but could you wait for a moment? One of our resort executives, Mister Franklin, would like to talk to you. He’s on his way.”
Paris exchanged knowing glances with the group.
“All right. Mister Simmons will remain with me. Caesar, could you escort the women to the casino lounge?”
“Certainly Paris, it would be my pleasure.” He led the group out of the Penthouse lounge and into the resort casino while Paris and Dan waited in the suite lounge’s comfortable chairs for Franklin to arrive.
In a few minutes, a short man, dressed in a sharp business suit, walked into the room.
Paris and Dan rose to greet him. His massive body strained the suit. What he lacked in height seemed translated to girth. He had curly brown hair and an average looking but pleasing face. His blue eyes however, seemed to dart around, as though restless in his face.
“Mister Fox?” He offered his hand. Paris nodded and shook it, feeling the restrained strength in the grip. “And this must be Police Detective Simmons.” Dan shook his hand. “Please gentlemen sit down. I won't detain you long. I plan to get right to the point of this meeting. We have been in contact with a mutual acquaintance, Mister Tyler Bronson. I believe you know him?”
Paris nodded.
“Mister Bronson is well respected in the casino industry here in Las Vegas,” Franklin said. “In addition to owning properties, he has a reputation for obtaining results when it comes to –ah –specific issues. He mentioned that you and some of your friends may have –ah –unusual abilities that can be useful in solving one of our problems. Understand me, Mister Fox. We’ve never before involved a resort guest in this kind of thing. But the circumstances are challenging our resources. Quite frankly, we’re at a loss to explain it.”
Impatient with Franklin’s unnecessary explanation, Paris decided that candor could cut through the preliminaries and allow the group to pursue its target. He preempted a potentially lengthy discussion.
“Mister Bronson and I discussed your problem, Mister Franklin, and I have already agreed to help, but our time here’s limited. My wedding’s tomorrow and then we only have two days. We have commitments back in Kentucky we must attend to. Therefore. I'm not sure how much we can do in that limited time.”
“Congratulations on your wedding,” Franklin said. “I understand it is to be quite special. We would be happy to extend your stay in the suite and give you all the assistance you require. I can assure you Mister Fox. The Elysium can be generous, very generous.”
“Thank you,” Paris said. “We have a plan, that’s why all of us are here tonight. We intend to tour the gaming areas, offering ourselves as attractive targets, to lure the perpetrator into acting. We’ll need some items that you may have available. Mister Simmons can give you a list. We’ll also need a report of the methods that the person uses and the various casinos he’s visited. Also we’ll need the use of a resort limo and someone to drive and liaison with you. I think our valet, James, will do. Is that satisfactory?”
Franklin looked surprised but nodded. “Let me escort you to your companions, and I'll find what you need.”
Franklin led them to the casino as Dan described their requirements to him. They found Caesar and the women in the casino lounge, nibbling on snacks and drinking.
Dan left the lounge with Franklin.
“What’s everyone drinking?” Paris said.
“Virgin pina colada, Doctor's orders. – No alcohol. Right, Beth?” Alex asked.
Elizabeth smiled. “Maybe one glass of champagne on our wedding night to celebrate. –After that, no more.”
“I'm having a Baileys. Care to join?” Caesar said.
Paris noticed that Roxanne clutched a beer. “No, I'll have a brew.”
In a while, Dan came back to the lounge holding some envelopes. He passed one each to Paris and Caesar, kept one, and gave the other to Roxanne. Then he pulled some papers from the largest envelope.
“It's all in here. You can read it later. Franklin filled me in. It seems our boy steals from guests when they leave the table to go elsewhere. He snatches chips off their stack but only large denomination chips. He also – and this has the casino really worried – steals from the dealer's stash, right off the table. Occasionally, he’s been seen forcing the dealer to pay him on a bust hand. That one they have on video.” Dan paused and looked at Paris. “You know what that means...Do I have to spell it out?”
“I don't,” Alex said.
“It means if he’s a Shadow that he's either like us, a hybrid, or something else is going on, something more interesting,” Paris said.
“Like...maybe he’s not a Shadow?” Caesar asked.
“Possibly,” Paris replied. “Or it may be a Shadow vulnerability. They can hide from normal people but not from the machines.”
“That can’t be right,” Alex complained. “If that’s true, then we’d be seei
ng Shadows in home movies or surveillance videos.”
Dan shrugged. “Who can say we haven’t? In a crowd, they’d look just like anyone else. You’d have to compare the video with the live scene and that’s not likely. There’s something else. Sometimes the perp is a man and at others it’s a woman. We may be looking for a pair.”
Paris rose from his seat looked around the casino. “Or a single person in disguise. – Dan, can you come with me and show me the way to the restroom?”
Paris stopped him outside the entrance to the lounge and turned to face him. “How much does Roxanne know?”
“Nearly all of it. Of course she doesn't believe it, but Paris, she's an ally. She'll help us.”
“Okay. Fill them all in – in detail. It seems our Shadow friends may have another handicap after all. Maybe that’s why the Council banned them from Vegas.”
After Paris returned, they all entered the casino. The plan they’d agreed on was that Caesar and Alex would hit the craps table. Caesar would play, and Alex would act the jealous girl friend.
Dan and Roxanne would play blackjack. Dan would keep watch while Roxanne played.
Paris and Elizabeth were headed for the roulette table. Paris would watch while she played. The idea was for all of the half-Shadow members of the party to look for Shadow activity, while the Normals played to entice the thief.
They stopped at the casino cashier and each withdrew five thousand in chips and a wad of cash. Arranged with hundreds on the outside of the stack while the middle consisted of small denominations, it made an impressive stack of money. The gamblers drew chips in twenty-five, one hundred, and five hundred dollar denominations. Dan had argued that those amounts would be irresistible to the Shadow.
Paris followed Elizabeth to the roulette table. They chose the largest denomination table on the floor and sat down. The sign on the table advised twenty-five dollar minimums, inside or outside bets.
# # #
Elizabeth had played roulette before in Las Vegas. A player could either “color up” which meant she would be given a stack of colored-coded chips that represented a denominate she’d chosen, or she could play with the regular house chips. She decided the house chips would be more enticing.
The fastest way to lose money was to scatter chips all over the table, but she balked at that stupid choice. She just couldn't bring herself to do it.
The next fastest way was to play one number at a time, hoping to hit the number. She’d lose money steadily but slowly. Paris stood close behind her. She could feel the heat of his body and inhale the clean Paris smell. It felt good.
She decided to bet a hundred dollar chip on number seven.
The croupier paused and glanced at the pit boss standing with his arms folded near by. The man gave a slight nod.
She felt Paris stiffen behind her and suppressed an urge to giggle. If he doesn't like that, he'll choke on the next bet. The croupier spun the ball. It whirled around the wheel several times before settling into a slot.
“Number seven – red.”
Both the dealer and the pit boss looked surprised, but the other people at the table broke out in laughter and cheers.
Elizabeth was the one to choke as the smiling dealer passed her a stack of thirty-six one-hundred dollar chips.
Paris leaned close. His lips hovered near her ear. “Darling, the idea was to lose a little, not break the bank.” He nibbled her earlobe and sent chills down her spine. She vowed to herself she’d get even when they were back in the suite.
# # #
Alex draped her arms around Caesar's neck and pressed her body against his back. Her cheek caressed his shoulder and he found it hard to concentrate. He adored her without reservation. She personified everything he wasn't. He was shy while she was vibrant and outgoing. He pondered before acting and she was impulsive. Somehow by some magic beyond understanding, they complemented each other like yin and yang. He tended to not analyze it, just relax and enjoy it.
Now, it was time to get some attention. He’d played craps before while serving in the Navy and knew all the proposition bets, but he also knew how to lose money at the game.
“A hundred on six the hard way,” he shouted, and threw a one hundred dollar chip on the table. High odds bets in craps like hard-six tended to hemorrhage money. To win, the dice had to come up with double threes. Since the current point was six, there were two ways to make it other than hard six. If the dice came up with a six other than a three with a three he’d lose the money, a sucker bet.
The first roll was a four. The second roll was a nine. The third roll revealed double threes.
“Six – Hard six, Winner,” The dealer said. He counted out ten one hundred dollar chips and shoved them to Caesar.
He sighed. Behind his back, he heard Alex giggle. “I thought you were supposed to lose.” She stuck her tongue in his ear.
# # #
Dan stood behind Roxanne at a fifty dollar minimum blackjack table and massaged her shoulders. His hands felt good. She knew she was falling for him, but they were partners and she was in training to become a full fledged detective. It was hard to resist him since the job kept them in close proximity to each other.
When he’d asked her to go with him to Las Vegas she didn't hesitate. In the suite, when it was time to choose sleeping arrangements, there was no need for her to sleep in Dan's room so they assigned her a room of her own. That night they’d gone to swim in the pool and had wound up making love by the poolside, then again in his room. Now she slept in Dan's room.
That’s life, she thought, it always throws you curves.
She studied the huge stack of chips on her betting position. She’d won the last four hands. Each time she’d bet the whole amount of the winnings in order to lose some money. Now she had sixteen one hundred dollar chips on the table. Certainly she couldn't win another hand, could she?
The cards flew around the table. Her first card was a jack. The dealer flipped the second round of cards around the table. She just stared. She couldn't believe it. The people at the table started applauding. The second card was an ace.
Dan laughed, hugged her, and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek. Dumbfounded, she just wanted to go up to the suite and cuddle with him.
# # #
Paris, Alex and Dan stood together on the casino floor watching the players at the tables.
“If we’d wanted them to win, they would’ve lost,” Paris said.
“Actually, it worked out better this way,” Dan said. “They had a stack of tempting chips and a lot of attention. If our friend planned to make a move he would’ve made it. I don't think he's here.”
“Let's hit another casino,” Alex said. “We don't have all night.”
“There's a problem,” Dan said. “The money they won is in chips and if they don't have their Social Security cards, they can't cash them. It's more than the limit.”
“I don't understand,” Paris said.
“I'll explain later. For now, we need to have someone courier the chips up to the room and put them in the safe.”
“Okay, you contact Franklin and ask him to help us. We need some way of getting chips at the other casinos without spending our flash money. I'll go round up the others.”
* * *
All six of them fit without crowding in the limo Jaime drove. The car glided down the Strip as the sun hovered above the horizon.
“Let me get this straight,” Paris said. ”If I have more than twelve hundred dollars in chips, regardless of how I got them, I have to have a Social Security card to cash them in?”
“I'm pretty sure that's how it works. Not only that, you need to fill out an IRS form,” Dan said.
“What if the cash is not winnings, it’s just the cash I used to get the chips?”
“Maybe you can make arrangements to cash in only what you used, but what these bandits had was pure winnings, no Social Security card, no cash.”
“That’s goofy,” Paris said. “What do you know about it
, Jaime?”
“Paris, you guys are so far above me you’re giving me nose bleed,” Jaime said. “I've never cashed in more than a hundred in my life. You learn to not gamble when you live here. But I’ve heard stories about people who won a large jackpot, who had to fly back home, pick up their card, and fly back to claim their winnings. It's better to bring the card with you.”
“It's getting near supper.” Alex complained. “I'm getting hungry.”
“Jaime, these two beautiful women are eating for two. Think you could pull some strings and get them some food?”
“Nothing to it boss. Your wish is my command. If necessary, they can eat at the tables. I'll get you into the high limit areas. They have a buffet.”
* * *
They exited the last casino without having found their prey. Paris carried a sports bag he’d purchased, filled with chips from the previous casinos. They’d decided to keep the chips from the other resorts for the next night of Shadow hunting and Paris planned to stash them in the safe. They’d decided to split them up and cash them in before they left Las Vegas.
As the limo rolled down the Strip Paris finally saw the Las Vegas night blazing with brilliant gaudy colors all along the street and into the distance. It assaulted his vision, bright enough to make the street seem like it basked in daylight, glowing with beauty mixed with garish commercialism.
Elizabeth nestled against his side. “It's quite a sight isn't it?”
“It is, but I've seen a better view.”
“Oh yes? Where?”
“In my bed.” He drew her closer.
She smiled. “Tomorrow...”
“Tomorrow you and I...become ‘we’.”
Chapter 5
Wedding Day
Paris soaked in a huge roman tub filled with aromatic bath salts.
Just as Alex had promised, he had been barbered, shaved and manicured by an army of attendants, and was now getting his ears cleaned along with every other body part.
He could just imagine what was happening to the girls. Across from him, Caesar relaxed in the same decadent luxury, his eyes closed.
“My stomach has been tied in knots all morning. I could barely eat breakfast,” Caesar said. “This is helping me relax.”