by AR Winters
We blinked a few times to get used to the bright fluorescent light in the passageway, and I was vaguely aware that we could no longer smell the cloying nightclub scents. The dance area must’ve been well soundproofed, because other than some low thumping, we could barely hear much of the music. To our left, there was a door marked “staff restrooms.” Next, there was a small kitchenette and break room, and then there were another three doors. At the end of the passageway was another, slightly wider door, which we guessed led to the alleyway outside.
Ian knocked on the first unmarked door, and when a voice called out, “Come in,” we opened the door and walked inside.
The room was larger than I’d expected, with no furniture other than a large desk, and three chairs—two on one side for the visitors, and one on the other side, which was occupied by a man looking much older than I’d expected.
“You must be David,” I said, extending my hand and shaking. “I’m Tiffany, this is Ian.”
We exchanged platitudes, and I watched David closely as Ian and I sat down opposite him.
David had a longish face, salt-and-pepper hair, and eyes with dark circles under them. He reminded me of a tired-looking horse, and Ian said, “You look exhausted. Are you sick?”
David smiled wryly and shook his head. “No. It’s just all this work catching up with me. Josh used to do half the work, and now I do his share, which means double the work for lucky me. Plus, I have to arrange all the financials again, now that there’s his estate to deal with.”
“Which you got one-third of,” Ian said.
David looked at Ian steadily. “I’d rather have my friend be alive.”
Ian nodded, and I said, “We’re very sorry for your loss. But you understand we have to ask you a few questions.”
David sighed. “I know, I know. Mary told me. She doesn’t believe it was an accident.”
“And what about you?” said Ian. “What do you believe?”
David shook his head. “I really don’t know what to believe. I don’t like thinking you can just trip over and die one fine day.”
“That is an unpleasant thought,” I agreed. “But who would want to kill Josh? I was under the impression that he was a rather popular man. I mean, even his ex-wife liked him enough to hire a PI.”
David rubbed his brow. “He was good to her, I guess. But nobody’s perfect. Josh had his flaws.”
“Which would be?”
“Well, first,” said David, looking from me to Ian, “he was very popular with the ladies.”
Ian said, “Why was that?”
David shrugged. “He went to the gym, he was rather fit. Reasonably good-looking. And he had enough money to show the ladies a good time. He never had a hard time finding someone new to have a good time with, and he did like having a good time with someone new.”
“What about you?” said Ian. “Do you do well with the ladies?”
David laughed, and his whole face creased up, his grayish-blue eyes twinkling. “I’m gay,” he said. “And my partner and I have been together for twenty-five years now. I’m not interested in new people and good times.”
“So you’re a domestic man who owns a nightclub,” I joked.
“Something like that,” said David. “I work nights, I see the party life. But if I’ve got spare time, I’d rather stay home and relax, you know? Maybe eat a homemade breakfast. At most, we go out for lunch sometimes. How about you? D’you go out and enjoy the Vegas life?”
I shook my head. “I work as a dealer, most nights. This PI gig is new.”
“The life nocturnal,” said David, sympathizing. “These night shifts get really tiring, but what can you do?”
I nodded. “There’s not that many other jobs here in Vegas.”
“What about you?” David looked at Ian. “Do you also work in a casino or something?”
Ian shook his head. “When I was in college, some buddies did a start-up, and I invested a bit. I cashed out when they did an IPO, but my parents put it in a trust fund for me that they and their lawyer control.”
“That must be fun,” said David politely. “Being able to live off a trust fund.”
Ian twisted his lips and made a face. “It was fun at first. But now I want to do something meaningful. Like help people out.”
“I guess that’s why you’re a PI,” said David. “That’s the right job for helping people out. Helping them uncover the truth.”
David looked at me, and I smiled uneasily. The truth is, Ian’s been wanting to be my partner for a long time, but I’m not sure he’s ready. Ian’s naïve and optimistic, and more importantly, I’m just nervous of a future where we work together. I’d always imagined being a solo detective, like one of those lone wolves in a chauvinistic fifties-style private dick kind of way. But this isn’t the fifties, I’m not a jaded chauvinist, and Ian’s rather fun to be around. While I wasn’t ready to commit to a PI partnership, there was no harm in letting Ian hang around for a while.
“Maybe you’d like to see Josh’s office first,” suggested David. “It’s the room next door.”
We trooped over, and David opened the door for us. Inside, the room was the same size as David’s, but looked much smaller thanks to all the things crammed inside. There was the obligatory desk and three chairs; a bookshelf stuffed into a corner displaying a few books and lots of knickknacks; a fake potted rubber plant; lots of framed prints on the walls; and, of course, the mirrored hall table against which Josh had hit his head and met his demise. The hall table was a few paces away from the door, and Ian and I stepped closer and peered at it carefully.
“The cops already did a thorough sweep,” said David. “And I can tell you now, they found absolutely nothing.”
“I don’t doubt it,” I said. “If someone really did kill Josh, and they bothered to wipe his cell phone and his doorknob clean of prints, they wouldn’t forget about cleaning up elsewhere.”
Ian and I wandered through the room, too nervous to touch anything. Nothing jumped out at us, and I sat down behind Josh’s desk. There was a big computer with a large screen plonked on the middle of the desk. On one corner of the desk, there was a large leather stationery holder, containing various pens, highlighters, pencils, paper clips, and a blank notepad. On the other corner of the desk, there was a desk calendar featuring an abstract photo of industrial-looking steel bars, and a silver photo frame displaying the image of a teenage boy. The boy had blond hair cut sharply in a buzz cut, acne-prone skin that showed up in the photo, and wide-open, laughing blue eyes.
“This must be Taylor,” I said. “Josh’s stepson.”
David nodded. “And apple of his eye.”
“Funny that Josh was such a good dad,” said Ian. “Even though he couldn’t settle down with one woman.”
David shrugged. “People are walking contradictions. Josh wanted to stay young and party with different women, but he also wanted a family, and he loved being a dad. He doted on his son.”
I nodded and leaned back in the chair. Sitting here, I couldn’t sense anything out of the ordinary. I tried to think of how Josh must’ve felt that day—had someone come in here and threatened him? But the room was tidy despite the clutter, and nothing seemed to be out of place. I closed my eyes, trying to pick up on any vibes, anything—but there was nothing. The room seemed normal, and Josh seemed like an ordinary, conflicted man.
“Let’s go back to your office and talk,” I suggested, getting out of the chair. I didn’t like being in the dead man’s office, and I figured that David might be more helpful if he felt like he was on his home turf.
When we were settled back in David’s office, I said, “Tell me about Josh’s girlfriend, Chloe.”
David smiled wryly. “They say to always suspect the spouse, don’t they? Well, I suppose that’s as good a place to start as any.” His eyes drifted off to a point beyond my shoulder, and he was lost in thought for a few seconds. Finally, he said, “This was one of Josh’s longest relationships. Just over a yea
r now.”
Ian said, “How long do his relationships usually last?”
David shrugged. “Anywhere between a week to a year. His longest was obviously his marriage to Mary. He really tried, I think. Perhaps even more so, because of Taylor. But it’s just not in his nature to be monogamous. Some people can’t do it.”
I nodded. “But not you. You’ve been with your partner for twenty-five years.”
David grinned. “I’m lucky. And I guess my partner and I both wanted to settle down and be adults, you know? Keep house, have a family, that kind of thing.”
I nodded, thinking about my parents. They’ve been married for over thirty years now, and I’ve rarely ever seen them fight.
Ian said, “Some people just don’t want to settle down.”
“What about you?” said David.
Ian shrugged. “I’d love to settle down, but I just don’t meet the right women. They take off when they find out I can’t access all the money in my trust fund.”
David gave him a long look, and I tried to smile encouragingly at Ian. “I’m sure you’ll find someone nice soon.”
“Vegas attracts partiers,” said David flatly. “Those kind of women might not suit Ian, but they suited Josh.”
I nodded, focusing on our investigation again. “So, Josh hopped around from one girl to another. Mostly tourists, I guess?”
“A lot of tourists,” said David. “The occasional local.”
“And Chloe was a local?”
David nodded. “She was a stripper over at the Peacock Bar. They actually met at a grocery store, and I think they got along well.”
“Did Chloe know about Josh’s extra affairs?”
“I think so,” said David. “I don’t think she cared too much. She knew what she was getting into.”
Ian said, “And she was a stripper. So technically, Josh was kind of sharing a bit of her.”
David shrugged. “Depends how you look at it. Chloe wasn’t sleeping with her clients.”
“What about the assistant?” I said. “Amelia?”
David sighed. “She worked for both of us, and we had to let her go after David’s death. She found his body, you know. Said she was too spooked to work in here anymore.”
“It must be tough for her,” said Ian. “If I found a dead body in the hallway of my building, I wouldn’t want to live in my apartment anymore.”
I looked at Ian and frowned. I liked living down the hall from Ian and Snowflake, and I hoped he never did find a dead body in the hallway. Note to self: if you ever see a dead body in the hallway, hide it before Ian finds it.
“I understand how Amelia feels,” said David. “But now I have to look for a new assistant, and it’s not easy finding someone good. And so on top of Josh’s work, I need to do her work. It’s not easy.”
“I heard Amelia was a good assistant,” I said.
David nodded. “She’s the best. Really efficient, really hard-working.”
“Where’d she go after she quit?”
David said, “Josh and I own a restaurant off-Strip. The Thai Lantern. It’s Thai fusion food, and the hostess quit a few weeks back. We’d hired a waitress temporarily, but now Amelia’s there. She’s a great hostess and it pays more than her assistant job, so I hope she stays on.”
“How did she get along with Josh?” asked Ian.
“She got along well with everyone here. Very friendly person, very professional. So glad she lives in Vegas.”
“Why does she live in Vegas?” I asked, curious. Nobody ever moved to Vegas for good. There were a handful of locals, and Vegas was like any other small town in America that way—it was a place you left, not a place you moved to.
David said, “She came out to Vegas to vacation with her girlfriends, and she used to be an assistant back East. She’d just broken up with her boyfriend and was looking for a change. We were hiring, she interviewed, and then she stayed on here. I think she’s been working for us three years now.”
I nodded. She was probably just transitioning, the way some people do when they live in Vegas for a few years, get whatever they wanted to do out of their systems, and then move back to a family-friendly suburb and raise their kids and act like an adult.
“Did she like living in Vegas?” I asked. “Was she much of a partier?”
“I don’t think so,” said David. “She worked nights, like the rest of us, but she usually started at six and left at three, before the club closed up. I think she was like me, preferring to stay home on her days off.”
“And what about Josh’s relationship with her?” I said. “Did they ever get together?”
David shook his head. “I don’t think so. Josh used to say, ‘I don’t shit where I eat,’ if you’ll excuse the adolescent expression. He’s never slept with anyone who’s worked for us, as far as I know. Not a waitress, bartender, accountant or assistant.”
“There’s always an exception,” suggested Ian.
“Not with Josh,” said David. “He’s been with too many women to be anything less than jaded. He told me once that he couldn’t have a long-term relationship because at the end of the day, women are psychotic. Clingy, and never leave you alone.” He looked at me apologetically. “Josh’s words, not mine. Anyway, that’s why he wouldn’t risk sleeping with anyone at work. He didn’t want them harassing him all the time, even during his office hours.”
“But he got married once,” said Ian. “What was that about?”
David shrugged. “I guess he fell in love. It happens.”
“And he really thought it would work out?” I said.
“I think he knew at the back of his mind that it wouldn’t. But he also really wanted to have a family. And when they broke up, Josh helped Mary out as much as he could. She was a good woman, too, didn’t want his money. She could’ve fleeced him if she’d wanted.”
I thought back to Mary, talking about how grateful she was that Josh had helped her start her business and had been a good father. “I guess she wanted more than money.”
David nodded, understanding what I meant. “There’s more to life than cash.”
The three of us were reflective for a few moments, and then Ian said, “What about you? How close were you and Josh?”
David crossed two of his fingers together and held them up. “Like this. I guess we made quite a pair in college, but afterwards… anyway, I ran into Josh in Vegas after a few years at my job. It was great to see him, and I’d been looking for an out. Josh and I—we had a good business together. We worked well as a team.” David sighed, his eyes looking more tired than usual. “I’ll miss that guy.”
Ian and I exchanged a glance.
“I hate to ask this,” I said, “but you understand that I have to. Where were you when Josh died?”
David said, “I was home, sleeping in. I got a phone call from Amelia just before one o’clock. She was calling from the hospital. They’d brought Josh in. She’d panicked and cried for a while and then called Mary and me.”
I nodded. He was at home, alone, which meant that if Josh had been murdered, David was a suspect. He had no alibi. And he’d inherited a third of Josh’s estate. While David claimed that Josh had been a good friend of his, murders have been committed for much less money. So I had to keep in mind that David might have played a part in Josh’s death.
“What was Josh doing here at midday, anyway?” said Ian. “Don’t you guys start work later?”
“It varies,” said David. “We’ve got flexible hours. Sometimes, Josh tried to work days. He said that the quiet helped him think, and it was easier to communicate with some of the suppliers who kept business hours.”
“And was Amelia here?”
David shook his head. “The way it played out was this. Josh must’ve come in early to work. At twelve thirty-five, Amelia got a text saying it was an emergency, she needed to come into the office. When she got here, she found Josh lying on the floor. No one else was in here.”
I nodded. “How did Ameli
a get into the building?”
“We use the staff entrance on the side,” said David. “There’s a keypad on the outside. During the night, it’s unlocked, and we have a bouncer warding off smart alecks. If there’s someone who wants the VIP treatment, we escort them in through the back. Sometimes we do that with large groups, too, to keep them from crowding the main entrance.”
I nodded. “So Amelia must’ve come in through the side entrance.”
David said, “Yeah, it’s easier for us staff to use, and we don’t have to cross the dance floor every time.”
“And she used the keypad.”
“She must’ve.”
“Who else knows the code?”
David said, “Just, me, Josh and Amelia. No one else.”
“So if someone else was here with Josh when he died…”
David said, “They don’t need to have known the keypad code to get in. They might’ve called or texted Josh, asking him to open the door.”
“Then it’d be on his cell phone record,” I said. “I didn’t see any landlines in Josh’s room.”
“We don’t have landline service anymore,” said David. “It’s unnecessary.”
“So the phone records might have a key,” I mused. “We can get them from the cops.”
David nodded. “Exactly. Is there anything else I can help you with?”
Ian and I exchanged a glance. We seemed to have run out of questions. Before we left, I gave David my card and said, “One more thing. Was Josh acting differently in any way before he died?”
David shook his head no. “Not that I can remember.”
Chapter Five
Ian had wanted to take another stab at baking some cupcakes, but I was exhausted and went straight to bed for a few hours of sleep. All too soon, I was up again, and heading out.
It was early afternoon, and I had a few hours before my shift. I decided to use my time wisely, and found myself at the Las Vegas police station.