Poker Face

by Noelle Winters

  Poker Face

  Noelle Winters

  Copyright © 2017 Noelle Winters

  Poker Face

  By Noelle Winters

  Many thanks to everyone who has supported me throughout this.

  All rights reserved.

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  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  1. Monday 26th September; 11pm

  2. Wednesday 28th September; 4:55pm

  3. Wednesday 28th September; 6pm

  4. Wednesday 28th September; 9:00pm

  Wednesday 28th September; 9:30pm

  5. Thurs 29th September; 7am

  6. Thursday 29th September; 2:30pm

  7. Thursday 29th September; 9pm

  8. Friday 30th September; 8am

  9. Friday 30th September; 5pm

  10. Saturday 1st October; 7pm

  11. Sunday 2nd October; 10am

  12. Sunday 2nd October; 8pm

  13. Monday 10th October; 4pm

  14. Monday 10th October; 6pm

  15. Monday 10th October; 9pm

  16. Tuesday 18th October; 11pm

  17. Wednesday 19th October; 11am

  18. Wednesday 19th October; 6:30pm

  19. Thursday 20th October; 9am

  20. Friday 21st October; 7:30pm

  21. Monday 24th October; 9am

  22. Monday 24th October; 12 noon

  23. Tuesday 25th October; 8am

  24. Tuesday 25th October; 3pm

  25. Tuesday 25th October; 7pm

  26. Wednesday 26th October; 7:30am

  27. Thursday 27th October; 11pm

  28. Monday 7th November; 6pm

  29. Monday 7th November; 8pm

  30. Monday 7th November; 10pm

  31. Epilogue - February

  Hi Reader!

  1

  Monday 26th September; 11pm

  Cairo took a deep breath, inhaling the cool, crisp air, and let it linger in her lungs before breathing out. Her heart was racing, she could feel her blood pressure rising, but she had to be calm. She had to pretend nothing was wrong.

  She could feel the shadow of what she had done chasing her. Had she done the right thing, stealing all that information? It was safe, it was secure on a heavily encrypted flash drive. And it was hidden - for now. Going to the police was the next logical step, but it wasn’t enough. She knew the police couldn't keep her safe.

  Her hand sprawled over her lower stomach, feeling the ghost of a bump. She wasn’t far enough along to show, no, but the baby had triggered a long chain reaction of cascading dominos, one that didn’t have an end. She would survive, and her baby would too. She hoped.

  Her feet stilled and she looked up, temporarily pulled out of her reverie. She was in front of the local cafe, Barks and Coffee. She knew the owner, she had gone to high school with her. More than that – they had been best friends. Liv was one of the most trustworthy people Cairo knew. She was like a vault. Once something passed her lips, it wasn’t coming out again unless someone had the right key. Was it right to put her in danger? Cairo didn’t know.

  She exhaled noisily, lifting her sharp-featured face to the sky and looking at the stars that sprinkled it. Most of them were obscured by the white, fluffy clouds, looking ominous in the light of the moon.

  Night time was her time. It was when she felt safe, secure.

  She slipped her hands into her pockets, and paused instead of continuing her forward movement. Her right hand found the deck of cards she carried with her, a physical manifestation of her now-online addiction. She glanced around, ensuring the surrounding areas were empty, before she pulled it out.

  Letting the cards out of the box, she looked at them, feeling the ever-familiar tug. The voice in her head that whispered, “It would be okay, just this once.” But where had that gotten her? Nowhere good. She owed the wrong things to the wrong people.

  She tilted one of the cards, its shimmery surface lighting up under the moonlight. She could barely see the crest on one of the diamonds that told her what it was. Trick cards, his requirement.

  A soft thud drew her attention. Immediately Cairo tucked the cards back in their small box and back in her pocket, shielding them with the heavy coat she wore. What was she thinking? She was out in public, running an errand – and dropping by his house.

  Besides, the police couldn’t do anything. It was never worth going to those in charge unless she could guarantee her safety. He was much stronger than they were, with much farther reach.

  She had learned that, bitterly, from experience.

  Evidence. She needed evidence. Something that proved his involvement. What she had was something, but nothing was fool-proof. The entire flash drive was in code. If he got out – and he had the connections - she was dead. She and everyone she loved.

  For a small town, Amaranth certainly had its share of bad guys. Its isolation made it an even bigger target for what had happened. What she had been drawn into. She pulled the coat tighter around her and exhaled shakily, glancing at the watch on her wrist. She had fifteen minutes.

  Taking a deep breath, Cairo squared her shoulders and moved forward. She stayed to the darker side of the sidewalk, trying to stay in the shadows as much as she possibly could. His lights were off, except for a small porch light shining like a beacon.

  Her nerves were starting to get the better of her. Her hands were starting to shake in her pockets, fingers trembling as she tried to curl her hands into fists. It was dangerous, messing with a drug lord. Especially when he had nothing to lose and no danger to face.

  Once Cairo stood in front of the door, it opened without a sound, the only change the length of its shadow as it opened and then closed behind her. Her wry amusement didn’t show on her face. He did love his dramatic displays. She reminded herself to stay alert, to look for the opportunity she needed. She had to have laser focus for what she was going to do. She had to find his office, and find his ledger - something, anything, to connect him to everything.

  The house was empty; not what she had expected. Her heart was beating faster, the pulse drumming in her ears. Where was he? Was this a trap?

  “We want you to carry.” His voice came out of nowhere.

  Cairo jumped, hating that her vulnerability had showed. For a second she thought she was going to hurl. “Carry what?”

  He stepped out of the shadows now, leaning against the molding of the door. Where did it go? She didn’t know. “Don’t play stupid.” His eyes held no feeling. She was expendable to him, and she knew it.

  “I won’t.” She had done a lot of despicable things for him, but she wouldn’t run drugs. Maybe it was the baby, or maybe she had just decided to be ethical for the first time in a long time. “I’m done with you.”

  He laughed. The sound sent shivers down her spine.

  “I have the money to pay you off.” Cairo made her voice stronger than she felt.

  “I’ll have to check the balance.” He sounded amused.

  Cairo stood taller, looking at him with level eyes. “I’ll wait.”

  He studied her for a few seconds, then turned and headed deeper into the house.

  It was now or never. He was going to kill her anyway for refusing him. It was up to her to get her evidence and get the fuck out of there. She stepped past the navy blue couch, past the large oak TV stand, and down the first hallway. It was an old house, the detailing Victorian, but it had been well kept. There wasn’t any peeling wallpaper, nothing out of place or dented.

  There was a faint creak. She froze. Was he back already? Her heart was threatening to jump out of her mouth, and for a second she thought she was going to be sick. But there weren’t any further nois
es. She let out a relieved breath.

  “Got you.”

  No! God, no. I don’t want to die…

  The long shadows near the house hid him as he pulled her body out of the trunk, heading swiftly to the unlocked door. There were few streetlights, and the house was flush with darkness. He wasn’t about to turn on any lights. Not that he needed them.

  He had the supplies in his car, and it wasn’t long before he had the noose formed. It would look like a suicide, and that would be it. But first he had other priorities. Starting with her heavy coat, he slid his glove-coated fingers into each nook and cranny, searching them thoroughly.

  When he was finished, he took the coat off of her in disgust. Nothing. He checked her pockets and anywhere else on her body she might have hid a flash drive.

  Nothing. Just a damned deck of cards.

  “Damnit,” he seethed, the words hissing out between gritted teeth. He swore more, but silently this time. It would be hard to explain why he was swearing at a dead body if someone found him.

  He knew she had made a copy of the files, and a flash drive was the only logical place to hide them. But where was it?

  He turned the deck of cards over in his hands. She really did hold onto the past, didn’t she? Gamblers never quit, even the cheaters. He could use that to set the scene. Her history of gambling was well-known to her loved ones, and it wouldn’t take much digging to uncover what she was doing. It was perfect. He felt a prickle of uneasiness sweep over him, felt the small hairs on the nape of his neck stand up. Did she tell anyone about what she had done? Had she given someone the flash drive for safekeeping?

  He was going to have to find out.

  2

  Wednesday 28th September; 4:55pm

  Liv walked over to the door, her hand reaching out to switch the sign from ‘open’ to ‘closed’. Then she stopped. There were five more minutes. She could at least humor them. She turned back to the counter of her coffee shop, surveying the equipment. It was dead on a Wednesday, only a handful of customers. Of course, they were all using it as an opportunity to gossip about the reason Liv had returned to Amaranth.

  Her family was big on privacy, even to the point they lived at the edge of the town boundaries. Her mother hadn’t shown her face in town much. Gram followed the same rules. Of course, that was starting to wane now that Gram’s memory was going.

  She looked over at the far side of the room, at the slightly chunky beagle sprawled out on the orthopedic bed. Mocha was older, seven and a half, and mostly well behaved enough that she was often welcome at the coffee shop when Liv didn’t want to leave her at home.

  Or whatever she called it.

  She stretched her arms over her head, trying to keep herself awake and aware. Being home for the first time in ten years had done more than enough to fog up her brain.

  The door jangled, the bells on the handle ringing. She looked up, surprised. Even though she’d decided to stay open the five more minutes, she hadn’t expected anyone to show up.

  “I can see your midriff.” River, Liv’s best friend, looked scandalized.

  Liv rolled her eyes. “Hi, River.” It wasn’t the strangest name Liv had ever heard in her small town. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m working tomorrow, came to see if you needed anything.” River sauntered her way over to the counter, her long, gawky limbs suiting her six-foot frame. That was one of River’s favorite complaints, that men were scared by her height.

  Not that Liv, at five foot four, could particularly blame them. But she and River worked, despite the height difference. And even after ten years away from Amaranth, they were still friends. River was one of the few people Liv had kept in touch with while she was away.

  The big city had been a huge difference from her cozy, small town. Liv had drifted from one job to the next – vet tech, nursing assistant, receptionist, fast food. Anything and everything, she’d tried it. When Gram had started forgetting things, mentioning Liv hadn’t called when she had or not remembering to feed Mocha, that was when Liv knew she had to go home.

  Once River fell silent, Liv turned her attention back to what she was doing. It was time to clear out the bakery display cases, and she picked up the few remaining pastries and set them aside to give to Gram later. She didn’t like to waste, especially since Gram had been the one to give her the money to start her coffee shop in the first place.

  One pastry she set aside from the others, tucking it into a bag. It was silly, and she knew it, but her Wednesday customer hadn’t come. She didn’t have a ton of regulars, not yet, but one, her best friend from high school, Cairo, always came on Wednesdays. Sometimes she came during the rest of the week, but in the month that Liv had been back here, she had never missed Wednesday.

  But today she hadn’t shown up.

  “What’s that?” River popped her head over Liv’s shoulder, taking advantage of their height difference.

  “Cairo normally comes by,” Liv said, shrugging and entirely unbothered by River popping into her personal space. That she could deal with. Someone pushing into her personal life, however? That was a different story.

  “Gonna take it to her?” There was an amused twist to River’s voice.

  Liv nodded. Just as she was about to speak, the door jangled open and someone walked in. Liv put the smile on her face automatically, heading to the register. Her eyes flickered to the clock. A minute to spare.

  “Hello,” Liv said, her voice warm. She didn’t recognize the woman, which was a rarity for their small town. She was tall and blonde, her skin as white as the rest of them who lived in the northwest and never saw enough sun. Her nails were painted purple, Liv noted, same as her eyeshadow. Her eyes were blue, like ice. “What can I get you?”

  The woman’s gaze lifted towards the board above Liv’s head, surveying what was available.

  Liv exchanged a look with River, who shook her head the smallest amount. She didn’t recognize the woman, either. She was dressed smartly, professionally, in a blazer and slacks. Close-toed heels peeped out from beneath the grey houndstooth pants, and she had a bracelet on her left hand. A business executive of some sort? Liv couldn’t think of anyone else that dressed so well.

  “I’ll take an Americano,” the woman said finally.

  Liv nodded, immediately punching it into the register. “1.65, please.”

  The woman paid in cash, pushing the single dollar bill and coins across the counter. Exact change. “Thanks.” Liv put the money in the till and started on the drink. The woman stood stock still, her arms crossed over her impeccable blazer. She wasn’t angry, though, or impatient. There was a tired blankness to her face.

  “Come here often?” Liv asked, trying to start small talk. She had to treat her customers well, and small talk was part of being a barista.

  The woman looked startled, then she refocused on Liv. “Excuse me?”

  “Do you come here often?” Liv repeated. “The town, I mean.”

  The woman looked away, then nodded. “Yeah.”

  Liv studied her for a moment while pouring the espresso shots. She didn’t think asking any more questions would get her anywhere. Instead, she just finished up the drink, putting on the top and sliding it across the counter. “One Americano.”

  The woman picked it up, heading not towards the door, but to one of the small tables that Liv kept for customers. She sat down, her purse by her feet and her legs crossed.

  Hating the way awkwardness prickled across her skin and made the hair on the nape of her neck stand up, Liv went and flipped the sign from open to closed. She didn’t mind that the woman was going to stay a bit, but she had plans for after the shop closed. She was going to go check on Cairo.

  “Anything else?” River’s voice was low, directed at Liv. It felt strange, almost like neither of them wanted to disrupt the peace and quiet.

  Not that a coffee shop could ever quite be considered quiet. The speakers played a soft but constant radio station. Liv’s favorite pop stati
on, to be precise. It was her guilty pleasure.

  Liv shook her head. “I’ll see you tomorrow?” She had the afternoon off, whereas River would be working the full day. Abby was working the morning shift with River.

  “Tomorrow.” River hugged her, then paused.

  Liv followed her gaze, watching as the woman stood and shifted to a different table, then sat down again. She exchanged a look with River. What was she doing?

  A few minutes later she shifted tables again, as if she couldn’t get comfortable. “Can I get you anything?” Liv tried, uncertain as to how to approach the situation.

  The woman looked at her, startled, then shook her head. “I’m fine.” There was a light flush to her cheeks, and she grabbed her purse and walked out the door.

  “Well that worked,” River said with a drawl.

  Liv elbowed her. “That wasn’t what I meant to do!”

  “Strange lady.”

  Liv nodded in agreement. She was so focused on prepping a care package for Cairo that she didn’t hear River slip out, and only noticed when Mocha trotted up to her.

  “Hi girl,” she murmured, giving her a scratch behind the ears. Mocha was a tricolor beagle, but as she aged she had lost a lot of her black coloring to brown. The once dark saddle on her back was now brown with sprinkles of black and white, and the smallest hint of white had started around her eyes. No matter what Liv did, Mocha was going to grow older.