Bob Moats - Jim Richards 01-03- 3 for Murder Box Set

by Bob Moats

  While I sat there watching Penny, around 7 p.m. my cell phone rang. I could tell from the caller ID it was Buck.

  I answered. Buck sounded distressed. “Jimmy, got a problem. Maria took the night off to be with us but just now got called back. It seems the girl who took her place for tonight’s show was found murdered. Deacon is having fits thinking it could have been her.”

  *

  Chapter Four

  I told Penny about Buck’s call. She said she knew my becoming a P.I. would attract murder. I had to smile even though the situation was grim. Penny told me to go see if Deacon was all right, that she would get a cab back to the hotel. I said I didn’t want to leave her, but she insisted I go help our friends. She said she would be all right. I kissed her cheek and went to the car. I called Buck and asked where they were. He said at Maria’s house but getting ready to go to the Tropicana Hotel.

  I asked where the murder happened, and he said in the backstage dressing room. Maria’s substitute had been there, along with a friend, getting Maria’s costumes ready for her to wear. There was an energy drink can in Maria’s locker and the sub decided she was going to drink it. The can was tampered with and poisoned. That’s why Deacon thought it was aimed at Maria. I told Buck I’d meet them there and hung up.

  I arrived, parked along the side and went in. I liked the Tropicana. It still had the old Vegas feel to it. The casino had lots of wood and gaudy wallpaper to make you feel like you were back when Bugsy Siegel still roamed Vegas. I had worked there a couple of times, doing my magic pitch for the small magic booth that sat out near the entrance.

  I went in and headed to the showroom, flashing my investigator’s I.D. and hoping the usher didn’t get a good look at it. I asked where the dressing rooms were. He gave me directions. I went through a small maze into the room. There was a bit of confusion going on, performers getting ready and showgirls flying feathers around. Off to the side I saw Deacon and Buck talking to some guy in a tailored suit. I approached and listened.

  “Officer DeAngelo, I understand your concern for your sister, but we will be watching her carefully now. You can relax,” the strange man was saying.

  Buck saw me and came over. I asked, “Who’s the suit?”

  Buck smiled and said, “Hotel security. You’d think with all the cameras in this place, they’d have some playback on who put the poisoned drink in Maria’s locker.”

  “They can’t have cameras in a dressing area. It’s some law. Women don’t want their private parts shown on YouTube,” I answered.

  “Dumb. These women parade their boobies around every night, but don’t want them to be seen online?” He smirked.

  “Same law that says no cameras in restrooms. You wouldn’t want your dick on some video.”

  “Hey, I’m proud of my dick.” He grinned.

  Deacon left the man and came over to us. Deacon was still a cop even though he was now on medical leave, which is why the suit called him officer.

  “These people are idiots. When the vic started to convulse from the drink, her friend called security, but she was dead by the time they got there. They called in Metro PD, and Metro did a cursory investigation then removed the body. Hotel security is being tight lipped about all of it.” Deacon was fuming.

  I told him I knew someone in Metro who might help us. I was thinking of Weber.

  “I grilled Maria as to why anyone would want to harm her. She has no idea,” Deacon said.

  “We’ll wait till after the show, and we can all sit down and do some thinking. We can go back to the suite at the MGM Grand. You’ve got to see this place.” I grinned.

  Deacon smiled briefly then looked worried again. I called Penny and told her what was going on and to expect guests in our room. She said that was fine with her, she needed better company anyway then she quickly hung up before I could protest. We went out of the dressing area to stand at the back of the showroom just as the show started. One usher came up and asked if we had seats. Deacon pulled out his badge and said we were investigating. The usher accepted that and toddled off. Deacon grinned at me and said, it’s nice having a badge. I agreed.

  We watched the show, and after it ended we went out to where we arranged to meet with Maria. Buck and I babbled about enjoying the chorus line of boobs. Deacon told us to shut up. After a while Maria popped up, and we departed the Tropicana. The MGM Grand was just across the road from us, so the trip didn’t take long.

  We all piled into the elevator and up to the floor. Penny opened the door just as we got to it. I said she shouldn’t open so quickly until she knew who it was. She laughed and said she could hear Buck’s distinctive voice from a long way off and knew it was us. Everyone came in to the main area of the room, amazed at the beauty of it all and the great view of the strip. Buck said he wasn’t leaving when he saw the whirlpool spa. I told him to stay out of it.

  I called room service and asked for a twelve pack of Milwaukee’s Best beer, a couple of bottles of some decent wine and a two-liter bottle of Diet Sprite. They had it up in record time. I popped open a beer and Penny joined me. We offered wine or beer for our guests. Buck took the whole bottle of Sprite and sat back. Penny said to me it was as if we were having a little party. Unfortunately, it was time to talk murder.

  “Maria, explain to me the dressing room set-up and procedure for the girls getting ready for a show.” I directed the question to her.

  “Well, the whole place is empty during the day. Anyone could slip in unnoticed. The lockers aren’t locked up because management doesn’t want them to be. I guess they want to be able to look for drugs or something. That energy drink wasn’t mine. I don’t drink that crap. I make my own energy drinks from good stuff. The girl in the next locker to me drinks that brand. Her name’s Lori Davis.” She looked at Deacon and continued, “I told the police and Deacon that maybe the killer put the can in the wrong locker. We all come in an hour before a show to get ready, and it would be then that Lori would gulp down her drink.”

  “Tonight, did Lori say anything to you about the murder? Did you say anything to her?”

  “Lori wasn’t scheduled to work tonight. We take turns for nights off so we don’t have to come in every night.”

  “Do you know how to reach Lori?” I asked. She said she had phone numbers of all the girls, just in case she couldn’t come in. I continued, “Did you call the girl who was murdered to fill in for you?”

  “No. I called Lori since she was off tonight. She said she had a date and would call someone else. I guess it was the murdered girl. I haven’t talked to Lori yet.”

  “Why was the girl in your locker?” I asked.

  “We have different shows and different costumes. She needed mine for the show tonight, and we all share as needed. I guess she saw the energy drink and figured since she was doing me a favor, she would drink it.”

  “I think we really need to talk to Lori now. This sounds like she may be involved,” I said to Maria. “Can you call her for me?”

  She said she would, and I handed her my cell phone. Maria checked her address book and dialed the number. She waited for a while then said there was no answer. She remembered Lori saying she had a date tonight and probably was still out. I said we would call on her in the morning. I told Deacon that I didn’t think this was aimed at Maria, knowing she would have never drunk from the energy drink can. The closeness of Lori’s locker, who did drink that brand, sort of suggested someone was trying to get to her. He had to agree, but said he wasn’t letting his guard down.

  We sat and relaxed for a while longer, then our guests left for the night.

  Penny was totally wiped out by the long day and greeting so many people. I insisted she go to bed since she had to do it all again tomorrow. She thanked me for not wanting sex with her tonight, kissed me and went off to bed. I thought about the sex part, but just opened another beer and sat in a chair that faced out over the strip. I loved the sight of it all, flashing and flowing. I could just barely see the volcano at the
Mirage as it spewed its watery flames upward, impressing all who stood by to watch.

  I started to think about the trip out there and everything that had happened since. I couldn’t believe I was back in Las Vegas, now with a wonderful woman who made my heart and a few other things work better. I really didn’t know what it was about me that Penny found interesting or desirable. I had charm, granted, but my body was not in the best shape, and I wasn’t all that handsome.

  OK, I had a weird sense of humor which we shared, and I made her laugh frequently. Women, when asked, always say they want a man with a good sense of humor. No one ever says they want a serious, reserved guy. I guess we need humor in our lives to survive. I had a happy outlook on life. I tried not to let things bother me, although most bad things did.

  I sucked it up, realizing that some things can’t be changed. But I was sure as hell going to change things I could. With my new profession as a private dick, I would go after those things that bad people don’t want changed and change them for the better. I thought about the murder of an innocent girl. I had to change that for the better. I put my head back, and soon I drifted off, asleep in the chair.

  I was suddenly blinded by a light. It was morning, and I was still in the chair. The light was from the sun reflected off the glass from the Monte Carlo Hotel across the street, hitting our window. I got up feeling a lot stiff from sitting all night and looked at my watch. It was 7:45, and Penny had about two hours before she had to be at the convention center. I went into the bedroom, dropping the clothes I’d worn all yesterday, and snuggled into bed with my girl. She stretched and, without turning towards me, said, “Good morning, Eric. You stud muffin.”

  I whispered in her ear, “Do you have a death wish?” She turned and kissed my lips and reached down between my legs and groped me.

  “Good to see these are still here.” She kissed me again and then jumped up and straddled me. She was naked, which surprised me. She said she waited most of the night for me, but she guessed I decided the chair was a better place than with her. She was my breakfast in bed, and with no crumbs.

  We rolled around in the sheets and had most of them off the bed before we finished. Lying still, she looked me in the eyes, and said that was better than pancakes. She jumped up and ran out to the main room, and I could hear the whirlpool spa turning on. I jumped up and joined her. We had breakfast again in the tub.

  We were dressed and had about an hour to go. I asked if she would miss me if I went off to investigate. She said she’d enjoy the solitude. I did say I was going to ask Buck to stay with her and guard her body. She said that idea was fine with her.

  I called Buck and asked him for the favor. He said he’d be happy to guard Penny. I didn’t tell him that the day was going to be really boring sitting around watching people, but I figured he’d find that out for himself.

  Penny and I grabbed a real bite of breakfast at the buffet and then headed to valet parking. We tooled out of the MGM Grand and went to get Buck. I said to Deacon that I would be back and we could do some snooping. He said he’d be ready. I noticed he had his service pistol tucked into his belt, still worrying about the situation. I drove Penny and Buck to the convention center and dropped them off. I felt sorry for Buck. He was in for a long day.

  I got back to Maria’s and went in the house after Deacon opened the door for me. I told Maria I thought we should go see Lori rather than call on the phone, we could get more accomplished that way. She got the address from her address book and wrote it down, and we again went down the strip to Flamingo Road and headed over to Rancho Drive to where Lori lived. I had gotten the location of her house from my Palm, and we drove into the drive. There was a car in front of us. Maria said she didn’t know what kind of car Lori drove, so we assumed it was hers.

  The three of us went up to the front door, and I knocked. We waited a bit, and then I knocked again. No answer. I went to the front window and looked in, then turned to Deacon and said, I think we should call Metro. He came over and looked in the window. A woman was lying in the front room in a pool of blood. Maria looked in and started to gag, but held on. She said it was Lori. She didn’t look like she was alive.

  I took out Weber’s card and called him, reminding him who I was. He sounded like he was in a good mood until I related what we had been up to from last night till this morning. I told him where we were and that we found Lori Davis dead in her living room but didn’t go in. He thanked me for calling and said he’d be there shortly.

  After a short while, patrol cars roared up, and we were overrun with brown uniforms. Weber drove up a short time later. By that time the officers had the door open, and CSI was on the scene. I asked one of the CSI if Marg Helgenberger was around. He wasn’t very friendly about it. I left him be. Weber came up and wanted all the details. I introduced him to Deacon as Officer DeAngelo from Trapper’s squad. Weber beamed at him and said he would like to talk to him about Trapper sometime. He really got off on Trapper stories. I think he actually missed him. Deacon introduced his sister, and Weber said he had read the reports about the murder at the Tropicana, so he knew about her.

  We went over to the sidewalk, I told him what we deduced last night, and he thanked me for the details. He ask that Deacon and I try not to get into too much trouble while we were there, meaning watch our steps, and asked that any info we come across be shared with him or the primary officer on the case.

  The primary officer came over. She was introduced to us by Weber as Detective Sergeant Lynn Carter, then he said he had to go stroke the wheels of justice and departed. I filled in Carter with as much info as we had. She was eyeing Deacon while I was talking to her, and Deacon was looking like a school boy being stalked by a playground flirt.

  Carter was a handsome woman, tight skin, bright blue eyes that pierced with a look. Either she was well tanned from working outside or a tanning freak and she stood just up to Deacon’s nose, a tall woman. She could almost see directly into Deacon’s eyes if she stood on her toes.

  Maria was on her toes, too, and stepped between Deacon and Carter. She could almost look into Carter’s eyes. She said she wanted to help catch the killer of her two friends. Carter moved around Maria and said she appreciated the offer and would keep an eye on her and her brother. Deacon said he would be available to help with anything involving the case. He had a special interest since his sister was involved. Carter said she was sure she would need his help. I was ready to get out a garden hose to spray the two of them down when she turned on her heels and said she had to get back to the crime scene.

  She stopped, looked back and asked Deacon if he’d like to join in to advise as an officer of the law. I could just about see him panting as he followed her to the house. Maria just stood there saying, son of a bitch. I took her arm and said she should be supportive of her brother, that I could hear the foot stomps of little feet in their future.

  She laughed and said she guessed Deacon deserved a bit of romance. She was worried for years that he was gay since he never had a romance that she knew of. I said it looked like there might be one starting since I could see Deacon following Carter around like a puppy in love.

  *

  *

  Chapter Five

  Penny was going great guns with chatting up visitors to the convention. She was asked a good number of questions about the classmate murders, and she would always introduce Buck as one of the crime busters who helped solve the case. Buck was a bit shy about it at first, but after a couple of hours he got into the swing of things and was enjoying the notoriety of it all. A number of people stopped to ask if he was Hulk Hogan, and at first he politely said, no. Then people started getting insistent that he was, in fact, Hulk Hogan, so he started to play the part.

  A while later Buck was leaning on the counter reading the pamphlet when he saw a shadow come over him. Looking up, he was shocked to see Hulk Hogan standing there. Buck started sweating and just said, hi. Hogan looked at him and said he could see the resemblance, but aske
d Buck to stop being him.

  Buck agreed and told Hogan that if they ever made the classmate murders into a movie, Buck would want the Hulk to play him. Hogan looked at the pamphlet and said he’d be honored. He said he was there promoting his cable show, shook Buck’s hand, and then he strode off, leaving Buck with his mouth open. Penny whacked him, and he snapped out of the trance he was in.

  “My God, did you see who that was?” Buck choked out. He went to his chair and sat quietly smiling.

  Maria and I wandered over to the side of the front lawn, to where a woman stood watching all the confusion. She looked like a neighbor, so I introduced myself, showed her my I.D., and asked if I could talk to her. She said I could.

  “Did you know Lori Davis?” I started.

  “We got along well. She liked to sunbathe out back, and I would talk to her over the fence. She liked to talk,” she answered.

  “Did you see anything last night, any comings or goings at the house?”