Tears slipped out of the corners of my eyes. “How could they not?” I whispered. “The only thing I can hope is that it was dark outside, and there was bright light behind me, so maybe they didn’t recognize me.”
But we both knew in our hearts they did.
“Do you think we should go to the police?” he asked.
“ No!” I kind of hissed it at him. “What if I didn’t see what I think I did? What if we drag the police out there, and there’s no sign of a body or a murder? I’m not going to bring that kind of attention to us, and I don’t want to scare Mom and Dad. I say we wait and see what happens.”
“Ok,” he said, “but from here on out, you have to stay with me or your mom and dad at all times. Don’t go anywhere, not even to the bathroom, by yourself. I’ll get up with you on your workdays and make sure you get to the car. Got it?”
I nodded my head. We needed to get back to the table. I dashed into the ladies room and splashed cold water on my face. I brushed my hair, freshened my makeup, and left the restroom. Darby was still in the hallway waiting for me.
It had helped to talk with him and tell him what I had seen. It would make it easier to put on a happy face for my parents and attempt to enjoy dinner.
Darby was holding my hand as we walked back to the table.
“Aw, you too are so cute together,” Mom said as we slid into the booth again. “I wish we were getting you for a son-in-law, Darby.” She looked at me and said with a scolding tone, “Mick better be at least as great as Darby is, or I’m going to be upset.” Dad started chuckling.
“Mom,” I said while holding back an irritated sigh. “There’s no one like Darby, and that’s why he’s my best friend. Mick’s different. You’ll like him, too.”
“Oh, I’m just teasing you, honey,” she said. “Don’t be so sensitive. I’m sure we’ll like Mick just fine.”
Darby squeezed my hand under the table, while giving me a sympathetic smile. He knew I was doing all I could to hold myself together. I skimmed my menu and forced myself to focus on something to eat. I had skipped lunch yet again, and realized I hadn’t eaten anything all day except half of my breakfast at Eggs-travaganza! That seemed like forever ago, and the newspaper stories from this morning were the least of my worries now.
The menu was fabulous. I drank a glass of the Riesling while I contemplated the offerings, and Darby quickly poured a second glass for me. Dad ordered a rib-eye steak, while Mom ordered a tasting plate so she could try several different items. Darby and I went right for the seafood with him ordering a char-grilled seafood platter, and me the New Orleans barbeque shrimp.
I was almost afraid I wouldn’t be able to eat when I spotted Dudley and his presumed wife coming into the restaurant. My stomach flopped over as they were seated at a table not too far from us. He caught my eye and tipped his hat to me before removing it from his head. My brain was too tired and too stressed to make any attempt at understanding what his connection to any of this was – if there even was one.
Over dinner, Mom and Dad filled me in on the magic trick. Apparently, according to Fitch, I had been sent to the Las Vegas Zoo. In his attempts to bring me back, the box had yielded a baby brown bear, a very large snake, a duck, and a zookeeper. The last attempt before I reappeared brought four monkeys at one time. The monkeys had the audience laughing and set the stage for my return. I didn’t know it, but the girl who helped me up the ladder had stuck a duck feather in the back of my mussed hair, which added to the humor of my confusion. Dad couldn’t wait to get back home and tell Tom and Bitsy about their nephew’s success, and how I ended up being part of the act.
We enjoyed the dinner conversation and the food. Darby and I had tried many of Emeril’s recipes at home, and they had been delicious, but our efforts couldn’t compare with the food we were eating. Darby and I finished the wine after dinner, while Mom and Dad split a piece of banana cream pie.
As we were leaving, we walked past Dudley’s table, and he looked directly at me. I made eye contact and gave him a cheeky salute as I walked by. I was certain I saw a surreptitious smile on his face. Who was this man, and what was he up to?
As we walked back toward the casino, Dad asked, “What do you think, Susan? Should we try our luck in the poker room?”
Darby nodded at me. The poker room was quieter than other areas of the casino, and there would be no drama or confrontations there. Plus, Dad would unknowingly be watching over me.
“I’m up for it,” I told him. “Should we try a no limit Texas Hold ‘Em game and start with $1,000 in chips?” I gave Dad a mischievous smile.
“That’s my girl,” he said with a hearty laugh. He turned to Darby and Mom and said cheerfully, “We’ll see you two later.”
Darby gave me a hug and whispered in my ear, “I’ll look around if I can. You stay with your Dad, and don’t leave him for any reason.”
I nodded at him and waved to Mom, who was already running toward an open Betty Boop machine. I hurried off after Dad. I only had to wait twenty minutes for a seat at a table, and I noticed Dad was seated at the table next to mine about ten minutes later.
Eight men and one other woman were seated at my table. I heard a couple of snarky comments when I sat down about a fish joining the table, but most of the players were cordial. The fish comment was to alert the table that a bad player who would lose a lot of money had joined the game.
I played the first few hands loosely. The dumb blonde act might work in my favor with a few of the players. Little by little, I tightened up my game. Aunt Charlotte and I had worked hard to have no tells in the game, and had worked even harder to make up a few to use for bluffing tactics.
When you know how to play the game well, it might appear to another player you’re getting lucky cards or special treatment. One of the younger players at the table started to whine to the dealer saying I had been dealt cards to make three full houses in a row, even though they hadn’t actually been in a row. He demanded the dealer open a new deck of cards. He had a huge pile of chips, but the more he complained, the more he was losing.
Three hours later, everyone was still at the table, and the chips were moving back and forth rapidly between players. I had my own huge stack of chips now, and was looking to take one of the bigger pots when it came around again.
I watched the whiner look at the two cards he had been dealt. His twitch and furtive look around the table told me he had picked up something he liked. A couple of other players also gave promising tells. I slighted lifted my two cards to peek at them. I had been dealt the jack and queen of hearts. There would be some action on this hand. The flop came and produced the ten of hearts, the king of clubs, and the ten of clubs. The turn card came and was the king of hearts. The pot had already swelled to several thousand dollars with raises and re-raises. The whiner’s twitch went crazy for a second when the turn card was revealed. He probably had kings and, at least, a full house now. All I could hope for was a royal flush. I had to continue bluffing and hope for the final card on the river.
Five people were still in the pot, and we went through another round of raises and re-raises. It was time for the river card . . . and it was the Ace of Hearts. I didn’t flinch, not even the tiniest bit. One of the men started to stroke his nose, and I knew the river card hit something in his hand. When it came to me, I pushed all of my chips toward the center of the table and said, “All in.”
The complainer smiled. He was sure I was bluffing. Two people folded. The man stroking his nose matched my chips of $2800. The complainer shoved in his $2800. It was time for the showdown. The nose stroker showed a full house with aces high. The complainer didn’t even wait to see my hand, he stood up and yelled, “Yeah, baby!” and threw his hand down on the table. He had four kings. He did several celebratory fist pumps by his chair, and turned to claim the pot. I had quietly turned over my cards. It took a few seconds for him to realize I had the royal flush.
To say the complainer went ballistic would be an understate
ment. He went full tilt and turned on the dealer accusing her of palming cards to deal hands to me. It quickly became ugly, and he had to be escorted from the room by security. I glanced at Dad as I stacked the chips from the pot; he was grinning from ear to ear. The pot was $12,100.
It was nearly 1:00 A.M., and the pot seemed to bust the table. Everyone gathered up their chips, jackets, and personal belongings, and headed out of the room. I stayed where I was and waited for Dad to finish his hand.
As soon as we left, we made a fast stop at the casino cage to cash in our chips. I finally broke down and deposited most of my cash in a safety deposit box. Dad had won almost $300 at his table, and he was comfortable to keep his winnings to date in his wallet.
We strolled around the casino looking for Mom and Darby, and found them sitting in the food court in front of Starbucks. They were drinking caramel macchiatos and snacking on chocolate cinnamon bread. We sat down to tell them about our evening. They were shocked and excited when Dad told them about my big poker win. They had won money playing slots, but Mom said “it wasn’t anything to get excited over.” As exhilarated as I was over the poker game, I had to stifle a yawn. It had been a long and emotional day.
“It’s late, and Susan’s going to go to sleep right here, if we don’t get her upstairs soon,” Darby said with a chuckle. He popped the last piece of bread in his mouth, washed it down with the last of his macchiato, and stood up. He held his hand out to me and said, “Come on, Susan. Your dad can keep your mom company while she finishes up.” He didn’t have to ask twice.
We didn’t talk on the elevator ride. As soon as we entered the room, I grabbed my pajamas and headed for the bathroom to wash my face, brush my teeth, and change my clothes. I climbed into bed, and struggled to stay awake until Darby came out of the bathroom and climbed into his bed.
He turned the lights out, and I whispered softly, “Are you awake?”
“Yep,” he replied in a normal voice. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I do,” I told him. “I haven’t had time to think very hard about it, and I want to remember the details.”
“Ok,” he said, “but first, when you and your dad went to play poker, I walked around the hotel. I saw your Dudley character. He was in the restaurant, wasn’t he?”
“Yes.” I nodded my head even though he couldn’t see me.
“He was easy to spot from your description.” I heard him chuckle. “He did seem to be just hanging around as though he were watching someone or something. I didn’t see anyone else who seemed suspicious, but I really didn’t know who or what I was looking for. And, I think I found the place where you opened the door. It was dark, and even though it wasn’t far from the main entrance, it was a secluded area. I looked around, but there wasn’t anything to see. No body, no apparent blood stains that I could make out. Nothing. Do you think you could have been mistaken?”
“No,” I told him firmly. “I can see it clearly in my mind now, and I’m 100% certain it wasn’t my imagination. The man on the ground was wearing a blue uniform like someone in a machine shop or a garage, not a hotel or a restaurant. He was lying in an unnatural position which made me think he was badly hurt, and he wasn’t making any noise. The man standing over him was wearing jeans and a white t-shirt. He wasn’t clean shaven, and I could see his arms were heavily tattooed. He was holding a crowbar in an aggressive manner toward the man as though he were ready to hit him again. I didn’t see Carl at first, because he was almost out of my line of sight from the door, but just before the girl yanked me back into the room, I saw his face, and it was positively murderous.” I paused for a few seconds and then said, “Darby, I think I’m in a lot of trouble. If I could fly home tonight, I would, but I don’t want to lose my job. I’ll have to be extra careful, and you’ll have to help me watch since I can’t tell my parents.”
“Susan, you know I would protect you with my life,” he said with sincerity, and I knew he meant it. “You have one more day of vacation before you go to work. Mom wants you to call Dell in the morning and get all of us tickets for the hockey game Tuesday night. It might be a good idea if we stay out of the hotel as much as possible tomorrow. Mom said she’s sleeping in, so our plans are to meet for lunch and then go shopping for a wedding gown. Does that sound good to you?”
“Uh-huh.” I could barely keep my eyes open as I mumbled the yes to him. “Good-night, Darby,” I said as I drifted off to sleep. I didn’t hear him respond.
Chapter Seven
“Every dress has been stunning on you, Susan,” Mom said whining. “I don’t understand why you don’t like any of them.”
“It’s not that I don’t like any of them,” I said trying to keep the snappishness out of my voice. “But none of them are the right one.”
The dress I was currently wearing was beautiful, but it wasn’t the one. It was strapless with a sweetheart neckline and a side-swept bodice. Beautiful beading ran the length of the sweeping drape of the skirt, followed by a full-beaded train.
Darby was admiring the dress from a chair in the corner, but he wasn’t excited either.
“Mom,” I said with some irritation to my voice. “Look at Darby. He’s not excited about any of these either.”
Darby gave me a what’d I do? look, but he said to Mom, “She’s breathtakingly gorgeous in every dress she’s tried on today, Lilah, but I agree with Susan, none of them have been the right one so far.
We were in a designer bridal shop a few blocks west of the strip, and had been there for nearly two hours. I was too frustrated to try on any more dresses. I had assumed I would see so many gowns I loved and wanted, it would be hard to choose. I was disappointed none of them made me want to squeal with delight even the slightest bit.
Maybe it was just my mood today. Yesterday’s events still had me on edge, and there was definitely a glitch in my matrix. Dad had a local newspaper tucked under his arm when we had met for lunch at the Grand Buffet, and I quickly confiscated it. I half filled my plate with food that was probably delicious, but I only picked at it as I scanned the newspaper for any mention of the man who I believed was beaten, and probably murdered. There was nothing.
“I’m done,” I told my mother emphatically. “I simply cannot try on another dress.” I heard her protesting behind me as I headed to the dressing room.
I needed a break. I wanted to go back to my room at the hotel and relax. I had to be at work in the morning, and maybe spending some time going over my notes and preparing for meeting new people would help to calm my nerves.
Mom was apologizing to the salesgirl for taking up so much of her time without producing a sale. Darby was standing near the door waiting for us. “Go ahead and go out with Darby, Mom,” I told her as I handed the dress I had just removed to the salesgirl. “I’ll be out in a minute.” I knew Mom had loved many of the dresses, and I really did feel bad I hadn’t been able to choose one. I waited while they stepped out onto the sidewalk.
“I’m sorry, Diane,” I told the salesgirl. “I wasn’t in the right frame of mind today to shop for a wedding dress. Maybe I’ll come back in a couple of days and try on the Sottero again. I liked it the best.” She nodded her head and said she hoped to see me again. I left the shop to join Mom and Darby on the sidewalk. They had moved down from the doorway a few feet and were chatting by the car.
Just as I opened my mouth to apologize to them for being such a downer, my heel caught in a crack in the sidewalk, and I pitched forward. It was a slow motion moment, with multiple things happening within a split second. I knew it was going to hurt when I hit the pavement, and I was trying to get my hands out in front of me to break the fall. Above my head, something whizzed by. I briefly saw the blur, heard the blur, and I even slightly felt it go by. It had to be some strange Nevada insect. Darby was moving quickly and managed to get his hands on me enough so only my knees lightly skimmed the pavement.
As he helped me get on my feet, Diane screamed from the bridal shop. We turned to look, and coul
d see through the window that she was standing over a toppled mannequin. She had one hand over her mouth, and was pointing at the plate glass window with the other. It had a bullet hole in it!
“Get down!” Darby yelled at her as he jerked me toward the car and pushed me down onto the sidewalk. He grabbed Mom by the arm and told her to get down, too. My heart was racing, and I wasn’t entirely certain of what had just happened. He squatted down beside us and called 911.
“Someone shot at the bridal shop? Was it a drive by?” Mom asked incredulously.
“I don’t know, Lilah,” Darby said breathlessly. His heart must have been pounding, too.
I started to feel sick, really sick. My mind started to spin out of control. A bullet! We had been in the bridal shop for over two hours which was plenty of time for someone to set up to take a shot at me. If I hadn’t tripped, I would have stepped directly into the line of fire, probably at chest level. It could have easily been a fatal shot. I was near tears and would surely be blubbering by now if my mother hadn’t been with us. I looked at Darby, and he gave me a pleading look as if to say, “hold it together, Susan.”
Two police cars arrived within minutes. One officer went into the bridal shop, while one stayed beside us on the sidewalk. The other two officers ran across the street to a stylish apartment building.
“Susan, honey, let up on your grip,” Mom said to me as she patted my arm. I didn’t realize she had put her hand in mine, and I was giving it the death grip.
We weren’t in a position to see, but twenty minutes later, we were told they had the suspect in one of the cruisers. A police officer ushered us off of the sidewalk and into the bridal shop. Diane was sitting in a chair and weeping softly. I glanced down at the mannequin. The bullet had hit dead center in the chest, ruining the beautiful dress.
“He was cleaning a 9 millimeter Glock, and forgot one was still in the chamber,” one of the officers said. “It was an accidental discharge out his window.”
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