by Leena Clover
“We need to watch the fountains,” I reminded Tony.
Imagine the irony if we didn’t take in a single fountain show inspite of staying at the Bellagio. Everyone wanted to change first. I felt comfortable pulling on my jeans, but I missed the dress right away. The sidewalk was crowded even at 10 PM and people were craning their necks to get a good view. The day was just beginning in Las Vegas.
We tried our luck at some slots and won $10. Jeet stood at the other end of the room, away from the casino floor. Tony bought us ice cream after that.
“What do you think of Audrey Brown?” I asked Tony.
He frowned.
“Do you think she could do it, Tony?”
“Isn’t the case closed now?”
I gave him a look.
“Of course! How can it be closed if Meera Patel suspects otherwise?”
I quailed at the sharp note in his voice. He was angry about something.
We checked out some Harleys in a hotel dedicated to them. Tony flagged a cab and we went to the Stratosphere. My ears pinged as the elevator took us to the top. I watched, terrified, as Jeet and Tony let themselves be suspended mid air. Leo would never have this kind of fun. He had never had a chance.
We entered a mall and walked a mile deep into it. I had to sit down to rest my feet. I grabbed a table at a café and ordered hot chocolate. Someone left an old newspaper at the table next to us and I picked it up.
“Guys, do you realize we have no idea what’s going on in the world right now?”
Jeet rolled his eyes. When has a teenager cared about world peace? Dad must be watching the news headlines on TV every morning. But the TV in our room had never been tuned to anything other than movies.
It was a California paper from some coastal town, a name I recognized. I went to graduate school in California and my uncle lives in the Bay area. I have been to a lot of places in the state.
Leo’s face was emblazoned across an inner page. He looked like he was sleeping. I gasped as I realized what that meant. Couldn’t they have used his driver’s license photo? Half the page was devoted to the story. It explained how Leo had cold bloodedly killed the hand that fed him. Charlie Gibson was mentioned. And then Leo’s remorse and suicide was played up. The writer pointed out the tragedy behind the whole episode. The piece turned it into a big issue about providing proper care for orphans and homeless kids.
“This is not right,” I fumed. “This is defamation.”
“Has she found a new ‘project’?” Jeet drawled.
I felt like socking him one. I have been known to do it too.
Tony peered across the table and tipped the paper down to read. He’s good at reading things upside down. He sobered as the story sank in.
“This does seem to be the official version,” he said slowly.
He wanted me to accept the truth and move on.
“You can’t win ‘em all, Meera. Anyone can make a mistake.”
The clanging in my head began anew. I didn’t know who to trust. Becky had said the story was spreading. And it had spread as far as California! It certainly looked like the authorities had no doubts about the chain of events.
A part of me still felt bad for Leo. Even if I convinced myself he was guilty of killing Charlie, I couldn’t wrap my head around his suicide. It could have been easily avoided. Maybe Leo had pulled a knife on Charlie in a burst of emotion. Or maybe they fought over something. He could have lived out any sentence and resumed his life.
Death is so final. Why does anyone think it is necessary?
“You wanted this guy to come live in our home?” Jeet asked coldly.
He had read the story by this time.
“There’s some mistake,” I pleaded. “Surely Leo wasn’t that bad?”
“You trusted him too much. That’s the mistake.” Jeet looked perplexed. “Why, Meera? Were you sweet on him?”
I clenched my fists under the table. Jeet was just being an obnoxious teen.
“Let’s go,” Tony said, getting up.
He wanted to trash the paper. I wasn’t sure if I should keep it.
We walked back to the hotel. A smiley face on the sidewalk mocked me. I wasn’t in a mood to solve any more mysteries. We convinced Jeet to go up to the room and headed toward the casino.
“Why don’t you go on up?” Tony said to Jeet. “They’ll ask you for ID anyway, bro.”
Now Tony wanted to try his luck at the blackjack table. I was more interested in the drinks the skimpily dressed girls were carrying around on trays. One of the girls placed a frosty can in front of me, along with a paper napkin.
“Tough day?” she asked sympathetically.
I thanked her and tried to follow the game on the table. Tony won a couple of times and then he was on a losing streak. He lost all his chips, and he stood up, laughing.
“That was fun!”
“You just lost fifty dollars, champ!”
“Yeah! But now I can say I played Blackjack at the Bellagio in Las Vegas. Some things you just do for the experience, kid.”
I couldn’t help but smile.
“What else is on that list for Las Vegas?” I teased.
Tony winked and said nothing. I didn’t really want to know anyway.
We went up to our room, ready to turn in. Tony was out within minutes. I was wide awake. I rifled though my bag, looking for my secret stash of candy. I came across the index cards. I looked through them one by one, remembering all the questions I had raised over the last week. Some of them were not applicable any more, or were already resolved. I took a pencil and drew a line through those.
Then I thought of Bandit. I had completely forgotten him. Joyce Baker had mentioned Charlie walked him every evening. Audrey or Leo had said he let Bandit out at 8 PM one last time. Had he let the dog out at 8 PM? That would establish if Charlie was still alive at 8. If he was, then Anna Collins was definitely lying.
Two questions had still not been resolved to my satisfaction.
Where did Audrey get so much money all of a sudden? Why was Anna Collins lying? I realized there was one more question no one had raised. Why did Bandit not bark at the intruder? And where had the dog been when Charlie was stabbed.
Stan would rule out these points. He would dismiss my concerns against Anna or Audrey as mere speculation. He would say the dig didn’t bark because he knew the person who killed Charlie. It was someone who lived in the house.
Every argument that applied to Leo also applied to Audrey Jones. I needed to shake her down. But I would have to wait until I got back to Swan Creek. Unless Becky managed to ask her some tough questions.
Chapter 23
I woke up to an empty room again. One of the boys had thrust the drapes wide open. The room was bathed in silvery sunlight and I crinkled my eyes. They had let me sleep in.
There was a note on the table, asking me to get ready and come to Motee Ba’s room. I took my time since no one seemed to be in a hurry. What a relief that was, after a week of being rushed off my feet. I dressed in layers as usual and knocked on Motee Ba’s door, craving a cup of coffee.
The mild buzz inside meant some live discussion was going on.
Everyone had a cup of something in their hands. Motee Ba poured a cup for me from a flask. It wasn’t too hot and I made a face.
“You can have more at breakfast.”
“Where are we eating today?” Jeet asked.
Dad and Sally were seated at the edge of the bed. Pappa was ensconced in an arm chair with his feet up on the ottoman. Dad held up a flyer and called for attention.
“We are going on a drive. So no buffet this morning.”
“You can drive to wherever you want,” Pappa declared. “But I am having lunch at this Indian restaurant.”
He produced his own flyer, some kind of coupon for a lunch buffet. It’s a marvel Pappa had gone without Indian food for so long.
“We may not be back in time for that,” Dad said.
Pappa looked disappointed.
>
“Unless,” Dad said, looking around, “we grab breakfast at some drive through.”
Everyone seemed fine with that. We agreed to meet in the lobby in 30 minutes. I went to my room to get my stuff.
Since I was already dressed, I called Becky.
“When do you get back, Meera?” she sounded gloomy.
I told her about the newspaper I found.
“You don’t say! That must have been a shock.”
I mentioned the photo.
“What’s wrong with these people? How could they share that kind of photo with the press?”
I shuffled my index cards as I talked to Becky.
“So these questions are still outstanding. Maybe you can ask Audrey? Or go meet Joyce Baker again? The police have closed the case.”
“Audrey might come in here,” Becky said. “She’s making a habit of it.”
“Have you heard of anyone else hiring her?”
“She’s not looking for work yet,” Becky said. “She’s taking some time off.”
“Maybe she saved up some money working for Charlie.”
“I don’t think so,” Becky argued. “Her husband’s a drunk. Sylvie says he spends every penny she earns on booze.”
“Just talk to her, Becks!”
Maybe Audrey would blurt out some tidbit on her own. Now I was just dreaming.
I grabbed my bag and waited for the elevators. Even with several to a floor, there was a long wait. I spotted Motee Ba near the entrance and went and stood next to her. Dad was outside, peering down the drive, waiting for the valet to bring our car around.
We settled in after some healthy arguments, prodded by the honking cars that lined up behind us. Hunger was making us cranky. Dad pulled up outside the familiar golden arches. He ordered two egg and cheese sandwiches for everyone, along with hash browns and coffee.
“I want sausage on mine,” Jeet piped up.
Dad ignored him. He parked right outside the restaurant but we ate in the car.
“That should keep us till lunch,” Dad said.
There was a warning note in his voice. Tony skipped out to dump all the trash and we set off.
“Where are we going?” Jeet called out.
“We are driving through the Mojave desert,” Dad announced. “It’s just a small drive. Then we’ll hit Pappa’s Indian buffet before going to the casinos.”
I looked at Tony. He nodded slightly. He had promised me a gondola ride. I was going to hold him to it.
Dad merged onto Interstate 15, going South.
“We’re getting close to our destination,” Dad murmured to Sally.
She smiled.
I didn’t think we would go all the way to California today. All our stuff was still in the hotel. Motee Ba voiced my thoughts and Dad assured her we were going back to Vegas. He smiled at Sally from the corner of his eye.
I looked out of the window. The road stretched for miles ahead and then snaked up an incline. Dad told Jeet to stay sharp.
“Welcome to California!” Jeet suddenly cried out as we crossed the state border.
A sign for the welcome center came up.
“We won’t stop here today,” Dad said.
We spotted the sign for the Mojave National Preserve and Dad took that exit.
“There’s over a million acres of desert here,” Dad preached. “And many mountain ranges. This is also one of the few places in the world where you’ll find Joshua trees.”
Did I mention Dad is happiest when he’s in pedantic mode?
I really wanted to see the Joshua trees.
The road was deserted with not a single car in sight. Mountain ranges lined the horizon, with snow covered peaks. We came across a patch where there was a lot of snow on the ground. There were peculiar shrubs everywhere in a faded yellow color. And then we spotted the Joshua trees. Dad pulled up on the shoulder and we all got out.
A massive field of Joshua trees stretched before us, juxtaposed against a backdrop of the stark mountains. It was a beautiful sight. We took lots of pictures. Half an hour went by without any cars passing by. Someone wanted a snack so Motee Ba handed over some trail mix from the car.
“We need to leave now!” Pappa suddenly ordered, looking at his watch.
We were all quiet as Dad completed a loop and left the park to merge back onto the Interstate. We stopped at another fast food place. I ordered milk shakes and sodas. The girl who got our drinks looked me in the eye as she slapped the check down on the table.
“Teenagers!” I muttered under my breath. “Probably running late to meet a guy.”
Tony hid a smile. We slurped our drinks and I picked up the piece of paper. The paper was thin and cheap and I could see something scribbled on the other side. I turned the paper over and stared with my mouth open.
I handed the paper over to Tony. Something clicked in his brain and he stared back at me.
“What did I say?” I mouthed.
A familiar smiley face with a flower stared at me from the back of the receipt. A phone number was scribbled below it.
“It’s just a prank,” Tony said grimly. “She must be out somewhere. Probably wants money for a smoke.”
He rushed out and I waited, tapping my fingers. Tony was back in five minutes.
“I didn’t see anyone.”
Now he would tell me to ignore it. That is exactly what I planned to do for a change.
We reached Vegas without any more curious incidents and Dad entered the downtown area. Pappa was leaning forward in his seat, tapping his cane.
“There. There it is!”
Pappa was like a kid in a candy store. He acted like he had been kept away from Indian food for years. No one else wanted to admit how much they appreciated a home style meal after a week on the road.
“Now I need a nap,” Pappa declared. “Drop us back at the hotel.”
Everyone wanted a nap so we went back. The boys watched TV and discussed the different dinner buffets available.
“We are here all day tomorrow, right?” Tony asked.
I nodded. Vegas can get really tiring so Dad had planned to stay here for four whole days.
“So we’re doing the gondola ride this evening, and then we’ll hit the buffet.”
“Gondola ride? You mean like a boat ride?” Jeet wanted to know.
“You’re not coming!” I said sharply.
He looked hurt but then he grinned naughtily.
“Oh, so it’s a date?”
Tony looked uncomfortable. Jeet began giving him a hard time.
The room phone rang, and I answered. It was the front desk with a message for me. Stan had requested a call back. I dialed his number, my fingers crossed behind my back.
“Meera, you said I could call the hotel,” he began.
I assured him it was fine.
“Anything new?” I sucked in a breath.
“Leo’s autopsy results are back. It was an overdose alright. There’s a couple of curious things though.”
I waited for Stan to continue.
“They found some sand on his shoes. We’re not sure where it came from.”
“There’s no sand in Swan Creek, is there?” I knew the answer to that.
“Not naturally occurring, no.”
“Did he go to a beach when he went out with his friends?”
“That’s the thing,” Stan said. “We could never contact his friends. So we don’t really know where he went.”
I was as stumped as Stan.
“You wouldn’t know who his friends were?” Stan asked hopefully.
I assured him I had no idea who Leo had met in Ponca City.
“Maybe it’s from a local place,” Stan said. “I’ll ask around.”
That didn’t sound too promising.
“One more thing, Meera.” Stan hesitated. “The autopsy’s done. Do you know if…”
My eyes filled up as I realized what Stan was asking. No one was waiting to claim Leo.
“Let me talk to a few peo
ple,” I said, barely able to get the words out.
I dialed the diner and Sylvie answered. I got to the point.
“We can wait until you people get back. Talk to your grandpa, Meera.”
Thinking about next of kin reminded me of Bandit.
“What happened to Charlie’s dog, do you know?”
“I completely forgot!” Sylvie sounded shocked. “I’ll talk to Audrey when she gets here.”
Chances were he had run away in all the confusion. I sobered at the thought of him wandering around Swan Creek. I hung up and brought Tony up to speed on the calls.
He scratched his head as he processed it.
“The sand rings a bell but I don’t know what. It will come to me.”
“Did Leo mention going to a beach?” I quipped.
“No. I hardly talked to him. It’s something else.”
I went to Motee Ba’s room for some much needed comfort. Pappa was asleep but she promised to talk to him later.
“It’s the least we can do for him,” she said quietly.
I knew she was talking about Leo.
Chapter 24
Tony held my hand as we walked out of the Bellagio. We went up the bridge that flanked the Las Vegas Strip. It would take us across to the Venetian. We searched for a good spot on the bridge to take photos. The Strip stretched in both directions, with colorful, larger than life signs of all the casinos and hotels.
“Cute couple,” the girl who clicked our photo said, handing back the camera to Tony.
“We’re not…” I began, but she was already out of sight in the crowd.
“You look beautiful!” Tony breathed, roving an eye over me from head to toe.
I felt beautiful. I was wearing one of the dresses we had bought in the Forum Shops and it was a sunny yellow color, perfect for Spring. The Venetian has a Grand Canal that is just like the real thing, along with bistros and cafes.
The sun was just setting and the weather was pleasant. I chose an outdoor ride and the gondolier made sure we were comfortable. We posed for pictures again and then he sang a song as we glided on the clear blue water. I imagined myself in Venice, although I was sure the water there wouldn’t be this clean.