by Amber Crewes
“Settle down, Grandma,” sneered the blonde officer who had escorted her in. “We need to corroborate your story. You aren’t going anywhere yet.”
“Grandma?” Mrs. Sheridan screeched. She raised her cane high in the air. “Say that one more time and I’ll have your face meet my cane!”
Officer Brady held his hands up. “Ma’am, I am going to advise you to put the cane down,” he ordered. “Or we will be charging you with assault.”
She obeyed, but she glared at the blonde officer. “Now what?”
“You were seen harassing the deceased, Jeremiah Smith, by several eyewitnesses,” the blonde officer told her. “You harassed him at the motel, and you followed Ms. Truman on stage at the show.”
“He invited me!” Mrs. Sheridan shrieked. “I didn’t follow her!”
Meghan raised an eyebrow but said nothing, and the officer saw the look on her face.
“Do you have something to add, Meghan?” the blonde officer asked.
“No,” she stated. “I don’t.”
“She does!” Mrs. Sheridan insisted. “Meghan, Jackie, tell them that I am a nice lady and I would never murder anyone! Tell them!”
“I told you to calm down, Grandma,” the officer laughed.
Mrs. Sheridan’s face darkened. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” she glowered as she raised her cane.
Meghan dove to stop her, and Jackie began to scream. They tumbled into a pile, taking the officer down with them. Meghan felt Mrs. Sheridan fall on top of her, and she grimaced as her back cracked. “Owww,” she complained. “Mrs. Sheridan, calm down. We need to get off of the floor.”
The blonde officer rose to his feet, a stern look on his face. “You two took me down,” he accused Meghan and Jackie.
“What?” Jackie asked. “We were trying to stop her. She was going to hit you with her cane, but we didn’t let her.”
“That’s not how I saw it,” Officer Brady commented. “I think the two younger ladies need to be placed in jail. They’ve caused enough trouble today. Send that Grandma back to my office and these two troublemakers to jail.”
“To jail?” Meghan exclaimed. “I want my lawyer. You have to read me my rights and let me call my lawyer.”
The officer laughed. “Maybe later. For now, you two are coming with me.”
Before she knew it, Meghan had been put in handcuffs and led across the street to the Clark County Jail. She and Jackie were placed in a cell together, and Meghan collapsed in a corner, holding her legs and crying. She was exhausted, humiliated, and furious; she hadn’t wanted to come to Vegas in the first place, and now, she was sitting on the floor of the jail.
“I can’t believe this happened,” Jackie casually commented as she picked at her cuticles. “Vegas is so crazy; this will make such a great story later.”
“Are you kidding me?” Meghan asked. “You’re thinking about what a great story this will make? You have to be joking.”
Jackie laughed. “I think they were just flirting with us, Meghan,” she assured her. “We aren’t in real trouble.”
“WE’RE IN JAIL, JACKIE!” Meghan screamed. “How do you not know we’re in trouble?”
Jackie scowled. “You are such a pessimist,” she told her. “I really don’t think that’s a good look for you.”
Meghan narrowed her eyes at Jackie before turning her back and leaning her head against the white cement wall. She couldn’t believe she was here, and she didn’t know if Jack would be more outraged or embarrassed by the indiscretion.
“Jackie?!!”
Meghan turned to see Jackie squealing as she wrapped her arms around a statuesque brunette. “Is it really you, Kendall?”
Meghan stood up. “Who is this, Jackie?”
“It’s my cousin!” she cried in excitement. “Kendall and I grew up together. She moved to Vegas to be a dancer when I was in high school, and she won the lottery the next year! Can you believe it?”
Meghan raised an eyebrow. Kendall was thin and pretty, but she was dressed scandalously; she wore a red leather skirt, thigh high boots, and lipstick the color of blood. “If she won the lottery, what is she doing in here?”
Kendall glared at her. “That ain’t any of your business, Toots.”
Jackie shook her head at Meghan. “Don’t be rude,” she muttered.
Meghan watched as the cousins chatted. “It was so sad when we fell out of contact,” Jackie lamented.
Kendall nodded. “Money can get in the way of happiness,” she sighed as she squeezed her cousin’s hand. “And I let mine go to my head a bit.”
Jackie shrugged. “It’s fate that we met up here. Let’s let the past stay in the past. I’m so happy to see you!”
Kendall winked at her. “I am so happy to see you! What are you doing here, Jackie? I thought you were married and a nice little wifey.”
Jackie’s face darkened. “Divorced,” she corrected. “Divorced and thriving; I own two businesses, and I am building my empire.”
Meghan cringed. She didn’t exactly consider Jackie’s salon and the barn to be part of any empire, but she said nothing.
“Why are you in the slammer?” Kendall asked. “This doesn’t seem like your type of place.”
“It’s a mistake,” Jackie assured her. “And you?”
“A mistake,” Kendall said slowly, but Meghan could tell she was lying. “I ran out of money a few years back. I’ve been in here before for some other things, but this time, it was a mistake.”
“I’m so sorry,” Jackie said. “Do you need anything? Can I help?”
Kendall’s eyes sparkled. “Since you asked….do you have any cash on you?”
Meghan could no longer bear to listen to their conversation. She turned back to the corner and huddled into a tiny ball, weeping as she fell into a fitful sleep.
7
A fter a long night in jail, Officer Brady showed up to release Meghan and Jackie. Jackie bid farewell to her cousin, and then Officer Brady escorted them into a holding room.
“Just some reminders,” he began as they rubbed their sleepy eyes. “You are not permitted to leave Las Vegas; there are questions about Jeremiah’s death that need to be answered, and we are not letting any suspects leave until we have answers.”
“We are considered suspects?” Meghan shrieked. “Why? We were just here to pick up Mrs. Sheridan. How did that turn us into suspects?”
He shrugged. “That’s not my information to share,” he told them. “Mrs. Sheridan has been released to your friends, and she is also not allowed to leave.”
Meghan nodded, hoping that Jackie would keep calm so they would be released. “Got it. Can we go now?”
He nodded. “Yes. Here are your things.”
He handed them their purses and walked them to the door. “Have a nice day, ladies.”
They stepped out into the dry, hot air and blinked, their eyes unaccustomed to the bright Nevada sunshine. “Let’s get a cab,” Jackie suggested. “The hotel is a few miles away, and I am too tired to walk.”
Meghan glared at her. “You want me to pay for another cab for you?”
Jackie rolled her eyes. “I’ll pay you back. Just hail a cab.”
Meghan dug through her purse and retrieved her wallet. “My debit and credit cards are gone,” she gasped. “I had them when we went inside the station.”
Jackie crossed her arms over her chest. “Let’s go back inside and get them; the officers must have taken them!”
Meghan shook her head. “I’m not going back in there. We’ll just have to walk back.”
They walked in silence for over an hour. Finally, they arrived back at the shabby motel. They found their friends waiting for them, all with worried looks on their faces.
“Meghan!” Myrtle cried as she ran to her sister. “We were so worried about you! Mrs. Sheridan told us what happened; are you alright?”
Meghan bit her lip. She was overwhelmed by the lack of sleep and events of the previous day. “I’ll be fine,” she
murmured as she hugged her sister. “I just need to rest.”
Trudy glared at Jackie. “This is the worst party, Jackie,” she complained. “The hotel wouldn’t let us eat breakfast here; they said that since you made the reservation, you had to check us in for breakfast. We all had to munch on Karen’s carrot sticks instead of eating a real meal.”
Jackie glowered. “You should have found a cafe or something,” she grumbled. “It’s not my job to feed you.”
“But it was your job to keep this party running smoothly,” Karen countered. “This has been a disaster, and we need to turn things around for Meghan.”
The group turned to look at her, and Meghan felt her face growing hot. “I need to shower,” she muttered as she tucked a messy lock of hair behind her ears. “I’m going upstairs.”
After a nap and shower, Meghan returned downstairs to find the group waiting for her. “I have great news!” Jackie exclaimed as she rushed at Meghan. “The hotel owner dropped by and heard our group talking, and he wants us to have dinner here at the hotel for free!”
Meghan perked up, happy to hear even the slightest bit of good news. “Really? That’s great. Where’s Mrs. Sheridan?”
“She’s napping,” Karen informed her. “I think she’s a little embarrassed, too.”
A man’s voice boomed, and the ladies turned to see a tall, portly man in a checkered suit walking toward them. “Ladies, welcome! I’m Lucky Elway, the owner of the hotel. Your friends told me about all the troubles you’ve had, and I want to provide a nice meal for the bride-to-be! I’m sorry Las Vegas has been such trouble, but I think a nice dinner here will make it all better.”
Meghan shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you,” she greeted. “Thank you for your kindness; it is so appreciated.”
“My pleasure,” he assured her. “I am just happy to help. I need to go to take care of some business, but you ladies enjoy!”
Trudy grinned. “We can’t turn down a free dinner. Let’s go!”
She led the way into the small restaurant next to the lobby. “It looks fine,” Myrtle commented as she read the menu. “They have salads and soups, and the breadbasket sounds great.”
“Order whatever you want,” Jackie commanded. “He told us to make ourselves at home, and I think we will!”
The women ordered many plates of food; Trudy ordered a pasta dish, Meghan asked for shrimp tacos, Karen ordered a salad, and the other women split a pizza. They were all happy to have stumbled upon some good luck at last, and the women were all smiles when the food appeared.
“This looks delicious,” Myrtle cooed as the waiter set the pizza in front of her.
“I’m so hungry!” Jackie told them as she picked up her fork.
Karen gave her a gentle slap on the elbow. “Stop, Jackie. Let Meghan eat first!”
Meghan winked at Karen as she placed the paper napkin in her lap and settled in. She picked up the first of three shrimp tacos, her mouth-watering as she smelled the fresh pico de gallo. She opened her mouth, took a bite, but before she could swallow, she spat it out.
“What’s wrong?” Trudy asked in alarm. “Are you okay?”
“It must be spoiled,” Meghan moaned as her stomach lurched. “The shrimp tastes rotten!”
Jackie took a bite of her pizza and had the same reaction. “This pizza is disgusting. Something must be wrong in the kitchen!”
All the ladies took bites of their meals, and each one had the same experience. “It’s terrible,” Karen lamented. “How can someone ruin a salad? That just seems impossible.”
Myrtle frowned. “I think we should leave and go somewhere else; no one is going to eat this, right ladies?”
Meghan nodded. “And to think... it seemed like things were on the up and up…”
“Hey,” Karen whispered as she pointed to a table in the corner. “At least we’re not as miserable as that guy.”
Meghan looked over and gasped. Sitting alone at the table, weeping into his bowl of spaghetti, was Earl Wilson, Jeremiah’s assistant.
8
M eghan rose from her seat and walked over to Earl, taking the seat next to him. “Are you alright?” she asked.
He retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket and blew into it. “I just don’t know what I’m going to do now.”
Meghan patted his back. She could see Earl was young, and he had the twang of a southern accent. “I’m so sorry your boss passed away.”
Earl stared at her. “He wasn’t just my boss,” he revealed. “He was my uncle.”
Meghan’s heart sank. Despite feeling frustration from her disastrous bachelorette party, she felt sorry for Earl; he looked so lost and alone, and she wanted to help him. “I’m so sorry for your loss,” she told him.
He shrugged. “You’re the only one who has said that to me,” he admitted. “Most people didn’t like my uncle.”
“Why?”
Earl buried his face in his hands, and Meghan could see his stout body shaking. “He could be a big jerk,” he explained. “And he let Las Vegas take his morals and throw them out the window. He was a womanizer, and a cheat, and a cad, and he wasn’t well-liked by our family.”
Meghan raised an eyebrow. “Then how did you end up working for him?”
“I grew up on a farm in Alabama,” he said. “My choices were to work on the family farm or make it on my own. One day, just after high school graduation, Uncle Jeremiah called my daddy up and told him he needed an assistant. I asked if I could do it, and that’s how I ended up out here.”
Meghan nodded. “It seems like everyone ends up out here in a different way,” she offered. “Did you like working with him?”
Earl wiped a tear from his ruddy cheek. “Not really,” he whispered. “He was a jerk to me, but the money was good, and I have so many brothers and sisters back home in Alabama... I needed the money, and I dealt with whatever he threw at me.”
“What are you going to do now?” Meghan asked gently. “Do you know anyone who can help get you another job? Surely he had some contacts in this town?”
Earl blew his nose. “Everyone hated him,” he lamented. “No one will want to work with me. I don’t know what I’m going to do. I have no real skills or college education. All I know how to do is assist performers. I’m doomed! I’m going to have to go back to the south.”
Earl was melting down, and Meghan knew everyone in the dingy restaurant was staring at him. She patted him on the shoulder. “I’m so sorry,” she repeated. “I’m sure you’ll be able to find another job. Maybe check here at the hotel?”
He wiped his nose and nodded. “I might do that. Thanks for your help…?”
“Meghan,” she introduced. “I’m Meghan Truman.”
Once Earl had collected himself, Meghan returned to her table. “What was that about?” Myrtle whispered. “Wasn’t that guy the Elvis impersonator’s assistant?”
“He was,” Meghan confirmed. “And he is his nephew. Can you believe that?”
Jackie tossed her hair and quickly pinched her cheeks. “What is she doing?” Myrtle asked.
“A man must be approaching,” Meghan muttered. She was right. Todd Sherman, the receptionist, came up to their table.
“Ladies,” he greeted. “How are we this evening?”
“Not great,” Trudy answered truthfully. “This dinner is horrible.”
Todd frowned. “I am so sorry to hear that, ladies,” he apologized. “Would you allow me to make a reservation for you down the street at a different restaurant? I know the executive chef at Kabuto, Las Vegas’ most acclaimed sushi restaurant and could you get you a deal, and then perhaps we could go out on the town?”
“No way,” Meghan muttered under her breath. “We’ve let this trip get out of control, and we aren’t going to trust a stranger. That just seems like bad judgement.”
Trudy placed her hands on her hips. “Meghan,” she murmured. “Get a grip! Todd wants to take us out, and we should let him.”
“What was that,
ladies?”
“Nothing!” they cried in unison.
“I think we should go,” Jackie declared. “Let’s live a little.”
Meghan rolled her eyes. “We’ve been to jail, seen a dead man, and nearly gotten food poisoning, and you want to do more?”
Karen frowned at Meghan. “I think you need to adjust your attitude,” she hissed. “You’ve been in a sour mood this whole time. I know it hasn’t been the weekend of your dreams, but Meghan, you need to let go of your expectations and have a good time. You’re the one holding yourself back here.”
Meghan’s jaw dropped. “Karen!”
Karen shook her head. “You need to rethink your attitude, sister. If you don’t, you are going to ruin this trip for everyone. It hasn’t been all bad, and you know it. Just be grateful we all get to spend this time together.”
Meghan stared at Karen as she walked off. She was stunned by Karen’s words, and she weighed them carefully. Was she ruining the trip for everyone? Did she need an attitude adjustment?
“Ladies?” Todd asked. “What do you say? Let your favorite hotel receptionist and part-time Vegas tour guide take you to dinner!”
Meghan took a deep breath. “We’ll do it,” she said shakily. “Let’s go.”
Four hours, one magnificent sushi dinner, two bars, four clubs, and a visit to Encore Beach Club later, the women arrived back at the motel. Their makeup was smeared, their hairdos were flat, their feet were sore, but they were filled with excitement after the best night out they had ever had.
“That was a blast,” Myrtle commented as she sank into a dingy green armchair in the hotel lobby. Her wavy hair was knotted and dirty, but she had a grin on her face.
“I’m glad you girls had fun,” Todd told them as he waved goodbye. “Get some rest, and maybe we can do it all again tomorrow!”
The women shuffled upstairs to their rooms. When Meghan closed her door, she smiled in spite of herself. Karen had been right; it had been a fun night out, and she was grateful she had let her bad attitude go.
She threw herself onto the stiff bed, but before she could crawl beneath the covers, the room phone rang. “Hello?”