“Nothing.” She sighed at the screen. “Just waiting to see if anything new pops up. What’s new with you?”
Jayne shrugged. “Got a text from my dad that he’d have our next store for us soon.”
“Maybe it’ll be Nocturne Falls,” Birdie said. She yawned.
“I doubt it,” I said. Then I gave her a little smile. “Thanks for all your hard work, Birdie.” Her diligence was amazing. “Have you been up all night too?”
“No, only since about an hour ago. Jack’s still sleeping though.”
“And Aunt Zinnia’s in one of the guest rooms,” my dad added. “She’s not taking the news about Lila very well. She called every psychic friend she has asking for help.”
That sounded promising. “And?”
“Nothing worth following up.” My dad got to his feet. He seemed his age to me in that moment. I didn’t like it. He glanced at me, then Jayne. “Go rest, the both of you. There are plenty of guest rooms. If anything happens, we’ll wake you up.”
I stood, and Jayne came over to put her arm around me. “He’s right. We should get some sleep.”
“I know.” As reluctant as I was to sleep, the lack of it was already making me punchy. “Don’t let us sleep long.”
My dad raised his hand in acknowledgment on the way into the kitchen.
Then a new thought hit me. “Dad?”
He turned. “Yes?”
“Maybe you should call Tony. He said he was going to let you know if he heard anything, but now that he knows what’s going on and knows that we suspect Frank… I just think you should talk to him and see how he acts now that he’s had a chance to process all this new information.”
My dad seemed to mull that over. “You think he was lying to us?”
“No. But my gut says he’s involved in this in some way. He might not even realize it yet. A lot could have happened in the few hours that have passed since we saw him. An employee could have said something. He could have heard more from Frank. Who knows?”
Jayne nodded. “Yeah, that’s not a bad idea. Kind of take his temperature on this whole thing again.”
“All right, I’ll do that, but it’s a little early. You know the kind of hours show people usually keep. Let’s give him a chance to wake up. I don’t want him hanging up on me because I called him before sunrise.”
The sun was up but just barely, and I understood what my father was saying. Plus my dad probably wanted a cup of coffee to wake himself up a little more. “Right. Makes sense. We’ll be in the blue room. Unless Jack or Aunt Z have already claimed it.”
“No, that one’s free.”
I took Jayne’s hand, finding comfort in that connection, and we walked back to the guest room. One of many guest rooms in my parents’ house, the blue room was decorated in tones of deep blue and gold. It had a kind of postmodern galaxy theme going on that I’d always found restful.
I think the room could have been decorated in neon colors, though, for all the difference it made. We lay down on the bed, fully clothed, and fell asleep in seconds.
If I dreamed, I didn’t remember it. And maybe that was for the better because I’m not sure what kind of dreams I would have had, all things considered.
I woke to Jayne’s arm across my chest and Sugar on my pillow. I shifted slightly, which was all I could do, being pinned like that, and was about to go back to sleep when I heard conversation in the other room. I couldn’t quite make out the words, but it sounded like Birdie and my dad.
The clock said we’d only been asleep for a little over two hours, but I was instantly awake.
I slipped free of Jayne’s arm without waking her and got up. Sugar spread out to take up the pillow real estate I’d left behind.
I went out to the living room. I was done sleeping, but I was definitely going to need some coffee. Forget some. A lot of coffee. My dad was standing behind Birdie, and both of them were peering at her computer screen. “Something happening?”
My dad looked over. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you. Birdie was just saying the autopsy report was in.”
“Autopsy? On… Lou? Already?”
Birdie nodded. “Yes. I guess they didn’t have much else going on.”
“I know autopsies aren’t done in the case where the reason for death was ruled natural causes, so how did you swing it?”
“You’re right. They’re not,” she said. “Unless a family relative requests one or there’s an ongoing police matter that involves the decedent.”
“You got one of Lou’s family members to ask for an autopsy? You are good, Birdie.”
She pursed her lips. “Not exactly.”
“So how did you get one done?” I really needed coffee.
“I may have pretended to be Lou’s sister.” She shrugged. “Proof for that sort of thing is pretty easy to whip up online. It’s not like they do a lot of checking either.”
Jayne walked up beside me. “Checking on what?” She yawned.
“On Birdie pretending to be Lou’s sister to get an autopsy report done.”
Jayne nodded. “Good job, Birdie. When do you think the report will be in?”
“It just showed up. I was about to read it. It’ll take me a few minutes to process it, though. Lots of medical terms and whatnot. Plus there’s all the boring stuff to wade through. Age, weight, height, description of the clothing he had on, property he had on him like the contents of his wallet, any personal effects, any scars or tattoos…” She shrugged. “Like I said, I need a few minutes.”
“Cool. While you do that, I’m going to get some coffee.” She looked at me. “Please tell me there’s coffee.”
“No idea. I just woke up myself. If there’s not coffee, we’ll make some, because that’s the only way I’m going to stay awake.”
My father nodded at the kitchen. “There’s plenty. Help yourselves. And if you empty the pot, I’ll get another one going.”
“Thanks.” Jayne headed in.
I lingered a second longer. “Did you call Tony?”
“No, but I guess it’s late enough that I can do that now.” He took out his phone.
I went after Jayne, desperate for caffeine.
We both filled our cups, and there was still another cup in the pot. I could see us drinking that pretty quickly, though.
“Tony? It’s Anson. Sorry for the early hour.” In the other room, my dad nodded. “No, nothing yet. That’s why I’m calling. Just to see if—oh, sure. I understand. Thanks, though. Right. Talk to you later.” He hung up and looked at us, shaking his head. “Nothing new.”
“Still worth a shot,” I said. “And you didn’t wake him so that was good.”
“No, he was driving actually. Said Gabi called and was desperate to see him, so he’s headed out there. I’m happy for them. That they’re working things out.” Nothing about my dad said he was happy, but I didn’t expect him to be jumping for joy.
Tony might be getting things back on track with his wife, but that only had to make my dad’s situation harder.
He came into the kitchen. “Let me make some more. Birdie, you want the last cup before I make a new pot?”
I moved out of his way. I understood needing something to do.
“Sure,” she said. She was laser-focused on the PDF document before her. I could just make out an anatomical drawing with notes.
My dad took the pot out to her and refilled her cup. I knew her well enough to know she was going to want cream, sugar, caramel syrup, whipped cream, and a sprinkling of cinnamon, if she could get it.
Except she picked up the cup and took a sip like she always drank black coffee. I straightened. There had to be something pretty interesting in that report for Birdie not to be bothered by a boring cup of joe.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Jayne
I nudged Sinclair. “Are you seeing that?”
“You mean Birdie drinking black coffee?”
I nodded. “That’s not normal.” Birdie’s idea of coffee was that it w
as a vehicle for sugar and flavorings. The more the merrier.
“No, it’s not,” Sin said.
“Something’s up.”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “Agreed.”
Simultaneously, we took our coffee into the other room to be closer to her. We sat across from her at the dining-room table, sipping our drinks and waiting with the kind of anticipation I hadn’t felt since our wedding day.
We watched her reading. Her gaze stayed fixed on the document, the computer screen lighting up her glasses with a blue glow that made it harder to see her eyes.
She put her hand on her chin, then tapped her upper lip with one finger. “This is interesting.”
We both leaned forward and said, “What?”
She didn’t look up, just reread something. “They found trace amounts of ketamine in Lou’s blood.”
“What’s that?” I asked. It sounded like a vitamin.
She finally lifted her head. “It’s a tranquilizer of sorts.”
Sin seemed less impressed. “He was taking a bunch of meds. Wouldn’t surprise me if he was taking a few other things that weren’t prescribed.”
Birdie made a face. “I don’t think…let me back up.”
Anson came in. “Did you find something?”
“Ketamine,” I said, still not totally clear on why that was a big deal yet. “Birdie was about to explain.”
He leaned on the back of the couch to listen.
“Ketamine,” she started again, “is, well, for one thing, it isn’t really prescribed for humans anymore. When it is used, it’s generally used as a recreational drug. However, one of the interesting things about ketamine is the way the body metabolizes it. So in Lou’s case, the amount that was detected in his system is probably about two percent of what the real dose was. And given that he lived about five hours after you two found him…”
She glanced upward, like she was trying to figure something out. “My conclusion is that the real dose was far more than anyone would use recreationally.” She focused on the screen again, scanning the document before her with more intensity than the last time.
Suddenly, she looked up again. “Did you know he was also a diabetic? The man was not in good health. Overweight, bad heart, high cholesterol.” She shook her head. “Whoever did this knew him. Knew what kind of shape he was in.”
I couldn’t take it. “Did what to him?”
The gleam in her eyes told me she was about to give us the nugget we’d been waiting for. “The ME noted the puncture marks, but Lou was a diabetic, so none of those raised any red flags. And the ketamine wouldn’t have been noticed at all if I hadn’t asked for the autopsy.”
She paused. “I’m ninety-nine percent sure that someone injected him with a large amount of ketamine, which sent him into a state of hypoglycemia that no doubt contributed to his already strained heart being overstressed until it quit.”
Sin’s dad stopped leaning. “Lou was murdered?”
She nodded. “Looks very much like it.”
“Who would do that?” Sin asked. “And why? Tony was about to leave him, so there’s no motive there.”
I was fixated on the drug itself. “Birdie, who would have access to ketamine? You said it’s not used for humans anymore. Would someone have to be a doctor to get it?”
“Not necessarily. It is a club drug. Maybe not the most popular one, but this is Vegas, and there are a lot of clubs in this town. I’m guessing you can pretty much get anything you want to around here.”
Anson nodded. “Sad but true.”
“So that’s it? Anyone could have gotten some?” I shook my head. “That’s not helpful.”
“Well, it’s also an anesthetic and a pain reliever, but it has some hallucinogenic qualities too. That’s what makes it a popular recreational drug. However, its most common uses these days are in the veterinarian field. It’s used in all kinds of animals. From cats to horses.”
I sighed. “Did Lou make a veterinarian mad?”
“Who would want to kill Lou?” Anson shook his head. “It makes no sense.”
Jack and Aunt Zinnia came in. Both looked a little perplexed by the conversation, but neither said a word. Jack went into the kitchen, presumably for coffee. Aunt Zinnia followed behind him but got a green juice from the fridge.
Birdie sat back. “There are a lot of reasons for killing someone. This was premeditated, so that eliminates some of them, like a crime of passion. Most likely he knew something someone was afraid might get out.”
Things started to click in my brain. “Tony was supposed to have lunch with Lou the same day he died. Not long after you guys found him.”
More of what Birdie had said filtered into my thought process. I stood up, too antsy to sit, and began to walk around the room. “Cats to horses,” I repeated.
I’d been in Lou’s house and Carrie’s house. Neither one had had a cat. And there’d been no cat hair on any of Tony’s stuff. I noticed that kind of thing. No sign he’d had a cat from the outside of his house either.
That left horses. Or some other animal.
It hit me like a bolt of lightning. I stopped walking in front of Anson. “Son of a nutcracker. I know where Lila is. I know who has her. And I’m pretty sure Tony’s going to be the next one murdered.”
Sin jumped up. “Where? Who?”
I turned to face him. “She’s at the ranch that Tony owns. Remember he said Gabrielle was staying out there? He specifically said a ranch.”
“Right, but I thought we decided Tony wasn’t the one who’d taken my mom?”
Birdie was tapping away at her keyboard.
“He isn’t.” I took a moment, trying to keep my words from jumbling up. “Gabrielle is. But she’s been working really hard to make Tony look guilty. The cologne, the Crystal Palace stationery, the pasta.”
Sin put a hand on his head like it had all just become obvious. “And Gabrielle used to work at the Oasis.”
I thought back to the article I’d read. “That’s right. A Pussycat in Paris was the Oasis’s last showgirl review.”
“As the principal dancer, she’d have to know about the secret tunnel,” Sin said. “But I still don’t get why she’d kill Lou?”
“He must have found out what she was up to. Tony told us Lou was instrumental in getting them back together. Which means Lou and Gabrielle had to have been in contact recently. Maybe so recently that Lou figured out she’d kidnapped your mom. And Tony was supposed to meet with Lou the same day he died, remember?” I glanced at Anson, who nodded. “She must have visited Lou at his office and jabbed him with a syringe full of ketamine in the hopes of keeping him from telling Tony what she was up to. She might not have meant to kill him. Was there any sign of struggle?”
“No,” Anson said. “But why would there have been? He knew her. And considered her a friend.”
Birdie was typing away like mad on her laptop.
Sin made a disgusted noise. “Her photo hung in his home office.”
I nodded. “And don’t ranches have horses?”
“Yes.” Birdie sucked in a breath. “Good job, Jayne.”
“I know for a fact Tony has horses out there. The day he bought Crimson Dancer, he practically issued a press release announcing he owned the winningest horse in the United States.” Anson’s eyes were wide. “Tony’s headed for the ranch right now. Said Gabrielle asked him to come. That she was desperate to see him.”
Birdie looked up from her laptop. “Gabrielle’s maiden name is Fine. The screenname of the person Xavier bought the magic book from, the book that started all this, was Superfine. That can’t just be a coincidence.” She got up. “We need to go now.”
“I don’t know why Gabi would kidnap Lila, but I’m convinced,” Anson said. “Two cars. Birdie and Jack in one, Sin, Jayne, and me in another. Aunt Z, you’d best stay here.”
She nodded. “Yes, of course. Be safe. And bring our Lila home.”
Anson was already headed for the door. “We will.”
>
We didn’t drive so much as speed. We were in Anson’s Maserati sedan while Jack and Birdie followed in their rental car. Thankfully, it was still early, and traffic was fairly light.
Anson tried to reach Tony three times, but every time it went to voice mail. “She must have him on the phone to keep him from talking to anyone else. Because there’s no way he’s there yet.”
Anson glanced at the time. “Although he could be, I guess. I don’t know when he left.” He shook his head. “I bet that book Gabrielle sold to Xavier came from Tony’s library. Probably one more way of getting her screws into him. He’d never have given up a book like that on purpose.”
Nerves made me chew my bottom lip. “I bet she’s not really pregnant. I bet she found out about Tony’s affair with Carrie and decided enough was enough.”
Sin glanced over his shoulder at me. “But why kidnap my mom?”
I leaned forward a bit. “Because she was an easy way to make Tony look guilty. It’s a known fact that he’s envious of Dead Sexy’s success. That he’d love to be the headliner at the Oasis, right?”
“Right,” Anson said.
“Look,” I continued. “It worked. We thought Tony was behind it. Making your parents breach their contract really seemed like something he’d love to see happen. She probably figured the police would hound him for a few days, ruin his life and reputation and then she’d return Lila, having gotten her revenge on her cheating husband.”
“Of course,” Sin said. “Gabrielle couldn’t have known that my mom was a zombie and that my dad couldn’t call the cops because of that.”
I took a breath. “She may know now.”
Anson looked at me through the rearview mirror. “You really think she’s going to kill Tony?”
I nodded, unable to keep the sadness off my face. Tony wasn’t the only one I thought she was going to kill.
He stared at me. “What else aren’t you saying?”
I sighed. “I don’t want to put it into words.”
His voice was gruff and edged with emotion. “You think she’s going to kill Lila too.”
I nodded once, then looked out the window. “A murder-suicide would be the ultimate way to get her revenge on Tony. And she’s already on the hook for Lou. Why stop now?”
Lost in Las Vegas Page 16