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Dela stepped out into the parking lot at 2:30 a.m. The rest of the evening and night had unfolded as usual. She stretched her back and breathed in the night air. It was a comfortable 66º. While the July days could be blistering, the nights could be blissful.
She walked to her car, thinking about a glass of milk and cookies when she arrived home.
Lights from a vehicle flashed on. She was the last one from the night shift leaving. All that worked from now until 10 a.m. was a small security, surveillance, and maintenance crew, along with the cleaning crew.
She hurried to her car as the vehicle started moving in her direction. The keys in her hand jingled as she tried to unlock the door. The car stopped beside her. The window slowly lowered.
It was Gus Sanders.
“What do you want?” Dela asked.
“To give you notice. My wife is divorcing me. And it seems you helped to give her the information that will leave me a pauper.” His beady eyes glared at her with hatred. “I’ll make your life a living hell for this.”
The engine roared to life and the wheels squealed on the asphalt, dispensing nose-stinging rubber smoke that choked her, before the car bolted forward and out of the employee parking.
Dela stared at the taillights. She had to inform someone about this. There was no telling what Gus would decide to do to make her pay. She doubted he would kill her. He wouldn’t have any pleasure in that. No, he’d do things that would hurt her family and friends or her job. Things she valued.
Shit! She drove home staring down the side roads and wondering if Gus had really left or was out there watching her.
At home, she hung up her purse and made sure the front door was locked. She stepped out the French doors and called Jethro into the backyard. Dela wanted him close in case Gus retaliated through her animals. With the back door locked, she no longer wanted the cookies and milk. She wanted the blissful oblivion of sleep. If it would come after that encounter.
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
After finally falling asleep as the sun shone through her blinds, Dela had dreams of trying to get away from someone with only her one leg and crutches. She couldn’t see the face completely, one moment she thought it was Gus Sanders, then it looked like Detective Jones, whom she knew was dead because she’d shot him, and then, it was the man in the mugshot.
A wide swath of wetness on her face woke her. She swung her hand at what was tickling her ear.
A dog yipped.
That woke her completely. “Mugshot? I’m sorry. Come here.” She reached out with an arm and the big dog placed his head on her chest, looking at her.
“Did I scare you with my dreams?” she asked, petting his big head. “I’m sorry for that and hitting you. I was still half asleep.” Rotating her head, she glanced at the clock on her nightstand. It was almost one in the afternoon.
“Another thing to apologize for. We won’t have time to run today.” She wiped a hand over her face and moved Mugshot’s head off her. “I need a shower and to get ready for work.” She sat up and slipped her leg over the bed. The crutches had fallen over and lay on the ground. The easiest way to get them was to lay on her stomach on the bed and try to reach them with an arm. It was that or drop to the floor, scoot to the crutches, then back to the bed and use it to help her stand up.
On her stomach on the bed, she stretched her arm, trying to touch a crutch. Her body started to slide off the bed and she used the arm she was stretching to keep from falling. Mugshot sat beside the bed watching. Now he stood, walked over to the crutches, and picked one up in his mouth.
“Good boy, Mugshot. Bring it here. Come on.” Dela smiled and made kissy sounds.
Mugshot carried the crutch over to her.
She grasped the crutch with one hand and patted his head with the other. “Good boy. Can you get the other one?” she asked, pointing to the other crutch on the floor.
Mugshot swung his head in the direction of the crutch on the floor and back to her.
“Go on. Get the other crutch.” She reached out with the crutch in her hand to point and realized she could pull the second one toward the bed. She did and soon was swinging her way into the bathroom to shower. “You’ll get a treat for this when I get out,” she said.
Mugshot wagged his tail causing a breeze.
Dela showered quickly. When she came out of the bathroom she sniffed. Something was cooking. Heath should be at work. She hadn’t told him about locking the doors last night after her encounter with Gus. She hoped it was Heath or her mom. She didn’t need to walk into the kitchen and find a stranger making himself a meal thinking no one was home.
She opened the bedroom door and swung down the hall.
Heath stood in the kitchen, flipping grilled cheese sandwiches, in his uniform.
“What are you doing here?” she asked, causing him to jump.
“I know you had a rough time sleeping. I could hear you mumbling and what sounded like fighting someone when I was getting ready for work. Thought I’d stop by and have lunch with you and see what was going on.” He glanced at her stub and then back up to her face. “Want to eat now or after you dress?”
“Is it ready?” Her stomach growled as if on cue.
“Yeah, grilled cheese with ham.” Heath placed a plate with three sandwiches in the middle of the table. He’d already set it for two.
“Thanks.” Dela lowered onto the chair nearest her and took a long drink of the iced tea. She plopped a sandwich on her plate, waiting for Heath to sit across from her.
He settled and studied her. “What’s up? You look like you didn’t sleep at all.”
“Thanks!” She’d noticed the bags under her eyes matched the dark brown of her hair when she brushed it after her shower. “I had a visit last night from Gus Sanders.”
Heath put down the glass he’d just picked up and leaned toward her. “What do you mean by a visit? While you were working?”
She shook her head. “When I was walking out to my car after work.”
Heath reached across the table, grasping her hand. “What did he say and do?”
“He threatened me because his wife is divorcing him and taking everything. Said he was going to make my life a living hell.” Dela eased out of Heath’s grasp and picked up the sandwich. “That’s why I didn’t sleep well.”
“And why you had the guard donkey in the backyard this morning.” Heath cut his sandwich in half and started eating.
“Well, it was as much to protect him as him sounding an alarm if anyone tried to get in that way.” Dela thanked the dog and donkey every day for alerting her to Detective Jones getting in the house unwanted. “I can’t run scared all the time, but he was pretty mad last night when he threatened me.”
“You can file a restraining order. You know all of the tribal officers would make sure he was kept off the reservation.” Heath picked up his glass and drank.
“Yeah. But that would just make him angrier. I’ll just have to be watchful. He threatened my friends and family. How do I keep them all safe?” Dela didn’t want anything to happen to the people she cared about because she’d told Vivian Sanders about her husband’s affair.
“Be vigilant, and hopefully, he’ll calm down when the dust settles after the divorce.” Heath picked up the other half of his sandwich.
Dela wasn’t that optimistic. She’d taken everything away from Gus by talking to Vivian. At the time, she’d liked the idea of giving the man what he deserved for being a rutting pig, but now... She wondered at the wisdom in that.
“Have you been able to find any more of the people Athena was blackmailing?” Dela asked as she leaned back in her chair, letting the sandwich and a half she’d eaten settle and digest.
“I’ve talked to a few more. All of them except Todd have alibis. They were all still paying and as far as they knew their wives hadn’t found out.”
“What about Vonnie Wilde’s alibi? Was she with the friend like she said?”
“Yes. Her friend vouched that Mrs. Wilde arrived when she said she did and left the next morning. She also said she couldn’t believe Todd would succumb to his desire for another woman. That she’d always thought the Wildes were a loving couple.” Heath studied her. “Is this going to be another case where you point out all the errors of males and refuse to even think about marriage?”
She gave him a weak smile. “You have to admit, there are very few faithful couples anymore.”
“We could be one of the few.” His lips tipped up in the smile that had drawn her to him as a junior in high school. The one that had seduced her into being his girlfriend and her first sexual encounter.
Dela didn’t know what to say. She didn’t see a reason to be legally bound to a man when they were so fickle. Heath was better than most but in time, he would stray. It seemed they all did. “Now isn’t the time to talk about forever. Not with Gus Sanders out to ruin my life, and you, if he believes we are a couple.”
“That’s not going to make me stop talking to you about it.” Heath stood, taking his dishes to the sink.
Dela pushed to her foot and grasped her plate.
Heath plucked it from her fingers along with her glass. “Get dressed. I’ll head back to work when you are ready to go to the casino.”
“You don’t have to babysit me because Gus Sanders is throwing a fit.” Dela peered into Heath’s eyes.
“I’m not babysitting you. We both go the same direction to work. I’ll follow you because I like that sexy bumper on your car.”
She humphed and headed down the hall.
“I also like the bumper on the back of you,” he said.
She snorted and slammed the bedroom door. His laughter filled the house and made her smile. Damn! He always knew how to make her get over whatever mope she was having.
♠ ♣ ♥ ♦
On the way to the casino, Molly called.
“When can you come over and help me finish the last details for the wedding?” her friend asked.
“I won’t really have time until Sunday. Is that too late?” Dela knew as the maid of honor it was her duty to help with this type of thing but she really didn’t know why Molly was making such a fuss. She and Marty had decided on a small wedding without a wedding dress or a fancy suit for the groom.
“I guess not. I’m trying to decide if we want to have someone cater the reception or make it a potluck.” Molly sighed. “My mom thinks a potluck and put on the invitation no gifts. But I feel bad asking my guests to bring food even though I don’t want presents. Marty and I both have all we need. We’re not first-time newlyweds.”
“Considering you are having the wedding and reception at the Mission Long House, it wouldn’t be any different than any other event there. Ask them in lieu of gifts to bring a potluck dish to be shared at the reception.” Dela wasn’t sure how she knew that would be the wording but it sounded good.
“See, I knew I picked you for my maid of honor for a reason. You always bring things into perspective. Thanks!”
“Does this mean I don’t need to come over on Sunday?”
“Why don’t you and Heath come over for a barbecue in the evening? We can go over my list and you can tell me if I’m missing anything.”
“How would I know that? I’ve never been married.” Dela pulled into the employee parking at the casino. “I’m at work now. I’ll call and let you know if Heath and I can make it. I don’t know if he has any plans.” Dela had scanned the parking lot as she pulled in. Now she hastily exited her car and headed for the employee entrance.
“Sounds good. Have a good evening.” Molly ended the call.
Dela hoped she didn’t encounter the angry Gus Sanders when she went home. She entered the building and said hello to Oliver, who was tending the entrance.
“Dela, I’m glad you didn’t come in and see the same thing as yesterday. I would have had him any minute, but I was sure glad you arrived and handled that boy.” Oliver scratched at the patchy whiskers on his chin.
Dela wasn’t sure why he had taken to not shaving his chin. And she didn’t want to ask in case he didn’t realize he’d forgotten to shave that part of his face. He was in his seventies and working security to help raise his grandchildren. Due to his declining health and napping often, this was the best position to keep him employed. She knew before long, she’d have to let him go, but his youngest grandson still had two more years of high school.
“I’m thankful you and Margie were able to keep him contained. Anything interesting happening today?” She tucked her purse in the usual spot and began putting on the radio, mic, and earbud.
“Seems to be calm. Kenny came in early. He said to take over for someone who wasn’t feeling well.” The man scratched his patchy whiskers. “I don’t remember who he said.”
Dela turned on the radio. “Kenny, location.”
“Near the Pirate bank.”
“Copy.” Dela left the security office and headed across the gaming floor to a bank of slot machines that had a cumulative pirate game. She spotted him as soon as she cleared a bank of different slot machines.
“Heard you had a long night last night,” Kenny said by way of a greeting.
She studied him, wondering how he would know about Gus Sanders. “The casino was slow. It was an easy night.”
Kenny shook his head. “Not that. Farley said some guy nearly sideswiped you in the parking lot.”
“No, he threatened me. I’ll tell you about it later. Who are you filling in for?” She had a good idea since she tried to get a look at all the gaming floor security members as she made her way to Kenny.
“Todd called in. Said he wasn’t feeling good. I told him I’d fill in since this is a night when we are both here.” Kenny shrugged.
Dela studied her second in command. “Did he sound upset or different?”
Kenny pulled his gaze back to her. “You think because of what he told us about him and Athena he’s not showing up?”
“No. His wife was in here yesterday and they were having a heated discussion until I walked up. Just wondered if maybe something happened.” Dela thought hard about what she was going to say. Kenny was always impartial, but she didn’t want him to think the worst of Todd if he wasn’t the killer. “So far, of all the people who had a reason to kill Athena, Todd is the only one without an alibi.”
“I see. You think he’s going to take off?” Kenny asked.
“He actually doesn’t seem the type to run, but then I didn’t think he would cheat on his wife either.” She made up her mind. “I’m going to let Heath know. He might want to send someone around to make sure Todd is really at home sick.”