After I left Maggie’s, I stopped at Whataburger and ordered a double with cheese. And a large order of fries. Turkey sandwiches on wheat bread don’t stick to your ribs. I scarfed it all on the way to find Shaw. My only real lead was his girlfriend, Dalia Franklin. She’d posted the bond and put up the house as collateral. It wasn’t so much a house, but a bunch of sticks propped up to look like shelter. One big wind and it would come tumbling down.
I knocked three times and was about to leave, when the door finally swung open. One look at the under-aged girl holding a crying baby standing in the doorway, and I decided Shaw was in more trouble than he thought. “Dalia?”
She shook her head. “She ain’t here, but she’s supposed to be. She and that jerkwad baby daddy of hers. They left me here with their snotty kids, and I got places to be. She’ll come back late tonight and forget she promised to pay me five bucks, as if that’s enough.”
She had a lot more to say on the subject. Her rant took on a surreal quality, and as she continued, all I could hear was blah, blah, blah. I pegged her for all of fourteen, maybe fifteen. Wherever she had to be was likely somewhere she wasn’t supposed to be. I had no idea if five dollars was good wages for a night of babysitting. I only knew no amount of money would cause me to switch places with her. I’d never sat babies a day in my life, and I figured her complaints were justified. Didn’t mean I wanted to be the one to hear them. I watched for her to take a breath and jumped in. “Do you know where either of them are?”
“Dunno where Dirty is, but Dalia’s at work.”
“Where does Dalia work?”
She opened her mouth to answer and then shut it and squinted her eyes at me. “Who are you?”
I started to tell a lie, but why burn a good one when the truth will work just as well. “I work for Dirty, er, Mr. Shaw’s, bondsman. He missed court and I came by to remind him.”
She looked me over, nodding her head. No doubt she noticed the bulges under my jacket and decided I meant business. Business she wanted no part of.
“You leave Dalia out of this. She’s a pain, but she’s my sister and she never did nothing wrong except gettin’ hooked up with him.” She paused and punctuated her threats with crossed arms and a fierce look. “You tell anyone I talked to you and I’ll cut you.”
I smothered a laugh by faking a coughing fit. Once I recovered, I made a solemn vow to keep her identity a secret, and I scribbled the address and hours she gave me into a tattered notebook I keep on hand. I didn’t intend to show up at Dalia’s work, but now that I knew her hours, I wouldn’t have to hang around waiting.
It had been a full day already. I’d exercised, eaten, worked a little. The one thing I hadn’t done was get laid. Jess was out on that front, but someone owed me. I just needed to find something to trade. Time to find Sandy Amato and Vince Picone.
I was half tempted to go by Bingo’s and bully him into talking to me, but after last night’s revelations, I figured his place was being watched. I wasn’t in the mood to have my every move caught by either the Feds or Petrov’s men, but there was someone I knew who could go to Bingo’s without drawing any suspicion. And it was time I paid him a visit.
I fished the key from underneath the dirt-filled flowerpot and opened the door. My childhood home was exactly like it was when I was sixteen. Frozen in time, every stick of furniture was exactly the same, every creepy knickknack was in exactly the same place, and every family photo hung in exactly the same position on the wall. No one entering would know that this place housed only one person—an aging, lonely, alcoholic whose family had scattered and dreams had shattered. As much as Maggie had become a fixture in Dad’s life, nothing about this place had changed. It may have gotten worse, since Dad spent most nights at her house, making this place seem even more desolate. I walked the halls, sure I would find him here. It was early afternoon. His favorite time to drink, and no way would he start drinking this early in front of Maggie, the reformer.
He was out back, smoking a cigar and drinking from a can of Pabst. Three empty cans lined the concrete patio.
“Hey, Dad.”
He turned in slow motion, and I could tell it took him a minute to decide if I was someone he knew. A few second later, his eyes lit up. “Luca! What a nice surprise. Join your old man and we’ll toast this great weather.”
I pulled a beer from the plastic rings and snapped the top. “Pretty cold day to be sitting outside.”
He pointed at the cigar. “Your mother trained me well. No cigar smoke in the house. Guess I got in the habit of being outside with them.” He pulled another from his jacket. “You want one?”
I waved him off. “Maggie know where you are?”
“She’s fine.”
“She thinks she’s teaching you to eat right, be healthy.”
“She doesn’t put real mayonnaise on her sandwiches.”
“I know.” I put a hand on his. “She used to push greasy food on everyone in sight. You know what it must have taken for her to change her own ways. She cares about you.”
“She’s a good woman.” His tone was wistful. He hadn’t changed for my mother and he wasn’t going to change for Maggie, no matter how much of a catch she was. Wasn’t in our DNA to change. Except for my brother Mark. Apparently, something or someone had prompted a change in him.
“What does Mark say about the girl? You know, the one he says he’s going to marry?”
“Their picture’s on the fridge. Fancy, professional job. I think it’s going to happen.”
Curiosity won. I walked inside to the kitchen and studied the happy couple. She wasn’t stunning, but her smile was bright, and the way she looked at my brother spoke volumes. She was in love. Not hard to imagine. He was a catch. Smart, good-looking. We didn’t talk about money, but I felt sure he did okay. Hard to believe this was the same guy who hid under his bed when our parents fought, which was often.
He looked at his future bride like she was the most important person on the planet. I glanced at the caption. Save the Date, November 19th, Dallas, Texas.
When I joined Dad back on the patio, I asked, “They’re getting married here?”
“Yep. She’s a doctor. Something about a fellowship here in town. Don’t really know what that means, but he’s got a line on a new job, and since her parents live out here, they decided to tie the knot in Dallas. Your mom’s on cloud nine. Think they’re making a big deal of it. The girl’s parents are loaded. That’s what I hear anyway.”
The girl. Guess Dad hadn’t met the bride to be yet. At least he’d been told about the wedding. Jess’s words echoed. Guess I wasn’t going to be there at all since I hadn’t been asked. Not that I wanted to be. Big fancy to-dos weren’t my thing. If I couldn’t wear jeans, I pretty much didn’t go.
My mom was probably having a field day, helping plan a fancy party with other people’s money. Well, she could have her party. If I got an invite, I’d scrape up money for a gift. Maybe even manage to buy something they wanted, but I could pass on the ceremony.
I started to feel like my family wasn’t mine. Only the bloated old man sitting across from me punching out beer cans. A strange desire to solidify our relationship caused me to offer an invitation I hadn’t planned on. Amato and Picone could wait. “You up for a little road trip?”
The buzz delayed his response. “Road trip?”
“You know. Just me and you. How about it?” I glanced at my phone. I had seven hours before Dalia was supposed be home from work.
“I think I’m supposed to see Maggie later.”
“Maybe you can buy her a nice prize with your winnings. I have work later. I’ll get you back long before the bar closes.”
He was already out of his seat, surprisingly nimble for an old guy who’d sucked down as many beers as he had. I knew I wouldn’t have to do any more convincing. I packed him in the Bronco, and we took off for the hour and a half trip to the casino. Maggie would be pissed, but I didn’t care. Dad was family, and right now I needed that, more than I wanted to admit. The road to hell, and casinos, is paved with good intentions.
*
I took advantage of the ride to pump Dad about Bingo, but instead of background, all I got from him was the suggestion we go by his place and catch a game. “I’m craving a drive,” was my lame response. I wanted him to go to Bingo’s, but I didn’t want to have to explain that I wasn’t welcome. I had the evening to figure out a way to get him to go there and find out why Bingo was pissed off at me. This trip was just to whet his appetite for more. He didn’t argue. He liked Bingo’s place just fine, but he preferred the Winstar Casino for their better looking dealers. He was right about that.
I did learn he hadn’t been to Bingo’s in a month or so, probably due to Maggie’s watchful eye. When my father had been married to my mother, he’d had to sneak out to fulfill most of his vices. Maggie wasn’t at all like my mother, thank God, but she did have a bit of maternal instinct about her, which led to the healthy meals and no beer before noon rule. Dad was one of those guys women just loved to take care of. He’d had the Widow Teeter, from down the street, on a string since my mom had walked out years ago. I hadn’t pegged Maggie as one of the ones who’d line up to care for the old guy, but love does strange things to people. A good reason to stay far from it.
The casino was hopping for early evening on a Wednesday. No sharp-dressed high rollers. Mostly grizzly looking folks, likely gambling away their government assistance. I didn’t judge. Not like I had a retirement plan other than dying early. If death cheated me, one day I’d be old, right there with them, pulling a lever from my Medicare approved scooter. I’d sooner shoot myself. But I could see Dad in their place. Maybe hooking up with someone like Maggie would save him from such a fate.
I settled him at a poker table and left to get us drinks. I didn’t make it far before I ran into a surprise. Literally.
“Geez, Diamond, you think the United States government wouldn’t want their agents gambling with the common folk.”
She grabbed my arm and steered me to a not so quiet corner. “What are you doing here?”
“Bonding. You?”
“Any progress on Vedda’s guys?”
“Your contract employee has nothing new to report. Except that I’m taking a few hours off, which considering you’re not paying me, is none of your business. Don’t you have some strippers to hustle?”
She tried to fake a puzzled look, but I saw through it. Now she knew that I knew she’d had more on her mind when it came to Laura Tanner than helping me catch a jumper. “Care to tell me why you were interested in a two-bit stripper?”
I watched her face while she went through the mental gyrations, wondering if I already knew what she’d told Laura, what she’d gotten from her. Her features settled into resignation. “I can’t help it if cases sometimes overlap.”
“I don’t believe in coincidences.” I mentally scrolled through the improbable list. She’d tailed me to one of the cases Hardin had given me and gotten me to commit to looking for a couple of his other jumpers. She’d followed me to Bingo’s, followed me to the strip club. And she conveniently disappeared when her faux old flame, Yuri Petrov showed. She was using me for something, and it was time for her to spill. “I have a few questions for you.” I shot a look over at the table where Dad was steadily losing money. Any second now, he’d start wondering where I was with the drink I’d promised. “Wait here.”
She followed my gaze and nodded. “I’ll meet you in Paris.”
She wasn’t envisioning a romantic rendezvous under the Eiffel Tower, not the real one anyway. We were in the Winstar World Casino and faux French architecture was just one of the cheesy landmarks. I shoved one of the beers I held into her hand. “Hold this. Makes you look less like a cop. I’ll be there in a minute.”
I delivered Dad’s drink and told him I was going to give the slots a try. He barely looked up from his cards, but wished me good luck. I don’t play slots—too mindless—but leave it to him not to remember details about his oldest child. I shrugged his inattention off and left for gay Paree.
Diamond was waiting. I’d had my doubts she’d stick around. She was a wily woman. Before I could get out a word, she grabbed my arm and led me to the far end of the casino, to a bank of elevators. I didn’t question our destination. Figured there wasn’t any point. I was just encouraged she hadn’t taken off the minute I turned my back.
We got off on the twelfth floor. A long walk down an empty hallway, a dip of a card into the lock, and next thing I knew, we were alone in a hotel room. Not what I’d had in mind, but a bonus for sure. I sat on the bed. “You wanted me so bad, you followed me to Oklahoma? Hell, Diamond, I would have given it up in Texas. You want to answer my questions before or after?”
She paced the room. Nervous, not excited, pacing. Not exactly a prelude to hot sex. On her third lap, I reached out and grabbed her arm. “Sit. You’re making me dizzy.” I didn’t wait for an answer, but pulled her into my lap, circling her waist with a strong grasp, rubbing her skin when her shirt came untucked. She gasped at my touch. A swallowed moan, really. That was all it took. Within seconds, I was totally turned on, and the only question I cared about was how fast I could get Diamond undressed and begging beneath me. I rolled us over and started unbuttoning her shirt.
She stilled my hand with hers and panted, “Wait.”
“Don’t want to,” I managed to say before I covered her mouth with mine. I craved closeness. I tugged off her shirt, then mine, and pulled her close, but I couldn’t erase the feeling she was still distant.
“Take off your pants.” I spoke the words into her mouth and held her tight while she complied, surrendering to my pressing need. I nipped and sucked her lips, then moved to her breasts. She unbuttoned my jeans and inched her hand inside. I groaned when her hand slid down to finger my wet center. My clit hardened. It felt good, but I needed more. I bucked against her, forcing her hand where I wanted it most, but none of my thrusts brought me close enough. Close enough to Diamond. Close enough to coming.
She entered me, one finger, two fingers, three. My jeans were halfway down my ass, but I didn’t care. I could feel my walls closing. I was going to come, but something was missing. I felt the orgasm building, but I could’ve bluffed anyone watching into thinking I was playing cards instead of coming at the hands of a beautiful blonde vixen.
I kept the rhythm, fighting to drown out my ticking brain. Why did it matter? Why was I even noticing this? I’d had my share of one-night stands where orgasm was the only goal and any stray emotions were only strings to be cut as quickly as possible. I buried my face in her tits, hoping the taste of skin would force me somewhere physical. Some place where I didn’t care who was fucking me. It didn’t work.
Maybe all the talk lately about relationships and marriage had frozen my emotions so all I could manage were rote physical reactions. I needed to shut down the computer running through my brain or I was never going to enjoy a sexual encounter again.
She was pumping me hard now. Stretching me, pulling me, demanding my attention. Or at least the attention of my clit. It agreed with her. I came quietly and rolled over. She sat up, shot me a questioning look, and then started to get dressed. I waved her back. “Your turn.”
“I’m good.”
She wasn’t and neither was I, but I didn’t want to talk about it. We both dressed in silence. I waited until she was all buttoned-up before I asked my first question, figuring I should at least get half of what I came for—information. “How do you know Laura Tanner?”
“I don’t. At least not well. I got her name from a contact. Heard she had a lead on Vedda’s guys, so I showed up at the club. Imagine my luck when you were there to bring her in.”
“And you took her prescription bottle because you were in need of some pain relief?”
“All I did was tell her she was going back in, not to fight back. She gave up the bottle to keep from having it on her when she got booked in. Smart girl.”
She was lying. Big time. I didn’t know why, and an hour ago I may not have cared, but now I cared deeply. Maybe it was because the lie came on the heels of something sweaty. What had gotten into me lately? Intimacy wasn’t something I relied on in making judgments in my everyday living. This slow bleed of caring needed to stop now. It was only going to get in the way of my ability to do my work. And my work was all I had.