I drove straight to the casino to check out what Tiffany had told me. I circled the lot twice but for the life of me I couldn’t see the secret exit. The area was well organized with large signs to control the traffic flow. One Way Only as you came in, ushering all vehicles into the marked spaces. Along the outer fences were more signs, which said This Way Out. Finally, I parked and went inside.
I asked the OPP constable on duty to phone Ben Snake in the surveillance room and he came down so promptly to meet me, I actually wondered if he’d seen me on the monitor. His smile was flatteringly welcoming.
“Sergeant Morris, what can I do for you? How’s the case coming along?”
I’d remained in the lobby, which was filling up with a surge of visitors; more coaches must have arrived. I moved to the wall so I wouldn’t get trampled.
“Is there a place we can talk for a minute?”
“Sure. Let this lot go through first.”
When the wave had subsided sufficiently for us to be able to move against the tide, he took my elbow lightly and guided me through the doors and off to the left into the atrium. It was designed to resemble a Native village with a central fire. The sound and light show was in progress and the powerful throb of drumming shook the air. I stopped, letting myself feel the vibrations coming up through the floor. I could hear the overlay of voices from the talking heads on the surrounding tree trunks. Deidre wouldn’t have been able to hear those words but she could certainly feel the pounding of the drum and I understood why she had taken such pleasure in coming here every week.
“This way,” said Ben and he ushered me into the gift shop that opened off from the atrium. The windows were hung with feathered dream catchers and what looked like handmade moccasins and fringed shirts. It was intended for tourists but wasn’t cheesy. A man who could have been his twin was sitting behind the counter. He had the same long black hair and dark eyes.
“This is my cousin, Dave Snake,” said Ben. He introduced me and Dave gave me a friendly smile.
“I want to borrow your back room for a few minutes,” said Ben.
“Help yourself. And while you’re in there you can plug in the kettle. I’m ready for some tea.”
Ben led the way through a hanging bead curtain that clicked and clacked behind us. The room was mostly for storage and was packed with boxes but there was a small table and a couple of chairs in one corner beside a serviceable fridge. The kettle was on a shelf with a box of tea bags and some coffee makings.
“Tea? Coffee?
“No thanks, I’m fine.”
He plopped a tea bag into a mug. “So what’s on your mind?”
It might have been my overactive imagination but I thought he wasn’t as relaxed as he’d been before. There was tension in his shoulders and he seemed to me to be overly focused on the tea making.
“We’ve been checking registration numbers for the vehicles exiting the casino grounds at what we think was a crucial time period. There was a discrepancy to the tune of five cars that had been recorded as entering but not leaving.”
He raised his eyebrows. “Really?”
“I understand there is another exit from the parking lot but it’s in the nature of a secret. Nobody is supposed to use it but on occasion employees do go out that way to beat the rush on concert nights.”
“Who told you that?”
I didn’t want to get Tiffany’s boyfriend into trouble. “Let’s just say I heard this on good authority.”
Ben was silent for a moment, holding his mug of tea and looking into it as if he were reading the tea leaves.
I took the sheet of paper from my briefcase. “This is the list of names that the missing vehicles are registered to — your name is on the list. Is that your licence plate number?”
He put down his tea and I handed him the paper.
“Yes, that’s my car all right.”
“Now I am positive you said you weren’t working on Tuesday night. Did you come to the casino anyway?”
He didn’t answer but turned away from me and sat down heavily in the chair.
“Do you have children?”
“Uh-uh.”
“I’ve got four and they’re all still at home, God forbid. My oldest is eighteen. I was at home on Tuesday, like I said, and Aaron asked to borrow the car. He told me he was going over to his girlfriend’s house. I never thought twice about it. Now according to what you showing me, somebody brought my car over here.”
“Does your son know about the other exit?”
“Sure he does.” Ben gave me a wry grin. “Is there a man in the world who doesn’t want to impress his teenage son with what a big chief he is? Aaron’s come to various concerts with me and the family and I took them home via the back way. I told them it was only for special folks like me and they mustn’t tell.” He sighed. “I’m going to tan his hide, I don’t care how old he is. One for lying to me and two for using the car like that. That rear exit is verboten and I could be in deep shit if the bosses knew I’d used it.”
“Why do you think he came here?”
“God knows. The concert was the Irish Tenors, and to say the least, they’re not his style. He’s a rap man. And he doesn’t gamble; I’ve made sure none of them ever got bitten by that particular bug. So no, I don’t know what he was doing here. What time was he clocked in?”
“Just before seven o’clock.”
I took out my notebook. “Perhaps I could have a word with him? Where’s the best place to reach him?”
“Right now he should be at work. He has a job at the ice cream parlour in Orillia. He won’t be too busy on a day like this. Who wants ice cream in this weather? Are you going to phone or go over?”
“I’ll go over.”
His eyes met mine. “You don’t think he has anything to do with the dead girl, do you?”
I’d like to have said, “oh gosh no,” but of course I couldn’t. Anybody in that parking lot who couldn’t give an account of themselves on Tuesday night was a “person of interest” as far as I was concerned. We badly needed to trace Deidre’s movements after she left the building. Young Aaron Snake wasn’t the only person on the list, however.
“Do you know these three people?” I asked Ben. “They all clocked in just before seven.”
“Cartwright’s one of our cashiers. Tom Bruder is a pit boss and Don McBready works in the bar. They’ll be easy to verify. They’re all working now. If you like I can get them … maybe this room isn’t the best but do you want to talk to them?”
“I’ll do it later.”
I had to start getting back to the office and I wanted to have a quick chat with young Aaron before I did. I was about to impress on Ben the need for discretion but he beat me to it.
“Don’t worry, I won’t phone ahead and warn my son you’re coming. Whatever the hell he was up to I know it wasn’t murder. I’ll see him later tonight, but if you want to talk to me some more you can reach me at home. And I won’t speak to those other guys either.”
“I appreciate that.”
Again he flashed me the wry grin. “The Snakes are part of the Bear clan and traditionally we’re responsible for security, originally no doubt security of the village or the camping ground, now it’s the casino. I don’t like the fact that something horrible happened to somebody who was on my turf. You can count on my co-operation … and I hope you will do likewise. I don’t want to be left in the dark.”
“Fair enough.”
He knew I couldn’t discuss the details of the case with him but he wanted to know if he should worry about his son or not. Needless to say, this was all very reminiscent of Leo Forgach.