Vegas, Baby (23 page)

“He took my underwear?” She shrieked. When had that happened? Had she dropped it during their confrontation with Switzer in the garage of her apartment building?

Inside the box they found a virtual shrine revolving around Rio and Blake Switzer’s hatred for her. The magazines and newspapers Blake had used to create the anonymous letters—that had became more and more threatening over time—were also in the box.

CHAPTER 33

A SOFT rapping on the opened door of Gabe Dalton’s office drew him away from the file he’d been perusing half the morning. The stalker case couldn’t have been wrapped up more neatly if it’d been tied with a ribbon. The ease with which that’d happened didn’t set well with Gabe. It was a little too convenient to suit him. Especially when LaCall had searched Switzer’s home just days before and found nothing. Gabe closed the folder and pushed it aside, half hoping he could push the nagging doubt with it, and looked up.

LaCall stood lingering in the doorway. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Come in and close the door,” he said with a gentle wave. He waited until the entry was secure and LaCall was sitting in the chair across from him before saying anything more. “So what’s your plan now?”

“My plan?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, LaCall.” Gabe wasn’t in the mood. “You were sent here for a specific reason. Do you have a suspect or not?”

“If I had to put my money on someone,” he said, “I’d say Switzer was a good bet.”

“Do you have more than just a hunch?”

“Plenty of circumstantial evidence.”

“I take it you’re going to stick around and see this investigation through?”

“That’d be the smart thing to do.”

“And after that maybe you’d like a permanent position around here?” Gabe said. “I need somebody to keep Laraquette in line.”

Eddie laughed. “I’m not sure anybody’s up for that job.” His pride seemed to wilt. “She plays by her own rules and there’s no known handbook.”

“See, I knew you understood her perfectly.” Gabe let out a little chuckle. “She’s never tolerated anyone quite like she tolerates you.”

“She hates me.”

“Don’t let that façade fool you, boy,” he said in a lighthearted tone. “That girl’s got a soft spot for you.”

“If you say so...” His words trailed off into a doubtful laugh.

“Just think about it, will you?”

“I’ll do that.” Eddie’s light tone failed to fit the moment. He was looking around now, everywhere but at Gabe. LaCall was looking for a way out.

Gabe cleared his throat and prepared to change the subject. “So how certain are you that Switzer was acting alone?”

LaCall gave one of those
who knows
looks and said, “There’s no evidence to suggest otherwise. I’ve gone over the case with a fine-toothed comb.” His tone and demeanor suggested he was satisfied with his findings.

Gabe let out a sigh that was meant to mimic relief but it felt more like uncertainty. But maybe that was just because he hadn’t seen the danger sitting a few feet away from Rio on a daily basis.

Someday, he’d ask her forgiveness…but only when he felt worthy of receiving it.

* * *

With two days left in the Golden Sunset’s poker tournament the casino’s brass wasn’t happy to learn the match had been rigged, or that valued employee Lester Perzinsky was partly to blame because a mobster had found out he was stealing from the casino and blackmailed him into submission.

The mobster had jumped on the chance to tamper with the casino’s high-profile games. It was the perfect way to deliver a slap in the face to the cops who were directly responsible for his incarceration.

Calvin Carpenter, the Golden Sunset’s CEO, had scrambled to avoid a devastating financial hit—one that could linger over into future tournaments—by issuing an official statement. The report was short and sweet:
Authorities have recently uncovered a plot to rig our Championship Poker Tournament. All registered entrants should contact the casino for an immediate refund of their entry fees.

To ensure—hopefully—that the casino’s reputation remained intact, Carpenter had another ace up his sleeve. The casino scheduled a mini-tournament the following Saturday and offered complimentary registration to all official entrants of the tainted poker tournament. Each participant would be credited with their original buy-in, up to one thousand dollars, and all entrants were free to walk at any time and take whatever winnings, including seed money, with them.

CHAPTER 34

RIO and Eddie couldn’t resist the casino’s mini-tournament. They rode the elevator down to the lobby of the Rio Grande Towers in silence, Rio leaning against one wall and Eddie against the opposite side of the lift. The only thing between them were their overnight cases and garment bags attached to the elevator’s railing.

Rio wanted to ask him when he was leaving, but worried about how it would come across. For her own sanity, it was best if he went back where he came from. But the thought of Eddie walking out of her life left her feeling empty and alone.

“I thought you would’ve relaxed a little by now,” Eddie said with a touch of hesitance.

“And why is that?” The ice on Rio’s tone chilled even her.

“Well, since Switzer can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Maybe I’ll relax completely once you’re gone.”

Eddie propped a booted foot against the wall behind him and folded his arms across his chest and snorted. “Maybe I’ll just stick around...since you’re so hot to get rid of me.”

She cut him with a harsh glare. “You would do that, wouldn’t you?” She shook her head and laughed. “Just to piss me off!”

The elevator doors parted. Rio cleared her throat and reached for her bags.

Eddie laid his hand over hers. “Don’t you dare,” he said. “I’m not the heel you make me out to be. And I’d never allow a lady to carry her bags.”

“Suit yourself.” Rio squared her shoulders and stepped into the lobby. She passed by Larry with a quick greeting and headed for the parking garage.

Eddie was taken aback by the sight of the limo and Martin standing near the driver’s door. When Martin saw them, he moved toward Eddie. “Let me get that for you, Mr. LaCall,” he said, and tried peeling the luggage away from Eddie.

“My name is Eddie. Mr. LaCall was my father.” Eddie tightened his grip on the bags. “I can carry the bags. But, you could help by opening the trunk.” He nodded toward the car.

“Of course, Mr. Eddie.” Martin backed away and moved swiftly toward the car and opened the trunk. He was left to stand by and do nothing more than watch Eddie deposit the bags inside the car.

Eddie moved around to the open car door and ducked inside. “Tell me again,” he said as he climbed inside. “Why are we making use of this limo today? You have a perfectly good car that we could be driving around in,” he teased her, fully aware that her car hadn’t been cleared by the Department yet.

“Okay, pay attention this time,” she said. “I told you we have that thing to go to for my dad tonight.”

“We?”

“The way I see it, LaCall...” She doused him with an evil eye. “You owe me.”

“Point taken,” he said. “But that still doesn’t explain the limo.”

“Well...since the poker tournament—at least for me—will take all day
…
I’ve booked us a room at the hotel so we can change into our evening wear and head over to the party.”

“At the risk of repeating myself...”

“We need the limo because we’ll be drinking at the party,” she said with a touch of formality.

“Oh, drinking
…
” his voice trailed off in amusement. “And we have to go to some stuffed shirt party to do this?”

“Well, it’s not like we’re buddies or anything.” She scolded him. He may think he was back in her good graces but that couldn’t be further from the truth. She wanted him at that party but it had nothing to do with
them
.

He studied her for a moment, like he was weighing his options. “What do you say we forget about the poker tournament and the
thing
tonight?” he asked. “Let’s run away instead...to Mexico!”

Mexico
?

He was teasing.

She decided to play along. “As enticing as that sounds,” she said, “I have plans to whip your tail at poker today.”

“Do you, now?” Eddie laughed, a hint of skepticism gleaming in his eyes.

“I do.”

“Would you care to make a little wager on that?”

“What do you have in mind, LaCall?”

“Just a friendly little wager.” He paused, considering what the spoils should be. Numerous possibilities crossed his mind—none of which he stood a chance in hell of attaining.

“How about,” Rio said, “the winner…me—” She pointed to herself. “—gets to have the loser...that would be you...do whatever the winner says?”

“And what exactly defines the winner?”

“Whoever walks away with the most money.”

“That seems a little vague,” he said. “I say we set a time limit to compare our winnings.”

“Fine. Three o’clock.” She seemed insulted. That wasn’t Eddie’s intention. He’d have to do some damage control.

* * *

As luck would have it, or maybe it was fate that brought Eddie and Rio together at one of the tournament’s last remaining poker tables in the afternoon.

The bet they’d made was sitting on Rio’s shoulder like a big chip. She did a quick mental comparison of her holdings and Eddie’s. Their piles looked pretty even but he might be a little ahead of her. No matter, it was getting late. This had to be the last hand, and she needed the flop and the river to complement her hole cards in the next hand if she hoped to stand a chance at coming out the winner.

Rio glanced at her watch. “It’s a quarter till.” She looked at Eddie, in the seat next to her, and added, “Last hand?”

He browsed his chips, scanned Rio’s and then let his gaze travel up to meet hers. “Sure.”

“Deal ‘em!” She tried to match his countenance.

The dealer went to work and Rio watched Eddie as he barely tipped up the edges of his hole cards. Her gaze traveled up to his trademark “poker face”; it gave away nothing. She shoved aside the dissatisfaction of not being able to read him and went for her own cards, picking them up completely off the table—something she would not normally do—and guarded them as best she could. If the move threw Eddie off, she’d chance it.

Two aces.

She looked up at Eddie with no smile, no frown, no nothing.

But he’d seen the fleeting glimpse of excitement twinkle across her eyes. She’d curbed it quickly and he doubted anyone else noticed.

The player with the dealer button sat on the opposite side of the table and the bet came around to Eddie first. “I’m gonna raise you two hundred,” he said, looking at Rio.

“Okay.” She threw a chip in and grabbed for more. “I’ll raise you another hundred.”

Eddie laughed inside and tossed another hundred into the pot.

With a pair of threes in the hole he didn’t expect to get far, but he supposed he could give Rio the hand and quite possibly their wager if he could lure her into a bidding war with him. No one else at the table had the guts to join in if that happened.

Eddie hadn’t expected the other pair of threes to land in the flop. That changed everything. If he won—and the chances of that were very good now—he was going to have a lot of fun watching Rio stress out as he contemplated what his reward would entail.

The river card fell. An ace.

Rio straightened in her seat.

That last card gave her a full house. The only thing that could spoil it for her was someone holding a pair of threes in the hole. The odds of that were extremely rare.

Her first thought was to go all in. But what if Eddie followed her? She didn’t want to leave Eddie penniless. He had to walk away from the tournament with something. He’d promised, on blind faith, to pledge his winnings to her unidentified charity. And once he found out what that charity was, she didn’t want him showing up empty-handed.

He smiled at her.

She gave him a wink and smiled back. She looked down at his hole cards and then back up at him again.

“Would it help if I checked my hole cards again so you could try to sneak a peek?” He’d seen her reaction to the river card. The ace.

Rio had two aces in the hole. He’d put money on it. That gave her a full house.
And she thinks she’s going to win
. For a second, he felt sorry for her. No one’s hand could compete once his family of threes were reunited.

“Are you going to bet or what?” she asked, stone-faced. For the first time, Eddie couldn’t tell what was on her mind.

He threw in a thousand to chase everyone else away. The winner of this pot had to be him or Rio.

He was right. Everyone but Rio folded.

“I’ll see that bet.” She fiddled with her chips. “And I’ll raise you a grand.”

Eddie slid his wager toward the pot but, at the midway point, he retracted it. “I fold.”

“What?” Her spirited eyes widened in astonishment.

“I was bluffing.”

She studied him with a skeptical gleam in her eyes. “You’re so full of shit. What you got in the hole?”

The dealer pushed the pot toward Rio. “I’m cashing out.”

“Me, too,” Eddie said and started to push his hole cards, still face down, toward the dealer.

Rio slammed her hand over his. “Not so fast, LaCall.”

“It’s over, Laraquette,” he said with a nervous chuckle. “You won.”

“Yeah.” She nodded. “And as I recall, you’re obligated to do one thing I say.”

Eddie’s heart dropped into his gut. She wanted to see his hole cards.

CHAPTER 35

EDDIE recognized the location of the party. The newly-constructed building was across the street from the Federal Complex. Out front, a concrete structure loomed as thick as a corridor and as tall as a house. The sides were covered with a tarp, shielding the building’s benefactor.

The sheer magnitude of the sign’s dimensions and the sight of the cars—mostly limos—lining the sidewalk out front, brought reality home for Eddie. Rio Laraquette was out of his league.

“You’re dad owns the building beside the precinct?” Eddie asked as the car door opened. He extended his foot out and touched the ground.

“Well, sort of, but not really.” Rio slid across the seat and took the hand he offered to help her out of the car.

Eddie’s curiosity urged him to peek under the tarp, but his resolved talked him out of it. Instead, he fidgeted inside the tux, feeling a bit too cramped and cooped up in the formal wear.

In a surprising move, Rio laced her arm around his as they strolled toward the entrance. A well-dressed man opened the door with a bright smile.

A brunette wearing a deep-blue gown that complimented her azure eyes approached them. “Ms. Laraquette.” She and Rio exchanged a polite hug.

“Hello, Theresa,” Rio said. “You look great. I love that dress.”

“Thank you.” Theresa’s gaze journeyed toward Eddie. “And this must be Mr. LaCall.”

“Yes, this is Eddie LaCall.” Rio scanned the lobby. “Where is my father?” she asked, diverting the secretary’s attention elsewhere.

“He’s waiting for you in the office on the left side of the convention room.” Theresa excused herself with a slight nod and backed away.

They followed the corridor to the left and as they passed each open door leading into the elaborate convention room Eddie took in the sight of the excessive displays of flowers and ice sculptures. The room was, so far, pretty much empty, but duly decked out for the evening’s guests.

He’d never seen anything like this. In the world he came from, parties like this didn’t happen. As out of place as he felt, this was Rio’s world and for as much as he knew it was useless he wanted to find a way to fit in.

He followed her as she pushed open a set of double doors and entered the room. He watched her hips shift seductively beneath the snug dress clinging to her body.

An interior door opened and the sound of James Laraquette’s voice chased the carnal thoughts out of Eddie’s head.

Her father strode imposingly across the small space. “Rio...” He kissed her cheek and then offered his hand to Eddie. The two men greeted each other as they shared a handshake.

“Has Rio told you anything about this evening’s events?” James asked Eddie.

“Only that it’s some kind of mystery that I’m obviously not allowed to know about.” His voice gave away his disappointment.

“Surprise.” James gave a chuckle. “It’s called a surprise.”

Eddie glanced at Rio, her father, and then back at Rio again. He looked spooked, ready to run.

Not good.

She’d kept him in the dark long enough. On second thought, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Who was she to mettle in his personal life? It wasn’t like they were friends. He’d come to Vegas under false pretenses. She wasn’t sure their partnership had been designed to last—not that he cared. But he had let her win the poker tournament. That had to count for something. Right?

“Remember when you said you wanted to find a way to immortalize Olivia?” Not that he deserved what she’d done, but Olivia did.

“Yeah...” he said with a hint of caution.

“I was really moved by Olivia’s story, so I went to my father. You know he’s got all this money.” Her tone was full of torment, like she was suddenly rethinking her choices. “Well, I asked him to establish the Olivia LaCall Foundation.”

Words formed inside Eddie’s mind but faded just before reaching the tip of his tongue. He blinked, trying to process a declaration that made no sense to him. He shook his head when the awareness didn’t come.

“The foundation is a nonprofit organization.” James spoke up, as if he’d seen Eddie’s inner turmoil. “It will assist families who’ve known tragedy, such as the one your family went through.” James stood silent for a moment, giving Eddie time to process the foundation’s purpose. “You’re free to widen your scope of support as you see fit since the foundation does belong to your family.”

“What?” Eddie’s high-pitched tone pierced even his ears. Seriously? Rio had started a foundation to honor Olivia? Eddie’s emotions shifted into high gear and he blinked back the tear that was hell-bent on escaping.

“Eddie
…
” Rio’s voice was riddled with doubt. “Say something.”

He looked at her—which probably wasn’t a good idea since the instant his gaze met hers his face tightened and his jaw trembled, leaving him struggling to speak. “You did this for me?”

“I did.” Her hands unconsciously twisted together.

“I don’t know what to say.” Eddie swept her into his arms and held her snugly. “You’re such a wonderfully kind and giving person.”

Rio laid her hands on his chest and pushed away from Eddie, barely noticing her father disappearing into the same inner office that he’d appeared from. She drove her gaze back to Eddie, hoping it was as hard as she desired. “More than you deserve.”

“I’m sorry.” Torment darkened his usually bright eyes. She got the feeling his remorse was genuine. “Are you ever going to forgive me?”

“Oh, sure. I can forgive you. But trusting you again...” She gave a slight, inconsequential shrug. “Now that’s another matter.”

His face drooped into a penitent frown. “Now I know what my mother meant when she used to say too much water has flown under the bridge.” Eddie glanced at Rio, looking helpless. “Ours is kind of flooded, huh?”

Oh, shit
! Rio hadn’t told him yet. “There’s more,” she said, glancing over his shoulder and seeing the inner office’s door opening.

“More?” Eddie chuckled. “What more could there be after all this?”

Rio’s gaze darted past his shoulder. Eddie followed it and stood there, stunned. “Mom?” he uttered, scarcely above a whisper.

Vivian LaCall strode across the room on the arm of James Laraquette. She looked like a princess.

Eddie’s legs carried him toward her. “Mom, what are you doing here?” he asked, embracing her.

“Well, that is my doing,” James spoke up. “I invited your mother to come to Vegas to oversee the foundation. I figured you’d be too busy, solving crimes and all.”

“You’re moving here?” Eddie’s mouth spread into a happy smile.

Rio moved toward her father. “Thank you, Daddy.” She kissed his cheek.

“Have I told you lately—” He draped his arm around her shoulders. “—how proud I am of you?”

“Of me?” She didn’t feel worthy.

“You’ve started a wonderful thing here. And it’s going to help a lot of people.” He gave her a little squeeze. “You need to remember why you did it.”

I did it because I wanted to help Eddie
. She tried to tamp down the urge to ridicule that decision. “What’s your point?” she asked, throwing up a tough front.

“My point is...” he said. “From the moment I met Eddie, nothing—including the secret investigation that brought him here—has mattered quite so much to him as keeping you safe. You were always his number one priority.”

“So what are you trying to say, Daddy?” She let out a hint of laughter.

“He’s worthy of your trust.”

Damn. Rio had always hated that about her father—his ability to read her innermost fears. She and her father had had their issues, but the one thing she could always count on was his sincerity. When he told her something was a fact, she believed it. He’d never steered her wrong yet.

James maneuvered Rio toward Eddie and his mother. They exchanged introductions and pleasantries until James said, “Well, shall we?” He offered his arm to Vivian. “We’ve got a crowd out there waiting for us.”

“By all means,” Rio said, lacing her arm around Eddie’s. “Let’s lighten their wallets considerably for them tonight.”

“Is this the illusive charity you were speaking of for our poker winnings?” Eddie asked Rio as they followed James and Vivian out into the convention room.

“Yes.” She nodded. “My father has seeded the foundation with a one million dollar endowment.”

“Holy crap!” Eddie managed to contain the shock to just above a whisper. “A million bucks?”

“Believe me,” she said. “Once the foundation opens, we’ll need all the money we can get our hands on.” She smiled and perused the crowd, mentally taking note of who was in attendance. Rio knew which guests had the loosest pockets and she had every intention of targeting them relentlessly.

“
We
?” Eddie said with a measure of hope.

“Freudian slip. Sorry. This thing belongs to you and your mom.”

“You founded it. You’ll always be part of it.”

Rio spotted the gang from the FVC Unit huddled in a corner. She elbowed Eddie. “There’s everybody from work. Let’s go say hi.”

“LaCall, Laraquette,” Gabe said as they approached. “It’s nice to see you both this evening.” He gave Rio a smile, one she hadn’t seen in a long time. It was his
easygoing smile
; the one that had made her feel safe as a kid.

“Love that dress, Victoria,” Rio said, as the guys huddled together a few feet away.

“Thanks.” Her tone wasn’t overpowered by confidence. “I wasn’t sure if it was formal enough.”

“Not to worry,” Rio said. “You look absolutely gorgeous.”

“Have you heard?” Victoria’s eyes brightened as if she had a secret to tell.

“What?”

“Mr. Dalton has offered me the recently vacated position in the department.”

“That’s wonderful news.” Rio nodded. “You’re a perfect fit.”

“Rio...” Digger rushed up from behind. “I have to talk to you now.”

“Hey, Dig.” Rio studied Digger’s face. She knew that look. It was one her friend donned only when she was worried. “What’s up?” she asked, trying to calm the anxiety creeping up her back.

Digger surveyed the room’s expanse. She let out a soft sigh and settled her worried gaze back on Rio. She looked toward the floor at Rio’s feet.

“Something wrong?” Rio asked, more worried than before. What was she looking for?

“You’re not going up on stage, are you?”

“No. Not that I’m aware.”

“Don’t.”

“Why?” Rio asked again. “What going on?”

“I can’t shake this feeling that you’ll be in danger of falling before the night’s over.” Digger shook her head as a perplexed look furrowed her brow.

“Michelle...!” Chris snuck past Rio and grabbed Digger’s hand. “What a lovely surprise,” he said and kissed the tops of her fingers.

“Chris...” Digger plastered on her sexy smile. “Charmed as usual.”

“I need to talk to you.” Dickie King latched onto Rio’s upper arm and guided her off to the side. “Where’s your boyfriend?”

Rio sucked in a deep breath. The teasing was getting old. “I give. Where?” she said evasively, determined not to play this game anymore.

Eddie looked at them, said something to Paul and Victoria before stepping away from them and heading toward Rio and Dickie. “Please tell me you got something for me?” he asked of Dickie.

“Man, do I ever!” Dickie laughed. “Your hunch that Atkins’s conversations with his visitors might have been taped were right. The thing is, your boy Switzer assumed his meetings with Atkins wouldn’t be taped. And we all know what happens when we assume....” Pride beamed from every pore of Dickie’s being.

“Seriously?” Eddie asked. “Switzer was my leak? Go figure.”

“Well, I guess this means your work here is done,” Rio said, curious to see how Eddie would respond.

She could see it, the beginning of some snappy comeback forming behind those mischievous coffee-colored eyes of Eddie’s. But as he looked at her, a sad smile tipped the corners of his mouth. “Laraquette, are you ever going to be open to the idea of trusting me again?”

“When I’m ready,” she said. “You’ll know it.”

Victoria tugged at her arm. “Hey, Rio. Where’s the little girl’s room?”

“Come on,” Rio said. “I’ll show you.”

Eddie watched them go and for the first time in a long time he didn’t worry about what dangers might lurk around the corner as she disappeared from view.

* * *

James Laraquette climbed the few steps leading up to a podium and welcomed the room full of guests, “I’d like to thank you all for accepting our invitation to attend this evening’s event, commemorating a project planned by my daughter, Rio and her partner, Eddie LaCall.”

The crowd responded with
oohs
and
ahs
as James paused for a moment and glanced down at Eddie, wondering where Rio was.

Eddie responded with a slight tilt of the head and a brief shrug as he mouthed the word,
bathroom
.

* * *

“So what are these rumors I hear?” Inside the ladies room, Victoria’s voice filtered through the air, making conversation while taking care of business.

“Rumors?” Rio asked from inside a bathroom stall.

“I heard you and Eddie are
dating
.” Victoria said, putting extra emphasis on the final word.

“Where’d you hear a thing like that?” Rio asked, just as the toilet in the stall next to her flushed.

She got no response from Victoria, thinking maybe she hadn’t heard her over the toilet. “Is that the rumor floating around the Department?” She tried to ignore the anxiety prickling at her nerves. It didn’t make sense that Vicki wasn’t answering her.

Still, no response as the racket from the noisy toilet subsided. She thought she heard the door bang shut.

“Vicki?” she called out softly, rising and adjusting her clothing.

Nothing.

Rio used her foot to flush the toilet and then opened the stall door. Angst pounded the blood through her veins as she stared into the eyes of the one person she thought she’d never have to see again.

The shimmer of blue steel gleamed in Rio’s peripheral vision. The gun’s barrel was sitting against Victoria’s head. A spasm of fright tightened in Rio’s throat. She had to get Vicki out of there before she ended up becoming another casualty in this lunatic’s rage.