and Roberto Mendez. Shocked that multiple suspects had turned up at the same place at the same time, he wasn’t about to complain. He fired off a quick text to Bray, who was just across the border in El Paso. Keeping his face turned to the side, he watched as they made their way to the back tables as well, but not toward Charlene and Anton.
His suspicions were on high alert, but he still didn’t see any evidence of the two groups co-mingling. After three more mind-numbing, ear-assaulting hours, Charlene and Anton walked away from the tables and out of the casino. She beamed as he collected his winnings and they left. Another text was sent to Josh, asking if Anton had his own security. Ciudad Juarez was teeming with thieves, especially at night. Receiving an affirmation from Josh, Cobb moved to the back again, assured that Charlene would be safe as she made her way over the border and back home.
His attention was diverted when the door to the back room opened and a few well-heeled people exited while several others entered. Women in expensive cocktail dresses and men in tailored suits made their way down a back hall to avoid the main entrance where the masses gathered. Firing off another message to Josh, he told him to check the back hall security cameras.
It took two more hours before Bert, Timothy, and Roberto finished winning. By the number of people that stopped to greet him, it appeared Bert had no shortage of acquaintances there. The trio wandered to the bar with skimpily-clad women now hanging onto their arms, and Cobb was ready to get out of there and back to Josie. He hadn’t learned anything new, but his suspicions grew that someone close to Josie had probably sent Caesar her way and then became fearful when Josie grew suspicious.
Stepping into the house well after midnight, he was struck with the thought that while Josie’s house did not feel like home to him, just knowing she was inside gave him the feeling of coming home. The TV in the living room was on, so low the sound was negligible, a welcome respite from the noise of earlier. He looked to the sofa, Tate offering a chin lift in welcome. Cobb’s gaze drifted to the cushion next to Tate where Melon was curled up sleeping, pressing tightly to the new human in her orbit. Not even attempting to suppress a grin, Cobb inclined his head toward the slumbering feline. “I see you’ve got a friend.”
Tate stood, and it didn’t escape Cobb’s notice that the other Keeper did so gently, barely disturbing Melon.
“Josie asleep?”
“Yeah, I think so. She had trouble finding it, but it’s been quiet now for a while.”
He thought he detected a tone in Tate’s voice but chose to ignore it, walking into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. Setting one on the counter for Tate, he watched as his friend moved toward him and settled onto one of the stools at the counter.
“I got your message,” Tate began. “Seems like all indications are on the Grand King as being the probable place of cleaning the money.”
“I’ve already passed on the information to Floyd. Nothing he can do across the border, but at least he’ll know some of the people to watch from here. I hate like fuck if Charlene’s involved in any of this because of Josie’s relationship with her, but she doesn’t strike me as a very discerning young woman.”
“Wrong place, wrong time, wrong man?”
Cobb nodded. “Yeah, I think so. Anton’s not quite the high roller that I think he or she thinks he is, but he was definitely winning, so I’d say he’s got something going on with the casino. If he’s bringing in client money, he could be moving a lot every week through them. Didn’t help that Bert showed up with his two hangers-on, but I watched them for over two hours and his group never so much as looked over at Anton.”
“Josh turned up something.”
Cobb's body remained loose but his mind shot to high alert. “Yeah?”
“Carson Wright.”
“He’s been found?”
Tate shook his head slowly. “Nope, but Josh discovered that’s not his name.”
Eyes narrowed, Cobb paused. “So, he’s not real? Just a complete fake front?”
“No, it’s one person, but that’s not the real name. The attorney who’s connected to Caesar and the dummy contributions to Josie’s clinic is still hidden.”
“You’re shitting me?”
“Nope,” Tate repeated. “Right now, Josh is trying to figure out who they