Dirty Deals by Nicole James Page 0,25
club tonight, but I’ll call you when I get free, okay?”
“Okay.” I climb inside, and he leans in the door for one last kiss before closing it.
I fire up my baby and back out, content to see him standing there watching until I’m pulling from the lot. Only then does he move to his bike.
***
The drive home is slow with traffic until I get into the country. I stop and pick up a bottle of wine and a microwave dinner. It’s dusk and the horizon is turning a pretty purple blue as I park in the garage and go inside the back door. It’s eerily quiet and dark. I turn on some lights, feeling better knowing I have the gun in my purse. Rusty made me bring it with so I’d have it when I arrived home.
I move through the house, turning on lamps, feeling silly for being scared like a child. I’m a grown woman. I walk into the kitchen and heat up my dinner, then take it and a glass of wine to the porch to watch the last streaks of the sunset.
The birds are chirping with their last chatter of the evening before settling in for the night. It’s that perfect time between day and night. There’s a breeze that keeps the bugs away, and I enjoy my wine and not half bad dinner.
I check the time and calculate the difference to Vegas time. I drain the last of my glass and go inside as it starts to get dark.
I move to the dining room table and open my laptop to check for any news of the murder. I can find nothing.
I close it, move to the couch and turn on the TV. I flip through the channels and stop on an entertainment news show. Suddenly what’s on the screen has me straightening in my seat as a chill runs down my spine.
Axel Crow is at a podium with a group of people behind him, some in tears.
There’s a news anchor speaking over the scene.
“Today country singer, Axel Crow offered a fifty thousand dollar reward for information in the disappearance of his personal butler from his Las Vegas residence. The man hasn’t been seen since last Saturday night, and his family is distraught. Mr. Crow is close to his employee and told our Sandy McKay that he’ll do whatever is in his power to locate the missing man and feels for his devastated family.”
They switch to another story, and I turn it off. Oh my God.
I scramble back to the dining table and snatch up my phone. I can’t punch the buttons fast enough. Shit. Shit. Shit.
A moment later Devon picks up.
“Hey, Ashlynn.”
“I just saw on the news that Axle Crow is offering a reward for his missing employee.”
His voice is low and hushed. “I’m driving a guest. Divider’s up, but let me call you back in a few.”
“Okay. Thanks.” I disconnect and wait. I pace nervously, trying to run through all the ramifications. It’s half an hour before he calls back. I answer on the first ring.
“Devon?”
“Yeah. I’m alone and can talk. You want to tell me the whole story now?”
“Have, um, the police been by?”
“Yup.”
“Oh, shit.”
“Honey, you can trust me, I didn’t say a word, but they’re pullin’ video from the hotel right now. They already got me on camera waiting outside Peerless Tower that night.”
“Oh, my God.” I put my head in my hand. “Did they grill you?”
“Yeah. They already knew I picked you up. They haven’t found out I loaded you into a car with your suitcase yet, but once the hotel pulls that footage and turns it over they will. Right now, Management’s telling them you’re on vacation.”
“Shit.”
“Ashlynn, what’s going on? What happened that night? They’re looking into a missing persons case. Axle Crow’s butler.”
“They killed him, Devon.”
“Who did?”
“The Rialto brothers. They killed Ricardo Leona and then Thomas, Axle’s butler. I was in the bathroom. They must have thought I’d already left. I tried to sneak out and they saw me. I ran out and made it to the elevator before they got to me.”
He whistles. “So that’s why you were so frantic when you came out of the building.”
“Yes.”
“But the police aren’t lookin’ into a murder. They didn’t say shit about that.”
“The Rialto’s must have cleaned it all up and gotten rid of the bodies… I don’t know. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“Fuck.”
“I’m so sorry, Devon. I never meant for you to be involved in any of this.”
“Don’t worry about me.