Death in the Casino: Target Practice Mysteries 5 (2 page)

I rubbed behind Moo's head as he rested his chin on the counter to assess the man that was talking. "You're not concerned about his size?"

"Not at all, ma'am. We often have horse shows in our arena."

"But I bet the horses don't stay in the rooms."

He winked at me. "You never know. I have marked down that he is a pet, is that correct? As opposed to a service dog, I mean."

"Yes, that's correct."

"Then I would like to let you know that while he is a welcomed guest in our facility, much like children, he will need to stay on the dark red pathway as opposed to the gambling area. He is not allowed in our dining rooms, either, but they will deliver to your room if you would like. "

No gambling for me this weekend. "Thank you."

He had just passed over the keys to Jess when Moo barked and jerked on the leash. I turned, and there was Liam a dozen feet away.

"Liam," I chirped, but it got caught in my throat as I launched myself into his arms.

He picked me up and squeezed me to his chest. His lips grazed my cheek before settling onto the curve of my neck. He put me back on the ground but didn't let go. "I've missed you so much," he breathed into my ear.

Moo wedged his nose between our legs. He pushed until he was completely between us, his tail whacking me as he wagged it.

Liam chuckled and let go of me. "Hey, Moo, I've missed you, too." He kneeled down and scratched Moo behind the ears.

Moo lifted his head and let out a deep howl of pleasure. "Wooooo!"

We walked over to a collection of couches set up between the casino floor and the check-in desk. There was a half wall around the seating to block some of the noise from the slot machines. Mary, Minx, Jess, Tiger, and Loggin were already there and had been joined by Orion and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth extended her arms to me. "So good to see you, Di. I bought you something." After we hugged, she handed Mary and me each a bag with the Clear-Optics logo. "You both did such a great job evaluating the company at the OIT Show that I thought you earned these."

Last month at the Outdoor Industry Trade Show, Mary and I had gone around to two optic companies to give our opinion. We were unsure of what was expected, but we did our best then told Liam and Orion what we thought. After the show, we typed up our thoughts and sent them over to Elizabeth's executive assistant so they would have a copy.

Opening the bag, I pulled out a set of high-end binoculars that I recognized from the show. I tore open the packaging and took a moment to stroke them lovingly. I felt the heft in my hand and noticed the immaculate design meld into my grip. Knowing the suggested retail price only heightened my appreciation of the gift. I removed the lens caps and swooned over the crystal-clear image of the far side of the casino. "Elizabeth, this is too much."

"Hush, Di." Mary pulled out her binoculars and also looked to where the far end of the casino disappeared out of sight. "If Elizabeth wants to give us a gift, then it is rude to not take it. Check that out! I can read today's specials on the sign outside of the Italian restaurant."

Elizabeth chuckled. "Listen to Mary. She's smart."

I carefully put the caps back on the binoculars to protect the glass while a swell of appreciation and contentment rolled over me. I gave her a smile. "Thank you, Elizabeth."

Mary stepped away to show the binoculars off while everyone exchanged greetings and chatted.

"You're welcome." Elizabeth pulled me to the side. "I've been very impressed with the contributions you've made since we hired you. Do you like working at the training center?"

"I love it, and I really enjoy the additional projects I've been able to work on like the training blogs and the research we did at the OIT Show."

"Good. If other projects come up, would you like to have the opportunity to work on them?"

I couldn't imagine what type of projects these could be, but I loved the idea of new adventures. "Absolutely."

Mary and Orion walked away from the group to the far end of the lounging area. He was rubbing his neck and avoiding looking at her.

"Wonderful. We'll chat this weekend." Elizabeth greeted everyone in turn with a small wave. "Aren't we missing someone?"

"Who?" I looked, and everyone that had driven with us was present.

"You, Mary, and Jess are Westmound Center staff. Don't we have three on-site athletes? Minx, Tiger, and wasn't there another OSA?" She paused with a furrowed brow.

"Mouse," I supplied. "She's driving down with her family. They pretty much have the weekend off from OSA duty. I think they're going to hang out at the Westmound Center booth?" I lifted my voice at the end and turned to Jess, looking for confirmation.

She came to join us. "Yes, Mary, Di, and Moo will be helping at the table located inside the larger Andersson Archery booth, but Mouse, Minx, and Tiger are not officially required to work it, though they all agreed to swing by and answer questions. They were given the option to ride down in the van since we were already coming, but they're paying their own way."

Tiger bounded off the couch. "Speaking of being off duty, Jess, can I have my room key? I have places to go and ladies to meet." He stuffed the key into his pocket, grabbed his gear, and disappeared into the casino.

"Jess, could I get my key as well? I think I want to lie down. Is my room near Liam's and Orion's?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yes, our rooms are all in a row. Here's your key." Jess passed out the remaining keys.

"Here, Mom, let me grab your stuff." Liam grabbed Elizabeth's bag, and Orion offered to grab the bow case from Mary. The large, black, hard case had wheels on one side but was still very heavy.

Everyone else stood up and gathered their luggage as we prepared to head up to the rooms.

CHAPTER TWO

Mary's and my room was between Minx and Jess's room and the room now shared by Orion, Liam, and Loggin. Moo hopped onto the queen bed nearest the window and dragged his heavy claws across the comforter from the edge to the center, turning in a circle, until the entire comforter was in a ball in the center of the bed. He circled three times then flopped onto the pile.

Mary rolled the bow case into the corner then dropped her bag onto the other bed. "That"--she pointed at the bed with Moo--"is yours."

Moo rolled on his back and squirmed right and left. With a giant sneeze, he flopped to one side and stretched diagonally across the entire bed.

I sat down next to him. "What am I going to do with you, Moo?"

Upon hearing his name, he crawled across the bed and laid his head in my lap then rolled his eyes up to plead for scratches. I flipped his cropped ears a few times, a souvenir from his previous owners, who had abandoned him to a rescue before Liam adopted him last fall. I leaned over and kissed the top of his nos,e but I wasn't quick enough to pull away before his tongue flicked across my cheek.

"Gross." I got up to wash my face. "Hey, what were you and Orion talking about? He seemed nervous."

"He was. He told me that he's started dating a girl at his church in Salt Lake."

I turned off the water and rushed from the bathroom. "Oh no, I'm so sorry, Mary. Does that mean the Valentine double date on Saturday is cancelled? Are you okay?"

She bustled about the room, organizing her clothing and unpacking her bow from the case. "I'm fine, and the double date is still on. He just felt that it would be inappropriate not to tell me."

She had told me last month that she had a crush on him. They'd been spending a lot of time messaging each other and were pretty inseparable when we were in the same place. "You're fine?"

She blew out a long breath. "Yes. I'm pretty confident that this is only a minor setback, but in the rare case that I'm wrong, sitting around moping won't change anything."

There was a knock at the door.

I squinted at Mary. She seemed sad but not devastated. The tension in my shoulders dissolved when I realized she wasn't going to let it ruin her weekend. She and Orion were perfect for each other and enjoyed being together, and I didn't know why he was fighting the inevitable. "I'm sorry. That's still a huge bummer. If you need some girl time, let me know. We'll ditch everyone and go shopping or goof off."

"No, you finally get to hang out with Liam."

"Bah, we can sneak off for a few hours if necessary. Besides, he's riding back to the center with us after the tournament. I'll be seeing so much of him that I'll be sick of him in no time."

She rolled her eyes at me then went to the door as the knocking recurred, urgent and fast. "Hold your horses." She peeked through the peephole before opening the door. "It's Loggin."

He burst into the room, running a hand through his hair. "This is bad. Real bad."

I made a mock salute. "Angels reporting for duty."

"Remember that guy that I told you was hit by a van? He died."

I pulled out a chair for him to sit in. "Oh no, Loggin. Were you close?"

Mary moved to her backpack and pulled out a small notebook that would easily slip into a pocket. "His name?"

"Mike Champ. I didn't know him beyond a 'hi' at tournaments." Loggin scrubbed his face with his hands.

Mary scribbled on a blank page. "Do you know anything else about him?"

"He worked back east for a politician. He was... uh... what do you call them? Makes politicians look good?"

"Photoshop? Stylist? Money? A cavalcade of lobbyists?" I guessed.

"Spin doctor?" Mary looked up.

Loggin stared out the window. "Yes, a spin doctor."

I walked over and patted him on the back. "This might not have anything to do with the tournament. If he worked for a politician, then probably half the country wanted him dead."

"Maybe but why did the same van almost hit us? And what about my roommates' drinks getting doped? And I didn't tell you about what I just learned."

Mary dropped her notebook on the table then pulled out a tablet and started poking. "Don't keep us hanging. What did you learn?"

"Someone hung a banner on the railing that said, 'The playing field will be leveled.' You know how you go up the stairs from the casino floor up to the arena and the shooting rooms? They hung it over that railing so you see it as you come up."

Mary nodded along with his description. She had been attending this tournament for about a decade, while this was my first time.

I mused over the wording. "'The playing field will be leveled'? What does that even mean?"

He shrugged. "No clue but it sets my teeth on edge."

I nodded. "It sounds ominous. Like a revolution."

There was another knock, but it wasn't from the entrance. There was a door set back along the wall between our room and the next. I got up and unlocked it.

Jess was on the other side. "Look, our rooms are connected. I can come over in my jammies to make sure you two aren't getting into trouble. I'm going to head down to the arena to check on our booth then gossip with some coach friends."

"What do you have to gossip about?" I teased her.

"We can commiserate about our students driving us crazy." She stuck out her tongue at me then disappeared, only to be replaced by Minx.

She had changed into a tight V-neck polo shirt, skinny jeans, and high heels. "What are you guys doing in here?"

Loggin stopped rubbing his neck and stared at Minx.

I chuckled. "You going somewhere fancy?"

She flicked her red hair over her shoulder. "Everywhere in Vegas is fancy."

I waited for Loggin to say something, but he sat with his mouth hanging open slightly. I shook my head. "Remember the guy hit by the van last night? Loggin just got a call that he passed away."

"Poor man, that's awful for him. Come hang out in my room, Loggin, while the girls change. I want to get downstairs to grab a drink and play the slots."

Loggin nodded and followed her back into her room. I locked the door behind him.

Mary was rooting around in her luggage. "I'm so excited to wear some non-archery clothing."

I pulled out a loose-fitting jersey knit top with an asymmetric hem and flowing sleeves. "I know what you mean." I had fallen into the habit of always wearing snug-fitting clothing that wouldn't interfere with a bowstring. On a daily basis at the center, Mary and I would grab our bows and shoot whenever we had half an hour of free time. Therefore we were always dressed in a way that was conducive to shooting. "Will we be able to practice today?"

"Maybe. The practice range is usually packed, but I hear they are extending practice hours. We can swing by there later if you want."

There was a knock on the door and I moved to answer while Mary grabbed her clothing and ran to the bathroom, clutching it to her chest.

I opened the door to find Liam and Orion standing in the hallway. Orion looked beyond me into the empty room, and his mouth pulled into a frown.

"Hi, guys, we're about to head downstairs."

Liam sucked air in through his teeth. "Unfortunately, they need us on the show floor. They're setting up the booths, and there are some problems. Do you know where Loggin is? Andersson Archery is one of the companies affected, and we could use his help."