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Authors: Donna Joy Usher
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held.’
‘Get out!’ she shrieked. ‘Where?’
‘Billy took me to a café up near the Stratosphere.’
‘The hotel with that huge thrill ride?’
‘That’s the one.’
‘Martyn would hate that thing.’
‘Me too.’ I shuddered at the memory. ‘Anyway, while we were sitting there Tommy Tiger turned up. He went into a building across the road and a few minutes later came out with a briefcase.’
‘Did Billy notice you watching?’
‘Billy was watching him as well,’ I said.
‘Different arms of crime,’ she said.
I nodded my head. ‘I want to go back as soon as it’s dark.’
‘Count me in.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Are you kidding me? As if I’d let you do something like this without me.’
‘This isn’t a game,’ I said.
She looked a bit offended. ‘I know that. But I’m still not letting you go in there without me. What if something happened to you? I’d never forgive myself.’
I didn’t know if it was such a wise idea. Hell, I didn’t know if my going in was such a good idea. As police went, I was pretty lame. My style was more stumbling and bumbling than investigative genius. So I didn’t say anything, I’d let Trent make that decision.
‘What time is it now?’ she asked.
‘Two hours till sundown.’ I had asked at the reception desk before I came up. ‘Get some rest. I’ll ring Trent and we’ll go at seven.’
She nodded her head thoughtfully.
‘Oh and Martine,’ I said, ‘wear sensible shoes.’
***
I rang Mum and Trent’s room as soon as I got into mine. There was no answer. I hadn’t really expected Trent to be there. I was surprised, though, that his mobile was switched off. I sent a text informing him that we needed to talk and then lay down on my bed.
I thought over what had happened and what I was planning to do and I felt sick. What if Dr Shooten was right? What if I froze when I was needed the most? What if I caused Mum’s death? Suddenly, I was really wishing I had taken those therapy sessions seriously.
At seven I knocked on Mum and Trent’s room door. When there was no answer, I swiped my pass card and opened the door. Trent was nowhere to be seen. I pulled the door closed behind me and then knocked on Martine’s door.
I was wearing cargo pants, sneakers and a black t-shirt. I had tied my hair back in a pony-tail. She was wearing a navy-blue plaited skirt, three-inch-high wedge sneakers, a black, ruffled, button-up blouse and her day wig.
I looked at her shoes with my eyebrows raised.
‘They’re the most sensible shoes I have,’ she said. ‘Where’s Trent?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘What are we going to do?’
I’d thought long and hard about that question for the last few hours, and the only thing I knew for certain was this – I sure as hell wasn’t leaving Mum with those goons for any longer than I had to.
‘We’re going to sneak in there and get Mum out,’ I said.
‘What have you got?’
‘A torch. What about you?’
‘A pen knife, a can of pepper spray, a knuckleduster, a packet of matches, a mag light, some rope and some wire cutters.’
‘You brought wire cutters with you on holidays?’
‘You didn’t?’
I shook my head.
‘You never know when you might need a pair of wire cutters.’
‘Well, I realise that now,’ I said.
‘I’ve left my wallet in the safe in case we get searched,’ Martine said. ‘I’m taking a key card and some cash.’
I didn’t like the being searched part, but she had a point. I ducked back into my room and placed my wallet in the safe, stuffing some cash and my credit card into the side pocket of my bag. On a whim I placed my room card in the back pocket of my pants.
We stopped in at reception to see if Trent had left either of us a message. He hadn’t, so we asked for them to call a cab to take us to the Stratosphere.
Las Vegas by night was a psychedelic fairyland. Wherever you looked different coloured lights shone and flashed. People crowded the streets and
‘Get out!’ she shrieked. ‘Where?’
‘Billy took me to a café up near the Stratosphere.’
‘The hotel with that huge thrill ride?’
‘That’s the one.’
‘Martyn would hate that thing.’
‘Me too.’ I shuddered at the memory. ‘Anyway, while we were sitting there Tommy Tiger turned up. He went into a building across the road and a few minutes later came out with a briefcase.’
‘Did Billy notice you watching?’
‘Billy was watching him as well,’ I said.
‘Different arms of crime,’ she said.
I nodded my head. ‘I want to go back as soon as it’s dark.’
‘Count me in.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘Are you kidding me? As if I’d let you do something like this without me.’
‘This isn’t a game,’ I said.
She looked a bit offended. ‘I know that. But I’m still not letting you go in there without me. What if something happened to you? I’d never forgive myself.’
I didn’t know if it was such a wise idea. Hell, I didn’t know if my going in was such a good idea. As police went, I was pretty lame. My style was more stumbling and bumbling than investigative genius. So I didn’t say anything, I’d let Trent make that decision.
‘What time is it now?’ she asked.
‘Two hours till sundown.’ I had asked at the reception desk before I came up. ‘Get some rest. I’ll ring Trent and we’ll go at seven.’
She nodded her head thoughtfully.
‘Oh and Martine,’ I said, ‘wear sensible shoes.’
***
I rang Mum and Trent’s room as soon as I got into mine. There was no answer. I hadn’t really expected Trent to be there. I was surprised, though, that his mobile was switched off. I sent a text informing him that we needed to talk and then lay down on my bed.
I thought over what had happened and what I was planning to do and I felt sick. What if Dr Shooten was right? What if I froze when I was needed the most? What if I caused Mum’s death? Suddenly, I was really wishing I had taken those therapy sessions seriously.
At seven I knocked on Mum and Trent’s room door. When there was no answer, I swiped my pass card and opened the door. Trent was nowhere to be seen. I pulled the door closed behind me and then knocked on Martine’s door.
I was wearing cargo pants, sneakers and a black t-shirt. I had tied my hair back in a pony-tail. She was wearing a navy-blue plaited skirt, three-inch-high wedge sneakers, a black, ruffled, button-up blouse and her day wig.
I looked at her shoes with my eyebrows raised.
‘They’re the most sensible shoes I have,’ she said. ‘Where’s Trent?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘What are we going to do?’
I’d thought long and hard about that question for the last few hours, and the only thing I knew for certain was this – I sure as hell wasn’t leaving Mum with those goons for any longer than I had to.
‘We’re going to sneak in there and get Mum out,’ I said.
‘What have you got?’
‘A torch. What about you?’
‘A pen knife, a can of pepper spray, a knuckleduster, a packet of matches, a mag light, some rope and some wire cutters.’
‘You brought wire cutters with you on holidays?’
‘You didn’t?’
I shook my head.
‘You never know when you might need a pair of wire cutters.’
‘Well, I realise that now,’ I said.
‘I’ve left my wallet in the safe in case we get searched,’ Martine said. ‘I’m taking a key card and some cash.’
I didn’t like the being searched part, but she had a point. I ducked back into my room and placed my wallet in the safe, stuffing some cash and my credit card into the side pocket of my bag. On a whim I placed my room card in the back pocket of my pants.
We stopped in at reception to see if Trent had left either of us a message. He hadn’t, so we asked for them to call a cab to take us to the Stratosphere.
Las Vegas by night was a psychedelic fairyland. Wherever you looked different coloured lights shone and flashed. People crowded the streets and
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