“See you then.”
I hung up and went inside to shower.
I checked on Liz after getting dressed. She was wrapped in the sheets like a mummy. I had a hard time sleeping in even when I did sleep well. She had a hard time getting up if she didn’t have a reason. She had the day off, and there was no reason to disturb her. Plus, I knew she might try to dissuade me from going to the casino, and I didn’t feel like being dissuaded. I left her a note telling her I’d call her later and headed out.
I stopped at a café on Orange to grab some breakfast. I got down an omelet and some juice before I realized I needed to make another phone call. I paid for my meal, walked outside, and dialed the Law Offices of Gill and Gill.
Miranda answered on the first ring, sounding more annoyed than she had yesterday.
“Miranda, it’s Noah Braddock.”
“Hold on. Let me get excited,” she said.
I guessed from her tone that the police hadn’t spoken to her yet. “I need to tell you something.”
“Did you hear from Darcy?” she asked. “Because I haven’t, and I’m starting to get pissed off about it. I’ve got people calling here looking for her, and I have no idea what to tell them. And I can’t believe you just waltzed out of town without—”
“Miranda,” I said. “Shut up and listen to me.”
I could feel her making a face at the phone. “Fine. I’m listening.”
I took a deep breath. “Darcy is dead.”
“Funny, asshole. Shitty sense of humor.”
“I’m not kidding, Miranda.”
I watched several cars go by as I waited for her to say something. “You’re not kidding, are you?” she asked, her voice smaller, weaker.
“No. I wish I was. I found her body. She was in my house when I got back.”
She cleared her throat. “Okay. I’m coming to San Diego.” “Well, you might want to wait until the police get in touch with you,” I said. “They’ll probably—”
“I’m coming,” she said, and hung up.
TWENTY
Lakeside was a small community on the eastern outskirts of San Diego County. When I was growing up, it was one of those places that people made fun of as if it were three states away. But as the region grew, more and more folks moved out that way seeking affordable housing, and it was no longer a forgotten outpost. The Bareva Casino had only heightened the city’s profile.
Reservation casinos were all the rage in southern California. The legality of gambling seemed grayer with the construction of each new cash cow in the nether regions of the county, and no one seemed to care. Throw up a huge monstrosity of a building with some neon lights and the chance to win money and people would come.
Bareva was no different. The casino was a castle-like structure lit up even in the afternoon. The massive parking lot was jammed with tour buses, motor coaches, and cars that had come from all over. It took me ten minutes to reach the entrance from where I left the Jeep.
Carter was waiting out front. He wore extra baggy cargo shorts, a neon-green Quiksilver T-shirt, and sandals. He was holding a Slurpee the size of a small trash can.
I motioned at the Slurpee. “Get me one?”
“Nope.”
“Thanks.”
He shrugged. “Figured we wouldn’t look that tough if both of us had one.”
“Oh.”
“But if we don’t have to look tough for whatever the fuck we are doing here, then I apologize.” He stuck his tongue out and took a long lick on the straw. “And you can have mine.” He held it out.
“I guess we’ll have to look tough.”
“Vindication.” He nodded at the casino. “Are we here to try our luck?”
“Something like that,” I said.
We walked inside. It might as well have been Las Vegas, with coins hitting trays, the relentless ringing of slot machines, bright lights, no clocks, and a noise level that made it hard to think. An occasional joyful scream as someone hit what they considered a jackpot. Old couples huddled at machines, slowly extracting quarters from a plastic
I hung up and went inside to shower.
I checked on Liz after getting dressed. She was wrapped in the sheets like a mummy. I had a hard time sleeping in even when I did sleep well. She had a hard time getting up if she didn’t have a reason. She had the day off, and there was no reason to disturb her. Plus, I knew she might try to dissuade me from going to the casino, and I didn’t feel like being dissuaded. I left her a note telling her I’d call her later and headed out.
I stopped at a café on Orange to grab some breakfast. I got down an omelet and some juice before I realized I needed to make another phone call. I paid for my meal, walked outside, and dialed the Law Offices of Gill and Gill.
Miranda answered on the first ring, sounding more annoyed than she had yesterday.
“Miranda, it’s Noah Braddock.”
“Hold on. Let me get excited,” she said.
I guessed from her tone that the police hadn’t spoken to her yet. “I need to tell you something.”
“Did you hear from Darcy?” she asked. “Because I haven’t, and I’m starting to get pissed off about it. I’ve got people calling here looking for her, and I have no idea what to tell them. And I can’t believe you just waltzed out of town without—”
“Miranda,” I said. “Shut up and listen to me.”
I could feel her making a face at the phone. “Fine. I’m listening.”
I took a deep breath. “Darcy is dead.”
“Funny, asshole. Shitty sense of humor.”
“I’m not kidding, Miranda.”
I watched several cars go by as I waited for her to say something. “You’re not kidding, are you?” she asked, her voice smaller, weaker.
“No. I wish I was. I found her body. She was in my house when I got back.”
She cleared her throat. “Okay. I’m coming to San Diego.” “Well, you might want to wait until the police get in touch with you,” I said. “They’ll probably—”
“I’m coming,” she said, and hung up.
TWENTY
Lakeside was a small community on the eastern outskirts of San Diego County. When I was growing up, it was one of those places that people made fun of as if it were three states away. But as the region grew, more and more folks moved out that way seeking affordable housing, and it was no longer a forgotten outpost. The Bareva Casino had only heightened the city’s profile.
Reservation casinos were all the rage in southern California. The legality of gambling seemed grayer with the construction of each new cash cow in the nether regions of the county, and no one seemed to care. Throw up a huge monstrosity of a building with some neon lights and the chance to win money and people would come.
Bareva was no different. The casino was a castle-like structure lit up even in the afternoon. The massive parking lot was jammed with tour buses, motor coaches, and cars that had come from all over. It took me ten minutes to reach the entrance from where I left the Jeep.
Carter was waiting out front. He wore extra baggy cargo shorts, a neon-green Quiksilver T-shirt, and sandals. He was holding a Slurpee the size of a small trash can.
I motioned at the Slurpee. “Get me one?”
“Nope.”
“Thanks.”
He shrugged. “Figured we wouldn’t look that tough if both of us had one.”
“Oh.”
“But if we don’t have to look tough for whatever the fuck we are doing here, then I apologize.” He stuck his tongue out and took a long lick on the straw. “And you can have mine.” He held it out.
“I guess we’ll have to look tough.”
“Vindication.” He nodded at the casino. “Are we here to try our luck?”
“Something like that,” I said.
We walked inside. It might as well have been Las Vegas, with coins hitting trays, the relentless ringing of slot machines, bright lights, no clocks, and a noise level that made it hard to think. An occasional joyful scream as someone hit what they considered a jackpot. Old couples huddled at machines, slowly extracting quarters from a plastic
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