Chapter 54 - Elliot

“Thanks Mabel, I really appreciate you taking Gracie on such short notice.”

“That’s no problem, Elliot.  Are you sure everything is alright?”

“Yeah everything is fine, it’s just that I’m going to have to work late for the next few days and I won’t be able to pick Gracie up and be at home as usual.  Thanks again.”

I give Gracie a hug and try to stop myself from running to my car.  Thankfully Mabel could take Gracie until the weekend, or until I find Emma.  All going well I’ll find her tonight and we’ll be back to normal by tomorrow.  I’m not sure if that’s wishful thinking but it’s all I can think right now.  I need to find her.  

I wind through the streets towards the place I haven’t been in years.  My first stop is the old backroom poker table.  I drive up to the Brass Monkey, a dingy old pub on the far side of the city.  It looks exactly the same as it did years ago.  Faded old facade and tinted windows.  I push the door open and squint, letting my eyes adjust to the darkness.

In seven years, this place hasn’t changed a bit.  Old Tommy is still behind the bar, wiping glasses with a dishrag and pouring tall drinks for the regulars at the end of the bar.  All three of the men at the bar as well as Tommy turn around when I walk in.

“Elliot!  Haven’t  seen you in years, how have you been?” Tommy’s booming voice calls out.  He has a big smile on his face, a career barman.  I walk up opposite him and he extends his hand for me to shake it.  He pumps my arm up and down a few times before I start talking.

“Hi Tommy, how are you?  I’m looking for Melodie, is she here?”

Tommy’s face darkens and he looks away.  The dish rag flicks forward and he starts wiping the bar down.

“Sorry, Elliot, haven’t seen her.”

He starts walking away from me and I follow.

“Tommy, it’s important.  I need to speak to her and she won’t answer my calls.”

He stops walking and turns to look at me.  He stares me in the eye and speaks with emphasis.

“I don’t know where she is, Elliot.  Haven’t seen her since she moved shop up to the casino.”

“The casino?”

“The Star, near Penn station.  She moved a couple of years ago now.  I guess she got a bit too successful for our old pub.  Suits me fine, I wasn’t a big fan of the people that would come and go when she was set up here.”  He pauses.  “Except you, obviously.”

“Obviously,” I say, grinning despite myself.  “Alright thanks Tommy, I appreciate it.”

“Come back and have a drink with us sometime, Elliot!”

I nod and turn around to walk out the door.  Climbing back into my car, I take a deep breath.  The casino!  That’s a whole other beast.  There’s security and cameras everywhere, she must have a serious operation going.  I guess that explains why she needed to use the practice to clean up her money.  You’d think a cash business like a casino would be able to deal with its own money laundering.

Still, I have no choice.  It’s my only lead.  I haven’t been able to reach Melodie at all - the only phone number I have for her is the one in her file.  I had never actually called it until today, and I’m not even sure it’s her number.

I make my way to The Star and park a few streets away.  I walk up to the big building.  As with any casinos, there’s no windows, only a few entrances, and security everywhere.  I take a deep breath and walk to the front entrance.  The big bouncer is dressed in all black and holds up his hand.

“ID.”

I pull out my wallet and hand him my driver’s licence.  He inspects it and then hands it back to me.  I walk past him to the bright flashing lights of the casino.  I wander up and down the rooms, weaving through slot machines and poker tables and bars looking for an office.  She must be here somewhere.  

Finally I see something.  Two big men in leather jackets head down a hallway.  One of them has a massive scar across his face, and the other is about as wide as a truck.  I’ve seen the one with the scar before, he used to be Melodie’s muscle.  They nod to two more bouncers who let them through without a word, and then disappear through a doorway down the hall.

I ignore the hammering of my heart and walk up to the bouncers at the entrance of the hallway.  The mammoth of a man steps in my way before I can walk past.  

“Area’s closed.”  He points back towards the casino behind me, motioning for me to leave.

“I’m here to see Melodie Sanders,” I tell him.  He raises an eyebrow.

“Sure you are.  You and the rest of New York City.”

“Is she in there?”

The bouncer looks over to his coworker and they exchange a grin.  Is he expecting a bribe?

“Listen buddy, I don’t know who you are and frankly I don’t care.  People don’t just walk up and ask to see Ms. Sanders.  She asks to see people.  And if we don’t know you’re coming, you don’t get to go in.”

I bristle at his arrogance and take another step towards him.  

“Just tell her Elliot Davis is here, she’ll -” before I can say another word, I feel huge hands grab my arms and lift me up.  My feet are dangling off the ground and I’m carried for a few feet before the man launches me forward.  I stumble and then regain my footing, seeing him marching towards me.  

“Time for you to leave,” the man growls.  I look at him, twice as wide as I am with no light in his eyes.  He’s getting closer and closer and I back away.  He grabs my arm and escorts me back to the front doors, pushing me roughly out.  

He doesn’t even look at me before turning around and walking back to his post.  I rub my arm, half embarrassed and half enraged at being tossed out like it was nothing.  

“Come ON!” I yell at the bouncers outside.  They turn towards me menacingly and I bristle and then turn away.

I walk down the street and sit on the curb, putting my head in my hands.  I don’t know what I was expecting.  Did I think I could just walk up and demand to see her and tell her to let Emma go?  And that she would just… listen to me?!

She’s expanded her operations massively since I was involved in them.  And all these years she’d come and see me for various procedures and I didn’t even question what the fuck she was doing.

I walk back to my car slowly, feeling the despair and hopelessness set in.  I dial Emma’s number again and let it ring until the voicemail starts.  Then I dial Melodie’s number and let that ring.

I don’t know what to do.  I don’t know what I can do.  I head back to my house, searching every corner of my brain for an idea, any idea.  I need to help Emma.