Chapter Twenty-One
Logan wasn’t the most self-aware man. He spent far too much time with his nose in case files to often take a look at the world around him. His wife’s moods were a mystery a great deal of the time as well. Ava could be the sweetest thing ever and the next minute mean and surly as a snake, especially when she was sleep deprived from working on a book deadline.
But even he could tell that Ava wasn’t the happiest of campers. He knew why, of course. She’d wanted to accompany him into the club but he wasn’t going to allow that. Far too dangerous. He shouldn’t be doing it either but there wasn’t anyone else. Sure, Jason could have sent another agent along with Kim but this was easier. Besides, this would hopefully be his last case with Kim. She’d be getting her full-fledged status soon and Logan would be taking the new position.
The room was smoky and loud, a combination that grated on Logan’s nerves. There was a time in his life that he would have enjoyed this but those days were long gone. He liked the peace and quiet of an evening at home now. As much quiet as a man could get anyway with twins tearing up the house.
“Looks like a happening place,” Kim remarked as he led her toward a table that had an excellent view of the large room. The club was busy for a weeknight but not packed and they were able to slip into seats without any trouble. A pretty waitress took their drink order and then melted away somewhere in the direction of the bar, which took up an entire wall at the front. “I don’t see him. Do you?”
Luckily Natalie had shown him a photo of Cory on her phone so Logan knew what the man looked like. What he didn’t know was whether anything the young woman said was the truth. According to her, there was a gambling den upstairs. From their vantage point, he should be able to see if anyone came or went from the second floor.
Leaning close to Kim as if he was whispering in her ear, he spoke just loud enough that he hoped Tanner could hear him in the car across the street. “We’re inside and so far I haven’t seen anyone go upstairs, nor have we seen Cory.”
The waitress came back with their drinks – beer for Logan and a martini for Kim. Since they were playing the part of people with more money than sense, he tipped the young girl far too generously and then gave her a broad wink. The waitress gave him a sultry smile in return and tucked the bill into her bra. Her hips swayed as she walked away and she shot him another glance over her shoulder. Just as she disappeared behind the bar, he watched as another waitress climbed the stairs carrying a full tray of drinks.
“Look,” Logan said, smiling at Kim but his gaze was on the far side of the room. “That’s a hell of a lot of drinks to be taking upstairs.”
Before Kim could reply, a man came down the stairs and headed toward the exit.
“Looks like Natalie might have been telling the truth,” Kim replied.
“But was she telling the truth about everything? We just don’t know yet. I really want to find a way to get up there but I doubt that’s going to be possible our first time here.”
“You may have to have someone vouch for you. That’s what I’d do if I had an illegal gambling club.”
“Invitation only,” Logan agreed, almost gleeful to see a couple climbing the stairs. Something was definitely going on. “What if we just went up there? What do you think they’d do?”
“Throw our asses out. If we’re lucky.”
Ava was listening in to this conversation and she wouldn’t be happy to hear him talking about taking stupid risks. It was just that he hated being in Corville and the sooner he solved Lyle’s murder, the sooner he could get the hell out of town and back home. Didn’t she feel it too? The animosity? The resentment? People hated him and tolerated Ava. He’d upended their comfortable little world and they weren’t likely to forgive him whether he found Lyle’s murderer or not.
“So we won’t do that. Any ideas?”
This was Kim’s final exam, after all. He should be letting her take the lead but in a situation like this it simply didn’t come naturally to him.
“I could go powder my nose. Maybe you can get one of the waitresses or customers to talk.”
As ideas went it wasn’t too bad. Kim slipped out of her chair and headed of the ladies room, leaving Logan at the table. He eyed their young and pretty waitress from afar, letting her feel the weight of his stare. When she noticed, she turned and gave him a wink. It was almost too easy. Sitting back down, he sipped at his rapidly warming beer. The drink was really only for show, not for relaxation.
The girl sidled up next to him when she was done with the other table. “I think you could do better.”
“Do you? I think so, too.”
The young woman slid a cold beer he hadn’t ordered in front of him. “She doesn’t seem to appreciate you.”
Logan gave her a mocking smile. “Maybe I’m a total asshole.”
The waitress ran her fingers down between her cleavage where she’d tucked that fifty.
“I doubt it. I bet you’re just…misunderstood.”
“That’s exactly what I am.” He leaned back, pretending to get a better look at her. “What’s your name, pretty girl?”
Ava had to be about to blow a gasket right about now listening to this. I’ll make it up to her.
“Cindy.” The girl propped her hand on the table so that her breasts were almost falling out of her tight white blouse. “What’s yours?”
“Logan,” he replied, taking a swig of the fresh beer. “Thanks for the beer, baby. What do I owe you?”
“That one’s on the house.”
That wouldn’t do. He was supposed to be throwing around cash. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out another fifty. “Then this is just for you, gorgeous.”
Her cheeks turned pink either from the compliment or plain greed. Cindy tucked it away with the other one but kept her hand there, stroking the top of her breast.
“I get off at two.”
That was straight to the point. No foreplay, baby?
“Going home to your husband?” His gaze fell on her bare left hand. “Or a boyfriend?”
“I’m free as a bird.” She leaned farther toward him, her lips next to his ear. Ava would probably still be able to hear her. “And ready to party.”
He checked his watch, an inexpensive Rolex knockoff but he hoped Cindy couldn’t tell the difference. “I’ll have to ditch my girl at some point but that’s easy. She doesn’t like to stay out much past midnight. I can send her home in a cab. It’s only eleven now. I could kill some time upstairs.”
If Cindy was surprised that he knew about the gambling room she didn’t act it. If anything, she behaved as if this was a common request. Perhaps it was.
“If you want into the poker game, there’s a minimum.”
He didn’t ask what it was. It didn’t matter.
“That’s fine. Can you get me in, darlin’?”
“Sure, follow me.”
This was turning out to be a productive evening after all.
* * * *
Tanner clapped his hands together with glee. “He’s going to get in there. I never dreamed he’d get in the first night. Looks like throwing around some cash was the key.”
Money talked, that was for sure, and Logan looked every inch the prosperous businessman. Not that it mattered. Women flirted with Ava’s husband on a regular basis even when she was standing right next to him. She’d grown used to it and in fact, it amused her. Logan, on the other hand, usually didn’t even notice. If he did, he didn’t care. Clearly he’d been paying attention this evening to little Cindy.
“How’s he going to get Kim in with him?” Ava asked. “He can’t leave her alone.”
Impatiently she waited, listening to the background noise of the nightclub almost drown out their small talk. She caught something about needing another drink but the rest was either too low or too garbled to make out.
Ava leaned down, straining to hear. Cindy and Logan were speaking but she couldn’t decipher what they were saying.
Stupid technology.
All it took was a massive sound system playing songs from the eighties with way too much bass and she couldn’t hear a thing.
“What are they saying?”
Tanner too was leaning in close, his brows pinched together in concentration. “I can’t tell. They’re talking and it doesn’t sound angry or anything.”
They could be discussing the weather or Cindy could be trying to make plans for after closing time.
Sorry, hon. Logan’s busy.
“You’re going upstairs?”
Kim’s voice came through loud and clear.
“No, we’re going upstairs.” Logan must have moved his jacket out of the way and now the pen was easily picking up the conversation. “You’re not staying down here alone.”
“It sounds boring.”
Kim sounded convincing as the pissed off girlfriend who didn’t want to follow her man anywhere. As much as Ava wished it was herself with Logan, she couldn’t deny that she felt confident with the other woman by his side.
“Just try it for a little while. If you don’t like it, I’ll call you a cab or an Uber.”
“Fine.”
More noise and the sound of footsteps. Muffled voices from a distance. There was the deep voice of a man and then the beat of the music faded. A more subdued noise palette took its place. The soft murmur of conversation and the tinkling of laughter in the distance.
Logan was in. A shot of adrenaline ran up her spine. He might be able to speak to someone who had seen Lyle there, or even better he might get Cory to talk.
She heard him order a drink for both of them and then Kim said they should walk around. Mingle. Lose some money.
“Sounds like a good idea. Best place to lose money fast is probably the roulette– Wait…we need to abort the mission. Did you hear me, Tanner? Abort. Right now. Kim and I are out of here.”
Logan must have been recognized. Damn it.
Now he had to get out of there alive.