Killer Rapids, page 12
Dad and I carried plates of cake out to my friends. Mom grabbed the pitcher of lavender iced tea and went back in for cups.
Once we were settled, we dug in. It was so delicious, I almost died.
A car rambled down the road toward us. It was a silver Porsche. My stomach sank.
Mom’s face lit up. “Dr. Strong is here! Isn’t that nice, Clarity!”
I eyed her suspiciously. “Mom, did you arrange this?”
She blinked. “Who, me?”
I bit back a growl. “Mom…”
The car came to a stop, a haze of dust floating through the late afternoon air. Nathan got out, looking handsome in dark gray slacks and a button-down shirt and tie. His million-watt smile lit up his face when he caught sight of me.
“Clarity! You’re not wearing that out on our date, are you?”
I looked down at my T-shirt and shorts. “Date?”
“Yeah. Your mom said you were up for a night at the casino!”
I glared at Mom. “Oh, she did, did she?”
Mom’s eyes twinkled again. “I just figured you’d want to go. Why don’t you change into something more suitable, honey?”
My eyes met Brandi’s and then Jonah’s. They seemed as shocked as I was that Mom had pulled something so sneaky.
Nathan watched me expectantly. “We’ll need to leave in a few minutes if we want to beat traffic.”
I was about to protest when my thoughts flitted to the poker chip I’d extracted from Arnold’s pocket. If Arnold had gambled somewhere nearby, perhaps I could find out some information from the employees of the casino…
“I’ll go get ready right now.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Jonah and Brandi’s mouths hanging open. I winked at them and darted into the B&B to get dressed for the evening.
CHAPTER 20
Was it tacky to wear the dress I wore to a funeral out on a date?
It was the only dress I had with me, so it would have to do. I put on some red lipstick, brushed out my long dark hair, and spritzed some perfume on my neck and wrists. There.
Before I went down the hall to meet up with Nathan, I texted Brandi and Jonah. “Get dressed and meet me there.”
Brandi texted back. “Which casino?”
“Don’t know,” I responded. “I’ll text you when I find out. Let’s do some snooping into Arnold’s extra-curricular activities.”
Brandi sent me the thumbs up emoji.
When I met Nathan downstairs, Brandi and Jonah had already gone to their rooms to get ready. Mom and Dad were talking Nathan’s ear off about marijuana farming.
“It’s just a shame that everyone can sell the damn stuff now. Our crop was near perfect until the neighbors started growing their crop. Their stuff is sub-par, if you know what I mean.” Mom shook her head. “And then it started hybridizing with our crop. It’s not the quality it used to be.”
Nathan’s frozen grin told me he was humoring them. “I bet that’s frustrating for you.”
“Damn right,” Dad said. “We had to move all the plants into a couple of greenhouses. The good thing is that the goats can’t get into it. No more overdoses in the herd to worry about.”
“Every cloud has a silver lining.” Mom held out the pitcher of iced tea. “Care for some before you head out?”
Nathan shook his head. “No thank you.”
His head turned toward me as I approached. “Wow. You look—wow.”
“You look nice, honey.” Mom got up and kissed my cheek. “Have fun and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“Which means I can do just about anything,” I muttered under my breath.
“What was that?” Dad asked.
“Nothing. I’ll see you guys later. Don’t wait up.” I winked at Mom. Even though I was mad at her for setting me up once again, I was itching to find out more about Arnold’s secret habit.
Once we were settled in the car and on the main road, I asked, “So, which casino are we going to?”
“The Skagit River Casino.” He glanced over at me with a smile.
“I’ve never heard of that one.” I put my hand inside my purse, wondering how I would text Brandi and Jonah without him seeing what I was doing.
“It just opened a couple of months ago. I normally go to the Lucky Clover Casino. I’ve only been to this one once before. It’s nice. You’ll love it.”
The sun was still bright, and I wondered how many people would be gambling in the late afternoon. I wasn’t a gambler, but I’d always imagined that people who gambled did so in the late hours of the night with a drink in hand.
The Porsche accelerated down a windy road, and Nathan gunned it when the street straightened out. I felt a pang of fear as we flew down the mostly untraveled stretch of highway.
Nathan laughed. “Hope I’m not scaring you. I like my cars fast.” He gave me a long look.
Was he going to say, “I like my women fast, too”? God, I hoped he wasn’t thinking what I thought he was thinking. A prickle of unease made my heart beat faster.
My phone buzzed. It was a text from Brandi. “WHICH CASINO?”
“Who’s texting you?” He asked as I took my phone out of my purse.
“My friend, Brandi.”
“Oh.”
I texted back, “A new one called Skagit River Casino.”
“Thanks,” she responded. “We’re on our way.”
I felt a little better knowing that my friends would be there watching my back. I was starting to get another weird vibe from Nathan.
***
It took a good thirty minutes to drive to the casino. We’d hit rush hour and there was an accident on the freeway.
Conversation between Nathan and me was one-sided.
“When I finished my undergrad degree at Stanford, I went into medical school at Johns Hopkins. It wasn’t exactly a party school, so I had to sow my oats in a different kind of way, if you know what I mean.”
I stared at him. “No, I don’t know what you mean.”
He glanced at me, his eyes twinkling. “Maybe I shouldn’t tell you.”
“Maybe I don’t want to know.” I looked out the window. He was getting creepier.
Nathan chuckled. “Let’s save it for another time, then.”
As if, I thought. There wasn’t going to be another time as far as I was concerned.
The casino sign was lit up and mounted on a landscaped little hill. River rocks formed the base of the sign, giving it a folksy but expensive look. It reminded me of Disney’s California Adventure park.
Nathan took my hand in his, and my first instinct was to pull it away. But I had a job to do, so for now, I needed to play along.
When we walked into the entrance and lobby, I looked all around, admiring the décor.
The pillars in the lobby were all made of solid wood which was echoed in the wooden beams in the soaring ceiling overhead. Though the casino was by all means smaller than the popular casinos in Vegas, it seemed grand.
We passed the hotel check-in desk and walked by a river rock wall fountain, which tinkled serenely in the twinkling light of the lanterns affixed to the rustic walls.
From there, we entered the casino itself, with hundreds of machines chiming and blinking bright lights. The atmosphere was so drastically different from the entrance, it felt jarring. Instead of feeling calm and peaceful, I felt wide awake and alert.
Nathan tugged on my hand. “Want to grab a bite of dinner before we play?”
My stomach rumbled in response. “Sure.”
He pulled me along the path on the outskirts of the machines to a large restaurant which seemed to have the same lodge-like feel as the lobby. Immediately, I felt more relaxed.
“Is this okay? Or we could go to the bar instead.” Nathan put his hand on the small of my back. “Whatever you’d like.”
“No, this is great.”
A hostess materialized immediately. “Just the two of you tonight?”
Nathan grinned. “That’s right. Just the two of us.”
Ugh. This was getting a little too cozy for me. But I still needed to find out if Arnold had been a regular here.
The hostess led us to a table next to a window where we could look into the casino. “I’ll send your server right over to take your order. Can I get you some drinks while you wait?”
Nathan nodded. “I’d like a whiskey sour. Clarity?”
I wanted to stay alert and not let alcohol cloud my judgment or ability to work, but I thought it would look weird if I didn’t order a drink. “A glass of Cabernet would be great.” I would just sip slowly and stop if I felt the effects of the wine.
The hostess disappeared, and Nathan reached for my hand. “I’m so happy to spend this night with you. I’m a lucky guy.”
Spend the night with him? Did he mean…?
A waitress appeared with our drinks. She was a young blond woman with perky, and perhaps surgically, enhanced breasts. “Nathan! I haven’t seen you for a week! What have you been up to? I hope you’re keeping out of trouble.”
Nathan smiled and looked at me. “You know me, Tiffany. I’m always on my best behavior.”
Was he avoiding eye contact with her?
“That’s not what you said last week. In fact, you said you were being a very, very bad boy.” She giggled.
Either she was intentionally trying upset me or she was really dumb. Little did she know, I had zero interest in this schmuck.
He cleared his throat. “Tiffany, be a doll, and bring us each the shrimp salad and the clam chowder, will you?”
I frowned. I was tempted to lie and say I was allergic to seafood. He hadn’t even asked me what I’d like to eat. But… I was here for a reason. I needed information.
“Anything else?” The disappointment on her face was obvious.
“No, I think that’ll do, thank you.” He waved her away.
Wow. He was a bigger douche than I thought.
Her eyes teared up momentarily before she turned to deliver the order to the kitchen.
I took a big gulp of my wine. “Excuse me, Nathan. I’m going to visit the ladies’ room. Be back in a second.”
Before he could answer, I whisked off in the direction of the restrooms. As I walked down the narrow hallway, I glanced into the kitchen, where Tiffany had gone to take the order to the chef. Her big blue eyes were filled with tears, and I could tell she was trying hard to maintain her composure. I motioned for her to follow me.
Inside the restroom, I waited for her to enter. When she did, I put my hand on her arm. “I’m so sorry Nathan treated you the way he did. Guys like that are jerks. You deserve better than that.”
She sniffed. “How did you know—”
“It was obvious.” I cut her off before she could say anything further. “Choose a guy who treats you well. Don’t settle for anything less.”
She nodded and wiped a tear from her cheek. “But why are you with him, then?”
I shook my head. “He thinks I’m into him, but I’m not. My mom set us up. She didn’t know that he’s not a nice guy. But listen, can you tell me if you’ve seen this guy here before?” I showed her a picture on my phone. It was a photo of Ray and Arnold that I’d taken on our rafting trip. They were standing together, deep in conversation about something.
“I don’t recognize this one.” She pointed at Ray. “But this guy I recognize. His name is Arnold. He comes here a lot and sometimes plays in the big stakes games—poker mostly.”
Suspicions confirmed. “Where are the high stakes games played? In the main casino?”
“No, those are played behind the main casino. There’s a VIP section in the back. You enter on the right side, behind the roulette wheels.”
I smiled. “Thank you, Tiffany. You’ve been very helpful.”
“What is this all about? Is Arnold in trouble?” she asked.
“No. Unfortunately, Arnold was killed over the weekend. I’m just trying to learn more about his background and what might have led to his death.”
Her eyes grew wide. “Arnold was murdered?”
I nodded. “It’s tragic. But I would appreciate it if you could keep this quiet for a few days while we sort through the details.”
“Oh, absolutely. Arnold was a real nice guy. I hope they catch the person who did that to him. Do you think someone here did it?” She bit her lip.
“I don’t know. I’m just trying to learn everything I can.”
“Are you a detective?” she asked.
I hesitated. “Private investigator.” That was the first time I’d ever used those words to describe my occupation. It didn’t feel real. Was I really a P.I.? I hadn’t received my certification yet, but I would shortly.
Tiffany checked the time on her phone. “I better get back to work. Thanks for your kind words. I hope Nathan doesn’t trick you into sleeping with him. He’s pretty charming, but I don’t think he’s a very nice person.”
“You’ve got good instincts. Take care of yourself, Tiffany.”
She opened the door and let it swing shut.
I looked in the mirror and reapplied my red lipstick. So, Arnold had been a regular here. A regular who often played poker with the high rollers. Was his gambling linked to his murder? I needed to know more.
When I returned to the table, Nathan looked at his expensive wristwatch. “Are you feeling all right? You’ve been gone over ten minutes.”
Slightly irked that he’d been timing me, I answered, “Oh, I’m fine. I just had to freshen up so I could look my best for you.”
His wolfish grin shone in the dim light. The candle on the table cast shadows on under his cheekbones and highlighted his bright blue eyes. “Well, then. It was worth the wait.”
Tiffany and another server appeared with the food and set it down in front of us. “Enjoy your meal.” She looked over her shoulder and winked in my direction.
I took a bite of the chowder. Despite being irritated that he’d ordered for me, I couldn’t argue with his choice in food. It was delicious.
“You like?” He put his hand on mine.
Thankfully, he’d put his hand on my left hand, not my right. I was too busy eating to swat him away. “It’s very good. I didn’t realize how hungry I am.”
“Eat up. You’ll need your strength for later.”
I glanced up at him. Was he for real? The creepy vibes made my skin crawl. “For when we play the slot machines?”
He laughed. “You’re funny, Clarity.”
I dug into my salad and drank a small sip of wine. It tasted weird. Had Nathan put something in my drink when I’d gone to the bathroom?
I flagged down a server walking by. “Excuse me. This wine tastes off to me. Can I get a replacement? The house red is fine.”
“Oh, of course. I’ll bring you another.” He took the glass from me and walked it back to the bar area.
I cocked an eyebrow at Nathan. “That was weird. It tasted fine before I left for the restroom.”
He shrugged. Was that a hint of color in his cheeks?
The waiter returned with a fresh glass. “Sorry about that, miss.”
“Thank you.” I took a sip. “This is much better.”
I set the glass close to me. I wasn’t going to take my eyes off it, even for a minute.
CHAPTER 21
Once we finished our meal, Nathan put a plastic card on the table in front of me.
“What’s this?” I turned the card over. It was a hotel room key.
“I just thought that if you’d like to get to know me better, you should have a key to my room. I got the fancy suite with the hot tub and a view of the valley.”
Was this his version of the Bachelor’s “fantasy suite”? The gross factor on this guy just ticked up another twenty notches.
Instead of punching him, I smiled. “No thank you. I don’t think that’s a good idea, considering I recently incurred a concussion. I shouldn’t have had a glass of wine, come to think of it.”
“Oh, right. I forgot.” He shook his head and chuckled. “How’s your head, by the way?”
“It’s fine. But I don’t want to stay out too late. I want to make sure I get enough rest.”
“Let me know if you change your mind. You’d be safe with me. I am a doctor, after all.”
I wanted to say that he was not a very good one, but I kept my mouth shut.
He paid the bill, and we headed out onto the floor of the casino.
A woman carrying a tray of mixed drinks sashayed by. She was tall, with light brown hair and hazel eyes. “Hello, handsome! So glad to see you.” She kissed him and laid her hand on his cheek.
Nathan smiled. “Hello, Desiree.”
“Wow, you seem to know everyone here.” I pressed my lips together. Did he have a fling with her, too?
Nathan gently removed her hand from his cheek.
She eyed me, not in a jealous way, but in an appraising way. “This your new lady friend? She’s pretty.”
“Desiree, this is my date, Clarity.”
“Nice to meet you. Would you like a drink?” She held the tray toward me.
“No thank you.” I didn’t want to get drunk and let the hoochie doctor have his way with me.
“I’ll take one.” He reached for a drink. “Thanks, Desiree. Catch you later.” He led me to a bank of slot machines. “Want to warm up on these before we hit the poker table?”
I shrugged. “Sure. Why not?”
I noticed the people sitting at the slot machines. A purple-haired old lady was commandeering two machines simultaneously. She sat in a zombie-like trance, pulling levers and watching the cherries, lemons, and other fruits spin and spin.
“Let’s try those over there.” Nathan pointed to two unoccupied machines in another row.
We sat in front of the overly colorful machines, mesmerizing their prey with sounds and lights. I chose the Lord of the Rings machine, while Nathan picked one displaying James Bond brandishing a gun.
These machines were more high-tech. No levers—just buttons. I pushed the start button. I watched the images spin and stop, spin and stop, spin and stop. How was this fun?
But then three of the same images lined up, two with a 3x sticker on the top.
“A win that would satisfy a king,” the feminine voice said. Was that the elf queen? Cool!
