CHAPTER 33

A SOFT rapping on the opened door of Gabe Dalton’s office drew him away from the file he’d been perusing half the morning. The stalker case couldn’t have been wrapped up more neatly if it’d been tied with a ribbon. The ease with which that’d happened didn’t set well with Gabe. It was a little too convenient to suit him. Especially when LaCall had searched Switzer’s home just days before and found nothing. Gabe closed the folder and pushed it aside, half hoping he could push the nagging doubt with it, and looked up.

LaCall stood lingering in the doorway. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Come in and close the door,” he said with a gentle wave. He waited until the entry was secure and LaCall was sitting in the chair across from him before saying anything more. “So what’s your plan now?”

“My plan?”

“Don’t play dumb with me, LaCall.” Gabe wasn’t in the mood. “You were sent here for a specific reason. Do you have a suspect or not?”

“If I had to put my money on someone,” he said, “I’d say Switzer was a good bet.”

“Do you have more than just a hunch?”

“Plenty of circumstantial evidence.”

“I take it you’re going to stick around and see this investigation through?”

“That’d be the smart thing to do.”

“And after that maybe you’d like a permanent position around here?” Gabe said. “I need somebody to keep Laraquette in line.”

Eddie laughed. “I’m not sure anybody’s up for that job.” His pride seemed to wilt. “She plays by her own rules and there’s no known handbook.”

“See, I knew you understood her perfectly.” Gabe let out a little chuckle. “She’s never tolerated anyone quite like she tolerates you.”

“She hates me.”

“Don’t let that façade fool you, boy,” he said in a lighthearted tone. “That girl’s got a soft spot for you.”

“If you say so...” His words trailed off into a doubtful laugh.

“Just think about it, will you?”

“I’ll do that.” Eddie’s light tone failed to fit the moment. He was looking around now, everywhere but at Gabe. LaCall was looking for a way out.

Gabe cleared his throat and prepared to change the subject. “So how certain are you that Switzer was acting alone?”

LaCall gave one of those who knows looks and said, “There’s no evidence to suggest otherwise. I’ve gone over the case with a fine-toothed comb.” His tone and demeanor suggested he was satisfied with his findings.

Gabe let out a sigh that was meant to mimic relief but it felt more like uncertainty. But maybe that was just because he hadn’t seen the danger sitting a few feet away from Rio on a daily basis.

Someday, he’d ask her forgiveness…but only when he felt worthy of receiving it.

* * *

With two days left in the Golden Sunset’s poker tournament the casino’s brass wasn’t happy to learn the match had been rigged, or that valued employee Lester Perzinsky was partly to blame because a mobster had found out he was stealing from the casino and blackmailed him into submission.

The mobster had jumped on the chance to tamper with the casino’s high-profile games. It was the perfect way to deliver a slap in the face to the cops who were directly responsible for his incarceration.

Calvin Carpenter, the Golden Sunset’s CEO, had scrambled to avoid a devastating financial hit—one that could linger over into future tournaments—by issuing an official statement. The report was short and sweet: Authorities have recently uncovered a plot to rig our Championship Poker Tournament. All registered entrants should contact the casino for an immediate refund of their entry fees.

To ensure—hopefully—that the casino’s reputation remained intact, Carpenter had another ace up his sleeve. The casino scheduled a mini-tournament the following Saturday and offered complimentary registration to all official entrants of the tainted poker tournament. Each participant would be credited with their original buy-in, up to one thousand dollars, and all entrants were free to walk at any time and take whatever winnings, including seed money, with them.