Page 31

Chapter Thirty

–––

The Big Gamble

“Let Amber go,” Grace said, placing herself between us and crossing her arms over her chest. “I’ll come with you and do whatever you want.”

“You’re saying you’ll join the hunt after all?” Grimes cocked an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Grace said curtly. “But only if she is unharmed.”

Grimes chuckled. “Oh, Gracie. Do you really expect me to fall for that again? Besides”—he gestured at me with the gun—“your little friend confessed to killing your brother. She certainly needs to be punished for that. Step aside, please.”

“Quick question for you, Gregory Grimes. What kind of father frames his own kid for murders he committed?” I said, interrupting him. “That seems like something a coward would do.”

Grimes’s face darkened. “How I choose to discipline my children is none of your concern, young lady.”

“Discipline?” I scoffed. “You know, my parents are assholes, but at least they never set the cops on me for stuff they did. You’re a selfish, narcissistic psychopath. Rotting behind bars was too good for you.”

Grace turned to me and hissed, “Could you please stop antagonizing Father? I’m trying to save your life.”

“And I’m trying to save yours,” I retorted. “And clear your name. It’s not your fault your dad and brother turned out to be serial killers. Don’t let him make you think you’re like him. You’re not. You’re nothing like him.”

Grace’s eyes softened. “Thank you, Amber.”

“I think I’ll start by cutting out your tongue,” Grimes said, coming closer. “Perhaps that will teach you the cost of impudence.”

Grace shifted between us again, but he snapped at her, “Grace Anne Grimes, step aside.”

“I won’t,” she said, her voice shakier than normal. “If you want to get to her, Father, you’ll have to go through me.”

“You dare challenge me, young lady? Did you not learn your lesson last night?”

“You know what, Dad? Go fuck yourself.” Grace jutted her chin up. “I’m not afraid of you anymore.”

“Yeah,” I said, crossing my arms. “Go fuck yourself, you misogynistic asshole.”

“Perhaps I’ll just shoot you both right here,” he said.

“Go ahead,” I snorted. “There’s nothing but blanks in that gun anyway.”

Grimes’s eyes narrowed. He squeezed the trigger.

The roar of the gun was deafening in the tiny space. I flinched in spite of myself, then straightened. Drawing a deep breath in, I said, “See?”

Grimes examined the gun, frowning. “Blanks?”

“Yeah, blanks. Try to keep up. And if you liked that, you’re going to love my next trick. Abra-fucking-cadabra,” I said, raising my hands high above my head and clapping them together loudly.

The lights went out.

It was pitch black, a profound and oppressive darkness. There was a giant BOOM! Then another, and another…

“What’s happening?” Grimes cried out as a spotlight flared, pinning him in place. As he raised a hand to shield his eyes, I grabbed Grace’s arm and dragged her back a few feet.

“What’s going on, Amber?” Grace demanded, trying to shake free.

“Plan B,” I said. “Now shut up and follow my lead.”

As my eyes adjusted, our surroundings became clear. The loud bangs had been the sides of the “storage room” falling outward, as constructed by Tony Award–winning set designer Paco. Now, we were revealed to be standing on a stage in the middle of a theater in the round. And completely encircling us was a full SWAT team. They gaped at us, automatic rifles aimed at Grimes. Then someone yelled, “Freeze! LVPD SWAT! Drop the gun!”

I raised my hands and motioned for Grace to follow suit. In a low voice she said, “So your plan was for us to get captured by the police?”

Grimes was hesitating, the gun still pointed at us.

“Drop it! Now!” a cop boomed from the shadows.

Grimacing, Grimes slowly started to lower the gun. I edged back a few inches and hissed, “Grace! This way!”

“Stay where you are, all of you!” the cop ordered.

“Sorry,” I called back, stomping my foot twice. “But I got places to be.”

Grace let out a yelp as the floor suddenly disappeared beneath us and we fell into a dark hole.

———

We landed hard on a mat. Even though I’d been expecting it, the wind was knocked out of me. Probably because Grace had fallen on top of me.

Making a strangled noise, she rolled off, snarling, “What on earth is happening?”

“Are you two okay?” Dot asked anxiously. The trapdoor above us had already swung shut, and I heard the pounding of boots overhead as I did a quick body scan: Everything felt bruised, but nothing felt broken. Hopefully the same was true for Grace.

“We gotta move,” Marcella said, stepping forward. “Before they figure out how to get down here.”

“Yeah, totally,” I agreed. Dot extended a hand and helped me to my feet. Grace had already stood and was glaring at all of us. “So this was the plan all along?”

“More or less,” I said. “But we’re not out of the woods yet. Let’s move. I can explain when we get some air between us and the cops.”

I could tell by Grace’s face that she wanted to argue but thankfully seemed to think better of it. I fell in step behind Marcella as she guided us through the labyrinth beneath the stage. She motioned to a coil of rope on the floor and said, “Careful, don’t trip on that.”

“How are my parents?” I asked in a low voice.

“Still assholes, but they’re safe.” Glancing back at me, she added, “Your girl, too.”

“She’s not my girl anymore,” I muttered.

“Is there an end to this maze?” Grace protested from behind me.

“Shh!” Dot said. “Keep your pants on, we’re almost out. But we gotta hustle.”

Obediently, we stepped up the pace.

“Looks like your good luck kiss worked,” I said casually to Marcella as we approached another door.

“They always do,” she smirked, rapping on it lightly with her knuckles.

Grace asked, “Why are we—”

“Shut it!” Marcella barked, glaring at her.

A second later the door popped open, letting in a dazzling beam of sunlight. Deputy Riggs waved us forward. “Better hurry. I told them I’d cover this end, but based on the radio chatter, you got about a dozen pissed-off SWAT headed this way.”

“Thanks again, Lon. We’ve got a recording of him admitting that Grace had nothing to do with it, if it helps.”

“Perfect, send it along. And thanks for the tip; this’ll make me a shoo-in for a promotion. Now go. I’ll call later with an update.”

We hurried past Riggs into the empty parking lot behind the theater. I could hear the chirp of walkie-talkies and sirens from the opposite end of the building. “Shit,” I said. “Did the others make it out?”

“Don’t you worry, kiddo. Portia already texted that they all got clear,” Dot said reassuringly.

“They’re waiting at the Tiki Hut,” Marcella said. “Everyone’s grabbing drinks there to celebrate.”

“It’s not even nine in the morning,” Grace said. “Isn’t that a bit early to start drinking?”

“It’s Vegas, baby,” I said, chucking her on the shoulder. “No such thing as too early. Now c’mon, first round’s on me.”

———

The celebration at the Tiki Hut was already in full swing by the time we got there. Most of the crowd was still wearing their leisure suits and wigs, which gave it the general vibe of a Golden Girls convention. As we entered, everyone broke into applause. Dot raised both arms and then gestured to us, saying, “Let’s hear it for the ladies of the hour!”

I blushed, discomfited by the attention. “Actually,” I said, raising my voice, “This was all Dot. So raise a glass to the bride-to-be!”

“To Dot!” the crowd roared.

Amid the clinking of glasses, Dot leaned in and pecked me on the cheek. “I’m just so chuffed that it worked out, kiddo. I gotta be honest: I had my doubts for a minute there.”

“You and me both.” Hugging her back, I added, “I mean it, though. I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“Is this bad luck?” a low voice drawled behind us. Past Dot’s shoulder, I spotted Jim. A former Marine with a black belt, he looked like a six-five, pre-bloat Elvis, sideburns and all. Dot’s eyes went wide and she squealed, “You’re early!”

“Couldn’t wait to get back and see my girl,” he said, sweeping her up in his arms.

While they exchanged a deep kiss, I motioned to the bar and said, “Um, I’m gonna grab a drink.”

“I’ll join you,” Grace said, wrinkling her nose. “Public displays of affection always make me uncomfortable.”

“Shocking,” I said. “I never would’ve guessed that.”

“Yes, well. Your brother didn’t murder your first boyfriend,” she said wryly. “Discretion seemed wise after that.”

“True. I mean, we didn’t even kiss, and he came after me.” Off Grace’s look, I said, “What? I’m not wrong.”

The crowd parted to let us through, nearly everyone offering congratulations, a handshake, or a word of encouragement. I hardly knew how to handle all the attention, and it made me extremely self-conscious. The thing about con artists is that we generally exist in the shadows; if you notice us, we aren’t doing our job very well. So this kind of post-gig validation was new.

Marcella had already found a seat at the bar. I squeezed in beside her and said, “Order me a margarita?”

“Only if you promise to dance on the bar again,” she shot back.

“Not today. Still too sore from dropping through the floor,” I said, pulling off my wig.

“There’s a bag in the corner for those,” Marcella said with a nod. “But you might want to keep it. You make a pretty hot old lady.”

I blushed.

“Are we going to discuss what happened?” Grace said from behind me.

“I mean, I think it’s pretty obvious,” I said. “But I can explain it in smaller words if that helps.”

Grace’s frown deepened. “So the trapdoor was your plan all along?” she said.

“Yeah, basically,” I said.

A small part of me was expecting her to be impressed. Maybe even to tell me so. But this was Grace, after all, so she said, “That entire scheme was ridiculously elaborate and could have gone horribly wrong.”

“Gee, thanks.”

“Saved your ass, didn’t it?” Marcella said, crossing her arms.

“I was hardly in need of saving,” Grace said.

“Then why are you limping?” I pointed out. Grace didn’t answer. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You know, the least you can do is say thank you.”

A beat, then Grace said, “Thank you.”

I stared at her. “Holy shit. Really?”

“Yes, Amber.” She nodded. “That certainly was not how I would have done it. But despite the rather flamboyant elements, Marcella is correct—the desired outcome was achieved. So thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” A margarita was slid across the bar to me. I picked it up and took a sip, feeling dazed. Over the rim I spotted my parents and Kate sitting awkwardly at a table off to the side, separate from the revelers. Gesturing with my head, I asked, “Out of curiosity, how did you know they were conning me?”

“Your girlfriend mispronounced the name of her boarding school.”

I stared at her. “That’s it?”

“It was enough to make me suspicious,” Grace said. “So I performed a deeper background check and discovered several anomalies.”

“Uh-huh. And when was that?”

“That same day. Once I uncovered her true identity, I saw that she’d committed fraud with your parents in Ohio.”

I stared at her. “So two days ago, you knew that my parents were colluding with my girlfriend to rip me off. And you didn’t say anything?”

Grace looked discomfited. “I intended to tell you in the café, but you were with all of them. And frankly, I wasn’t certain you’d believe me. I know how complicated family can be.”

She wasn’t wrong there. Two days ago, I wouldn’t have been willing to hear anything negative about Kat. “Well, next time, just go ahead and tell me.”

“I did take precautionary measures. Any significant withdrawals from your bank accounts would have been flagged.”

“The fuck ,” Marcella muttered.

“Um, thanks, I guess?” I took a swig of my cocktail. “Which reminds me, we should probably have another chat about boundaries.”

“You’re welcome,” Grace said. “I also strongly advise changing accounts entirely. Perhaps even transferring the money to a new bank.”

“I will. I just have to pay them off first,” I said, motioning with my drink.

Marcella scoffed. “Screw that. You don’t owe them anything.”

“I’m tempted to agree, Amber,” Grace said. “If you prefer, I could ensure that they’re forced to answer for their crimes.”

“You mean, set them up?”

“I doubt that would be necessary. They have outstanding warrants in several states. I could anonymously alert the authorities to their location.”

My mother suddenly raised her head. Spotting me, she offered a tentative wave.

I sighed. What Grace was offering was tempting. But the one code my parents had instilled that I agreed with was “Never be a rat.” So I said, “It’s fine. They’re shitty people, but they’re still family. I’d rather just be done with them.”

“What about the baroness?” Grace asked archly.

Kat—Kate, rather—was watching us uncertainly. As our eyes met, she looked away. “Same with her. Life’s too short. And I gotta believe karma will catch up with them someday.”

“We could make it today,” Marcella growled. “I got nothing on my calendar.”

“Thanks, both of you. Really. It means a lot.” And it did. Feeling surprisingly emotional, I said, “I just want to start clean.”

“Again,” Grace said with a small smile.

Grinning back at her I said, “Yeah, again.”

“Then if you’ll excuse me,” Grace said, “I need to go check on Mother.”

“Give her my best.” As she started to limp away, I called after her, “See you at the wedding!”

Grace waved back over her shoulder. I watched as she spoke to Dot and stiffly accepted a hug.

“Damn,” Marcella said. “She’s kind of growing on me.”

“Yeah, she does that,” I said, polishing off my drink. “Order me another? I’ll be right back.”

Drawing a deep breath, I made my way through the crowd to their table.

“You have a lot of explaining to do, young lady!” my mother exclaimed as soon as I got close.

“Putting your mother in danger like that,” my dad said disapprovingly. “How could you?”

“He could have killed me!” my mother wailed.

“Well, you’re fine,” I said curtly. “And I’m not apologizing. Far as I’m concerned, this does not make us even.”

“Well,” my mother sniffed. “You certainly have changed.”

“Yeah, I have. Now, I’m going to pay you in Bitcoin.”

“After all that pain and suffering? I certainly intend to renegotiate. I never would’ve agreed to such a paltry sum if I’d known we’d be dealing with a madman.”

“Hazard pay,” my dad agreed with a nod.

“Fine,” I sighed. “I’ll tack another fifty grand on top of it. On one condition.” I held up a finger. “I never see you again. And if you see me, you turn and walk the other way. Is that clear?”

“But we’re your parents!” my mother said. “How could you—”

“Yeah, you are,” I said, cutting her off. “And a part of me will always love you. I can’t help that. But I don’t like you, and I don’t trust you. We don’t have a relationship anymore, we haven’t since you walked out on me. So take the win. You say another word, that extra fifty grand goes away.”

My mom opened her mouth to retort, but my dad laid a hand over hers and nodded. “Okay, kiddo. Love you.”

“Love you, too, Dad. Now get the fuck out of here. Oh, and Kate—if I were you, I’d stick with them. No way they’re cutting you in otherwise. And you might want to be more careful about who you partner with next time.”

“Rude,” my mother sniffed.

“Okay,” Kate said in a small voice.

“Goodbye, Emily,” my mom said, getting to her feet. “I certainly hope you live to regret this.”

“Yeah, I won’t. Regret it, I mean.” I offered a little wave. “Enjoy the rest of your lives.”

Without another word, my parents headed for the door.

I have to admit, despite everything, part of me felt a little emotional. The little girl deep inside still wanted to follow, to make them love me, see me.

But if I’d learned anything, it was that they weren’t capable of giving me what I needed. They never had been, and that wasn’t my fault.

Halfway to the door, Kate hesitated, then hurried back. “It was real, you know. For me. I fell for you.”

“Not enough to keep from fucking me over, though. Not enough to tell me what was going on,” I said. “Right?”

A tear slid down her cheek. I turned away. Dot was standing at the bar with Marcella and Jim, watching this exchange with concern. She waved for me to join them. Squaring my shoulders, I said, “Goodbye, Kate.”

Then I went to join my real family.