Page 43 of Strip Search

Shaking my head, I went back to my fantasy. I’d be a Las Vegas showgirl and Miles would be my boyfriend—a boyfriend who was surrounded every night with beautiful, naked women. Groaning, I sank under the water. I’d be eaten alive with jealousy within the first week.

In fact, what if Miles had already handled the gas leak and was back in the club right now? Would he choose to stay there tonight to make sure everything was all right instead of coming over? And if he did, would I have the right to be pissed? I flicked the water in agitation. Now I was making up things to get mad at. As if I didn’t have enough rage building up for Lisa and her perhaps pimp.

A quick text never hurt, right?

How are things? Are you almost done? When are you coming over? I’m horny.

No. Just no. I deleted the text.

I wanted to talk to someone. My mother was out. Miles was busy. I didn’t know anyone else here. And then I remembered Darcy. I bet he could help me out. I called him up and he answered immediately.

“Jackie, my favorite stripper.”Strip-pah.

His accent was the bomb. I heard a low background noise of people talking and dishes rattling. It didn’t sound like he was in a club.

“Were you guys still at Dalton’s when the gas leak got called in?”

“Yeah, too bad too. Things were starting to get good.”

“Did you smell anything?” I stared at my toes, which were getting all wrinkly in the tub. I should probably schedule a pedicure. I wouldn’t even expense it to Lisa if she called Mom this week.

“Nah, but my senses were a little dulled by all that tequila.”

“Where are you guys now?”

“We’re grabbing something to eat and trying to decide if we want to gamble or go looking for trouble.”

“Are you guys up for a road trip?”

“What have you got in mind?”

“Lisa was spotted at the Moondust Cherry Ranch in Pahrump. That’s about two hours from here.”

“Cherry Ranch, huh?”

“Chicken Ranch,” I said.

“That’s a big step from stripper.”

“She was bartending two weeks ago there, but I’m worried she might have expanded her job search to the other ranches and other occupations. Do you think your friends could go to the neighboring . . . um . . . brothels and look for Lisa?”

Darcy laughed for a good half a minute. “Let me get this straight, luv. You want me to convince this bunch to go look around a house of ill repute.”

I winced. “Several of them, actually. You know prostitution is legal there, right?”

“I am aware,” he said solemnly. “Okay, let me see if I can tear these louts from their burgers. Oi, you want to go to a crib and check out some Mollies?”

“Bonzer!” seemed to be the response.

“I don’t know, Jackie luv. They seem to want to go out in the desert and watch some bush telly.”

“I’m not sure I even want to know what that means,” I said.

“It means if your sister is out there, I’ll find her.”

“Thanks, Darcy.”

There was a knock on my door.