Page 7

Fancy

“His computer should have been at the apartment. Maybe once we have it we can find out about the medicines,” I say to Rico. “We need to go back and look again. He took it everywhere except the casino.”

“The team will get back to us. Everything has to be requested legally if we want a case against Adorno to stick. We need to give them a little time.”

“Damn it! I want answers. I—I need them to pay for what they did. I want that bastard to get gutted just like he did to Phil, and I don’t care if that makes me a bad person.”

“I know, babe. We want payback, too. But if we’re going to put them away, and catch everyone , not just the killer, but the assholes pulling the strings, we need to do it legally.”

Turning I cross to the window. None of the pictures they’ve shown me have been of the killer. There’s a guy that’s the right height, but it’s as if he knows there’s a camera on him and always seems to turn at the last minute.

Rico explained that he hasn’t been invited to the big table yet.

A couple meet and greets as Adorno walks his empire, and a show and tell of how important he is.

Head nods when I’ve been playing the higher tables.

Hints about my past had him investigate me.

An invite has been hinted at. Once that happens things will move quicker.

There’s a buzz at the door. Kade passes us and whispers, “It’s probably the food I ordered when I picked up the clothes, but…”

Taking my hand, Rico leads me into the bedroom where I slept last night.

Pushing the door almost closed he stands in the opening of the cracked door, his weapon drawn.

It hits me, these men are always on. Do they ever get to let their guard down?

Not only have they been watching each other’s back, they’ve had mine since we met.

The bellhop pushes the cart into the room. Kade has him lift the covers making sure he got what was ordered before handing him a tip.

“Last time for food service. We’ll need to start food runs from now on,” he says.

Rico nods.

“What does that mean?”

“Letting them bring food to the room exposes us. Either to attack or food tampering. We’ve never done it in this hotel. I figure we’re safe this one time.

“We don’t know how much of the town is under Adorno’s control,” he continues. “He’s not the biggest fish but he wants to be.” He looks at me. “Come eat before it gets cold.”

Kade’s phone dings just before we’re done eating. He glances at the message then goes for his laptop and sits back at the table.

“Diego’s hacker friend just sent an encrypted file.”

Both Rico and I go to stand beside him to look at the files. The first file shows a much younger Phil in a military uniform. “Phil was in the service? He never told me.”

Kade skims quickly. “Army intelligence officer. Good computer skills for his time. Purple heart. Medal of honor. Retired after twelve. Returned to his hometown of Vegas. Never married.”

“Does it say about him being sick? What’s wrong with him?”

“Not yet.”

Rico moves up behind me and wraps his arms around me as we watch Kade scroll.

“Your mother died eleven months ago, right?”

“Yes.”

Kade starts switching back and forth between two different files. Finally, he pauses and turns to face us. “This is me skimming and until we can get access to his computer we won’t know if my guesses are even close.

“The hacker said Phil’s search patterns took a drastic change about eleven months ago. That would have been right after your mom died.

“He was on and off the dark net, researching his boss, DeStefano and Adorno and their businesses. Collecting intel.

“Five months ago, our office started getting anonymous tips. They stopped for a month but restarted with entries almost daily after that. Once the office verified the info as much as they could, Rico and I were assigned.

“If I’m reading everything correctly, that month with no contact is when Phil went to the doctor and found out he had advanced stomach cancer. There was no cure for him, only medication to ease the pain.”

“That could have affected his speech and made him sound drunk. Good cover.” Rico says thoughtfully.

“I’m speculating that’s why he started pushing our department to act,” Kade says. “He knew he was running out of time to bring Adorno down for the murder of your mom. He wanted it done or at least on the way before he died.”

Kade pauses and looks up at Rico before dropping his gaze back to me. “After your mom died, do you remember signing some papers for Phil?”

“He—he offered to identify the body. He didn’t want me to remember her that way. I signed some papers for that and to have her cremated.”

“Did Phil tell you one of the papers was for an autopsy?”

“No. I—Mom didn’t leave any money. I couldn’t have afforded that.”

“He did. Your mom showed a high level of drugs in her system. Drugs laced with fentanyl.”

“No! No, Mom never did drugs. She drank, but no drugs.”

“That information was in the anonymous files he sent to our office.”

“That’s why he spilled a couple of my drinks,” Rico says. “He must have known somehow that there was something in the drink. He told me I’d get better quality if I ordered while at the bar.”

“There are two bartenders on staff at the casino that are tight with management and the bouncers,” I cut in. “Phil told me to never take a drink from them. Ever. Not even water. Actually, he insisted that I bring my own drinks from home.”

“He’d bought and paid for your mother’s house years ago. He didn’t realize she’d taken a second mortgage against it. He paid that off and signed the title over to you so you’d always have a home,” Kade continues.

“Why didn’t he tell me? Tell me everything he’d learned? What he’d done for Mom? That he was sick?” I push away from Rico and go to the window to stare down at the alley.

It was him. It was always him watching out for her for me. Not her richy rich important boyfriends who she claimed did so much for her.

She wouldn’t see Phil for months, then she’d be calling him up inviting him over for dinner and a few nights of fucking.

Then she’d have a new car, or wardrobe, and no more time for him.

I knew it hurt him. The last few years there was no hope left in his eyes.

He’d resigned himself that her on and off again was all he’d ever have.

Still, he came every damn time, because he loved her.

How could I not know he was dying? I saw he’d lost some weight and looked more tired, but he always blew it off that it was just work.

After everything he did for me. I never helped him.

I met him when I was four. He came for my fifth birthday bringing gifts, cake and ice cream and every birthday after. He’d always slip me cash on the side and tell me to keep it hidden. He’d meet me for lunches or dinner when Mom wasn’t around and ask if I needed anything.

As a pre-teen, I knew he watched out for me. I’d see his shadow in a shop doorway as I walked home, or his car in an alley. Never interfering but making sure I got home safely. I’m pretty sure he warned off some guy in high school.

There’s no father listed on my birth certificate. Mom told me she didn’t have any idea who it was. I wanted Phil to be my real dad.

Scrubbing the tears from my eyes, I look down into the alley below. He died in another alley trying to get revenge for her death. Oh Phil, I wish you would have told me. I would have helped. We could have done it together.

“Where’s his car?” I ask. “It wasn’t in his carport. He may have hidden the evidence inside it.”

“Do you have a license plate number? I can get it but it would be quicker and more secretive if we don’t have to.”

I rattle it off. “He let me use it whenever I wanted. It’s an old Lincoln. Navy blue, white interior. He said it was a classic.”

I turn toward them. “I need to see him. I need to… say good-bye.”