Okay, I guess I should’ve asked Sylvia about that earlier, but it didn’t occur to me that she would know what type of vehicle Matthew drove.
We drove in circles trying to find self-parking. Joel finally gave up and pulled up in front of the hotel entrance. Joel handed the valet his keys, took a ticket, and we headed toward the entrance with Sylvia leading the way, scurrying so quickly I was afraid we’d lose her. Joel was panting by the time we got inside, where the air- conditioning enveloped us and immediately gave me goose bumps.
I took off my sunglasses and sped off after Sylvia, who was navigating the slot machines like a rat in a maze.
“Come on,” I urged Joel, who was huffing and puffing hard enough to blow down a house.
I was dubious about Sylvia’s state of mind, but we had no choice but to follow her lead, to trust that she really was taking us to Jeff and not on a wild-goose chase.
We took the escalator up, turning right at the top. It was set up like Main Street, USA, with fake trees and kiosks selling everything from cheesy jewelry to candy to temporary tattoos.
We reached the entrance to the Adventuredome, a bright, enclosed space that sort of looked like the big ball at Disney’s Epcot, but turned inside out. Carnival rides were laid out in front of us, and we skirted around to the right- it was circular, with rides and booths, the scent of cotton candy in the air. I got caught behind a group of four teenagers jostling one another and laughing. Sylvia’s head bobbed up and down ahead of me as she went around the curve, then disappeared. I turned to Joel, who was barely keeping up beside me.
“Stay here, and I’ll find her,” Joel said.
“No, I want to go with you. This place is a nightmare.” I wasn’t kidding. SpongeBob was bigger than life, right in front of me, advertising his 4-D ride.
“Stay here,” Joel said again. “I’ll be right back.”
I watched his large body lope away until I couldn’t see it anymore.
A stroller slammed into the back of my legs, and I stiffened, sorry I’d let Joel go on ahead. There was no apology from the woman steering the small Hummer. I smelled popcorn and sugar and heard screams from the roller coaster that wound its way across the ceiling overhead. I stared up at it, trying to follow the tracks to see where the twists were, but it disappeared into a fake mountain.
His voice made me jump.
“So, Kavanaugh, who do the cops think killed that guy? You or me?”
Chapter 31
Jeff Coleman looked like he hadn’t slept since I’d seen him the other night. Black smudges accented his eyes; his five-o’clock shadow was more like ten o’clock.
I didn’t care. “What are you doing? Did you send me over to Versailles knowing I’d find a dead guy in the bathroom?”
Jeff glanced around at all the tourists who’d brought their kids to Vegas like it was some sort of Disneyland. Yeah, there was a roller coaster, but it was just the backdrop for the blackjack and roulette tables, the slot machines. A few years back, Vegas wanted to become a family destination, but somewhere along the way it realized that was a sham. Adventuredome was one of the few leftovers. Even the MGM had shed its amusement park and
He took my elbow and led me out of the path of the crowd, next to the airplane ride for toddlers. “You’ve got to believe me, Kavanaugh. I had no idea.”
I studied his face, looking for a lie, but I couldn’t see it.
“So what’s going on?”
“I don’t know. All I know is, someone took the gun I keep at my shop and apparently planted it with Kelly’s body to incriminate me.”
“Why do you have a gun in your shop?”
He chuckled. “Kavanaugh, you don’t have the same walk-in clientele I have. And you don’t stay open past midnight.”
Point taken.
“Did someone break into the shop?” I asked.
Jeff sighed. “My mother forgets to lock the door. No one needs to break in.”
I remembered how Sylvia had left the door unlocked when I was there.
“There were latex gloves and needles in the bathroom in that suite,” I said. “Was anything else missing from your shop?”
He frowned. “I don’t know. Gloves and needles? Really?”
“They confiscated my case.”
Jeff rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Whoever killed that guy didn’t know you were going to be there, but thought I was. I don’t get it. Why set me up? I didn’t even know the guy who was killed.”
“But you knew Kelly, who had a tie to Elise, who knew the guy who was killed.”
Jeff made a face at me. “And Professor Plum was killed by a candlestick in the parlor.”
“Funny, ha, ha.”
“Yeah, but we’re missing some parts of the story, Kavanaugh.”
I debated whether I should be the bearer of the bad news, but I had no choice. “Kelly was pregnant,” I said. “Four months.”
His face turned white, his eyes wide. “That’s impossible.”
“My brother told me,” I said. “So I don’t think it’s just a rumor. The cops want to ask you about it.”
He couldn’t seem to get his bearings. His eyes skirted around. “I couldn’t get her pregnant before. Why would they think I could now?”
“Beats me,” I said softly. “So are you sure it was her and not you-the problems, I mean?”
Jeff nodded. “That’s what the doctors said.”
“Did you do an in vitro or anything like that?” I knew my question was deeply personal, but I was curious.
For a second I thought he was going to tell me to mind my own business, but then he said, “We started the process, but it just seemed too complicated after a while. She was young, not even thirty. She told me maybe it would straighten itself out.” He paused. “I guess it did.”
“But she left you.”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“You trained her,” I said. “I found her on the Internet. She was inking some pretty big celebrities.”
“She was a fast learner. Could’ve used her in the shop.” His expression was wistful as he thought about what might’ve been. Go figure, but I was feeling sorry for him.
“So why leave you and reinvent herself in L.A.?” I asked.
Jeff snorted. “No clue. But she got to rub elbows with celebrities.”
She did more than rub elbows with Simon Chase.
“What about her brother? You know, I think he’s been following me around.”
“Following you? Like some sort of surveillance?”
I hadn’t thought of it that way. “I don’t know.” I told him about the few times I’d seen Matthew.
When I was done, Jeff said, “I don’t know what he’s up to, but he’s been around. Heard he was in a bar fight, almost killed a guy. I’d be careful around him.”
No kidding.
“Why don’t you just turn yourself in?” I asked him. “Just tell the police what you’ve told me. Someone stole your gun, probably stole the gloves and needles, too. You’re getting set up, and by hiding, they think you’re even guiltier.”
“I want to know
“Maybe you’re just an easy target,” I suggested.“Spurned ex-husband, you know the drill.”
“They could get that casino manager for the same reason,” he muttered.
“Simon Chase?” I couldn’t keep the surprise out of my voice. “You know about him?”
