Big Easy Escapade (22 page)

Vivian stood up and started dancing along
with Lucy and Jonathon. “Now this is a great song!”

“I’ve never heard it,” Jonathon said, “but I
like it.”

That
comment hurt a little, and Vivian looked at Lucy.
Dammit!
We’re not old!

Lala ended her routine upside down, legs
spread-eagle, clinging on the pole. Jonathon whispered something to
Lucy, then walked toward a bouncer standing by the stage. He
slipped the guy some cash and disappeared behind a velvet red
curtain.

Jonathon chose a spot in the far left corner
that was nice and dark, although the entire room was much darker
than the rest of the club. He sat on a bench seat and pushed the
small table that was in front of him away a few inches.

Lala walked out about 10 minutes later. She’d
changed into a fluorescent orange string bikini.

I’m gonna enjoy this!
he thought.

Lala sat down next to him and ran her hand up
his thigh. “You here for me?”

“You are hot, baby,” he answered.

She threw her leg across his lap and got down
to business. She pushed her bikini top to the side and shoved her
boobs in his face.

He went for the handsy moves and Lala let him
go... almost to candy land.

Jonathon pushed through the red curtain and
walked up to Vivian and Lucy. “I’m in. We might need to stop by an
ATM on the way to the hotel. She’ll be there in 30 minutes.”

“How much is this gonna cost us?” Lucy
asked.

“I promised her $200.”

“We’ll give her $100 to keep her clothes on,
how’s that?” Vivian asked.

He shrugged. “She ought to be happy.”

They made their way outside and found Wendy
and Kate covered in beads, laughing with a couple of cute guys
holding big ass beers. “Hey, hookers!” they yelled.

“Looks like y’all’ve had a good time!” Vivian
said, grabbing Kate’s beer and taking a big-ass sip.

Wendy threw an arm around Vivian’s shoulders
and danced to the music blaring out of another club. “Woo hoo!”

Vivian danced along and said, “We have a date
with a stripper. We gotta get to the hotel.”

“Adios, boys,” Wendy called to the cute guys
and ambled off down Bourbon, still dancing next to Vivian. “I love
this town.”

They passed an ATM and Lucy halted everyone.
“We need to get some phony fuck money.” Jonathon stood guard as she
completed the transaction.

Once in the hotel room, Vivian started
laughing. “I can’t believe we have a prostitute coming here.”

“No shit,” Wendy said. “I’m hiding my
laptop.”

Kate sat down on the bed. “I can’t believe
she’s a prostitute.”

Jonathon put a hand on her shoulder. “Many of
them are.” He smiled.

Ick!!

“What should we do while we wait?” Lucy
asked. “Do we need some mood music?”

“Her mood is going to be ruined the second
she walks in and sees y’all. Music won’t help.”

Lucy fumbled with the clock radio anyway but
was interrupted by a knock at the door.

Jonathon rubbed his hands together and
whispered to the girls, “Here we go.” He cracked the door. “So glad
you came.” He then let Lala in and closed the door behind her.

“
What the
fuck is this?” Lala said, then turned to Jonathon and waved her
finger around the room. “
This
is gonna cost extra.”

L
ala
Lollipop stood in the entry to the room, hands on her hips, glaring
at Vivian, Lucy, Kate and Wendy. “I’m not usually into the group
thing.” She turned to Jonathon and pointed her finger in his face.
“Are they watching or participating?”

Vivian handed her five 20s. “Neither. We just
wanted to talk to you.”

“Honey, I don’t get paid to listen.” She
stuck the money into her bra and turned toward the door.

Jonathon blocked her way. “We’ve paid for at
least 10 minutes of your time. Then you can go.”

She rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’m listening.
Talk.”

Kate approached her. “We’re looking for
information about Daisy’s disappearance.”

She crossed her arms. “Like I told the cops,
I didn’t see shit, and honestly, I couldn’t give a rat’s ass what
happened to her.”

“We get that,” Kate said, “but have you heard
anything? Other dancers have disappeared.”

“Again, don’t give a shit.”

“Do you think another dancer could have
played a part in this?” Wendy asked.

Lala cocked her head. “Like who?”

Lucy cleared her throat. “We were thinking
maybe Trikki Vikki.”

Lala threw her head back and laughed. “She
barely knows where her pasties get pasted.”

Vivian shifted on her feet. “Do you think
Jason really loves Daisy? Maybe things weren’t as peachy as he
makes them sound.”

At the mention of his name, Lala’s eyes
narrowed.

Hit a sore spot with that one,
Vivian thought but said, “Y’all
had a thing, right?”

Lala took a step forward but before she could
say anything, Kate asked, “You were backstage when it happened. You
didn’t see or hear anything?”

Lala’s chest and face were crimson and her
fists were clinched. “Other than hearing those camel jockeys, all I
heard was the bass thumping.” She made for the door. “I’m done
here.”

The girls looked at each other.

“Camel jockeys?” Vivian asked.

“They sure as hell weren’t from around here.”
With that Lala brushed past Jonathon and was gone.

“It’s late but we’ve got to call Antonio
right now,” Vivian said, reaching for her phone.

He picked up on the second ring and sounded
groggy.

“Hey, Antonio, I’m sorry to call so late but
we just found out something!”

The phone on his end jumbled around. “I’m
listening.”

“That stripper, Lala Lollipop, was just at
our hotel, and she said she heard — I’m using her words — camel
jockeys backstage the night Daisy was kidnapped.”

“What was she doing at your hotel? Never
mind. Just tell me what all she said.” Vivian gave him the
details.

“And she used the term ‘camel jockeys’?”

“That was exactly what she said. Does Gino
have any Arabic-speaking men on staff?”

“Negative.”

“Well there you go! It’s a clue!”

“All right, listen, thanks for this, but you
have to stop. I don’t want to know how the hell you got her to your
room, but these types of girls have pimps and they’re not nice
guys. Don’t mess around with her anymore.”

“Ten-four.”

“I mean it.”

“Got it.”

He hung up and Vivian said to the girls, “He
thanked us!”

They all cheered and high-fived. Jonathon,
too.

“Who was there that was Middle Eastern?” Kate
asked.

“That place was packed,” Lucy said. “There
were all kind of ethnicities represented.”

Wendy bit her lower lip. “GQ looked like he
could be.”

Vivian waved her off. “No way. He was too
into himself and uppity. He wouldn’t be into strippers.”

“He was there, wasn’t he?” Wendy said.

“True, but I just don’t see it. He seems too
polished.”

Kate agreed. “He was definitely from the
area, but I don’t see it, either.” She kicked off her shoes. “I’m
ready to hit the hay.”

Vivian noticed Lucy and Jonathon sharing a
lusty look. “I’m too wound up. Y’all come with me to the casino.”
She looked at Wendy and Kate, specifically.

Kate put a shoe back on but groaned. “Okay,
but only for a little while.”

“Yay! We’ll be big winners! Karma is on our
side tonight, baby!”

Wendy picked up her purse. “Not long, you
promise?”

“Promise!” Vivian said, grabbing Wendy’s sash
from the desk and slipping it over her head. “You gotta wear this
baby to the casino. You might get some last chance kisses from
cuties.” Vivian popped one of the condoms off and slipped it to
Lucy. “You’ve got an hour to feel his power.”

Lucy smiled at her and took the condom.

“Have fun!” Vivian said and left the room
with Wendy and Kate.

“You shouldn’t encourage this,” Wendy said,
bumping Vivian on the butt as they waited for the elevator.

“
Screw
that. And I used those words purposefully. Like I told Kate
earlier, that poor girl hasn’t been laid in years, ladies.
Years
. I’m just giving
her the opportunity to get back into the swing of
things.”

“Too bad they don’t have a swing like
Shorty’s,” Kate said as the doors opened. “Lucy could have some fun
with that!”

“I still can’t believe you got in that
thing,” Vivian said, “and I thought I was the adventurous one.”

“Y’all needed a product demonstration.” Kate
laughed with a gleam in her eye.

They went through the hotel lobby and took
the underground tunnel to the casino. Once again, they were not
carded.

“It’s all your gray hair,” Wendy said,
tousling Vivian’s curls.

“I just colored it a week ago!”

“I know, but you’re 10 months older than me
and I have to remind you occasionally.”

“
Thanks
for that,” Vivian said, stepping onto the mirrored escalator where
they had re-enacted the scene from
Rain Man
earlier that day.

“Weren’t we here about 12 hours ago?” Kate
asked, her eyes already red from the smoke, or maybe it was the
long day of beers, hurricanes and more beer.

Vivian spied a three-card-poker table that
only had two players. “Come on, I’m gonna teach y’all how to play.
It’s easy.”

The girls sat down and pulled out $40 each,
except for Vivian who threw her player’s card and a hundred on the
table.

“Hey big spenda!” Wendy said.

“You gotta play big to win big, baby!”

Vivian explained the game with the help of
the dealer, Alyssa. Kate dropped out after losing her money in four
hands. Wendy won some, then gave it all back. Vivian, however, hung
in there. The young couple at the table kept passing money back and
forth to keep one another in the game.

Vivian picked up her hand, set it back down
and placed $10 on top. “Watch this,” she said and clapped.

Alyssa started with the woman, who didn’t
have squat. Her husband had a pair of tens, so he got paid on his
pairs plus, but the dealer had a pair of queens so he lost on the
other bet. Alyssa reached for Vivian’s three cards and flipped them
over.

“Shazammapuss!” Vivian yelled and raised her
arms in victory.

A six, seven and eight of hearts lay neatly
on the table.

The girls cheered and Alyssa congratulated
her, then called the pit boss over. He confirmed the bonus
hand.

Vivian had $25 on the three-card hand and was
playing $10 against the dealers’ hand. In all, it paid $1,050.
Vivian passed Alyssa a $25 chip, put the rest in her purse and
stood up. “My work here is done.”

Day 5

W
ake up!
Wake up! Jason’s on TV!” Lucy said, shaking Vivian. She unmuted the
volume and cranked it.

Vivian shimmied herself up on the bed,
plumped the pillow and forced her eyes open.

“Kate, Wendy, wake up!” Lucy said, hopping on
the bed. “Matt Lauer just did an introduction. Daisy’s story is
finally going national!”

“We’re going live to the family of the first
victim, whose identity was released early this morning, Lisa
Miller.” Lauer’s tone had a sense of urgency. “Folks, I’m sorry for
your loss. I know this must be a difficult time and we appreciate
you talking to us.”

A lady in
her mid-20s, who looked a little rough around the edges, held a
photo of Lisa. “We just want to find who did this.”

“I understand that Lisa was an adult
entertainer in New Orleans and that she was missing for almost a
month.”

“That’s right.”

“Do you feel like enough was done to search
for your sister?”

“We’re real appreciative of the police, but
we wish they would have found her

before
—
” The woman paused and
lowered her head. “Before, you know.”

“Did your sister know the second dancer who
was kidnapped?”

“We don’t think so, but Lisa had a lot of
friends. People loved her. She was always doing nice things for
others.”

“Have the police found anything common among
the three victims other than their shared occupations? Had the
women ever met? Worked at the same club?”

“You know, we’ve talked to her friends, the
police have talked to her co-workers. Nobody can come up with
anything that connected Lisa to the other two girls.”

The shot switched to Jason, his parents and
Daisy’s parents. Lauer introduced and thanked them.

“This is day three since Daisy disappeared.
How are you holding up?”

Jason answered. “We’re trying to stay
positive. We’re lucky we’ve had a lot of support, friends and
family, who are here helping in the search.”

“I understand a local printer donated flyers
and other groups have come forward to participate.”

“That’s right. We won’t stop until Daisy has
been found.”

“The adult entertainment business can be a
dangerous world. Had Daisy ever encountered problems?”

“Not really. She would get the occasional
crazy marriage proposal or overzealous fan. She’s pretty good at
taking care of herself. That’s one of the things I love about
her.”

“I understand she’s been nominated as
Newcomer of the Year in the Exotic Dancer National Championships
and the two of you were on your way to Las Vegas for the
competition when she was kidnapped.”

“That’s correct.”

“Are you second guessing her choice of
professions?”

Jason got a bit defensive. “Absolutely not.
Daisy isn’t just an entertainer, she’s a competitor. An athlete.
She’s worked hard to get where she is and I’m proud of her. We’re
all proud of her.” Their parents all nodded their heads. Daisy’s
mom wiped a tear from her cheek.