Vegas Sunrise (11 page)

“Things. I'll still be here tonight when you're getting ready for bed. What is the big problem, Sage?”

“When you're running a business, you need to be on the premises and keep regular working hours. You have a better rapport with these people than I do. When they call they want you, not me. I've been making up stories for months now.”

Billie felt her heart start to flutter at the look in her brother's eyes. “Maybe you should start to mind your own business. This is how I see it, this company owes me years and I mean years, of overtime and vacation time. If you don't like the way I do things, there's the door. I'm sick and tired of you minding my business. Do I interfere with you and Iris? No, I do not. Do you know why I don't interfere? Because your business is your business and not mine.”

“My personal life has nothing to do with my business life. We're talking business here, Billie. Another thing, how does a cop get to take five-hour lunches? What the hell kind of police force do we have in this town that would permit something like that?”

Billie knew her voice sounded lame when she said, “Adam was . . . is a workaholic like me. He's got as much vacation and overtime accumulated as I do. Detectives have more leeway than beat cops. He's got his beeper, pager, and cell phone with him all the time. Not that it's any of your business, Sage.”

Sage tried another tack. “I have this feeling, Billie, that something's wrong. I just want to help. I'm your brother for God's sake.”

“Do I look like I need your help?”

“Yeah, you do.”

“Well, you're wrong. I'm here now, so you can go home to your wife. When I leave here this evening, things will be caught up-to-date. I will even work on tomorrow's schedule so you don't get your Jockeys in a wad if I decide to go out to lunch.”

“Iris is pregnant, Billie.”

“That's nice. You really should go home, Sage. Everything is fine.”

“That's nice. That's all you have to say?”

“What's going on here, Sage? Why do I have the feeling it isn't just me? Or is it me because you can't attack Birch and Sunny because they're gone. You need to be nice to Iris, so that leaves me. It's okay; I can take it since it's deserved. Is it Jeff Lassiter? Is it all of the above?”

Sage sat down and fired up a cigarette. “I don't know what it is. I'm happy Iris is pregnant. We want a boy. I'm glad Sunny went with Birch, and I'm glad she feels she can handle her end of things. I'm not real pleased with Birch, but I understand him not wanting to work with Jeff. Yeah, I like the guy. But then I liked Uncle Simon and look how he turned out. I resent Mom giving Lassiter a three-year contract. Celia stayed behind. Did you know that? Birch called this morning and asked me to look out for her. How the hell do you look out for a barracuda?”

“No, I didn't know Celia stayed behind.”

“I have this feeling that something bad is going to happen. Something that's going to affect all of us. I worry about Sunny. I'm concerned that Birch and Celia are having a problem. Iris has the morning pukes really bad. I'm not sleeping well. I'm piss-assed scared about Lassiter. I keep thinking about that stunt he pulled with Uncle Simon a couple of years ago. The guy's a numismatist for God's sake. He can do whatever he wants with the casino numbers. I tried talking to Mom about it, but she didn't want to hear anything I had to say. Marcus listened, though. Then you, our rock, suddenly get fed up and start taking five-hour lunches. I'm sorry I snapped at you, Billie.”

“How about if I cut them back to a measly two? Can you handle that? Is there anything I can do? I can call Celia, take her to lunch or dinner. I can poke around at the casino to see if I can get any feedback where Jeff is concerned. If you think you can handle things here, I can go to Atlantic City on the weekends to check on Sunny. I really think Birch can take care of himself and Sunny, too. Harry's there, too, don't forget that. Our lives are changing, Sage. Mom isn't standing behind us anymore. I guess it's time for all of us to either sink or swim on our own.” She paused, took a deep breath. “What could he do, Sage?”

“By ‘he' I guess you mean Jeff.” Billie nodded. “Dad had every fail-safe method known to man installed. That doesn't mean Jeff will keep them in place. He could do a lot of things. He's got three years to do whatever he wants. Mom gave him carte blanche. It was a mistake. If it were up to me, I'd go over there right now and boot his tail out of there and take over myself. Of course that would mean leaving you in the lurch, so to speak.”

“Are you overreacting? Forget I even said that. Of all of us you've always been the most methodical, the most cautious. Why don't we talk to Mom again, the four of us? We could get Sunny and Birch on an extension. By rights, she should have talked with us before she decided to hire Jeff. Better yet, maybe we should talk to Marcus.”

“Let's think about this for a few days.”

“That sounds good. I really am happy for you and Iris, Sage. What are you going to do if she has twins? You're a twin. You look a little green, Sage.”

′I wasn't going to tell you, but it is twins. The doctor said he heard two heartbeats. I guess that's why I'm not sleeping.”

“Oh, Sage, it's wonderful. Sunrise is going to jam again. Kid voices carrying down the mountain. It's going to be just like it was when we were growing up. Do you have any idea how lucky you are? Did you tell Mom?”

“Not yet. We will, though. I think Iris and I are still in shock.”

“A nice kind of shock, though. Go home, Sage. I'll be here if any problems crop up. Say hi to Iris and hug the kids.”

“Billie . . .”

“Go already. It's okay.”

Sage hugged her. “See you tomorrow. I'm going to stop by the casino to get Celia's phone number and address. I'll give her a call. Mom might want to invite her out to the house or something.”

“Or something,” Billie said as she shoved him out the door.

Billie locked the office door. She was shaking when she sat down behind her desk. She hadn't counted on Sage being so astute and outspoken. She pulled the adding machine closer. From her locked desk drawer she withdrew a small yellow notebook and began to feed the numbers to the machine in front of her. The tally at the end of the strip of paper turned her face white. She leaned back in the deep comfortable desk chair, drawing her knees close to her chest, and cried as if her heart would break.

 

“Nice seeing you again, Mr. Thornton,” the desk clerk said.

Sage smiled. “How's your family, Myra?”

“We're all good. And yours?”

“Couldn't be better. Do you have Celia Thornton's phone and address? I promised my brother I'd pick it up.”

“I have it already, Mr. Thornton. If you're looking for Mrs. Thornton, she's here in the casino. I saw her a little while ago when I took a message out to the floor for one of the customers. She was heading toward the office.”

“Thanks, Myra.”

Sage pocketed the envelope. Should he go to the office or shouldn't he? What the hell, he was here. A little family nicety might help Birch. He looked at his watch—twenty minutes past five.

It was ten minutes to six when Sage finally made his way across the floor, stopping to shake hands with pit bosses and money changers. He stood outside the door of the office, remembering the day he'd walked out of the casino for the last time. He'd never forget the awful look on Birch's face that day. Time and life didn't stand still for anyone. He was about to knock on the door when he heard low, intimate laughter from inside. He jammed his hands in his pockets. Leave? Stay? What did that laughter mean? They, and exactly who was the they? As if he didn't know. Jeff and Celia must be standing right next to the door. He was about to leave when he heard his half brother say, “There is a room here that no one ever uses. My father kept it for himself. Out of respect for him they never assigned the room. It's at the end of the hall on the seventh floor. There is no master key, so you can stay there and no one will be the wiser. Room 719. You'll be on your own as far as housekeeping goes. Actually, it's a suite. My father, in case you haven't heard, was a lady's man.”

Sage swallowed, his tongue thick and dry in his mouth. What the hell was going on here? Room 719? How did Lassiter know about Room 719? To his knowledge only Birch, Sunny, and he knew. He wasn't sure, but he didn't think his mother knew. No master key, my ass. There was a master key to everything. Sunny had turned her key ring over to him the day she moved to Sunrise. His father had given his set to his mother the day Fanny had taken over the management of Babylon.

Sage walked back to the registration desk. “Myra, do we ever rent out Room 719?”

“No, Mr. Thornton. That was one of your father's strictest orders. To my knowledge, they have never rented it. It's never been used, even when we're at a hundred percent capacity. There's no key here. I don't think I've ever seen a key to that room. If I'm not mistaken, it has a special lock of some sort. Your mother or Mrs. Noble might know.”

“It's not important. Thanks, Myra.”

Sage walked over to one of the house phones. He identified himself before he asked the hotel operator to place a long-distance call, person to person, to the rehab center in Cape May for Sunny Thornton Ford. A wave of dizziness swept over him when he heard his sister's voice.

“Sunny, it's me, Sage. Listen, I want to tell you something, and I want to ask you something. This is just between us, okay? Did you have a key to Room 719? Did Mom have one? You're sure? Did she know what it was for? Think, Sunny. Hell yes it's important; otherwise, I wouldn't be calling. Listen up.”

Sage held the phone away from his ear at Sunny's furious squawking. “You actually took dad's card key and put it in the back pocket of Dad's spare wheelchair that's in the garage. You taped it there. Good girl, Sunny. I don't know what I'm going to do. Not a word. Of course I'll let you know. I know you hate her. I'm not sure I like her myself. For Birch's sake I'm going to try very hard to like her. Are you feeling okay, kiddo? Good. How's Harry? All right. Don't overdo it. If you need me, call. I'll let you know when I know what's going on. To use your favorite phrase, damn straight something is going on. Bye, Sunny. Hey, don't mention this call to Birch, okay.”

Sage turned when he felt a light tap on his shoulder. “Neal, how's it going?”

The floor manager wore a tight expression when he said, “I was going to ask you the same question.”

“I'm fine, and I don't miss this place at all. You now, it's in your blood the way it was in my father's blood. Is everything okay?”

“I don't know, Sage. All kinds of rumors are flying around here. We're all walking on our toes. The word's out a major shakeup is coming. The word is we ‘old-timers' are going to be the first to go.”

“Where did you hear something like that?”

Neal shot Sage a disgusted look. “Right here on the floor.”

“It's not going to happen. You have my word. Birch, my sisters and I own this place, not Jeff Lassiter. You have my number, Neal. If it looks like it's going to happen, call me. This place would fall apart without all you, quote, old-timers. When someone new comes on the scene, rumors like this always start. It's that new broom sweeps clean thing. When I tell you your job is safe, it's safe. Tell the others.”

“That's a load off my shoulders, Sage. This probably is none of my business, but for what it's worth, I'd put a harness on that young woman.”

“What young woman?”

“The one wearing the tight green dress who's headed for the registration desk. Your brother's wife. In just a few short days she's made a name for herself here at the casino. In my opinion, and I know you didn't ask for it, but I'll give it to you anyway, she's too damn friendly with Lassiter. It's out in the open for everyone to see. Listen, Sage, I have to ask you something. Is it going to be us against them? By them I mean all the new people who have been going back and forth to the offices and conference room.”

“I don't know, Neal. I'll check it out.”

“Nice seeing you again, Sage. Say hello to Birch for me. I only got to see him for a few minutes before he left. He did ask if me and the guys would consider going to AC when the casino is up and running to sort of train and keep an eye on things until everyone gets their feet wet. We all said yes. All of us are loyal to your family, Sage.”

“I know that, Neal.”

Sage snagged a beer from a passing server, his eyes on his sister-in-law. He watched as Myra talked, then pointed in his direction. Sage stared boldly at his brother's wife, using the beer bottle as a salute. He thought she looked nervous. Maybe jittery. Nervous and jittery. Maybe arrogant and cocky. She was coming toward him. Some of the more rambunctious customers whistled and leered at her. She waved nonchalantly at them, acknowledging their approval.

“Sage, what brings you here to the casino?”

“I was just going to ask you the same question.” The score was one to one if you were counting. He was counting.

“Do you have time for a drink?”

“Got one.” Sage held his beer bottle aloft. The score was two to two if you were counting. He was counting.

“Want to gamble?”

“Been there, done that.” The score was three three if you were counting. He was still counting.

“The desk clerk said you were looking for me. She said she directed you to the office.”

Sage swigged from the beer bottle. “Yes, she did.” Sage swore he could see straight through the translucent eyes to the back of Celia's skull. “It sounded like you and Jeff were . . . ah . . . busy so I left.” The score was four three in his favor.

“Busy? Sage, that's too funny for words. I just stopped by to pick up some paper for my resume. Jeff told me the funniest joke.”