We played as we talked about the break-in. When we cashed in our tickets and started walking to the room, I looked at him. “So why are you here?”

  “I figured I wasn’t making any progress on the case, so I might as well take some personal time and relax.” He punched the elevator for our room. “I need to change into some clean jeans, but do you want to go grab a bite? I know you probably already ate, but I’m starving.”

  “I could eat. But I’m supposed to let Amy know when you’re here so we could do something together tonight.” I leaned against him in the elevator, feeling the strength I needed to go on. “Oh, and Mike Masters isn’t a writer, he’s a fed. And so was that real estate lady. They had to come back to Vegas for some meeting. I guess that’s where they’re stationed out of.”

  Greg spun me around and stared at me. “What are you talking about?”

  I explained everything that had happened that night. When we reached the room, Greg pulled off his shoes. “I’ll change into something a little warmer. If Amy and Justin want to go walking the Strip, I want some jeans and sneakers on.”

  “We’re not leaving the room tonight. Text Amy and tell her I have to work. I’d appreciate it if you would order some room service. A burger would be fine, or anything you think I’d like. I heard the food here is pretty good.” He went over and picked up his computer bag. “No alcohol. I want to get this done, then tomorrow we can turn off the rest of the world and celebrate with Amy and Justin.”

  “Was it something I said?” I went to the desk to find the room service menu.

  “Actually, yes. If the feds have been involved in this investigation from the beginning, they might have some leads on why Frank was killed. And if it had something to do with their investigation, they can take this over. They’re not good at sharing information, and I’m not having them play me like a fiddle. At least not anymore.”

  I scanned the menu. “You can get anything, including prime rib, through room service. I’m looking at the seafood pasta. I know I ate tonight with Amy and Justin, but I can’t even remember what it tasted like. Except the first bite. Which was amazing.”

  He reached for the menu. “Get me a twelve-ounce T-bone, medium rare, baked potato, and veggies. Side salad with ranch. And something for dessert. Whatever you want half of. And two sodas.”

  “Sounds good.” I ordered the food, then got into yoga pants and a long tee. I grabbed the second book out of my suitcase and curled up on the bed, waiting for room service.

  When I tried to get settled, I saw Greg watching me. “What?”

  “Sorry I grounded you. If I wasn’t worried about this whole development thing, I’d send you out to play with your friends.” He kept typing on his laptop as he talked.

  “I kind of like spending the night in an upscale hotel with room service and guilt-free reading time. You aren’t holding me against my will or anything.”

  “You’re a good person, Jill Gardner. Maybe I should marry you one of these days.”

  I laughed, which apparently wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. “That’s the second time I’ve heard about the two of us getting married today.”

  “Your aunt pushing you?”

  “Nope. Amy. She thought we could do the Elvis thing while we were down here.” I snuggled deeper into the stack of pillows I’d set up and started reading. It was kind of the perfect end to the day. At least until the food arrived.

  Chapter 21

  The next morning, Greg filled me in. The feds hadn’t known about Frank’s death. Their field agents, Mike and Sara, had reported that Presley was starting up another scam, so that was why they were there, watching him. “Apparently, Mike has a habit of getting too involved in cases. His supervisor said he’s been convinced that this Presley guy is attached to people here in Vegas who are connected.”

  “As in organized crime?” We were having our second room service–delivered meal. This time I had a large omelet stuffed with everything I loved. The orange juice had come with or without champagne. We had both chosen with, because Greg had declared this morning he was off duty until he was back in South Cove. We had a bread basket filled with amazing rolls and coffee cakes, as well as hash browns that were so crisp, they made me cry with joy. Yep, it was food heaven. “We are really going to have to check out the restaurants today before we join the party. I want to see what’s out there.”

  “I can’t believe you’re planning more meals while we’re eating breakfast.” He held up a slice of ham. “Although this isn’t half bad.”

  A knock came at the door, and when Greg went to answer, Amy and Justin came inside. Amy sat down on the bed next to me. “Ooh, coffee. Mind if I grab some? I think I had one too many margaritas last night.”

  Justin chuckled. “Actually, I think it was the shots. You can put down the tequila when you want to.”

  “It’s my party and I’ll drink if I want to.” Amy grinned as she sipped the coffee. “We came to see if you wanted to grab breakfast, but I can see the answer to that question. We’re going over to the Venetian to do the boats. You want to meet us there after we eat?”

  “They have an art museum too. I want to see that. They’re supposed to have some amazing pieces.” I handed her a slice of banana bread.

  “Sounds amazeballs.” She ate the bread and almost chugged the coffee. “We had so much fun last night. You guys really should have come out too.”

  “I was the wet blanket, sorry,” Greg admitted. “But today, there’s no work. No one will even know I’m a cop.”

  “Sounds like a plan. After the chick stuff, maybe we can hit the roller-coaster over at New York-New York.” Justin took a piece of Amy’s bread. “This is amazing. We’re getting room service tomorrow, sweetheart.”

  “Okay.” She finished her coffee and popped up. “We’ll see you at nine by the boats.”

  “We’ll be there.” I watched as they barreled out of the room and shut the door. The room was quiet. “They are two of a kind. They’ll be perfect for each other.”

  “If you mean loud, outgoing, and always doing something, then yes, I agree with you.” He leaned over and kissed me. “I think I’m going to be done people-ing after this vacation for a while.”

  “Me too.” I refilled my coffee cup and scanned the list of restaurants from the travel magazine. “Apparently, the Venetian has one of the best breakfast buffets in town. We’ll have to go over there tomorrow.”

  “Works for me.” Greg said as he studied the sports page from the newspaper they’d delivered with breakfast.

  I’d just finished eating and was eyeing the last piece of banana bread when my phone rang. It was Amy. I glanced at the time. We still had an hour before we were supposed to meet them. “Hey, I thought you said nine.”

  “You need to get over here. You won’t believe who’s here. He’s got a babe on his arm.” She paused. “I just sent you a text with a picture. Show it to Greg.”

  “Hold on.” I waved him over to sit next to me. “Amy sent us a picture of someone we need to see.”

  When the text came up, Greg pointed to the woman. “That’s California April Windsor—Frank’s missing wife. We just got a photo from the driver’s license bureau before I left the station. Who’s that with her?”

  “The man with his arm around her? That’s Aaron Presley. The developer.” I spoke back into the phone. “It’s him, right?”

  “Yep. It’s him. He hasn’t seen me because we’re sitting in a different room, but I saw him when I went to find the ladies’ room. I acted like I was taking a picture of the buffet.”

  “Tell Amy to stay there and we’ll be right over. I’m going to get security involved because there is an active missing persons investigation on her.” Greg pulled on his shoes and I relayed his message.

  As we headed to the elevator, I grinned. “So much for no work this weekend, right?”

  He leaned down and kissed me. “Sometimes it falls in your lap. I’ll get security in on this, do a real quick interview, then figure out if I should be arresting her for killing Frank. If so, I’ll have to do the whole extradition thing. If not, maybe I can just have her come to the station on Monday.”

  “Ever the optimist.”

  We power walked to the Venetian, which was farther than it looked. The good news was, the sidewalks weren’t as crowded as they would be later in the day. When we got there, I went directly to the buffet and Greg went to the security desk. I had to pay to get in, which wasn’t fair because I wasn’t eating, but I grabbed a mimosa off the tray as I walked by and then sat at Amy’s table.

  “Where’s Greg?” Amy glanced around nervously. “We don’t have to go confront them on our own, do we?”

  “No. Calm down. He’s getting security involved. He’ll talk to them and then we’ll be done. Nice job, seeing them in this crowd.” I took in the restaurant. People milled about the buffet lines. And the room smelled amazing. “I might just have to eat something, considering I had to buy my way in.”

  Amy pointed to the other room. We could just see their booth. Cali was standing up and leaving. “Oh, no.”

  I glanced at the entry area. No Greg, no security. Crap. I took a sip of my mimosa. “Text Greg and tell him she’s on the move. I think she’s probably just going to the restroom, but if she goes to her room or leaves the hotel, I’ll text you.”

  “Be careful. She might be dangerous.”

  Cali was maybe five foot one and a size zero from what I could see. I wasn’t worried about her taking me in a fight. I was worried about her disappearing again. I nodded to Amy. “Just text Greg. I’ll keep my phone available and text as soon as I can.”

  I followed her out of the restaurant. So much for my second breakfast. That half of a mimosa had just cost me forty-five dollars. Maybe Greg could expense it and pay me back. The mayor would have a conniption. We went past the first restroom, but maybe she hadn’t seen it. She was heading to the main lobby and out of the building. I hurried to get closer. If she got onto the street and hailed a cab, I would lose her. Maybe I could ask for directions and keep her on the street until Greg arrived. I saw her approach the main doors, but then she turned right. When I jogged up the few stairs, I realized where she was going. The art museum. I stood in line behind her to get a ticket and texted Greg our location. At least this way I’d get to do something I wanted at the same time as following our missing person. Multitasking was the best.

  I was able to stay in the same studio as Cali for the next ten minutes. Then she sat down in front of a painting and took out a notepad. I glanced back the way we’d come. Still no Greg. What was he doing? I slipped onto the bench beside Cali and sighed. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “Yes, it is.” She smiled at me and returned to making notes. “It’s a shame they’re closing it down. I guess most people don’t come to Vegas to see rare art.”

  “The hotel is beautiful, but sometimes, just sitting with a piece, you get to know so much more about the painting. Are you an artist?”

  “Yes. I just had my first showing in San Francisco. It was at a very small gallery, but you have to start somewhere, right?” She dug into her pocket. “You can see my work on my website, here.”

  I glanced at the card. California Windsor—Artist. I guess this really was our girl. “I’m from California too. Nearby the city. It’s a small town, you probably never heard of it. South Cove.”

  Cali dropped her pen. I reached down and handed it to her. When she didn’t say anything, but sat staring at the painting, her hands shaking, I decided to jump in. “You know you’re listed as a missing person, right?”

  “I need to call the police and let them know where I am. My husband, Frank, he was killed in South Cove, but I’m thinking you already knew that.” She turned to me. “You’re the cop’s girlfriend. The one with the historical wall on her property, right?”

  “How did you know that?” I kept my eye on the doorway, just in case Greg finally showed up. I was getting a little nervous with the turn in the conversation.

  She smiled and closed her notebook. “Frank used to talk about his projects. His finds, he called them. You were on the top of his list. He was so excited about finally proving the validity of your claim.”

  “Really? The Society closed our case.”

  I saw the response on her face. She’d known. “Look, it wasn’t his fault, it was mine. I had some debt Frank hadn’t known about. And when they came to me with a solution, I acted without telling him. He told me he would have paid the money. That he could have paid the money. I didn’t think he had a dime to his name when I married him. But I guess he was better at hiding stuff than I was. Who knew he had fifty thousand tucked away?”

  “Then you told him he had to cancel my wall’s historical file. So the developer could buy the property.”

  “That was all I was supposed to do. Convince him to close it. When he said no, I pretended to be you, and I called to cancel it. Someone in the office besides Frank was in on it. They made sure the cancellation happened. Then Frank found out, and he was mad. He went to talk to you.” She sighed. “When I heard about the accident, I freaked out. I came here and stayed in Aaron’s condo. We met a few years ago and really hit it off. He’s such a nice guy.”

  “Do you know what Aaron does for a living?” I could be wrong, but I had the feeling that Cali was one of those wrong-place-wrong-time people. Or she was trying to portray herself that way. Something about her story just wasn’t ringing true.

  “Something in real estate. Condos, I think. He’s been busy here in Vegas and is just starting a new development in Reno.” She frowned. “Why did you ask?” Before I could answer, she started, staring at a spot next to me.

  Greg was at my side. “Miss Winston, I’m Greg King, lead detective of South Cove Police Department. Can I ask you if you drove here to Vegas?”

  Cali shook her head. “I don’t drive. Never have. I went to school in New York City and didn’t need a car there. And I don’t need one here. Or, I mean, at home in the city. Everything’s right where I can walk.”

  “So how did you get here?” Greg’s voice sounded kind, friendly. Just asking a few questions.

  “Aaron came and got me. He flew me here in his private jet. The condo’s so close to the Strip, it’s like being at home.” She shrugged. “I know I shouldn’t be playing cards, but I love blackjack. I’m just on a strict budget this trip. Frank, well, he didn’t approve of gambling.”

  “Were you and Frank still married?” I didn’t know if Greg would ask, but I truly wanted to know.

  She looked at me strangely. “Of course we were. I mean, we had our fights, but we were still working on our relationship. Now, well, now that he’s dead, I guess it is what it is.”

  “Did you have a prenuptial agreement?” Greg was taking notes in the notebook he always carried. Even on vacation, I guessed.

  “No. I told him if we got lucky and one of my paintings made me famous, he’d be a part of that, so I didn’t insist on a prenup. I loved my husband.” She pulled out a tissue and wiped her eyes. “I guess I’d better get back to reality and get everything situated. I can’t hide in fantasyland forever.”

  I looked at Greg, but he shook his head. No need to tell Cali that Frank had left her a very rich widow. Frank’s lawyer could do that.

  He put away his notebook and took out one of his cards. “When you get back home, please call me. I have the name of Frank’s lawyer and I think he’ll need to talk to you about the final arrangements. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  “I am too.” I stood up and stood by Greg. “If you want to talk, I’m at the bookstore in town most every morning. I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.”

  We left her there, sitting and staring at the painting. It was of a simple house with several flowers in front and a bowl of fruit on an outside table. When we went back into the lobby of the Venetian, Amy and Justin were waiting for us.

  “You didn’t tell her she was rich,” I said to Greg as we crossed the lobby to meet our friends. I wasn’t quite sure Cali was telling me the entire truth. I mean, I wasn’t in a position of authority or anything, and she’d spilled the story about making Frank kill my project for a developer. Didn’t she know that was illegal?

  “Leave that to the lawyer once she gets home. I don’t want her going crazy in Vegas with the money. She seems like a good kid.” Greg pulled me into a hug. “Sorry it took me so long to get there, but Aaron threw a little fit that got him arrested and in custody for the weekend. According to the Vegas cops who showed up, he shouldn’t be able to get before a judge before Monday. So as soon as your aunt’s dinner is over, I’m heading over to the jail to talk to him.”

  “And we get our weekend without any more interruptions.” I squealed just a little.

  “I’m not dumb. I know how to work a situation.” He grinned at me. “So, we can check off the art gallery? Now it’s time for a roller-coaster or two.”

  Justin jumped up. “Did someone say roller-coaster?”

  * * * *

  We played for the rest of the day. The party was starting at six, so when the clock struck five, we made our way back to our rooms. We parted ways in the elevator. We were on ten, but Amy and Justin were on a higher floor. “See you downstairs.”

  “We’re going to have so much fun,” Amy bubbled.

  When we got into the room, I collapsed on the bed. “Tell me how much Amy would hate me if I just stayed in the room and watched television.”

  “She’s your best friend. You can people for a few more hours for her.” He opened his laptop. “If I have to play nice with the guys, you can go play with the girls.”