Lucky Double by Deborah Coonts

Author:Deborah Coonts [Coonts, Deborah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781944831738
Publisher: Chestnut Street Press

My eyes needed a moment or two to adjust to the darkness before I located Jeremy sprawled on a chaise near the back fence.

“Mind if I pull up a chair?” I asked as I dragged one over to him. If he glanced up, I couldn’t tell.

“Man, I really blew it giving that cow such a mouthful. Nothing like being a dickhead for the cameras.” Jeremy’s voice, while tired, still had a sharp edge.

“It doesn’t mean you killed her.” I paused for a beat. “You didn’t, did you?”

“Don’t be a dill.”

“Not being fluent in Aussie slang, I’ll take that as a no,” I said as I leaned back on the chaise and stared up into the velvety darkness. Living under the canopy of light over the Strip, I’d forgotten how many stars hung in the night sky. “Want to tell me what happened? In American?”

“I don’t know what happened. My client hired me to check out her hunch that somebody was playing fast and loose in the sports book at her casino. The house had lost money it shouldn’t have.”

“And that led you to Numbers Neidermeyer?”

“Not directly. I wasn’t checking leads as much as following hunches. I hit a nerve when I cornered Ms. Neidermeyer. She lit into me. I didn’t handle it well, but I didn’t kill her.”

“Is that what you told the police?”

“Yeah. Your buddy, Detective Romeo, banged on the door here around noon. He wanted to talk. I didn’t see any harm in that, so I agreed and followed him to the station. I told him everything I know, but the bloody wanker kept me there for five hours.” He rolled over on his side, facing me. “If I was going to kill anybody, right now he’s at the top of the list.”

I could see Jeremy’s eyes, but the darkness shadowed his features, hiding any emotion lurking there. However, the line of his body betrayed his anger.

“Understandable.” Secretly I was glad it was Romeo. The kid owed me, big time. “How do you think they tied you in so fast?”

‘I’ve been wondering the same thing myself. Somebody must’ve ratted me out.”

“Yeah, but who? The casino was practically deserted when I saw you two going at it.”

“Were you the big mouth?” Jeremy asked, his voice tight.

“To quote a good friend of mine, ‘don’t be a dill.’” I shivered. The night air had turned cool. Even Teddie’s sweatshirt wasn’t quite enough. “Who’s your client?”

“You know I can’t tell you that. If it’s any consolation, I didn’t tell the police either.”

“Last time I checked, this country had done away with thumbscrews and waterboards. You don’t have to tell the police anything.”

“I do if I want to keep my P.I. license. But my client isn’t germane to the investigation. At the time, I hadn’t given her a report so she didn’t know anything.”

“Except what she suspects,” I reminded him. “You’re splitting hairs with the police—not wise considering they have your neck under a boot. You’d better tell them, and, if I’m going to help, you’d better tell me.

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