Vegas Showgirl Murders - book2, Bob Moats [ink book reader txt] 📗

blood. Maria looked in and stared to gag, but held on, she said it was Lori. She didn't look like she was alive.

I took out Weber's card and called him, reminding him who I was and he was sounding in a good mood, until I related what we had been up to from last night till this morning. I told him where we were and that we found Lori Davis dead in her living room, but didn't go in. He thanked me for calling and said he'd be there shortly. After a bit, patrol cars roared up and we were overrun with brown uniforms. Weber drove up a short time later, by that time the officers had the door open and CSI was on the scene. I asked one of the CSI if Marg Helgenberger was around, he wasn't very friendly about it. I left him be. Weber came up and wanted all the details. I introduced him to Deacon as Officer DeAngelo from Trapper's squad. Weber beamed at him and said he would like to talk to him about Trapper, sometime. He really got off on Trapper stories; I think he actually missed him. Deacon introduced his sister and Weber said he read the reports about the murder at the Tropicana, so he knew about her. We went over to the sidewalk and I told him what we deduced last night and he thanked me for the details. He ask if Deacon and I wouldn't get into too much trouble while we were here, meaning watch our steps, and asked that any info we come across be shared with him or the primary officer now on the case.

The primary officer came over, she was introduced to us by Weber, Detective Sergeant Lynn Carter, then he said he had to go stroke the wheels of justice and departed. I filled in Carter with as much info that we had. She was eyeing Deacon while I was talking to her, and Deacon was looking like a school boy being stalked by a playground flirt. Carter was a handsome woman, tight skin, bright blue eyes that pierced with a look. She was well tanned, either from working outside or a tanning freak and she stood just up to Deacon's nose, a tall woman. She could almost see directly into Deacon's eyes if she stood on her toes.

Maria was on her toes, too, and stepped between Deacon and Carter, she could almost look into Carter's eyes, saying she wanted to help catch the killer of her two friends. Carter moved around Maria and said she appreciated the offer and would keep an eye on her and her brother. Deacon said that he would be available to help with anything involving the case. He had a special interest since his sister was involved. Carter said she was sure she would need his help. I was ready to get out a garden hose to spray the two of them down, and then she turned on her heels and said she had to get back to the crime scene. She stopped, turned her head and asked Deacon if he'd like to join in to advise as an officer of the law. I could just about see him panting as he followed her to the house. Maria just stood there saying son of a bitch. I took her arm and said she should be supportive of her brother, I could hear the foot stomps of little feet in their future. She laughed and said she guessed Deacon deserved a bit of romance. She was worried for years that he was gay, since he never had a romance that she knew of. I said it looked like there might be one starting, since I could see Deacon following Carter around like a puppy in love.


*

Chapter Five


Penny was going great guns with chatting up visitors to the convention. She was asked a good number of questions about the classmate murders, and she would introduce Buck as one of the crime busters, who helped solve the case. Buck was a bit shy about it at first, but after a couple of hours, he got into the swing of things, and was enjoying the notoriety of it all. A number of people would stop and ask if he was Hulk Hogan and he would politely say no. Then people were getting insistent that he was, in fact, Hulk Hogan, so he would start to play the part.

A while later, Buck was leaning on the counter reading the pamphlet, saw a shadow come over him, looking up he was shocked to see Hulk Hogan standing there. Buck started sweating, and just said hi. Hogan looked at him and said he could see the resemblance, but asked Buck to stop being him. Buck agreed and told Hogan that if they ever made the classmate murders into a movie, Buck would want the Hulk to play him. Hogan looked at the pamphlet and said he'd be honored. He said he was there promoting his cable show, shook Buck's hand, and then he strode off, leaving Buck with his mouth open. Penny whacked him and he snapped out of the trance he was in.

"My God, did you see who that was!" Buck choked. He went to his chair and sat quietly smiling.

Maria and I wandered over to the side of the front lawn, to where a woman stood, watching all the confusion. She looked like a neighbor, so I introduced myself, showed her my I.D., and asked if I could talk to her. She said I could.

"Did you know Lori Davis?" I started.

"We got along well, she liked to sunbathe out back, and I would talk to her over the fence, she liked to talk," she answered.

"Did you see anything last night, any comings or goings to the house?"

"Not really, but around 1 a.m. I thought I heard a car drive up, I assumed it was her. Then about a half hour later it drove away. I didn't look out; I'm not a nosey person," she smiled. I doubted that.

"Do you know of anyone she may have been involved with, say a boyfriend, or lover?"

She stepped a little closer and talked a bit lower to me, "Well, I don't want to speak ill of the dead, but she was having an affair with one of the strip entertainers," she nodded her head as if we knew who.

I said finally, "I have no idea, who was it?"

"Nick North, of course," she smiled like she was exposing a dark secret.

I was a bit shocked when she said his name, it was the person I had come out to Vegas, years ago, to work for and quit months later.

"How do you know this?"

"She told me. She was bragging one day, after we had a good amount of wine out back, that she was banging a strip headliner and he was going to marry her, when he got rid of his present girlfriend. I, of course, knew he wouldn't, but she was so wide-eyed about it, I didn't want to rain on her parade. I'll bet he murdered her," she brightened as though she solved the case.

"Hmm… you should talk to the officer in charge about that." I saw detective Carter and Deacon standing out front, Carter dangerously close to him. I called to Carter, and she came over, followed by her lapdog. I told her, this nice neighbor lady has a theory about the crime. I left them to talk and grabbing Deacon by the arm, pulling him away.

"When's the wedding date set for?" I asked.

He looked at me blankly, then grinned, "Oh, she is something, isn't she. So strong and forceful. I have to admit, I'm taken by her."

"Yeah, I think everyone can see that. Be careful, she seems to know what she wants, and she carries a gun," I grinned widely.

"Yep, and a big gun," he replied. I kind of wondered about that statement.

I told Deacon what the neighbor had said about Nick North and how he was involved with Lori. Deacon recognized the name since I told him about my days here, while we were killing time on the plane. He had heard the name before that when Comedy Central ran a special on comics from Vegas, so he knew who North was.

"It would be so funny if Nicky was involved in this," I smirked. "He was such an annoying person, but I don't think he had homicidal tendencies. But then again, most killers all came out looking like the nice boy next door."

"If North is involved with this, we have to nail him, he could have killed my sister with that poison stunt," he gritted his teeth.

"If he did it, I'll be happy to nail him."

Carter came over to us and took Deacon by the arm and took him aside. I could hear her asking him if he knew anything about Nick North. Carter looked back to me after Deacon told her about my connection. She came back to me.

"You worked for North?" I said I had. "Did he seem like a person who would murder someone?"

"Neighbors said Jeffrey Dahmer seemed like such a nice person, so who's to say what a nasty person like North would be capable of doing," I replied.

She just nodded, was quiet for a bit then said, "I may need you and Deacon to come in and give official statements in regards to this case."

I handed her one of my new P.I. cards, and told her I could be reached at the number. She asked if Deacon had a card, he smiled and gave her one. She put my card in the folder she carried, and put Deacon's card in her shirt pocket. I could see where that was going.

Just about then, a news van from KLAS TV pulled up and out piled the circus clowns. I didn't like the media much, for the way they treat people to get the breaking news story to annoy TV viewers by interrupting their favorite shows. Carter said she had to take control of the situation, looked to Deacon saying she'd be in touch, and stormed off.

"She'll be touching you all right," I grinned, Deacon said to shut up and we headed to our vehicle. Maria was scolding Deacon for the way he acted around "that hussy". Deacon defended himself saying she was coming on to him. Maria just went silent, which I assume Deacon didn't like. He kept defending himself, I said just to give it up.

We sat in the SUV and I asked Deacon what he found out in the crime scene. He said, "The vic, Lori, was stabbed with a large pair of scissors up through the throat to the brain. Then the scissors were pulled and she was also stabbed through the heart. She died quite quickly according to the coroner. They'll need to check for fingerprints on the shears and there were a couple of glasses of wine on a table. There was no sign of a struggle and under her nails were clean, so she didn't scratch the killer. CSI is doing a sweep of the place, but in real life they won't have answers in an hour."

"Was there anything else in the room to point to North?" I wondered.

"Nothing they found, but then they weren't looking to North as the killer, yet. Not till the neighbor brought it up."

I said grimly,