“Not yet, but I’m hoping soon. Do you think Sawyer could come by my house and start Bailey’s bike? Maybe he could take it for a short spin to keep it in good shape for when he gets back? I know absolutely nothing about motorcycles.”
Since Sawyer belonged to a motorcycle club, I didn’t think it was an unusual thing to ask of him. What was in it for him, though, to come out to my place near the mountains when they lived closer to the office?
“If he agrees, I’ll grill some steaks and make a salad for dinner. I’m afraid that’s the extent of my cooking talent.” An offer of dinner might sweeten the pot.
Fitz grinned. “I’ll call him. Do you want him to do it tonight? He’s working the midnight shift at the dispensary the rest of the week. One of the managers is out of town.”
“Okay. If he’s agreeable, shoot me a text. I’m heading to The Strip for a meeting with Detective Spitzer. It’s about Maria Ramirez.”
Fitz stood. “Maria Ramirez? You mind if I tag along?”
“No. Not at all. We can have Denise forward any bail calls to us. Any word from Sparky about how things are going in Florida?”
I didn’t really understand why it was so important for the three of them to go to Florida on such short notice. Sparky mentioned it had something to do with an arson case he’d worked on before he moved to Las Vegas. There wasn’t a lot more said about it.
“Denise, Jagger and I are going down to The Strip. Do you mind forwarding any bail calls to us? We’ll be back in time to take over the phones so you can go to lunch.” She nodded.
Fitz then turned to me. “Ready?”
I grabbed things from my desk and walked to Denise’s. “Dixie has been fed and walked. I’ll take her out when I get back. We went for a long run this morning, and she’s probably tired.”
“Got it. Be careful. If we get any calls, I’ll let you know.”
Fitz opened the door, and we headed out into the heat. I walked toward my truck, but Fitz laughed. “Hell no. I’m not riding with your cheap ass. It’s too hot to go without air conditioning. I’ll drive.”
“It’s not because I’m cheap, jackass. It’s because I like the fresh air.”
Fitz started the truck and cranked up the A/C. He laughed as we drove along South Rainbow to West Russell Drive. After a few minutes, he made a left onto South Las Vegas Boulevard, and we were thrust into the morning traffic on The Strip.
“Sawyer texted that he’ll be happy to come for dinner tonight. He’s more than willing to check out Bailey’s bike for you.”
“Great. Thank you, Fitz. I truly appreciate it.”
Fitz maneuvered the truck behind the fancy casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard and into a parking garage. We made our way to the resale shop where we were meeting Ms. Baker, the store manager.
“Welcome to Chloe’s Closet. How may I help you?” a young woman asked.
“Hello. Is Ms. Baker available?” The young woman looked at both of us with confusion.
“Detective Spitzer and Agents Hansen and Morgan for Ms. Baker. We have an appointment.”
Spitzer stuck out his hand. “Fitz. Good to see you.”
Before he could shake my hand, a middle-aged woman approached us. “Gentlemen. If you’ll follow me.”
We followed her through a white door and down a hallway to an office. There, a tall, elegant woman stood with a red handbag. “Good day. Detective Spitzer, here is an identical handbag to the one the woman shoplifted.”
She handed it to Spitzer, and he opened it with the gold double-C clasp. He examined the red lining inside, and I noticed it was loose.
“The lining was ripped right here.” Spitzer pointed out the seam along the bottom of the bag.
“You couldn’t fit much money or drugs in there. It would hardly make it worth stealing the purse, wouldn’t it?” Fitz had good instincts. He must have been a hell of a US Marshal.
“What else would be valuable enough to steal a—” I reached for the handbag and flipped the price tag. “Whoa! Do you sell a lot of these?”
All three of us gasped in unison. “Two thousand dollars?”
Ms. Baker smirked. “If it were brand new, off the shelf, it would be eight thousand. Clearly, not for the faint of heart. But yes. Those purses aren’t easy to come by. We resell at a discount, based on our assessment of brand, model, condition, and market demand. These particular handbags are no longer produced, so the demand is higher than many others on the market.”
