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“Would you allow me to look at both rooms then? I might see or find something.” I wasn’t above pleading if I had to.

He hesitated again. “I don’t see any harm in that. I’d need to go with you, though. Are you staying at Bally’s?”

“Not this time. I’m at the Quality Inn. What works for you to meet up? Today, tomorrow?”

“It’ll need to be tomorrow. I-I’m due in court this afternoon,” he said, with a hint of uncertainty.

I was slightly taken aback by his response, and my spidey-sense told me he wasn’t being completely honest, but I went along with it. “Okay, Chet. What time works for you tomorrow morning, and I can meet you at Bally’s.”

“Ten o’clock?” he replied. “We can meet at the security center again.”

“Sounds good. See you tomorrow.” I ended the call, thinking he sounded a bit off.

After a leisurely lunch, I thought I’d head to Bally’s and check out the gaming floor. It was only about three minutes from the restaurant. I’d told Jonesy I wouldn’t partake in any gambling, but what the hell. I had a couple of hours before I needed to check in at my hotel anyway.

The familiar scent of stale cigarettes and masking deodorizers permeated my nostrils when I walked through the casino’s doors. It was one of the casinos where patrons could smoke, and it always surprised me to see gamblers using the ashtrays. Although tempted in college, I’m glad I never took up the habit.

The casino wasn’t busy, except for the occasional retiree spending their Social Security funds or tourists hoping to hit a progressive jackpot at the slot machines. I walked up to the bar in the center of the gaming floor, hoping to get a club soda to walk around with, mainly to keep from looking overly eager to find a table to play at. I didn’t expect to win like I did last weekend, but my theory was that if you don’t play, you don’t win.

Taking my drink to one of the roulette tables, I settled in with three other players. The dealer was a young Asian woman named Mei, with ample breasts beneath her dealer’s vest and a coy smile she kept throwing my way.

No sooner had I placed my first bets and sat down for a sip of my soda than I saw Chet disappearing through unmarked double doors about twenty yards away. Of course, he lied about needing to be in court this afternoon, I thought, watching the white marble land on black eleven, where I had two chips. After claiming my winnings, I colored in, to the dismay of the dealer, whom I tipped generously before walking away.

I’d worn a navy sports coat with a white button-down and dark gray slacks to maintain a professional appearance, and an idea came to me about how to get through those doors.

As I walked past one of the smaller bars to drop off my drink, I saw a young male bartender putting on his uniform vest. He’d set his name badge on the edge of the bar as he focused on his buttons, giving me the chance to reach across to grab a few napkins, knocking several onto the floor in front of him. He looked at me as if to say, ‘Really?’ and bent to pick up the scattered napkins at his feet. I snatched and pocketed his name badge.

“Sorry about that. Fat fingers, you know,” I said with a wince when he stood up.

“That’s okay,” he said, annoyance in his tone.

Pulling out my wallet, I tossed a five-dollar bill onto the bar. “For your trouble,” I said with a smile, thinking it was worth the price for stealing his name badge. “Have a great day.” As I walked away, he thanked me, surprised I’d tipped him for having to pick up my mess.

I slipped into the men’s room closest to the doors Chet had gone through to put the name tag on. Straightening my collar, I confidently headed toward the closed doors. There was no lock or keypad, only a door plaque that read Employees Only.

I looked in both directions before entering and was greeted by a long hallway with side doors, some open, others closed. My leather loafers echoed softly as I walked down the hall, cautiously looking through each open door. Most were empty, but every so often I’d see someone engrossed at a computer monitor.

Turning the corner about halfway down the hall, a woman approached, holding a stack of papers. I continued as if I belonged there, and she passed me, giving the name badge a quick glance. I smiled and said, “Good afternoon.” She responded in kind and kept walking.

Male voices came from further down the corridor. I slowed and noticed two open doorways. The first looked like a file room, probably where the woman I’d passed had come from. Its door was wide open. The second was where the voices were coming from, and the door was cracked open a few inches. Looking back down the corridor to make sure no one was there, I crept up to the edge of the doorway to listen. I recognized the man's voice, but couldn’t quite place it.

“I don’t give a fuck,” he said. “Do whatever you need to do to distract him while he’s here.”

Chet’s answer surprised me. “I will. He…he wants to see the rooms those women were in. It won’t be an issue because they’ve been swept by the forensics team. He won’t find anything.”

The hair on the back of my neck stood up as he spoke. There was no denying he was talking about me and our plan to meet tomorrow morning. I wasn’t about to glance into the room, since I didn’t know whether they were facing the doorway or not.

“See that he doesn’t,” the familiar, unknown voice said. “And you… find out what car he drives.” He directed his attention to someone else in the room. “I’m keeping out of sight with him in town. He might recognize me.”

My heart raced when he admitted I might know who he was. I desperately wanted to catch a glimpse of him, but there was no way. They already knew where I was staying, and I didn’t need them to suspect anything beyond what I’d contacted Chet about. Listening to their conversation, I had the upper hand.

“Yes, boss,” another man said, his voice carrying an accent.

“Is he staying here at the resort?” the familiar voice asked.

“No. He told me he was staying at the Quality Inn,” Chet replied.

“Hmmm…odd that he wouldn’t be staying here, considering he’ll be snooping around the place,” the familiar voice said before pausing. “Where’s the girl we have now?”