Ultimate Concealer, A Toni Diamond Mystery: A Toni Diamond Mystery (Toni Diamond Mysteries) by Nancy Warren Page A
Authors: Nancy Warren
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sharpest knife in the drawer, but he’d always been smart where manipulating women was concerned. Of course he wanted his daughter to see him perform. He wanted to charm her along with every other female in the audience. He might not be much of a singer, but he was a hell of a performer.
He’d been showing off his whole life.
Chapter Six
“Beauty and folly are old companions”
— Benjamin Franklin
The Double Nugget may once have been popular with the Rat Pack, but now Toni suspected it was popular with actual rats. It was down at heel, a little sleazy, and the casino they had to walk through to get to the show lounge was full of people who looked as though they might be gambling with their Social Security checks.
Even the sound of the slot machines was more shrill than the ones in their hotel, a tiny bit desperate.
“Look up,” Linda said, nodding her head in an upward direction.
Toni and Tiffany did. The ceiling looked as though it needed painting and some patching done. It was stained with grime and the lighting was industrial. “See all those round things? Those are security cameras. They’re everywhere in Vegas. I saw it on a show about secrets of Las Vegas.”
“Doesn’t seem like much of anything is a secret if there are that many cameras,” Tiffany said.
The casino was so massive that there were intersections with signs giving directions to a buffet, the restaurant, one of a number of bars, and the Double Nugget Show Lounge, their destination.
“Oh, look,” Linda said, staring hungrily at the brightly lit machines. “There’s a whole bunch of machines based on Dukes of Hazzard . Maybe I could just—”
Toni grabbed her mother’s arm and pulled her back. “No. There’s a casino in our hotel. You can go down later.”
They turned back but Tiffany didn’t move. She stood stock still in the middle of the aisle. When Toni turned to her she saw that her daughter looked pale and rigid. “Honey, what is it?”
“That’s the guy who crashed into Dad’s car. And those are the two guys who hit him.”
She followed Tiff’s gaze and it was easy to see who she referred to. Even in the crowded casino you could tell that this was a guy with power. He was big. Large in every way from his height, which had to be around 6’4”, to his bulk. He wasn’t fat, but he was very solid, like a wrestler who’d lost muscle to fat. He had a square head and a short neck. Short hair, a blue suit that looked handmade and too much gold jewelry.
The two guys with him were paler versions of himself. Classic sidekicks.
The three were standing watching the action at one of the craps tables. Toni watched a waitress in a ridiculously skimpy outfit deliver drinks to the players. As she walked past, the big guy said something to her and she giggled and walked on.
She was headed toward them and as she reached them, Toni said, “Excuse me, who was that man you were talking to?”
She glanced back. “You mean Grant Forstman?”
She had no idea who she meant but she nodded anyway.
“He’s my boss. He owns the casino.”
“Oh. Thanks.” If he owned the casino then he had to be Dwayne’s boss too. Was Dwayne really dumb enough to sleep with the casino owner’s wife?
“Can I get you a drink? So long as you play the drinks are free.”
Linda said, “Well, isn’t that ni—”
“No, thank you,” Toni interrupted. “We’re heading in to see the show.”
“Okay. Have fun.” And the waitress walked on.
Toni led them in a wide half circle around Grant Forstman. She did not want him to recognize Tiffany, and she did not want her daughter anywhere near that man or his muscle. “Do you want to leave?” she asked her daughter as they moved out of range of the casino owner.
“No. I can’t let Dad down. I promised we’d be there.”
“And there’s a trait that did not come from his side of the family,” Linda muttered so only Toni could hear.
The show lounge was a dim cavern with round tables
He’d been showing off his whole life.
Chapter Six
“Beauty and folly are old companions”
— Benjamin Franklin
The Double Nugget may once have been popular with the Rat Pack, but now Toni suspected it was popular with actual rats. It was down at heel, a little sleazy, and the casino they had to walk through to get to the show lounge was full of people who looked as though they might be gambling with their Social Security checks.
Even the sound of the slot machines was more shrill than the ones in their hotel, a tiny bit desperate.
“Look up,” Linda said, nodding her head in an upward direction.
Toni and Tiffany did. The ceiling looked as though it needed painting and some patching done. It was stained with grime and the lighting was industrial. “See all those round things? Those are security cameras. They’re everywhere in Vegas. I saw it on a show about secrets of Las Vegas.”
“Doesn’t seem like much of anything is a secret if there are that many cameras,” Tiffany said.
The casino was so massive that there were intersections with signs giving directions to a buffet, the restaurant, one of a number of bars, and the Double Nugget Show Lounge, their destination.
“Oh, look,” Linda said, staring hungrily at the brightly lit machines. “There’s a whole bunch of machines based on Dukes of Hazzard . Maybe I could just—”
Toni grabbed her mother’s arm and pulled her back. “No. There’s a casino in our hotel. You can go down later.”
They turned back but Tiffany didn’t move. She stood stock still in the middle of the aisle. When Toni turned to her she saw that her daughter looked pale and rigid. “Honey, what is it?”
“That’s the guy who crashed into Dad’s car. And those are the two guys who hit him.”
She followed Tiff’s gaze and it was easy to see who she referred to. Even in the crowded casino you could tell that this was a guy with power. He was big. Large in every way from his height, which had to be around 6’4”, to his bulk. He wasn’t fat, but he was very solid, like a wrestler who’d lost muscle to fat. He had a square head and a short neck. Short hair, a blue suit that looked handmade and too much gold jewelry.
The two guys with him were paler versions of himself. Classic sidekicks.
The three were standing watching the action at one of the craps tables. Toni watched a waitress in a ridiculously skimpy outfit deliver drinks to the players. As she walked past, the big guy said something to her and she giggled and walked on.
She was headed toward them and as she reached them, Toni said, “Excuse me, who was that man you were talking to?”
She glanced back. “You mean Grant Forstman?”
She had no idea who she meant but she nodded anyway.
“He’s my boss. He owns the casino.”
“Oh. Thanks.” If he owned the casino then he had to be Dwayne’s boss too. Was Dwayne really dumb enough to sleep with the casino owner’s wife?
“Can I get you a drink? So long as you play the drinks are free.”
Linda said, “Well, isn’t that ni—”
“No, thank you,” Toni interrupted. “We’re heading in to see the show.”
“Okay. Have fun.” And the waitress walked on.
Toni led them in a wide half circle around Grant Forstman. She did not want him to recognize Tiffany, and she did not want her daughter anywhere near that man or his muscle. “Do you want to leave?” she asked her daughter as they moved out of range of the casino owner.
“No. I can’t let Dad down. I promised we’d be there.”
“And there’s a trait that did not come from his side of the family,” Linda muttered so only Toni could hear.
The show lounge was a dim cavern with round tables
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