weekend! It was so horrible. Between the vomiting and
the diarrhea we didn’t leave the bathroom!”
“We?” Sam cringed.
“I couldn’t leave my
baby alone, Sam! What kind of a mutha’ do you think I am?”
Sam thought for a
moment. She was standing on the balcony of a strip club with the night
manager’s mother who was star-stalking a celebrity. She thought it best not to
answer the question.
“So he was sick ?” Sam blinked away the visual.
“As a dawg. Running at
both ends and crying like a baby. My poor little man.”
“MA!” Gio had wandered
up behind Pietra and apparently overheard her reporting. “You aren’t suppose to be up here!” He barked.
“Oh stop, dawl. You
know I’m just trying to get a peek at you-know-who.”
Gio looked like he was
ready to explode. It was hard for her to take the threatening look seriously
since she had a fresh visual of him anchored to the toilet, crying for his
mommy. Sam thought again about the random way information floated through the
club. Gio had obviously kept his stomach flu a secret. One more suspect down.
That still left Nikki. Sam glanced back toward the door leading to the Skybox
and wondered if that little twit really was responsible for Lena’s death.
Turning back to the
DiFranchesco family reunion, she saw Gio’s face tense, focusing on something
just over her shoulder.
“Hey Jordan! Didn’t you
request Sam? I coulda’ sworn I heard it over the walkie-talkie.” Gio gave Sam a
malevolent stare. “Here she is. All tarted up and ready to dance.”
Sam returned Gio’s
vitriol with a smile. “I have a customer downstairs I have to get back to.”
“And he’ll understand.
Go with Jordan.” Gio wasn’t questioning. Apparently Sam’s punishment for
disobedience was to suffer the fools in VIP 19.
“Fine.” Sam clenched
her teeth and turned to Jordan. Pietra looked wild with a mixture of excitement
and jealousy.
The night unfolded
exactly as Sam expected. A musician as high on himself as he
was on Oxy. A manager with a chip on his shoulder. And a struggle for money at the end of the evening. Sam was exhausted in every way, but she felt relieved Fedya was on her side and
felt certain her hunt for the killer was nearing fruition.
CHAPTER 19
“Why don’t all restaurants have picture
menus?” Birdie broadcast from her planet. “I might even go to French restaurants
if I could order by number, and I don’t mean bloody un ,
deux, trois either. I guess pictures of the food might not be so good for an
Indian place though. A korma is not a pretty thing to look at!”
Sam burst out laughing,
startling Birdie away from her menu. Snaking her arm around Birdie, Sam
squeezed her, breathing in the scent of stale smoke and what remained of her
perfume — Poison.
Tanya arrived with the
usual assortment of mugs, waters, and juices.
“Well idn’t that nice.
Smiles! It’s been awhile since I’ve seen that from ya’ll, you sexy things!”
Tanya looked smashing,
her mood more upbeat than usual. She scooted her unfairly small ass into the
booth next to Grace. Birdie rooted through her purse for tea bags.
Grace closed her eyes
and breathed in the steam from her sweet, blonde coffee, wrapping her hands
around the mug. When her eyes opened again she seemed more relaxed.
Dropping a teabag into
her cup, Birdie dunked it in time with the Muzak and asked Sam, “Learn
anything?”
“No. I can tell you that
Fedya is definitely on our side though. Said he didn’t want any criminal
elements in his club and that he’d talk to the cops. Nikki was her usual bitchy
self. She didn’t start any trouble directly but if looks could kill, I’d be
dead. Nothing I couldn’t handle though.”
“I’d love to see that
whore get what’s coming to her.”
“Oooooooo,” Tanya
squealed like a little girl “Don’t think I’ve ever even heard you cuss, Ms.
Grace! Girl is pissed!”
“I know some very nice
whores, Grace, don’t group that
the diarrhea we didn’t leave the bathroom!”
“We?” Sam cringed.
“I couldn’t leave my
baby alone, Sam! What kind of a mutha’ do you think I am?”
Sam thought for a
moment. She was standing on the balcony of a strip club with the night
manager’s mother who was star-stalking a celebrity. She thought it best not to
answer the question.
“So he was sick ?” Sam blinked away the visual.
“As a dawg. Running at
both ends and crying like a baby. My poor little man.”
“MA!” Gio had wandered
up behind Pietra and apparently overheard her reporting. “You aren’t suppose to be up here!” He barked.
“Oh stop, dawl. You
know I’m just trying to get a peek at you-know-who.”
Gio looked like he was
ready to explode. It was hard for her to take the threatening look seriously
since she had a fresh visual of him anchored to the toilet, crying for his
mommy. Sam thought again about the random way information floated through the
club. Gio had obviously kept his stomach flu a secret. One more suspect down.
That still left Nikki. Sam glanced back toward the door leading to the Skybox
and wondered if that little twit really was responsible for Lena’s death.
Turning back to the
DiFranchesco family reunion, she saw Gio’s face tense, focusing on something
just over her shoulder.
“Hey Jordan! Didn’t you
request Sam? I coulda’ sworn I heard it over the walkie-talkie.” Gio gave Sam a
malevolent stare. “Here she is. All tarted up and ready to dance.”
Sam returned Gio’s
vitriol with a smile. “I have a customer downstairs I have to get back to.”
“And he’ll understand.
Go with Jordan.” Gio wasn’t questioning. Apparently Sam’s punishment for
disobedience was to suffer the fools in VIP 19.
“Fine.” Sam clenched
her teeth and turned to Jordan. Pietra looked wild with a mixture of excitement
and jealousy.
The night unfolded
exactly as Sam expected. A musician as high on himself as he
was on Oxy. A manager with a chip on his shoulder. And a struggle for money at the end of the evening. Sam was exhausted in every way, but she felt relieved Fedya was on her side and
felt certain her hunt for the killer was nearing fruition.
CHAPTER 19
“Why don’t all restaurants have picture
menus?” Birdie broadcast from her planet. “I might even go to French restaurants
if I could order by number, and I don’t mean bloody un ,
deux, trois either. I guess pictures of the food might not be so good for an
Indian place though. A korma is not a pretty thing to look at!”
Sam burst out laughing,
startling Birdie away from her menu. Snaking her arm around Birdie, Sam
squeezed her, breathing in the scent of stale smoke and what remained of her
perfume — Poison.
Tanya arrived with the
usual assortment of mugs, waters, and juices.
“Well idn’t that nice.
Smiles! It’s been awhile since I’ve seen that from ya’ll, you sexy things!”
Tanya looked smashing,
her mood more upbeat than usual. She scooted her unfairly small ass into the
booth next to Grace. Birdie rooted through her purse for tea bags.
Grace closed her eyes
and breathed in the steam from her sweet, blonde coffee, wrapping her hands
around the mug. When her eyes opened again she seemed more relaxed.
Dropping a teabag into
her cup, Birdie dunked it in time with the Muzak and asked Sam, “Learn
anything?”
“No. I can tell you that
Fedya is definitely on our side though. Said he didn’t want any criminal
elements in his club and that he’d talk to the cops. Nikki was her usual bitchy
self. She didn’t start any trouble directly but if looks could kill, I’d be
dead. Nothing I couldn’t handle though.”
“I’d love to see that
whore get what’s coming to her.”
“Oooooooo,” Tanya
squealed like a little girl “Don’t think I’ve ever even heard you cuss, Ms.
Grace! Girl is pissed!”
“I know some very nice
whores, Grace, don’t group that
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