“Miss Fortune, the casino manager wants to speak with you.”
Corazon had never cared for the voice of authority, maybe because it had never spoken in her favor. Or maybe it was the way the pit boss, Mr. Shank, always leered at her when he addressed her by her formal name. Like it or not, one always responded to orders.
She knocked the three card poker table twice then spread her fingers wide, palms up, for the security camera before giving way to the replacement dealer. Once clear of the tables, she tried to smooth her heavy curls back from her face. She shouldn’t have had that gyro for lunch. Her mints were in her locker, but Mr. Shank didn’t look like he’d let her make a pit stop.
He escorted her off the casino floor, down a fluorescent-lit employee hallway to the management offices. She shouldn’t feel nervous-she’d done nothing wrong. In fact, maybe she was worrying for nothing. Maybe she was finally up for a promotion. She’d dreamed of becoming Shank’s equal since she first came to the Venetian a year and a half ago.
But one step inside Mr. Leighton’s office put an end to all those dreams of advancement.
“Here’s Cory,” Mr. Leighton said with a smile that even she could tell was pasted on his face. He motioned to another suited man, mature, earnest looking-a plainclothes cop, as clear as day. “Cory, this is Detective Hunter with the LVMPD. He’d like to ask you a few questions.”
She nodded, wondering what the hell she’d done wrong. To her surprise, Mr. Leighton shepherded Shank from the office, leaving her alone with Hunter.
He stood taller than her, with a lean build for a man of…she guessed him at forty years. Lines crinkled the edges of his eyes and lips, and furrows seemed to be permanently creased in his forehead. He didn’t look like a sun-worshipper, so she figured him for a worrier. His hairline had made a small retreat, but there was still plenty of it, dark and curling slightly at the ends. His clean-shaven jaw had a nice angle to it, his nose a little oversized, and his green eyes were tinged with sorrow, as though he’d witnessed way too much tragedy in his job.
It occurred to her that if she’d committed some work-related offense, the Nevada Gaming Control Board would be here, not the local police. And they wouldn’t have the look of apology this guy had on his face. Perspiration tickled her upper lip, but she refrained from swiping at it, just as she bit back the concerned questions that flooded her mind.
The detective motioned to a chair and popped a Tums while she seated herself. “Miss Fortune, I need to ask you some questions about your father.”
“Papa?” She gripped the arm of the chair and turned to look at Hunter. “Is he all right?”
“He’s missing. When did you see him last?”
She answered without hesitation. “Two days ago. We had breakfast here at the buffet after I got off work.”
“What time was that?” He pulled a notepad from his inner jacket pocket and started to scribble notes.
“About six in the morning. He’d just flown back from St. Petersburg the night before.”
“Russia?”
Cory blinked at such a ridiculous notion. “No, Florida. He’s been working on some gig with the Ringling Circus Museum in Sarasota. What do you mean he’s missing?”
“What kind of work?” Hunter asked, staring intently at her. Whether he didn’t understand or didn’t believe her, she wasn’t sure.
She didn’t like that he’d avoided her question. “I don’t know, something to do with his magic act.”
He glanced up. “You sound like you don’t approve.”
Cory hesitated. It wasn’t that she didn’t approve, she just didn’t understand Papa’s passion for magic. “All the years I was growing up, Papa traveled a lot. I guess I blamed it on his magic act.”
He seemed to accept that without needing further explanation. “We found a man shot dead in your father’s car last night. Do you know anything about that?”
She stumbled to her feet. “Papa wouldn’t kill someone, not anyone. He’s not that kind of man.”
“What kind of man is he?” Hunter asked quietly.
“Papa’s the most honest, God-fearing man I know. He cares about people, always wants to help. He could no more kill a man than he would lie, cheat or steal.” People could say what they wanted about her, but she wasn’t about to sit idly by while someone, even a cop, slandered her father.
The detective blinked at her. “Do you have any idea where he might have gone after his show last night? Any friends, any women he might have gone to see?”
Women? Oh, God… She shook her head, worry pulling her lips into a frown even as she gnawed on a red thumbnail. “No, unless…”
“Unless?”
“Did you look for him downtown around Fremont Street?”
Hunter shook his head while he scribbled a note. “Why there?”
“That’s where Papa started his magic career. He’s still got some old friends who work the casinos there. Sometimes they get up a game.”
“If you want us to find and help your father-”
“Help him?”
He shifted his feet. “It’s possible someone might want to kill him, so don’t be vague.”
“I-I didn’t mean-” Color warmed her face. “Papa likes to play cards, but the hotels down here on the Strip won’t take his bets.”
“Why not, does he cheat?”
She lifted her chin. “He could, but he doesn’t. Like me, he has a sense of honor. He wins and loses fairly. Up at the Golden Gate some men know him, and they’ll sit down to play, sometimes all night.”
“We’ll look into that.” Pocketing his notepad, he rose. “I’ll let you get back to work, but I need for you to come to the precinct at four this afternoon. I’ll clear it with Mr. Leighton.”
“What do you need me for?”
He loosened his tie, and she watched color creep up his neck to his face. He cleared his throat. “Did your father ever mention that you have sisters?”
She wasn’t sure which she hated more-the conviction in his voice that he spoke the truth or the compassionate look in his eyes that told her he was sorry.
Cosmo had always subscribed to the theory that the best place to hide something was in plain sight.
He fearlessly entered the Venetian’s casino, where frigid air conditioning raised gooseflesh on his bare arms and legs. The chino shorts, tennis shoes and Future Jackpot Winner T-shirt shouted “tourist” almost as loudly as the slimy, pungent sunscreen and the camera dangling around his neck. He’d worked for hours on his makeup-the larger nose, bushy eyebrows and the fake moustache to go with his goatee. Disguised as a retired businessman ready to take Vegas by storm, Cosmo prided himself that no one would recognize him.
Not even his own daughter.
Cosmo skirted the craps tables, ignoring the call in his blood to let fly the dice. He had more important matters to attend to today. Hopefully, his Cory would be open-minded.
He spied her, sharp and professional in her dealer’s uniform. Her one rebellion was all that curly dark hair, which made male heads turn to watch her wherever she went. She remained oblivious to the ripple of interest that trailed her as she walked along with a suited fellow. Even from here, Cosmo recognized the cop. At least Hunter was treating Cory with deference as he handed her a business card. They’d probably been discussing Cosmo’s disappearance.
How much did they know?
Hunter departed with a nod and long strides that made it hard, but not impossible, to see his frown. Cosmo’s gaze darted back to Cory. She looked up from the business card, her eyes glittering with moisture, her jaw set in uncompromising anger.
Shit. She knew. They’d told his daughters about him. About each other.
Though he’d known this day was a possibility, Cosmo had steadfastly betted against it. He could have prevented all of this-not gotten involved with an international con game, not made that fateful call to the authorities after that Russian translator turned up dead-but he’d wanted Iris to claim her heritage. His plan would have worked, too, if not for Mickey’s interference. That boy was going to get them both killed if he weren’t careful.
Cosmo’s hand touched his hair before he remembered not to mess with the neatly combed perfection. No disguise would prevent Cory from recognizing his wild hair. He dug into his shorts pocket for a mint while he watched her replace a dealer at an empty three card poker table. Excellent.
He sidled up to an empty chair, pretending to read the explanation signs on the table. For good measure, he dropped his wallet on the floor. Nothing like making a complete goober of himself for the surveillance cameras.
“I’ve never played this game before,” he said in a fake drawl. “We don’t have gambling in South Carolina. Is this game easy?”
His question shook her from her reverie. Cory blinked away her unshed tears and focused on him with a smile. “It’s easy to learn, but not always easy to win. Would you like to try?”
He pulled out the high seat and perched on it. “If you’ll teach me, missy.” He winked at her and watched her smile tighten as if to put distance between them. That was Cory, never saw her own beauty, always toed the company line, always held men at arm’s length.
Maybe it was time his daughters met. Cory could learn a lot from both her sisters, the kind of stuff her old man couldn’t teach her.
“Would you like to buy some chips?”
“Sure. Give me two hundred worth.” He tried to hand her two crisp bills.
She tapped the table. “Lay them here for me, please.” She quickly counted out two stacks of chips and traded them for his bills, which she stuffed into a slot in the table.
Cosmo listened while she explained the game, his head tilted slightly as if he heard better out of one ear. He kept his eyes trained on her, but he listened to all the ambient sounds of the casino, keenly aware that an unexpected surprise could walk up behind him at any moment.
“Okay, then, missy,” he drawled when she’d finished. He laid two chips on the table. “There’s my ten-dollar bet. Let’s see a hand.”
His pair of deuces beat her king-high hand, and he doubled his money. He let out an uncharacteristic guffaw. Hell, he was starting to hate this character he’d created. But he remained at the table, despite the risks, even ordering a Blue Hawaiian from the cocktail waitress. He needed to get a message to Iris, and he needed Cory to deliver it.
“Well, lookee here, just who we wanted to see.”
Three cowboys strode up to the table and laid their money down. One pushed his hat back and grinned widely at Cory. “Set us up, darlin’, I’m in a winning mood.”
Cosmo sipped from his blue drink while the cowboys arranged themselves and got chips. A few extra bodies at the table, especially young men intent on gaining Cory’s attention, would work in his favor. Already he could see her erecting that cool façade of hers.
It took three hands, but finally he was ready. Cory turned over three jacks in her dealer’s hand. The cowboys all groaned, and she smiled. “Sorry, gentlemen. Three of a kind is pretty rare in this game. Better luck on the next hand.” She collected their bets, one by one, until she got to Cosmo. “How about you?”
“I think I may be one step ahead of you,” he said.
With a look of puzzlement, she flipped over his cards. Three queens. The cowboys whooped at his success.
“Three little ladies, don’t that just beat all!”
“That bonus bet is going to pay off big.”
“Way to go, Gramps! Now maybe all our luck will change.”
Still celebrating, they flagged down the waitress to order a round of drinks.
Cory said nothing, but recognition lit her eyes for a moment before she blinked and returned to her professional demeanor. He knew she’d make the connection.
“I think maybe I’ll call it quits here,” Cosmo said quietly.
Cory fanned his cards on the table for the camera then started to collect chips for his payout. She didn’t make eye contact with him, and she kept her head averted from the camera so no one could read her lips. “Quitting for good, or just for the day?”
“For good. When fortune deals you three lovely queens, you’ve got to think about them and do what’s right.”
“So, good fortune is what you’d call this?”
“That and talent.” He grinned at her then glanced at the cowboys to make sure they were still occupied. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to lose these chips before I cash out today.” He’d always encouraged Cory to uphold a high standard for honesty, and he’d hate for her to think he’d cheated for the money.
“See that you do,” Cory whispered, then called out for the pit boss. “Bonus payout!” She stared at the three queens on the table. Moisture rimmed her eyes.
Cosmo forced himself not to reach out to her. He only had a minute more to help her understand. “A hand like that is a treasure,” he said. “A queen is always a good strong card in any hand, but three of them together like that? They’re practically unbeatable.”
Cory stared at him. “I don’t know. I imagine queens could get kind of jealous of one another. After all, there can only be one queen of any country.”
“Now there’s where you’re wrong. Each of these queens is queen of her own world. See? Hearts, diamonds, and spades. All equal in value, and I love all three of them.”
“And if I were one of those queens, which would I be?” she asked softly.
“The queen of spades. You have the power to bury me, as well as the power to dig me out.”
“And what of the other two?” Her voice was small, like a tiny child.
It about broke Cosmo’s heart. He’d only wanted the best for his girls. Had he failed them all? His index finger tapped one card, then the other. “The queen of hearts has blond hair and a heart of gold, and the queen of diamonds is the keeper of the gems.”
Her gaze dropped to the cards then lifted to meet his again before she nodded. The pit boss arrived and approved her payout while the cowboys clapped Cosmo on the back.
“I’m going to call it a day.” Cosmo separated a healthy portion of chips and pushed them back toward Cory. “A tip for the lovely lady.”
“Thank you, sir. Will I see you again?”
“Not soon. I’ve got to finish up one more project before my retirement officially begins.” With a wave, he turned and headed toward the slot machines. Only when he reached the first row did he dare to turn back for a quick look at his daughter.
She’d returned to the game, every inch the consummate professional he’d taught her to be. No matter how much inner turmoil, Cory had learned young to stay focused on the cards and the routine. She was schooled and disciplined.
And there would be hell to pay when he faced her again and had to really explain the past thirty years of his life.
Justin didn’t get to meet the youngest of the three sisters until she arrived at the police station that afternoon. Opening the door to the small interrogation cubicle, he spied her sitting in one of the two chairs, head bent, contemplating the floor. She didn’t seem to hear him, so he cleared his throat. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Fortune. I’m Detective Hunter.”
She lifted her head and swiveled her body in the chair to gaze his way, striking him momentarily senseless with an ethereal beauty, golden hair, creamy skin and the biggest damn eyes he’d seen this side of the barn owl who’d roosted outside his bedroom window when he was a kid. Unlike her neat and tidy sister Iris, this girl had the look of someone dying to be rescued.
Her gaze shifted up to the ceiling. “There’s a female named Darby on your bomb squad here who should be given a leave of absence. She’s pregnant.”
“Excuse me?” He stepped forward and cautiously closed the door. Perhaps she didn’t need rescuing as much as she needed to be locked in a padded cell.
She shook her head slightly until the mesmerized glint in her eyes disappeared. “Sorry, it was just something I picked up. I should know better than to blurt out my discoveries to strangers.” She uncrossed her legs and stood to offer her hand, surprising him with her height, which almost matched his own. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Detective. Is there any sign of my father?”
“Not specifically.” Her palm felt smooth but firm in his clasp, and he noted muscle and sinew wound up her shapely arms. And those legs of hers-even in a city renowned for showgirls, she had striking legs. Not a powder-puff fairy queen, no, this girl had the strength of a professional gymnast. He’d have to remember that. “Look, Alberta-may I call you that?”
An abbreviated laugh escaped her pink-tinted lips. “Heavens, no one calls me Alberta, not even Daddy. Call me Allie.”
He nodded an acknowledgement even as he motioned her to reseat herself. “Family name?” Were those legs of hers from her family? Certainly Cosmo Fortune’s pictures didn’t look like he’d ever exhibited any physical prowess.
“Alberta? No, I’m named after Einstein. Daddy was always fascinated with his theories of relativity. You know, time not being linear, alternate realities, that kind of thing.”
That made some sense, although Justin would have pegged Cosmo’s interest more in copying Einstein’s wild hair.
“I appreciate you coming down here. We’re trying to gather all the information we can to help us track down your father.”
“Thank you. I know you’ll do your best.”
He looked up at the simple sincerity of her words, a refreshing reaction after meeting her sisters’ defensiveness. Of course, he reminded himself she was under stress and willing to believe the absolute best in anyone, even a complete stranger such as himself. Besides, he had a badge. Pulling out the other chair at the table, he prepared himself for polite interrogation. He certainly didn’t want to tip his hand just yet.
“You live here in Vegas?”
“Yes.” She watched him jot the address down as she recited it, a nice little subdivision a few miles from the Strip.
“You rent there?”
“No.” Her nose wrinkled as if she might sneeze. “My mom left it to me. It’s paid off.”
Justin tapped his pen against the pad a couple of times, then connected the dots in a neat square. “Your mom has passed away then.”
“From a stroke when I was a toddler. Daddy was a rock, and my aunt Erna helped out when he couldn’t be there.” Her lids flickered shut then reopened, again revealing large eyes that seemed to see into his soul. They were a paler shade of color than Iris’s, like topazes, with a soft angelic glow to the golden tints.
“Do you have any brothers and sisters?” he asked.
“I wish. But Daddy always said siblings just weren’t in the cards for me.”
He nodded, thinking that Cosmo was a cad for lying to his daughters. “And what do you do for a living, Allie?”
“I’m a stagehand over at MGM, but I eventually plan to become a veterinarian.”
“Those must be two different worlds.” He smiled and was surprised to feel a physical response when she smiled back. Whoa, Nellie. He had no business conjuring up images of that smile or those legs in a skimpy little stage costume. Or wiggling out of it.
He drew another square on the notepad. “Did you learn about theater from your father?”
“Daddy taught me a number of tricks of the trade. I used to help him in his act, but about three months ago he got me this other job. Told me it was time for me to move on and stop working for a hack like him.”
Justin’s brows knit at her words. Was it possible Cosmo had foreseen some kind of danger to his daughter if she were close by his side? “I guess our parents always want to push us out of the nest,” he said as he scribbled more notes.
Fifteen minutes later, he’d gained enough factual information to give him some insight to Alberta Fortune. She was young, beautiful, highly intelligent and just a little quirky. She didn’t strike him as someone who would keep secrets, but she did seem highly protective. On a hunch, Justin decided not to mention her sisters. He’d watch to see how she reacted upon meeting them.
Allie closed her eyes for a few moments, her brow furrowed. When she reopened them, she stared at the ceiling with a beatific smile on her face. “There will be five babies.”
A chill ran up Justin’s spine. That quirky thing about her could be a dangerously unknown factor. “Five babies?”
She started, as if she’d forgotten his presence. “Oh, sorry. Just a vision, still a little foggy, but I’m pretty sure five is right.”
“This isn’t the lady on the bomb squad-”
“I’m pretty sure it is. I can’t tell until I see her face to face.”
“Uh huh.” What else was he supposed to say? “Come with me. There are two women I’d like you to meet.”
Iris stood aside while a police officer who’d introduced herself as Linda opened yet another door. Just being inside the police station gave Iris the creeps-all the locked doors, all the damaged lives, the struggle to provide order and safety in a chaotic and dangerous world.
Linda turned with a smile, perfectly at home in this setting. “You can wait in here. No one will bother you.”
Far from consoled, Iris stepped into the room and folded her arms. Recognizing the movement as a defense mechanism, she made herself uncross them and smoothed back a loose curl. Damn, her pins weren’t holding the French knot in place.
“Can I get you anything?” Linda’s hands rested on her weapon-laden belt.
God, what Iris wouldn’t give for a cigarette right now. Funny, since she hadn’t smoked since college. Smoking was one more dangerous habit she’d stamped out of her life. She’d conquered all of them-sweets, smoking, alcohol, that brief interlude with the sexy philosophy professor, who insisted she try horticulture to expand her horizons and the ensuing nightmare of explaining to the authorities she really didn’t have a clue it was marijuana.
No, she’d wrestled control of her life, and she wasn’t ever giving that up again.
“Thanks, I’m fine.” Iris felt she’d not only answered Linda’s question, she’d proclaimed her motto in life. She was fine. She didn’t need any help from anyone.
“Suit yourself. The others will be here in a minute.” Linda closed the door with a tactful click.
The others. Her stomach tugged into a tight knot as she looked into the large mirror that formed part of one of the white walls. Dissatisfied with her reflection, she turned her back and leaned against the mirror. Surely Justin Hunter had it wrong. It was ludicrous to think she had not one but two half sisters living in Las Vegas. Sisters she’d never dreamed existed.
No, Cosmo couldn’t have pulled that off. Even a master of illusion would have found it impossible to hide three sisters from each other for over twenty-five years.
But then she recalled the business trips he’d take every few weeks when she was little, and later, the lengthy disappearing acts, when neither she nor her mom had a clue where he’d gone.
It amazed her that her level-headed mom never divorced him, a tribute to Cosmo’s devilish charm. That, Iris had learned, was the real danger-allowing a man to wriggle so completely into your life, to give way and fall in love with a blindness that defied reason. Her mom had made that mistake, and while she might have been wildly happy sometimes, she was also miserable other times, the pendulum swinging in unsteady arcs.
Following her mom’s death nearly eight years ago, Iris had looked at her father not with the eyes of a daughter, but from the mature perspective of her then-twenty years. She still saw the charm, faded now to a devilish twinkling in his eye, but she wasn’t fooled by it anymore. Cosmo did what he wanted to do, a selfish, self-promoting con man always out to make a buck and impress the world.
It would be just like him to have harbored two other families and divided himself among them. Resentment simmered within her, but she tempered it with the knowledge that she’d always expected something like this from her father. Still, expecting it and living it were two different things.
The door opened without a warning knock, and a male uniformed officer ushered in a younger woman-tall, lithe, blonde, striking in an angelic way-the polar opposite to Cosmo’s short, stocky build. Maybe Justin Hunter had been pulling her leg.
The young woman’s gaze roved around the small room and settled on her. Coming forward, the woman smiled nervously. “I suppose it’s all right for us to talk while we wait. I’m Allie Fortune.”
Momentarily stunned by the familiar golden eyes, eyes that looked exactly like her father’s, Iris could do nothing but swallow. “I’m Iris,” she finally managed to say.
Allie paced the small room, giving wide berth to Iris’s corner. “This is so nerve-wracking. Almost makes me wish I smoked or something, you know?”
“Yes.”
“My daddy disappeared last night, and I’m supposed to review some photos.” She drew to a halt, her short skirt swishing across her long legs. “Why are you here?”
Iris leaned against the two-way glass. “Same exact reason.”
“Really?” The incredulity in Allie’s voice might have been comic except it seemed sincere. “How weird is that?”
“Plenty weird.” Her fingers itched to wring Hunter’s neck.
Perfect timing. Hunter opened the door to usher in another young woman-this one about Iris’s size but with olive skin, yards of black curls and a mutinous expression that immediately raised Iris’s sympathy.
His gaze swept over all three of the women. Iris knew the look-he was appraising them, measuring their value independently and collectively. The same type of look a buyer gave cases of jewelry at her shop.
Loosening his tie, he made a quick introduction. “Corazon, this is Allie and Iris.”
The brunette nodded but made no effort to smile or shake hands. She withdrew to the farthest corner of the room.
Still leaning against the mirror, Iris aimed her question straight at the detective who’d screwed up her day. “Do they know?”
Before he could respond, Corazon interrupted. “He’s told me his theories, but I think he’s mistaken.”
Allie looked from person to person. “What are you talking about?”
Iris felt a pang of empathy for the girl.
“Do you want to tell her, or should I?” Justin asked.
“It’s your party,” Iris said.
“All right, then, ladies, let me make full introductions. Iris Fortune, meet Alberta Fortune and Corazon Fortune. Your father Cosmo was married to all three of your mothers.”
Corazon shook her head vehemently, her curls tossing in the darkened corner. “I still say it’s impossible. Look how close we are in age-how could he do such a thing?”
Amazed that anyone who knew Cosmo could defend him, Iris laughed out loud. “Easy. It’s called bigamy.”