AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The men all reacted in the same way, with shock and horror. “No, no, that can’t be true. He was just here,” one of them said. “Tipped me good, too.”
“Why are you investigating?” the first, younger valet said. “You said his death was suspicious?”
“He was found dead on the plane, when it returned to Venice. The official cause of death was listed as a heart attack, but his ex-wife wanted me to confirm there was nothing suspicious about it.”
The men hung their heads in respect for the dead man. The larger man said, “He was feeling no pain when I saw him. He went into the bar with a couple of guys and I saw them through the window, doing shots with the men he came with.” He elbowed the other valet. “You saw him, right?”
“Indeed, I did,” the older man with a head of thick white hair said. “He was quite inebriated, as were his friends.”
“Did you seem him gambling? I’m specifically looking for a woman he might have been with. She was blonde and attractive. I believe they met at the baccarat table.”
“Oh, that’s Tina,” the young model-guy said with a grin.
The other men nodded.
“Tina’s always here,” the white-haired man said. “At the baccarat table. Now that you say that, I do recall them all piling into a limo, late in the afternoon. But Tina’s a sweetheart. You can’t mean that she had anything to do with it?”
Daisy shrugged. “I don’t know enough yet, but I would like to ask her some questions. Do you know where I can find her?”
“I do, as a matter of fact. She usually comes in at noon,” the older valet said, motioning Daisy through the sliding doors.
She followed him into a lobby with high, arched ceilings and frescoes on the walls. The air conditioning was positively frigid, and her ears were assaulted by the sounds of the ticking roulette wheel and slot machines. The casino floor was rather empty.
He pointed. “Last baccarat table in this row.”
“Thank you,” she said, walking onto the lush, carpeted floor. Cigar smoke hung heavy in the air, though she couldn’t see anyone smoking. In fact, there were hardly any gamblers on the floor at all, save for a couple of old ladies at the slot machines and a few men slumped at the tables, looking as though they hadn’t slept in days.
As she followed the direction the valet had pointed, she hesitated as she came to the baccarat tables. The three tables were clearly marked, and the dealers stood at the ready, waiting to deal out the next hand. But no gamblers at all.
Then she noticed the beautiful woman with long, blonde hair, standing behind the table, staring at her.
As she approached tentatively, the woman said, “Bonjour.”
“Tina?” Daisy ventured.
The woman looked up in surprise at the sound of her name. “Oui?” She pointed to the name on her vest.
“I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting that you would work here,” she said, heading toward a bench. “Do you mind if I sit?”
She frowned and said with a tight, clipped French accent, “Yes, pardon, if you’re not placing a bet, you can’t sit here.”
Daisy froze with one butt cheek on the seat, and slid off. “Oh. Can I speak to you in private? It’s about Franklin Tate. Did you know him?”
Her eyes narrowed. “Yes, he gambled here quite frequently. What about him?”
“You were with him three nights ago, correct?”
“Oui. . .” She looked nervous, now.
“Was he having a good night?”
“A terrible night, actually. He’d lost thousands and thousands. But to a man like him, that was nothing. Easy come, easy go.” She flicked her manicured fingers.
“And afterwards, you accompanied him onto his private jet?”
She folded her arms in front of her defensively. “What is this all about? Who are you?”
“I’m sorry to say that Franklin Tate was found dead at the end of that trip.”
