was Shane after eleven p.m., Vinny?”
Darrin started the questioning.
“I don’t know,” Vinny spoke in a nervous tone. “We
always played different tables and did different things all night along. I had
no idea she wasn’t still around.”
“That’s been confirmed,” Darrin said then to
Mattheus and Cindy.
“When did you realize Shane was gone?” Mattheus
joined right in.
“Not until it was time for us to leave, around six
in the morning,” Vinny answered glumly.
“You guys didn’t usually leave until six in the
morning?” Mattheus’s voice became round around the edges.
“That’s right, we played all night long and slept
most of the day.” Vinny picked up on Mattheus’s attitude and became
antagonistic as well.
Mattheus took him on, readily. “You were the last
one to see her alive?”
Vinny glared at Mattheus. “No, I wasn’t. Some people
at other tables saw her playing just before eleven. Last I saw her was around
ten.”
Mattheus looked up fast at Darrin, who nodded
quickly, confirming Vinny’s response.
“You spoke to those people?” Mattheus asked Darrin.
“Yes,” Darrin replied. “Nothing was out of order, it
was normal for her to be there at that time. She seemed fine to everyone.”
“So, who in hell was floating around the casino?”
Mattheus flared up. “Who could have grabbed Shane? The same person who grabbed
Kara, maybe?”
“Speculation,” Darrin flung back.
“All kinds of people float around the casino.” Vinny
jumped on it. “But there’s plenty of security, too. Shane was a pro, she knew
her way around. She wasn’t someone you could just grab. She would have made a
commotion, shouted for me.”
“But the place was so noisy, how could you hear
her?” Mattheus confronted him.Agitated, Vinny stood up quickly and then sat
down again. “If someone grabbed her, you just bring him to me, and he’ll never
stand up straight again,” he exclaimed. “I’m begging you guys, let me go find
him. I’ll take care of it for you, rip him limb from limb.”
“You can help us more by staying calm,” Darrin said
to Vinny. “Tell us all about how else you and Shane spent your time. Who was
Shane in contact with? Who had something against her or against you?”
“I swear to you, no one.” The color drained from
Vinny’s face. “Everyone loved Shane, she was fantastic, smart, strong, loyal,
and she’d been through a lot.”
“What?” asked Darrin.
“Everything,” said Vinny. “Life isn’t easy for
anyone, is it?”
“We can’t get hold of her parents,” Darrin
continued. “Why not?”
“They couldn’t care less about Shane.” Vinny was
practically growling. “They moved all over the country since she was a kid.
First they’re here, then there. Right now they’re in Europe. Shane hadn’t
spoken to them for months. There’s no way they’ll be coming down here any time
soon.”
“How long were you guys dating?” Darrin zeroed in on
him.
“Year and a half,” said Vinny. “We were gonna get
married as soon as her divorce was done. It was gonna be soon.”
“How many times was she married?” Darrin looked
quizzically at Vinny.
“One time only, no kids,” Vinny answered on the
spot.
Cindy liked Vinny immensely. Everything he said was
direct and heartfelt. She could feel how much Shane had meant to him.
“Her ex have anything against Shane?” Abe chimed in.
“In the past , yeah,” said Vinny, “but it was over
now. The idiot met someone and is happy. He can’t wait for the divorce to go
through, too.”
“Does the ex also live back in the States?” Darrin
asked.
“Yeah, so what?” asked Vinny. “He lives in
Connecticut too, a few blocks away from my used car dealership. That’s how I
met Shane, she came in to buy a used car.”
Cindy breathed deeply. It was interesting that both
Kara and Shane came from Connecticut, but so far that fact didn’t add up to
anything. No matter what came up, there was nothing sticking
Darrin started the questioning.
“I don’t know,” Vinny spoke in a nervous tone. “We
always played different tables and did different things all night along. I had
no idea she wasn’t still around.”
“That’s been confirmed,” Darrin said then to
Mattheus and Cindy.
“When did you realize Shane was gone?” Mattheus
joined right in.
“Not until it was time for us to leave, around six
in the morning,” Vinny answered glumly.
“You guys didn’t usually leave until six in the
morning?” Mattheus’s voice became round around the edges.
“That’s right, we played all night long and slept
most of the day.” Vinny picked up on Mattheus’s attitude and became
antagonistic as well.
Mattheus took him on, readily. “You were the last
one to see her alive?”
Vinny glared at Mattheus. “No, I wasn’t. Some people
at other tables saw her playing just before eleven. Last I saw her was around
ten.”
Mattheus looked up fast at Darrin, who nodded
quickly, confirming Vinny’s response.
“You spoke to those people?” Mattheus asked Darrin.
“Yes,” Darrin replied. “Nothing was out of order, it
was normal for her to be there at that time. She seemed fine to everyone.”
“So, who in hell was floating around the casino?”
Mattheus flared up. “Who could have grabbed Shane? The same person who grabbed
Kara, maybe?”
“Speculation,” Darrin flung back.
“All kinds of people float around the casino.” Vinny
jumped on it. “But there’s plenty of security, too. Shane was a pro, she knew
her way around. She wasn’t someone you could just grab. She would have made a
commotion, shouted for me.”
“But the place was so noisy, how could you hear
her?” Mattheus confronted him.Agitated, Vinny stood up quickly and then sat
down again. “If someone grabbed her, you just bring him to me, and he’ll never
stand up straight again,” he exclaimed. “I’m begging you guys, let me go find
him. I’ll take care of it for you, rip him limb from limb.”
“You can help us more by staying calm,” Darrin said
to Vinny. “Tell us all about how else you and Shane spent your time. Who was
Shane in contact with? Who had something against her or against you?”
“I swear to you, no one.” The color drained from
Vinny’s face. “Everyone loved Shane, she was fantastic, smart, strong, loyal,
and she’d been through a lot.”
“What?” asked Darrin.
“Everything,” said Vinny. “Life isn’t easy for
anyone, is it?”
“We can’t get hold of her parents,” Darrin
continued. “Why not?”
“They couldn’t care less about Shane.” Vinny was
practically growling. “They moved all over the country since she was a kid.
First they’re here, then there. Right now they’re in Europe. Shane hadn’t
spoken to them for months. There’s no way they’ll be coming down here any time
soon.”
“How long were you guys dating?” Darrin zeroed in on
him.
“Year and a half,” said Vinny. “We were gonna get
married as soon as her divorce was done. It was gonna be soon.”
“How many times was she married?” Darrin looked
quizzically at Vinny.
“One time only, no kids,” Vinny answered on the
spot.
Cindy liked Vinny immensely. Everything he said was
direct and heartfelt. She could feel how much Shane had meant to him.
“Her ex have anything against Shane?” Abe chimed in.
“In the past , yeah,” said Vinny, “but it was over
now. The idiot met someone and is happy. He can’t wait for the divorce to go
through, too.”
“Does the ex also live back in the States?” Darrin
asked.
“Yeah, so what?” asked Vinny. “He lives in
Connecticut too, a few blocks away from my used car dealership. That’s how I
met Shane, she came in to buy a used car.”
Cindy breathed deeply. It was interesting that both
Kara and Shane came from Connecticut, but so far that fact didn’t add up to
anything. No matter what came up, there was nothing sticking
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