that the police
could hold onto.
“What do you think happened to Shane, Vinny?” Darrin
asked loudly then.
Vinny hands twisted into tight fists. “I don’t know,
I don’t know.” His voice sounded strangled. “But just let me loose, give me a
chance. I’ll track down whoever did it if it’s the last thing I do.”
*
After Vinny left, the police took a ten-minute
coffee break. “Stay if you want,” they said to Cindy and Mattheus, “we got
Rowley and Kara’s dad coming in next.”
Mattheus was startled. “Why Rowley and Rod?” he
asked.
“Just trying to see if there’s any way these two
cases are connected,” Darrin remarked.
“You’re not going to hold Vinny?” Mattheus asked
then.
“Everything he says checks out,” Darrin replied. “We
can’t hold him for anything, and there’s no reason to think he had anything to
do with it, either.”
“Not yet,” grumbled Mattheus.
“All kinds of crazy stuff goes on at the casino,”
Darrin continued, “lots of players from the drug ring hang out down there.”
“Could Vinny be a dealer?” Mattheus wouldn’t let go.
“Could he be running drugs through his used car dealership?”
“Anything is possible,” Darrin replied, “but so far
it looks like he’s on the up and up. There’s no sign of money or drugs passing
through his hands. Seems like he and Shane come down here regularly and play
the tables, and that’s about it.”
“No big debts piled up for either of them?” Mattheus
dug in further.
Cindy was fascinated watching Mattheus, wondering
exactly what he was expecting.
“No,” Darrin answered directly, “nothing like that’s
come up. Shane had a good job back home doing medical massage at a local clinic
and he runs his car dealership. Their finances are in good order.”
“You wouldn’t think so,” Mattheus commented.
“Why not?” asked Darrin.
“Two people who spend their time hanging at the
casino all night?” Mattheus commented.
“You can’t arrest them for that.” Darrin became
irritated. “Lots of people enjoy the casinos, they’re a big attraction down
here and a big source of income, too.”
Cindy sighed and put her hand on Mattheus’s arm.
“Looks like the police have got a terrific head start.”
“We had to.” Darrin looked at Cindy appreciatively.
“With all the scrutiny turning our way, we’re not looking for any surprises.”
Cindy and Mattheus thanked Darrin, got some coffee,
and then went back into his office to be present when Rowley and Rod arrived.
*
When Rowley walked in, he looked depressed and
defeated and Rod seemed dazed.
“Thanks for coming,” Darrin greeted them personally
and asked them to sit down near his desk.
“Terrible news about the dead woman,” Rowley offered
the moment he took a seat.
“Awful,” Rod agreed, “but at least it wasn’t Kara.
We all went through hell for a few hours when we thought it was her.”
“That had to be rough,” Darrin agreed.
“Just as rough as still not having any answers.”
Rod’s eyes narrowed.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that,” Darrin
remarked.
“So, what do you want us here for now?” Rod was
becoming pugnacious.
“Just a few more questions,” said Darrin. “Your
friends are here too,” and he motioned to Cindy and Mattheus sitting on the side.
Rod was startled to see Mattheus there, and also
looked relieved. “You didn’t tell me you were going to be here,” he called out
to Mattheus.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here either,”
Mattheus responded.
“Okay”—Rod turned back to Darrin—“ask me whatever
you want.”
“Not just you,” Darrin said softly then. “We also
want to hear from Rowley.”
“The kid’s been through enough,” exclaimed Rod.
“Just a few questions,” Darrin promised.
Rod nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Rowley,” Darrin started, “did you or Kara know
Shane or her boyfriend, Vinny, at all?”
“I never saw them before,”
could hold onto.
“What do you think happened to Shane, Vinny?” Darrin
asked loudly then.
Vinny hands twisted into tight fists. “I don’t know,
I don’t know.” His voice sounded strangled. “But just let me loose, give me a
chance. I’ll track down whoever did it if it’s the last thing I do.”
*
After Vinny left, the police took a ten-minute
coffee break. “Stay if you want,” they said to Cindy and Mattheus, “we got
Rowley and Kara’s dad coming in next.”
Mattheus was startled. “Why Rowley and Rod?” he
asked.
“Just trying to see if there’s any way these two
cases are connected,” Darrin remarked.
“You’re not going to hold Vinny?” Mattheus asked
then.
“Everything he says checks out,” Darrin replied. “We
can’t hold him for anything, and there’s no reason to think he had anything to
do with it, either.”
“Not yet,” grumbled Mattheus.
“All kinds of crazy stuff goes on at the casino,”
Darrin continued, “lots of players from the drug ring hang out down there.”
“Could Vinny be a dealer?” Mattheus wouldn’t let go.
“Could he be running drugs through his used car dealership?”
“Anything is possible,” Darrin replied, “but so far
it looks like he’s on the up and up. There’s no sign of money or drugs passing
through his hands. Seems like he and Shane come down here regularly and play
the tables, and that’s about it.”
“No big debts piled up for either of them?” Mattheus
dug in further.
Cindy was fascinated watching Mattheus, wondering
exactly what he was expecting.
“No,” Darrin answered directly, “nothing like that’s
come up. Shane had a good job back home doing medical massage at a local clinic
and he runs his car dealership. Their finances are in good order.”
“You wouldn’t think so,” Mattheus commented.
“Why not?” asked Darrin.
“Two people who spend their time hanging at the
casino all night?” Mattheus commented.
“You can’t arrest them for that.” Darrin became
irritated. “Lots of people enjoy the casinos, they’re a big attraction down
here and a big source of income, too.”
Cindy sighed and put her hand on Mattheus’s arm.
“Looks like the police have got a terrific head start.”
“We had to.” Darrin looked at Cindy appreciatively.
“With all the scrutiny turning our way, we’re not looking for any surprises.”
Cindy and Mattheus thanked Darrin, got some coffee,
and then went back into his office to be present when Rowley and Rod arrived.
*
When Rowley walked in, he looked depressed and
defeated and Rod seemed dazed.
“Thanks for coming,” Darrin greeted them personally
and asked them to sit down near his desk.
“Terrible news about the dead woman,” Rowley offered
the moment he took a seat.
“Awful,” Rod agreed, “but at least it wasn’t Kara.
We all went through hell for a few hours when we thought it was her.”
“That had to be rough,” Darrin agreed.
“Just as rough as still not having any answers.”
Rod’s eyes narrowed.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am about that,” Darrin
remarked.
“So, what do you want us here for now?” Rod was
becoming pugnacious.
“Just a few more questions,” said Darrin. “Your
friends are here too,” and he motioned to Cindy and Mattheus sitting on the side.
Rod was startled to see Mattheus there, and also
looked relieved. “You didn’t tell me you were going to be here,” he called out
to Mattheus.
“I didn’t know you were going to be here either,”
Mattheus responded.
“Okay”—Rod turned back to Darrin—“ask me whatever
you want.”
“Not just you,” Darrin said softly then. “We also
want to hear from Rowley.”
“The kid’s been through enough,” exclaimed Rod.
“Just a few questions,” Darrin promised.
Rod nodded. “Go ahead.”
“Rowley,” Darrin started, “did you or Kara know
Shane or her boyfriend, Vinny, at all?”
“I never saw them before,”
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