Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Raine turned away from her laptop to look at her. “How did they know it was you, Vienna? You always played anonymously. How would the hotel know you were a nurse living in Knightly? And why would they track you down and offer the buy-in money to have you come play in their tournament?”
“I actually asked them those questions,” Vienna said. “I thought it was a little shady myself. A woman who claimed she was Wallin’s secretary told me I’d won a number of their larger online tournaments, which was true, and they’d paid the money I won into my bank account, which was true as well. Since they had to transfer the money I won into my account, it wouldn’t be a leap that they would know the name on the account.”
“I get that, Vienna,” Raine persisted, “but why invite you and pay the buy-in for you? You did have to work your way to the semifinal and then the final table just like everyone else, but why would the hotel pay your buy-in?”
Vienna was a little uncomfortable admitting the truth. “According to the rumors, it had to do with my looks. The hotel thought my appearance and the fact that I’m a nurse would look good in their ads and in interviews. They thought it would bring in new viewers who would be rooting for me to win. The little working girl against the celebrities, that sort of thing.”
Raine continued to frown as she drummed her fingers along her thigh. All of them knew her. When she was thinking about something, turning it over and over in her mind, she often had to do something physical to accompany the rapid rate at which her mind computed the data she viewed and rejected.
“You don’t think that’s the reason?” Shabina asked.
“I don’t know,” Raine said. “I don’t like that he mentioned this Liam Gram’s murder to her after she defeated him in a televised game. Everyone saw their hands. We were watching, Vienna. We saw you had him beat. He was almost pompous about it, so certain he had you. Don’t get me wrong. My heart was pounding like crazy until that last card turned over and you had a straight flush. I don’t know why you didn’t fold. I would have. But you’re always cool under fire.”
“I honestly don’t know if he was threatening me,” Vienna admitted. “I hate to make all of you think he’s a serial killer when someone is trying to kill him and he’s practically had to go into hiding. I’m just glad I’m out of there.”
“Does this Daniel have children?” Harlow asked, turning away from the dishwasher to face her friends.
“One son,” Raine said. “He had him late in life with a casino employee, a woman who worked as a server in one of the club rooms. They had a son, Axel. Daniel and the woman, Miriam was her name, never lived together. Daniel was forty and Miriam twenty-two when Axel was born. She died in a car accident when Axel was five. At that time, the boy went to live with his father. He helps with the running of the hotel now,” she added.
“Please tell me Miriam’s body wasn’t found in the desert with cards in her mouth,” Zahra pleaded. “If she was, we’re going back to Knightly and skipping your bridal party, Stella.”
“No, she wasn’t found with cards in her mouth,” Raine said, laughing. “You have such an imagination, Zahra.”
“I don’t think it’s imagination when one poor man was already buried up to his neck in the desert. I don’t want to see Vienna, or any of us for that matter, buried in the sand. I’m pretty short. I wouldn’t last very long.”
“It wasn’t quicksand, you goof,” Stella pointed out.
“What was he doing upright, then?” Zahra demanded. “It seems it would be a really difficult way to put him in sand, feetfirst. It isn’t like the sand in the desert would be wet. Think about the mechanics.”
“You have a point,” Harlow said. “It wouldn’t be my first choice if I were murdering someone or even burying their body. In the meantime, Raine, did you find anything on the actual bet made between Liam and Daniel?”
“That’s a really good question and might be pertinent,” Vienna said. “Especially if you can find out who was backing Daniel at the time. He had to have had someone backing him. He wasn’t a billionaire then. And he was young. If the Mafia still had a stranglehold on Vegas casinos, more than likely it was them. They wouldn’t take kindly to anyone messing with their golden goose.”
“I’ve got a program working on it. Nothing came up in a quick search for me, but if there was ever a record of it, the program will find it. There’s no doubt the Mafia was still in business during those years.”