Richfield & Rivers Mystery Series 2 - Stellium in Scorpio Read Online Free Page B

to Marshall and I started the pitch. Bobby Jo was a
raw-boned girl from Alabama. The director interrupted and said, 'Who has one
leg?' Then I said, Bobby Jo had no idea that the cowboys she'd befriended that
night would turn on her. She'd known one of them for years. The director added,
'They knew each other in the veterans' hospital where Bobby Jo was fitted for
her prosthesis!'" Callie giggled as my voice rose. "Now she's not
only one-legged, but she's in a veterans' hospital, for God's sake! What the
hell's she doing in a veterans' hospital! Did she go there for a sex change
right after she served as a colonel in the war? Tevachney's head was whipping
back and forth between the two of us like he was watching a ping-pong match. At
the end of the pitch, he couldn't have repeated the storyline if I'd paid him a
million bucks."
    Callie
insisted that he actually liked it. I protested loudly, saying he didn't even
know what the movie was about. She smiled and said it didn't matter because it
had excited him, and that seemed to ignite Callie. "Let's go see if we can
get into our room." Callie gave me a seductive smile, as if my animated
pitch had somehow turned her on.
    I
carried my drink with me to the registration desk, where a friendly young girl
dressed in a silky bejeweled costume beamed at us from behind a large name tag
that said Harem Girl Gloria. She took our names and located us in the vast
computer system, informing us that we were in room 712 and it was ready. When I
asked if that was a nonsmoking room, she said no. Callie insisted she'd
requested nonsmoking. Gloria said she hadn't. We argued back and forth with
her, and the vibes became less pleasant with every passing second. Life in
Vegas was becoming as difficult as life in L.A. Finally, Callie stepped in
front of me, partially blocking my view of Gloria, and addressed her directly.
    "My
friend has had a very trying day, and I wanted this experience to be relaxing
for her. So far it's not turning out that way."
    "I
can't help that." Gloria's harem veil sucked in and out with each breath.
    "I
really need a nonsmoking room." Callie's tone remained even. Gloria paused
and locked eyes with Callie. There was silence, and then Harem Girl Gloria's
fingers smashed down on the computer keys as if she were cutting the heads off
chickens.
    "I
will be happy to upgrade you to a suite free of charge, and the hotel is sorry
you've experienced this inconvenience," she said in a decidedly unsorry
tone.
    Callie
thanked her. Harem Girl Gloria yanked the printout off the machine, slapped two
room key cards down on the desk, and rang for the bellman. We were headed to
suite 1142.
    "Gotta
get one more piece of luggage," I said.
    "What's
in it? Can't we get it later?"
    "Elmo."
I grinned.
    "You
brought Elmo?" She lit up. "How are you going to get him in
here?"
    "Can't
tell you or I'd have to kill you!" I teased.
    "Don't
say things like that. Words have power," she said, somewhat shocked.
    "Sorry,
meant to say that information is classified," I replied. "Be right
back."
    Borrowing
a luggage cart from the lobby, I wheeled it out to the Jeep, opened the empty
suitcase with the air holes I'd cut in it and said, "Okay, guy, hop
in." Elmo jumped in just like I'd taught him. I carefully removed the suitcase
from the Jeep and lifted it onto the cart. "No barking, no moaning,"
I ordered as I pushed the cart across the parking lot, handed the doorman my
car keys, and asked him to have someone get the remainder of my luggage from
the Jeep and bring it to my room before valet-parking my vehicle.
    I
joined Callie and the bellman and the three of us, plus the incognito canine,
stepped into the elevator. Two golden rams on the elevator doors came together
butting heads, and the elevator swept us silently up eleven floors.
    Elmo
got wind of Callie's perfume and began to wiggle and make a very tiny sound of
excitement. I coughed to cover it, but Elmo moaned incessantly and Callie
giggled