Vegas or Bust: An Aggie Underhill Mystery (7 page)

Sylvie pressed her hand to her heart and glared at the older woman.  “You take that back!  My Jack would never do anything to your little snot of a granddaughter.  Would you, Jack?”

Aggie was suddenly afraid that Miriam’s grandmother was about to rap Sylvie upside the head with her cane.  She pushed herself in between the two women just as Elvis tried to quiet the room.  “How ‘bout a song?” he asked, shaking his hips in an Elvis sort of way.  “While the bride is finishin’ gettin’ ready?  Uh, huh.”

“I think that’s a wonderful idea!” said the Showgirl, clapping her hands.

“Mama, what makes you think Miriam was in her room, ignoring you?” Jack asked when a dreadful thought came to him.  He rethought the strip club thing, but doubted Miriam knew anything about it.  But he did know that she had had certain concerns about today.  “What if something has happened to her?”

“Oh no!” gasped Miriam’s grandmother.  “I had one of my psychic visions last night, you know.  And Miriam was in trouble!  Oh, no, oh no!” 

Aggie put her hand on the woman’s shoulder.  She was afraid the woman was about to fall over.  “It’ll be all right,” she said, calmly.  “Why don’t you take a seat, dear?  I’m sure Miriam’s just fine.”  She led the woman back to her seat and helped her to sit down.

Sylvie was still quiet when Aggie returned.  She kept her mouth shut while mulling over Jack’s question.  She’d never once thought that something may have happened to Miriam.  The thought never once crossed her mind.  “I guess it’s possible,” she said, quietly.  “I didn’t hear any noise coming from the room.  But I say it’s a sign from God.  If you were meant to be married, she’d be here right now.  I still say you’re better off without her.”

Before Jack could respond, Aggie put a consoling hand on his shoulder.  “I’ll go and check on her.  What room is she in, dear?”

Jack gave Aggie the floor and room number.

“I’ll go with you,” Betty offered.  Aggie hadn’t realized that Betty, Roger, and Anita were standing right behind her.

“Oh, you poor, poor dear,” Anita cooed, shaking her head.  “Being stood up at the altar.  What a shame! 
Tsk, tsk, tsk.
  Poor, poor dear…”

“We’ll stay here with Jack,” Roger said.

“All right, dear.  We’ll be back in a jiffy,” Aggie said, just as Elvis dedicated a song.  “This one goes out to you, Jackie,” he said and began to sing, “Heartbreak Hotel”.

Chapter 6

Blinking her eyes, Miriam tried to see something, anything.  It was so dark.  She wasn’t quite sure where she was.  All she knew was that she was in a motel room just off the main strip in Vegas. 

Miriam groaned.  Her mouth was so parched and she wished for a glass of water.  Last night, one of her captor’s had gagged her for being too loud.  He’d warned her several times to shut up, but she had refused.  She was too angry to be quiet and she wanted her kidnappers to know it.  How dare they kidnap her the night before her wedding?  What they had done was an outrage and she told them so. 

Feeling quite miserable, she groaned again.  She was kicking herself because it was her fault that she was sitting on the tile floor of a cold bathroom, in the dark with a gag in her mouth and her hands and legs tied up.  If she’d just stayed quiet, she wouldn’t have a gag or restraints and would be able to get a drink of water.

Miriam was so upset that she missed her dream wedding.  She didn’t know what it was the kidnappers wanted, but it had something to do with her ex-husband, Harold.  She’d overheard the men mention his name.

Frowning, she thought of her ex.  The thought of him sickened her to no end.  She was positive that her louse of an ex-husband had planned this.  He’d purposely gone out of his way to ruin her wedding day.  He’d threatened her in an email, after learning about her wedding on My Corner, saying that he would stop her from remarrying.  And sure enough, he did.  She just never thought the jerk would sink so low as to have her kidnapped.  And even worse, she’d never thought he’d pay the kidnapper to make her this uncomfortable.  She wondered if he really thought that treating her this way would give him a second chance with her.  Never! 

In fact, she couldn’t wait to see that jerk again.  How dare he do this to her!  He’d most definitely get an earful for this.  She’d make him pay dearly!  She’d sue him for the damages he had caused by making her miss her dream wedding.  Not to mention causing her to have all sorts of emotional stress.  She bet her skin was breaking out.  She could almost feel the tip of her nose getting a humongous zit.  It hurt.  Her nose always grew a huge bulbous pimple when she was anxious.  And the gag.  The gag was going to leave a red welt. 

Once she was out of here.  She was going to go straight to the police.  She didn’t care how much Harold whined and cried about his undying love for her and that he was doing this for her own good.  Just because he couldn’t stand seeing her with another man was no excuse.  She knew that’s what he’d say, too.  He’d say he did it out of love and that he was sorry that he’d been having affairs and cheating on her throughout their marriage.  She’d heard it all before.  The only good thing that she could say for Harold was that she never knew he had this kind of passion.  He was always sort of boring.  If only he’d been this passionate in their marriage then maybe they wouldn’t have had the problems they’d had.

Bang!
The sound of a door slamming shut caused Miriam to jump.  It’d been hours since she’d heard any sort of sound.  Her kidnappers had locked her in the bathroom, shut the light off, and turned on the noisy fan to block her from hearing them.  She now could hear the mumbled sound of male voices, but couldn’t make out anything more than that.

Suddenly, the sound of the bathroom door handle rattling caught her attention.  Then the door flung open.  Light entered through the opened door.  A shadowe
d bulk of one of the kidnappers entered.  She was pretty sure that he was the one that had gagged her and tied her up.

“Are you ready to behave?” he asked.

“Mmm, hmm,” Miriam mumbled, nodding her head.  She was sitting on the floor and her arms, legs and butt were feeling cold and numb.  She decided it was best to play along with the charade to get some feeling back into her extremities and then she’d let them all have it once Harold arrived.  She bet Harold didn’t even realize how bad these goons were treating her. 

The man reached behind her head and yanked on the gag, roughly jerking her head to the side while pulling her hair.  Miriam screeched.

“I’m warning you!” he said, gruffly.  “Any more of that and I’ll leave you here!  Understand?”

A tear rolled down Miriam’s cheek.  It took all her strength to murmur that she understood.  The goon finished with the knot, releasing the gag.

Miriam sniffled and breathed heavily.  The sides of her mouth stung and her lips were sore and dry.

“Let me get you some water.”  Standing in front of the sink, the man turned on the tap and filled a glass.  He held it to Miriam’s lips.  She took a sip.  “Better?”

She nodded.

“I’ll undo your feet and arms, but just for a little while.  No funny stuff.”

She nodded.

“The last person that did funny stuff lost a finger or two, understand?”
More tears flowed as she nodded her understanding.  A scary thought struck her.  What if Harold didn’t hire these thugs?  After all, this man didn’t seem to care that he’d been hurting her while removing the gag.  And what made her believe that he’d think twice about chopping off her appendages?  She really didn’t want to lose any of her fingers.

The man undid her restraints and slid them off.  He then helped her to her feet.  Miriam stumbled about on sore, partially numb legs while trying to follow him from the room.  Blinking her eyes, she tried to see what was around her.  The light outside the bathroom was blinding.  She blinked hard and more tears formed.  She held in her sobs, afraid to make a sound, as her tears silently rolled down her cheeks.

***

After finding the room number and knocking on the door and not getting an answer, Aggie and Betty took the elevator back down to the lobby.  They explained to the hotel staff their predicament.  One of the women running the counter tried telephoning Miriam’s room and also got no answer before sending someone up with a key to open the door. 

“Hello!” the woman who unlocked the door called.  “Hello?  Anyone here?”  When they didn’t receive an answer, she allowed Aggie and Betty to enter, but kept a close eye on them. 

“Miriam?” Aggie asked and knocked on the bathroom door.  She tried the handle and opened the door.  It was empty.  Aggie entered the main room of the honeymoon suite with Betty trailing behind her. 

“That’s not a good sign,” Betty said, standing at the foot of the bed. 

“No, it’s not,” Aggie agreed, staring at Miriam’s emerald green wedding dress draped across the bed.

“Do you think she just got cold feet?” Betty asked.

Aggie glanced at the open suitcase on the floor next to the bed.  She then noticed Miriam’s purse sitting on a small round table by the window.  Her cell phone was next to it.  The contents of the purse had been dumped out.  The wallet was open and Miriam’s driver’s license was inside.  But it looked as if the credit cards and any cash that may have been in it were gone. 

“I don’t think Miriam would leave without her cell phone or her wallet,” Aggie said.  “And the credit cards are missing.”

“How do you know she had credit cards?”

Aggie pointed to the slots made to slide the cards in.  “The leather sleeves are stretched out and yet there are no cards.  Only a grocery store value card.” 

“She could just be wandering the hotel,” Betty suggested.  “She may have taken the cards with her to gamble.”

“Maybe,” Aggie said, growing more concerned.  “But Miriam doesn’t strike me as a gambler.  She’s much too sensible.  I never once saw her go near the casino on the cruise ship.” 

“Yes,” Betty said.  “But it’s not like you were able to keep tabs on everyone on the ship.”

“No,” Aggie agreed.  “You’re right.  I couldn’t possibly know what she was doing at all times, but if Miriam was addicted to gambling so much so that she’d miss her wedding, then it only stands to reason that we’d have seen her in the casino on the cruise ship.  She wouldn’t have been able to stay away it.”

Something on the floor beneath the table caught Aggie’s attention.  A large green bow.  Aggie picked it up.  A chunk of brown hair was tangled in the elastic part that was sown into the fabric.  It looked as if the bow had been ripped out of Miriam’s hair. 

“What’s wrong?” Betty asked.

“What is that?” asked the woman that let them in the room.

Aggie showed them the bow.  “It’s Miriam’s hair tie.”

“That looks like it was pulled out of her hair,” Betty said, cringing at the amount of hair attached.

“My thoughts exactly,” Aggie said.  “I don’t believe Miriam left of her own accord.  You can see where skin is still attached to the end of the hairs.”

The woman that worked for the hotel was examining the green bow over Betty’s shoulder.  She made a face when she noticed the clump of hair.  “Should I call the police?”

“Unfortunately,” Aggie answered.  “I think we should.” 

“Poor Miriam,” Betty said.  “What do you think happened to her?”

“I don’t know, dear,” Aggie said.  “But I think I know someone who might.”

Chapter 7

After an hour had passed
,
the police showed up and scribbled down a few notes regarding Miriam’s disappearance.  Aggie felt they were putting on a show.  It involved fake sympathy and a few sympathetic words.  It was all part of a routine.  Aggie was upset that they were not taking the situation seriously.  The two cops grudgingly took the missing persons report, and had mentioned more than once that they believed Miriam had gotten cold feet.  They said that not enough time had gone by since she’d gone missing to state that she was really missing.  The fact that she didn’t go to dinner with Jack’s mother last night didn’t mean anything.  In their eyes, she was just trying to avoid her mother-in-law. 

The police jotted down the time of the wedding as Miriam’s time of disappearance.  They told Jack to give her at least 24 hours to see if she resurfaces.
  Whether she returned or not, he should contact them again to give an update. In the meantime, they were going to add Miriam’s name and description to their data banks.

Aggie frowned while thinking of the green bow.  The police hadn’t thought much of it.  In fact, they completely dismissed it.  She thought that they should have taken her more seriously about its importance.  She fumbled in her purse for her phone while she, Betty, Roger, and Anita sat at a small table in a coffee shop located in the Planet Hollywood mall.  She scrolled through her contacts until she came to Officer Tom Wood’s number.  She took a deep breath and stared at his number.  She hadn’t told him about her last minute trip to Las Vegas and worried about how he’d take the news since they were dating.  She wondered he would be hurt she hadn’t asked him along.  But then again, they were only casually dating.  It’s not like there were any strings attached.  They were seeing each other with no commitments.  So she shouldn’t feel guilty about anything.  She should be able to make a friendly call to ask him a few questions.

“Who are you calling?” Anita asked, watching Aggie as she ate a raspberry Danish.

“Tom,” Aggie said, immediately regretting her honesty.

“The hunky police officer?”  Anita beamed.  “I’m so happy for you!” she squealed.  “I love romantic affairs!  You’ve been so lonely since Lionel died.  Poor dear…
tsk, tsk, tsk
…”

It took all of Aggie’s strength not to roll her eyes and fling her phone at Anita.  “If you’ll excuse me…”

“Well, I need a refill on my coffee, anyhow.  Decaffeinated, of course.  It’s better for you,” she said, eyeing Aggie’s caffeine filled Mocha with extra whipped cream while hopping up from the table.  “And maybe another Danish.  Strawberry this time.”

Not for the first time, Aggie wondered how a petite woman like Anita managed to stay so slim with all of the junk food she consumed.  She herself probably gained five pounds just from watching Anita eat the last two Danishes.

“I’ll go with you,” Roger said.  “Aggie you want a refill?  You know, to make sure you get your money’s worth.”

“No thanks.  Mine’s a Mocha,” she said.  “No free refills.”

Roger shook his head, despairingly, as if he’d never understand her ways of ordering something that couldn’t be refilled for free.

“I can use one,” Betty said, getting up to join both Roger and Anita at the counter to give Aggie some privacy.

Aggie touched the send button next to Tom’s phone number and listened to his phone ring.

“Hey, Aggie,” he said, picking up.  “I was just meaning to call you.”

“Were you?”

“I was thinking you and I could meet on my break for a coffee and a bite to eat.  Think you can get away for a little bit?”

“Well,” Aggie said, suddenly feeling guilty about not telling Tom about her last minute trip to Vegas.  “You see…”

“I understand if you can’t,” Tom said.  “That’s why I haven’t called.  I know you’re entertaining.  Must be nice to catch up with your long lost friend… I’m sorry, what’s her name again?  Lisa…?”

“Um, Linda.”  Aggie pursed her lips together.

“Linda,” he repeated.  “I don’t know why I can’t remember that.  So how’s everything going?”

“Actually,” Aggie said.  “Linda and her daughter Jill are visiting Sarah in Oceanside.”

“Oh.  And you’re not with them?”

“There was this wedding, you see,” she said.  “I sort of forgot about it.  And, well, I’m in Las Vegas with Betty and Roger.”

“And Anita!” Anita sang cheerfully from over her shoulder.  She flounced around the table and took a seat across from Aggie, batting her thick mascara coated eyelashes. 

Aggie frowned.  “And Anita,” she added, solemnly.  “She’s here, too.”

“Oh, I see,” Tom said.  “Vegas weddings are always fun.  Tell everyone hello for me.”

“I will,” Aggie said.  She was feeling a little confused.  She felt that Tom should be upset she left town without mentioning it to him first.  Or at least, deep down inside she hoped he’d be upset. 
What’s wrong with him?
she wondered. 
He should be writhing with envy.
 
After all, they were dating, weren’t they? 

“Well,” he said.  “I’d better get back to work.”

“You’re not mad?” Aggie asked.

“Mad?  Why would I be mad?”

“Well, I’m here in Las Vegas without you.”

“And?” he asked.  Aggie thought his voice sounded a bit defensive.

“And, well, we’re dating.”

“Yes,” he chuckled.  “We are dating.  Sort of.”

“Sort of?” Aggie asked, feeling her heart drop.  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Aggie,” he said, calmly.  “I thought you wanted to take things slow.”

“I do,” she said, biting her bottom lip.

“So I’m taking things slow.”

“I see,” she said.

“Stop worrying.  I’m not upset.  You have a right to go to a wedding without having me glued to your hip.”

“I know…I didn’t say that…it’s just…”

“It’s just what?”

“Never mind.”

“I’d better get back to work,” Tom said. 

“Wait,” Aggie said.  “Before you go, I have a question for you.” 

“All right,” he said.  “Shoot.”

Aggie explained to him what had happened to Miriam and how she hadn’t shown up for the wedding.  She even told him about the bow and the clump of hair still attached.

Tom was quiet for a moment as he absorbed the information.  This hadn’t been the type of question he’d been expecting.  He’d been expecting a more intimate type of question, one that involved dinner and a late night movie when she returned from Las Vegas.

“Aggie,” he said.  His voice was now very low and extremely serious.  He was hoping he’d be able to get through to her.  He knew how stubborn she could be.  “I know you believe that something has happened to Miriam, but please leave it to the police.  I don’t want you involved.”

“But they don’t believe me.  How can I leave it up to them if they don’t take me seriously?” she asked.  “Besides I wanted your opinion...”

“My opinion is that you need to listen to the police,” he said with authority.  “I’m sure they see men and women with cold feet disappearing all the time.  My guess is she’ll resurface soon.”

“This is different,” Aggie stated.  “What about the bow?  And the clump of hair?  Something terrible happened in that room.  I’m sure of it.” 

“Aggie,” Tom said.  “Please, leave this alone.  The police have protocols that they must abide by.  Let them handle it.”

“Then you do believe that something happened to Miriam.”

Aggie looked up to see Anita, Roger, and Betty all staring at her, listening to her conversation.

“No,” he said.  “I didn’t say that.  I just know you and I’m afraid you’ll get yourself in some sort of crazy mess.  And I don’t want to have to drive out there to straighten things out.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Aggie snapped.  “You make it sound like I’m some kind of busy body.  I don’t delve into other peoples’ private affairs.”

“I never said that,” Tom groaned.  “Just don’t go looking for trouble.  I worry about you.”

“I never look for trouble,” she said while enjoying the fact that he was worried about her safety.  In order for Tom to be worried there had to be a reason.  There had to be something to worry about.  In her mind, that meant he agreed with her that Miriam was in some sort of trouble.  Something bad had happened to Miriam and it wasn’t cold feet.

“I wish I believed you,” Tom said.  “Promise me you’ll leave it to the police.”

Aggie sat there for a second without answering. 

“Aggie?  Promise?”

“Oh, all right,” she huffed, crossing her fingers.  “I promise.  Are you satisfied?”

Tom’s voice became lighter, “And when you return, we’re going out for coffee.”

“Okay.  Sure.  Sounds good.”  Scowling she pushed the end button on the screen of her phone ending the call. 

“Lover’s quarrel?” Anita asked, batting her eyelashes and smiling.

“Quite the contrary,” Aggie said.  “Tom’s worried about me because of Miriam’s disappearance.  He doesn’t want anything to happen to me.”  She wasn’t sure why those words flew out of her mouth, but they did.  She didn’t like Anita looking down upon her.

Betty and Roger looked at each other.  Roger raised an eyebrow.

“What?” Aggie asked.  “He worries about me.  What’s so hard to believe about that?”

“Oh, my Albert worries something fierce,” Anita said.  “I don’t know if I want to tell him about Miriam disappearing.  He’d be so worried that I’d get snatched up, too.  And then he’d demand that I come home to him immediately.”  She shook her head.  “My Albert is so protective.  Sometimes
, it’s really hard to live with.”

Just then Roger snorted while trying to hide his laughter.  The snort caused him to inhale his coffee.  Coffee spurted from his mouth and nose spraying the tabletop as he went into a sudden coughing fit.  Betty jumped up from the table and began to pat his back.