Cassandra (Fells Point Private Investigator Series) Read online

  For the first time since Rebecca met Grossman, he looked sheepishly at her. “I understand what you’re saying. We’ll go out for lunch and we’ll do carryout for dinner; as long as we’re done this job within a week.”

  Bruce drove to a small café where they ordered lunch. Rebecca gave thanks to God that it wasn’t a burger joint. She ordered a piece of Quiche Lorraine with a side salad along with a glass of red wine. Bruce ordered a bacon cheeseburger with the works. Conversation was sparse at their table. Rebecca was lost in her own little world. She tried to ignore Grossman who was eyeing her as if she was on the dessert menu.

  When they returned to his house, Rebecca took Brutus out to stretch their legs and for her to get a feel for the neighborhood. It was a typical middle class neighborhood. The cars were in good shape. The exterior of the houses and yards appeared well maintained. The scent of freshly cut grass was in the air. Bruce may in fact be correct that it’s a good idea to use his house.

  “Bruce, I would really like to take a shower, where do I go?”

  “Use the master bedroom bath upstairs.”

  “Thanks. I’ll be back down shortly.”

  Rebecca found the master bedroom along with her clothing bag. She charged back down the stairs to the kitchen.

  She was furious when she asked him, “Bruce, why is your bag also in the master bedroom?”

  “We’re married, right?”

  This joker is a real asshole, she angrily told him, “We are not married. I do not intend to sleep in the same bed with you. Where’s another bedroom I can use?”

  Looking dejected, he told her, “I’ll move into my old bedroom. You can stay in the master bedroom for now.”

  “Thank you.” Brutus followed her up the stairs and lay on the floor outside the master bath. Rebecca looked at him. “Hey partner, it looks like you’re on guard.” He wagged his cropped tail. Most folks shied away from owning a Rottweiler, but she knew she could count on him in any situation.

  Showered and dressed in fresh clothes, she went to the living room, where Grossman asked, “Are you feeling better?”

  “Yes, the shower was wonderful.

  “Where is your dog going to sleep?”

  “He’ll sleep in the bedroom with me.”

  “Mama wouldn’t go for that.”

  “Sorry, Bruce, but my dog sleeps with me. If it makes you feel better, he never sleeps in bed with me. He sleeps on the floor beside my bed. Where’s your room?”

  “It’s the one on the first floor.”

  “I actually bought a bottle of wine in Boston. If there’s a bottle here in the house, it’s gone to vinegar by now. Can I pour you a glass?”

  “Yes, please, I’d like that.”

  “What are your thoughts on this case? How should we proceed?”

  “Well Mrs. Grossman, I thought I’d get a job with a delivery service.”

  Rebecca cringed when he addressed her as Mrs. Grossman, but she thought to herself, he might just be on the right track, “That sounds like a good start.”

  “If someone is laundering money it has to be delivered to a casino, right?”

  “Yes, that’s exactly what we found in the Vegas casinos. Do you have any ideas for Atlantic City?”

  “Yes I do, but I’d like to check them out before I commit to an answer. Not to change the subject, but do you have a boyfriend?”

  “Yes I do. Do you have a girlfriend?

  “No I don’t. Tell me about your boyfriend. Who is he?”

  “Bruce, I like to keep my professional business apart from my personal life.”

  “Okay, I just thought it was a way to be friendly.”

  “Bruce I don’t want to change the subject, but…” oh yes I do, “where is the communication room set up?”

  “What communication room?”

  “The room the FBI set up for secure communication with the Bureau.”

  Grossman nonchalantly told her, “Oh, that. I told them we wouldn’t need it. I didn’t want to overspend tax payers’ dollars.”

  “I see.” The bile in her stomach rose to the base of her throat.

  He sternly asked her, “Are you saying I made a bad decision?”

  “No, not at all, I just thought that if we both obtain jobs, I’ll need my own car. I’d have to obtain the funds from the Bureau.”

  “I see what you’re saying. If you need a car, I’ll buy it and submit an expense invoice to the Bureau when we’re done.”

  “What do we do if we need backup?”

  “We won’t need back up.”

  While Rebecca’s blood was boiling, she said calmly, “Then it looks as though we’re all set up. I think Brutus and I are going to take one last walk and then head to bed. I’ll see you in the morning. Oh, one last thing, I need a house key.”

  “I have one in the den upstairs I’ll go grab it for you.”

  He returned with the key. “Thanks Bruce.”

  “I’m planning to turn in myself, let out a holler if you need me.”

  “I will. We’ll see you in the morning.”

  Rebecca locked the bedroom door. She had never locked her door on any other investigation, but felt safer when the lock clicked into place. She knew her dog well, and felt he was as anxious as she was. Rebecca lay awake in his parents’ bed wishing she had an option to get out of this case. She was a good agent and knew it, but she felt she was in over her head on this one. She couldn’t sleep and felt as though she needed to vomit.

  Chapter Two

  October 2001

  After a sleepless night, Rebecca trudged down to the kitchen where she found Grossman. He’d already picked up coffee from a convenience store.

  “Bruce, let me feed and walk Brutus, then we can shop for a car.”

  “I tell you what. You feed the dog. I’ll take him for a walk while you drink a cup of coffee and get dressed. Then we’ll shop for your car.”

  “Bruce, we can walk him together.”

  “Okay, if you insist, I’ll wait to walk with the two of you.”

  “I insist.”

  Bruce asked for the leash as soon as they stepped out of the house. Rebecca handed him the leash and a plastic bag.

  “What’s the bag for?”

  “We’re walking the dog to do his business. If you want to walk him, you need to clean up behind him.”

  Bruce immediately put the leash back into her hand. “In that case, you can walk him.”

  Rebecca knew Bruce would never clean up dog shit, so as she took the leash, she was giggling on the inside.

  It was a crisp autumn morning. The leaves were just starting to put their fall suits on. It couldn’t be later than 8:00, but somewhere not far off, someone was mowing a lawn. Bruce pointed out the houses where his friends grew up. “Over there’s the church my parents were married in. I was baptized in that church.”

  “Is that right?”

  As they casually strolled along the sidewalk, Bruce told her, “I’ve always wanted to get married in that church. Maybe once this case is solved, we could get married there.”

  Rebecca froze. How was she going to get out of this one? Not commenting on the church, Rebecca nonchalantly said, “As much as I’m enjoying this walk, we need to get back to the house so we can start the investigation.”

  “Okay.”

  Rebecca gave Brutus a fresh bowl of water and then told Bruce, “I’m all set. Do you want to stop somewhere for breakfast?”

  “That’s a great idea. There’s a little diner right around the corner.”

  As they climbed into the car, Rebecca asked Bruce, “Do you plan to look for a job today?”

  “I do. What about you, do you plan to look for a job?”

  “I sure do. The sooner we get this investigation over, the sooner we go home.”

  “What job are you capable of applying for?”

  “I’ll go through the casinos we’re targeting to see what positions are open.”

  “Do you have the list with you?”
/>   “Yes, I do. It’s here in my purse. Why don’t we plan to review it over breakfast?”

  “I like that idea.”

  After placing breakfast orders, Rebecca pulled the list from her purse and handed it to him. She watched his eyes as they ran down the list.

  “This is great. I know all the vendors who deliver to these casinos. I worked for Authority Transportation before I left Jersey. It’s one of the delivery services for several of these casinos. I’m sure I can get a job there. The boss really liked me.”

  “That would be wonderful. Why don’t you go to Authority Transportation today while I look through the list to see where I might find a job?”

  “I think it’s better if we go together. We’ll check into a job for you later. I’d like to show off my new wife.”

  “Okay, if you believe that’s the right way to go; let’s go now and see if he has an opening.”

  When they walked into the owner’s office, he just about jumped up from his chair to greet Bruce.

  “Bruce, did you move back to Jersey?”

  “I sure did Bob, and I brought someone with me. This is my wife, Rebecca. When we married, we decided it was time to settle down and start a family.”

  Bob stood and came around the counter to greet her, followed by a sloppy wet kiss. “Rebecca, it is more than a pleasure to meet you. That scoundrel husband of yours is like a son to me. So that makes you sort of like my daughter in law.”

  “She’s a beauty, isn’t she Bob?”

  Rebecca was repulsed that some man she’d never met before in her life just kissed her on the lips. Bob smelled as though he hadn’t bathed in days. He must’ve tried to cover his stink with a half a bottle of some cheap cologne.

  “She sure is Bruce. Ya’ll are gonna have a good-looking brood of kids. With her good looks and your smarts, hell, they won’t have to work their way through school like you did, they’ll get one those scholarships that people talk about.

  Rebecca felt like a piece of meat hanging in some butcher’s shop that these two assholes were inspecting. She really didn’t know which man was worse because they both made her feel as though she was standing naked in the Bob’s office.

  She smiled sweetly while Bruce went on. “Bob, I gotta tell ya man, she’s the real brains in this family.” Grossman then had the audacity to put his arm around her waist and stuck his fucking tongue in her ear.

  Rebecca forced a chuckle, “Sweetie, let me go outside for a walk while you men catch up.”

  Grossman held her tighter against his body, “Ah, darling that’s so thoughtful, isn’t it Bob?”

  “Sure is, my wife always wants to put her nose in my business.”

  Grossman finally removed his arm from her waist, “Bob, the Misses and I just got into town so I was wondering if you had an opening I could apply for? You’re the first place I stopped in, looking for a job.”

  “Bruce, for you, I always have an opening. You were the most trustworthy driver I ever had. Hell boy, you’re like family. When can you start?”

  “Give me a date and I’ll be here.”

  “Can you start Wednesday? I’m down a driver. The fool went and got himself locked up for drunken driving. Your CDL license is still valid, right?”

  “It’s in my wallet if you wanna see it.”

  “No need to do that.”

  “Wednesday it is. Bob do you know if anyone’s looking for a bartender? Rebecca told me that before we met, she was a bartender. Isn’t that right honey?”

  “Yes dear, that’s right.”

  “You worked somewhere in Nevada?”

  “Yes I did. As a matter of fact, I worked for a small casino.”

  Bob scratched his head, “Someone was just asking me the other day if I knew someone looking for a bartender’s job. Hmm, who was it? It was the Chariot. Not sure if it’s still available, but if you’re looking for a bartender job there’s always a position open somewhere in town.”

  “Thanks Bob, me and the little lady will look into the Chariot this afternoon. I’ll see you Wednesday morning. Still running the same schedule?”

  “Not much has changed since you left. Be here at 6:00 am to pick up your truck.”

  They both waved goodbye as Bruce drove off the parking lot. “Bruce, are we going to the casino first?”

  “I think that’s a good idea. If they don’t have an opening, you won’t need a car. You can stay at home and take care of the house.”

  “Bruce, while that idea sounds delightful, I’m your partner in a criminal investigation. If I’m going to be at home taking care of your house that means, I won’t be doing the job I came to do.”

  “Whatever works for you and makes you happy, works for me. I just wanna keep my wife happy.”

  Rebecca didn’t respond.

  “Well little woman, here we are. I’ll go in with you.”

  “Bruce, I appreciate the offer, but I’m quite capable of applying for a job. I’ve applied for a few in my day.”

  “Mrs. Grossman, I just want to be helpful.”

  By the time they parked the car and entered the casino, Rebecca Grossman held back the volcano inside her that wanted to explode over Bruce’s body burying him in hot lava. She put a smile on her face and let him lead her through the door. Luck was on her side when the manager told Bruce he wanted to speak to her alone. Rebecca watched his face as he looked at the manager. Bruce was not pleased at all that the manager had asked him to leave the office.

  “Mrs. Grossman, please have a seat. Did you bring a resume?”

  “I’m sorry Mr. Englar; I didn’t bring one with me. We learned of this job just this morning. We moved into town just two days ago; and the house is a mess with boxes everywhere waiting to be unpacked. I would be happy to give you the name of the casino in Vegas along with the owner’s name.”

  “I can work with that.” Englar grabbed a pen. “I’m ready for those names.”

  “His name is Ray Lawson. He owns the Copper Mine Casino. The phone is 702-555-7496.”

  “Do you mind if I try to catch him while you’re here?”

  “No, I don’t. I worked at the Copper Mine before I married Bruce. My full name is Rebecca Margaret McDonough-Grossman. Mr. Lawson knows me as Maggie McDonough.”

  “That shouldn’t be a problem.” He dialed the number and asked the receptionist, “May I please speak with Ray Lawson?”

  “Yes, I can hold.”

  “Mr. Lawson, this is Glen Englar. I own the Chariot Casino in Atlantic City. I have a delightful young lady applying for a bartender position.”

  “Yes, her name is Rebecca Margaret McDonough-Grossman. She said you would know her as Maggie McDonough.”

  “I see. Yes, I understand. Is that right?”

  “Yes, I have to confess I’m in that same position myself.”

  Rebecca’s heart was beating so hard she was afraid Englar could hear it as it pounded in her chest.

  “Yes. Mr. Lawson, thank you for taking my call.”

  “Rebecca, may I speak frankly?”

  “Of course, you may.”

  “Lawson said you were the best fucking bartender he’s ever employed. He also said you were working undercover for the Federal Bureau of Investigation looking into money laundering. Is that true?”

  Rebecca felt her cheeks turn red. She had trouble breathing. I can’t believe Lawson blew my cover.

  “Mr. Englar…I’m…”

  “Let me explain something to you, young lady,” he leaned toward her, “my casino has been threatened by an anonymous person or persons who want to as they put it ‘go into business together’. Is that why you’re here?”

  Rebecca nodded her head. “I was given a list of casinos that had complained about threats against them by anonymous persons, to launder the money or bear the consequence. Your casino is on that list.

  “Then is it safe to assume you gave me a fictitious name?”

  “Yes sir.”

  “I don’t need to know your real name. I
wouldn’t want to blow your cover any more than I just have, but trust me when I say that you, my dear, are a welcome sight for sore eyes. You have the job. This conversation stays between the two of us. I’m going to assume that you are not married to Grossman, is that correct?”

  “Yes sir, that’s correct.”

  “Do not tell him I know why you are here.”

  “Why? He’s my partner.”

  Englar laughed, “He’s an FBI Agent now?”

  “Yes Mr. Englar, he is. We’re working together on this. Is there something I should know?”

  “Let’s just wait and see. He worked for me a while back. I thought he was a blowhard, so I was just thinking that this conversation should stay between the two of us. If you think he should know, then you can tell him. For now, if I were you, I’d keep my head down.”

  “I can hear what you’re not saying, so for the moment, I’ll tell him you hired me and leave it at that.”

  “That’s not a bad idea. When can you start?”

  “Give me a date. Now that you know why I’m here I think the earlier I start; the earlier this investigation will end, giving you back your casino.”

  “Can you start tomorrow? Since you’re new, I’d like to propose evenings on Monday through Wednesday, which historically no one else wants. The evening shift runs from 4:00 in the afternoon until 10:00 pm. You can work the day shift on Saturday and Sunday, which runs from 11:00 am until 4:00 in the afternoon. That gives you Thursday and Friday off.”

  “I can handle that. I’m going to assume that if I see you during my shift, you are just my boss and nothing more.”

  “I think that’s the safest approach. This is probably overkill, but what if we used a code word if we need to talk?”

  Rebecca laughed; she liked this guy already. She asked him in a whisper as if they were co-conspirators, “What should we use as a code word?”

  Englar chuckled, “Help me out. I’ve never been clever in espionage. Hell, I’ve never been involved in espionage.”