Darby had retreated back to her place. She’d taken Fluffy with her. For as many times as she said she was fine, I could tell she was shaken up. Of course, Malone hadn’t helped.
He’d been pretty worked up when he found us there. But that was nothing compared to when it came out I’d been poking my nose where it didn’t belong. His words, not mine.
Apparently he’d already cleared Jo as a suspect, and somehow it was now my fault she’d taken a face plant into a bus. When I told him about Cliff, he yelled at me in his I’m-going-to-throw-you-in-jail voice to stay out of it.
So I went home to Missy and to wait for Grey.
Mitch was running on the beach. (He’d finally talked to our mama. Enough said.) Nikki was packing.
“You don’t have to leave.” I sat crossed-legged on the bed and unpacked as she packed.
Nikki sighed. “Mel, you’ve been very gracious, but you have a lot going on here.”
I got on my knees and dumped her suitcase contents all over the bed. I smiled, satisfied with my work. “You’ll realize soon enough, if I have something to say, I’m just out there with it. If I wanted my place back or felt you two where cramping my style, I’d have put you up in the Montage.”
Nikki tucked her hair behind her ears and stared wide-eyed at the pile of clothes. “You’re exactly like your brother described.”
“Feisty?” I jumped up and hugged her. “Come on, you guys don’t have to leave tonight.” I stepped back and grabbed her hands. “You haven’t even met Grey. Stay. We’ll take you guys to dinner at Mozambique. You’ll love it. They have the best sweet potato fries.”
She studied me, looking for something. I had no idea what. “You’ve just witnessed someone getting hit by a bus. On a scale of one to ten, how freaked out are you?”
I squeezed her hands, then let go. I plopped on the bed with a bounce. “A three. We just saw the aftermath. The actual face plant into the corner of the bus was missed.”
Nikki blinked rapidly, then burst out laughing. “I thought Mitch was exaggerating about his family.”
“Sugar, there’s no stretching of the truth needed where the Langstons are concerned,” I said in the thick Texas accent I’d worked to hard to lose.
A loud and obnoxious banging interrupted our giggle fest.
“Someone’s really mad,” Nikki said, looking toward the door.
Who was interrupting our bonding moment? Caro? Had she already discovered I had the brooch?
“Open the door,” Cliff’s drunk voice bellowed. “I know you’re in there.”
Definitely not my lovely cousin.
“I’ll be right back.” I made my way to the door and opened it a crack. “Didn’t we just talk this morning?”
“Shay outta my life,” he slurred.
Someone was drunker than a skunk. And smelled like one, too. “You killed your ex-wife.”
“Nooo.” He shook his head, slacked-jawed, as he spoke. He looked a little like Missy when she shook.
I don’t know why I was arguing with a drunk man, but it seemed I was glutton for more Malone punishment. It wouldn’t matter to him that Cliff had sought me out.
“Jo’s dead,” I said. I opened the door wider. “It had to be you. You showed up at her place and argued about money. When she told you she wasn’t giving you any more money you got angry and whacked her with Fluffy’s Emmy.”
“You’re a liar.” He got right up in my face, his dragon breath singeing my eyebrows.
Nikki appeared behind me with my Louisville Slugger. My back up. “Do I need to call the police?” she asked, making sure Cliff could see the bat.
“Yes,” I said.
“No,” Cliff growled. He swayed back and forth as he stepped back.
I’m sure he was having visions of a different bat coming at him.
“Hey, I know you.” Nikki pushed her way in front of me and poked Cliff in the chest with the bat. He almost landed on his rear, but managed to right himself. “What are you doing here? Are you following me?” she asked.
Cliff wiped the sweat off his forehead. “I don’t know you.”
“Yes, you do. I’m Nikki Espinoza. Well, now I’m Nikki Langston. I’m one of the pit bosses at the Luxor casino.”
“Congratulations.” He saluted her with his right hand.
“It’s you.” She turned to me. “I kicked him and his card counting brother out of my casino. They’re lucky they’re not banned from The Strip.”
“When did you kick him out?” This was news to me. No wonder Cliff was so surly.
“A couple of weeks ago.”
Cliff swayed back and forth trying to focus on Nikki. “You look different.”
“Do you remember what day of the week that was?” I asked Nikki.
“Sure. It was a Monday. I only work Fridays through Mondays. Why?”
I swung around to face Cliff. That was the night Mona had died. “You’ve been telling the truth. If you were still in Vegas, there’s no way you could have been here.”
“I told you I didn’t kill Mona,” he yelled just before he passed out on my front step.