Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“That’s ridiculous.” She points at the door. “I’ve already been down there. Twice now. It’s not like I don’t know what it looks like. Plus, if I never settle my tab, you’ll never get the money for my drinks.”
“One gin and tonic and one dirty vodka martini are hardly enough to put our ledgers in the red.”
“That’s hardly any way to run a—” She stops, narrowing her eyes at me. “Wait, how do you know what our drink orders were?”
I raise my eyebrows. I dare not tell her I’ve been spying on her both nights she’s been here. “It’s my job to know, Miss Wonder.”
“It’s hardly the job of a bouncer to memorize the drinks of his club’s patrons.”
I wrinkle my nose. “I’m sure you understand by this point that Aces Underground is no normal club.”
“What if I don’t come back with Maddox? You have my credit card—my personal property—and I demand that you allow me to go down and retrieve it.”
“If you don’t want to call Mr. Hathaway or another member to escort you, you’re welcome to call your bank to get a new credit card.”
She slams her hands down on my desk. “This is ridiculous. Just let me go down there, Chet.”
Great Scott. The woman has fire. I already knew that, but this is the first time it’s manifested itself into a violent act. I like it.
This woman is the first person I’ve allowed into Aces who has the power to take down anyone.
Even Her Majesty.
The credit card is clearly a pretext. She wants to check things out in the daylight.
I noticed the Seven of Spades was hovering over her table a lot more than her other patrons last evening. Her Majesty has told me that she’s been exhibiting signs of wavering, that I should keep a special eye on her.
Perhaps there’s something there.
Either way, things have been too tedious for too long.
It’s time to invoke a touch of chaos.
“Tell you what,” I say. “Go on down.”
Indeed, Miss Wonder sneaked behind the velvet curtains and confronted the Seven. The Seven spoke—actually spoke—to her, despite the rules to the contrary.
Our Queen doesn’t believe in second chances.
The Seven will be dead by dinnertime.
But perhaps this is my chance.
Miss Wonder is a curious little kitty-cat. And the kitty will be back tonight, her claws bared.
And she deserves a little nudge in the right direction.
I already know where Her Majesty will place the head of the Seven. She picks her spots out in advance, prepares them in case of an unplanned discontinuation of service. It will be in the little clearing out by Dam Number Four in the nature preserve by the airport—the same one where I met Tim all those years ago. It was I who suggested that the byproducts of her harvest be entombed there.
I sit down and pen a riddle. I’ll slip it into Mr. Hathaway’s coat this evening whenever the opportunity presents itself.
It’s some of my best work. Without thinking, I sign it with my initials. CAT.
But then I erase them. I don’t want this coming back to bite me if Miss Wonder cocks this up.
But already I know she won’t.
For several reasons. I’ll make some insurance. The last server to be discontinued was the Nine of Diamonds. I keep a deck of cards in my desk at all times, and I’ll slip a Seven of Spades and a Nine of Diamonds into her bag when she returns tonight.
That will seal the deal.
But even without the insurance, I know she will succeed in whichever task she presents herself with.
Because Miss Wonder… She’s my angel.
All went as planned. I sneaked the playing cards into Miss Wonder’s purse in a small manila envelope when she reached into it for her ID, and I had easy access to Mr. Hathaway’s jacket when he pinned me against the wall upon his exit. A little sleight of hand goes a long way.
Again, he left Aces after Miss Wonder, but this time it was not in the wake of a quarrel. He seemed to be on Miss Wonder’s tail.
It will only be a matter of time before the pieces start falling into place like a king and queen on a chessboard.
I’m overjoyed when my burner phone rings in the dead of night.
I turn on an app to distort my voice and dictate the second half of the riddle to Miss Wonder. It’s well written, some of my best work.
Now to wait.
What has been set into motion now cannot be stopped.
A knock at my door.
No one knocks at my door.
I slowly sit up from my inflatable couch and cross the room, look through the peephole.
My heart palpitates as I realize Her Majesty is at my door.
She’s draped in a smart pantsuit, her hair tied back into a ponytail and an enormous pair of stylish sunglasses over her face, but even incognito she’s easy to identify. The fire of her hair is unmistakable.