The Goddaughter Does Vegas Read online

  “Not here, boss,” said the goon.

  “Okay, driver’s license.”

  This was weird. I decided it was time to bring out the big guns. “Probably at this point I should tell you about my uncle Vince.”

  “I know your uncle Vince,” said the man behind the desk.

  Crap.

  I watched the goon flip through my wallet. He handed it over to the man behind the desk.

  “The print is too small. Read that, Ricky.”

  “May fifth, 1988,” said Ricky.

  The big man looked up. “That your birthday, sweetheart?”

  I was baffled. “Yup. You could have just asked me.”

  He stared at me now. I wasn’t sure he liked what he saw. “Rita was right. So Marie is your mom. Sure looks like Marie did, I’ll say that. Doesn’t act like her though.”

  Marie? This guy knew my mom?

  “Who are you?” I blurted out.

  “Frank Portobello. Yeah, like the mushroom, but don’t say it.”

  I got the impression it might be unhealthy to say it.

  “I run this joint.” He swept a big hand through the air.

  By joint I assumed he meant the Necropolis, not the back end of the dress store.

  There was a commotion out in the hall. A few shouts, and then something big hit the floor. For a few moments we all stood listening, transfixed. Ricky woke up first and rushed to the door. I was right behind him when he opened it.

  Two guys lay on the floor. Micky was out cold. The other was holding his crotch and moaning.

  “Your thugs need better manners,” said Pete, shaking his right hand.

  “And you decided to teach them some.” I shook my head.

  “You know this guy, Gina?” said Frank Mushroom.

  “Kinda. We’re getting married tomorrow.” Wow, that felt good to say.

  “Useless bunch of pansies,” said Frank, shaking his head at his men on the floor. He turned to Pete. “Come in and join the party.” He walked back to his desk and sat down.

  “You okay, babe?” said Pete. His sandy hair was somewhat ruffled.

  I nodded.

  “Nice dress.”

  “Thought you’d like it,” I said. “But it ain’t gonna happen. These sequins are like knives under my arms.”

  I turned to Mr. Mushroom and made the introductions. “This is my fiancé, Pete Malone. Pete, this is Frank Portobello.”

  Pete raised an eyebrow. “Like the—”

  “Don’t say it,” I interrupted. “He owns the Necropolis.”

  “Pete Malone,” said Frank. He turned to Ricky. “That sounds familiar. Do we know a Pete Malone?”

  Ricky thumbed his smartphone. We all waited. “Quarterback,” he said finally. “Retired in 2011 due to he got clobbered.”

  Frank nodded. He seemed to approve of the football. Or maybe the clobbering.

  “And you snatched Gina and brought her here because…?” Pete still cradled his right hand in his left. I hoped he hadn’t broken anything.

  “I wanted to meet her,” said Frank.

  It was my turn to raise an eyebrow. “Why?”

  He gazed at me long and hard. The next thing he did was surprising. He gave me a wide smile.

  “Because I’m your father.”

  FOUR

  I was in too much shock to do anything but stumble and curse. So I did both.

  Pete caught me before I fell. “Hold on there, babe,” he said.

  “I’m not fainting!” I said. Okay—I yelled. “I tried to move and my foot got caught in the hem of this dress from hell.” The bottom of the dress trailed on the floor around me. This is what happens when some goon kidnaps you from a change room before you can put on your shoes.

  “My fault,” said Frank. “Probably I should have given you some warning.”

  I glared at him. “Sure. Like, maybe leave a phone message. Or send a scented note. How the hell do you warn someone that they may have a dad who never bothered to come forward before?”

  Okay, so I was a bit pissed. The room went dead quiet. I felt Pete lower his hand to his pants pocket. What the hell—was he carrying?

  Frank frowned. But he kept his voice level. “You don’t know the whole story. Marie kept you a secret. I didn’t even know you existed until recently, when Rita put two and two together.”

  “And when was that?” I had to know.

  We were interrupted by more voices. One was familiar.

  “Oh, dear. Obstacles,” said the new voice. “Bruno and Micky. Just tiptoe around them.”

  “Does this happen often?” said the familiar voice.

  “Nico?” I called out.

  He appeared in the doorway. “Hi, Gina. This is so exciting. I’ve finally met my long-lost cousin in person.”

  A zombie clone of Nico followed him into the room. Same height. Similar lanky body. Same grin. Close-cropped hair. Eyes lined with black. Take away the zombie makeup and they could be brothers.

  “Gina, this is my son Salvo,” said Frank.

  “OH. MY. GOD. You’re my half sister!” said Salvo. He ran over and threw his arms around me.

  Yup. Definitely related to Nico.

  “Watch the sequins,” I said to Salvo. “They’ll cut you like lethal weapons.”

  He backed up. “You’re right. They’re fiendish.”

  “Are you the reason we’re all here?” I asked him.

  He put up a slim hand, like a stop sign. “Guilty as charged. When Nico emailed me that you both were coming, I told Rita. She told Dad. And then she told us who you really are.”

  The phone on Frank’s desk rang. He picked it up and turned away from us.

  “Really!” said Nico, clapping his hands together. “That is so Hollywood. We could be in a movie or something.”

  I glared at him. This was not the sort of movie I wanted to be in. Particularly as I had no script. How was I supposed to react to finding out I had a live father?

  Mom never talked about my dad. Nobody did. They all clammed up when I asked. I’d been led to believe he disappeared from the scene when Mom found out she was pregnant. Nico and I had assumed he was scared of the family. Or that he’d had reason to be scared of the family. Meaning they had given him a one-way trip into the next world.

  We’d been wrong on both counts. My father hadn’t even known that I existed. How weird was that?

  I watched him gesture wildly as he talked on the phone. I tried to think about what this would mean for him. He must have been shocked too.

  “Salvo designed this place, Gina. He’s an architect,” said Nico.

  “You designed the Necropolis?” I was impressed. And glad to be distracted from my thoughts.

  “The theme was Rita’s idea,” said Salvo modestly.

  Fourth time I’d heard that name. “Who exactly is Rita?” I said.

  “Dad’s younger sister. She’s our aunt,” said Salvo. “She hung out with your mom when they both worked in Vegas that summer.”

  My mother worked in Vegas one summer? She had just turned eighteen when I was born. The jigsaw puzzle was starting to take shape.

  “She looks a lot like you,” said Salvo. “You’ll love her.”

  “I’m sure I will,” I said. One thing for sure, I was anxious to meet her. Rita could fill in the pieces that were missing.

  It was bizarre. All of a sudden I had a new crop of relatives. Unfortunately, they were in the same business as the old crop was. I glanced over at Pete, wondering how this would go down. Like me, he wasn’t a huge fan of the family business.

  Pete looked at his watch. “Look, sorry to do this, but I have to dash. I have an appointment. Will you be okay with Nico for a while?”

  “What appointment?” I said. Why would he have an appointment in Vegas?

  He grinned. “To pick up our marriage license. No need for you to come. I preregistered online from home.”

  “Oh!” I brightened. “Okay.”

  “I also want to check on the chapel, so
I may be a while.”

  Chapel! My heart took a little leap. “No problem,” I said. “Nico and Salvo can keep me company.”

  “Before you go,” said Salvo, “let’s exchange emails and phone numbers so we can keep in touch. I’ll give you Frank’s and Rita’s too.”

  “Good idea,” said Pete. He took out his cell phone, and so did I.

  After that Pete leaned down for a kiss. “I’ll text you when I’m done.” Then he left.

  I turned to look at Frank. What was I supposed to call him? Now that was a good question.

  He caught my eye and covered the phone with his free hand. “I have to take this. Tomorrow I’m in Chicago. Let’s meet for lunch alone when I get back. I’ll be in touch.”

  I nodded as he turned back to the call. Frank was top dog here. I understood the demands of being at the top of the food chain. But this was kind of a letdown after all the drama.

  “Well,” I said to Nico and Salvo. “I need to return this torture device to the dress shop. Who wants to come?”

  “I do!” said Nico. I wasn’t surprised. Nico was always game for shopping.

  “Me too!” said Salvo. He slapped a hand to his forehead. “Oh, wait! No, I can’t. I have a meeting. Can I text you later? Or meet you somewhere?”

  “Make it my room,” I said. “I think it’s registered in both our names. If not, it will be under Pete Malone.”

  Salvo clucked his tongue. “Silly. I already know that.”

  Of course he did.

  FIVE

  Nico and I returned the dress. No problem there. I assured Lara, the shop manager, that I would come back later to try on less lethal gowns.

  Ten minutes later Nico and I were outside the door of my hotel room. It was a corner room at the end of the hall.

  “I’m on the same floor,” said Nico. “Just down the hall. Probably I should warn you. Em…don’t expect the usual hotel room.”

  I shoved the door card into the slot. “I think the gargoyle door knocker gave that away, Nico.”

  The card reader flashed green. I pushed open the door.

  “Oh, wow,” I said.

  “Is that a good wow or a what-the-hell-is-this wow?” Nico seemed anxious.

  I grinned. “A bit of both.” The walls of the room were painted gray. My eyes were immediately drawn to the side wall. I walked to the middle of the room and started to giggle. The bed was a king-size coffin, complete with brass handles. The mahogany wood shone, and the duvet cover was ivory satin. The headboard was a giant tombstone.

  “Oh, my god, our names are on that tombstone!” I said. I dumped my purse on the duvet.

  “Ah, the magic of modern technology,” said Nico. “Truly amazing, isn’t it? Did you see the bathroom?”

  I followed his pointing finger. “It’s that crypt over there?” I smothered another giggle.

  “It’s not as dark when you get inside.” Nico peered in through the door and switched on the light. “Really, it’s swanky and ultramodern, Gina. Just like the one in my room.”

  I was still processing the faux-stone mural on the wall. Morticia Addams would be at home here. I wondered what Pete had thought of it. I could tell he had already been here. Our luggage was placed neatly beside an overstuffed coffin divan.

  I decided to try out the crypt. It was creepy in a fun way. The mirror had a dark gray, carved frame reminiscent of medieval castles. Skeletal hands held the toilet-paper roll. The toilet and shower were pretty much standard, but the faucet handles on the sink were cute little skulls.

  When I returned to the bedroom, Nico was staring out the window. Happily it was a real window. It had a nice view of the strip, not a graveyard.

  He said, “Well, that was an interesting meeting. Isn’t every day you meet your own father.”

  “Yup. Usually only happens once. And most people aren’t old enough to remember it,” I said. No question, I would remember this day, all right.

  Nico turned from the window. “Don’t forget you have to cancel the Amazon purchase,” he said.

  “Right! I want to do that right away.” I grabbed my purse and pulled out the cell phone.

  The second I turned it on, it binged.

  “Holy crap, Nico! There’s another message from Amazon. This time about an order from Sparkle City Jewelers!” I stared at the screen. “A diamond tennis bracelet? Four thousand dollars?”

  Nico grabbed the phone from me. He thumbed it a few times and then said, “Okay, this is getting serious. Someone has obviously gotten your password to Amazon. They’re ordering things on your account. You’ve got to get in there and change your password immediately.”

  I sat down with a thump on the edge of the bed.

  “Wait!” Nico’s eyes were blazing. “First contact your credit-card company and cancel the card number you have attached to Amazon. If the card is canceled, the person can’t complete any more purchases.”

  “That makes sense.” I grabbed my purse and reached for the card in my wallet. “Nico, this is awful. I feel sick. My heart is racing like crazy.”

  “Don’t worry,” said Nico. He clucked in a reassuring way. “We’ll sort it out. It’s a good thing you caught it so soon.”

  I spent the next ten minutes on the phone. The friendly customer-service rep wasn’t surprised by my call. Apparently credit-card fraud is as common as crows. Now why did I think of that comparison?

  I clicked off finally and looked up at Nico. “That’s done. They’re sending me a new card.”

  “Good. Now go into Amazon and cancel those orders before they get shipped.”

  I nodded. My thumbs started the process to get into the website. “I’m really glad you’re here, Nico. I’d be lost without you.”

  Nico sat down next to me on the bed. He reached over with one arm and gave me a shoulder hug that meant more than words.

  A minute later I was still staring at the screen. “That’s funny. It won’t let me in.”

  “What do you mean?” said Nico. He peered over my shoulder.

  “It says I put in the wrong password.”

  “Uh-oh,” said Nico. “I should have thought of that.”

  “What?” I said. This was getting creepy again.

  He frowned. “If they broke your password, they probably changed it. So now you can’t access the account. Only they can.”

  “Cripes,” I said. “What does that mean?”

  He sprang up from the bed and started to pace. “It means you can’t cancel the orders. At least, not by email. You’ll have to phone them.”

  I flopped back on the bed, looked at the ceiling and groaned.

  SIX

  “Actually, before you do anything, let me phone Stoner. He may have some insight into this.” Nico reached into his pocket for his own phone.

  Stoner is a friend of ours back in Hamilton. Stoner is a nickname, of course. It sort of does double duty. His dad owns a company called Stonehouse Security, and Stoner is the computer whiz behind it. Which is all pretty amazing, considering his bad habit.

  After a few moments I heard, “It’s Nico. We need your help. Call me back when you get this.”

  “He wasn’t answering?” I sat up.

  “Nope. Probably still asleep. He keeps weird hours.” Nico pocketed the phone. “Don’t worry, Gina. We’ll get this sorted out. In any case, they can’t order anything more on your credit card. That’s been canceled.”

  “I wouldn’t mind a diamond tennis bracelet,” I said. But I wasn’t so keen about paying for one.

  There was a knock on the door. Nico looked at me. “Expecting anyone?”

  I shook my head. “Only Salvo, maybe.”

  There was a second knock.

  “I’m coming!” I yelled. I propelled myself off the bed, walked over and opened the door.

  A smiling bellhop faced me. He held a long box in both hands.

  “Delivery for Miss Gina Gallo,” he said brightly.

  I looked down at the box, which was tied with a big pink-s
atin bow. “Oh, how nice!” I said. “Nico, have you got any money for a tip?”

  Nico appeared at my side and handed the young fellow several bills.

  “Thank you!” he said with a big grin. “Have a great day!”

  “That was generous,” I said to Nico.

  Nico shrugged. “They don’t make a lot.”

  I placed the box on the coffee table and ripped into it. “Roses!” I exclaimed. “Aren’t they gorgeous?” I picked up one and breathed in deeply. Bliss.

  Nico peered over my shoulder. “Red, long-stem. Perfect for a Christmas wedding. Are they from Pete?”

  “They must be,” I said. “Oh, here’s the card.” I pulled a small envelope out of the box and opened it.

  “That’s weird,” I said. Nico waited. I passed him the card. “Read this.”

  Nico read the message out loud. “Love, Ernie.” Then he glanced up at me. “Who’s Ernie?”

  “No idea,” I said, truly puzzled. “Do we have an Ernie in the family?”

  Nico shook his head. “Not that I know of. Maybe he’s from here?”

  “The only people I’ve met so far are Frank and his sidekicks. Micky, Ricky and Bruno. No Ernies, as far as I know.”

  “Well, it’s a mystery,” said Nico. He clapped his hands together. “I love mysteries.”

  “I don’t know that I do,” I said. This was a bit much. Especially after the whole Amazon thing. I was starting not to like surprises.

  “Maybe you have a secret admirer.”

  I moaned. “Great. Pete is going to love that.” We just stood there, staring at the box. “More likely they just made a mistake. Delivered them to the wrong room.”

  “Except the delivery guy said they were for Miss Gina Gallo,” Nico said. “He used your name.”

  “Crap.” I put the rose back into the box. “What should I do with them? I’d actually prefer Pete not to know about this.”

  There was another knock on the door. I made a mistake and went to open it.

  A little old man stood there. He had gray hair and a great big grin.

  “Hi, Gina! Oh, my. You look just like your photo,” he said happily. He shoved a bouquet of flowers in my face.

  I backed up and slammed the door.

  “Gina! Peaches!” cried the voice from the other side. “It’s me! Jerry!” The knocking continued. “Sweetie, open the door!”