Page 32 of Blind Luck

“There’s a rumour he broke into someone’s home.”

“Burglary was never Shane’s thing. Last I heard, he’d gone back to school.”

“School?”

“Yup. After the Hatter got himself arrested, Shane enrolled in college for some computer course. Said he didn’t want to lose his freedom.”

That hadn’t gone so well for him. “You sure he didn’t regress?”

“I don’t know, Ari.” Big D always liked to use people’s names. “Haven’t seen him for a while. You want me to ask around?”

Big D would never find Shane, but he might be able to dig out information on who the man had gotten involved with.

“If you can unearth the names of any other acquaintances, I’d appreciate that. One more question—have you heard anything on the grapevine regarding expansion at the Neptune?”

Initial research suggested Jerry was right about Stanley Fuller being a successful businessman. He’d made his first fortune playing in the NFL, and after he retired from sports, he’d begun investing in the hospitality industry. Besides the Neptune, the Fuller Group owned hotels in New York and Macau plus two standalone restaurants in Las Vegas—Mari’s Beach Club, named after Stanley’s second wife, and the Funhouse. A big, splashy article inUSA Business Todaymagazine talked about the golf resort in Florida that the Fuller Group was planning to add to its portfolio; a small paragraph half a year later lamented the collapse of the deal.

Another write-up mentioned Stanley’s values and business ethos. He’d grown up in Maine, the son of an arborist and a housewife. After Stanley Senior was injured at work, his parents had switched to running a small guesthouse, one that Junior had inherited but which didn’t fit into the Fuller Group’s portfolio. The family used it as a vacation home now. And family was important to Stanley Fuller. So was the church—the article listed his favourite Bible quote: 2 Corinthians, Chapter 9, Verse 8.And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.Henever made a business decision without consulting the Lord first.

I couldn’t imagine the Lord telling him to send a motley crew of armed thugs after Cole Gallagher.

“The Neptune resort? Naw, nothing. Where would they expand to? There’s buildings in the way.”

“Just a rumour on the grapevine about the Galaxy. No big deal.”

“I heard Uncle Mike died, nothing else. Right in his office.”

“I heard that too. Thanks for your help—I’ll see you around.”

CHAPTER 10

RUSTY

“She’s sending a helicopter?” Rusty asked, incredulous. “Just like that, she’s sending a helicopter?”

“That’s what she said.”

“Is this normal for private investigators? You have helicopters at your disposal?”

“No, I don’t think so. But Ari knows a girl who knows a girl, and she said we need to go to the VIP terminal at the airport and wait.”

“You’re sure this isn’t a joke?”

“Ari’s contact doesn’t know how to joke. She seems real serious all the time.”

Rusty was familiar with the VIP terminal. He’d been there once before with Mav when Mav got a wild hair to fly to Reno one weekend, probably because he’d exhausted every hot chick in every casino in Vegas. At least Erin didn’t constantly hit on members of the opposite sex. Maybe this trip wouldn’t be so bad?

Once they reached the terminal, he explained to the hostess why they were there, and she seemed to know about the helicopter because she waved them into a loungeand told them to wait right there. Barely half an hour had passed when a stunning woman with tan skin and blonde hair strolled in, glanced around, and settled her gaze on Erin. This was their pilot?

“You must be Erin and Rusty,” she said as she reached them. “I’m Sin.”

“What kind of name is Sin?” he blurted before he got his thoughts in order.

“Not the one my momma gave me, that’s for sure. The helicopter is this way.”

Their ride was sleek and silver, gleaming in the sun. Sin opened the rear door and motioned them inside before hopping back into the cockpit.

“Okay, where are we going?” she asked.

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