He pulled out the high seat and perched on it. “If you’ll teach me, missy.” He winked at her and watched her smile tighten as if to put distance between them. That was Cory, never saw her own beauty, always toed the company line, always held men at arm’s length.
Maybe it was time his daughters met. Cory could learn a lot from both her sisters, the kind of stuff her old man couldn’t teach her.
“Would you like to buy some chips?”
“Sure. Give me two hundred worth.” He tried to hand her two crisp bills.
She tapped the table. “Lay them here for me, please.” She quickly counted out two stacks of chips and traded them for his bills, which she stuffed into a slot in the table.
Cosmo listened while she explained the game, his head tilted slightly as if he heard better out of one ear. He kept his eyes trained on her, but he listened to all the ambient sounds of the casino, keenly aware that an unexpected surprise could walk up behind him at any moment.
“Okay, then, missy,” he drawled when she’d finished. He laid two chips on the table. “There’s my ten-dollar bet. Let’s see a hand.”
His pair of deuces beat her king-high hand, and he doubled his money. He let out an uncharacteristic guffaw. Hell, he was starting to hate this character he’d created. But he remained at the table, despite the risks, even ordering a Blue Hawaiian from the cocktail waitress. He needed to get a message to Iris, and he needed Cory to deliver it.
“Well, lookee here, just who we wanted to see.”
Three cowboys strode up to the table and laid their money down. One pushed his hat back and grinned widely at Cory. “Set us up, darlin’, I’m in a winning mood.”
Cosmo sipped from his blue drink while the cowboys arranged themselves and got chips. A few extra bodies at the table, especially young men intent on gaining Cory’s attention, would work in his favor. Already he could see her erecting that cool façade of hers.
It took three hands, but finally he was ready. Cory turned over three jacks in her dealer’s hand. The cowboys all groaned, and she smiled. “Sorry, gentlemen. Three of a kind is pretty rare in this game. Better luck on the next hand.” She collected their bets, one by one, until she got to Cosmo. “How about you?”
“I think I may be one step ahead of you,” he said.
With a look of puzzlement, she flipped over his cards. Three queens. The cowboys whooped at his success.
“Three little ladies, don’t that just beat all!”
“That bonus bet is going to pay off big.”
“Way to go, Gramps! Now maybe all our luck will change.”
Still celebrating, they flagged down the waitress to order a round of drinks.
Cory said nothing, but recognition lit her eyes for a moment before she blinked and returned to her professional demeanor. He knew she’d make the connection.
“I think maybe I’ll call it quits here,” Cosmo said quietly.
Cory fanned his cards on the table for the camera then started to collect chips for his payout. She didn’t make eye contact with him, and she kept her head averted from the camera so no one could read her lips. “Quitting for good, or just for the day?”
“For good. When fortune deals you three lovely queens, you’ve got to think about them and do what’s right.”
“So, good fortune is what you’d call this?”
“That and talent.” He grinned at her then glanced at the cowboys to make sure they were still occupied. “Don’t worry, I’ll be sure to lose these chips before I cash out today.” He’d always encouraged Cory to uphold a high standard for honesty, and he’d hate for her to think he’d cheated for the money.
“See that you do,” Cory whispered, then called out for the pit boss. “Bonus payout!” She stared at the three queens on the table. Moisture rimmed her eyes.
Cosmo forced himself not to reach out to her. He only had a minute more to help her understand. “A hand like that is a treasure,” he said. “A queen is always a good strong card in any hand, but three of them together like that? They’re practically unbeatable.”
Cory stared at him. “I don’t know. I imagine queens could get kind of jealous of one another. After all, there can only be one queen of any country.”
“Now there’s where you’re wrong. Each of these queens is queen of her own world. See? Hearts, diamonds, and spades. All equal in value, and I love all three of them.”
“And if I were one of those queens, which would I be?” she asked softly.
“The queen of spades. You have the power to bury me, as well as the power to dig me out.”
“And what of the other two?” Her voice was small, like a tiny child.
It about broke Cosmo’s heart. He’d only wanted the best for his girls. Had he failed them all? His index finger tapped one card, then the other. “The queen of hearts has blond hair and a heart of gold, and the queen of diamonds is the keeper of the gems.”
Her gaze dropped to the cards then lifted to meet his again before she nodded. The pit boss arrived and approved her payout while the cowboys clapped Cosmo on the back.
“I’m going to call it a day.” Cosmo separated a healthy portion of chips and pushed them back toward Cory. “A tip for the lovely lady.”
“Thank you, sir. Will I see you again?”
“Not soon. I’ve got to finish up one more project before my retirement officially begins.” With a wave, he turned and headed toward the slot machines. Only when he reached the first row did he dare to turn back for a quick look at his daughter.
She’d returned to the game, every inch the consummate professional he’d taught her to be. No matter how much inner turmoil, Cory had learned young to stay focused on the cards and the routine. She was schooled and disciplined.
And there would be hell to pay when he faced her again and had to really explain the past thirty years of his life.
Justin didn’t get to meet the youngest of the three sisters until she arrived at the police station that afternoon. Opening the door to the small interrogation cubicle, he spied her sitting in one of the two chairs, head bent, contemplating the floor. She didn’t seem to hear him, so he cleared his throat. “Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Fortune. I’m Detective Hunter.”
She lifted her head and swiveled her body in the chair to gaze his way, striking him momentarily senseless with an ethereal beauty, golden hair, creamy skin and the biggest damn eyes he’d seen this side of the barn owl who’d roosted outside his bedroom window when he was a kid. Unlike her neat and tidy sister Iris, this girl had the look of someone dying to be rescued.
Her gaze shifted up to the ceiling. “There’s a female named Darby on your bomb squad here who should be given a leave of absence. She’s pregnant.”
“Excuse me?” He stepped forward and cautiously closed the door. Perhaps she didn’t need rescuing as much as she needed to be locked in a padded cell.
She shook her head slightly until the mesmerized glint in her eyes disappeared. “Sorry, it was just something I picked up. I should know better than to blurt out my discoveries to strangers.” She uncrossed her legs and stood to offer her hand, surprising him with her height, which almost matched his own. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Detective. Is there any sign of my father?”
“Not specifically.” Her palm felt smooth but firm in his clasp, and he noted muscle and sinew wound up her shapely arms. And those legs of hers-even in a city renowned for showgirls, she had striking legs. Not a powder-puff fairy queen, no, this girl had the strength of a professional gymnast. He’d have to remember that. “Look, Alberta-may I call you that?”
An abbreviated laugh escaped her pink-tinted lips. “Heavens, no one calls me Alberta, not even Daddy. Call me Allie.”
He nodded an acknowledgement even as he motioned her to reseat herself. “Family name?” Were those legs of hers from her family? Certainly Cosmo Fortune’s pictures didn’t look like he’d ever exhibited any physical prowess.