Lucky Flash: A Lucky O'Toole Novella (The Lucky O'Toole Vegas Adventure Series) Read Online Free PDF Page A

pencil from the spring binding, then flipped it open and started scratching a few notes.   “Where’d he get that name?   From that Brazilian liquor?”
    That stopped me for a second.   “No, that’s Pisco.   Pismo’s a beach in California.”
    Romeo shrugged, clearly unconcerned about his poor grasp of useless details.   “Whatever.   Let’s get this over with; sleep’s a wasting.”  
    We joined Flash, who had Johnny Pismo up against a fence.   A lapel in each hand, her face inches from his, she was giving him the what-for.    
    Romeo stepped in to break it up.   “Down, girl.   I’ll take it from here.”
    Flash whirled with a scowl, her hand still fisted in Johnny Pismo’s jacket.   Her face brightened when she recognized Romeo.   She let go of her handfuls of cloth and stepped back, making a sweeping gesture toward Johnny Pismo, like a matador taunting a bull with a red cape.   “Sure, detective.   He’s all yours.   For the record, he likes it rough.”
    Wide-eyed, Romeo stared at her for several blinks, then turned his peepers my direction.  
    “Don’t let her scare you; she respects the uniform.”
    Romeo glanced down at his civvies.
    “You know what I mean.”
    Released from Flash’s grasp, Johnny Pismo stood a bit taller as he brushed at the wrinkles in his lapels with little effect.   The tattered cloth, thin with age, held every crease.   “You guys got a smoke?”
    “Haven’t you learned?” Flash asked.   “Three packs a day.   That stuff will kill you.”
    I thought Busta’ Blue posed the more immediate threat to Johnny Pismo’s longevity, but I didn’t want to get into that conversation.  
    A bit twitchy and reeking of fear, Pismo put on a brave face as he glanced from the detective to me, ignoring Flash.   He glanced over Romeo’s shoulder and seemed to relax at the sight of Busta’ Blue’s muscle corralled in the back of the squad car and guarded by several officers.   “Look, this is all a big mistake.”
    Romeo sighed and readied his pencil over a new page in his notebook.   “It always is.   So start at the beginning, and if you leave out any pertinent facts, I’ll bust your ass.”
    I crossed my arms and smiled—my young detective had added a gravelly growl to his repertoire.   Nice.
    That knocked a bit of the jaunty out of Johnny Pismo.   “Look, I didn’t steal it.   I just borrowed it.”
    I’d seen bad acts before, but Johnny Pismo’s truly sucked.  
    “I’m going to give it back.   Really.”
    “Of course you are.”   Romeo sighed and gave me a tired look of disgust.   “If I had a dime for every two-bit has-been who tried to entertain me with me that song and dance, I’d be a rich man.   Just give whatever it is to me.”
    Johnny Pismo glanced around weighing his options from the looks of it.   “Okay, but I gotta have it back.   It’s important.”   He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a huge ring festooned with an impressive square-cut diamond.
    “Liberace’s ring?   And a good fake, too.” I asked, narrowing my eyes.   I knew that ring pretty well, had held it one several occasions.  
    “Why do you think it’s a fake?” Romeo asked.  
    Flash pulled out her pad and started scribbling.
    “The real one belongs to the Big Boss.”   As I said it, some of the tumblers in my head fell into place.   So this is what the Big Boss wanted with Johnny Pismo.   “It’s one of the centerpieces of the music collection in the museum at the Babylon.”
    Johnny Pismo nodded.   “This one used to belong to Liberace.”
    Flash whistled.   “Serious?”
    Johnny nodded.   “Stole it myself.”
    “From the Babylon?”   I asked, still not connecting the dots.
    “No, from Busta’ Blue.   That’s why he’s pissed.   He’s a big fan of Liberace.”
    “Liberace.”   I allowed myself a moment.   The face of Vegas when I was young and impressionable, I’d met him numerous times, even going to his