Roughstock (A Gail McCarthy Mystery) Read Online Free PDF Page A

situation, my hair was up, my blush and lip gloss on, and my feet were clad in black suede flats. Fastening my pearls around my neck, I said, "I have no idea if that detective really suspects Joanna or not, he doesn't give a thing away."
    Lonny had listened quietly; when I finished he remained silent for a moment. "I guess there's nothing we can do," he said finally. "At least, for the moment. Do you want to drive down to the south shore for dinner?"
    The south shore of Tahoe is home to all the ritzy high-rise casinos; the north shore, where we were, has more of a casual air. In point of fact, I enjoyed going down to the south shore once in a while to absorb a brief blast of ersatz glamour, but this evening I had something else in mind.
    "How about a place called Nevada Bill's, here in Northshore Village?" I asked.
    "Never heard of it." Lonny looked at me, comprehension dawning. "Don't tell me. That's where Jack got killed. Gail, are you trying to poke into this?"
    "Are you telling me not to?"
    Lonny held his hands up. "No, no. How about, I'm begging you not to?"
    I smiled. "Lonny, what harm can it do to eat dinner there?"
    "I know you." He grinned back at me. "You'll find a way to get into trouble."
    "That's unjust." I pulled a charcoal gray wool jacket out of the closet and stuffed my wallet into a black suede bag. "I'm ready."
    Lonny got to his feet with a resigned look. "Lead on, Father Brown."
    Lonny drove, as his four-wheel-drive Bronco was better equipped than my truck to deal with the icy roads. We'd chugged most of the way through the little one-street town of Northshore Village, when I saw the sign that said Nevada Bill's. Characteristically, the red neon letters were fifteen feet tall, and backed by some sort of glittering silver material that sparkled vividly in the reflected glow. Nevada Bill's was Nevada all the way.
    Lonny found a parking place and we climbed out of the car into the winter night. The street was thick with clumps of frozen snow and slippery with ice. Though better than heels, my flats were vastly inferior to hiking boots, and my wool jacket felt like a layer of tissue paper. Shivering in the ten-degree air, so different from the mild Santa Cruz winter I was used to, I gripped Lonny's offered arm firmly as I picked my way down the sidewalk. Sidewalk was an overstatement, really. At the moment, it was a lumpy track through the slick, hardened snow.
    After a city block's worth of hiking-it felt like a hike to me, anyway-we stepped through the door of Nevada Bill's. A blast of chilly air followed us inside, where it was immediately overwhelmed by the central heating. In two short minutes, I was peeling my jacket off.
    Nevada Bill's was a typical casino, all maroon and gold, with lots of shiny brass trim. Lit gaming tables were islands of brilliant green baize, crowded with people, noisy with the clink of chips and drinks, the laughter and patter of blackjack in progress. Occasional whoops from the craps and roulette tables jazzed up the smoky atmosphere.
    Lonny headed immediately for the nearest blackjack table with an empty chair; he liked to gamble. I wandered around for a while, more interested in orienting myself than in playing cards.
    As Joanna had explained, Nevada Bill's was composed of several adjoining rooms. The central one, where I stood, contained the gaming tables. Two open archways at either side led into a room filled with slot machines and into a big bar with a dance floor, respectively. Glass walls at the far end of the casino screened an informal restaurant, and a small, discreet leather-covered door in one wall announced itself on a little brass plaque as the High Desert Room. Judging by the menu posted next to it, this was the elegant restaurant where Joanna and Jack had eaten.
    Further wandering on my part located five more exits. A set of stairs going up, it appeared to offices, a hall leading to restrooms and phones, and three doors, all along one wall, that showed, through