PROLOGUE

 

This is bad; Lisa glanced at the mountain of muscle walking along beside her.  Really bad!  She thought about breaking away and making a run for it.  That won’t work, she realized instantly.  The man’s grip on her arm wasn’t tight but she knew that he’d be able to clamp down before she could break completely away.  Besides, there’s that other security man walking in front of us.  He’d be able to grab me before I had any chance of getting clear.  She sighed.  I’ve just got to see if I can bluff my way through…

They went through a door at the far end of the casino floor and entered a concrete and tile hallway, the sound of their footsteps echoing around them.

I hope they’re just taking me to a holding cell.  Lisa had heard stories of men—and women—that had ‘disappeared’ into the bowels of Vegas casinos, never to be seen again.  They wouldn’t do that to a cop, she told herself.  Not here in Atlantic City!

She hoped she was right about that.  She knew there was a problem with her logic …  

She wasn’t carrying a badge.

Lisa and her partner had been trying to find something—anything—on Joey Belini for months.  Everyone knew that he ran mob-owned businesses all over Atlantic City—but no one had ever found any proof—nothing that could be brought to court. 

Lisa was determined to change that.

That’s why I decided to go inside.  The two men guided her down a side corridor.  It wasn’t too hard to get hold of a waitress’ outfit…  She glanced down at the tiny mini-skirt and halter that barely covered her.  And once I got inside, no one paid me the least bit of attention.  She bit her lip.  For a while…

Lisa had been able to slip into an office she knew of behind the VIP lounge—a room that only Belini and his close confederates ever entered… 

Inside were a desk and chair and a row of file cabinets.  One—and only one—of the cabinets were locked.  Lisa concentrated on that one, using some tricks she’d picked up over the years to pick the lock.

I figured it would have private papers in it—papers they wanted to keep separate from the normal business stuff... 

She’d pulled files out and went through them as quickly as she could.  It didn’t take long to find a thick packet concerning Belini’s negotiations with the gaming commission—a packet that included a notation about ‘donations’ to some of the members.  Bingo!  She told herself before returning to the file cabinet for another search.  A few minutes more brought a list of who those donations went to—and a series of receipts.

Those receipts were the key--they gave her everything she would need to close down Belini’s operation—as well as the means to indict half of the big shots who supported him!  The DA has to see these!  She looked around the office.  I’ve got to get them to him!  

She thought about hiding them in her halter—but quickly realized that wouldn’t work.  I needed to hide them in the office, she remembered.  Someplace where I could find them later when I came back with a search warrant.  She’d scanned the room until her eyes found the perfect spot.

I managed to get all the receipts hidden and had just gotten the file cabinet re-locked when that damned security chief walked in on me.  Apparently, her entrance had triggered an alarm in Belini’s office—one that had brought the head of security on the run. 

Lisa tried to talk her way past him—but it was no use.  Within seconds she found her arm held by the muscular hulk that had accompanied him—and within seconds the three of them were making their little parade down the central aisle of the casino and into the back corridors where they were now.

I wonder where they’re taking me? Lisa had been doing her best to keep track of the turns they had made and thought they were near the rear of the building.  Are they just going to toss me into the alley?

A second later, she realized that was just wishful thinking.  Nope.  They walked past a set of doors and made a turn.  They’re not just going to rough me up and throw me out.  She frowned.  Too bad.

They made one more turn and stopped in front of an elevator.  The security man ran a card through a scanner and waited until the door opened…

Uh oh.  Lisa didn’t think she wanted to go where that elevator would take her—but she really didn’t have much choice.  Muscles led her into the mirrored car, his hand tightening just enough to show her that she really wasn’t going to be able to break away.

When the door silently slid open once again, she found herself in a totally different sort of place.  Big- shot’s office, she realized, seeing the secretary’s desk that fronted the elevator door.  I wonder…

“This the one?”  The voice came from her left and she found herself dragged around to face a dark-haired man of medium height dressed in a very expensive suit. 

It’s him!  Her eyes widened.  Belini himself! 

“I found her in front of one of the filing cabinets in the office behind the VIP area.”  The security man nodded toward her.  “She’s got no ID of any kind on her.”

“Okay, girl.”  Belini leaned close.  “Who are you and why are you here?”

“I work for you, Mr. Belini.”  Lisa made it come out as straight as she could.  “I just started…”

“That won’t work.”  The man shook his head.  “I know all my employees—and you aren’t one of them.”  He touched her chin, held her eyes.  “Who are you?”

Lisa sighed and decided to tell the truth.  “I’m Detective Lisa Linton of the Atlantic City Police…”

“Yes,” he nodded and looked her up and down.  “I believe you are.”  A slow grin crossed his features.  “I should visit the Precinct House more often.”  He raised an eyebrow.  “And just what are you doing here Detective Linton?”

“I…”  Lisa hesitated.  What do I tell him?  She thought hard.  I can’t tell him the truth!  She licked her lips, then shrugged and told him: “I can’t say.”

“Indeed?”  Belini smiled.  “That means you don’t have a warrant and that there’s no SWAT team on back-up ready to bust in here and haul you out.”  His smile widened.  “Interesting.”  He turned away, motioned to the security man.  “Put her in the holding cage until I can decide what to do with her.”  He smiled.  “Make sure she’s comfortable.”

“Yes sir.”

And so it came to pass that, just a few moments later, Lisa found herself handcuffed to a chair in a six by six foot room staring at her reflection in the mirror that dominated one whole wall. 

This is really bad!  The security man had allowed her to sit before cuffing her hands to the chair—and the bolt driven into the floor beneath it--but hadn’t given her the instant she needed to smooth the tiny skirt down properly.  The thing was barely covering her hips and, she was sure, presenting quite a picture to the men who, she had no doubt, were watching from the other side of that mirror.

She was right.  Belini and his security chief were both watching—and Lisa, truth to tell, was worth their time.  Tall and slim with the sort of legs that starlets claim to have insured, Lisa was a very striking girl.  Just the kind of girl that Belini would have hired to service his High-Rollers…

“She’s not bad.”  The Don muttered.

“Tits are kind of small.”

In the cell, Lisa pressed her knees tightly together, reddening slightly at the thought of what the men outside were seein..

This outfit is indecent!  She glanced down at the minimal skirt and scanty halter that were the uniform of the high-roller servers at Joey Belini’s Tropicana hotel.  I mean, just sitting down hiked the damn thing all the way up to my waist!  She raised her ass on the chair and tried to get wriggle enough to get the skirt down just a little…

And realized what that movement would look like to the watching men. 

Shit!  She forced herself to stop moving.  I don’t want to give them even more of a show.  She glanced at the mirror again.  They can’t keep me like this much longer. 

 

***

 

“Make the call,” Belini headed back to his office.  “It’s the best way to handle this.”

“Are you sure, sir?”  The Security Chief glanced through the window.  “I mean, we can just make her disappear.”

“Too risky.”  The Don stopped at the door.  “Besides, she’s too good-looking to waste like that.”  He held the other man’s gaze.  “Go ahead and make the call.”

“Yes sir.”

 

***

 

In the cell, Lisa twisted her hands, trying to find any kind of give in the cuffs linking her to the back of the chair.

Nothing moved.

They’ve got to do something soon…  She glanced at the window.  They must know that someone will check up on me eventually…

She bit her lip when she thought how long that might take.

I hope Rosa gets to the drop soon.  She bit her lip again.  She and her partner had made contingency plans if one of them missed a meeting—those plans involved going to a specific drop point and looking for a message—a message Lisa had not taken the time to leave.  And figures out what happened to me…

She glanced at the mirror again.  Figures it out before it’s too late.  She looked at her long legs and rattled the chain of her handcuffs.  A picture of her old partner, Bob Fanelli, popped into her mind.  Too bad Bob decided not to move into Detective Division when he got back from the desert.  She thought about his quiet competence during the time they’d been together—and the fun they’d had playing with her all tied up on his bed.  He’d figure out where I was.  She was certain about that.  And he’d get a big kick out of this costume I’ve got on!