Private Vegas (Private 9)

“Yeah?”

She cupped her hands together, went into a crouch, blew on imaginary dice, and rolled them out onto an invisible craps table. “Baby needs new shoes.”

“Baby can get as many shoes as she wants.”

“Awww,” she said. “Thanks, Jack.”

I punched in Cooper’s phone number, listened to the line connecting with his lodge on Red Ridge in Aspen. When Cooper answered the phone, I said my name and told him that I was the owner of a private investigation firm in LA.

“Do you have a couple of moments, Mr. Cooper? There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”

Chapter 70

BRYCE COOPER WAS understandably confused by my call.

“What’s this about? Who are you?”

I repeated myself, and Cooper said, “I’ve got time. Nothing but time. I’m waiting for my wife to get dressed. Could be hours.”

“Mr. Cooper, do you know Tule Archer?”

“Sure. I know the Archers. I went to their wedding. What about Tule?”

I did my best to tell this bad story clearly and gently.

“Hal Archer is my client, Mr. Cooper, and I’m sorry to tell you that Tule has been murdered and Hal is being held pending his arraignment.”

He said, “They think Hal killed Tule? I can’t believe what I’m hearing. That’s crazy.”

I said, “Hal said that Tule was threatening his life.”

Cooper said, “He never said anything like that to me.”

There was a long silence, then Cooper said, “I’m just dumbfounded. This is going to kill Barbie. She loved Tule. I guess I have to tell her.”

“Of course, Mr. Cooper, but I was wondering how you and Barbie were getting along.”

“What? Me and Barbie? I guess not too bad. She’s a nice girl. A little wild. Aspen is kind of stuffy for a frisky kid like Barbie. But I keep up with her pretty well. Why?”

“Has she ever threatened you, sir?”

“Threatened me?”

He stopped right there and I let the silence go on for more time than was comfortable. The longer it stretched, and the farther it got from Cooper shouting, Are you crazy?, the more certain I felt that Barbie had threatened Cooper. That he was running over things in his mind, unsure how to answer.

“No, she’s never threatened me. But I’ve noticed odd things. Phone calls, coming in and going out, late at night. Uh. She got a gun…Anyway, why am I telling you this? I don’t even know you. And if you’re looking for work, forget it. Don’t call me again, Morgan.”

“Mr. Cooper. Sir. Watch out for yourself. I think your wife might try to kill you.”

Cooper hung up, and so did I. I didn’t feel that I’d done anything more than scare him. Or maybe I’d gotten Cooper crazy enough to harm his wife in “self-defense.”

Now I was worried about two people I didn’t know.

Chapter 71

SCI WAS STANDING at the tall desk in his office, transparent flex screens forming a semicircular shield in front of him. He was engrossed in the new info about the car bombs—the death of teen star Maeve Wilkinson had finally ignited the LAPD.

Sci understood the value of reciprocity. He had made friends and acquired contacts during his six years at the city’s lab, and now, he and the city shared information selectively.