40. Sean
SEAN
“ P rofessor, follow me. The photos we were discussing are in my office,” I say, escorting Paxton out a back entrance of Pinot & Pie.
As I prearranged, my security guys essentially surround us, maintaining a short distance on all sides.
We take the route through the casino even though it’s longer than my typical path.
I’m not comfortable giving Paxton access to the Maze.
I don’t know how much I can trust my college friend, given the potential connection between his men and Mr. Brentwood’s death.
“I’m sure the photos will bring back fond memories,” he says for the sake of our ruse.
As we’re walking, I ask, “So what happened to Lee? If she was the love of your life, why aren’t you still together?”
A faraway look clouds his eyes as he hesitates before answering.
Waiting, I wonder why I’m asking the question in the first place. But for some reason, I’m curious as to why he let such a special person go, whereas Evan grabbed Cassie tightly and practically won’t let her out of his sight.
Am I subconsciously wondering what to do about Lowri? She’s certainly become an integral part of my life. Will the desire to be with her fade when it’s safe for me to get an annulment? Or if I let her go, will thinking of her put Paxton’s look of longing and regret on my face?
Finally, Paxton saves me from analyzing my dilemma, saying, “It was my fault. I kept a secret from Lee for too long, and it came out in the worst way possible. After that, it was impossible to restore the relationship. That was the main reason she left me. There were other factors too. I’d rather not talk about it more. ”
“Understood.”
Shit. I have to tell Lowri about the requirements of my trust and the real reason for the delay in processing our annulment. Even if we don’t plan to stay together, I’d like us to remain friends.
We walk in silence until we’re at my office.
Opening the door, I invite Paxton in, signaling for the security guys to wait outside my door.
“Let’s get to business. What did you find out? Which of my employees were your guys hassling and why?”
“You should know that the guys in the video no longer work for the Rossi family. Before we parted ways, we had a productive talk. They only knew your employee as A.R. Those could be his initials or something else. They didn’t know.”
“Are you sure they didn’t know?”
“Zero doubt.”
“I won’t ask how you’re sure. Why were they involved with A.R.?”
“Your employee was into us for a large gambling debt. The guys in the video had taken the bets and wanted to collect. The gambler promised that he would have the money shortly. In the video, my guys were emphasizing that it would be bad if he were lying.”
“They shouldn’t have been doing business on my property.”
“Of course not. They no longer work for me.”
“Did you know they were also at our show the night an audience member died? They had VIP passes.”
“Oh, hell. No, I did not know that. Too bad I can’t fire them again.”
“We’ve had a few unexplained mishaps on the show. Mr. Brentwood died as a result of the last one. It’s suspicious that your men were onsite with backstage passes that evening.”
“Are you suggesting my family had something to do with his death?” he asks sternly.
“I’m merely sharing facts about two guys you recently let go,” I say as I turn my palms up.
“Okay, but for the record, I certainly didn’t have anything to do with sabotage on your show.
No one else in my family would do that to you.
If those two idiots who used to work for us did something without our permission or knowledge, then we’ll find out.
They will not get away with it. That’s not acceptable. ”
He’s turning bright red as he punches his right fist into his left palm. I’ve rarely seen Paxton mad, but he’s seething now.
“Thanks for confirming that it wasn’t you or your family.
I couldn’t imagine the Rossis would mess with my family after our long history.
It’s still strange that your guys repeatedly violated our longtime pact to keep our businesses separate.
It’s worked for our families for decades.
Why would they take bets from one of my employees? ”
“In their minds, taking a bet from someone who worked here was unrelated to your family. They have since disavowed that belief.”
“You said you’ve moved away from violence.”
“I never mentioned violence.”
“Touché. I’m still left with figuring out which of my employees is gambling more than he can afford.”
“I have one more thing for you that may help.”
Paxton pulls a folded piece of paper from his pocket and hands it to me.
“What’s this?”
“A photo of your gambler.”
“Where did you get this?”
“The two guys had a habit of taking photos of the people placing bets in case they had to track them down later. Do you recognize him?”
“No. Your guys aren’t even good photographers. A shadow covers half his face.”
“They didn’t excel at many tasks that are useful to me.”
“I’ll see if our security team can figure it out. Between this mediocre photo and the initials A.R., let’s hope they can work their magic.”
“Oh, there was one other thing. I’m not sure it means much. They said he wore makeup sometimes. The problem is that it’s common for guys in Vegas to wear makeup for personal or professional reasons.”
“Thanks. I’ll pass the info to our team. Thanks for helping me out with this.”
I text Daniel to let him know about the new photo.
“You’re welcome. Now that our business is done, tell me about Lowri. You two have more of a connection than is typical for you. I sense she’s more than your usual arm candy. What’s the deal?”
“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you. That’s a story for next time.”
“Intriguing. Evan and I are getting together in a couple of days. Let us know if you can join us.”
“I will. Thanks again. My guys will make sure you make it out safely,” I say, opening my office door.
We part ways because Daniel is waiting for me in the security office to look through employee photos.
Then it’ll be time for the hard talk with Lowri. By that time, maybe she’ll already be asleep, and I can put off the conversation until morning. She’s a night owl, so it’s doubtful, but I can hope.