Page 47 of Family Ties and Alibis

Vinnie whooped loudly. “Luigi’s the man!”

“It’s gonna cost.”

“How much?”

Luigi threw out a large number. “In cash within the hour. If you’re on board, I’ll handle the transaction and can be back with the IDs faster than you can say Quick Cash Casino.”

“We could go halves, Ma,” Vinnie offered.

Carlita’s eyes met her son’s. He loved his job. Loved running the Treasure Cove Casino. He’d worked hard, put in long hours and made many sacrifices to get to where he was.

If convicted of Sal’s murder, all his hard work would vanish in the blink of an eye. Tommy would be more than happy to step in and take over the bustling, busy casino.

She had no doubt Francesca wouldn’t shed any tears. The woman had already made it perfectly clear that her allegiance was to her children.

Carlita still couldn’t shake the feeling maybe…just maybe…the Castellini family was somehow involved in what was happening.

Not only would Vinnie’s career end, but his marriage would also be tested. Was Carlita happy her son was still involved with “the family?” Absolutely not, but the decision wasn’t hers. Vinnie loved his wife and young son.

By all accounts, Brittney also loved her husband and planned to stand by him despite the accusations.

What if he was convicted and sent to prison? Tommy would take over, running both casinos. Vinnie’s life could be crumbling right before his eyes.

Carlita clenched her fists, her jaw set in firm resolve. Money was a useful tool, a means to an end…an end to what she was beginning to believe was a setup. “Where’s the nearest ATM?”

Chapter 19

The Garlucci family had finished feasting on the leftovers Carlita and Pete put out when a triumphant Luigi tracked them down, beaming from ear to ear.

“You got the goods?” she asked.

“Yes and no. My source got skittish and limited the number of licenses to two.” Luigi handed the first to Mercedes and a second one to Gina. “I tried to get Shelby’s, but it was a no-go. I figured if I pushed too hard for a third, he was gonna change his mind and back out.”

Mercedes glanced at the photo ID. “Paige Turner? Who came up with this name?”

A slow smile spread across Luigi’s face. “It’s the first name that popped into my head. I thought about having him use your real name, but it’s kinda unusual and I didn’t want anyone putting two and two together.”

“I like it,” Carlita said. “You write stories. Paige Turner is a perfect fit.”

“What about yours?” Paulie squinted his eyes. “Gina Wright is also fitting, seeing how my wife is always right.”

“You know it,” Gina smugly replied while tucking the license into her purse. “I wonder if the HR person will bother running a background check.”

“I do for management positions or anyone working with cash,” Vinnie said.

“What about servers or cocktail waitresses?”

“Nope. It’s too time-consuming, not to mention turnover tends to be higher for those positions.”

“It’s more of a revolving door even for me,” Carlita agreed. “I run basic checks, but then I tend to be overly cautious about who I hire.”

“So, if Gina and I show up in the morning, you think we’ll be able to start working right away?”

Vinnie snapped his fingers. “The HR company’s tagline is employing every hour. It’s kinda high-tech the way they do it, almost like an assembly line.”

“What if they try to place us somewhere else?” Gina asked.

“Not a chance. Like I said, I already talked to Alec. He’ll be on the lookout for you. As soon as he puts you in their system, he’ll contact Quick Cash Casino and have you slinging drinks by mid-morning.”