Page 52 of Family Ties and Alibis

“Could be.” Char sipped her soda. “Sal may have gotten mixed up with the wrong people, too. He was involved in some shady stuff.”

Mercedes’ scalp tingled. “Like illegal shady stuff?”

“Cheating, trying to pass counterfeit money. He was on probation for doing the same thing here, not to mention getting caught sleeping on the job. I figured Jimmy would fire his butt, but he didn’t.”

Gina whistled loudly. “Sounds like he may have caused his own death.”

“It’s possible. I try to stay squeaky clean, you know? If Sal was cheating mafia mobsters at Treasure Cove, he could’ve attracted some unwanted attention.”

Mercedes jabbed her finger toward the ceiling. “With all the cameras inside these places, it makes you wonder how he could have killed Sal and not been caught on camera.”

Char shrugged. “Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I guess I don’t believe it was the manager because I would never consider applying for a job at a place if I thought the manager was killing people.”

“You mentioned others who didn’t like him,” Gina prompted. “Is there anyone we should watch out for?”

“Maybe.” Char fidgeted, appearing slightly uncomfortable, and Mercedes suspected she thought she’d said too much.

“We appreciate any helpful tips you can give us to keep us out of trouble and employed.”

“Yes, thank you,” Gina said sincerely. “You’ve been a great trainer and extremely helpful.”

“You’re welcome.” Char finished her soda and tossed the empty can into the recycling bin. “It’s time for us to get back to work. We’ll be covering the main casino floor until lunch.”

“Lead the way.” Mercedes downed the last of her Coke and added the can to the stack.

Char took them to a different section of slot machines and blackjack tables. “It’s all yours. I’ll hang out over here in case you run into an issue.”

Gina studied the area. “Which bar do we use for filling orders?”

“Over there.” Their trainer pointed to a large, semicircular bar.

“Perfect.” Mercedes offered to handle the tables while Gina started making her rounds around the machines.

She jotted down several table player’s orders, noticing what she thought was a heavyset man with cropped dark hair observing the dealers and games being played. On closer inspection, she realized it was a woman with masculine features. Or maybe it was a man trying to look like a woman.

Mercedes pivoted, turning toward the bar when she felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle, a sign she was being watched. She casually turned, her eyes meeting the man/woman’s.

She offered a hesitant smile and continued trekking toward the bar.

Char stood waiting for her. “You covered the table section already?”

“I’m getting faster, although it’s a little harder to get the player’s attention than at the slots.” Mercedes placed her drink orders on the hooks and grabbed a stack of napkins.

“Because table players stay laser-focused, they typically spend more money than slot players. Not always, but often.” Char leaned her elbow on the edge of the bar. “Did you meet Ione?”

“Who is Ione?”

“The pit boss.” Char described the man/woman who had been watching her.

“Not yet.”

“She’s a tough nut, but I guess you have to be to run the floor.”

Raised voices rang out from the table area. Ione stood next to a dealer, motioning with her hands.

“Uh-oh. Something is going on.”

“Ione runs a tight ship and watches her tables like a hawk.”