“Too late,” she said. “Its all gone. And I’m wearing everything I bought. I’m dressed in my supermodel clothes. And I was real lucky on account of I found that photographer at the craps table and he took pictures of me so I’d have a portfolio tomorrow morning.”
“Uh-?oh.”
“What uh-?oh? There’s no uh-?oh. It’s all good. He spent a hour taking pictures, and he said they were the most fabulous he’s ever done.”
“Did you pay him to take the pictures?”
“Yeah. It was expensive, but it was worth the money. I tell you, he knows what he’s doing.”
“Where is he now?”
“I don’t know. I just come back to the casino, and he didn’t come with me. We took the pictures outside. It was cold, but he said the light was real good. Where are you?”
“I’m on the fourteenth floor. I’m waiting for Grandma to wake up. She wanted to take a nap.”
“I’ll come up there.”
I disconnected and called Connie.
“Are you still at the blackjack table?”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t suppose you have any money left?”
“Nope. Lost every last cent.”
“Maybe you’d better come up to the fourteenth floor. We have a situation.”
Grandma’s door opened, and Grandma stuck her head out. “What’s going on?” She spotted Snuggy and sucked in some air. “It’s the robber! I’d know him anywhere.” She ducked into her room and, an instant later, was in the hall with a gun in her hand. She squeezed off a shot and took out a wall sconce before Diesel could disarm her.
“She’s insane!” Snuggy said. “She’s a crazy woman. Someone do something.”
“Must be something wrong with that gun,” Grandma said. “I don’t usually miss by that much.”
“He’s lucky,” I told Grandma.
“I’m pretty sure I’m a leprechaun,” Snuggy said.
Grandma eyeballed him. “I guess that could explain it.”
Diesel emptied the gun, pocketed the shells, and gave the gun back to Grandma. “Do you have any idea how much money you’ve spent?”
“No. I wasn’t paying attention. Randy was keeping track of that.” She looked around. “Where is he?”
“He went to the men’s room.”
“Maybe the leprechaun made him disappear,” Grandma said. “Everybody knows you can’t trust a leprechaun.”
I told Grandma about Doug and Lou Delvina.
“Sounds like a lot of baloney,” Grandma said.
“I’ve got pictures,” Snuggy said, taking his phone out of his pocket. “I took pictures so I could send them to the vet in Pennsylvania.”
We all looked over Snuggy’s shoulder at the pictures of Doug.
“He looks real, all right,” Grandma said. “And he’s a beauty. He’s got pretty eyes.”