Room."
"That describes about one out of every five girls in this town. I've done a few pro bono favors for a local detective. I'm having dinner with him tonight. I'll ask him about locating her."
"How convenient. I'll talk to you in a day or two."
"You got it buddy."
Jimmy hung up his office phone and speed-dialed his cop friend, Rick Rizzo, on his cell. Rizzo was a senior detective on the Las Vegas police force. He stood six foot, four inches, an inch taller than Jimmy. Whereas Jimmy had a wiry build, Rizzo was chiseled with muscles like a power forward on a professional basketball team.
Jimmy met Rick Rizzo playing pick-up basketball games at the local YMCA. While games played on all day, working professionals met on center court at six am and/or six pm. The morning crew played for about ninety minutes, showered and would go off to work. Jimmy and Rick were morning regulars.
They cultivated a friendship based on their love of sports and women. And they were single and both fascinated with the inner workings of the mob.
"Detective Rick Rizzo."
"Riz, its Jimmy"
Rizzo went directly into trash talking mode. "Your backdoor defense sucked this morning. We could have held court for at least two more games."
Jimmy returned fire. "Well, that college boy ate you up that last game. Lucky for you he's not there every morning. Dinner tonight?"
"Sure, Anthony's?"
Paula Anthony held a table for Jimmy and Rizzo every night until around eight. If they didn't show, she'd give the table away.
"See you there about seven. Oh, Riz would you check out a local named Janelle Park. A friend of a friend thinks she's gone missing."
"Any more details?"
"Apparently, she's a dancer at the Galaxy's Starlight Room.
"Ok. Will have something for you tonight."
They both hung up. Jimmy stared out the window. Since meeting Rizzo, he's been up to his ears in clients. When Rizzo meets people in trouble, he hands out Jimmy's card. Jimmy has hired three associates just to keep up with the business. He wasn't complaining. He would cherry-pick the best cases for himself. And he still had time for morning basketball.
Chapter 4 Dinner at Anthony's
Jimmy walked into Anthony's shortly after eight. Rizzo eyeballed him as Jimmy turned the corner entering the formal dining area. As he approached the table Rizzo pumped out, "Must have taken you five minutes to scout the bar for potential."
Anthony's was a local favorite. The bar featured generous drink portions, including their one of a kind, Desert Martini. This specialty drink smelled like the desert after a rain storm and packed a insane rush. There was a three drink maximum limit on the Desert, as it was locally called.
An occasional tourist would roll in. But being several blocks off the strip, tourists would have to go out of their way to find the joint.
Paula Anthony, the owner, a dark brunette was a looker in her day. Her short hair style with side sweeping bangs complimented her cute round face. Her healthy skin color balanced with smooth facial features accented her slender five foot, five inch frame. She reeked of grace, style and confidence.
After a bicoastal background in the restaurant business and a messy divorce from a Navy Seal, she settled in Las Vegas and opened Anthony's. She prided herself in being able to cuss-out a sailor and sweet talk royalty all in the same evening.
Paula opened Anthony's nearly five years ago. The Italian restaurant was an instant success partly because she was the hostess and partly because she would run tabs for the regulars. Rizzo and Jimmy joined the regulars club shortly after they met several months ago.
"Too early for anything exciting to be at the bar," Jimmy said sitting opposite Rizzo in their usual corner table. "Did you find anything on Janelle Park?"
"She's a dancer at the Galaxy Hotel."
Paula sauntered over to the table before Rizzo could continue. Tonight she wore a low cut, loose fitting gray dress and one-inch, opened-toed, matching shoes. She leaned over to give the boys a tasteful glimpse of her ample bosom, handing them menus.
"What's good tonight, beside you?" Rizzo asked with a hint of flirt.
"Well, the veal is almost as fresh as me. But we're trying a new sauce on the yellowtail. It's infused with a potent foie gras and the sweet caponata. It's creamy and yummy."
"I'll go for the creamy and yummy," Rizzo said handing Paula the menu hoping for one more peek."
Paula looked at Jimmy and he spoke on cue. "I'll have the veal parmigiana. And how about a bottle of Chianti?"
Paula approved. "I'll get this order in pronto." She left the table making sure that the boys knew her shapely bottom was in fine swaying order. Truth be known, Paula wished she was twenty years younger, if only for a night with one or both of these hunks.
The server brought over two Evan Williams on the rocks. He said, "These are from the two ladies across the room."
Jimmy and Rizzo looked in the direction the server stared. They saw two huge bright-eyed, smiles looking right back at them.
Rizzo said, "Ask them if they'd like to join us for dinner."
Before the server could turn a go, Jimmy said "Hold it." He chatted to Rizzo, "Let's go formal tonight. I'll do the inviting."
"Suit yourself. Don't blow the free throw!"
Rizzo watched as Jimmy left the table only to return with the two smiles. Both girls were tall. Six one or two, Rizzo speculated in three inch heels. "Good evening ladies," he greeted them standing only a few inches taller than them. He pulled out a chair while Jimmy did the same with the other open chair.
Sugar and Tonya this is Rick Rizzo. Rick, still standing, reached and shook both their hands.
"Sugar," Rizzo began to make a wise crack about Sugar's name only to be cut off.
"Honey, I've heard them all. And no! I won't let you suck my finger to see if it's true."
"Sugar is not a very common name, you have to admit." Assist Jimmy, Rick thought.
"Neither is Tonya, at least in the United States," Sugar added trying to shift their attention to her friend.
A pregnant second went by before Jimmy commented, "You have patriotic taste in bourbon." He grabbed his glass of Evan Williams and hoisted a salute. "To America!"
Rizzo looked at Jimmy. "Patriotic bourbon," he questioned.
"Distilled in Kentucky," Sugar chimed in. My daddy wouldn't drink anything else.
While Jimmy and Sugar were bounding over bourbon, Rizzo motioned for the server to bring two menus.
Tonya noticed and said, "We've already ordered. Ask the server to bring our food out when yours is ready.
Rizzo
