Page 38 of Rattler's Revelation
The last two apartments on our list are a bust. No one has anything additional to add. The scenarios are the same. In each case, the resident provided notice and requested that their security deposit be deposited into the Keeper’s bank account. In both cases, someone came in and packed up the resident’s belongings first.
Two hours later, we slid into booths at a diner. Bianca chose to sit with me, while Randy sat across from us.
“Feeling better?” I ask Bianca when she closes the menu.
“Not really, but I will be, eventually. You’re right, I need to wait to see if Billy is really part of this. Unfortunately, I keep remembering things he’s said and realize I might have missed something.”
“What do you mean?” Randy asks. Before Bianca can respond, the waitperson takes our orders and delivers our drinks.
“Billy made friends with every girl working at 1%. He went out of his way to be their friend. I think he did it to try to find someone to date. I’m remembering more and more women commenting about going out to dinner with him or doing something with him outside of work.”
“Did he make anyone uncomfortable?” I ask.
“No, and that’s the thing. We all thought the same thing. We saw him as a nice guy, but nothing more. We joked with him about how he was going to make some girl lucky when he found the right one. He would always turn red when we teased him. I used to think we embarrassed him, that he was shy, but now I’m wondering if he was mad.”
“You could be projecting,” Randy suggests.
Bianca sighs. “Yeah, I know. I thought that, too.”
“Try not to think about it,” I suggest. “We don’t have all the information yet.”
“You’re right. I’m going to use the restroom. I’ll be right back.” Bianca leans over to kiss me before sliding out of the booth. She then leans down to kiss Randy, too. The two of us grin after her like a couple of idiots.
“Can I ask you a question?” Randy asks. “It’s personal.”
I shrug. “Go ahead.”
“Are you planning on telling the members of the club about the three of us, or did you want to keep it a secret?”
I reel back in surprise at the question. “Why would I keep it a secret?”
“Aren’t you afraid of what they’ll think? You’re a biker. There aren’t too many bikers who will admit to fucking men.”
I snort. “Is that all we’re doing? Fucking? I thought it was more than that.”
“It is, but my question stands. You can’t tell me you’ve met a lot of homosexual bikers.”
“As you pointed out, I’m not homosexual, I’m bi,” I grin at him before turning serious. “Look, I’m not embarrassed about what we did last night. I’m excited about what the three of us are building. Before you and Bianca, I wondered if I’d ever be attracted to anyone. As for the other members of the Demon Dawgs, they don’t get a say on who I date. Maybe there aren’t a lot of homosexual or bisexual bikers, but there also aren’t a lot of women bikers, either. Our club has two. Puma won’t judge us. Well, he might not be happy that I’m bringing another cop into our club, but we’ll deal with that. I think you’ll have a harder time with your fellow cops than I’ll have with my club.”
Randy sits back with a grimace. “Yeah, you might be right about that. I’m not sure I want to stay a cop, though.”
“Really? What do you want to do?” I ask.
“I don’t know. That’s something we need to discuss together.”
When the waitress delivers our food, I glance at the hallway where the restrooms reside. “What’s taking her so long?”
“I don’t know.”
“Could you check the bathroom to see if our friend is okay?” I ask the waitress.
“She left with some guy. They went out the back.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: BIANCA
We didn’t discover anything useful at the other apartments, but struck gold at Nadine’s. I still can’t believe Billy is part of all this. He was the last person I would suspect. He was always kind, funny, and seemed to care about his coworkers. He made sure we stayed hydrated and worked quickly so we could make the most tips. I can still remember the last time I saw him. He had been joking with me about the quiet evening I had planned. He even handed me a bottle of water. I frown when I consider the gesture. If he was part of it, did he drug the water? Is that how they got the women out of the casino without anyone seeing them leave? I can’t imagine they made a habit of chasing women down as they drove home. That would draw too much attention, and these guys were all about keeping law enforcement in the dark. If he had drugged them and Walt and Tommy had carried the women out of the casino, then what happened to their cars? I make a mental note to tell Rattler and Randy about my suspicions. The bottle of water Billy gave me may still be in my locker. I can’t remember if I put it in there or left it on top. Either way, it might still be salvageable. Randy could check the contents. That would give us more information about how these fuckers operate.
After washing my hands, I open the restroom door and see a pair of cold, blue eyes staring back at me. I stumble back as Billy reaches for me. Before I can call out, he jabs a syringe into my neck, and the world goes black.
