Think Twice

“Isn’t it? Anyway, Joey the Toe was arrested and convicted for the murder of Jordan Kravat. He’s serving a life sentence in Ely State Prison in Nevada.”

“Interesting,” Myron said.

“I don’t really see what we hope to learn from the victim’s mother.”

“You know how this works, Win. We knock on doors and stir the pot and muck things up and hope something rises to the surface.”

“Our usual carefully crafted plan, then.”

“Correct.”

“Feels like a waste of time.”

“I could have come alone.”

“To Vegas?” Win arched an eyebrow. “You know I never miss a trip to Vegas.”

“Big plans, Win?”

“Golf and debauchery, yes.”

“I thought you didn’t do that anymore.”

“What, golf?”

“Haha. I thought you gave up prostitutes.”

“I did. Sort of. And you need to stop shaming sex workers. ‘Support sex workers’ isn’t just an empty progressive catchphrase to me.”

“Yes, you’re very enlightened.”

“That said, I am much more cautious than I used to be.”

“In what way?”

“I make sure that there is no abuse or coercion or trafficking going on.”

“How do you do that?”

“We don’t need to go into details. But I know.” He steepled his fingers. “It’s always been a dichotomous issue for me: I want no emotional connection when it comes to the act of sex because I feel that gets in the way of the physical pleasure — and yet I don’t want it to be cold or impersonal either. A purely financial transaction doesn’t work for me. I need to feel as though the participant — the lucky participant, I may add — is attracted to me. I need to believe I am desired.”

Win looked up and waited.

Myron said, “Wow.”

“I’m a lot,” Win said.

“You realize what you said has several massive contradictions, right?”

“We are all contradictions, Myron. We are all hypocrites. We want black and white. But it’s all gray.”

Mee, the flight attendant, came over. “We have some goodies if anyone is hungry.”

“Thanks, Mee. I’ll have the caviar.”

She looked to Myron. “The same, please.”

When she left, Win felt Myron’s eyes on him. Win said, “Never with employees anymore. Never. I think it’s why Yu quit.”

“Because you slept with her?”

“What? No. The opposite.”

Back in the day, Win would have relations with his flight attendants Yu and Mee, in part to make terrible puns, like when Myron would ask Win where he was, Win would answer “Between Yu and Mee.”

“Are you saying Yu quit because you wouldn’t have sex with her?”

“Perhaps.”

“I thought it was because she opened a successful real estate agency in Santa Fe.”

“Allow me my delusions, Myron.” Win shifted in his seat. “So how did it go with your ex?”

Myron filled him in on the conversation with Emily. At the end, Myron added, “Oh, and one thing I found interesting: Emily used to be friendly with Cecelia Callister.”

“So was I,” Win said.

“Wait, what? When?”

“A long time ago. We had a weekend.”

Myron just shook his head.

“It was glorious, if you must know.”

“No, I mustn’t.”

“She was maybe a tad performative. I find beautiful women can often be performative. Do you find that, Myron?”

“No.”

“They need to be in love to really let go.”

“That’s true of most women. Men too.”

Win cocked his head. “You don’t really believe that.”

“You never told me about you and Cecelia Callister.”

“A gentleman never kisses and tells.”

“You always tell.”

“Well, I’m not a gentleman.”

Chapter Six

A few hours later, the familiar sight of the Las Vegas Strip came into view as Win’s jet landed at what was now called Harry Reid International Airport. The landing was smooth enough to have been choreographed by the Four Tops. They taxied to a stop. Myron and Win walked off the plane. Two black Mercedes-Maybach GLS SUVs waited on the tarmac. One would take Win and his golf clubs to the Shadow Creek golf course. Win was a scratch golfer, a member of Merion, Pine Valley, Seminole, Winged Foot, and Adiona Island. If you know, you know. Win came from a long line of golfers. His ancestors stepped off the Mayflower with top-of-the-line golf clubs and desirable tee times.

The other SUV would take Myron to Donna Kravat’s residence.

“Where are we staying?” Myron asked.

“The Wynn. Know why?”

“Because it’s a good hotel in the heart of the Strip?”

“Yes, but also the alliteration. Win at the Wynn.”

“Oh boy.”