“I’ll keep an eye on her here,” Shirley answered, cutting in. “She’ll obviously be anxious about you being gone all of a sudden…”

“But should I break up with her,” I started to ask, dreading even the thought of it.

“See what you can get done today,” Sheryl advised. “Don’t deal with that piece of it yet. Just remember that you’ve got to keep Annie in the dark about what you’re up to …”

“Or she could get suspicious and spread this stuff about Harley anyway, right?” I cut in anxiously. Sheryl nodded.

I slapped my forehead. “Oh, no! That means I have to be back here by tonight! There’s something that’ll be happening in a club my friend owns, and Annie and everyone else plan to go. It will look suspicious if I don’t show up.”

Sheryl’s eyebrows knit together worriedly. “And I don’t suppose you can keep using the jet lag excuse?”

I shook my head. “I don’t think I can…”

We fell quiet.

“Is there anyone who can help you with looking into things there ..” Sheryl started to ask.

I had a brainwave. “There’s a guy who’s been helping with security arrangements for some friends of mine in New York, and who has contacts everywhere.”

Sheryl nodded, “Good. Go and call him. He may have contacts in Vegas. After you leave, I’ll tell anyone who asks that you got a message in your hotel about one of the other things that Lance had left behind unattended and that Chris hadn’t taken cared of… which is plausible because I do think there’s other stuff that I remember mentioning to Chris. If you come in late from Vegas, that could be the reason also. But be sure you show up in your friend’s club at some point tonight, or that cover won’t stand up either.”

We both heard knocking on the gate, so I laid down on the sofa again. After Sheryl had seen the last of my friends off, I jumped up and gave Sheryl a hug. “I’ll text you about what time I can make it back here.”

Sheryl smiled. “Alright. C’mon, then. I have to let you into Harley’s place so you can get your bag and stuff. Your key fob to your car is there, too, Harley said. I think you don’t have a key to get into her place, yet, right?”