Free The Dead Don't Speak by Kendall Bailey

four of them, really.
    He walked back and sat across from Cayte.
    "I'm sorry," he whispered.
    "It's okay," Cayte took his hand for a moment then let it go. "You'll love the show."
    Once they reached the RV park, which was really just a large cement slab, everyone stretched out for a nap in the air conditioning. It had been a long drive, about eighteen hours, and they needed the rest. Walter and Margaret took the bed in the back while their children shared a pullout couch in the main living area.
     
    They woke around dinner time, ate quickly, and then got dressed for the show. Margaret was stunning in her little black dress, Walter looked rather smart in the suit Margaret had bought him back in Dallas, Zach wore his trademark tee shirt and shorts, and Cayte chose a denim skirt, plaid shirt, and cowboy boots.
    "You need a straw hat," Zach told Cayte.
    "Don't joke, I own three." She smiled at him.
    They took a taxi, which Walter paid for, to the Camelot Hotel and Casino. The place was magnificent. The facade mimicked a medieval castle. The main entrance was a draw-bridge, over an artificial moat that led to a large opening in the stone exterior; a portcullis hung overhead. The centerpiece of the lobby was an enormous fountain, in the center of which was a large pedestal. Lounging atop the pedestal was a beautiful, blond Lady of the Lake. Suits of armor decorated the lobby walls. Most of the staff were dressed in Arthurian costume. It was like a waking dream.
    A friendly fellow dressed as a jester inspected their Simon Simmons tickets. He directed the four of them toward the theater entrance closest to their seats. As they walked along the corridor they passed a lady with tears in her eyes. She was babbling into her cell phone. Out of habit Zach listened to what she said.
    "He doesn't know. I don't know when to tell him. Just this morning. Yes, I'm sure. The pink plus sign means positive..."
    They were out of earshot.
    *****
     
    Sarah and Cassandra were having dinner at The Hard Rock Cafe Las Vegas, giving their plan a good once-over before going to confront Simon Simmons. Sarah had made peace with the idea of blackmailing a bastard who hit women just as quickly as Cassandra had.
    "Are you sure this will work?" Sarah asked.
    "Why not? If he wants to stay out of jail, it'll work. We're not asking for much, not from a guy who's making sixteen million dollars. A couple hundred grand is peanuts."
    "Let's go over this one more time," Sarah said.
    "Okay. After his show Simon will be with whatever bimbos his little dog has brought him. I go up and slip a note under his door for him to find when he takes the girl upstairs. It says to call our throw away phone," Cassandra held it up. She handed it to Sarah. "He calls the phone and we tell him what we want or I go to the police. He has to leave the money in the men's room in the lobby at Camelot at 7:00AM two days from now."
    Sarah stared at Cassandra blankly. Her stomach was roiling again; maybe this was a bad idea.
    "You following me?" Cassandra asked.
    "Yeah," Sarah nodded. Simmons did deserve it.
    "We wait in the lobby until we see him go in. When he leaves, we go get the money."
    "What if he has someone else waiting in the bathroom?" Sarah asked.
    "We go in with pepper spray. If anyone else is in there we hose them down."
    "Why don't we leave the note during his show? Then we know right where he'll be."
    "Because it starts in ten minutes and we haven't eaten yet."
    Sarah sat quietly now, looking everywhere but at Cassandra.
    "You remember how my face looked when you came to my house?" Cassandra asked.
    "Yes," Sarah answered.
    "You want to back out?"
    "No."

Chapter 7
    The show was about to start. Zach's stomach fluttered with excitement. Seeing what he could be and how far he had yet to climb, put a fire in his belly.
    This Simmons guy must never break character to have done so well for himself.
    "I wonder..." Zach said.
    "What's that?" Cayte asked.
    "I was saying I wonder how he