Page 12 of Calling His Bluff
He put away his phone and concentrated on finding the men. Off-season out here on the West Coast, he thought it would be easy. As the elderly clerk at the motel where he was staying had said, this time of year was perfect in Wild Rose Point because the crowds were gone.
“Fall provides a quiet, dramatic experience with fewer crowds, lower rates and opportunities for storm watching, beachcombing, and getting a chance to see migrating whales,” she’d said as if reading it off a brochure.
“In other words, rainy and cold,” he’d said, but smiled to soften his words.
She’d laughed. “The temperatures are cooler, and yes, there is rain and wind, which makes it ideal for cozying up in front of the fire. But it’s a great time to explore secluded areas of the coast, and we all love the dramatic skies this time of year.”
“That all sounds wonderful,” he’d told the woman, thinking of being curled up with Josephine watching the storm from the warmth of her bed.
As for strolls along the “beach”, from what he’d seen, the shore was rocky, slick, and hard to navigate. Nor had he missed how the town sat up on a cliff overlooking the sea and the rocky shore below.
What he’d thought was how dangerous it could be.
Jack had figured it couldn’t be that hard to find two identical twin men in this small town, even with Darwin sporting a scar. He started with the cheaper motels on the edge of town.
He thought twins would make the pair especially memorable. But soon realized they may have been making a point of not being seen together. Not to mention, both of them might not even be in Wild Rose Point since so far, he’d only seen one. Still, if one Armstrong had checked in using his own name, Jack would have found him.
-#-
Once Josephine made the decision, she moved quickly. She discovered there were eight tribal casinos in the state, with eight of the nine tribes running them. It didn’t take long to find a casino supply store where she placed an order for what she would need.
Keeping it simple, she ordered an eight-person round poker table, chairs, cards, and a metal locked box for making change. They wouldn’t need chips. They’d be playing for real money. If she ended up staying in Oregon longer, she could expand, but for now, she’d offer five-card draw—just like Clara had taught her.
She figured she could take in enough money and keep herself busy at the same time that the equipment would payfor itself. She’d have the pub cater the games. It would just be a matter of moving a few things around in the shop before her order arrived.
As she considered where she was going to put what she didn’t need, there was a knock at the front door. It startled her because the closed sign was on the door. Another knock, this one harder. “Josephine.”
Jack. She sighed, then realized she could get him to help her move things out of the main room. She wanted to be ready when her order arrived. Also, she appreciated him putting the locks on the door. Maybe he’d even found the Armstrongs and run them out of town. She realized he could come in handy if he was determined to stay in Wild Rose Point.
But as she opened the door, she realized what a bad idea it was having him around. Every time she saw him, she felt that flutter in her chest as her resolve to keep her distance became weaker.
He stepped in, bringing the distinct smells of the Pacific with him. “Doing some decorating?” he asked, indicating the chairs she’d pulled out into the middle of the room.
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said, and realized he was going to hate what she had planned. He’d think it was too dangerous, which there was that. Not that it would stop her. “I need your advice.”Men always liked that,she thought.“I’m going to start holding poker parties here until the shop sells.”
“You what?” She knew that sharp bite to his tone.
She motioned to the furniture already there. “I just don’t know where to put everything.”
“Josephine.” He stepped in front of her, blocking her from looking at anything but him. “Tell me you aren’t serious.”
“I’m going to need to make money if I’m stuck here, and since I own the building…”
“What about the Armstrongs?”
“Did you find them?”
He avoided her gaze. “No, but I’m not quitting until I do.”
“There’s no need. I figure they’ll hear about my little endeavor and let me know what brought them all the way out here to Oregon during off season.”
“And you don’t think that might be incredibly dangerous?”
-#-
Jack swore. He’d been afraid she’d do something like this. She didn’t like taking help from anyone—and especially didn’t like needing it. While Josephine Bodine figured things out for herself and clearly stubbornly took pride in doing so, she had no patience.
“Have you checked into licensing such a business in Oregon?”
