Sandy Tobias

When Casey pulled into the driveway, the detectives followed her to the door and they went inside. "Detectives this is Casey Damon, Tanya's best friend."

Detective Lopez took the lead saying, "If you two would have a seat on the couch we have some questions we need to ask you." Jay and Casey did as they were asked, and then Detective Lopez asked, "Does the name Sandy Tobias mean anything to you?" Jay said no and Casey shook her head as she all but stared at the detective.

"What about Corcoran?"

Jay told them, "Yes, that's Tanya's maiden name. Where are we going with this anyway?"

"There's no easy way to say this. Tanya was murdered last night about eight o'clock." Jay stared and Casey reached for Jay's hand as his tears started to flow.

He wiped his eyes with the back of his left hand and asked them, "What the hell happened?"

"We're here on behalf of the Lansing detectives, so our knowledge is somewhat limited. But we know she was shot from behind. Have either of you ever heard of Crystal's Palace?" They both said no and then they were asked, "What about Crystal Wiggins, is that name familiar?"

"No," Jay said and they waited for the next question.

"Do either of you know of anybody that might have been mad at Tanya?"

Again no, and as Jay put his arm around Casey she slipped hers behind his back and Lopez asked them, "Do you know how Tanya spent her evenings while in Lansing?"

Jay shook his head and then added, "Probably doing paper work because she's been so busy."

"What about your finances?"

"We've always had separate bank accounts and split the living expenses."

"Do you know how much she made for example?"

"Only in the most general terms. I know she wasn't worried about money though."

"What we have to tell you next is only going to make things worse for you I'm afraid, but you need to know some of the details that we've been told. Jay, Crystal's Palace is a gentlemen's club in Milwaukee,and Tanya was half owner."

Jay's world was spinning and he couldn't even manage to form a thought. Casey asked, "You mean a strip club?"

"Yes basically, but more expensive and with better clientele we were told. But there's more. Tanya danced there many times and continued with that even though she owned half interest in the business. She was a silent partner for the most part though. So this is all new to you two?"

Jay was wiping his eyes again and slowly getting control of himself as he said, "Yes, this is all new and unbelievable."

"One more thing I'm afraid. Tanya was still dancing on the nights she was in Lansing." Jay was incredulous.

"Are you sure we're talking about Tanya?"

"Yes we're sure. She had just arrived at Gina's Hideaway where she was dancing when she was shot. She was wearing her tiny costume under her sweats when it happened. Oh, and Sandy Tobias was her real name. She was arrested and printed for indecent exposure a number of years ago. The report said she was quite intoxicated at the time."

"So Corcoran was phony too then."

"That's right."

Jay allowed himself to drop back against the sofa and looked up at the ceiling as he used his anger to control his hurt and confusion. He straightened his back and started to think clearly as he said, "So along with a whole lot of other things, they'll have to question every patron there to see if some guy's wife shot her out of jealousy."

"That's right, and like you said, and a whole lot more. They have their work cut out for them. They'll be down to talk with you sometime today, so maybe they'll have more information."

"Contact them and tell them I'll be up there this afternoon."

The detectives were done, so Jay and Casey walked them to the door, and as soon as the door was closed, they walked into each other's arms and cried softly.

At least for that time, their penchant for needling each other was forgotten.

They went back to the couch and sat close to each other as he asked her, "Casey, did she ever say anything about being a stripper to you, or even talk like she was interested?"

"About once a week or so we'd do some pole dancing at the club as part of our exercise routine, but that's all. She was quite good at it in fact, but then I was told I was too."

"But you never were a stripper right?"

"What kind of question was that, of course I wasn't."

"I never would have guessed that Tanya was either."

"Okay, never mind. So you're going to Lansing?"

"Yes, I want to go see where she was working and talk to them. I want to talk to the detectives and see what they will share with me."

"What about Crystal's Palace?"

"I've already decided that I'm going to fly to Milwaukee Sunday. If Tanya was half owner, that now makes me half owner, and I intend to get a lot of information one way or another."

"I want to go with you."

"You what? What the hell for?"

"Well what do you think? My best friend was just murdered, I learn that she was a stripper and owned half of a strip club. Excuse me, a gentleman's club. Okay so I don't have as much invested as you do, but damn it I need or at least want to know Jay."

"Okay, but I won't pay for your flight to Milwaukee. I'll take care of the hotel or whatever and I'll pay for the meals, but not the flight."

"Big spender. Okay, I'll pay for my own ticket and I'll pay for my own meals. I couldn't do that every week, but I can certainly do it this time."

"We'll be getting home quite late."

"Then I'll stay in your guest room again and if it won't bother you too much I'll use some of Tanya's things again."

"Have at it Casey, you know where things are and she has other bags the closet."

Casey hesitated for just a second and then told him, "Jay, I'm so sorry and I hurt for you, but I don't know what else to say or do. I'm so disappointed in her for what she was doing and apparently had done, and even worse that she kept all of that from you and me the whole time. It's all so wrong and in so many ways."

"Thanks. My head is spinning so much that I can't even sort out what's real and what isn't right now. Casey, if you go with me to Milwaukee you'll miss work Monday."

"I can always be sick, if I can't get the day off."

"Okay, let's do it this way. We'll talk to the police and then we can check out the Gina's Hideaway tonight, and then come back here in the morning. Then to Milwaukee later in the day and then retain a lawyer Monday and maybe go to the Palace before we come home."

"You mean go to two strip clubs?"

"Yeah, have you ever been in one?"

"Of course not, why would a woman ever go into one of those places?"

"You got me. I guess you can wait in the hotel while I check it out come to think of it."

"I didn't say I wouldn't go, just that I never have before."

"Okay, but that's your call to make. Wait. If we go to the Palace Monday night we won't get home until sometime Tuesday."

"I'll take that off to just in case, so don't worry about that, but Jay, I'm a little worried about you."

"Why?"

"Because you're not grieving. It's more like you have a job to do and you're going to do everything you can to do that job."

"That's right. Casey, I love and I miss the woman I married, but I hate the woman that went to Lansing last Sunday and never came home. I hate what she really was, and the fact that she deceived me so completely and for so long and that she lied to me about what she was doing in Lansing."

"But she really was doing her job. I mean the one we knew about."

"But not her stripping on stage, and I'll almost bet screwing for bucks. That's probably just part of that scene, so I'm not so naïve as to think she was any different. She probably made more than the average because of her hot body, but she was still a stripper and a whore."

"Are you focusing on what we're going to do to bury your grief?"

"Who the hell knows, and to tell you the truth I really don't care. If that's what I'm doing then great, and I hope it helps me. I'll grieve later if that's what I need to do. I suspect however, that I'm not going to do a lot of grieving. I can tell you this too. When her body is released she will be cremated. If I or you feel the need, we'll have a gathering of her friends and we'll all get drunk and act stupid and call it a memorial for her." Casey just listened to him, but said nothing more. She was still worried about him, and if he would fall apart or explode at the wrong time or place.

Chapter Four

The drive up to Lansing was a quiet one, because neither of them could begin to get their mind around what had just happened, and what they had just learned about Tanya. Jay would get about half sick to his stomach if he spent too much time on the subject of his wife being a stripper and a whore, so he worked hard to focus on what he needed to take care of. He called Manning Engineering and told Tanya's boss about the murder, and arrangements were made so he could get her belongings from the corporate apartment. Casey was going to follow him home in Tanya's car so that detail was covered, so he focused on talking to the police and how he was going to handle it when they went to the Gina's Hideaway strip club.

It was easier for Casey to think about her best friend being a stripper, but she still couldn't begin to understand how Tanya could keep such big secrets from Jay or from her. How could Tanya do that to the man that loved her so much? She had no answers of course, but that didn't stop her from thinking about all of that.

Then there was Jay. He was so stoic and focused, and determined to deal with all of his emotions, and totally immersed himself into Tanya's life as the details were slowly being revealed to him. She was more worried about him now than she had been in the beginning. She glanced over at him and he had both hands on the wheel and his eyes were straight ahead. He wasn't even leaning back in his seat, like he was trying to physically push the car toward Lansing.

As they neared town, Jay's voice almost startled Casey as he said, "Thirty four hundred South Cedar is what we're looking for." A minute later Casey pointed ahead and Jay worked to find a place to park. As soon as they were out of the car, Jay took off at a fast walk, so Casey worked to catch up with him saying, "Jay wait for me." He stopped for a brief second and she took his hand in hers and they cut across the street, still at a quick pace, and went inside. They talked to the officer at the desk, and a couple of minutes later a guy in tan slacks and a dark maroon polo shirt appeared. "I'm Detective Mullins. Thanks for driving all the way up here. I'll take you down here to a small conference room where we can talk. Coffee or soda for either of you?" After Jay and Casey said no, they went in and sat down at a small table.

After Jay introduced Casey, Detective Mullins said, "First and foremost, I want to add my condolences for your loss. It's my understanding from the detectives in Mishawaka that they told you about what happened."

Casey watched Jay closely as he said, "Would you mind going over it in case something was left out somewhere along the way?"

"Okay. I'll just list them off and you stop me if something I say is new or different." He looked at his large hand and touching a finger like he was counting he said, "The call came in right at eight o'clock last night that there had been a shooting in front of the Gina's Hideaway. Did they tell you about that place?"

"It's a strip club."

"That's right. A very nice one as those places go, but that's what it is." Then he went back to his fingers and picking up where he left off said, "I'll skip some of the minor details and continue with, your wife was shot one time from behind. It hit her spine and went on through her heart. Jay it was over very quickly for her. I'm sorry to say, that at this point we have dozens of leads to follow, but nothing solid at this point. The strip club had been open no more than an hour and the place was really quiet, so no witnesses to work with."

"How long had she been dancing there?"

"Every other week for the last six weeks."

"So she was finishing her third week with them."

"That's right. Normally she would rotate with the other dancers until ten, but if the crowd was good she'd stay another hour."

"Who is the manager there?"

Detective Mullins opened the file and looked for a second before saying, "Gina Moseley. Do you plan to talk to her?"

"As soon as we can actually."

"Be there at seven and she'll likely be around, but don't look at her like she's the villain. Even if you don't approve of what she does, she runs a clean business."

"What she does doesn't matter to me at all. Hell, I've been to a couple of those places myself when I was younger. I'm...we're more interested in what she can share with us about Tanya. Did the detectives from Mishawaka tell you that neither Casey nor I had any idea of what she was doing?"

"Yes, they did share that with me. And you knew nothing about Milwaukee either as I understand it."

"Not a clue. We're flying to Milwaukee Sunday afternoon to pay Crystal's Palace a visit, especially since I now find myself half owner of a strip club."

The detective smiled slightly and said, "I hope you accomplish your goals."

"Detective, I hope I don't seem too controlled or hard, but even though there is a part of me that still loves Tanya or Sandy or whoever, with all of the things that we've learned, and we either know or can safely assume has happened, a much larger part of me hates her now. It's a mess that's going to take me some time to come to terms with."

"I understand. But before you leave, let me share something with you that I've had to learn myself. I see all kinds of people and all kinds of suffering and all manner of bad things. But unless or until we know the full and complete story, or as we've all heard said, walked a mile in their shoes, we'd do well not to condemn or judge too harshly. That will make it a lot easier for us to live with ourselves and our loved ones as we move on through our lives."

"Thank you Detective," Casey said, "That's good advice for all of us."

"If you have questions don't hesitate to call me and if we learn anything of substance we'll do our best to share it with you. Just don't expect this to be solved soon, because that isn't likely. Just rest assured that we won't let you or Tanya down."

Jay was first to stand up and said, "Thank you for taking the time for us. I know you have a hell of a lot to do."

"I do have, but this was important. To all of you that cared for her and to us here in Lansing." They walked back toward the front and then shook hands and Jay and Casey left.

Chapter Five

They were in the car and headed north before Casey said, "I really do think the detectives will do everything they can to solve Tanya's murder."

"I do too. I have to put that to one side though, because I can't do anything to help them. If I don't I'll be calling them for updates and I'll just go nuts. So I'll put my energies to the things that I do need to do. For me, or for us or whatever the hell the reason. I just feel like I have to do something."

"Jay I really do understand. You really do need to look into Crystal's Palace at the least since you own half of it."

"I just wonder what the hell I own half of. Maybe it's nothing more that a derelict building now."

"When will you have access to her bank records?" He gave her a hard look so she said, "What? My God Jay, you will have to deal with that you know, and if there is anything to the Palace she should show some earnings somewhere."

He looked straight ahead again and mumbled, "I'm sorry, I'm just jumpy."

"I know."

Jay used his GPS and found a Hampton Inn fairly close to where they wanted to be, so he set the route and let the electronic female voice guide them. Jay was leaning back in his seat now and he would look around a little as they made their way through town. He even looked over at Casey a few times, but didn't say anything. It was far too early to get a room because the maids wouldn't have released them, but they checked in and that started a little discussion as they left to find something to eat. "Jay, you must be crazy. Just one room for both of us?"

"With two beds, so relax. I'm not going to tie you down and rape you."

"I know that, but my god it's..."

"It's no big deal is what it is. That saves us over a hundred bucks."

Casey let her breath out and then in a softer voice said, "Okay, I'm sorry, but this is going to be awkward."

"Why, do you sleep in the nude?"

"You know I don't."

"Oh that's right, the blue pajamas."

"But you sleep in your briefs."

"Sometimes. And you've seen me like that, so again, no big deal."

She tried not to, but she smiled at him and then looked away.

They were both starved, but neither of them cared where they went or what they ate. Perry's Bar and Grill appeared, so they pulled in and went into the half dark bar, and then to the right to the small but better lit dining room.

A short and rather round young woman appeared and hardly speaking, took their orders and disappeared. Casey watched her leave and then said, "Well she won't win the congeniality award for the week."

"I hope the cook takes his job more seriously than she does." They each had a beer and then a second one with their very good burgers and fries, and relaxed.

Casey watched Jay without him being aware of it and she relaxed a little more. Jay was slowing down a little and when he took a deep breath and leaned back she felt sure that he would be okay, or at least as much so as could reasonably be expected. "Jay you look tired."

"I guess I am. In a way I feel like an old clock that was wound too tight and my spring broke. All of a sudden I feel drained."

"Let's go back to the motel and get some rest in case the evening proves to be a long one."

I have to admit that does sound good if you don't mind."

"I don't mind at all, and in fact I could stand some down time myself."

As soon as they were in their room on the second floor, Jay put his bag on the luggage stand and dropped onto the nearest bed, and Casey, though somewhat more gently, put her bag down and claimed the other bed lying on her back. As she looked up at the bland white ceiling she said, "This feels great."

"I feel better already."

"Jay, you handled yourself so well at the police station."

Still on his back he looked over at her and said, "What did you expect me to do, go postal?"

She looked across the few feet that separated their beds and said, "No silly, but you could have fallen apart. You could have ranted and raved about them finding the killer. There were many ways you could have been, but like I said, you kept your cool and paid close attention to what you were told."

"What we were told. You were there too."

"Okay, what we were told."

"Thanks for coming along by the way. Having you with me has helped a lot."

"I'm glad I do, but I wish there was more that I could do for you."

"I don't know if I'll ever get used to us being nice to each other though. It just doesn't seem right somehow."

"Well let's keep it like this at least until we get through the Milwaukee issues."

"Speaking of that, I made an appointment with a Hiram Conrad. I chose his office because it was the closest one to the Palace."

"I'll bet Matt would freak if he knew we were sharing a motel room right now."

Jay smiled and said, "Damn you're right. Once things settle down we'll have to play with his mind just a little."

Casey turned on her side and smiled as she said, "Do you realize what you just said?"