Ashes to Dust (Las Vegas Mystery)

Gilmore said. “She works as a cocktail waitress at Shillington’s Casino. One of the best shortstops I have ever seen in women’s amateur softball. And given a decent pitch, she can knock the cover off the ball.”
    “Is she a friend of yours?” Alice asked.
    “What is an accurate definition of ‘friend’ these days?” Dr. Gilmore said. “Everyone seems to be friends with as many people as possible. The more friends one has, the more successful they seem. And now they can be displayed on the Internet for the entire world to see and tallied up like a herd of cattle.
    “Crystal Olson and I don’t seem to have much in common, other than a love for the game of softball. So we don’t attend the same social functions, and we don’t pal around together. Her batting average is better than mine, but I try not to be envious of her for that.
    “We’ve played on the same teams for years, her at shortstop, me at first base. We work together like gears in a fine watch. And we play year-round.”
    “Has she ever seemed overly aggressive to you?” Alice said.
    “No.”
    “Temperamental?”
    “No. She’s always in control of herself. If anything, I would say she leans toward the personality of a wallflower. If there is any anger inside her, she uses it constructively when necessary—during the swing of her bat.”
    “Has she ever swung it at any of the other players?” Snow asked.
    “Never.”
    “Do you think she could be provoked to the point of killing someone?”
    “With Crystal—not possible.”
    Snow glanced at Alice. She shook her head.
    “We’d like to thank you for your time, Dr. Gilmore,” Snow said. “I know you must be busy. We sincerely appreciate it.”
    “I’m glad I could help,” she said, her face spreading into a broad smile. “It’s been nice talking with both of you. And, Jim…”
    “Yes?”
    “I want you to know my door is always open to you—professionally and otherwise. I think you’re an interesting individual.”
    “Thank you,” Snow said.
    “It’s not necessarily important to be successful in order to be interesting,” Dr. Gilmore said.

“Can you believe the way she was coming on to you?” Alice said.
    Alice and Snow walked side by side down the sidewalk leading to the Sonata.
    “What are you talking about?” Snow said. “Patronizing, more like. She’s the kind of woman who enjoys grinding men up and leaving them by the side of the road like a pile of gravel.”
    “She was testing you,” Alice said. “You passed. Apparently you’re the type she’s looking for. She must be tired of the stuffed shirts she usually meets. Probably has a secret craving for an untamed, rough-cut stallion.”
    Snow shook his head. “I’ve been there before. By the third date, she’d have me eating out of a dog dish.”
    They stopped at the end of the sidewalk, next to the Sonata.
    Snow turned and looked at the house. “I’ll bet she hasn’t got one male patient.”
    Alice grinned. “You’d be surprised, Jim. Not all men are like you.”
    Snow nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “I forgot about the S&M crowd.”
    A late-model Mustang pulled to a stop behind Snow’s Hyundai. The driver’s door opened and an attractive Asian with flowing, bleached blonde hair hopped out. She wore a tight-fitting red miniskirt with black heels. Her nails were long and glossy red.
    Throwing her hair back behind her as she scampered up to the sidewalk and rushed toward Alice and Snow, she smiled happily.
    Snow noticed her hands appeared quite large for her small size. Her ears seemed a little out of proportion also.
    “Were you in to see Dr. Gilmore just now?” she asked. Her voice was rough, like that of a seventy-year-old chain smoker.
    Snow nodded. “We just finished up.”
    “Isn’t she wonderful?” she said, throwing her hair back over the opposite shoulder with a hand that Snow couldn’t take his eyes off of. “I just love her. She has done so much for me. Made me whole again. I never thought it would be possible.”
    Snow arched his eyebrows. “Yes, it’s good to be whole.”
    She wiggled her fingers at them.
    “Have a beautiful afternoon,” she said. Then she sashayed up the sidewalk to the front door. She opened it and stepped inside.
    “Jesus,” Snow muttered. “Look what that doctor did to that poor bastard. Turned him into a woman.”
    Alice put her hands on her hips and shook her head. “I sincerely doubt that. You know what I think? I think it bothers you to