First order of business was getting a room. Given their lack of funds, they had to choose a sleazebag motel to house them for at least the night. The girls went to the room at the end of the small strip of hotel rooms. The manager had been appropriately creepy. He even said "12 rooms, 12 vacancies." Ala Norman Bates from the movie Psycho. Karen remembered the movie and asked for the last room.
On the way to the room, Livvie asked why such a specific room.
"In the movie Psycho, Norman Bates had a hole in the wall cut in the office that enabled him to see into the first room. I know it's only a movie, but I'm still not taking any chances!" Karen laughed.
They went into the room, which had one single bed and a small couch near the bathroom door. An unidentifiable odor reeked from underneath the closet. Chea visibly winced.
"We're only here a night. A night. A night." Chea said holding her nose. She whipped out her gadget and pressed a sequence of buttons. Karen and Livvies eyebrows went up slightly as she aimed it at the bed and the gadget replicated several little Pine tree air freshners on the bed. There were six in all when she was done.
"You are certainly proficient with the time gadget." Livvie observed as she watched Chea hang the pine trees in choice locations around the room.
"I may have to stay here for a night. I will not have the stink of this room leave with me." Chea said as she hung two trees over the closet door. "The maid must have just quit."
"I don't say I blame her." Karen said. "We have a lot of territory to cover."
"Where would Catfish go?" Chea asked.
"Hes a new clone with no experience in this world. I'd have to say we start with everywhere." Karen said. "But I would bet money, no pun intended, that he would go where all the lights are."
"The strip." Chea and Livvie said.
"Right." Karen said.
"We shouldn't all go." Livvie said. "One of us should stay here in case he happens to turn up here."
Karen thought it over. "Good suggestion." She replied.
"We shouldn't be out too long." Chea said as they went to the door. "After midnight, it gets kinda creepy out here. I've seen enough CSI episodes to know that."
Livvie nodded and sat on the bed, it started to rumble and shake. She let out a shocked yelp. She popped back on her feet. "I don't mean to sound weird but the bed just came on to me. I'm not entirely sure I didn't like it either." Livvie said inspecting the bed.
"Vibrating bed." Karen said.
"Oh." Livvie said lightly touching it after it had stopped rumbling. "Huh."
After bypassing the seedier seeming Casinos, the girls arrived at Circus Circus, made famous by its casino and hotel and amusement park. The girls walked inside it.
"Knowing what we do of Catfish, he will come here first. He would fit right in." Karen observed as Chea strayed by a dollar coin slot. "Chea..."
"Just one dollar." Chea said. She smiled at Karen.
"All right, just one dollar, but dont be surprised..." As Karen said this Chea slipped something into the slot machine and pulled the lever. Nowadays slot machines still had the one armed bandit pull on it, people more often pushed a small button on the consule. The machine played a happy tune. "...if you don't..." Karen continued as each section stopped on a large "7". The last seven popped up and a huge alarm went off. Chea bounced up and down. "...win?" Karen finished in shock.
"I won! I won!" She said popping up and down. She then started to start a bad looking attempt at a cabbage patch dance as a man in a casino uniform came over to her.
"Congratulations ma'am. You just won 50,000 grand." The man said as he looked at the machine. "If you come with me, we can take care of you at the cashier window."
"Okay." Chea said with no small amount of shock. "I will be back, keep looking for Catfish." She said hugging Karen. "We can ditch the cockroach hotel and live big baby! Whooh!" She danced off with the man in the uniform.
Karen stumbled back into a blackjack table, almost bumping into a man playing a hand of 21.
"Easy baby." He muttered with a familiar sounding voice. "Don't bump me now, but I can promise we can bump later if you know what I mean.
"What a pervert." Karen thought as she turned around. She was greated by a weird sight. It was what looked like a mid thirties, early forties version of Jack Nicholson. He had that famous devlish grin on his face.
"I don't think so." She said.
"Your loss babe." He muttered. "Maybe your friend will be more forthcoming."
"Who are you?" Karen said.
Karen blinked in shock. "Are you a...."
"Clone? Yes sir." He started to say. "I'm sorry, ma'am." He made another bet and waited for the dealer to deal a card to him. "You are looking for the other one, the one you named..."
"Catfish." Karen said. "How do you know?"
"Us clones are linked up here." He said pointing to his long hair. "In our minds, babe." He sighed. "You can find Catfish going for the fiftieth time on the Whirling
Tea Cup ride. You better go fast. I think hes about to reach his limit."
"His limit?" Karen asked.
"Hes going to throw up. You might want to catch up with him soon." He said.
"All right." Karen said. "You are coming with me." She grabbed his hand. The Jack
clone quickly finished his game and cashed in his chips.
"I can come, babe." He said. "Whats in it for me?"
"Not getting smacked upside the head, for starters." Karen said curtly.
"Works for me babe. Are you sure I won't like that smack?" He smiled as he popped off his stool.
"Want to find out?" Karen said waving her hand. He didn't reply. "Good answer!" She pulled his hand and ran through the casino. They almost ran down Chea on the way back with her cashiers check.
"New boyfriend?" Chea asked.
"Tell you later. We gotta get to an amusement park!" Karen said to her as they hurried by. Chea stuffed her check in her bra and followed soon after.
