EXCESS BAGGAGE by Sue Ann Jaffarian The few days before Thanksgiving, I took off for Las Vegas for a combination vacation and book research trip. I needed the R&R in a baaaaaad way � much more, it turned out, than I realized. �Now this is more like it.� The familiar voice rocked me out of my Zen-like moment. I was sitting naked, immersed up to my neck in the hot bubbly water of the hotel spa waiting for my massage appointment. Opening one eye, I looked across the pool to find Odelia Grey similarly dunked � the two of us floating in the water like large, seeping tea bags. Before speaking, I cast a look over my shoulder, making sure we were alone. �I thought I left you at home,� I told my creation with a bit of a snarl. �I�m on vacation.� She ignored my obvious annoyance and forged ahead. �No, you�re not. Not really. I happen to know you�re in Las Vegas to research a new book.� She leaned forward in the water, her face lit with eagerness. �It�s about time you took Greg and me s...