sounds pretty tough.”
“Not to worry, he’s out of town. Saw him leave with his boys yesterday.”
“Oh, he travels a lot?”
“Not really, even though he has his own jet.”
“Then he’s probably going to Vegas to check out the competition.”
“He was run out of Vegas a long time ago. I actually know where he went, because my best girlfriend is dating Mr. Bagger’s pilot.”
“So where’s the big honcho off to, then?” Reuben said in a bored tone as he swallowed a handful of nuts.
“Washington, D.C.”
Reuben gagged so badly Angie had to pound him on the back.
Recovered, he said, “Damn reflux. It’s closed my throat down to almost nothing.”
“Jeez, you gave me a scare. Never had anyone die on me yet, though.” She looked around and lowered her voice. “Can’t say the same about everybody else in this place.”
Reuben said slowly, “You have somebody kick the bucket here recently?”
“Let’s just say we had a couple top-level employees in the hospital. We were told they had the flu. I got a friend who works over at the hospital they were taken to. Since when does the flu cause cuts and bruises? Tell me that.”
“But they’re still alive.”
“They are, but we had another guy here, a computer whiz type. He disappeared. They said he left to take another job. Well, he didn’t tell his family and he forgot to clean out his apartment.”
“Damn, what could have happened to him?”
Angie eyed Reuben’s big frame appreciatively. “I get off work at nine, Roy. You buy me dinner and I’ll tell you some more. Okay?”
After he left the bar Reuben called Stone on his cell phone and told him about Bagger being in D.C.
“Good work, Reuben,” Stone said. “I’m on my way to see Susan now.”
“I thought you said she was gone.”
“Let’s just say I convinced her to give us another chance. You didn’t find out why Bagger’s in Washington?”
“Figured I’d try and get that out of her tonight. Didn’t want to push too hard. You know what I mean?”
“Absolutely. Keep me informed.”
“And tell Susan I still want a date.”
CHAPTER 25
R EUBEN CONTINUED WALKING around the casino, trying to memorize as many key details as he could. He didn’t know exactly what sort of intelligence Stone wanted so he decided to be over- rather than underinclusive. In any event it beat the hell out of working on the loading dock.
He finally decided to hook back up with Milton at the blackjack table. When he got there his jaw dropped. Milton had huge columns of chips stacked neatly in front of him.
Reuben said, “Milton, what the hell happened?”
“What happened,” the bettor next to Milton said, “is that your buddy’s up about four thousand bucks.”
Reuben stared at the man and then at the beefy pit boss glaring at Milton and his winnings.
“Holy hell, Batman,” Reuben exclaimed. “Four grand!”
The pit boss leaned down into Milton’s face. “You’re cheating.”
“No I’m not,” Milton said indignantly.
“You’re counting cards, you little slimeball. Is that how you get your kicks? What, the ladies a problem for you? You have to come here and cheat? And then you go home and jack off. Is that it?”
Milton flushed red. “This is the first time I’ve ever been in a casino.”
The pit boss roared, “Do you really think I’m buying that bullshit?”
Reuben said politely, “Look, I’m sure it’s nothing really—”
Milton cut in. “And so what if I am counting cards? Is that illegal in New Jersey? I don’t think so, because I looked it up. And you can employ countermeasures against me, but only if I’m a ‘skilled player,’ which I’m not, and by law the countermeasures you can use are limited. Now, in Vegas you can claim I’m trespassing, read me the Trespass Act and ban me from the casinos for a year, but this isn’t Vegas, now is it?”
“You know all this stuff and you say this is the first time you’ve been in a casino,” the pit boss
“Not to worry, he’s out of town. Saw him leave with his boys yesterday.”
“Oh, he travels a lot?”
“Not really, even though he has his own jet.”
“Then he’s probably going to Vegas to check out the competition.”
“He was run out of Vegas a long time ago. I actually know where he went, because my best girlfriend is dating Mr. Bagger’s pilot.”
“So where’s the big honcho off to, then?” Reuben said in a bored tone as he swallowed a handful of nuts.
“Washington, D.C.”
Reuben gagged so badly Angie had to pound him on the back.
Recovered, he said, “Damn reflux. It’s closed my throat down to almost nothing.”
“Jeez, you gave me a scare. Never had anyone die on me yet, though.” She looked around and lowered her voice. “Can’t say the same about everybody else in this place.”
Reuben said slowly, “You have somebody kick the bucket here recently?”
“Let’s just say we had a couple top-level employees in the hospital. We were told they had the flu. I got a friend who works over at the hospital they were taken to. Since when does the flu cause cuts and bruises? Tell me that.”
“But they’re still alive.”
“They are, but we had another guy here, a computer whiz type. He disappeared. They said he left to take another job. Well, he didn’t tell his family and he forgot to clean out his apartment.”
“Damn, what could have happened to him?”
Angie eyed Reuben’s big frame appreciatively. “I get off work at nine, Roy. You buy me dinner and I’ll tell you some more. Okay?”
After he left the bar Reuben called Stone on his cell phone and told him about Bagger being in D.C.
“Good work, Reuben,” Stone said. “I’m on my way to see Susan now.”
“I thought you said she was gone.”
“Let’s just say I convinced her to give us another chance. You didn’t find out why Bagger’s in Washington?”
“Figured I’d try and get that out of her tonight. Didn’t want to push too hard. You know what I mean?”
“Absolutely. Keep me informed.”
“And tell Susan I still want a date.”
CHAPTER 25
R EUBEN CONTINUED WALKING around the casino, trying to memorize as many key details as he could. He didn’t know exactly what sort of intelligence Stone wanted so he decided to be over- rather than underinclusive. In any event it beat the hell out of working on the loading dock.
He finally decided to hook back up with Milton at the blackjack table. When he got there his jaw dropped. Milton had huge columns of chips stacked neatly in front of him.
Reuben said, “Milton, what the hell happened?”
“What happened,” the bettor next to Milton said, “is that your buddy’s up about four thousand bucks.”
Reuben stared at the man and then at the beefy pit boss glaring at Milton and his winnings.
“Holy hell, Batman,” Reuben exclaimed. “Four grand!”
The pit boss leaned down into Milton’s face. “You’re cheating.”
“No I’m not,” Milton said indignantly.
“You’re counting cards, you little slimeball. Is that how you get your kicks? What, the ladies a problem for you? You have to come here and cheat? And then you go home and jack off. Is that it?”
Milton flushed red. “This is the first time I’ve ever been in a casino.”
The pit boss roared, “Do you really think I’m buying that bullshit?”
Reuben said politely, “Look, I’m sure it’s nothing really—”
Milton cut in. “And so what if I am counting cards? Is that illegal in New Jersey? I don’t think so, because I looked it up. And you can employ countermeasures against me, but only if I’m a ‘skilled player,’ which I’m not, and by law the countermeasures you can use are limited. Now, in Vegas you can claim I’m trespassing, read me the Trespass Act and ban me from the casinos for a year, but this isn’t Vegas, now is it?”
“You know all this stuff and you say this is the first time you’ve been in a casino,” the pit boss
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