Read Online Come Sundown by Mike Blakely - Free Book Online

trouble,” Sheffield said.
    â€œI’m here to play cards, not cause trouble.”
    Sheffield looked at me.
    â€œI never start trouble,” I said.
    â€œFive-card draw,” the gambler said. “Jacks or better.”
    Blue sat down, and Sheffield began to deal. That gambler was smooth. He won three hands in a row, then let Blue win one. Blue didn’t know how to do any cheating, so it was a fair hand that the teamster won. I almost won the teamster’s deal, but Sheffield showed a pair of aces. He won another four hands in a row, then dealt me a winning hand. I knew he had done it intentionally, somehow. He probably wanted to watch me and figure out my secret. I managed to deal myself a winning hand off the bottom of the deck, and won the pot. Blue threw his discarded hand down in pretend disgust.
    I gathered the deadwood in, and found the ace of hearts where Blue had left it for me. This, I stashed on the bottom of the deck. By using Blue’s discards, and my cup of coffee, I won four hands in a row, and began to rake in a pretty good pile of winnings. But it was too early to go for the big pot, and Blue was running low on money, so I gave him a signal we had agreed on before: I cupped my hands around the mug of coffee as if warming my fingers. This was his sign to bet high, for I was going to deal him a winning hand. I made sure I didn’t deal Sheffield anything high, because I had no way of knowing what card or cards he might have slipped up his sleeve, or wherever it was that he kept them, but I knew that if he had stashed a card, it was probably going to be a big one. Blue whistled at his hand and began to bet high. He discarded two cards, and by logic I knew what they were. I dealt him three
fives with an ace to boot. We both drove the betting up, and he won, which allowed him to stay in the game.
    The evening wore on, and Sheffield and I managed to keep everyone in the game, though my pile and the gambler’s continued to grow. We were still trying to figure each other out. Rosa brought me more coffee. I watched Sheffield. I couldn’t see how he was stashing his cards. I knew the answer was right in front of me. I had learned enough so-called magic tricks to know that his method had to be as simple as my trick of using the cup of coffee as a mirror. His hand never went near enough to his cuff to slip something up his sleeve. The only thing that seemed peculiar was his way of dragging a card all the way to the edge of the table before he picked it up to look at it.
    Blue won the deal, and I took a break to go out back and relieve myself. When I came back, I had a fresh cup of hot black coffee. I sat down and played, and eventually won a hand. The timing was perfect. The betting had just about wiped out the soldier and teamster. I dealt two more hands that broke them both, and they got up from the table to retire.
    â€œNo hard feelings, gentlemen,” I said, handing them each a coin. “Please have a drink on me.”
    Each man accepted, and walked to the bar. Now it was down to me, Sheffield, and Blue, and I had the deal. I decided it was time to make our move. I began dealing hand after winning hand to myself, and I drove up the betting even when the cards didn’t call for it. I won a huge pot from Sheffield with three fives. He had three fours and an ace.
    â€œThat’s a pretty tall bet for three fives,” he remarked.
    I smiled. “You hung right in there with three fours, yourself.”
    The pile of winnings began to heap up on my side of the table, and a small crowd gathered to watch the game. Twice more, I beat Sheffield, and he began to get angry. Now was the time to finish it. I gave Blue the sign, cupping my hands around the mug of coffee. By now I knew Luther Sheffield had an ace or two stashed somewhere at his disposal. If he wanted aces, I’d give him aces. I had seven cards stacked on the bottom of the deck the way I wanted them. I shuffled