Read Online Day of Reckoning by Jack Higgins - Free Book Online

'Dice, old boy. Steal me some dice.'
'Why?' Blake asked.
'Because every casino has its own made to order. Unique. Of course, once I have them at my workbench I make a slight adjustment, put a spot of lead inside, and they become what's known in the trade as loaded dice. Now, if the house is using loaded dice, the punters are bound to lose.'
'But how do you make the house actually use the loaded dice?' Blake asked.
'That's the whole point about having house dice. You or Dillon join the crowd making a wager. When your turn comes and the dealer gives you the dice, you palm them and use the ones I've doctored. They'll have the house logo on them, so everyone will assume they're the real thing. Of course, it will be necessary to bring this unfortunate situation to the attention of the other gamblers. The results could be devastating for the casino.'
'You wicked man, you,' Dillon said.
'You or Blake, I think, should be the ones. I wouldn't dream of asking the Superintendent.' He smiled at Hannah. 'I happen to know you're Jewish Orthodox, with a rabbi for a grandfather.'
She smiled. 'My grandfather might surprise you. His poker is deadly.'
Dillon said, 'Sounds good to me. So what's the plan?'

At ten o'clock that evening, Jack Fox arrived at the Colosseum, backed by Falcone and Russo. He was stopped at the door by a large man in evening dress.
'Membership card, sir.'
'I don't need one. I own this casino.'
'Very funny.'
The bouncer put a hand on Fox's shoulder and Russo said,
'You want me to break your right arm? You just made the biggest mistake of your life.'
'Signor Fox, what a pleasure,' a voice called, and Angelo Mori, the general manager, rushed down the stairs, followed by his two minders. 'Is there a problem?'
'Hell, no,' Fox said, and smiled at the bouncer. 'What's your name?'
'Henry, sir.' He looked very worried.
'You're doing a good job, Henry.' Fox took out his wallet, extracted a fifty-pound note, and slipped it into Henry's breast pocket. 'In fact, you're doing a great job. Anyone else comes in and says they own the joint, kick them in the balls.'
There was sweat on Henry's forehead. 'Yes, sir, anything you say.'
Inside, the main room was crowded, every kind of game in progress. Fox nodded approvingly. 'Looks good. How's the cash flow?'
'Terrific.'
Fox turned to Mori's minders, Cameci and Rossi. 'You two behaving yourselves?' He used Italian.
'Absolutely,' Rossi told him. 'Don Marco is well?'
If this seemed overly familiar, it wasn't. Rossi came from the same village as the Solazzo family, close to Corleone in Sicily.
'He is very well,' Fox continued in Italian. 'And I appreciate your concern.' He turned to Mori. 'We just flew in, and I'm starving. The restaurant is still open, I trust.'
'For you, it never closes, Signore.'
'Fifty,' Tony answered.
Harold said, 'Shut your mouth,' and turned back to Fox. , I'll read the file, but I can tell you now we're in, Jack. Leave the team to me.'
'Good man.' Fox smiled. 'Now, let's have a bottle of champagne on it.'

The casino dosed at two in the morning; by three all was quiet, with only a security guard in the office by the main entrance, watching TV.
Along the street beside the basement entrance was a grey British Telecom van. The rear door opened and Blake Johnson, wearing a hard hat and yellow oilskins, got out, carrying two grappling hooks, and lifted a manhole cover in the pavement. Dillon passed him an inspection lamp and a red warning light saying: Danger. Men at Work. He then passed some canvas screens and an awning against the rain. There was an army of wires and switches. Blake tried to take an interest.
Inside the van Roper, in a wheelchair, sat opposite a very simple-looking computer set-up. Dillon, in black tee shirt and jeans, crouched beside him. Roper punched the keys.
'How's it looking?' Dillon asked.
'So far, so good. Don't worry, the great Roper is never wrong.' There was the sound of a car slowing outside and he raised a