Read Online Jack Carter's Law by Ted Lewis - Free Book Online

ale. But before he can wrap his fingers round it Con has leant forward and lifted the bottle to his lips. Bob watches Con while Con drinks but he doesn’t say anything.
    Con puts the bottle back on the table and says to me, “I know it’s only Courage, but it tastes very sweet after
Maurice’s piss.”
    Bob still doesn’t say anything but leaves the almost empty bottle on the spot where Con put it. In the meantime Charlie has donated another fiver to the kitty and now he sits back happy, confident that Albert’s going to stack.
    But instead of stacking Albert digs into his suiting and excavates a pile more money and says, “Here you go, then, Charlie. I’m fucking barmy, as you well know, but I’m putting in forty, so it’s down to you for twenty, all right?” Charlie’s glasses shimmer a bit and he has a good old think. Is Albert or is he not conning him, Charlie’s thinking. He must be, he thinks, because Charlie hasn’t even looked at his third card yet. Yes, that’s it, Albert’s trying to buy the pot, and besides, Charlie can’t be seen to avoid a twenty-quid raise in front of Con and myself so he pushes in his corner and sits back waiting to be proved right. Albert keeps his face straight and pushes in another forty quid. This makes Charlie even more convinced that Albert’s bluffing but being the person he is Charlie just can’t bring himself to back his judgment so he drops a lot of face by picking up his third card and taking a look. It’s Albert’s turn to smile to himself but his expression is nothing to the one Charlie assumes when he sees what his third card is. He looks as though he’s just thrown away his sticks at Lourdes with the organ playing and the sun streaming through the stained-glass windows. He’s got his spade and he’s made his flush. So Charlie now has to pay the same as Albert and not only does he do it with a will, he ups it by another twenty, making his contribution sixty quid in all. Con looks at me and we don’t even have to shake our heads. For the second time Charlie sits back and waits for Albert to pay up and look sick. But Albert is looking far from sick when he separates one hundred notes from his pile and arranges them in the middle of the table. Now it’s up to Charlie to back his flush or macaroni his strides. He’s beginning to wonder whether Albert’s got the four after all. He can see Albert but if Albert’s bluffing Charlie’s going to look fucking stupid in front of us. And if Albert’s got the four he’s still going to look stupid. Either way it’s going to cost him another hundred. Two, if Albert doesn’t see him next time. Charlie ponders for a while and then he takes his wallet out again, only this time the flourish is missing. He draws out some more fivers and manages to make them add up to a hundred and puts them in the middle although Charlie’s fingers make it look as though he’s trying to take the notes out. Charlie withdraws his lingering hands and now Albert’s really got him. Albert gives Mouncey the nod and Mouncey opens up his wallet and adds a sheaf to Albert’s pile and Albert arranges the notes into a neat oblong and places it next to Charlie’s disheveled contribution.
    “Two hundred,” Albert says. “Two hundred to go, Charlie.”
    Bob Shearer tries to stop himself laughing and the sound comes out like a snort. Charlie looks as though somebody’s told him he forgot to post a winning coupon.
    “Two hundred?” he says. “Two hundred?”
    Albert nods.
    “You’re not seeing me?”
    Albert shakes his head.
    Charlie raises his hand to wipe his lips but he’s only imagining that they’re wet. He stares at Albert’s neat pile of notes as if it’s about to jump at him.
    “You can always see me, Charlie,” Albert says. Charlie manages to force a grin. He’s got to make the best of things now. He shakes his head.
    “No,” he says, still managing to maintain the smile. “No, no thanks. I’m not paying you two