bucket.
“Oh, I love the
Wheel of Fortune
one,” Carter said, pointing at a giant machine with his Slurpee. “I wonder if they have
The Price is Right
one.”
“I’ll see if we can get you a roll of quarters.”
We moved through the casino to a cage in the center that had an information sign. I asked where the administrative offices were, and we were pointed to a bank of elevators.
Riding up, Carter asked, “We applying for jobs?”
“Yeah, I thought you’d look great in one of those cocktail waitress outfits.”
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.
“Thank you for noticing,” Carter said.
The admin floor felt like being miles away from the casino. Plush carpeting. Tasteful artwork on the walls. No incessant bell ringing. The elevator had transported us to another world.
An attractive woman with a bun of blond hair greeted us from behind an oak reception desk. “Gentlemen, how can I help you?”
Carter whispered, “Gentlemen?” and chuckled before he went back to sucking on his straw.
“We’re looking for Ben Moffitt,” I said.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Do we need one?”
She smiled patiently. “Of course. Mr. Moffitt is a very busy man.” She seemed to finally notice that we were dressed in shorts and T-shirts and one of us was enjoying a Slurpee. “Has there been a problem in the casino?”
“No, ma’am,” I said. “We were just hoping to speak with Mr. Moffitt.”
“Are you selling something?” she asked, squinting at us like that might help her figure us out.
“If you could tell him it’s in regard to San Quentin, that would be great,” I said, smiling.
She looked back and forth between us for a moment, then picked up the phone. She turned away from us as if she was looking at her computer, but I thought the move was more to keep us from hearing.
“Carolyn, I’ve got two young men out here asking to see Mr. Moffitt,” she said, apology apparent in her voice. “Regarding San Quentin?”
She looked at me, smiled, and held up a finger to indicate it would be a second. I gave her a thumbs up. Carter moved the straw up and down in the lid so that it made a horrible groaning noise. She frowned in his direction. He gave her a thumbs up, too.
Her eyes moved away again. “Alright. Certainly. Thank you, Carolyn.”
She hung up and swiveled back to us. “Gentlemen, I’m sorry. Mr. Moffitt’s schedule is full today. If you’d like to leave a card, I can have his assistant get back with you to schedule a better time.”
I pulled a card out of my pocket. “May I borrow a pen?”
She smiled, grateful that I wasn’t going to fight her on it. She passed a pen to me.
I flipped the card over and wrote “Russell Simington” on the back. I slid the card and pen to her.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d take that to him right away,” I said. “Tell him we’ll be in the casino for a while. He can find us there.”
She picked up the card. “I’d be happy to take this back, but I doubt he’ll be able to see you today. But if he should ask, where in the casino might you be?”
I turned and headed for the elevator, Carter on my heels.
“We’ll be the ones making a commotion,” I said.
TWENTY-ONE
“Commotion?” Carter asked when the elevator let us out in the casino.
“Commotion,” I said.
“You’re not just teasing me, are you?”
“Nope. I needed something you were good at.”
I thought he was going to start skipping, he looked so happy.
We went to the change cage, and I bought a hundred bucks in chips. I handed Carter half. Then we found a roulette table.
As we slid into the seats, I whispered to Carter, “Go crazy, dude.”
He gave a tiny nod and set his Slurpee on the edge of the table.
A guy with dark hair and circles under his eyes greeted us. “Hello, gentlemen. Thank you for choosing Bareva. Place your bets, please.”
“Sure thing, boss,” I said. Then I looked at Carter and said louder than necessary, “I bet I’m
“Oh, I love the
Wheel of Fortune
one,” Carter said, pointing at a giant machine with his Slurpee. “I wonder if they have
The Price is Right
one.”
“I’ll see if we can get you a roll of quarters.”
We moved through the casino to a cage in the center that had an information sign. I asked where the administrative offices were, and we were pointed to a bank of elevators.
Riding up, Carter asked, “We applying for jobs?”
“Yeah, I thought you’d look great in one of those cocktail waitress outfits.”
The elevator stopped, and the doors opened.
“Thank you for noticing,” Carter said.
The admin floor felt like being miles away from the casino. Plush carpeting. Tasteful artwork on the walls. No incessant bell ringing. The elevator had transported us to another world.
An attractive woman with a bun of blond hair greeted us from behind an oak reception desk. “Gentlemen, how can I help you?”
Carter whispered, “Gentlemen?” and chuckled before he went back to sucking on his straw.
“We’re looking for Ben Moffitt,” I said.
“Do you have an appointment?”
“Do we need one?”
She smiled patiently. “Of course. Mr. Moffitt is a very busy man.” She seemed to finally notice that we were dressed in shorts and T-shirts and one of us was enjoying a Slurpee. “Has there been a problem in the casino?”
“No, ma’am,” I said. “We were just hoping to speak with Mr. Moffitt.”
“Are you selling something?” she asked, squinting at us like that might help her figure us out.
“If you could tell him it’s in regard to San Quentin, that would be great,” I said, smiling.
She looked back and forth between us for a moment, then picked up the phone. She turned away from us as if she was looking at her computer, but I thought the move was more to keep us from hearing.
“Carolyn, I’ve got two young men out here asking to see Mr. Moffitt,” she said, apology apparent in her voice. “Regarding San Quentin?”
She looked at me, smiled, and held up a finger to indicate it would be a second. I gave her a thumbs up. Carter moved the straw up and down in the lid so that it made a horrible groaning noise. She frowned in his direction. He gave her a thumbs up, too.
Her eyes moved away again. “Alright. Certainly. Thank you, Carolyn.”
She hung up and swiveled back to us. “Gentlemen, I’m sorry. Mr. Moffitt’s schedule is full today. If you’d like to leave a card, I can have his assistant get back with you to schedule a better time.”
I pulled a card out of my pocket. “May I borrow a pen?”
She smiled, grateful that I wasn’t going to fight her on it. She passed a pen to me.
I flipped the card over and wrote “Russell Simington” on the back. I slid the card and pen to her.
“I’d appreciate it if you’d take that to him right away,” I said. “Tell him we’ll be in the casino for a while. He can find us there.”
She picked up the card. “I’d be happy to take this back, but I doubt he’ll be able to see you today. But if he should ask, where in the casino might you be?”
I turned and headed for the elevator, Carter on my heels.
“We’ll be the ones making a commotion,” I said.
TWENTY-ONE
“Commotion?” Carter asked when the elevator let us out in the casino.
“Commotion,” I said.
“You’re not just teasing me, are you?”
“Nope. I needed something you were good at.”
I thought he was going to start skipping, he looked so happy.
We went to the change cage, and I bought a hundred bucks in chips. I handed Carter half. Then we found a roulette table.
As we slid into the seats, I whispered to Carter, “Go crazy, dude.”
He gave a tiny nod and set his Slurpee on the edge of the table.
A guy with dark hair and circles under his eyes greeted us. “Hello, gentlemen. Thank you for choosing Bareva. Place your bets, please.”
“Sure thing, boss,” I said. Then I looked at Carter and said louder than necessary, “I bet I’m
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