ice cubes. "Bobby needs another one, cosmo on the rocks."
A waitress in a black vest showing a lot of cleavage pushed through the crowd and handed Bobby a fresh drink and took his empty glass.
"Thanks, hon," Bobby said. "Keep them coming."
The drink was red and looked like something a kid would order, a Roy Rogers or a Shirley Temple. Bobby took a sip and slid a stack of chips toward the dealer. He split a pair of tens and busted. O'Clair could see the guy next to Bobby grin, probably thinking this loudmouth was all show, he didn't know what he was doing. Bobby's chips were stacked in front of him and reminded O'Clair of the skyline of a city. He started with Chicago and now he had Detroit. Bobby's mood changed. He stopped talking, concentrating but lost three more hands, then a fourth.
"Come on, you idiot," he said to himself. "Get your goddamn head out of your ass."
The dealer told him to watch his language. Now the pit boss came over and asked Bobby if there was a problem.
"I just lost ten grand," Bobby said. "You ask if there's a problem. What're you a moron?"
He moved toward Bobby and Bobby said I'm out of here. He passed his chips to the dealer and colored out. O'Clair tracked him as he moved across the casino to the cashier cages. Watched him cash in his chips and get a stack of bills that he divided in two and stuffed in the front pockets of his khakis.
He followed Bobby to an elevator, but didn't get on in time. He watched it go up to the second level and come back down and O'Clair got in and rode up to the poker floor. He saw Bobby standing near a table. Bobby watched a couple hands and moved to another table and watched a couple more. O'Clair took his eye off Bobby for a few seconds, staring at a good-looking cocktail waitress in a low-cut dress. When he looked back Bobby was gone. O'Clair scanned the room and saw him heading for the elevators.
O'Clair moved fast and got there as the doors were closing and pushed his way in. It was packed with gamblers. Bobby moved in next to two blondes with big hair and blue eye shadow. They were wearing tube tops, showing their taters. The elevator started to go down.
Bobby said, "Know what's white and ten inches long?"
The girls gave him dirty looks.
He said, "Nothing," answering his own question.
A couple guys with sideburns and ball caps on backwards laughed.
"Thanks a lot… ladies and gentlemen, I'll be here all week," Bobby said.
Now the blondes cracked a smile
Bobby said, "What're you doing later?"
The girls looked at each other and said, "Nothing. What do you got in mind?"
"Ever fed a piranha?"
Bobby glanced at him and O'Clair said, "Where's the money?" O'Clair reached over and pressed the emergency button and the elevator jerked to a stop between floors.
"You talking to me?" Bobby said. "What're you drunk, had a few too many?"
"The sixty grand," O'Clair said, "you borrowed from Ricky."
"Who's Ricky?" Bobby looked at the girls, winked and said, "He should go home sleep it off."
"I'll take what you won," O'Clair said, "and anything you got on you. See where we stand." The elevator was buzzing. People looked nervous. He pushed the button and they started to go down. The elevator stopped on the main floor and the doors opened. O'Clair grabbed Bobby by the collar of his yellow golf shirt that had a little green alligator on the front and pulled him out of the elevator.
"Get your hands off me," Bobby said. "Help," Bobby yelled. "He's trying to rob me."
Three beefy security guards, muscles bulging under blue blazers, came running toward them and surrounded O'Clair. They were all bigger than him and looked capable. They had fake smiles on their faces, trying to appear friendly but ready for action. The gamblers moved past them coming out
A waitress in a black vest showing a lot of cleavage pushed through the crowd and handed Bobby a fresh drink and took his empty glass.
"Thanks, hon," Bobby said. "Keep them coming."
The drink was red and looked like something a kid would order, a Roy Rogers or a Shirley Temple. Bobby took a sip and slid a stack of chips toward the dealer. He split a pair of tens and busted. O'Clair could see the guy next to Bobby grin, probably thinking this loudmouth was all show, he didn't know what he was doing. Bobby's chips were stacked in front of him and reminded O'Clair of the skyline of a city. He started with Chicago and now he had Detroit. Bobby's mood changed. He stopped talking, concentrating but lost three more hands, then a fourth.
"Come on, you idiot," he said to himself. "Get your goddamn head out of your ass."
The dealer told him to watch his language. Now the pit boss came over and asked Bobby if there was a problem.
"I just lost ten grand," Bobby said. "You ask if there's a problem. What're you a moron?"
He moved toward Bobby and Bobby said I'm out of here. He passed his chips to the dealer and colored out. O'Clair tracked him as he moved across the casino to the cashier cages. Watched him cash in his chips and get a stack of bills that he divided in two and stuffed in the front pockets of his khakis.
He followed Bobby to an elevator, but didn't get on in time. He watched it go up to the second level and come back down and O'Clair got in and rode up to the poker floor. He saw Bobby standing near a table. Bobby watched a couple hands and moved to another table and watched a couple more. O'Clair took his eye off Bobby for a few seconds, staring at a good-looking cocktail waitress in a low-cut dress. When he looked back Bobby was gone. O'Clair scanned the room and saw him heading for the elevators.
O'Clair moved fast and got there as the doors were closing and pushed his way in. It was packed with gamblers. Bobby moved in next to two blondes with big hair and blue eye shadow. They were wearing tube tops, showing their taters. The elevator started to go down.
Bobby said, "Know what's white and ten inches long?"
The girls gave him dirty looks.
He said, "Nothing," answering his own question.
A couple guys with sideburns and ball caps on backwards laughed.
"Thanks a lot… ladies and gentlemen, I'll be here all week," Bobby said.
Now the blondes cracked a smile
Bobby said, "What're you doing later?"
The girls looked at each other and said, "Nothing. What do you got in mind?"
"Ever fed a piranha?"
Bobby glanced at him and O'Clair said, "Where's the money?" O'Clair reached over and pressed the emergency button and the elevator jerked to a stop between floors.
"You talking to me?" Bobby said. "What're you drunk, had a few too many?"
"The sixty grand," O'Clair said, "you borrowed from Ricky."
"Who's Ricky?" Bobby looked at the girls, winked and said, "He should go home sleep it off."
"I'll take what you won," O'Clair said, "and anything you got on you. See where we stand." The elevator was buzzing. People looked nervous. He pushed the button and they started to go down. The elevator stopped on the main floor and the doors opened. O'Clair grabbed Bobby by the collar of his yellow golf shirt that had a little green alligator on the front and pulled him out of the elevator.
"Get your hands off me," Bobby said. "Help," Bobby yelled. "He's trying to rob me."
Three beefy security guards, muscles bulging under blue blazers, came running toward them and surrounded O'Clair. They were all bigger than him and looked capable. They had fake smiles on their faces, trying to appear friendly but ready for action. The gamblers moved past them coming out
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