His mind raced, if he could pawn this thing whatever it was, and get out unseen then he could still make his escape. Running as far as the storefront he paused noticing for the first time the strange glow of the street lamps, it was unsettling. As if an unseen fight were being waged.
The shine of headlights reflected off of windows, ending his hesitation. Pushing through he was met by the jingling bell above the door, and it made him jump.
“Well howdy.”
He spun around to the sound of an older man’s voice. “Hi.” He said.
The man grinned, “Sorry if I startled you, but we were just about to close.” The man was indeed older, but somehow seemed far more vibrant. He stood behind the counter, wiping down the glass case.
“Are…are you the owner?” Alex asked. He hurried over.
“I sure am, name’s Gus, Gus Oswald Douglas, to be specific, but just Gus will do. How can I help you?”
“I’d like to pawn this.” Alex said placing the silver case on the counter. “How much can you give me for it?”
“Well that depends, mind if I have a look?” The old man who seemed out of place in a pair of battered overalls, and faded red shirt motioned to the case.
“Of course, yes.” Alex looked back to the door.
“It’s a nice case isn’t it, but we have a lot of those-not much call for them.”
Alex felt each the ticking of every second now, expecting each to have Nicky barreling through the shops’ door. Not the case, what’s in the case you idiot. He thought.
The old man’s smile faded as if he’d somehow heard Alex’s thoughts. “I suppose though that you want to sell what is in the case.”
“Yes, that’s right sir.” Alex said adding in his friendliest tone, “I’m sorry, I’m not used to these late hours.”
“I understand. I have to force myself to take a day off during the week.” He studied the case for a moment.
Alex watched, and waited. The man was taking too much time; he looked again to the door. When turned around again, he found Gus studying him, as if he were looking for something, something he apparently didn’t find, I just about sell my soul, if this jerk would just hurry up.
Gus looked at the case, and then again at Alex, “I’m sorry son, but I think that I’ll hand this one over to my assistant manager Lucy, this is more her area of expertise. I really am very sorry.”
“Finally. I was beginning to think you were ignoring me.” A girl’s voice chimed in. She lowered the newspaper she’d been reading, the head line of the Dorris Bridge Record read STRANGE LIGHTS SPOTTED OVERHEAD!!!
She’d been sitting on a stool a few feet away, it was a strange thing, Alex was sure they had been alone, but she was just there. She popped down, and hurried over. “Move over old man, this one’s mine.”
Lucy’s appearance was strange one moment she looked like a normal little girl, the next a psychotic imp. It was disturbing. “My, oh my, what have we here, a shiny metal case, what could this be.” Moving her stool over to the counter she snatched up the case in her quick little hands. Turning it over, and over again she mumbled to herself, “Very interesting, definitely something you don’t see everyday.” She looked up to Alex again, “You have the look of someone running. Are you? Running, I mean.”
“I’m sure I have no idea what you mean.” Alex said.
She cackled, “No, I’m sure you don’t. Why don’t we get down to business, we wouldn’t want Nicky catch you just standing around would we?”
Alex gasped, “I…I…don’t know…”
She cut him off, “We’ll take it. All that’s left now is to settle on a price.”
Wait, she hadn’t even looked inside, so how could she have the slightest idea how much it’s worth? He thought. Of course maybe she had no clue; maybe this was a good thing. Yes, yes of course she couldn’t know anything about what was inside, hadn’t even opened it, so she must be basing her value on the case itself. She would no doubt underbid any expectation he’d make, so all he had to do was give her a price well over what he really wanted and she’d come down to his number. He put on his best poker face. “I happen to know that it’s valued at fifty thousand dollars, but I could let it go for forty.”
“Such a splendid case as well.” Lucy said.
“Ah, so it is. I’ll tell you what; I’ll throw in the case for no additional charge.” Alex said trying to sound smooth.
“Such a deal, but I don’t think the old gas bag I answer to will loosen up the purse strings that much. I might be able to swing, hmm…say two thousand.”
Alex almost choked, “What? You can’t be serious. As I told you before this is worth a hell of a lot more than that, you can’t just offer me two G’s.”
“Mr. Stetson, worth is a funny thing for example this case to me is worth at most $2000.00; at least until depreciation begins, but to you of course it’s worth a great deal more. Maybe even your life.”
“What did you mean depreciation?” He said trying not to stutter.
“Why only the rate with which you test my patience Mr. Stetson, I do not like to haggle.” Lucy paused letting the words settle, this was her favorite part; the moment when her mark realizes that they’re in way over their heads. “I do however enjoy a good game Alex.” Again another moment passed.
“Game huh?” He asked missing the use of a name he hadn’t offered.
“Of course, I’m particularly fond of games of chance, how about you?”
An uneasy feeling trickled down his spine, and a voice in the back of his head pleaded for him to leave. Another voice, so much like his father’s whispered to go ahead, and only that when you raised the stakes did the pot truly paid off. “I’ve been known to place a bet, or two. What did you have in mind?”
“I like you Alex, so I’m even going to let you choose the game, but the stakes are these; if I win then I get the case for my offered two thousand, and if you win then I will give you five thousand, but that’s the very highest I can go.”
Without further thought Alex blurted, “OK, you’re on.” Then his mind kicked back into gear, “one hand of poker.”
She smirked, “Suicidal kings are wild.”
“Sure.” She said giving her that. He pulled a deck of cards from his pocket and dealt five cards each. “Don’t worry this is a regulation deck.”
“I’m sure they are, after all you’ve got an honest face.” Lucy said picking up her cards.
Alex picked up his own cards, and couldn’t believe his eyes. Four out of five cards wore the suit of hearts. Better still there sat a ten, a jack, a queen, and a king. He tried to keep a straight face. “How many discard?”
“Four.” She said.
He doled out her four cards, “and the dealer takes one.” He knew the fates were smiling on him when he drew the ace of hearts.
“Full house.” Lucy announced laying down her hand.
He couldn’t hold back the grin anymore, “Sorry Lucy goosy, royal flush, read them and weep.”
“Damn.” She swore, “Well I guess I best go get the money, I had the cards, but it turns out yours were better I guess.”
She turned to hop down, and get his money with a defeated countenance. She paused, “I wonder though, no you wouldn’t be interested. You’re too clever to chance it. No, no I’ll just hurry along, unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Never mind, it’s nothing.”
He grabbed her wrist, and immediately regretted it, he felt the flesh writhe beneath his, “Unless what?” He repeated more insistently.
Inwardly she smiled, so desperate, so very foolish. “Ok, I’ll tell you, but there’s no point in my doing so. If you are looking to make a quick escape, I have ways, and know people who can help.” She shrugged, “Like I said no point in telling you, you’ll just want your money.
“I didn’t say that. What kind of stakes are we talking about?”
She tilted her head, as if considering, “Oh, I’d have to say a bit like double or nothing.
“Double, or nothing huh?” He absent mindedly roll the words around in mouth. “Same game?”
Again she appeared to consider his question for a long moment, “No, the trouble there is poker requires both chance, and skill. How about something that depends totally on chance, what do you say Alex, are you a gambling man?”
He wanted to resist, every fiber of his being told him that something was wrong, but then again the deck, his deck should be clean. In the end he just couldn’t help himself.
She could see he’d come to a tipping point, “I’ll tell you what, you can draw first, then I’ll draw, and then if you need it you can have a second chance.”
The moment she finished speaking the war being waged in his mind was lost, “Ok you’re on.” By now any thought if Nicky no nose, his goons, or even Nicky’s famed “shredder” vanished, consumed in the rush only addicts know. He shuffled his deck once, twice, three times. He heard his father voice again, only an idiot shuffles his cards more than three times.” He watched as she cut the cards, careful to look for any slight of hand. She merely split the deck in half replacing the top with the bottom set of cards.
“Your first go.” She said.
He drew, again luck appeared to be on his side; the queen of diamonds peered up at him. He smiled as he laid the card down on the countertop. “Your go.”
“That’ll be tough to beat, heck you’ve probably already won, but just for fun let’s see what I can come up with.” She drew the next top card, looked at it, her face remained constant, and set it on top of his.
He had seen the fickleness of luck, hell he’d been on the short end of some pretty bad sticks, but all those experiences paled in comparison to this one moment. The king of spades sat there in stark black and white.
“Oh, bad luck. I guess it’s a good thing you have a second draw.”
Again he felt a change in momentum. It was true, of course he’d have to draw an ace, but he was feeling lucky. “So let me get this straight, I draw an ace I get double or nothing?”
“Ha, if you can draw an ace, then I’ll find a way to get you the 50K, and I’ll even throw in that help I told you about.” Lucy clucked.
Fueled by the promise of getting everything he needed he drew, his eyes closed and preyed every gambler’s prayer, Please, please let this go my way…
He opened his eyes, and saw her face-there was a strange smile. Then he looked down, a smiling clown face grinned back at him. It couldn’t be; he always remembered to take the jokers out, that was rule one. Yet there it was.
“Oh, bad luck it seems. Pity, but look on the bright side Nicky no nose won’t ever find you.”
“What…what do you mean?” Alex stuttered.
Lucy snickered at the fool, last words were seldom chosen well. “We had an arrangement Alex. Double or nothing, remember?”
“Right, I leave here with nothing, you keep the case, and your money.”
Still nothing noble spoken by this halfwit, “Oh no, my dear, stupid Alex Stetson, you misunderstood our arrangement. You get nothing. No case, no body, no life, and no soul.”
The impish creature raised her hand, and with a wisp of smoke reeking of brimstone snapped her fingers. In a flash Alex Stetson was gone. She retrieved the case, and placed it behind the counter. A moment later an ugly dark suited man with a misshapen nose pounded through the door, she knew it was Nicky.
“How can we help you sir?” She asked, her voice sickly sweet.
He regarded her for a moment, unsure why the hair on the back of his neck was starting to stand on end. She sat behind the counter gathering a deck of cards, “I’m looking for a guy with a silver suitcase, you seen him?”
“We see a lot of people everyday, we might have, but we haven’t purchased any suitcases today.”
“Oh yeah? Well if he comes here to sell that case, you’d better run him out. Oh and you tell him Nicky is going to find him.”
“Will do, and I’m sure you’ll find him.” She saying still smiling as the gangster slipped back out into the night. “Sorry, Nicky, but when you do find him, you’ll have much bigger problems.”
She chuckled, picking up a single card from the pile. The joker still wore that ridiculous belled hat, but the face it wore no longer smiled, almost as if its wearer had bet on a sure thing and lost. She pulled her own deck of cards from an apron pocket, it was only half finished, but at least now it had a joker.
She sighed and smiled, “So desperate, so very foolish.”
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