“Ah, I shall get some chips and join the craps players!” Wes announced.
“Penny slots?” Chloe asked.
Wes laughed along with Jeff and Celia.
“Oh, honey, there hasn’t really been such a thing as a penny slot in forever. But, hey, sometimes you may get away with forty cents a bet, or something like that!”
“Then I’ll take some chips, too, Wes!” Chloe said. “I’ll try roulette. I like those odds—a number or color will or will not come out!”
“Let’s hope there are no loaded dice!” Jeff said.
They split up. Wes watched as Chloe slid in by Daniel McClintock at the roulette wheel. She smiled at him, and the cybersecurity expert returned the smile.
Wes was surprised to feel a strange tug on his emotions and he almost laughed aloud at himself.
Jealousy.
Chloe had given the man a beautiful smile. The smile that Daniel had returned was that of a man who appreciated the charm and beauty of the woman.
His wife.
Not really his wife. They were professionals undercover!
“Hey!”
Edward and the others they were coming to know greeted him at the craps table. He asked how it was all going and George, ever watchful, shook his head but answered for the others, “These guys are doing okay. ’Cause I’m willing to bet they’ll all come back and return their winnings tomorrow!”
“Place your bets! Place your bets!” the dealer called.
Those around the table gave their attention to the game. But this time, Broderick didn’t put any money down. He collected his chips and shrugged. “Yeah, I’ll probably come back and return it all tomorrow!”
He walked away. While playing and chatting, Wes noted that Broderick exchanged a few words with his brother, who then went on to head toward a giant Buffalo machine.
Except Daniel didn’t stop at the machine. He walked past it—and was hidden by dazzling art of a raging buffalo that rose high on the giant machine.
Someone was joining him. It was Jeff Henderson.
Wes had money on the table; he had been joking with the others. Running over to see what was going on would have been extremely telling.
But he didn’t need to worry.
Chloe was on her way over to the Buffalo, looking as if she was fascinated by the size of the machine and the graphics.
“Snake eyes!” the dealer called after the roll.
“Ouch!” Wes said, collecting his chips from the tables. “Too rich for my blood!” he announced, leaving the table and heading over toward Chloe, the Buffalo machine and the two men who had disappeared behind it.
But he could hear them. Just as he was sure that Chloe could hear them and had heard whatever had gone on before he had come close.
He only came in on the tail end of the conversation.
Just in time to hear Daniel say, “It was messed up, man. It was so messed up.”
He couldn’t see it, but he heard something of a whacking sound, as if one of the men had given the other a good slap against the shoulder.
Then Daniel walked around the machine.
Wes pretended his interest was in his wife.
