Tammas waited a short period. He crossed the floor to the corner opposite where Joe was; and he nodded to him but Joe appeared not to notice. There were no cards out on the table. They were all in the shoe. And the dealer was sitting back on his chair, arms folded, a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth. He had on a waistcoat which was unbuttoned and his braces were showing, old fashioned ones that functioned with buttons instead of clips. His two workers were both sitting with their hands clasped on the table and not looking anywhere in particular. Eventually the dealer yawned and said: I’ll wait here all fucking night.
Nobody answered.
The dealer was gazing at the ceiling when he had spoken, but now he unfolded his arms and took the cigarette from his mouth, inhaling as he did so. He looked round the room and sighed, and he put the cigarette back into his mouth and clasped and unclasped his hands; he looked at a man sitting amongst the players and said: See Jimmy I know it was you.
It wasnt me Jake.
Jimmy. It was you. I fucking know it was you.
It wasnt.
The dealer sniffed and muttered, It fucking was you.
Honest Jake it wasnt.
The dealer shook his head and he sighed, and he clasped his hands and stared straight at the man. The two boys had their money out on the fucking table, he said. And they had a fucking tenner. Next thing it was a fiver. And it was you that fucking took it.
It wasnt me at all.
It fucking was Jimmy.
It wasnt but honest, honest Jake.
I dont believe you. I just dont believe you — they werent that fucking drunk! The dealer continued to sit looking in the direction of the man. And the silence continued for several seconds. Eventually he said, I think you should just go home out the road Jimmy.
But I never fucking took the money.
Course you fucking took the money! The dealer smiled and sat back on the chair again. He folded his arms and glanced at the worker to his right. Then he sniffed and took the fag from his mouth and he jerked his thumb at the door into the snacks’ room. Jimmy, he said, fuck off.
The man cleared his throat as though about to reply.
Okay? Just fuck off. . The dealer turned his head away, his eyelids flickering shut. He dragged deeply on the cigarette, gazing vaguely in the direction of where Tammas was standing.
Suddenly the man stood up from his seat and the guys behind stepped out of his path as he strode to the exit, staring straight ahead.
Somebody strolled to close the door behind him. A moment passed, then several conversations broke out. The dealer was muttering to the worker on his right: It fucking sickens me when that happens but I’m no kidding ye, it just fucking sickens me.
Should’ve his fucking hands cut off.
The dealer nodded, reaching to the shoe; and he began lifting out all the cards. Here, he said, shuffle them for a new deck. . He glanced towards the punters and asked, Where’s the bank got to? I’ve bloody forgot with all this carry on.
There was some laughter. Eventually it was sorted out. The two workers were still shuffling the cards and different conversations continued. Across the other side from Tammas Joe was moving away and he and the man with him walked to the door. Tammas stepped out from the row of spectators and gave him a wave. Joe grinned. How you doing Tammas?
No bad, yourself?
No complaints. . he introduced the other man as Eric. We’re just heading up the Royal, he said, this place gets too noisy sometimes.
Eric grimaced, shaking his head.
Tammas smiled.
Come with us if you want.
Nah it’s okay Joe thanks.
Naw, come on, you’re alright.
Ah well okay.
Be a game of poker later on. . Joe held the door open for him and as they walked behind Deefy to the exit he asked, Still seeing wee Vi?
Aye.
Joe glanced at Eric: He’s winching wee Vi Wylie.
Is he? Eric peered at Tammas and said: Are you?
Well no really winching I mean we’re. . he sniffed. We’re seeing each other right enough.
Nice wee lassie.
Tammas nodded.
No out with her the night? said Joe.
Naw.
Course she’s got that wee wean to look after.
Aye.
Tricky and that for babysitters? asked Eric.
No too bad.
Eric nodded. Deefy was holding the outside door open for them and the trio exchanged Goodnights with him.
The Royal was also busy. In the coffee lounge Tammas ordered an omelette and chips. Joe and the other guy had coffee and they sat drinking it with him while he waited. When the woman appeared with it from the kitchen he got up and so did the other two. See you when you come ben, said Joe. He and Eric walked to the door through into the casino but then he turned back alone and he said quietly, Hey Tammas you okay for the poker?
Aye.
About cash I mean. Sometimes on a Friday they make it a fifty sit in.
A fifty! Christ, I thought it was just twenty.
Sometimes, aye. It depends. Not if there’s money about.
Tammas shrugged.
Wee Vi’d give me a doing if she thought I was leading you astray! Joe grinned, speaking quietly.
D’you think it’ll be fifty the night like?
Could be. And it’s stud they play. No quarter!
Tammas looked at him. The woman was returning him his change: Just keep it, he said, lifting his plate and reaching for a knife and fork. He glanced sideways. I’m alright Joe.
Fair enough, aye. Joe tapped him on the shoulder, turned to leave.
Eh Joe. . Tammas paused with the plate and cutlery in his hands. That guy Stan’s no in the night is he?
Stan? Naw — no Stan; he never comes — no unless the women are here or something.
Aw.
How? D’you want to see him?
Naw.
Joe nodded. He was looking at Tammas: Okay?
Aye, Christ, fine.
Stan’s alright.
Aye.
A nice big guy. Joe grinned: You dont worry about him do ye!
Naw.
Good. Okay. . Joe patted him on the shoulder before leaving.
He took his time in eating the omelette and chips, gazing at the following evening’s dog card at Shawfield. There was one going he fancied quite strongly. He had backed it last time out and it had just failed to get up on the line. Now it was getting an extra yard in the handicap and had to have a chance. He put a tick against it with his pen, then ate the last couple of chips, finished off the coffee, strolled through to the gaming section.
He had £52 of a wad, enough to play poker and just about be comfortable with, but not much more than that. But there was no point trying to improve it on the tables. That was how it got frittered away, the quick route to going skint. According to Joe the only game worth playing was chemmy — except for poker. And all you had to do was look at the kind of folk playing here in comparison to those back at the club. There was money but not much else. Real punters like Deefy and them would hardly watch roulette never mind play it. Tammas had never seen Joe gambling at any of the tables, just occasionally standing by one while talking to somebody. And it was very seldom he ever went near at all when Milly was playing. She always played roulette, nearly always at the same table, and she tried to sit next to the wheel. There were two women sitting at her usual place just now. Tammas recognised them vaguely. Both were wearing long dresses of a style similar to the one Rena’s best maid had worn at the wedding, the dresses stopping short at the top of the breasts so that the cleavage was quite easy to see. When Vi was in with Milly what she did was stick to the even money bets. And occasionally she won, and would stop while ahead. There was a Chinese guy on the opposite side of the table. He was betting after the same sort of method. He had a card and he was marking in numbers, he was in the midst of a winning sequence. The 19–36 he was gambling. Tammas watched him win four times in succession and on each occasion his bet was six £5 chips. The sequence ended when number 11 appeared. And he did not bet in the next, nor the next. Tammas lighted a cigarette. The two women were using the individually coloured chips, spreading them about on single numbers. That was the way Milly gambled. They were not talking to each other while they were doing it. One of them seemed to be winning a lot. The Chinese guy was now making a bet — the odd column, again for the six £5s. The metal ball was spinning and some latecomers were putting down bets quickly and methodically. Number 33: and the Chinese guy was a winner. So too the woman who seemed to be winning a lot. The croupier stacked out the chips for her and then for him. He lifted six and left six, and lighted a plain cigarette. There was a brief pause. Then the croupier was whirling off the wheel with his left hand while flicking the ball in with his right, and leaning back a little, listening to something being whispered by another of the casino employees. And again people were stretching to make their bets and Tammas also was leaning forwards and he dropped £50 down onto the black bed, and stepped back, folding his arms and holding the cigarette to his mouth with his left hand. The croupier glanced at him then exchanged the notes for ten £5 chips, stuffing them through a slot to the side of the wheel; and the smooth whirr of the ball spinning was becoming a rattling noise and the croupier called, No more bets. The ball settled into a red number. It was also an odd number and the Chinese guy was a winner. Tammas nodded slightly, inhaled on the cigarette. And he waited there until the ball was spinning once again.