Her eyes remained on him. Then she said irrelevantly, “Chuck — Mr. Halton, was explaining his system just before you came up. I told him about this afternoon...”
Halton turned away from Sam. “If you don’t mind, Mr. Fletcher, I’d like to exchange systems with you...”
“You’ve got a system?”
“Naturally. That’s why I’m here, to try it out.” He reached into his breast pocket and took out a folded paper. He unfolded it to full letter size and placed it down on the table. Johnny saw that it was covered with figures.
“It’s the Esquire system,” Halton went on. “Infallible...”
“How does it work?”
“Why, as you can see, you have to play different amounts, depending on what is transpiring at the moment. You increase the bets when you’re losing and decrease when you’re winning.”
Johnny nodded thoughtfully. “How much have you won so far?”
Halton winced a little. “As a matter of fact, I haven’t won anything yet...”
“You’ve lost?”
“Just a few hundred. But then I’ve only been playing the system four days. I’m bound to win in the long run.”
“Sure.”
Halton cleared his throat. “You’re welcome to use this system.”
Johnny waved it away. “I think I’ll stick to my own.”
“What is your system?”
“I keep the dice.”
“Eh?”
“That’s it.”
“What do you mean?”
“That’s my system. I keep the dice. As long as I’ve got them I can’t lose, can I?”
“No, of course not. But you must have a system for betting.”
“Sure. I put down the money and roll the dice, then pick up the money.” Halton flushed. “Of course if you don’t want to tell...”
“I’m telling you. That’s all I do — put down the money and pick up the winnings.”
“You mean you haven’t got any system? You’re just... lucky...?”
“Yep!”
“And you won fifty thousand dollars this afternoon?”
“Fifty thousand?”
“Isn’t that the amount?”
Johnny coughed. “More or less.”
“I won eight hundred,” interposed Mrs. Langford. “What’s the term — riding with him?”
“Speaking of riding,” said Johnny. “Did your horse get back all right?”
“Oh, yes.”
“Then you’ll be riding again in the morning?”
“Why not? I’ve only got two more days.”
Halton regarded her sulkily. “You’ll be glad to leave Las Vegas?”
“Why shouldn’t I be? It’ll mean I’m free...”
A waiter came up with a bottle of champagne. “Compliments of Mr. Chatsworth...”
“Chatsworth?” exclaimed Johnny. “I don’t know any Chatsworth...”
“The champagne is for the lady,” said the waiter.
But Mrs. Langford was already smiling and nodding to somebody behind Johnny. Johnny turned in his chair and picked him out — a sleek man in his late forties, three tables away. He was wearing a tuxedo and as Johnny looked, he got up from his table and came forward.
“The traffic’s getting heavy,” Johnny remarked sourly.
Chapter Eight
Chatsworth came up and took Mrs. Langford’s hand. For a moment Johnny thought he was going to kiss it, but he contented himself with pawing it in both of his own hands. “Do you mind, my dear?” he purred.
Young Halton growled deep in his throat.
“Not at all, Mr. Chatsworth,” Mrs. Langford was saying, “I’m delighted... you know Mr. Halton?”
“Of course,” said Chatsworth, nodding curtly.
“...And Mr. Fletcher and Mr. Cragg...”
Chatsworth gave his hand to Johnny, started to give it to Sam, then switched to a bare nod. “How are you, gentlemen?”
“Pull up a chair,” said Sam Cragg.
“May I?” Chatsworth addressed Mrs. Langford.
She gave assent, but there was no chair. The waiter who had brought the champagne was equal to the occasion, however. He went back to Mr. Chatsworth’s former table and brought up his recently vacated chair.
Johnny looked at Halton across the table. “Competition?”
Halton scowled.
Sam Cragg suddenly took it upon himself to roll the conversational ball. He grinned pleasantly at Mr. Chatsworth.
“What’s your racket, buddy?”
A startled expression came into Mr. Chatsworth’s eyes. “I beg your pardon?”
“Your racket — whaddya do for a living?”
“Why, uh, I... I’m in the insurance business,” floundered Mr. Chatsworth.
“You sell life insurance?”
Halton guffawed and Sam glared at him. “I say something funny?”
“Mr. Chatsworth,” said Jane Langford patiently, “is the head of the Midwest Insurance Company, one of the largest...”
“Oh, yeah,” said Sam, not at all disconcerted. “I had a policy in that outfit myself once.” He hitched his chair closer to that of Mr. Chatsworth. “I’m glad to meet you. I’ve got a bone to pick with your company. I paid in twelve bucks in premiums and then when I couldn’t pay once they closed me out. I ask you, Chatsworth, is that a way to treat a customer?”
Mr. Chatsworth got very red in the face. “I’m sure I don’t know the circumstances, Mr. Slagg...”
“Cragg!”
“...Mr. Cragg.”
“Yeah, well, circumstances or not, I shelled out twelve bucks and never got nothing for it. It’s things like that that make people turn against the insurance companies...”
“If you will write me a letter,” Mr. Chatsworth said stiffly, “I shall see that you are reimbursed in full... the entire twelve dollars...”
“And what about the interest?”
“Mr. Cragg,” interposed Mrs. Langford, “you’re quite droll, but you shouldn’t carry a joke too far...”
“Who’s joking?” cried Sam. “I’ve got a beef...”
“But this is hardly the time...”
Then Halton added his voice. “If a man’s in the insurance game, any time is the right time. Insurance agents bother you night and day — anywhere, any place. So why shouldn’t an insurance man be asked to make adjustments at any time...?”
“See here,” exclaimed Chatsworth. “I like a joke as well as the next man, but I fail to see the point of this, ah, rib... as you might say...”
Nick the bellboy came up, and bending over, whispered in Johnny’s ear. “Mr. Fletcher, could I see you a moment?”
“What’s up?”
Nick’s eyebrows went up. Johnny rose to his feet. “Excuse me a moment...”
He followed Nick toward the door. When he saw that Nick intended to go still further, Johnny reached forward and caught Nick’s arm. “Oh, come now, Nick, it can’t be that secret...”
“It is, Mr. Fletcher. Believe me, it is.”
Johnny followed Nick through the hotel lobby into the casino. Near the dollar slot machines, Nick stopped. “Go to your cabana, Mr. Fletcher, but don’t go inside. Not until I get there.”
“Look, son,” said Johnny. “I haven’t had any dinner yet...”
“You won’t feel like eating when you see what’s in your room...”
Johnny exclaimed in annoyance. “You talk like there was a stiff in my room...”
“There is...”
“What!”
“That’s why I don’t think we should be seen leaving together, Mr. Fletcher. You go through here and I’ll go out the front and around...”
Johnny looked sharply at the bellboy, then without a word, started through the crowded casino.
He left the casino by the rear door, cut across the driveway and bore down on the cabana which contained Room 24. As he stepped onto the veranda, he heard the rapid clicking of heels behind him and turning, saw Nick the bellboy come up.
“All right,” Johnny said tersely, “now let’s see what this is all about...”