“What?”
“I think some of the dealers got together.”
“But what would be the point in that?”
“Dealers get fifteen dollars a day. They’re not allowed to play on the other side of the table — even in the other places, so there’s no chance for them to ever get lucky and make a killing... You know what I’d do if I was a dealer and wanted to make a pile? I’d get me a friend who’d never been here before, and I’d have him come to my game and I’d let him win a lot of money. Then I’d split with him afterwards.”
“But how much would the house let you lose before they’d watch you?”
“Oh, they watch the dealers right along. Even when they’re winning. But there are ways of doing it. And suppose I had three-four friends on the other side of the table... and maybe there were a half dozen dealers in on it, all around town. Our friends could go from place to place, with a few thousand at each, then make the rounds again. In two days we could get quite a lot of money and we wouldn’t care at all if we lost our jobs.”
“And you think that’s what happened?”
Mulligan nodded. “I’m sure of it. I think Honsinger, Dade, Murphy and a couple of others got nicked for heavy sugar... and I think that sugar is still somewhere around and I intend to get it. It’s anybody’s money, there’s nobody can say so much was taken from him and so much from him. If I can get that money it’s mine.”
“And then?”
“Then I leave Las Vegas. I’m going back to civilization and you’re going with me, Babe.”
All the while Mulligan had been talking his wife’s face became duller and duller. And now when he was finished, she said,
“Whatever you say...”
Chapter Thirteen
The jailer came to Sam Cragg’s cell and said, “Okay, buddy.” He unlocked the door.
Sam stepped out. “I’m sprung?”
The jailer laughed humorlessly. “Are you kidding?”
He led the way to a door, opened it and stepped aside. Sam passed him and entered the Blue Room. It was a square room, with blue painted walls. It contained a long table and several plain wooden chairs.
Catch ’Em Alive Mulligan was sitting on the edge of the table. “Hello, Cragg,” he said calmly.
Sam grinned sheepishly. “Johnny get in touch with you?”
Mulligan ignored the question. “I made a little mistake this morning. I let you stay in Las Vegas.”
“Where’s Johnny?” Sam persisted.
“Outside,” said Mulligan, “and you’re inside. You know you’re in big trouble, don’t you?”
“It wasn’t me started it, Mulligan. Honest. That Langford bozo insulted Jane. He’s sore, because she’s divorcing him. Besides, he took a poke at Johnny this afternoon.”
“They say you picked him up and threw him twenty feet.”
“Aw,” said Sam modestly. “It wasn’t hardly ten feet.”
Mulligan cocked his head to one side. “You threw him... ten feet?”
“Yeah, but he hit me first. Didn’t they tell you about that?”
Mulligan nodded. “Langford weighs right around two hundred.”
“But he’s a half a head taller’n me. I wasn’t pickin’ on no baby.”
“Oh, I wasn’t complaining about that, Cragg. I’m a little sore that I didn’t see the fight, if it was anything like they say. As a matter of fact, I’m not complaining at all. It’s Elmer...”
“Who’s Elmer?”
“The man whose place you wrecked. He figures the crap table at five hundred dollars.”
“All right, we’ll pay it. Johnny’s got the money.”
“...And he claims a thousand dollars worth of checks were picked up by customers...”
Sam winced.
“...And he says he would have won a thousand dollars during the time it took to bring up the new table, that he was lucky enough to have in the basement. That’s a total of twenty-five hundred dollars.”
“You mean I gotta shell out twenty-five hundred to get outta here?”
“That’s Elmer’s asking price.”
“And if we don’t pay it?”
Mulligan smiled. “I think you’ll pay it.”
“Well, get Johnny here...”
Mulligan looked down at his fingernails. “It’ll take that much money to keep Elmer from pressing charges against you. But it seems there are a couple of other charges against you, Cragg. Such as starting a riot, assault and battery, resisting arrest and assaulting two police officers.”
Sam groaned. “You mean... I’m in the clink?”
“I’d say you were good for about six months. Maybe ninety days, if Judge Megan has a fight with his wife before coming down tomorrow morning.”
Sam reeled to one of the chairs and dropped down on it. “Ninety days...!” He moaned. “I couldn’t stand it. I’d go nuts sitting around ninety days without doing anything...”
“Oh, you’ll be doing something, all right, so don’t worry about that. I’d say they’d put you to work on the road gang. They’re a little short of help, anyway...”
“Get Johnny,” Sam pleaded. “Get him, will you, Mulligan?”
“He’s already been here,” said Mulligan. “He’s been and gone.”
Sam gasped. “You mean they wouldn’t even gimme bail?”
Mulligan shrugged. “We don’t like to give bail here, not when the parties involved are transients and the state line is only forty miles away...”
“But Johnny’ll put up the dough — whatever they ask. He wouldn’t let down his pal. We been together for years and he never let me down yet.”
“I’m afraid he hasn’t got anything to say about it this time. However...”
Mulligan got up and walked to the door. He opened it and called out, “Jenkins!”
One of the two policemen who had arrested Sam Cragg came into the room. “Jenkins,” Mulligan said, “how do you feel about Cragg?”
Jenkins scowled. “Not so good, Mulligan. He gave me quite a shoving around.”
“And Casper? What does he say?”
“He’s plenty sore.”
Mulligan nodded thoughtfully. “Then I don’t suppose you and Casper would be willing to withdraw the charge of resisting arrest and assaulting a policeman?”
Jenkins pursed up his lips. “Well, I dunno...”
Sam sprang to his feet. “Would a hun’erd bucks apiece square it?” he asked eagerly.
Mulligan inhaled sharply. “That’s attempted bribery, Cragg!”
“Jeez!” cried Sam. “I on’y t’ought...” He suddenly clamped his mouth shut and went back to his chair.
Mulligan shook his head sadly. “Now we’ve got to add a bribery charge...”
“Get Johnny Fletcher,” Sam howled. “He got me into this and he’s gotta get me out...”
Mulligan signaled to Jenkins. “That’s all, Jenkins...”
Jenkins hesitated. “I won’t say anything about this if you don’t want me to, Mulligan.”
“We’ll see; if Cragg’ll play ball with us, maybe we’ll play ball with him. It’s up to him...”
Jenkins went out of the room, closing the door behind him. Cragg looked at Mulligan in agony. “Jeez, Mulligan, you seemed like a nice guy this morning. Why don’t you give me a break?”
“Maybe I will, Cragg. It depends on you. If you’ll tell me a few things I’d like to know, I may be able to do you some good. I’ll drop the bribery thing at least, and maybe... maybe I can do something with Jenkins and Casper. They owe me a couple of favors...”
“You can square them?”
“I don’t know. I’ll try.”
“Johnny’ll make it up to you, Mulligan. I know he will.”
“Well, we’ll see. Now, I’d like you to tell me everything that happened out in Death Valley last night.”