I had to take it as proven that by this time our escape car, well stuffed with sleeping uglies, had been found. Which meant that my description was now being broadcast in great detail. Happily, at least half of the male population of this part of the city were dressed as I was. And they would still be looking for the man with the black beard. All of these factors would slow things down-but not stop them. I paid, overtipping lavishly, and was ushered by servile waiters back to the reality of harsh existence.
And I really had been thinking ahead. This entire world went to sleep in the midday heat, after gorging themselves comatose on food and drink. They did not wake again until the sun was low. Which meant that the shops would still be open and I could get the items that I would need.
One item at a time. A new hat here, a jacket there, a shirt in a different store. When I had what I needed I stopped for a cool drink as a reward for my labors. Does it come as a surprise that after a visit to the washroom of the establishment a different individual emerged? It does not. The old garments vanished in a dark alley and the only task remaining was to make my way to safety.
Yes, that was all. Alone in the dark and alien city, the euphoria of the day worn off, fatigue settling in, my face badly in need of shaving, my morale at a new low, I sought escape in a dimly lit bar. All men's hands were turned against me.
"You look lonely, handsome stranger." But not all women's! She was sultry and brash, her charms abundantly obvious in the low-cut dress. Solace and a hiding place for the night?
I shook my head no and she cruised away. Not only would Angelina skin me and rub salt into my flayed flesh if she had even a wisp of suspicion of a liaison of this kind but-more realistically-these girls were watched by the police and their pimps were all informers. I had to come up with a far better plan.
While I was trying to think of one it was handed to me on a silver platter. The two men who stood beside me at the bar were talking together, loud enough to be overheard. "... never showed up, did he?" "No. I guess something else came up." "Lets us down, doesn't it? Poker is no good with a player short. " I turned slowly, smiled broadly-and hesitantly tapped the nearest man on the arm.
"Excuse me, I couldn't help overhearing. I'm a stranger in to~n. All alone. And I do love a game of cards with friends. I don't play very well but, gee, like they say, it's just a friendly game." The man turned slowly towards me, and if his grin was very much like that of a crocodile who was I to care. "Why that's great. We're just passing through town ourselves. Just like you, we enjoy a friendly game, a little fun. Why don't you join us?" This pair were so obviously sharpers that they should have worn placards around their necks. And they wanted to con a con man! It's not every day that you can get blessed like this. And the last thing they wanted was interference from the police. I was led, a lamb for the slaughter, from the bar to a cab and then to their hotel room, where a sultry and most attractive woman admitted us. The evening promised to be a highly entertaining one!
"Sit down. have a drink " one nf mv hnih; iniA thf umallpr of the two. "I'm Adolfo, and this big guy is Santos, and my girl friend here is Renata, and I didn't catch your name?" "Jaime." "That's great, Jaime. How about a glass of ron before we start." "Never said no yet." I was beaming with pleasure, enjoying every minute of this. Renata mixed and served the drinks while Adolfo cracked out some decks of cards and the chips. Santos was big and burly and looked slow but I knew he was not. He was the heavy who took care of any trouble. Adolfo hummed to himself as he opened the first deck of cards and shuffled them, said oops and smiled when he fumbled and the cards splattered onto the table. Ha! I imagine he could shuffle and palm almost as well as I could.
"Cut for deal?" he asked, and we did. My king was highest and I took the pack. "Dealer's choice OK?" To which they nodded enthusiastically. "Three card draw then, for starters." I shuffled, Santos cut, and the fun began.
The play went smoothly and Renata kept our glasses filled. When she wasn't performing this important function she sat by the window, with the radio turned low, listening to music. While I was delicately led down the garden path. Nothing obvious at first. The play ran fairly except for the fact that when he shuffled Adolfo worked some large cards to the bottom and saw to it that I was dealt these from time to time. This gave me a mild winning streak, I chortled as I raked in the chips.
"Sorry to take your money boys." "That's how the cards fall," Adolfo said magnanimously. He dealt and the cards flicked into place.
"What do you think of the election?" I asked, picking up my cards and fanning them out. Two pair, tens full on sixes. "You've got to be joking," Adolfo said. "Cards?" "One. No, I mean it. I heard that an independent . was running against Zapilote." I discarded and drew another ten. I opened my eyes slightly and raised the bet as well. Adolfo matched me and raised. Santos folded. Renata brought me a new drink.
"No way, and I mean no way," Adolfo said. "Anyone runs against The Buzzard is subject to sudden heart attacks. What do you have?" "Full house." "So do 1. Jacks high. About time I won something. I was afraid you were going to skin us, you and your winning streak. " Me and my losing streak. The cards began to go against me and very soon all of the money in my wallet was gone.
"That's it for me, boys," I said, folding my last hand. "I'm skinned. Unless I dig into my traveling money." "Up to you, Jaime," Adolfo said casually. "Just a friendly game. But you should have a chance to win something back." "You're right, what the dickens. Just a friendly game." I went over to my case, where I had placed it on the table in plain sight, and opened it. As I reached into it Santos called out to me, his voice suddenly quite rough.
"Just hold it there, Jaime, Don't take anything out of that case sudden-like if you don't mind. " I looked up and saw that he had a large pistol in his hand, which he was leveling at me. And little Adolfo was doing the same thing with another gun. Just to make the scene complete, Renata had produced an equally impressive pistol from someplace, which was also pointed in my direction. I smiled, innocently I hoped, and moved my hands slowly into sight. "Say, what's going on here?" I asked.
Santos's only answer was to cock his pistol with a snik-click, the tinv sound loud in the silence of the ronrn
Chapter 16
"What happened to our friendly poker game?" I said.
"What happened to our friendly traveler who just wanted to play poker?" Adolfo asked.". "What are you talking about?" "I'm talking about the fact that we have an X-ray screen tucked up under that table top. You have exactly ten seconds to tell us why you have three guns in there. Mr. Police Spy." I laughed at this suggestion, then stopped laughing when Adolfo cocked his gun too. "Only a police spy would talk politics to a stranger," he said grimly. "Seven seconds." "Stop with the counting!" I said. "All right. I'll teH you the truth. I'm a card sharper. I was just about to clean you out." "What?" Adolfo shook his head as though to clear it. This was undoubtedly the last answer he had been expecting.
"You don't believe me? I've been watching you all evening while you marked the edges of the high cards with your thumbnail. So you could separate them out of the pack, then deal from the bottom. I let you lift my bundle so I could go into my reserves, bet high, lose, double or nothing-then clean you out with one last hand. The guns are to make sure I get out of here with the winnings." "You're lying to save your neck," Adolfo said, but he didn't sound as assured now. "No one could do that to me." "No? I will be happy to demonstrate. You just shuffled the deck that's on the table didn't you?" He nodded. "All right then. I'm going over to the table and pick it up, I won't make any fast moves so try to keep those fingers cool on the triggers." I did just that. Moving slowly, sitting down, pulling my chair forward, reaching out and picking up the deck right under their noses. They stared intently while I dealt out three hands. I sat back and clasped my hands behind my neck, the picture of relaxation, and nodded my chin down at my cards.