Page 19 of The Devil's Dilemma
“Do you want us to remove him now, boss?” Conrad asked over the comms.
“No. I’ll do it.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Leave him for a while. Are the other two secure?”
“In the basement. Waiting for you.”
I’d have some fun with them. The money meant nothing. I had more than enough. It was the principle of the matter. No one stole from me, and that cheating low-life was stealing from me.
No way could I let that go unpunished. I had a reputation to uphold, and if others found out it could be done, people would follow in their footsteps. A message needed to be sent.
His agitation showed as he looked around for his friends. He shifted in his seat, turning this way and that.
He said something to the dealer and threw his cards onto the table, then collected the stack of chips in front of him and stood.
I switched the camera view and followed his progress through the main room towards the foyer. If I wanted to catch him, I needed to make my move.
“Conrad, I’m on my way. Don’t let him leave.”
Fortunately, my office wasn’t far, and within a couple of minutes, I’d reached the foyer. Conrad stood off to the side, not interfering.
The man in question was at the coat check, flustered.
“No, that’s not my coat either. Look, you must have put the wrong number on my coat. It’s black, not brown.”
“Excuse me. Would you like to come with me?” I placed my hand on his shoulder, and he turned to face me. A flush reached his cheeks.
“I, erm, just need my coat. My friends are waiting for me outside.”
“I think we both know that’s not true. I’m not exactly sure how you’ve been doing it, but you and I need to talk.”
His shoulders slumped, and his chin dropped to his chest in defeat. He knew the game was up.
I nodded to Conrad and led the thief to a doorway down to the basement.
“How did you do it?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh, I think you do. I can hear your heart racing.”
“Yours would race too if someone had accosted you when all you were trying to do was get your coat, find your friends, and go home.”
He had a point, but I smelt the fear radiating from him. It nourished me, feeding a part of me I’d neglected for far too long.
I’d become apathetic. Everything had become too much effort, which for me was unheard of.
Modern life made everything far too easy, and maybe that was my problem.
“What do you want, and where are you taking me?”
The time to talk was over, and I ushered him through dimly lit corridors and down stairwells into the heart of the casino, a place not many knew about. Only Conrad and a few trusted employees were aware of its existence.
“I have to get back to my grandpa. He’ll be waiting for me.”
The worry in his voice was palpable, and his heart rate increased. An interesting fact, which I tucked away for use later on. This would not be a quick telling-off.