“Well, excuse me,” she said.
Eddie stepped forward and tried to make peace. “I’m so sorry, Mr. W. Reservations said you were staying in the other sky palace. I was just giving these guests a tour.”
“You promise me peace and quiet. Not working out that way,” the Asian said.
“Forgive me, Mr. W. We’ll leave right now.”
Eddie began to herd Billy and his crew off the deck. Pepper acted put out and did not move from her spot. Mr. W.’s eyes grew wide as he stared at her chest.
“You don’t have to be so obvious about it,” Pepper said.
Mr. W. raised his eyes and gazed into Pepper’s face.
“Your necklace is beautiful. May I look closer?”
“Look all you want. What’s your name? Or should I call you W.?”
“My name is Tommy Wang,” he replied.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Pepper and this is Misty, and that’s Cory and Morris, Gabe, Travis, and that handsome little devil is Billy. Looks like we’re going to be neighbors for a few days.”
Tommy Wang was all smiles now. His anger had evaporated and he bowed graciously to Billy and his crew. He spotted the necklace adorning Misty’s neck and fell all over himself again.
“Your necklace is equally beautiful,” he gushed to Misty. “May I look closer?”
“What a pickup line,” Misty said. “Sure, go ahead.”
Tommy Wang’s eyes were the most interesting part of his face. They were sad and soulful and filled with dark memories yet still danced with the promise of life’s infinite possibilities. They were the eyes of an older man trapped in a younger man’s body.
Billy went inside and got an eighth glass from the bar. Another round was poured and a toast made to their new neighbor.
“Nice to meet you,” Billy said, raising his glass.
“And you as well,” Tommy Wang replied.
The sky palace across the hall was equally spectacular and Billy’s crew settled right in. The arrangement now needed to be finalized, and Billy agreed to go downstairs with DeSantis, where his credit line would be established with the casino cage manager and he could begin losing money hand over fist to pay for these fine digs. Before Billy could leave, Pepper asked to speak with him. DeSantis said he’d wait in the hall.
Pepper pulled Billy into a bedroom and shut the door. “I want to talk turkey with you.”
Billy used his cell phone to check for bugs. “They’re listening,” he whispered.
Pepper pulled him into the bathroom and turned on the water in the sink to its highest volume. She rested her forearms on Billy’s shoulders and looked him straight in the eye.
“Our meeting that Asian guy was a setup, wasn’t it? The jade necklaces, us meeting him on the deck, you arranged that, didn’t you?”
“Guilty as charged.”
“How’d you do that? Do you have a mole in the hotel?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Are you going to tell us who it is?”
“No.”
“Why are you manipulating us like this?”
“I want your reactions to be genuine. It helps sell the play. The less you guys know, the more genuine your reactions will be when stuff happens. It’s part of the con.”
“I don’t like it. Neither does Misty.”
“It’s only for a couple of days.”
“Will you level with us after that?”
“When have I not leveled with you? I’ve thought this out. It’s the best way.”
Pepper took a hard look into Billy’s face to make sure he was being straight with her.
“What about Tommy Wang?” she asked. “How does he play into this?”
“Remember the scams you and Misty practiced in Lake Tahoe? Well, Tommy Wang is your victim.”
“So he’s the mark.”
“Correct.”
“Do you expect me to bang him? Is that part of the deal?”
The words hit him like a slap in the face. The fact that Pepper had done porn had never lessened Billy’s opinion of her or made him think of her as a whore.
“I’d never ask you to do that,” he said.
“Not even if millions of dollars were on the line?”
“Not even for that. Just con him like we practiced back in Tahoe.”
“Got it. So what’s his deal? Where does his money come from?”
“Tommy Wang is the most fortunate man in China. He’s also our ticket to the big time.”
“Why’s he the most fortunate man in China? What did he do?”
“Let him tell you.”
She let out an exasperated squeal. “I hate you.”
“Like I told you, I’ll explain everything in a few days.”
DeSantis was in the hall waiting to take Billy downstairs to the casino. The pieces were starting to fall into place, the players lining up in proper order, the year of planning finally paying off. Every heist Billy had ever pulled had been a dime store rip-off compared to this one, and he whistled to himself during the rapid descent in the elevator.
“Are you enjoying yourself, Mr. C.?” DeSantis asked.
“Having the time of my life,” Billy replied.
Twelve
The city of Havana had once boasted the most beautiful casinos in the world. None was more renowned than the famed Tropicana Club at Villa Mina. Located on a six-acre suburban estate on the outskirts of the fabled city, the building that housed the casino featured parabolic concrete arches and dozens of cut-glass chandeliers.
Carnivale’s casino was a replica of the Tropicana Club and oozed class. It featured antique gaming tables, tuxedoed dealers, and old-fashioned cigarette girls who walked the floor handing out free smokes while a five-piece band played show tunes. Next to the casino was a theater where voluptuous showgirls called Flesh Goddesses appeared in a musical cabaret.
If Cuba had popularized any one game, it was roulette, the white-jacketed croupier’s handling of the little ivory ball a joy to behold. To make their roulette game authentic, Carnivale employed a dashing Cuban croupier with a pencil-thin mustache and slicked-back hair. During their jaunt to the cage, Billy stopped to admire the croupier’s elegant routine.
“You play the wheel?” DeSantis asked.
“Blackjack’s my game. I just like the way he handles the ball,” Billy said.
“Raul’s a master. I’ll introduce you, if you like.”
“Not necessary, but thanks.”
The cage was in the rear of the casino. Introductions were made, and the cage manager wrote up paperwork for Billy to sign. With a stroke of the pen, Billy was given $5 million in credit to gamble with.
“How much would you like to start with, Mr. C.?” DeSantis asked.
“Half a million,” Billy replied.
“Give Mr. C. a half million in chips,” DeSantis told the cage manager.
The cage manager passed the chips through the bars. Billy had studied whales and learned that they tended to carry their chips around in their pockets and rarely partook of the cheap plastic chip trays the casino provided. He filled the pockets of his sports jacket with his chips.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like to play in our salon?” DeSantis asked.
“Too stuffy. Point me in the direction of a lucky dealer,” Billy said.
“You got it, Mr. C.”
Billy followed DeSantis to the blackjack pit while having a look around. Vegas casinos lost 5 percent of their profits to cheating, and he would not have been surprised to see a familiar face on the floor. As a courtesy, he would not sit down at a game where another cheat was doing business but would move to another table.
He didn’t see any familiar faces, but he did see familiar heads of hair. Dark, wavy hair, a genetic trait so prevalent that every member of the family shared it. They were spread out around the casino, scamming different games. Shit, he thought. This was a problem.