FOLLOW THE MONEY
Getting up from the Blackjack table, Brian Lawson walked away, taking in all the surrounding sights of the Casino. The bright lights, sounds of slot machines and screams of winning players were now going to become a thing of the past. In his twenties hitting the Casino now and then was a form of recreation but in time, it became an addiction. Now, even with a lucrative law practice, he recently found it harder to cover his loses. He arrived at the Casino every Friday night and left Sunday night. With his big loss this Saturday night, he convinced himself that now was the time to change his life; to get rid of his gambling addiction. Looking around the Casino, for one last time, with the bright lights and crowds of people, he felt like he was saying goodbye to an old friend.
The Carlton Hotel Casino always catered to a large crowd, especially on the weekends, and tonight was no exception. Brian, arriving at the Reception desk, was greeted by the desk clerk "Good evening, Mr. Lawson. What can I do for you tonight?" Eddie asked.
"I'd like to settle my bill. I'm checking out."
"I hope there isn't a problem. You are comped till Sunday. You are one of our favorite guests and We've gotten use to your schedule," he said with a broad grin. Eddie had a mental list of all the big tippers.
"No, there's no problem, Eddie. This has been my home every weekend for the last year but tonight I felt Lady Luck was no longer with me. Even nights when I lost, I always had the feeling that I would win it back. Tonight I don't have that feeling. It's time for me to call time out for a while."
"You're just going through a dry spell. A little time away from the tables and you'll be ready for the big win. We'll all be glad to see you back," Eddie smiled.
Brian took his receipt, and headed for the elevators. He always packed light; small carry on case was all he needed. Leaving the room key on the bureau, he wheeled his bag toward the elevators. Pushing the down button, the door immediately opened and inside the elevator laid the answer to Brian Lawson's dry spell.
The door opened onto a scene Brian never expected to see. On the floor laid a middle aged man in a black suit, stained with blood, holding a black ski mask and a large duffle bag. Rushing in, he saw that the man had been shot and was dead. He opened the bag and found stacks of bundled bills. Looking around at the empty hall, he knew it was just a matter of time before someone would exit their room to head for the elevators. Tucking the bag with the money under his arm, he grabbed his suitcase and quickly ran for the stairs.
Five flights down, he exited into a lobby filled with mass pandemonium. The Police, the hotel staff, and the guests flooded the lobby. The gaming tables and slots had been shut down and the guests were asked to leave the lobby by the front entrance only as all of the exits were blocked.
Guests had been asked to remain in their rooms until the situation could become under control. The Casino had just been robbed and elevator service had been suspended.
Brian, mingled with the lobby group. Showing his checkout receipt at the door to the Police, he felt lucky that it's Manager, Sammy Ravino was with them and identified him as a regular guest. Maybe his luck had changed. He quickly headed for his car in the adjoining garage and to the safety of his home.
Feeling an adrenalin rush, he tried to control his breathing. He could not believe what had just happened. One minute he was checking out, depressed and broke, and now he was driving home with an exhilarated feeling and a bag full of money.
Making sure he kept to the speed limit, he arrived, after a two hour drive, back at his apartment. Dumping the contents of the bag on his bed, he began counting the money. For the first time in his life, he was a rich man. His main thought now was what to do with the money and he finally decided to hide it in the bottom of his golf bag in the rear of his closet. His plan was to let it sit for a couple of weeks then make small deposits in several banks and put the remaining money in a safe deposit box. All he had to do now was to go back to work on Monday and stay on his regular routine. He had told Eddie at the front desk that he was checking out and that he would not be back for a while. Hopefully Eddie would think he had left before the robbery took place.
Sunday morning Brian immediately turned on the TV to get the local news concerning the robbery. The announcer stated that five masked men had broken into the Carlton Hotel Casino counting room on Saturday night, shooting three employees. One of the employees fired his gun at a masked man who was headed for the elevator, carrying a bag filled with a large amount of money. Just before the employee passed out, he pulled a switch on the wall, shutting the elevators down. One elevator had stopped on the fifth floor, where the robber was later found dead. The bag containing the money was missing and the Casino was offering a large reward for its return. The TV also announced that the Police were assuming that a guest of the hotel may be responsible for taking the bag with the stolen money since a search of the hotel did not turn up the money. Brian sat in rapt attention. The amount of money taken from the Casino was never mentioned, only that it was a very large sum. Brian was sure the money would be safe, hidden in the golf bag, but as an extra precaution, buried it under storage boxes containing his winter clothes, in the rear of the closet.
After a few months, Brian decided it was safe for him to return to the Carlton for a weekend of Blackjack. His registration immediately sent up a red flag with Ravino who had him watched, especially at the gaming tables. In the beginning, Brian's bets were small but increased as the time went on. Even when he lost, he did not seem upset but laughed it off and continued betting. Back in his usual routine, he arrived on Friday and checked out on Sunday.
Brian knew most of the dealers from his many nights spent at their tables. They all welcomed him back, joking with him about his absence, saying that they thought that he had died or had married a non-gambler. Sitting at the Blackjack table, Brian felt that he had returned home.
Noticing a new dealer at one of the tables, he was told that she had only been at the casino a few weeks. He soon made it a point to always play at her table taking the ribbing from the other dealers with an embarrassed smile. Gambling every weekend left little room in his life for a romantic relationship and caused most relationships to end badly. Brian became captivated by Ann Archer's shy manner and flirtatious sense of humor and she seemed to look forward to his arrival each week.
Sitting over cups of coffee, on her work breaks, soon led to drinks, dinners, and after her shift, hours of conversation, bringing them closer together each week. She told him she learned to deal and shuffle cards at a very early age from her two older brothers. When her father died, she left Ohio for Vegas. She loved Vegas but sometimes she got homesick as working long hours left little time for making friends. Brian could hardly wait to get back every Friday to see Ann.
Back home, life was beginning to unravel for Brian. He began to notice the same two men following him whenever he left his apartment. No matter where he went, one of them was always nearby. At first he thought he was paranoid but changing his routine made little difference. One of the men could always be spotted. After a few weeks, he was convinced they were from the Casino and fear started to occupy his every thought. He watched every car driving close to him, afraid of being grabbed off of the street. Thinking the Casino was having him watched, he decided that maybe it was time to disappear.
Friday morning, arriving at his office, he handed in his resignation, stating health reasons. He told his boss that his doctor recommended some time away from his hectic schedule as a recent test showed a slight heart irregularity. Saying goodbye to his co-workers and promising to keep in touch, Brian Lawson, with a smile on his face, got in his car and headed for the Carlton Casino hopefully to start a new life with the girl of his dreams.
Ann was overjoyed to see him.
"I have a big surprise for you," Brian said. "I'll tell you all about it over dinner."
"I can hardly wait," Ann said, giving him a kiss.
Later, arriving in the dining room, she noticed a table in the rear of the room set with a large arrangement of roses, a bottle of Champagne, and two glasses. A ribbon attached to one of the glasses held a diamond ring.
"What is this?" Ann said sitting at the table with a look of surprise.
"I know that this is sudden but I feel that we were meant to be together and I think that you feel the same way. We need to spend more time together. I booked us a late night flight to Bermuda for a special vacation. All arrangements have been made to show you a wonderful time and later you can give me your answer. I want you to be my wife. You can call the ring a pre-engagement ring. Whatever you decide, please keep the ring. Right now it's to show you I'm serious and I hope your answer will be yes."
"This is all very sudden. What about my job?" She asked with a surprised expression.
"I arranged everything with Mr. Ravino and he said that you can take as long as you like."
When she seemed concerned about the cost of such a trip, Brian smiling, told her to not even think about the cost as a close relative had recently died and left him a large amount of money. Following a gourmet dinner and cocktails, they drove to Brian's apartment. He told her that he needed to pack a bag and get some cash he kept in the apartment.
"Who keeps cash in their apartment these days? Most people I know just use a credit card and an ATM machine." Ann laughed.
"I don't keep it all here. I have a safe deposit box at Signet National but I like to be able to put my hands on some quick cash when I need it in a hurry. I have had the strangest feeling lately that I am being followed by someone who may know that I just came into a lot of money. I'm anxious to get out of town for a while and, I am not comfortable leaving any money in the Apartment. I'll put it in a bank in Bermuda while we are there."
Opening the front door, Brian threw his coat on the chair and immediately headed for the closet pulling out his suitcase and golf bag.
"I didn't know you played golf; I've never played. I don't think you'll need your clubs on this trip," Ann told him relaxing in an easy chair.
"It's not for golf. It's my bank," he said dumping the contents on the bed. Stacks of large bills covered the bedspread. Turning around to face Ann, Brian's complexion turned ashen. His eyes widened with shock for facing him stood Ann with a gun pointed at his chest.
"What are you doing?" He said starting to shake.
"I have waited a long time to find out where you put the money. Having those two men watch you was my idea. You thought the casino would send men to follow you; you never thought they would send a woman. Too bad you never considered the Casino an equal opportunity employer. Sam Ravino put me on your trail two days after the robbery. He had a feeling it was you who took the money. He also thought it would take a woman to find out where it was.
Picking up the phone she dialed Ravino's cellphone. "Hello sweetheart. I'm here and it's over. The money was in his golf bag. The rest is in a safe deposit box at Signet National Bank. The key was in his wallet."
"Good girl! I knew you would find the money. I'm in the car and should be there in about ten minutes."
Sammy Ravino arrived with the two men sent to tail Brian. Ravino said, "Your luck just run out" as he shot Brian in the head. Putting the suitcase and the golf bag back in the closet, they placed the body on the bed and the gun in his had making it look like a suicide. Leaving the apartment, they headed for their cars. Sammy told Ann that she was to ride back in the other car as he had to take care of some unfinished business. Giving Sammy a kiss she said that she would see him back at the Casino and slid into the backseat of the car. Turning to the driver, with a soft voice Sammy said, "You know what to do, no witnesses." The driver nodded, tapped the gun in his breast pocket, and smiling drove away.
Several days later, Brian Lawson's body was discovered and declared a suicide after questioning several co-workers who confirmed that he resigned recently due to a heart condition. Ann Archer's body was found months later in a wooded area. She had been shot in the head. Mr. Ravino had told the Police that she had requested some leave time to visit her family in Ohio, and assumed that she had decided to stay. The case is still under investigation.
Six months later the evening news reported that Sammy Ravino, the Manager of the Carlton Hotel Casino in Las Vegas had been shot while on vacation in Bermuda. Mr. Ravino was rumored to have Mafia connections. Police are looking for two well dressed Americans fleeing the scene.