Page 13

We’re Not in Kansas Anymore

Hank closed Padma’s office door behind him, leaned against the wall, and clutched his chest.

Then he remembered the security camera in the corner, straightened, and concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other all the way down the hall and outside to his car.

He texted Andre, wary the message could be intercepted by casino security:

Hank: meet at bank now to firm up r boat loan

Andre would think, Boat loan? What fucking boat loan? Then hopefully figure out it was code for: Get to the bank, fast. We have to talk in person.

**

Thirty minutes later, Hank concentrated on keeping his breathing steady while he and Andre waited in Larry’s office for Larry to finish with a teller.

The chair’s chrome arms were sticky in his clammy grip.

Hank peeked through the vertical blinds to double-check that the armed security guard was still standing by the front door.

Hank had known he’d be taking a calculated risk dropping off Padma’s tea that morning.

For all he knew, she might have already uncovered his connection to Dave, and he could have walked through the door, had a black hood whipped over his head, and been whisked away, to be tortured until he told them where their money was.

When he had handed her that cup of tea, he didn’t know whether she suspected him or not.

But he knew now.

And he needed to fill in Andre and Larry. Through the blinds, Larry was still huddled at the bank’s counter. Hank looked at Andre, pacing by the door. “I’m fucking starving. Got anything to eat?”

Andre stopped and nodded to a spot beside Hank’s chair. “There’s a sausage roll in my handbag on the floor.”

Hank exhaled and smiled at his friend. “You’re a lifesaver.”

He looked at the empty floor and then up to Andre. “Fuck. Come on. You know, sarcasm is the lowest form of humor.”

Andre let a small smile tug at his lips, then held his arms up. “Well, look at me. Do I look like I’m carrying snacks?”

He was wearing khaki shorts and a polo shirt.

Hank sighed. “I thought maybe you had a granola bar in your pocket.”

“No. I’m just happy to see you.”

The two exchanged a chuckle. Then Andre moved to the desk. “Maybe Larry has something.”

He pulled open the bottom door. “Bingo.” And passed a baggie to Hank.

Hank took half of the ham sandwich and offered the baggie back to Andre. “Want some?”

Andre shook his head. “Carbs.”

He tossed Larry’s apple into the air, then caught it and took a bite.

Moments later Larry closed his office door behind him. He took in Andre and Hank, chewing. His shoulders dropped. “Guys.”

Hank swallowed. “Sorry, man. I was gonna pass out. This is good. Is that an aioli?”

Larry ignored him and slumped into his chair behind the desk, accepted the quarter sandwich Hank passed him, and stuffed it in his mouth.

Hank wiped his chin with the back of his hand. “I was right. We are so fucked. Padma figured out the slot machines were paying too much, they know money is missing, and they killed Dave. She had a row of casino chips lined up on her desk, and do you know which one was missing?”

Hank dug into his pocket. “This one!” He leaned forward and held up the $1,000 chip he’d lifted from Dave’s chest. “She had every other denomination lined up in a row, and there was one empty spot. Where this was supposed to be. If that’s not her warning me they’re fucking on to me, then I don’t know what is.”

Larry and Andre stared at the chip for a moment. Their faces still. Then Andre asked, “Why would Padma warn you?”

“I have no idea.”

Hank shrugged. “Maybe because I bring her tea every day? Maybe because I didn’t let her commit career suicide and make the casino Zen. But she warned me.” He held the chip up again before he stuffed it into his pocket and made himself sit back in the chair and breathe in and then out. “I have to admire what a scheming shark she is. She dropped all kinds of clues. She said to me, ‘Hank, if head office is happy, we’re happy.’?”

Hank looked to Larry and Andre for comprehension, but their faces were blank. “Don’t you get it? The wince implied what would happen if head office was unhappy.”

Hank made a wincing expression. “And then she looked me right in the eye, for a long time. A real long time. Like, it was getting uncomfortable. I think we were being recorded so she was leaving a lot unspoken. And then, just to be sure I got the message, she lifted some papers up off her desk to show me that row of chips and let me figure out the code.”

The room was quiet a moment, and then Larry asked, “How did she find out the slot machines were paying out too much? Dave said he reset them and cleared the memory.”

“Padma said it showed up when she compared it to their other casinos. We never had to worry about that because there weren’t any other casinos until Indo-USA Gaming took over. And until she arrived two months ago, there was no one to make comparisons. But she noticed our machines pay out way more and she reported it at her corporate retreat. That must be what got the ball rolling.”

“Why couldn’t they just do an audit like a normal business? Why did they have to start killing people?”

Larry asked.

Hank leaned forward in his chair, his eyes wide. “I showed you the company’s Wikipedia page. We’re dealing with big-time organized crime. Crazy crime. Like, cartel crazy.”

He sat back. “We’re not in Kansas anymore, Larry.”

Andre said, “Well, it doesn’t matter. Nothing she said is going to change what we’re doing. We’re already shut down. Dave being murdered did that.”

Hank said, “I know we’re shut down, Andre. But don’t you see? Now it’s about keeping the money and staying alive. And maybe not in that order.”

Larry walked to the window, scanned the parking lot, and fumbled with the cord as he adjusted the blinds for privacy. “Okay. So Padma or some India casino bigwig figured out something was up with the slot machines. And maybe they did realize it was Dave; it would make sense seeing as he worked on them, but that doesn’t mean they know about us. We could still be safe. You didn’t notice anyone poking around?”

Hank shook his head. “But they’re professionals. I have to think someone is watching everything, even if I don’t see them. They’re probably tapping my phone. That’s why I was careful what I texted. And why would Padma line those chips up like that if she wasn’t sending me a message?”

Larry scratched his chin and nodded, as though he’d made a decision. “She was fishing. If they knew it was us, we’d already be dead. So they don’t know. Yet. Good thing you kept your distance from Dave at the casino.”

Larry looked at Hank. “Maybe there isn’t anything to link us, and we’re worried about nothing. The machines reset, so there’s no trail.” Larry straightened. “Did she say what she thinks the overage is?”

“$2.5 million a year.”

Larry plunked down. “She knew that.”

Hank continued, “And she’s switching out the slot machines. The ones Dave rigged are being sent back, and they’re bound to be inspected. What if Dave slipped up and there’s some kind of a trace in the machines? Either way, whether she knows now or finds out later, this could get tricky for us. Real tricky.”

Larry leaned forward. “But nothing in the machines would connect to us. Just to Dave. And he’s already dead.”

Andre shook his head. “But if they confirm Dave ripped the machines off, they won’t believe he acted alone. They’ll know he had accomplices, and they’ll want their money back. They’ll figure out they’ve had those machines for four years and they’re looking for ten mil. That’s a lot of motivation to keep looking.”

He turned to Hank. “I think you’re right. If she was warning you, it’s because she suspects you. You’re alive because she just isn’t one hundred percent sure it’s you. Yet.”

Hank nodded. “She did ask if I knew Dave.”

His heart raced. “Oh my God. She winced when she asked me. Yep. I remember. She looked me in the eye, winced, then asked, ‘Did you know him?’”

Andre asked, “What did you say?”

“What do you think I said? I said no! That was Rule Number One. Did you think I was going to crack when I was being questioned by a five-foot-nothing Gen Z? It will take more than that to sink this ship.”

Andre squinted at Hank. “What’s a Gen Z?”

“Someone in their late twen—Andre! Not now.”

Larry said, “Okay. Okay. Calm down. We have to keep our wits about us. Andre was only asking.”

Hank looked at Andre. “Sorry.”

Andre put his hand on Hank’s shoulder. “It’s okay.”

They were quiet for a moment. Larry picked up a pen and tapped it against his finger. “Did Hector find out anything?”

Hank shook his head. “He said no one’s heard of anyone suspicious traveling in and out. No one was looking for a weapon. No one was asking about us. He double-checked what we want him to do if he hears anyone is hiring to kill us, and I told him—deal with them. He asked if we wanted to know who they were first, and I said we don’t care who they are. Kill them.”

Andre tossed his apple core in the trash. “I think we should give him more money. Just to be sure he’s properly motivated.”

The men looked at each other and nodded. And Andre added, “We’ve gotta be sure Hector will kill them before they kill us. Whoever they are.”