The Heist (28 page)

Dwyer dusted his shirt with his napkin, chuckling. He spotted Michelle and his smile rapidly faded. “Being a bad boy?” Michelle asked as she approached.

“Looks like I lost my touch with my ladies,” Dwyer replied, crumpling the napkin in his clenched fist.

“But you know that one’s taken, right?” Michelle asked. “Yacazza isn’t a man you want to provoke.”

Dwyer smiled. “Hey, I’m the nobody of the crew. No one pays attention. I’m invisible.”

Michelle nodded. “You like that, don’t you?”

“What?”

“Being invisible?”

“It’s the best way in our business.”

Michelle nodded. “That’s true.”

“So you find the information you’re searching for?” Dwyer asked.

“I think so,” she replied, sitting down at the bar. “A wine spritzer,” she told the bartender, preferring something light.

“I heard a rumor about Pops Dixon.”

“What’s that?”

Dwyer leaned in and whispered in her ear. “That he was murdered.”

“Yes, that seems to be the consensus. Did you ever hear by whom?”

“I don’t want to throw stones.”

“No worries, you’re invisible, right?” she asked, accepting the wine glass and sipping.

“Yacazza. Everyone here knows he was the closest to the Chalice. He set Pops up and made it look like an accident.”

“Right, I heard that as well.”

Michelle trained her gaze on the comings and goings outside of the bar. Still she could sense Bill’s eyes on her. “Well, I need to find my guy. He sees me hanging around you and you won’t be invisible anymore.” She turned and winked at him. Michelle eased off the barstool and sashayed off.

“
Chocolat
?”

She stopped. “Yes?”

“You know where the Chalice is, don’t you?”

Michelle smiled. “I heard a rumor.” She walked out and dropped her fake smile.

***

Lee watched as she applied her makeup. “You’ve been quiet today,” he noted, tying his bowtie.

She narrowed her gaze on his reflection in the mirror. “Have I?”

“Yes, and I know you’ve been busy.”

“No busier than you.” She put the mascara brush back in the tube and screwed it tight. Turning, she stepped up and worked on his bowtie. Lee stared down at her. “Talk to me.”

“I want a gun.”

“No.”

“You said.”

“I said you’d have your revenge and you will, but you won’t go about it that way.”

Michelle pulled the bowtie snug and walked backward, smoothing down his shirt. “You know who it is, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“Well then, I don’t have to tell you.”

Lee shook his head.

Michelle approached him, touching his face. “I’m glad it’s not you.” She rose in her heels and kissed him softly. He ran his hands down her curves.

“I have a plan, but you have to do as I say. You have to trust me.”

“What’s this plan?”

“Tonight. After I play the first hand, the real games begin.”

She smiled. “Tonight.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

Michelle eased in next to him; he held her hand. Lee wore a black tux. She was a vision in the cocktail dress he’d chosen—black, backless, fitted, and sultry. It created a fluid swirl of silky fabric around her feet, covering her jeweled heels. She had spent most of her energy on styling her hair, placing loose curls that she knew would shift and drift around her shoulders when she moved. Of course, her makeup had to be flawless. She had stood before the mirror blending deep earthy shades over her lids. Batting her lashes at her reflection, she was proud of the mystery that highlighted her eyes. All was done before she joined him, and when he cast his gaze her way, she knew the effort was appreciated. Lee looked as if he wanted to ravish her on the spot. A tingle of excitement tickled her intimately, spiking her adrenaline with anticipation.

On Lee’s arm she entered the game room. The entourages were mostly the only ones at the tables. The real players, the high rollers, were in the back, in the poker room. When they entered the poker room, she could sense the envy. Eddie, however wasn’t just envious, he glared. He lowered his cigar. His hateful stare moved between them both.

“Gentleman, please take your seats,” said the top dealer.

Lee’s hand left hers. Michelle captured it once more and he turned to look at her. She leaned in and brushed her ruby-glossed lips over his. She then removed any trace of the kiss by wiping at his mouth with her fingertips. He winked at her and went to the table. Lee accepted the gold plated million-dollar rectangular plates he’d wager his bets with in the final rounds. Stacks of chips were in front every man seated for the opening game.

She looked over to Yacazza, who made no attempt to disguise his interest. She smirked before sitting next to Nancy. Consuela avoided her altogether.

“The game is Joker’s Wild. Gentlemen, welcome. We have Signor Escobar Gallardo, Mr. Lee Sullivan, Mr. Monk Eastman, Mr. Eddie Cumminskey, Mr. Rawhead Boxer, Mr. Yacazza Nacamaro, and Signor Gio Lucheese. As you know, the game is no-limit, hold ‘em poker, five communal cards, two in the hole. Let’s begin…/”

Another dealer joined the table. He was known as the lower dealer and he controlled the cards and payouts. The top dealer added the announcement of the plays, more for the spectators than the players. The lower dealer began to deal the cards. Lee stared at Escobar and then swept his eyes past all the men. Eddie met his stare. He smoked his cigar and blew out a ring of smoke. Michelle didn’t understand the tension between the two. Eddie wasn’t their target. Lee’s jealousy was ridiculously unwarranted.

“High card for dealer position. It’s
Signor
Gallardo, Mr. Cummiskey is the small blind five thousand dollars, and Mr. Naccamaro is the big blind ten-thousand dollars….” the top dealer called out. The lower dealer turned over the cards.

Michelle recalled many things watching the game. Especially this game. Her father taught her a lot, but she learned the most about poker through Lee. Tonight was about much more. Instead of playing the game, she and Lee were about to re-invent it. She glanced over and saw Bill Dwyer observing with his men. He wasn’t high enough on the food chain to be dealt in with these men. She could read the longing in his eyes. A staff member stepped over to Bill, whispering for him to follow. He put down his drink and walked off. Michelle smiled as he passed her.

“Place your bets,” the lower dealer announced. One by one, Escobar, Rawhead, Eastman, and Lucheese tapped their fingers and checked the deal. Eddie Cumminskey threw out his chips.

“Fifty thousand. Mr. Sutherland, your bet,” the top dealer called.

Lee stared at Cumminskey. He lowered his gaze to his coins. He raised fifty and another fifty.

“Call,” Cumminskey noted, tossing his chips in.

The others folded, throwing in their hands.

“Fold, heads up,” the lower dealer called, turning over a nine of hearts, eight of hearts, five of hearts, and a nine of clubs. “Mr. Cumminskey?”

Cumminskey tossed out a hundred-thousand-dollar chip.

The room grew quiet.

“Mr. Sutherland…your bet, sir?” the lower dealer asked.

“Call.” Lee tossed out the same.

The dealer turned over the final card: two of hearts.

Cumminskey laid down more chips.

“Bet two hundred thousand,” said the top dealer.

Lee tossed out the same. “Call,” he noted, holding Cumminskey’s stare.

“Mr. Cumminskey, you have been called, please show down,” said the lower dealer announced.

Cumminskey nodded. He turned over double deuces.

“A full house to Mr. Cumminskey, deuce and full nine. Mr. Sutherland.”

Lee’s mouth curled up into a sly smile and he pushed his cards out.

“Fold,” the top-dealer announced. “The hand goes to Mr. Cumminskey.”

“Wow, your guy just lost half a million dollars,” Nancy gushed.

Michelle knew why. Their deal was after the first hand Lee would be dealt out. Michelle let her eyes sweep the men gathered. For the first time in the evening, she felt the light flutter of nerves. What if she and Lee were wrong? Could she really go after revenge and see it through? And once done what would she become? Violence was a game she knew nothing of. Lee's gaze lifted to hers. She met and held his stare. There would be no turning back. It was her turn to make her move. “Nancy, why don’t you come with me to the powder room while everyone is taking a break?”

Michelle rose. She saw Yacazza look up at her as she turned and led Nancy out. Consuela noticed as well. Lee, having been dealt out, rose from the table. He gave Escobar a nod of respect, who nodded that he wouldn’t be disturbed.

“Gentleman, we shall take a ten-minute break,” said the top dealer. Lee walked out of the poker room with his men following.

***

Michelle pushed open the door to the bathroom with Nancy right on her heels. “I swear those games are so boring, they never….”

She stopped at the mirror and checked her lipstick, then turned and saw Nancy kicking and struggling in Abahti’s arms. His large dark hand covered her mouth. Nancy’s shocked expression told of her surprise. She smiled. “It’s okay, Nancy. We’re going somewhere to talk.”

There was another door to the back of the bathroom, missed by many. Lee had his men discreetly scope the layout of the place. Every detail of this evening was planned to the letter. She pulled it open and walked into the adjoining room. She could hear Nancy’s whimpers as she kicked her legs and struggled in Abahti’s hold. When he reached the anteroom, he finally threw her to the floor. Nancy scrambled away, gasping. “What the hell is wrong with you people? What the fuck are you doing?”

“Truth or dare, Nancy?”

“What?”

“I said truth or dare, bitch,” Michelle ground out her words with her teeth clenched.

“I don’t understand.”

“Understand this.” She walked over and stamped her heel into Nancy’s hand, causing her to scream in pain. When Michelle applied even more pressure with the pointed heel of her stiletto, Nancy whimpered. The poor woman’s agony was complete.

“You sent me a little letter. Didn’t you? A picture of the Golden Chalice, a note that Lee was the person who knew of my father’s death, who set up my father’s death. That was from you, right?”

“No, no…what are you talking about?”

“You come to every Joker’s Wild. You just sit back and play the dumb blonde.” Michelle stepped back. “That’s how you found out about Consuela and Pops… about their affair.”

“Noooo…I didn’t.”

“You also knew about the Chalice. You knew Pops had agreed to deliver it to Yacazza before his hit. So you had all the information. Nancy, the little informer.” Michelle put her hands to her hips.

“I don’t understand what this is about. Yacazza killed Pops Dixon! I told you that!”

“Yacazza wouldn’t kill Pops unless he had the Chalice. And he doesn’t. Only someone out of the game would be stupid enough to kill the one man that had mastered it. See, I thought about it.
Who could be the person working with Nancy? Who would take such a novice risk?
”

The door flew open and Bill Dwyer was dragged in. He landed on the floor beside Nancy, complements of Lee’s men. Lee came in after them. Michelle smiled at Dwyer, who, badly beaten, staggered to his feet.

“Nancy, who is that?”

Nancy looked on in horror. “Bill?”

“So you and Bill had it planned. How you were going to get in and take it from them all.”

“Bill? What do I do?” Nancy wept.

Bill looked up at a terrified Nancy. “It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll take care of this. Don’t worry.”

Nancy nursed her hand. She dropped her head and screamed in agony, blubbering through excuses and pleas, kicking her feet as her hysteria reached a fevered pitch.

“You two ambushed Pops. He was en route to deliver the Raspberries to Lee, but you got to him first. You didn’t know what the Raspberries meant. You had no idea what you intercepted. So when you killed Pops for the Chalice, you were stupid enough to unload the Raspberries to Rawhead, for pennies. That was your calling card. Everyone has known you were the murderer, Bill. Why do you think you were invited in the first place?”

Michelle walked over to Lee. He held his hand out to her and she took it. Stepping into his arms, she smiled. “Can I stay and watch?”

“No. We will take it from here.”

“
Chocolat!
Nooooo! Please, please, I didn’t mean for Pops to die. He….”

“Nancy! Quiet!” Bill told her, trying to sit up. He spoke directly to Lee and Michelle. “We can work it out. I can pay for her life. I was the one. Not her, deal with me.”

“Go back to the games, keep my seat warm,” Lee whispered in her ear. Michelle couldn’t stop hearing Nancy's pleas. She nearly hesitated. Then she thought of Pops.

“Go,” Lee told her. He kissed the side of her neck. She closed her eyes to his soft kiss. Nodding, she ignored Nancy’s sobs and walked out. She heard the first shot from the silencer before she was away from the door. Sucking in a deep breath, she choked down the bitter taste of revenge.

What have I done?

***

“So I’ll send you the bill. You were a very messy houseguest,” Escobar said

Lee nodded. “We will talk again.”

Michelle remained at his side. She stared at Consuela, trying to picture what Pops would have been like for her.

“Take care, Consuela,” Lee said.

“Have a safe flight back,” she replied dryly, turning and walking away.

Escobar winked at Michelle. “Nice to see you again,
Chocolat
.”

“Thank you, Escobar.”

Michelle took Lee’s hand. They walked down the steps, out into the grass toward the forest. The night air was chilly, thanks to the barrage of wind blowing off of the ocean, but her mink coat kept her warm. Her hair and the hairs on her coat ruffled as they approached the helicopter. She looked back once more to see rolled up, bloodied sheets being carried out. The bodies of Bill Dwyer and Nancy.

“This way,” Lee called, pulling her along. Michelle went willingly, now venturing into Lee’s world, where things would certainly never be the same for her.