Jingle of Coins

by C. D. Ledbetter

  Thank goodness she’d had the sense to use valet parking! She waited anxiously for the attendant and dumped a handful of quarters into his hand the moment he handed her the key. Revving the engine, she shifted her car into gear, stomped on the accelerator, and hurried home.

  From his perch above the casino floor, Glen’s frustration rose as he watched every aspect of Emily’s adventure play out on the monitor in front of him. Damn that woman! How obvious could she be? She was lucky the man standing next to her had provided a momentary distraction from her actions. He glanced around the security platform to see if anyone else saw her furtive behavior and breathed a sigh of relief when he realized that he was the only one interested in Emily. The other security men were avidly watching the guards drag their unwilling suspect from the casino floor. Thankfully not one had their cameras angled toward Emily. She was safe—for the moment.

  The stakes were getting too high; he’d have to make his move sooner than expected. If she hadn’t been so blatantly obvious about her ability, things might have been different, but unless he intervened quickly, she was bound to get caught, and soon. He spent the rest of his shift deciding how to best approach her with the knowledge that he knew what she was doing.

  Making a copy of the security tape was easy. Since he’d been the one to spot the cheater, it was his job to turn in a copy of the tape with his report. He simply made a second copy to take home.

  Once he’d clocked out, he called one of his close acquaintances at the Emerald Lagoon. Emily played there yesterday. He might as well get a copy of her actions to use as a training tool. The more tapes he had, the better the odds of convincing her to see things his way. Although it wasn’t a normal procedure for one casino to hand out copies of their tapes to another casino, his contact, Phil, owed him a huge favor and told Glen that he could pick up the tape at the front desk.

  His second call was to Pete, who verified that Emily returned home. When Glen arrived at the complex, he hurried over Pete’s truck. “What’s going on?”

  “Your bird got spooked,” Pete responded with a grin. “I followed her to the casino and watched security bust the guy standing next to her for cheating. Once it was over she split, but not until she racked up another jackpot.” He stared at Glen for a few moments, then cocked one eyebrow. “It’s obvious she’s got some kind of scheme going. What’s her secret?”

  Glen’s heart sank. He’d been hoping Pete wouldn’t have to watch Emily long enough to get wise to her talent. “She doesn’t have a gimmick. Last night she dropped six hundred bucks on the slots.”

  “Yeah, right,” Pete responded.

  “Believe me, if I thought she had a system going, I wouldn’t have asked anybody to keep an eye on her,” Glen protested, realizing that Pete wasn’t going to let go of this one. “In fact, I’m tired of this whole stinking mess. I told her ex to find somebody else to shadow her.” He reached into his wallet and handed Pete three hundred bucks. “Thanks for your help.”

  “No problem,” Pete replied, taking the money. “I appreciate the extra cash. You know where to find me…”

  Once Pete’s truck was out of sight, Glen returned to his Tahoe and retrieved the tapes. Hurrying to his apartment, he changed into shorts and a tee shirt, then sauntered past Emily’s front window. Luckily she was still inside. The chairs surrounding the pool were full, but he found an empty table that allowed him to keep an eye on her door. Shaking out the wrinkles in his paper, he shoved his sunglasses closer to his face, and settled in for the rest of the afternoon. Now all he had to do was wait. Hopefully, Emily would regain her composure and venture out to one of the casinos so he could make his move. Otherwise, he’d have to wait until their date tomorrow night.

  Chapter Ten

  The incessant ring of the phone woke Emily from her afternoon nap. Groggy with sleep, she flung one arm toward the offending noise, banged her wrist on the nightstand, and grabbed the receiver before the answering machine kicked in.

  “Emily, this is Clarise Forbes from the Emerald Lagoon. I didn’t call you at a bad time, did I?”

  “No, not at all,” Emily replied, rubbing the sore spot on her wrist. “What can I do for you?”

  “I know this is short notice, but we’re ready for you to take your drug test. Can you do it this afternoon? If all goes well, you can start in the morning at nine. You did say you could start anytime, right?”

  Emily’s heart sank. The last thing she wanted to do was go to a clinic and pee in a cup. However, she needed a steady paycheck more than she needed sleep—especially after her near disaster this morning. “Sure. Where do I go?”

  “I’ll give you the directions…”

  Ten minutes later Emily pulled her Jeep out of the parking lot and drove to the outpatient clinic the Emerald Lagoon used to process its drug screen tests. She signed into the clinic and took a seat, hoping she wouldn’t have long to wait. Her stomach rumbled, reminding her that she’d skipped lunch and it was almost time for dinner. Landing the floral design job was cause for a celebration—the first one she’d had in a long time, and she intended to make the most of it by eating out. Heck, she might even splurge and order something really decadent—maybe even one of those triple-layered chocolate caramel deserts she’d seen stacked on the pastry carts.

  Some forty minutes later, the clerk called her name and escorted her to an examination room. After a cursory examination, Emily gave the attending physician a list of her medications, then left a urine sample in the appropriate cup. Her spirits soared as she drove toward town. She had a new job, a decent car, and a new apartment. If Glen worked out to be her new boyfriend, she’d be set. If not, she’d troll for someone else. Tonight the world was her oyster, and she fully intended to make it cough up at least one pearl before she turned it loose!

  I should have made my move earlier, Glen thought miserably as he sat in the hot vehicle, waiting for Emily to emerge from the clinic. Swearing under his breath, he tipped the edge of his baseball cap to rub his aching temple, then reached over and switched on the air conditioner. A few moments later he regretfully turned it off, praying that Emily would return before he either melted into a puddle of sweat or the engine overheated.

  There was only one reason she’d visit this particular clinic—to get a pre-employment drug screen test. She must have landed a job. Just as he was about to give up the chase, she emerged from the building, shoved a wad of papers into her purse, and drove away.

  He figured she’d head for home, but she surprised him by driving to the strip and pulling into the Emerald Lagoon’s parking lot. Following her was easy until he got tangled up in the middle of a group of little old ladies. By the time he’d extracted himself, she’d vanished. He hurried outside to try and figure out where she’d gone.

  It was now six-thirty. Would she go home, or had she decided to celebrate her new job by eating at one of the better restaurants? Assuming, of course, that she had gotten the job.

  Hoping that she’d opted to eat in town, he hurried down the sidewalk, glancing into the small casinos that lined every block. Two blocks later he spotted Emily’s red blouse in a group of people moving to the other side of the street.

  She passed several casinos, then ducked into the Silver Palace. Instead of taking time to view the silver coin exhibit, she walked directly to the slot area, wandered down several rows, and finally stopped in front of a quarter machine. Glen paused at the edge of her aisle while she stared at the machine. When it looked like she’d decided to play, he moved to the bar at the opposite end of the row and grabbed a seat. Keeping an eye out for any security guards he knew, he ordered a cup of coffee and angled his body so that he could keep tabs on Emily without causing undue suspicion. She was close enough for him to tell how many coins she was playing, but with his cap over his face, she shouldn’t be able to recognize him—he hoped. If any of his buddies stopped to talk, he’d simply tell them he was collecting material for his training lectures on the playing habits of gamblers. That mu
ch, at least, was true. He was collecting material, but not in the usual sense.

  Unlike most slot players, Emily didn’t react visibly whenever her machine paid out varying amounts of coins. However, like many gamblers, she did press the 'collect' button before she’d spent all of the ten dollars she’d inserted into the paper money acceptor. Once the last of her remaining quarters bounced into the metal tray underneath, she scooped up a handful and dropped them into the coin feeder one by one, occasionally tilting her head from left to right. She repeated this action several times, then nodded, as if she’d seen or heard something she liked.

  Glen recognized the unusual movement. It was same one that caught his eye at the Indian Casino in California. Curious as to what she would do next, he remained where he was. A few moments later, she moved to the machine directly across from the one she’d been playing. Instead of putting her quarters in one by one, this time she inserted the maximum number each time she spun the reels.

  He sipped his coffee and chatted to the bartender while she racked up a series of small payoffs. Two security guards caught his attention as they wandered over to the end of her aisle and looked her way. Finishing his coffee, Glen set his empty cup on the counter and started toward Emily. As he passed her machine, he faked a stumble and dropped his keys. “Be careful, you’ve got an audience,” he whispered softly as he bent over.

  Emily looked startled, but he didn’t give her a chance to speak. The moment his fingers touched the key ring, he snatched it off the floor, then continued walking until he reached the blackjack area. The first table he came to was empty, so he struck up a conversation with the dealer while keeping his gaze pinned to Emily’s row.

  Instead of leaving, she jutted out her chin and fed enough quarters into the machine to play another round. The combination of reels netted a hundred quarters, and a loud tune blared as the machine counted out the addition to her cache. When the tune stopped, she glanced at her watch, and pressed the ‘collect’ button. Quarter after quarter spit out of the square metal chute underneath the machine and bounced into the tray.

  She made quick work of scooping the quarters out of the tray and dumped them into a plastic bucket. On her way to the pay out window, she passed the two guards, flashed them a giddy smile, and held up her winnings. They gave her a ‘thumbs up’ and pointed to a teller on their right before turning their attention elsewhere.

  Watching the drama unfold, Glen gave Emily full points for sheer nerve. She was certainly one of a kind! He watched her walk over to the cash window and slide her bucket over to the payout teller. The numbers on the digital coin counter kept rising as the woman poured the quarters into the metal bin, eventually stopping at a one hundred fifty-six dollars and seventy-five cents.

  Once she’d collected the money, Emily left the slot floor. However, instead of leaving, she sauntered through the hotel’s shopping area, then paused at the entrance to the Renaissance restaurant. Clever girl, he thought smugly, watching her tip the maître‘d. Not only was she celebrating her new job in style by eating at the casino’s most exclusive restaurant—she was making them pay for it! What a woman! There was no reason to shadow her any further. Unless he missed his guess, the smug grin on her face was confirmation enough that she’d accomplished whatever it was she’d set out to do. He’d always figured she was smart, but tonight had proved that she had nerves of steel, plus a wicked sense of humor. His heart beat faster as he envisioned the turn their relationship was going to take. He loved clever women almost as much as he loved money, and Emily was the smartest he’d seen. From here on out, things were most certainly going to get interesting!

  Emily took one last bite of the chocolate caramel pecan pie in front of her and regretfully set her fork on the side of the plate. This dessert was so good it was almost sinful, but she’d had enough. One more bite and she’d explode. No wonder the menu listed the serving portions as either a half or whole slice. A half slice had been enough to send her taste buds into raptures, but a whole one would probably have raised her sugar levels into the comatose range! She savored the last vestiges of chocolate in her mouth, then sipped her coffee.

  Today had certainly been unusual. First, there was the incident with the cheater at the Golden Temple, then the call about starting work, and finally Glen’s warning that someone was watching her. She stared at the crumbs on the silver-rimmed dessert plate and mashed them with her fork. Glen’s remark flashed through her brain like a flashing neon sign, and she wondered if he’d been teasing, getting back at her for lying about having plans. She knew from their verbal sparring that he possessed a quick wit and a sharp sense of humor. That, more than anything else, set him apart from most men she knew.

  That rat was probably having a good laugh right now, wondering if she was looking over her shoulder for the cops! Well, if he was trying to get her attention, he’d certainly done it, although she intended to see that he was paid back in kind. One-upmanship was one of the few adult games she enjoyed—and was good at. Oh yes, the man would definitely pay.

  After signaling for her bill, she left the waiter a generous tip and exited the restaurant. A soft breeze tickled her skin when she stepped outside, reminding her of the awesome power of nature. The desert might be hotter than hell during the day, but at night it took on a life of its own.

  She drove home with her windows open, savoring the drop in temperature and, once she left the strip, the clear night sky. A sleek white limousine slid to a halt behind her in the parking lot, and Kate emerged from the passenger section. Dressed in a strapless sapphire blue gown with a pleated bodice, the woman looked like a queen. Her long blonde hair was twisted into a bun on the top of her head and two corkscrew curls framed each side of her face. A sapphire pendant rimmed in silver hung at the base of her neck, suspended on a strand of diamonds the size of English peas, and a deep blue sequined purse and see-through sandals completed her outfit.

  Feeling definitely grubby in her tee shirt and slacks, Emily joined Kate on the walkway. “Nice dress.”

  “Thanks,” Kate said as she reached up to remove the pins holding her hair in place. Shaking the long tresses free, she massaged the top of her scalp. “This is my favorite dress. I wear it every chance I can.”

  “It’s certainly beautiful,” Emily agreed, fingering the gauzy material. “You look like a fairy princess.”

  “Nothing so glamorous, I’m afraid,” Kate answered with a wry grin. “Just a long, boring dinner for a visiting dignitary." She patted Emily’s arm. “Let me give you a piece of advice. If anybody offers to take you to a formal dinner for a visiting ambassador, tell them no. With a capital ‘N’!” She laughed heartily as she accompanied Emily on the walkway. “All the ambassador did was talk about how great a war hero he was and how his wife didn’t understand him.”

  Emily snickered, and Kate continued, “If he’d been young and good looking, I might have been amused. But this guy was short, fat, bald, and boring. To top it off, he had body odor that smelled worse than rancid milk! It was all I could do not to gag every time he got near me, which, unfortunately, was often. That man followed me like a shadow. You wait until I see Robert again. Boy, is that rat going to pay. He deliberately set me up with that old geezer so he could flirt with the ambassador’s wife, who happens to be a wealthy heiress, some twenty-five years younger than her husband. And—she doesn’t even smell!”

  The pained look on Kate’s face as she described her smelly admirer was funnier than her story, and Emily laughed as she tried to imagine Kate holding her breath most of the night. “Sounds like you had your hands full. Glad I wasn’t there.”

  “Next time, I’ll be sure to let you take my place so you can get in on all the fun.”

  “No, thanks. I’ll pass,” Emily retorted. “Did I tell you that I start my new job tomorrow? As of today, I’m the newest floral designer for the Emerald Lagoon Hotel and Casino.”

  “Good for you, Emily. I know a lot of people who buy arrangements. I’ll send a few y
our way.”

  “Thanks, it probably wouldn’t hurt,” Emily agreed. “See you later. And thanks for the laugh.”

  Kate waved her hand and stepped into her apartment. “Anytime.”

  Chapter Eleven

  The gentle warmth of the sun’s rays dancing on her cheeks woke Emily from a dreamless slumber. She jerked upright when she realized that she hadn’t heard the alarm. Seven thirty! Damn—she’d have to hurry to make it to work on time.

  Emily pulled her Jeep into an open space in the casino parking lot, aware that she’d probably be asked to move her car once she officially started. She switched off the engine, took a deep breath, and hurried down the maze of tiled hallways that led to the florist shop.

  The clerk she’d met previously was behind the counter, and the shop was full of customers. She waited until the young woman had a spare moment, then walked over to the register. “Hello. I’m Emily Sane,” she said, extending her hand. “Remember me? I’m supposed to start work this morning.”