“What?”
“Tapes of the slots. We’ve got a woman who’s hit several jackpots each time she’s been in. I know she’s cheating, but we can’t figure out how.”
Glen shrugged on his jacket. “Sure.”
Hoyland walked down a narrow hallway that connected to his private office. Motioning for Glen to take a seat, he grabbed three tapes from his desk and slipped one into a VCR. “This is the first time she came in. She hit the jackpot on the nickel machines. Next time quarters. Third time she came in, she hit dollars.”
Glen viewed the tape in silence. On screen, a slender woman with short, dark hair approached a machine, played it for a few minutes, and then hit the jackpot. He waited until the third tape finished before speaking. “Hand me the remote so I can watch the tapes in slow motion.”
Hoyland nodded. “Take your time. I have a few things to check on, but I’ll be back.” He rewound the tapes, then placed the first one back into the machine, waited until it started playing, then left. When he returned, Glen was putting the last tape into its case.
“Find anything?”
Glen shook his head. “Nothing. She’s either figured out a new way to beat the slots, or it’s a fluke.” He paused for a moment, then glanced at the security chief. “There is one other alternative. Any chance there’s an insider working with her?”
“Already checked. Different slot techs were on duty each time she came in, and the machines were serviced by different technicians. I even went back a month, but she wasn’t in any of the previous tapes.” Hoyland’s watch beeped. “You better get back to the conference room. It’s almost time for your presentation.” As he turned away, a security guard entered the office. “What is it?”
“Remember that woman you told us to keep an eye out for? The one who always wins?” the guard whispered excitedly. “She’s back. Just started playing the dollar slots.”
The now-familiar bells and whistles rang out as Emily's slot machine lined up the winning jackpot symbols. She’d recently learned that large dollar amounts locked up the machines, which then had to be reset after a clerk paid out the money, so she slipped two coins into the machine on her left while she waited for someone to appear. Three spins later, as the clerk counted out hundred dollar bills, triple bars appeared on the pay line of the second machine. This time, however, the machine didn’t lock up because Emily hadn’t put in the maximum number of coins.
Emily grinned at the clerk and gave her twenty dollars. This was unbelievable! Ten minutes after she walked in, she’d collected over eleven hundred bucks! She was getting really good at this!
Caution overcame greed, and she decided to quit before some over-eager security guard noticed she’d won again. In less than three weeks she’d already increased her nest egg by some five thousand dollars. It didn’t make sense to cause undue attention by hitting too many jackpots, especially on the dollar machines. She'd purposefully chosen slots whose jackpots amounted to less than eleven hundred dollars in order to avoid filling out forms for the Internal Revenue Service. What a way to make a living!
Standing next to the guard in the video surveillance room, Hoyland scanned the monitors. “Where is she?”
The guard pointed to the last monitor on his right. “She’s the woman dressed in a red tee shirt and black pants, standing in front of the Touchdown dollar machine. Been there about five minutes.”
Hoyland shifted his glance to Glen. “Looks like we’re going to have to delay your presentation. This can’t wait.”
“No problem.”
“Pan the camera to the left,” Hoyland barked. The three men watched quietly as the woman tilted her head to an odd angle and then dropped the maximum number of coins into the machine. A few spins later the winning symbols lined up, and her machine began spitting out dollars into the tray below.
Hoyland glanced at Glen. “I didn’t see her using any kind of device, did you?”
“No, but did you notice anything unusual?”
“Other than the fact that she’s hit another jackpot? No, why?”
“Look again. Left ear,” Glen suggested.
Hoyland panned the camera to zoom in on the woman’s ear. “Good catch. We got her now.” He picked up a walkie-talkie. “Pete, pick up the woman who just hit the jackpot on the dollar slots. Back wall. Red tee shirt and black pants. Bring her to my conference room. Do not let her leave the building. I repeat, do not let her leave.”
Hoyland folded his arms and leaned against the counter. “Glad you’re so observant, Craigone.”
Glen allowed himself a tiny smile. “I almost missed it. If she hadn’t cocked her head the right way, I wouldn’t have seen it.” He moved away from the monitors. “You should think about getting one or two of the specialized movement cameras so you can catch that kind of thing from different angles. Every casino in Vegas uses them.”
Hoyland glanced at the monitor showing the woman being escorted into a conference room. “Wait here.”
Once her machine finished paying off, Emily carried her plastic buckets to the pay out window. Grinning, she pocketed the thousand dollars the teller handed her and handed the woman a ten-dollar tip. Part of her wanted to find another winning machine, but she resisted the urge and strolled toward the nearest exit. It was time to go home. She was halfway to the door when two security guards stepped in front of her, blocking her path.
One officer fingered a set of handcuffs while the other placed a restraining hand on her arm. The officer tightened his grip as he spoke. “The security chief would like a few words with you. Come with us, please.”
Emily nervously agreed. Damn. Somebody must have figured out she’d won too many jackpots. No one spoke as the guards led her down a narrow hallway and into a conference room. Motioning for her to take a seat, the taller guard released her arm and left.
Bits and pieces of conversation drifted in from the hallway, and Emily realized that the two guards stood outside the door. She wondered what would have happened if she’d refused to go with them. If the shows she’d seen on television about casino security procedures were correct, they probably would’ve cuffed her and dragged her into the room. At least she’d been spared that indignity.
She took a deep breath to steady her nerves. It was silly to be afraid. She'd done nothing wrong. Surely they wouldn’t arrest her for winning at the slots.
A cough behind her alerted her that someone entered the room, and she wondered how he’d gotten in. It certainly wasn’t through the door. There must be a hidden panel in one of the walls.
Well, she fumed, two could play this childish game. She refused to be intimidated. If the man wanted to talk to her face-to-face, he’d have to come to her. She willed herself to relax, to not turn around.
Her visitor finally appeared, and she studied him as he circled the conference table. Tall, muscular, between forty and forty-five, he had deep blue eyes and silver-white hair. She struggled to keep her lips from twitching as she wondered how long casinos had been using movie-star material for their security chiefs.
"You certainly seem to be lucky today,” he began in a velvet soft voice. “Congratulations, Ms…" His voice trailed off, and he raised his eyebrows.
She deliberately waited a few moments before replying. "Emily Sane. Why am I here? Is something wrong?”
"You appear to be one of our luckier customers, Ms. Sane. Seems like you’ve had quite a streak of luck, hitting jackpots the last couple of times you've been in." He leaned closer. "Your luck wouldn't have anything to do with the objects in your ears, would it?”
Emily reached up to touch her ears, fingering her hearing aides. “You mean my hearing aides?” She tried to look incredulous. “They muffle sounds, but that’s all.”
He straightened and stretched out a well-manicured hand. “In that case, you won't mind if I take a look at them, will you?"
She infused icy disdain into her voice. “Are you accusing me of cheating?”
“No one is accusing you of
anything, Ms. Sane. I merely asked to see your hearing aids.”
Damn. She'd always realized this moment would come, but why did it have to happen so soon? He obviously thought she had some sort of cheating device built into her hearing aids. Her lips twitched, and she struggled to keep a straight face. Boy, was he in for a surprise when he examined them!
"Mind sharing the joke?"
Emily shifted nervously in her chair. "There's no joke, Mr…”
"Hoyland. I'm Chief of Security."
"Oh.” She expelled the breath she’d been holding. This was not going to be fun. “In spite of what you think, I’m not a crook and I haven’t been cheating.” She studied him for a few moments, wondering if he was smart enough to figure out what was going on. He didn’t look dim-witted, but she’d bet her life he wasn’t genius material. Better to say as little as possible first. Then, if it looked like she was going to get carted off to jail, she’d tell him about her “talent.” She cleared her throat one last time and plunged into her practiced explanation. “You might not believe this, but your slot machines talk to me."
"You’re right, I don’t. That’s the oldest excuse in the book." His velvety tone disappeared, and he spoke in measured words. "Hand over the hearing aids. Now."
She pushed them across the table. "Fine. You're welcome to look at them. However, if you put one scratch on them, you’re buying me new ones. And they are not cheap."
Hoyland fingered the hearing aids nestled in his palm, glanced toward Emily, then back at his hand.
Emily’s heartbeat quickened. Was he having second thoughts? Good. Maybe he’d return them and she could get out of here before he figured out how she knew which machine was going to pay out. She lifted her chin defiantly.
A muscle twitched in his jaw, and a few moments later he dropped the hearing aids into his jacket pocket. “Wait here.”
Her stomach twisted into knots as he strode from the room, and she wondered if she’d overplayed her hand.
“Tell the lead technician to report to the lab right away,” Hoyland ordered as he entered the hallway.
One of the guards nodded. “No problem, boss.”
He turned to the other guard. “Stay here. Make sure she doesn’t leave.” Turning on his heel, he walked to the technical lab and placed the hearing aids in the center of a small worktable equipped with a microscope and bright light. A few moments later Kurt Strauber, the chief technician, joined him at the table.
“What’s up?”
Hoyland pointed to the hearing aids. “Check them out.”
“It’ll take a few minutes.”
“I’ll wait.” Hoyland selected a chair near the door and watched as Kurt meticulously tested each hearing aid, then sliced it lengthwise. An acrid smell wafted toward him when Kurt used drops of acid to create holes in the center of each piece.
“Well?” he asked impatiently when Kurt removed his goggles and swept the remains into a small dish. “What did you find?”
Kurt shook his head. “Nothing. Whoever made this did a hell of a job. I’ve never seen so many layers of plastic melded together. I wish I could tell you otherwise, but they’re clean.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah.”
Hoyland frowned. “Damn. I was sure you’d find something. Thanks.”
Kurt tipped his fingers to his forehead. “No problem. Anything else?”
“No, you can go back to the floor.” Hoyland scooped up the pieces, followed Kurt out of the lab, and slowly walked to the security platform. “Craigone, take a look at this,” he requested, extending his hand.
Glen reached for one of the larger pieces. “What did you find?”
“Nothing. They’re clean.”
Glen turned the piece over and then held it up toward the overhead light. “You’re sure your guy didn’t miss anything?”
“He even checked them under the microscope.”
“Then it has to be something else,” Glen announced, returning the piece. “Tell you what. Give me all the information you’ve got on her, and I’ll check our database when I get back to Vegas. I don’t recognize the face, but you never know. Maybe I’ll get a hit.”
Hoyland motioned to one of the technicians. “Bring me everything we have on a woman named Emily Sane. If we’re lucky, she’s got a slot machine bonus point card on file.” He sighed, then rolled the pieces of plastic in his fist. “Damn it, I know she’s cheating. I hate to let her walk.”
“Well, at least you have her on tape,” Glen said. “Once you figure out how she does it, you can always prosecute later.”
“If I can figure it out. I’ll join you after I’ve taken care of Ms. Sane,” the security chief announced as he strode from the room.
As Glen waited for the security guard to escort him back to the conference room, he thought about the woman’s actions. She was good; he’d have to give her that. He made a mental note to ask for a copy of the security tape to take back to Vegas. It might be interesting to see what further investigation would reveal.
Emily sat quietly, staring at the cream-colored walls and wondered if the security chief watched from a remote location, waiting for her to become so nervous she’d confess. If so, he had a long wait coming. Everything she’d told him was the truth, whether he chose to believe it or not.
She breathed a sigh of relief when Hoyland returned and chose a seat across the table. At least he hadn’t brought the cops. Pinned to her chair by the man’s powerful stare, she felt as if she were being dissected, inch by miserable inch. She tore her gaze from his and glanced at the pile of shredded plastic he placed on the table. “What the hell did you do to my hearing aids?”
“Be glad we didn’t find a transmitter built into them,” Hoyland replied. “We’ll pay to have them replaced.” He walked over to her chair and curled his fingers around the armrests. “However, that doesn’t mean I believe your story,” he whispered in a cold, icy voice. “I’ve been in this business too long to be gullible. I don’t know how you do it, Ms. Sane, but I can assure you, I will figure it out.”
Emily’s mouth dropped open, and she quickly clamped it shut. Her irritation rose as she stared at the man towering over her. “Believe what you want, but I’m not cheating,” she said in her firmest tone. “Take me into the casino and I’ll prove it.”
Hoyland released his grip. “No. You’re leaving. Send the bill for the replacement hearing aids to my attention.” He fished a card out of his pocked and slid it toward her.
Emily’s temper flared. He wasn’t going to apologize? That bastard! Who the heck did he think he was? She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a warning finger.
“Don’t come back. Ever. You might not be so lucky next time.”
Furious, she jumped to her feet. “Don’t worry. After the way you’ve treated me, you couldn’t pay me to come back. In fact, I think I’ll call my lawyer the minute I get home.”
“Call whoever you like,” he interrupted. “This is private property, and you’re no longer welcome. If you ever come here again, I’ll have you arrested the moment you walk through the door.” He motioned for the guards. “Escort Ms. Sane to her car. Make sure she leaves.”
Fuming, Emily jerked her arm out of the guard’s grasp and, head held high, stomped out of the room. Without the protection of her hearing aids, the onslaught of sound from the casino floor almost brought her to her knees, but she managed to keep one foot in front of the other until she reached the car. Blinded by the pounding in her temples, she fumbled for the bottle of painkillers in her purse, shoved two into her mouth, and started the engine.
The pain inside her head increased, and spots danced in front of her eyes. She glanced over her shoulder. The guard’s ominous expression convinced her it was time to leave, headache or not. Praying that her tablets kicked in swiftly, she eased her car out of its parking space and rolled forward, hoping that nothing crossed her path before her vision cleared. The moment her back tires crossed onto the county access
road, she pulled over.
What an awful experience. She knew from the start that the security people would eventually get wise to her talent, but this was nothing like what she imagined would happen. That odious man made her feel like slime.
Emily massaged her temples and tried to calm her frazzled nerves. It was obvious she needed to rethink her plan—quickly. Thank God it wouldn’t be from the inside a jail cell.
Chapter Four
“How much did you say the rent was?” Emily asked.
“Eight hundred a month, plus utilities. We pay the trash,” the manager responded. “You won’t find a better deal anywhere in Vegas.”
Emily glanced around the spacious living room. The apartment was roomy. It was, in fact, larger than two she’d already visited. “I’ll take it.”
The woman’s smile widened, and she patted Emily’s shoulder. “Would you like to take a look at the two-bedroom that’s available?”
“No, thanks.”
“Okay, let’s go back to the office. You know,” the woman added, “you remind me of my granddaughter. She’s about your age, but she has blonde hair…”
One hour later, Emily excused herself and returned to her new apartment. For once, things were going according to plan. She gazed out the living room window. This complex even had a decently landscaped pool area, located in the center of the interior courtyard. At one end, tall trees gave the illusion of privacy, and at the opposite end, a row of short hedges separated the pool from the manager’s office.
She stepped into the bedroom and stood next to the double set of windows. Moving through the apartment, she noted the creamy yellow walls in both the living room and bedroom. The light color blended well with the reddish brown carpet. Moving thru the bathroom, she noted the oversized tub surrounded by a pleasing miniature floral wallpaper pattern.
Jingle of Coins Page 3
