Mama’s Gone

by Leopold Borstinski

  7

  IN SEPTEMBER, ALICE and Bobby headed off to Vegas so she could learn about the family business. Running a casino was a huge undertaking and competition was fierce. A decade before, the mob had left the strip, ceding control to the entertainment corporations. Off the main drag was a different story. Footfall might have been lower but gambling margins were sufficiently high to make it a profitable venture. The opportunity to launder cash from their other operations kept motivation up during the occasional month when takings were down.

  By Thanksgiving, Bobby allowed Alice to spend two days a week alone at the helm. The initial response from senior staff was disdain thinly disguised as utmost respect. They saw the daughter of the boss dropped on them and what had she done to earn the role - apart from the advantage of nepotism and privilege.

  The third week at the Lady Fortune Casino, trouble came knocking at ten at night. Alice was sat in her office to check the day‘s takings before the evening shift was over. The phone rang and five seconds later, she picked up.

  “We have a code blue.”

  A simple phrase to describe one problem: someone was cheating and the person on the other end of the line was stood on the casino floor.

  “Where?”

  “The poker tables.”

  “Down in a minute.”

  Alice headed straight to the surveillance room where closed-circuit TV monitors were laid out, row upon row. There wasn‘t an inch of the gaming spaces that didn‘t have a lens aimed at it. Sat in front of every monitor was a guy staring, watching, waiting for some behavior that was out of the ordinary.

  “Talk to me.”

  “See the john in the blue baseball cap?”

  A quick scan of the screen and focussed attention where the finger pointed.

  “He has two different signals. A usual tap on the baize and he gets the top of the deck.”

  “Like everyone else.”

  “Watch. Once or twice, fingers from his other hand rest on the table and out come cards from the bottom.”

  Within five minutes, Alice saw for herself.

  “How much is he up?”

  “Hundred thousand so far.”

  “Let‘s keep this civilized. Go down onto the floor and invite him to our VIP room. Offer to he elp to bring his winnings along. Then meet me in the auto shop. I‘ll be down in a short while.”

  Alice walked over to the internal phone fixed to the wall next to the door. She dialed reception.

  “Page Naldo Friscelli and tell him there‘s a car needs fixing.”

  Bobby had introduced Alice to Friscelli their second day in Vegas. They spent only fifteen minutes together but Bobby assured her she could trust Naldo with her life. He was the quietest, most grounded human she had ever met. Every pore oozed strength. Ten years younger than Bobby but she could tell there was a special bond between the two mobsters. This meant Naldo would be true to his word when he offered her undying allegiance.

  As Alice entered the auto shop in the basement of Lady Fortune, she was hit by the stench of motor oil. A wide variety of tools hung on the walls and in the middle was sufficient space for three vehicles to be worked on at the same time. Right now there was a solitary chair and one man wearing a blue baseball cap, sweating profusely.

  Alice walked toward him and everyone heard the clink of her heels on the tiled floor. She stopped four feet away from the john, forcing him to look up at her.

  “How much has he won so far?”

  “Hundred and fifty grand by the time we got to him.”

  “The dealer?”

  “On her rest break.”

  “You‘ve been a lucky man today, haven‘t you?”

  Alice hadn‘t moved her head from staring at the guy during this conversation, but her change of tone indicated who she was now talking to. He nodded in reply and swallowed hard.

  “Get this lucky man a glass of water. He can hardly speak with all his good fortune.”

  Beat.

  “We like winners at the Lady Fortune. It shows our customers that anyone can succeed. Young or old, rich or poor. It‘s the American dream.”

  Alice circled round the chair, returning to her initial position. Even more sweat as she kicked the leg of his seat.

  “But casinos only succeed if they are fair to everybody and everyone plays fair... Did you play fair?”

  His eyes, filled with fear, widened further than either of them thought possible. Naldo stood by the entrance, a position he’d held since Alice entered the room.

  “What did you say? I can‘t hear you. Did you play fair?”

  Another hard swallow but no sound came out of his mouth. He glanced at Naldo and back to Alice.

  “See, we‘ve been watching you and know you haven‘t been playing by the rules. So we know what you‘ve done. The question is whether you are man enough to admit it. That will determine what happens next.”

  Beat.

  “How long you know the dealer?”

  “Four years.”

  “How long you been coming here?”

  “A week.”

  “How much you made in total?”

  “Nearly a million.”

  “Congratulations. The smart thing was not to take too much on any particular day. The dumb thing was to continue coming back.”

  “I figured little and often would keep us under the wire.”

  Alice nodded and patted the john on the knee. Then she idled over to Naldo.

  “I don‘t want to see his face in Vegas again. Same for the dealer. And give a five thousand bonus to the guy who spotted them. Then I‘ll fire his ass because he took too long to do it.”

  Naldo nodded and Alice left the room without looking back. That afternoon, he drove to the desert with a spade. His trunk was empty when he returned.

  VEGAS WAS AN unreal town at the best of times and Christmas time doubled the insanity of the place. Like a bad smell on the sole of her sneakers, Frank appeared at the Lady Fortune in early December.

  “Mama told me to come and help you over the vacation season. So here I am!”

  “She never mentioned it. What makes you think I need you?”

  “Hey, don‘t give me that sisterly look. I‘m here because Mama asked me. If you‘ve got nothing for me to do then I‘ll hang for a while and head off in January. No big deal.”

  “Does Bobby know you‘re here?”

  “How the fuck would I know? I can‘t read minds.”

  Alice gazed at the bedraggled heap of a brother stood in her office and sighed.

  “Listen bro‘. I‘ve got things covered. Nothing personal but we don‘t need your... talents... here. Stick around for sure but keep clear of the cops. And that‘s real important in the casino: any issues and we lose this license to print money. Do not fuck this up. We can give you some chips if you want to chance your luck - only we get them back out of your winnings. If you have any.”

  “Don‘t mind if I do. Can you comp me a suite too?”

  “A room, not a suite. They‘re for the high rollers. Not lifelong losers.”

  A smile crept across Alice‘s face as she enjoyed the moment. Frank appeared untouched by her putdown.

  WHEN FRANK AND Alice weren‘t competing, the twins got on fine. With party season in full swing, she introduced her brother to the few friends she‘d made since hitting town and Frank returned the compliment by getting them invites to the coolest gatherings in the city.

  Their first joint attendance was in a penthouse owned by a dude Frank met the night before in a champagne bar. When the twins arrived, Alice surveyed the scene in the living room and didn‘t want Frank to leave her hip. So many people and such a buzz. It was overwhelming, but not for Frank who thrived in this atmosphere. Almost before she‘d exhaled, he blazed a trail straight to the makeshift bar on the far end of the room and had introduced himself to what he hoped would be his first liaison.

  By contrast, Alice stood transfixed, trying to decide where to go. While Frank‘s degree was a mira
cle, Alice earned hers by studying every night when she wasn‘t working to pay her way. Mama had helped, for sure, but she didn‘t believe her college place was a right just because she wanted it. This meant she spent scant time at frat houses or sorority parties with commensurate fewer social skills than her younger brother.

  “Overwhelming. Isn‘t it?”

  Alice‘s head nodded in agreement before she had a chance to see who she was talking to. Tall, dark hair and cute lips. The guy‘s body was well-toned beneath his blue designer suit and Alice smiled at him.

  “Shall we get a drink? I‘m Tom.”

  Without another word, he held her by the hand and they zigzagged over to the bar where he ordered a martini for himself.

  “Cosmo, please.”

  She reckoned he was only ten years her senior and conversation flowed into the night with a healthy mix of dancing and smooching to while away a few hours. Before long, they were leaving the apartment block.

  “Fancy a nightcap?”

  ALICE AWOKE WONDERING what she was doing beneath silk sheets. Then she recalled the two hours between leaving the party and falling asleep. Tom had been much the same as the other men she‘d slept with. She didn‘t hold it against him as she hadn‘t experienced an orgasm with them either. Alice was thinking sex was overrated for women, despite what the glossy magazines said.

  The guy was still asleep, out for the count. Something about the feel of the sheets on her skin made Alice stop for a second and enjoy the sensation over every part of her body the silk touched. Her stomach, breasts, a knee and crotch. She turned to look at Tom again to make sure he was definitely sleeping.

  She moved her hand down between her thighs and did to herself what he failed to deliver. Then she scooted out of bed, grabbed her clothes and went home to shower and change for work.

  THE NEXT EVENING, Alice and Frank entered a different apartment but she couldn‘t say if she was staring at the same people. Plucking up more confidence than the night before, she wended her way round the chatting drinkers hoping to make eye contact with someone long enough to start a conversation. She also was on the lookout in case Tom was here.

  A red dress caught her attention which was attached to a smile.

  “Just got here?”

  “Uh-huh. I‘m Alice.”

  “Samantha, although everyone calls me Sam. I don‘t know why I introduce myself as Samantha because I prefer Sam too.”

  The entire sentence came out in one nervous breath and ended in an embarrassed giggle.

  “What does a girl have to do to get a drink at this party?”

  Sam took Alice to the bar and they both ordered cosmos. She enjoyed watching the woman sashay her way over to a space near the balcony. They peered outside, but it was too cold for anyone to want to stand out there. The red plunge dress swooped down at the front and almost was open to Sam‘s navel, so Alice thought. Her eyes lingered on the sight longer than politeness allowed.

  Conversation and cosmos flowed through the evening and Alice couldn‘t help feel jealous every time Sam received attention from the many male suitors. Even Frank flitted by at one point. As guests left, Alice touched Sam on the arm and suggested: “Fancy a glass of wine back at mine?”

  “I thought you‘d never ask.”

  SAM‘S RED DRESS lay underneath her panties on the floor of Alice‘s bedroom. When the older twin woke up, she realized what she‘d known for many years, but had refused to acknowledge: dicks didn‘t do it for her. She rolled over to face Sam and stroked her stomach just enough to rouse her from her slumber. A sleepy smile in response and Alice leaned in to kiss her newfound lover.

  They met up every night for the next week but Alice ensured she kept her word to Frank and they both accompanied him to the slew of parties he‘d gained invites to. Alice understood her brother believed his chances with women improved if they saw him entering the party with girls who were obviously friends. Softened his image and made him a safer prospect.

  The bubble burst on Alice's Saturday night when the phone rang two minutes after Sam went down on her. Three in the morning, according to her watch.

  “Yes?”

  “Hi. I need your help.”

  “You sure pick the worst of times, don‘t you?”

  Alice picked up the call only because it might have been the casino needing her urgent attention. A brother bleating was a different story altogether. She positioned herself with her back leaning against the head board and her legs apart, knees up. Sam took the hint and carried on where she left off.

  “Huh?”

  “What‘s the matter, little boy? It‘s the middle of the night and you‘ve woken me up.”

  Sam giggled and reached up a hand to caress Alice‘s nipple.

  “I wouldn‘t want you to panic or anything but I‘m in a lovely home with a revolver pointing at my head. Turns out the woman I met at the party earlier has a husband.”

  “And he‘s the one with the gun?”

  “Yep. He‘s a reasonable guy. If we wire him compensation, he won‘t shoot me in the balls.”

  As soon as Alice talked about firearms, Sam stopped and scurried to the bathroom. Some family conversations best stayed private. Alice watched her leave the room with lust and disappointment that their fun was over.

  “Answer me straight, okay?”

  “Yep.”

  “Do you believe him?”

  “Yes.”

  “Any other option for you to get out alive?”

  “No.”

  “How much?”

  Alice heard a muffled voice in the background name a six-figure sum.

  “Tell him I‘ll wire it over as soon as the banks open.”

  “But it‘s Saturday, sis‘.”

  She grinned at the fact that the time with Sam had made her forget the day of the week. And at the fear in Frank‘s tone.

  “Don‘t think you can charm your way with the couple until Monday morning?”

  “No.”

  The husband‘s voice got louder.

  “Only joking. I‘ll send Naldo over with the money. He‘ll be with you in less than an hour. The man will resolve the issue. He always does.“

  “Thanks. Is this guy reliable?”

  “He will follow my instructions to the letter.”

  An audible sigh and Frank‘s relief was palpable.

  “We can talk about how you got yourself in this situation in the office, young man. Swing by - sober - in the afternoon.”

  “Sure thing. And thanks again.”

  One phone call to Frescetti and he agreed to take care of everything. Alice lay there and grabbed a pillow to inhale Sam‘s scent. Her fragrance filled Alice with butterflies.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are!”

  The bathroom door opened a crack to reveal a hand and half a head.

  “Is it safe?”

  “Always is, my darling.”

  “I don‘t like guns. They scare me.”

  She pouted and leaned back on the en-suite door to close it. Alice beckoned her over with a first finger and Sam lay on top of her, between her legs. They hugged for five, maybe ten, minutes until the tension left Sam‘s body. Then Alice giggled, placed both hands on the top of Sam‘s head and pushed down until her tongue resumed its earlier work.

  8

  NEW YEAR‘S DAY approached and Frank still hadn‘t left. Alice didn‘t mind as much as she thought she would, but on one of Bobby‘s occasional trips to town, he could see she was happy. Hence more relaxed about her annoying baby brother.

  “You met someone?”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “No reason. There‘s a glint in your eyes or am I mistaken?”

  “Don‘t know what you mean.”

  Alice pursed her lips and waited for a second to produce a dramatic pause. Bobby waited for the payoff.

  “Sam.”

  “And when will you take Sam home to meet your mother?”

  “We met at a Christmas party, so it�
�s way too soon for anything as serious as that. Too soon for you too - before you ask.”

  “Shame. Anyone who can put a smile on your face is always worth meeting.”

  “Leave things be for now.”

  “Back to business then. We have been encountering resistance in LA and have traced the cause to a neighbor of yours.”

  “How so?”

  “The beneficial owners of the Ace of Spades are chiseling into our heroin trade. There have been skirmishes but nothing heavy yet. I‘m making you aware because these matters can blow up in your face mighty fast.”

  “Are you concerned enough to want to stick around?”

  “Concerned enough to fly over but you kids must stand on your own two feet. And you stopped clinging to your mom‘s apron strings years ago.”

  “Seen Frank this trip?”

  “Landed and came straight here. Besides it‘s before lunch so what‘re the chances of the boy being awake?”

  Alice laughed and Bobby smiled. Now they worked together, he was far more open about his opinions about business or the family. Her memories growing up were of Bobby being the most taciturn human she‘d ever come across. Maybe he chose the time and place to mouth off. Pas devant les enfants.

  Bobby stayed in Vegas long enough to share a cocktail with Frank but left before any heavy session could get going. This made Alice less secure as she felt as though Bobby rushed back to circle the wagons. She canceled leave for all security guards and put them on alert for any potential crisis.

  Half an hour after Bobby departed she got Naldo to bring Frank up to her office before he was too wasted.

  “Did he mention something to you?”

  “Nah, chewed the fat then hopped back to Palm Springs.”

  “There could be problems about to hit us. Until it‘s over, stay in the casino. Get the concierge to order in what you want, but don‘t leave the building.”

  Frank sat straight in the chair. A serious expression ripped across his face in a way Alice had never seen before.

  “How bad?”

  “Not sure but important enough for Bobby to take a day trip. There‘s shit going down at home too so we need to be careful.”