It Was a Very Bad Year

TWENTY-THREE

His name was Mike Dotelli, and he’d been in the pits exactly three months. Jack had promoted him, against my better judgment.

‘Why would you ever OK that much credit to a kid?’ I demanded.

‘Why do you think I’ve got to account to you, Eddie?’ Dotelli asked.

‘It doesn’t make any sense, Mike.’

‘The kid shot ten grand on his own, Eddie,’ Dotelli said. ‘Said he was here celebrating his twenty-first birthday. Who are we to ruin the celebration?’

‘How about you’re ruining his life?’ I asked.

Dotelli raised his eyebrows at me. He was young, maybe thirty-three. I didn’t think he was ready for the pit, and this proved it to me. I had to wonder if this would prove it to Jack Entratter, as well?

‘Eddie,’ he said, ‘if we started to worry about ruining people’s lives we wouldn’t let anybody play, at all.’

‘Jesus, Mike,’ I said, ‘how high would you have let him go?’

‘If his cousin hadn’t yanked him outta here? Probably another thirty grand.’

‘A hundred grand?’ I asked. ‘Happy fuckin’ birthday.’

‘Hey, the kid has a system,’ Mike said. ‘He’ll be back.’

‘Not if his cousin has anything to say about it.’

‘You know these two?’

‘Yeah,’ I said, ‘I know ’em.’

‘Well, mark my words,’ Mike said, ‘he’ll be back at the tables, if not here, then somewhere else.’

I shook my head and walked away from the asshole. My next stop was Jack Entratter.

‘Eddie,’ Entratter said, after a few minutes, ‘you ain’t askin’ me to let this kid off the hook, are ya?’

‘He never should have been on the hook at all, Jack,’ I said. ‘He came here with ten grand birthday money. When that was gone he should have been finished.’

‘You wouldn’t have given him any credit?’

‘None.’

‘Because he’s Jerry’s cousin?’

‘Because he’s a kid,’ I said. ‘Where’s he going to get the money to pay up?’

‘When has that ever been our problem?’

‘It’s our problem to show good judgment,’ I said. ‘I OK credit to people I know are going to be able to pay up. Otherwise, I’m gambling with the casino’s money. And that’s not my job. And it ain’t Mike Dotelli’s job, either.’

‘All right,’ Entratter said, sitting back in his chair. ‘I’ll have a talk with Mike but there’s no way I can let the kid off the hook.’

‘Just give him time to pay, Jack.’

‘He’ll have all the time he needs, Eddie. I’m not lookin’ to break the legs attached to any of Jerry’s relatives.’

‘No,’ I said, ‘I guess not.’

‘Can Jerry keep him under control from here on in?’ Jack asked. ‘Or maybe take him home?’

‘I’ll talk to him.’

‘We can keep him away from our tables, but if he goes somewhere else. .’

‘I get it, Jack,’ I said. ‘I’ll talk to Jerry, see what he wants to do.’

Jack nodded, stood up.

‘Come on, I’ll go down with you. I wanna walk the floor.’

‘I’m gonna take Abby to dinner,’ I said. ‘Then I’ll hit the floor.’

‘Good, good.’

On the way to the elevators he said, ‘I know you don’t think Dotelli was ready, Eddie, but mark my words, he’ll make a good pit boss.’

‘I don’t doubt it, Jack,’ I said, ‘in a few years, maybe.’

He took the elevator down to the floor, while I took it up to Jerry’s suite.

‘Where’s Billy?’ I asked, when he let me in.

‘In his room,’ Jerry said. ‘He’s pissed I won’t let him leave.’

‘I’m taking Abby to dinner,’ I said. ‘She’s going stir crazy in her room. You wanna come?’

‘I’d really like to meet her,’ he said, ‘but Billy’ll just go back downstairs. If I don’t sit on ’im.’

‘If he does he won’t be able to play.’ I told him about my talk with the pit boss, and with Entratter.

‘Thanks, Mr G. I wouldn’t expect Mr Entratter to let him off the hook,’ Jerry said. ‘And I’ll sure as hell see that he makes good on the debt.’

‘I know you will.’

‘Hold on,’ he said. ‘I’ll talk to the kid and then I’ll come to dinner with you and Miss Dalton.’

‘Good. I want her to know that you helped get her photos back.’

‘Just let me scare the shit out of Billy, first,’ he said.