Inside Straight Read Free Page B

whatever you say, Chief. I'm just the messenger."
    "I understand. I'll bear it in mind. Thank you. Listen, talking of which ..." I flicked the pit monitor onto AR Two. "You might want to keep an eye on the brown suede jacket. His name's Eamonn Dalry. You know him?"
    "No."
    "He'll play the outsides on as many roulettes as he can and if your dealers are any good, that's all he'll do. The second he settles at any one table, you can guarantee your dealer's spinning to sections. Give him an hour and he'll strip your float. If it were me, I'd switch out your spinner as soon as he takes a seat. Keep him running."
    "Okay." Nash looked confused.
    "Or, you know, whatever you think is best. It's your pit." I smiled, one of my extra-special friendly ones that used my canines. "Good luck, Kevin. See you tomorrow."
    I left the pit and headed for the locker room. The place smelled of armpits, that sickly toasted smell of unwashed uniforms and something else, a sweetish odour that I couldn't quite place. I opened my locker, grabbed and shrugged into my coat before I went through the pockets to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Then I closed the door, and the breeze sent that sweetish odour back into my nostrils.
    Cannabis.
    It wasn't unusual for club staff to abuse drugs. It wasn't unusual for them to do it in uniform, either. We didn't enforce random tests like the cruises did, but it had been a long time since I'd smelled cannabis onsite. If I'd been management, whoever it was would have been out on their ear mid-shift. But then, I wasn't management, was I?
    Jacqui appeared in the corridor as I stepped out of the locker room. "You away, then?"
    "Thought I would, yeah. You don't need me for anything else, do you?"
    "No, you're good to go. How was it? Not too stressful, I hope."
    I couldn't tell if she was joking, or if she'd been talking to Dave Randall. "Stressful? No, it wasn't stressful at all. If anything, I could've done with a bit more stress."
    "Careful what you wish for."
    Now that was a joke. Of sorts. It warranted a laugh, so I gave her one, weak as it was.
    "Okay, well, good. Thanks again for stepping in at such short notice."
    "No problem. Glad to help."
    Jacqui nodded and moved off towards the pit.
    I headed for the back door. Stopped. "Oh, actually, Jacqui, there was one thing—"
    "Yes, Graham?"
    "If you're going out to the pit, you might want to ask Kevin if he's noticed any odd smells."
    "Smells?"
    "Like marijuana."
    She blinked at me as if she didn't know what marijuana was. Her eyebrows knotted. "Really?"
    "I'm not saying anyone's smoking at work, but there's a definite odour of it in the locker room, and it's probably worth keeping a look out. Or a nose out."
    "Yes. Thank you, Graham. I'll follow that up."
    "Good. See you tomorrow."
    She turned back towards the pit. I watched her leave before I continued on to the back door. Sergeant Security held the door open for me, nodded a goodnight. I stepped out into the car park, felt rain spot my face as I headed for my car.
    Free at last. One shift down, only another nine to go.
    "I know you, don't I?"
    I turned to the sound of the voice as Barry Pollard dropped from the driver's side of a large black truck and started walking towards me. He didn't shout, but his voice was still pitched too loud for comfort. I looked back at the club. One of the front-of-house security, a black guy who looked half-asleep, stood just inside the reception doorway.
    I decided to keep it quick and polite. "Mr Pollard, isn't it?"
    Pollard squinted at me. "I'm sure I know you from somewhere, like."
    "We met this afternoon."
    "No, I meant before that. You used to work in town?"
    More rain hit my face. I rubbed at it. "I normally work at the Palace."
    "The Palace , that's right." Pollard grinned. Something metallic glinted in his mouth. "I knew you weren't one of that lot. Too fuckin' professional." He pulled a pack of cigarettes and moved in front of me, blocking my path. It was an