Aces and Knaves

Dice? Blackjack?"
    "No. I don't think he's been to Las Vegas more than three times since we've been married. He helped to get financing for a casino once, but that was strictly a business deal. Of course, I don't know what he did at this casino you said James has."
    "That isn't a real casino. No money changes hands."
    "I have a question," Arrow said. "James may make an offer to buy your stock—and everybody else's. Would you sell?"
    Elma smiled at her audacity. "I haven't spoken to James in over five years."
    "He seems to prefer boys to girls now."
    "There were shades of that even when he was a teenager back in Wick. I was young and naive, it's true, but I always thought his roughhousing with his friends went beyond the bounds of camaraderie."

    Chapter 16 THE HOAX
    Again it looked as though my involvement with Dionysus had ended. Arrow knew as much as I did about the threat James posed and was in a better position to take action on it. And I didn't know what else I could do to clear Ned's name. But my family responsibilities hadn't ended.
    By the time I got to the hospital Monday morning, Jacie was already there. I had gained a new respect for her, watching her concern about and care for my father. She was reading to him from the Wall Street Journal . He was sitting up in bed and looked much better. He was still hooked to a heart monitor and an IV, but he wasn't receiving oxygen.
    I forced myself to give him a quick hug and said, "You look good, Dad."
    "I feel fine. I'm ready to go back to work."
    He spoke slowly, but at least he wasn't slurring his words.
    Jacie patted his hand and said, "You'll be back at work soon enough, Richard. Relax and enjoy your vacation." To me she said, "He can move his right arm."
    My father demonstrated, and although he was stiff he did manage to lift it.
    "The doctor said I can start physical therapy soon," he said. "I'll be back to walking in no time."
    "Do as Jacie says and enjoy your vacation," I said. He was too anxious to get back in the game. And the game could kill him if he wasn't careful. I couldn't picture life without my father. I wondered what was in his will and whether Jacie would kick me out of the guesthouse. Selfish thoughts. More important was what would happen to Dionysus.
    "I can't let James get control of Dionysus."
    Was he reading my mind? "Don't worry about James, Dad. Everything is under control. When you've rested a little more we'll play chess together." We used to play chess when I was young.
    "Chess is one game I can beat you at."
    We would see about that. Jacie and I steered the conversation to inconsequential things. He wasn't in any shape to talk about whether or not James might get Elma's proxy and/or her stock, but I realized that he must know about her relationship to James, even though we hadn't discussed it.
    I didn't tell him that one of my sources had said that the cocaine was planted in Ned's car, either, because that wouldn't clear his name unless the perps who had planted the drugs were caught. The information would just be a source of frustration to my father.
    I left him in Jacie's capable hands, determined to work harder on my sports card business. Perhaps the last few days had made a change in me.
    ***
    Dionysus stock was down again so I purchased more for Luz and for myself. This wasn't insider trading. The newspapers and the Internet carried the story of my father's stroke. Of course word that he was much better this morning hadn't gotten out yet, but I deserved some kind of an edge.
    I had received enough cash flow from my business so that I had recently been able to purchase part of a baseball card collection for a good price. I separated out the more valuable cards from the commons and placed some of the best ones for sale on eBay.
    When I updated my auctions on eBay I often checked to see whether other cards I was interested in owning for my personal collection were being sold. I acquired them one by one, as I could afford them.
    I was casually looking through the pages of old cards for sale when I caught my breath. There was a T206 Honus Wagner listed. I looked at the scans of the front and the back of the card. No lines or other apparent damage. This might be one of the good ones. The dealer who was selling it said it was in near-mint condition. I knew him; we had done business together many times, buying and selling. He was completely honest. He was probably selling the card for somebody else, but he was staking his reputation on