Hotline to Murder

a kind, straight flush.”
    “Now tell me that in English.”
    “In English, what we’re always trying for on this machine is four of a kind, because it pays eighty to one, which is better than most machines. We use our other wins to maintain our capital so we can go for the big one.”
    Shahla caught on much too quickly. Soon she was pressing the buttons herself, and playing with minimal guidance from Tony concerning how many cards to draw. After ten minutes, she hit four eights and screamed as the credit counter tallied up the score.
    “Congratulations.” Tony pushed the button to get the cash out of the machine. Quarters came gushing into the tray. He picked up one of the paper containers available for that purpose and scooped all the coins into it. He said, “Now we can go home.”
    “Already? We’ve only just begun.”
    “Any time you hit a sizeable jackpot, you cash out and start over. That way you keep your perspective. Even when you’re only playing for quarters. But this is a good time for us to leave. We’ve got a long ride.”
    When they exchanged the quarters for bills, Tony figured they were about seventeen dollars ahead. Not much, but winning was better than losing.
    Shahla said, “Of course, that money belongs to you because we were playing with your money to start with. Now I want to play a little with my own money so I can keep the winnings.”
    She pulled a five dollar bill out of a small purse she carried.
    “What if you lose?” Tony asked, but Shahla was already returning to the machine, where she inserted the bill in the slot.
    “This is a good experience for a listener on the Hotline,” Shahla said. “After all, many of our callers have addictions of one kind or another, or compulsions, as they call them. I want to see what it feels like to lose. Will I want to throw good money after bad?”
    Tony decided to let her lose her five dollars, and then they would leave. There wasn’t going to be any testing of compulsions. He stood by her side while she sat in front of the machine.
    After playing a dozen hands, Shahla got an interesting deal. “Wait,” Tony said as she pressed the buttons to hold all her cards. “Let’s take a look at this.”
    “I’ve got a flush,” Shahla said. “Five spades.”
    “I know, but look at what else you have. You have the ace, king, queen, and ten. In other words, you are one card short of a royal flush which pays 250 to one.”
    “Ooh,” Shahla said, taking another look at the cards. “So I have one chance in…”
    “Forty-seven of drawing the jack of spades because five cards have already been played from a fifty-two card deck.”
    “I want to go for it.”
    They stared at the cards for a while, not wanting to spoil the anticipation. Finally, Shahla drew one card.
    “I can’t look,” she said. “Tell me…”
    Tony peeked at the credit counter. It was going crazy. She had drawn the jack of spades. “You did it.”
    Shahla jumped up and down screaming. Then she threw her arms around his neck and lifted her legs off the ground.
    “Calm down,” Tony said laughing, as he tried to keep his balance. When she let go of him, he pressed the button to cash out and scooped the quarters into the cup. “If you look too much like a teenager, you’ll blow your cover.” He started toward the cashier.
    “Where are you going?”
    “Now, we’re really going home.”
    “But I might win some more.”
    “You’ll get the opportunity to know what it feels like to quit when you’re ahead. That will give you empathy for your callers who can’t do that.”
    Shahla grumbled, but Tony was adamant. He pocketed the three twenty dollar bills, plus a five and a couple of ones that he received from the cashier, telling Shahla that he would give the money to her when they got home.
    She threatened to take more money out of her purse, but Tony said, “I’m leaving, and I’ve got the car.” He walked away.
    Shahla caught up to him and said, “You are really mean. I’m never going to Las Vegas with you again.”
    “Shhh,” Tony said suddenly, turning to face her. “Look over my right shoulder.”
    Shahla peeked over his shoulder and said, “It’s Paul. And he’s got a girl with him. Should we go talk to them?”
    “Wait. Describe the girl.” Tony kept his back to Paul and the girl.
    “She’s blonde. She’s quite tall. And pretty. She looks something like…Joy.”
    “That was my impression, too. Of course, it probably means