Stone Barrington 27 - Doing Hard Time

for three days and had come out sixty thousand dollars ahead. He asked the cashier for the money and his earlier deposit in cash, and handed her an empty briefcase. She made a phone call, then left with Teddy’s briefcase.
    After a moment’s wait a beefy man in a black suit appeared in the cage and stuck his hand between the bars. “Mr. Burnett, I’m Pete Genaro. We spoke on the phone.”
    “Of course,” Teddy said, shaking the man’s hand.
    “The cashier is getting your cash now, but I’m concerned about your leaving the hotel with it. I’d like to send a security man to the airport with you and see you safely off.”
    “That’s very kind of you,” Teddy replied.
    “I don’t want to pry unnecessarily,” Genaro said, “but we ran a little check on you, and although we came up with a couple of dozen William Burnetts, I don’t think any of them is you.”
    “Probably not,” Teddy said. “I keep a low profile.”
    “Where are you from? Originally, I mean.”
    “I was a military brat,” Teddy replied. “I was born on a base and lived all over the place on other posts.”
    Genaro sighed. “I see. The casino is, naturally, concerned with dealing with folks who might not be on the up-and-up.”
    “I didn’t know that playing poker was a crime,” Teddy said. “Or is it just winning?”
    “We’re happy for our players who win,” Genaro said. “It’s good advertising for us when somebody walks away with a lot of money, but can you give me a Social Security number?”
    Teddy recited from memory the account number he had set up, and Genaro wrote it down. He sat down at a computer and ran it, then he turned back to Teddy.
    “Well, you exist, and you don’t have a criminal record. That’s good enough for us.”
    “Thank you, Mr. Genaro.”
    The cashier appeared with Teddy’s briefcase and let him peek inside. “It’s been machine-counted,” she said. “Would you like to count it again?”
    “You have an honest face,” Teddy said. “I’ll trust you.”
    He shook hands with Genaro again.
    “We look forward to having you back soon, Mr. Burnett,” the man said. “Just call me, and I’ll comp another suite for you.”
    “Thank you.” He turned to go and found Charmaine standing there with a large man in a dark suit.
    “We’ll accompany you to the airport,” she said.
    They left the casino and got into the Rolls that had met him when he arrived. The security man sat in the front seat.
    “Well,” Charmaine said, “you had quite a run at the poker table.”
    “I did all right,” Teddy said. He took an envelope from an inside pocket. “This is just a little expression of gratitude from me, for all your help and your company.”
    The envelope disappeared into an inside pocket of her suit. “You’re very kind. I hope I’ll see you back sometime soon.”
    “Funny, that’s what Pete Genaro said. I think he wants to get some of his money back.”
    She laughed. “Probably. I’d like to see you again on a personal basis, too.”
    “Do you ever come to L.A.?”
    “Frequently,” she said. “Is that where you live?”
    “Not exactly, but I’ll be spending some time there.” He gave her his cell number. “I’d like to hear from you.”
    “Then you will,” she said, tucking the number into her bra.
    The Rolls pulled up to his airplane. “We had it washed and refueled,” Charmaine said.
    Teddy leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. “You think of everything. When you come to L.A., it’ll be my turn.”
    He loaded his luggage, said his goodbyes, and started the engine. “Vegas ground, N123TF,” he said into the radio, “requesting a VFR departure.” He taxied to the active runway, was cleared for takeoff, then turned southwest toward the Palmdale VOR. As he approached it he called SOCAL approach and requested a VFR clearance for the Kimmo Two arrival, which terminated at Santa Monica, and in less than an hour he was setting down at the little airport by the sea.
    The airplane secured, he rented a car at Atlantic Aviation and asked for a recommendation for a hotel on the beach.
    “How much do you want to spend?” the woman at the desk asked.
    “I’d like something high-end,” he said. Teddy had always been a little tight with his money, but he had enjoyed the hotel in Las Vegas, and he thought he’d spring for something comfortable in Santa Monica before he found a rental.
    She made a reservation for him at a hotel called Shutters, on the beach, then