Plum Lucky (Stephanie Plum 13.50)

Snuggy was fidgeting in his seat and cracking his knuckles. Nervous. Knowing he was screwing up. He had only a few chips left.

“This is painful,” I said to Diesel. “He should be playing something that’s pure chance.”

“There are decisions to be made with all the games,” Diesel said. “Even with slots. And he’s incapable of making a good decision.”

Lula huffed up to us, clearly on a rant, hands waving in the air. “This place is fixed,” Lula said. “I guess I know when I’m hot. And I was hot. And I lost. How could that be? I got a mind to report this to someone.” She looked over at Snuggy. “Don’t look like he’s doing too good, either. I tell you, this place is rigged. Where’s Grandma?”

“She went back to her room to watch a Dancing with the Stars retrospective.”

“No kidding? I love that show. Maybe I should go watch with her. I think I got high blood pressure from losing all that money. I got a headache. What kind of headache do you get from high blood pressure? Is it on the top of your head? Is it behind your left eyeball? Does it go down the back of your neck? I got all of those. Maybe I’m having a stroke. Is anything sagging on me?”

“Not that I can see,” I told her. Thanks to the miracle of spandex.

Lula left, and I cut my eyes to Diesel.

“Don’t give me that look,” Diesel said. “She asked about sagging, and I didn’t say anything.”

“You were thinking.”

“Now you’re a mind reader?”

“It was flashing in neon across your forehead.”

Diesel grabbed me and hugged me to him. “Cute.”

The night crowd was beginning to filter into the casino. Young singles coming directly from work. Older couples in that awkward age, caught between assisted living and the family home in suburbia. Hard-?core addicted gamblers who had spent all day sleeping off a hangover and were now ready to repeat the last night’s disaster. The noise level rose and dealers notched up the action.

“That’s it,” Snuggy said, pushing back from the table. “I’m done. I lost all my money. I feel terrible.”

A cocktail waitress sidled up to Diesel. “Can I get you something? Anything?”

“No,” Diesel said, “but thanks for asking.”

I did an eye roll, and the waitress sashayed away.

“How are we going to get the money for Doug?” Snuggy asked. “We only have until three o’clock tomorrow.”

“I know we all like Doug,” Diesel said. “But maybe it’s his time.”

Snuggy looked horrified, and I smacked Diesel on the back of his head.

“He’s a horse,” Diesel said. “Do you know how many horses you could buy for a quarter of a million? Lots. And they could be under the hood of a car.”

“There are a bunch of casinos here,” I said. “Surely one of them would let you play.”

“Sorry, sugar. I’m persona non grata. These casinos put me through M.I.T.”

I was speechless. “You graduated from M.I.T.?” I finally managed.

“Just because I’m big doesn’t mean I’m stupid.”

“You look like a street person.”

“I like to be comfortable. Anyway, lots of women think I’m sexy like this.” He smiled and ruffled my hair. “Not you, maybe, but lots of other women.”

I did another eye roll.

“You keep doing that and you’re gonna shake something loose in there,” Diesel said.