Something fishy is going on and it involves my casino!
The man looked at the Excel sheet on his computer screen and felt his lips curl up into a smile until someone rushed into his office.
"What is it? If there's a drunk, kick them out." He sighed
His employee's head was low enough to touch the ground but he spoke in a shaking manner, "Kids…."
"Policy rules. Don't treat kids like customers, they'll get bored on their own and if anyone dares to rough house them I will make you regret it." He answered coldly
The employee answered, "No sir! The kids have made over 2K sir!"
The man looked into a nearby mirror, the same light brown hair in a taper buzz cut paired with light blue eyes. A black dragon head tattoo decorated his left bicep and a tip of it tail could be seen from the right side of his neck
Are his employees overworked? It has been a a tough week. The man stood up and asked to be lead. He'll humor him and advise him to end work early today it was a weekday so slow business. Although things didn't go as expected because there really were some kids cashing it big.
The man signaled another employee over.
"Tell me her earnings?" he whispered
She told, "They started with small wins sir. Nine hundred from the different roulette tables won slowly within an interval of 30 minutes between them and then a thousand in craps. Now she's starting Blackjack."
He interrupted the black haired girl as she was about to bet, "Sorry, I need to talk to you."
"I guess that's it for me." She sighed
He informed, "Indeed. I'm Victor Glade, the soon to be broke owner of this place since you earned well."
"What can say? I was lucky." She said avoiding eye contact
Victor ushered, "This way, please. Can't leave without your winnings can you?"
He led them to his office and chuckled to himself about how could the girl win and then feel guilty later.
"Can you help us with something else instead of the money?" the teenage boy beside her asked
Victor thought as he pulled out a packet of biscuits which the girl devoured.
"With what? I'm a legitimate business owner, I can prove it." He told "But is it worth it? 1.9k doesn't fall from the sky, I'm in a good mood. I might let you take half because children aren't customers."
"Extremely." the boy answered adding strength in his voice
Victor smirked, "Deal, you're lucky I have a soft spot for children. I get my money back and you ask whatever you hearts desire."
The girl smiled, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Violet D. Willows."
"Alexander." The boy told
Alexander pulled out a book with a half purple half blue cover from his bag and Violet looked horrified.
"WHAT DID YOU DO!!" She shrieked
Alexander shrugged, "I will not own a purple book. Get off your noble high horse."
Violet was about to retort. A small portion of Victor wanted to let them continue but he had a business to run, life is cruel sometimes.
"I'm still here." Victor interrupted with a small smile
They shut their mouth and returned to serious faces as Victor fought back his laughter. The interesting duo showed him a page.
"What can you tell us about this?" Violet asked
Victor shrugged, "Nothing much. It's the location of the casino….wait…not exactly."
He analyzed the picture and thought back to how much land was under his name as well as the area which was the building: RED BULL.
"That's yard. The building isn't directly in line with where Griffon is in the South Southwest." Victor concluded
Alexander asked, "What's in your yard?"
"Overgrown grass and various stuff from the previous owners. This place used to be a someone's home, back then I only had enough cash to rebuilt, decorate and care for the building and eventually forgot about it so the yard is the same since the previous owners." Victor told wondering why they need to know
Alexander asked, "Why's it positioned like this?"
"Oh...a sheriff believe this was the route that the Viper Gang used to smuggle the iron into the Blackwood Forest." Victor shrugged
Violet questioned, "How do you know that and Alex doesn't? Which history is that from?"
"It's not a history thing. It's in the biography of the sheriff, in one line about his endless quest to end the Viper Gang's activities. it's good to know the roots of the law enforcements since it also affects what the present one becomes."
There was a moment of silence.
Violet asked, "Why'd they leave? The previous"
He felt it…this was what the kids really wanted to know, eyes sharp, fully focused on every word he said and he was now very intrigued where this was going.
"If I said they left I'd be lying. I'm not sure but there's a rumor that there was something in this house..... no one what though. The community had to forcefully send the family of four to a caring home for permanent residence." Victor told
Alexander frowned deeply, "I never heard of that rumor."
Victor chuckled and found that in their own way the children had a different form of childishness.
"Of course you won't. Not enough to be a hit on the newspapers and too vague to be considered a problem. An investigation happened but it was a shot in the dark and later the person in charge closed it... makes me wonder why you're interested twenty five years later" Victor told
Violet asked cautiously, "Are…they still alive?"
"The youngest child, last I heard….." Victor began before he was interrupted again by an employee bargaining in
He looked at his employee with slight irritation.
"Today is one of those days isn't it?" Victor sighed
The employee informed, "Sir, a Senior detective is here."
The children's bodies became rigid looking for around frantically....for and escape maybe and fast paced footsteps echoed. Victor quickly grabbed the kids with their belongings and hid them under his wooden executive desk which was covered in the front, switched on his computer and picked up some paper in his other hand.
A woman entered.
"Senior Detective Vanessa Page…I don't remember having an appointment with you." Victor frowned
Vanessa said with a neutral expression, "I heard that something peculiar happened in your casino."
"I serve alcohol. If they're complaining about that then they shouldn't came at midnight or they might sue me." Victor brushed off
Vanessa frowned, "Anything else...strange"
"If anything happens, I know where the police station is." Victor told
Vanessa was looking around his office and appeared like she wanted to get out as quickly as possible leaning slightly toward the exit. For a moment her gaze lingered at a window that displayed his yard in all it's unkept glory.
Vanessa told, "If you're hiding-"
"Which I'm not. And I hope you're not threatening me in my own casino?" Victor asked in a warning manner
The tension was thick and he hoped she could back down. At the moment he had the upper hand.
Vanessa sighed, "I'm just on a case that's been biting me. Thought I got something but it's a bust. Sorry for the inconvenience."
"Vanessa." he called out "Why'd you really come here?"
Vanessa's gaze drifted to the yard as she answered, "Just rotten lead."
"Hmm...like yard my yard? You've been staring." He said allowing curiosity to be carried in his words
Vanessa smiled bitterly, "Whatever you think you can get, you won't find it. Some people are better left alone."
"Who's talking about people?" Victor smiled coldly
Vanessa told softly, "Nice chat...stay safe, Mr. Glade."
He watched her leave quickly and opened the camera feed on his computer. Seeing her car still parked a good distance away from the casino and a chuckle of annoyance escaped his mouth.
"Who was that?" Alexander asked
Victor thought for a moment and his face turned sour. The children probed him for information.
"That was a senior detective of the Goldenville Police Station. Fun fact it is an amazing position with many perks: your in charge of your juniors, you have more leadership roles and paperwork....it's not mandatory to go out into the field personally and do all the grunt work like questioning people." He frowned
Victor stared at the monitor. He knows he acted suspiciously but if the conversation dragged on she might catch something, Vanessa was a human bloodhound of the Investigations Department what if the kids made mistake due to staying in one place for a long period. He also remember the look of fear as Vanessa looked at his yard with nails digging into her hands and tightening of her jaws. Something was off with her, she'd never make a rookie mistake like that or was it a warning?
"Another thing came to might actually. Vanessa Page…I remember know, she was the detective placed in charge who closed the case regarding this house" He spat out "Something fishy is going on and it involves my casino!"