James admired himself in the mirror. He was wearing his suit and was ready for the party. Grinning to himself, he thought, Wow, I look dashing! He locked his flat and sat inside his car. He was ready to go. The Royal Plaza Casino was situated in downtown. He gunned his engine and jammed his foot on the pedal.
It was hard to avoid traffic in Walmtop, especially at a night when an event was taking place. Jeremy’s party was one such event. There were boards placed in one-mile radius, pointing the direction for the place. After spending ten minutes in the traffic, James finally reached his destination. His Vento looked pretty out of place in the long line of posh imports. He parked his car and headed for the entrance. A red carpet was laid out for the people, and two huge red dragons adorned the entrance gate on either side. Yellow and golden lights washed the entire area. James entered the gate where he was greeted by the guards and reached a huge dome-shaped building. The board above it read ‘The Royal Plaza Casino’. It indeed looked royal. Velvet curtains were seen all around. Above all, there were a lot of people, mostly popular and rich people. When James’s turn came to go inside, he was examined by a security guard. He was glad that he was not holding the list of invited guests. He reminded himself that his gun was lying in his car, just in case. As soon as he was inside, he was hit by the smell of perfume, freshener, alcohol, and smoke all at once. There were men in tailor-made suits and women roaming about in elegant gowns. People were talking in groups, wearing fake smiles, trying to appear nice, and boasting their wealth. In front, on the first floor was a heavily decorated glass podium, the place where Jeremy and his wife were likely to make their appearance. The games and sets had not started yet. There were waiters and workers roaming all around, catering to people’s needs. And if you could notice clearly, there were guards disguised as normal men in suits. James sat inside the cabin beside the bar. After about half an hour, the place buzzed with an announcement asking all the people, including the workers, to assemble in the hall overlooked by the glass podium. James followed suit. It took a full fifteen minutes for the people to adjust and assemble properly. James settled himself to the far right corner next to the poker room where he was certain Jeremy wouldn’t spot him. A moment later, fireworks burst inside the huge hall, marking the arrival of the new boss. Jeremy stood upon the glass podium with his wife, who was wearing a beautiful peach gown that didn’t complement her at all. Same was with Jeremy. He was wearing an expensive black suit, but his not-so-striking personality made it look ugly enough. A worker ran and handed Jeremy a mic. He adjusted and checked the volume and spoke as everyone applauded.
‘My dear people, thanks for adding your charm and glory here with your presence in this auspicious occasion. You all took a break from your busy schedules to attend this event, and for that I am thanking you once again. You all have been a part of this casino since eternity, or rather, I should put it this way—this casino is a part of you all, was made for you all, and is standing because of you all.’
James wanted to laugh out loud. Who the hell wrote this speech? he thought. He could spot a few people trying to suppress their giggles. James was now pretty fed up and remembered why exactly he decided to come here in the first place. He kept shifting his weight from one leg to another.
Jeremy continued, ‘Our fathers made this place for you all. Your fathers were a part of this place before you. I owe you big for being a part of this. Recently, as you all must be aware, a very sad and tragic incident took place—our beloved Adam passed away.’
I bet nobody gives a damn about him, James thought. Many of them didn’t even know about him until this Saturday. He picked up a wine glass lying on the table next to him. He again resumed listening to Jeremy.
‘The death of Mr Lancer is a huge loss to all of us, and it also leaves a vacant space in our hearts. He was a great asset and a wonderful friend. His absence will always be felt around us. But friends’ lives have to go on, and so from today onwards, I will step inside Adam’s shoes and run this place. From today onwards, I will take charge. So, friends,’ said Jeremy as he held up his glass, ‘here’s to the tragic loss of our friend and to a new start.’
‘Cheers,’ everybody present in the place said in unison.
James then noticed Mark sitting inside a glass cabinet. He seemed happy enough. After a minute, another person entered the glass podium and said, ‘Today all the drinks and eatables are free for everyone.’
Wow, now we’ll have a building full of drunkards wobbling from here to there. Great, just great, thought James. Since he had nothing else to do, he went for a little sightseeing. Everything was in red-and-yellow theme.
‘Why does this old man love this colour combination so much?’ said James to himself.
‘I don’t know, man. I’ve never seen this kind of decoration before in all my thirty years I’ve worked here,’ said a man standing beside him. James studied him for a moment. He was a waiter and probably 80 per cent drunk. So much for free drinks. The nameplate on his tuxedo read Sam Paul. James figured that the best way to find out secrets would be by questioning an old worker, and a drunken worker who had no sense of who he was talking to would be excellent.
‘Really, Sam? So you like the new boss?’ asked James.
‘New boss! What have I got to do with it? I only work here, take my pay, and get lost. That’s my job. I don’t care who the hell the boss is as long as I get my money,’ replied Sam.
‘Tragic, isn’t it?’
‘What?’
‘Death, I mean.’
Sam laughed and said, ‘Nothing is tragic in here, man.’
‘No, I am serious. First George Hustle, and now Adam Lancer.’
Sam frowned and said, ‘It is no surprise to me, man. The only difference is that this time, it’s another one of the bosses. I’ve seen many deaths.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Listen, man. I’ve bid farewell to many dead people since I started working here.’