The Decay

Chapter 38 - The Casino

38

Richard entered the casino. He was amused by their high priority for money over anything else. The light inside was bright; a series of lamps lit all four walls together with a large chandelier dangling from the ceiling. The floor was clean and so was everything else. The reception area was large and had a mahogany desk, behind which sat a cheerful pretty lady. Sofas and chairs were arranged around the periphery of the reception so as to leave ample space to move around.

A doorway guarded by a single man led into the gambling hall. The layout was that of four rows and a lot of walking space in between. The left-most row consisted of slot machines, the right-most one consisted of three roulette tables with raising minimum bets.

The two center rows had poker and black jack tables arranged in a way to encircle a circular desk which served as a cash exchange and bar area. Compared to the outside, it looked as if 90 percent of funds available had been spent here.

Richard walked around starting from the slot machines and moved towards the central bar area in hopes of overhearing anything interesting. There were around two dozen people in the casino; not bad considering how much money people lost.

He sat at the bar area. "Something strong please." The bar tender nodded and poured him a drink. If he had to eavesdrop, he needed to blend in. There were six sitting next to the bar, but the only conversation was between a couple saying how much they loved each other and a guy mumbling to himself.

After a few unfruitful minutes, he stood up and headed towards the exit. As he reached the reception he saw a couple walk in. The woman was thin with black hair tied in a ponytail. She wore a blue backpack. The man was slightly taller and had dirty-blond hair. His features seemed weathered, as if he'd been in many battles. Something about the woman's faced seemed familiar to him. He couldn't quite place where he had seen it. They made eye contact with him, so he smiled and nodded before moving past them and out of the casino.