“Don’t lie to me! And don’t think about poking the bear. Dempsey isn’t just some local thug like you typically push around. The man owns almost everything and everyone east of the Mississippi and south of the district.”
Because this conversation would determine Matt’s upcoming choice, I couldn’t blow him off. And given its potentially incriminating nature, I wouldn’t transfer the call to the speaker. So I turned the volume down a little. When he cooled off and I couldn’t hear him, I’d ratchet it back up. This was the reaction I had expected, though my original plans involved having it after the tournament. Either way, I took a deep breath and launched into an altered version of my well-rehearsed speech.
“Matt, you know the story, and that’s all it is. While I’m sure Dempsey’s influence is substantial, I am also sure it’s been exaggerated.”
“Really?”
“We’ve done it to boost our credibility.”
“We’re not in the same league.”
I massaged my forehead as my eyes closed. “It’s a common play to stoke wild rumors. Besides, even if, and I cannot stress that word enough, he was controlling an empire of that size. You remember who he engineered this tournament for, right?”
“Not the point.”
“Have you forgotten how I got my invite?”
“You swindled it.”
“The spoiled rich kid from one of our longer cons. When we finished with him, he just got the gilded invite and unfortunately couldn’t raise the funds for the game. Thankfully, we bonded over poker, and he handed me his invitation. While I’m sure Dempsey will have a couple of goons and card sharks mixed in with the attendees, the majority will be like our friend, a gullible kid with money to burn.
“After all, who else can afford to throw that kind of money away on something like this? Now, also keep in mind that those very kids are by their nature not the most tight-lipped. They don’t truly understand what they’ve received. Most of those people think money grows on trees. Dempsey has to know that this would eventually spill over and become known. I wouldn’t be surprised if the local police knew about the tournament. Though I’m pretty sure they won’t know where it is until after the fact.
“And one more fact for you to chew on. According to the kid who gave me his invite, this is an annual occurrence. Now, armed with all these tidbits, we can safely assume that Dempsey views these attendees as walking, talking piggy banks. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“There’s some truth to what you’re saying.”
“Then why did you jump down my throat?”
“Because you constantly flaunt your abilities while you’re playing poker, especially when you’re losing.”
My friend liked to circle back to the handful of times I’d altered cards to ensure I won the last hand of the night. My forefinger rubbed my temple as a sigh tumbled past my lips. “If the orchestrator of the tournament thinks of these people as portable banks, what’s wrong with me having the same assumption? Keep in mind, while Dempsey can break the little, well, in this case, I should say large piggy banks. If he does, do you think he’d be able to revisit them every year?”
“No.”
“Exactly! Besides, nothing I’m bringing was made through my transformations or purchased from a use of my gift.” I dropped my hand on the cards, holding it there for a moment before pulling it away, revealing a pair of sunglasses. Picking them up, I slipped the cheap shades onto my face and chuckled. “This is just a simple tournament, and you know that I’m more than a fair hand at hold ’em.”
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