Repairman Jack [03]-Conspiracies by F. Paul Wilson Page A

Knitcap.
    Jack never played monte, but out of curiosity he'd made a practice of eavesdropping on shaker patter whenever he had the chance. They all used a similar code, and by careful watching and listening he'd managed to break it.
    "Cop" told the stick to win, "blow" to lose. "Money" signaled the cap near his left hand where the shaker held his money, although Jack had heard other shakers call it "rich."
    "See" was the middle cap, "switch" was the one on the other end from the money hand.
    By loading his riff with "forty's come to play, now cop me the money," the shaker was telling Knitcap to bet forty bucks and win by picking the cap near the shaker's left hand.
    Sure enough, Knitcap bet forty bucks, found the rouge ball under the cap next to the money hand, and collected a hundred dollars.
    "I'm no sinner," the shaker announced. "We have a winner!"
    Knitcap was all smiles. "I'm up!" He pointed his money at Jack. "You my good luck, yo. You wanna play, I'll watch for you."
    Before Jack could decline, the Hispanic guy jumped in. "Hey, no. It's me this time. I'm down."
    "Santo, you've lost enough," said his wife. At least Jack assumed it was his wife. Both wore wedding rings.
    "Hey, how about me?" said Nocap, close on Jack's left.
    "Let's not fight, I'll make things right," said the shaker as he started the skedaddle again. "Everybody gets a turn, I'm a man with time to burn."
    Santo dropped two twenties onto the cardboard. The shaker kept up his chatter but no instructions now since neither stick was in the game. He shuffled the caps, skittering the ball between them, demonstrating absolute control. But just before he stopped he let the rouge ball slow so that everyone could see it come to rest under the middle cap.
    "Didja see it?" whispered Nocap.
    "Yep," Jack said.
    Doing your damnedest to lure me in, aren't you.
    Jack watched closely as the shaker slid the three caps forward and arranged them along the front of the cardboard. Jack knew that was when the ball would be moved from under the cap to the web between the shaker's thumb and forefinger. He was expecting the transfer, looking for it, but still didn't spot it. This guy was slick.
    The shaker said, "There they are, lined up tight. Forty pay a hunnert if you pick it right."
    Santo didn't hesitate. He pointed to the center cap.
    The shaker lifted it—nothing. He lifted the other two and ... out rolled the little red ball from under the one in his right hand.
    Santo pounded his fist against his thigh and cursed in Spanish.
    "Okay," said his wife, tugging on his arm. "That's it. That's a hundred twenty dollars you lost now."
    Knitcap stepped around, blocking their retreat, and started yelling at the shaker. "Hey, yo, you gotta give this guy another chance!"
    Nocap chimed in. "Yeah, man. Give him a double or nothing so he can get even at least!"
    Knitcap added. "What he said. Help this guy out or I'm walking!"
    Let the sucker go, Jack thought. You've soaked him enough.
    Apparently they didn't think so.
    The shaker shrugged. "Awright, awright. He puts down fifty he can win back his one-twenty."
    What, no rhymes? Jack thought.
    "No, Santo," said the wife.
    But Santo had the fever. He popped his diamond earring into his hand and held it out.
    "I got no more cash. How 'bout this?"
    "No!" his wife gasped. "I bought you that!"
    The shaker took the earring, held the tiny diamond up, twisting it this way and that in the light.
    Say no, Jack thought, sending the shaker a mental message. Let him go.
    The shaker shrugged. "Awright," he said with almost believable reluctance. "I'll make an exception this once."
    "Mah man!" Knitcap said, slapping Santo on the back. "You gonna win! I can smell winnin' in the air!"
    Jack ground his teeth. Sons of bitches.
    The woman wailed. "Santo!"
    "Don't worry," Santo told her. "I won't lose it."
    Oh, yes you will, Jack thought, but could say nothing.
    He fumed as he watched the shaker put the earring on the cardboard and begin the skedaddle. One