"I started to book with Greenie more and more. Freddie was somewhat of a cold fish. At least Greenie would try and tip me off on what he thought were the good plays. He made it fun and interesting."
"How'd you do?"
"Sometimes I won, sometimes I lost. You know how gambling is." Samantha's eyes became vacant. "Daddy liked to bet on football."
She turned her head slowly toward me and put her hands together. "Well Greenie noticed that my bets were getting bigger and bigger. It's not that I was chasing you see, it's just that I needed to bet more in order to get the same high."
"What were you shooting?"
"About a thousand a game," she said. Her eyes avoided mine by looking at the floor. Samantha was what I would consider a big time gambler, a label she didn't seem to be proud of. I guess everyone has a vice, you weren't normal if you didn't.
"On more than one game per week?"
"Five of six," she said softly. "But only on games that Greenie suggested."
"Six large a week, how were you doing?"
Samantha looked up at me and smiled. "I was ahead fifteen grand."
Though I was impressed, I tried not to show it. A thousand a game was nothing to shake sticks at. Six thousand a week was more money than most people made in a month.
Greenie owed her alot of cash. Samantha was winning so much he approached her with a proposition.
"He wanted to make me a partner. There were only two weeks left in the season, and he knew how much I was ahead. We began to make plans for next year."
"So you and Greenie went into business for yourselves."
Samantha nodded her head. She brushed some loose hair from her face and tucked it behind her ear. Sexy wasn't enough word to describe her. I was trying my best not to dwell on that fact.
Betting on football was some what of a roller coaster ride; it had its ups and downs. It seemed that Samantha's ride with Greenie was mostly up. That got my attention.
"Any particular team seem to come in for you? I mean more than others."
Samantha thought. "The Tiger Sharks."
Seems that Greenie had his best luck with the local college team. It must have been easier for him to get inside information.
"So, what did it cost you to start up you new enterprise?"
"I got in for fifty thousand." Samantha pushed her glass forward on table signalling for me to fill her up. She was beginning to remind me of me.
I walked over and put the bottle down on the table next to her. She poured her own and filled the glass to the rim.
"Fifty thousand isn't that much to make book, especially if you are taking on the heavy hitters. You must have had another partner, or someone banking." Bookies don't go into business without knowing they can cover their bets. A house that doest pay doesn't remain a house for long.
"I didn't think I was the only one putting up the cash, but Greenie kept me in the dark." Samantha sipped at her scotch. "All I did was show up every Thursday night and pick up my part of the take."
She sat back in frustration.
"So you had no idea who was actually running the show?"
"Greenie-"
"Was just a front. These things are run by people who don't advertise. They don't take bets, they don't show themselves. That's what runners like Greenie are for."
"Well then I don't know!" she shot back at me. Samantha was now on the verge of crying. She put both hands on her face and brushed her hair back.
"Relax, I'm not here to interrogate you. I just need to know what really happened."
Tears began to well up in her eyes. She was doing a good job of holding on to whatever composure she had left. From my desk I grabbed a box of tissues and hand it to her. I turned my attention back to the falling rain and left her to her own thoughts.
A clap of thunder boomed over our heads and shook the room.
Samantha bolted upright.
"It's okay, It's only-"
"I'm not a little girl. I can take care of myself," she retorted.
I looks could kill, I would have been struck down where I stood.
"If you can take care of yourself, then why come to me?" Her story was interesting, but a little confusing. Why not just take the money and run?
"Someone searched my apartment. I think it was the money they were after."
I leaned back against the window and sighed. "That's it?"
Samantha paused and looked at me. "No, I came to you 'cause Greenie dropped out of sight."
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