The One-Night Wife

The cheats were different. They were scum who made a mockery of talent. Cheat, get found out, and you got locked out of the casinos. Or got your hands broken, if you’d played with the wrong people.

Nobody called in the law.

Alain wanted to do something different. O’Connell had wounded him, but in a private setting. He would return the favor, but as publicly as possible. He’d finally come up with a scheme though he hadn’t told her anything about his plan or the incident leading up to it until last week, right after she’d visited her sister.

He’d slipped his arm around her shoulders, told her what had happened a year ago and what he wanted her to do. When she’d objected, he’d smiled that smile she’d never really noticed until a few months ago, the one that made her skin prickle.

“How’s Missy?” he’d said softly. “Is she truly happy in that place, chérie? Is she making progress? Perhaps it’s time for me to consider making some changes.”

What had those words meant? Taken at face value they were benign, but something in his tone, his smile, his eyes gave a very different message. Savannah had stared at him, trying to figure out how to respond. After a few seconds, he’d laughed and pressed a kiss to her temple.

“It’ll be fun for you, chérie. The coming-out party for your twenty-first birthday, so to speak.”

What he meant was, she’d take O’Connell by surprise. She had yet to play in a casino; thus far, Alain had only let her sit in on private games.

She’d come to him at sixteen, straight off the streets of New Orleans where she’d kept herself and Missy alive scamming the tourists at games like three-card monte. She was good but her winnings were meager. You could only play for so long before the cops moved you on.

Alain had appeared one evening on the edge of the little crowd collected around her. He’d watched while she took some jerks who’d left their brains in their hotel rooms along with their baggage.

During a lull, he’d stepped in close.

“You’re good, chérie,” he’d said with a little smile. He sounded French, but with a hint of New Orleans patois.

Savannah had looked him straight in the eye.

“The best,” she’d said with the assurance of the streets.

Alain had smiled again and reached for her cards.

“Hey,” she said, “leave those alone. They’re mine.”

He ignored her, moved the cards around, then stopped and looked at her. “Where’s the queen?”

Savannah rolled her eyes and pointed. Alain grinned and moved the cards again. This time, his hands were a blur.

“Where is she now, chérie?”

Savannah gave him a piteous look and pointed again. Alain turned the card over.

No queen.

“Watch again,” he said.

She watched again. And again. Five minutes later, she shook her head in amazement.

“How do you do that?”

He tossed down the cards and jerked his head toward the big black limo that had suddenly appeared at the curb.

“Come with me and I’ll show you. You’re good, chérie, but I’ll teach you to use your mind as well as your hands. We can make a fortune together.”

“Looks like you already got a fortune, mister.”

That made Alain laugh. “I do, but there’s always more. Besides, you intrigue me. You’re dirty. Smelly.”

“Hey!”

“But it’s true, cheérie. You look like an urchin and you sound like one, too, but there’s a je ne sais quoi to you that intrigues me. You’re a challenge. You’ll be Eliza to my Professor Higgins.”

“I don’t know any Eliza or Professor Higgins,” Savannah replied sourly.

“All you need to know is that I can change your life.”

Did he take her for a fool? Four years in foster homes, one on the streets, and Savannah knew better than to get into a car with a stranger.

She also knew better than to let something good get away.

She’d looked at the limo, at the man, at his suit that undoubtedly cost more than she could hope to make in another five years of hustling. Then she looked at Missy, sitting placidly beside her on the pavement, humming a tune only she could hear.

Alain looked at Missy, too, as if he’d only just noticed her.

“Who is that?”

“My sister,” Savannah replied, chin elevated, eyes glinting with defiance.

“What’s wrong with her?”

“She’s autistic.”

“Meaning?”

“Meaning she can’t talk.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

It seemed a fine distinction no social worker had ever made.

“I don’t know,” Savannah admitted. “She just doesn’t.”

“There are doctors who can help her. I can help her. It’s up to you.”

Savannah had stared at him. Then she’d thought about the long, thin knife taped to the underside of her arm.

“You try anything funny,” she’d said, her voice cold, her heart thumping with terror, “you’ll regret it.”

Alain had nodded and held out his hand. She’d ignored it, gently urged Missy to her feet and walked them both into a new life. Warm baths, clean clothes, nourishing food, a room all her own and a wonderful residential school for Missy.

And he had kept his word. He’d taught her everything he knew until she knew the odds of winning with any combination of cards in any game of poker, blackjack or chemin de fer.