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of gambling, Lieutenant, know who brought the deck before
you sit down at the game.
CHAPTER EI GHTY- THREE
Hauck gazed past Raines s shoulder at the crowd of milling
bettors, the flashing lights, the musical chime of slots going
off.
Steve Chrisafoulis stepped out of the crowd.
Raines s back was toward him, so he didn t see him. Steve
came up and placed a small recording device next to the unsus-
pecting security chief s ear.
Maybe your brother and I did talk over a few things. Maybe
a certain U.S. attorney s name did come up once or twice.
Maybe we did toss around how things would be different if he
wasn t so much on the scene . . .
The color drained from Raines s face. He spun, panic rising
up in him, saw the recorder and heard his own damning
words.
What the hell is going on?
Hauck reached over and lifted the stack of cards out of the
dealer s shoe. He sorted through them until he came to a place
in the deck where a tiny silver disc was attached to one of the
cards. What was it you called that trick . . . ? Hauck screwed
up his brow. The false shuffle . . .
Raines s eyes burned through him. I don t understand.
326 Andrew Gross
Hauck led his gaze across the room to Josie, a couple of
tables away, who gave a contempt-filled one-handed wave to
Raines.
Like you said Hauck stood up from the chair you
ought to know who brought the deck before you sit down at
the game.
Raines glared toward Josie. You re dead. Fucking bitch
whore . . .
Chrisafoulis twisted Raines s arms behind his back. Joseph
Raines, you re under arrest for plotting the deaths of David
Sanger and Keith Kramer. You re also under arrest for conspir-
ing to commit the murders of Paul Pacello and Detective Fred-
erico Munoz.
He slapped a set of cuffs roughly over the security man s
wrists.
You re making a mistake. Raines spun around. You don t
want to open this up. You don t have any idea where it leads. It
won t go anywhere, except to get your own fucking pension
revoked, Lieutenant, along with a little brown speck going
around in the bottom of the bowl that ll be what s left of your
career.
Too bad . . . Hauck reared and slugged him in the jaw,
Raines s feet sliding out from under him, held up only by the
two cops who clasped him by the arms.
Freddy Munoz says hello. Hauck glared into the cuffed
man s eyes.
I ll be out before morning. You ll see. Raines tried to jerk
out of his grip. This won t go anywhere. You don t have a
fucking clue who this will piss off!
They turned, the local police running interference as they
took Raines through the maze of tables and out of the casino.
Don t Look Twice 327
Hauck felt jubilant. They had one more stop to make. Up in
Hartford.
Who this would piss off? Hauck had a perfect idea.
They took Raines through the posh glass-atrium lobby.
Suddenly Hauck ran face-first into the last two people he
expected to see.
Sculley and Taylor. Flanked by three other tan suits. Just
one minute, Lieutenant . . .
What were they doing here?
Agent in Charge Sculley removed a document from his
jacket. We have a warrant to take Mr. Raines into custody for
the deaths of David Sanger and Paul Pacello, executed by James
Puig, chief prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice in
Hartford.
What? Hauck felt like a sucker punch took the air out of
him. He blocked Sculley s path. You don t have jurisdiction
here.
I m afraid we do, Lieutenant. U.S. Attorney Sanger was in
the employ of the federal government at the time of his death
and the shooting of Mr. Pacello in Maine occurred across state
lines. Not to mention that this very building is on property
granted by the United States government, making this very
much our jurisdiction, Lieutenant. Feel free to petition the Jus-
tice Department for the right to transfer Mr. Raines out of our
custody. I m sure they ll be awaiting your state attorney s brief.
He stared helplessly at the warrant as two of the junior
agents took hold of Raines.
Stan Taylor smirked. Sorry about this, Lieutenant . . .
Ire flashed up in Hauck. It was like with Vega all over again.
Hauck had put his life on the line. Freddy Munoz had given his
life.
328 Andrew Gross
They were stealing his case.
You can have your attorneys file a petition of subroga-
tion, Sculley said, but I wouldn t be overly confident. Mr.
Raines is a pivotal cog in an ongoing corruption investigation
of ours . . .
Corruption investigation?
I told you. Raines cackled as they whisked him away
through the lobby. I told you you had no idea where this went
or what was involved. Have fun, Lieutenant! It was awfully nice
playing with you. Have fun proving your case.
CHAPTER EI GHTY- FOUR
Stan Taylor drove the Crown Vic away from the Pequot
Woods. Sculley sat in back next to Raines.
Raines had his cuffs fastened to a bar on the seat in front of
them.
How he had enjoyed that! Being whisked out of Hauck s
grasp. Wachman had always said they would come through for
him. And so they did! He had always done the hard jobs, the
jobs no one else was willing to do.
Now he was being paid back.
He had no idea where he was being taken, other than he was
with people who knew how to handle things and make things
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