CHAPTER 22

LESTER Perzinsky had always liked to put on airs. After twenty some-odd years of a Vegas-styled education in street-smarts, he’d learned to perfect the illusion quite successfully.

He closed the front door of his new home on the outskirts of the celebrated community Skyland, compliments of his new benefactor. Being on the outer reaches of the elite community, some could argue the location was akin to the Porsche 924, often referred to as the poor man’s Porsche.

Lester, like so many others who worried about keeping up with the Joneses, had enough money to purchase a less expensive home on the outskirts, but not quite enough to land him inside the heart of the community. Still, he was content with the notion of falsely projecting an image that acquainted him with the more financially stable society of the area.

While things were a little touch-n-go at first, the end result was well worth the anxiety and uncertainty that plagued him during the onset of the deal. And it hadn’t happened upon him a moment too soon.

His wife Meredith had been edgy and distant ever since she found out about the money, or lack thereof, a few months ago. Luckily, he had concocted his ingenious markers scheme just in time to keep her from walking out the door.

To his dismay, she remained aloof and detached even though he’d been providing her with a few grand a week in spending money. He could tell she no longer trusted him and he was certain she was looking for a new man. One with more money than he could get his hands on.

But this new house of nearly three thousand square feet in the prestigious neighborhood would surely change her tune and entice her to forget about moving on.

Lester moved jubilantly toward his white Ford sedan, a 95 model. A vehicle he willingly drove just so he could keep Meredith happy in her brand new convertible Mustang, a car he purchased a couple of months ago. He was able to save a little cash by purchasing the vehicle with a V6 instead of the highly coveted V8 engine. Meredith didn’t know the difference. All she saw was the style of the car; to her they both looked the same.

Up until recently, they’d lived comfortably for almost two years in the high-rise apartment. He’d kept her happy with clothes and a couple of trips to Hawaii and Cancun during the last year. Eventually Meredith’s champagne taste caught up with his beer budget. Lester had been struggling, barely able to keep up with the minimum payments on the credit cards.

That’s when she found out he was not quite as financially viable as he’d led her to believe. The result was pitiful really. Begging her to stay was his low point, but Lester couldn’t help himself. He could not get enough of Meredith Vincent and losing her was not an option.

Oddly enough, for a man to be so fanatical about one woman, Lester was unable to remain faithful. He was discreet, however. He never wined and dined other women. The extent of his dalliances consisted of talking his stable of casino accomplices into a quickie in his car every once in a while, using the money they gained from his scam as leverage. Simply put, if they wanted to keep raking in the proceeds the Golden Sunset had to offer, they had to agree to satisfy his manly urges upon occasion.

Lester looked forward to having Melody’s cousin sate his fire next.

But not for a few days. He anticipated Meredith would see to all his needs and desires for several days once she got a look at her new home.

That too, would give his next conquest time to get used to the money from his scheme. He’d let them get used to the cash and then threatened to take it away if they refused a quick rendezvous out in the parking lot.

Lester anticipated nothing less from Melody’s cousin, expecting her to follow suit.

He shut the car door and started the engine, letting the air conditioning cool the interior before he shifted the car into gear. He grabbed his cell phone and hit the speed dial and then waited impatiently, tapping his forefinger on the steering wheel.

Hearing Melody’s sexy voice greet him with a warm “hello”, he smiled.

“It’s Lester,” he said. “Why don’t you have your cousin come in tomorrow too? I’ll meet you both out in the parking lot during my lunch break.”

“You don’t think that’s a bit bold?”

“Nah...casino brass is so wrapped up in the tournament, they’re not aware of anything else that’s going on.” Lester’s cocky attitude established his firm belief in his words.

Melody was just one in a long line of partners in crime who assisted Lester in his elaborate scheme to steal from his employer.

Lester ignored the gravity of the infraction he committed against the Golden Sunset Hotel and Casino, a multi-million dollar corporation with annual revenues toping eight hundred million dollars, as damaging financially or otherwise. The way he saw it, the thousands of dollars he stole every week was merely a drop in the bucket compared to the annual totals of the casino’s revenue. He even fancied that he might be doing them a favor by giving them a valid tax write-off.