Then he sat heavily in his chair and sighed once more. `I don't expect you to believe this, but I'rn glad you know. I'm glad it's finally all out in the open.' Gideon saw no reason to tell him that it was not yet common knowledge; that he'd told only one other person, and then not the whole story. The assumption that the facts were generally known was a kind of insurance, if he should need it. He didn't think he would. `So how did Tom get mixed up with a rat like Slade in the beginning?' he asked. `They're hardly in the same line of business.' `No,' Rosetti shook his head sadly. `But they are in the same line of recreation. Gambling. I gather Slade runs illegal poker games for big money. Tom met him over a friendly game of cards with some mates and got drawn in. He's always had a gambling problem, and although he had it under control for a while, it's like alcoholism, you're never really cured, only in remission. He told me he was feeling a bit low at the time, what with Sox's accident and Annabel going off to university.
