He stared straight ahead, refusing to acknowledge my presence. “You two have to get out of here immediately,” I said. “Is there a problem, sir?” The dealer spoke to Uncle Wayne with the hint he could make the problem go away. “No.” Uncle Wayne flipped up his facedown card. “Blackjack.” The dealer slid over a stack of chips and I noticed my uncle sat with a small fortune in front of him. “Sammy, would you hold my seat for me?” Uncle Wayne asked the mayor. “Is that all right, young man?” he asked the dealer. “Yes, sir. Take your time.” “Oh, this won’t take long at all.” Uncle Wayne slid off the stool and dropped the sunglasses over his eyes. He must have thought he looked cool. He looked blind. “Come on.” He led Susan and me away from the congestion of the tables to a spot under the wide stairway to the second level.
