The roulette tables were a little worn, but that was easily rectified; in any case, he wanted more tables brought in. He thought they helped to create the authentic casino atmosphere.

Although Tony liked a gamble himself, neither he nor Jake knew anything about running a casino. They would have to learn fast. There were all kinds of strict rules and regulations in force, something a good lawyer would be able to handle.

A lot of the equipment needed updating, but again, there was nothing that would cause too much of a problem. Firstly, the place needed a good overhaul, and then a manager would be needed, someone they could trust who could show them both how things were run.

It was a huge project. Tony knew that he really was out of his depth, but other people had learned how to run a casino, so why couldn’t he?

Jake looked out at the empty tables. ‘Do you think we’ve bitten off more than we can chew?’ he said. Even he was starting to wonder, now. It had seemed like such a good idea, but hindsight was a wonderful thing.

‘Yes and no,’ said Tony. He ran his hands through his hair and looked around the huge room; it was truly a gamblers’ paradise – in the right hands, of course. ‘It’s going to take time and a lot of money, but I like a challenge, you know that.’ Tony gave Jake a weak smile.

‘Come on,’ said Jake, trying to lighten the mood, ‘let’s go and see the rest of this place. It’s like a TARDIS, it just gets bigger and bigger on the inside.’

At the very back of the main room was a large bar, and behind that was a kitchen area, which had provided mediocre food for the small restaurant. The casino had two more floors. The top one contained a room fitted out with safes for the cash, and an apartment.

The amount of money that would be handled through the casino would be vast, which meant the very best security would be needed, and the money would have to be collected on a regular basis. Tony and Jake had both seen guards with their metal helmets and steel boxes carrying cash to their vans, which would be what they would need. Thinking again, the accountant would know all about that side of things, and so would the croupier training centre. All the tutors there had been working in casinos for most of their lives, and that would possibly be where he would find a manager, too.

‘I want to set up my main office here,’ said Tony. ‘I’ll leave the clubs to Sharon. Each one of us needs to be based somewhere, to keep an eye on things. I’ll go to the club when the strippers aren’t there, and I’ll host the club nights.’ Tony thought it was for the best that he gave the strip clubs a wide berth, and not be forever looking over Sharon’s shoulder.