Ashley held out his hand to shake Tony’s. Behind the façade of this camp young man was a businessman that wanted to do the best for Tony and for the members. Tony shook it; the deal was sealed. With that, Tony and Jake said their goodbyes and left.

‘He’s already been approached by these so-called members,’ Tony said to Jake when they were both back in the car.

‘Do you think so?’ Jake looked at Tony. It was a fair point; once Ashley had flattered them and got them onside, as it were, he had thrown out the subject instantly. ‘So, why haven’t they done it before?’

‘Because, Jake, the previous owner was not into the entertainment business, and wasn’t interested. Now they all know we own it, they are obviously asking Ashley. By the way, what do you think of him?’

‘What? You mean Sharon’s new sister? I think he’s a bit over the top, but he’s okay. In fact, I like him.’ Jake was nodding approval and smiling.

The smile crept back on to Tony’s face. ‘Sharon’s new sister? No, he’s much better looking than Sharon’s sister.’ With that he nudged Jake with his elbow and they both burst out laughing.

12

PLACE YOUR BETS

It turned out that Graham, the croupier trainer, had a brother and a wife also in the gaming business. He had discussed Tony’s options with them and they had all agreed to work at the casino. It was a good opportunity, as they had all heard of Tony’s reputation and generosity. Each croupier went through even more vigorous training under Graham’s watchful eye and Tony was over the moon with his decision. Tailored uniforms had been ordered for all of the 100 members of staff, with their pink bow ties, black trousers, white shirts and pink waistcoats. It sounded garish, but looked very appealing and flamboyant and it was the Lambrianu style, so was to be expected.

The casino was only a week away from opening, and it looked stunning. Graham had everything in order and was drilling the staff, not only with regard to their specific duties, but also their ‘meet and greet’ mannerisms. Tony had given him a free hand, and he was as proud and excited about it as if it were his own place.

Magazines and newspapers were full of gossip about the opening of the Lambrianu casino; people were already curious and waiting just to get a glimpse of the inside. The ‘Lambrianu Casino’ sign was high in the air, in now traditional pink neon. It looked amazing.

Huge glass chandeliers hung from the ceilings. Alarmed glass-fronted banking areas, where people either bought or cashed in their chips, stood out and provided easy access for people to exchange their money.

Even though everything was alarmed and secure, and had been handled by a security company that specialised in that kind of thing, including banking systems, Tony still had his own men on hand. He had them discreetly patrolling the area, with guns carefully hidden, in case they were searched.