“Well, for one, he works in the police force. They are very anal about their officers’ personal conduct in and out of uniform,” Euu Ki explained. “If I can track down his profile on Tinder or Grindr, I may be able to get hold of some proof of indiscretion or even some nude pics we can blackmail him with.”

“Are you hoping to get caught for blackmailing so you can share my cell and keep me company? So sweet of you!”

“Sweetie, if I ever end up in prison I will be the Goddess of Supreme Blowjobs and there will be a mile-long queue of inmates lining up to be my cell mate. You’ll have to take a number.”

“Very funny,” Hashwini snapped. “I have to get ready for midnight shift at the casino. Please help me ask around and get me a lawyer I can afford, okay? Bye.”

Two hours later, Hashwini found herself seated at a blackjack table in a private room at the VIP lounge. She was relieved to discover that Teddy Toy Boy had booked the session. In her discombobulated state of mind, she wouldn’t be able to handle a tough customer like the Beast.

At ten minutes before midnight, Teddy entered the Sapphire Room with his mobile phone pressed to his ear. His eyes swept across the two croupiers and automatically picked Hashwini’s blackjack table. She had always brought him luck. Hashwini removed the chip tray cover in preparation to deal, but Teddy Toy Boy gesticulated at her to hold on as he continued listening intently. There was a look of consternation on his face that Haswhini was seeing for the first time. She wondered if his sugar mommy was giving him a lecture of sorts.

“It sounds like the Indian Embassy is trying to pull a fast one. They must have come into possession of that video clip very soon after the riot. Why did they have to wait till now to throw it at us? The sentencing is three days down the road. They are leaving us very little time to react.”

Despite the fact that Teddy was speaking in a whisper, Hashwini could hear every single word. She had always had a keen sense of hearing and the absolute silence in the Sapphire Room was highly conducive to eavesdropping. It sounded like Teddy Toy Boy’s sugar mommy held a high position in the government sector. Perhaps that was the reason she could not come down personally to enjoy her game of blackjack at the casino.

“I have a piece of good news for you though,” Teddy Toy Boy continued. “I spoke to the police commissioner this afternoon. They managed to haul in the young woman who impersonated an undercover police officer the night of the riot. They took a preliminary statement, but midway through she asked for a lawyer and they had to stop.”

Hashwini sat up straight. They were talking about her!