Nicky walked along the Strip to the Mark Anthony Casino. He had always thought of the Strip as having two personalities: one in the daytime and another at night. In the sobering heat, the enormous statues and neon signs were gaudy, carbon fibre monstrosities and out of proportion with the buildings. But it was entirely different at night: a breathtaking force of lighting and theatre.

Nicky walked through the grand lobby and onto the casino floor. The cigarette smoke hit him. Pentagon's biggest inside joke, smoking inside public places, was banned. Ash could be found on the carpet – he didn't suppose the bottom-feeders would leave a slot machine to find an ashtray. The slots were for the elderly, the winos, and the bums. He snaked every row anyway, never believing a second she would be playing slots. Instead of taking the outside elevator, he ran up the stairs to the first floor to the table games: roulette, craps, and several versions of blackjack. The dress code was strictly formal: smoking jackets and cocktail dresses. The tables were loud – hollers, cheers, and shrieks of frustration. Nicky felt despair creeping into his heart, and it made him shout out for Bobby. He could see a gentleman walking towards him. He instantly recognised him. He was often giving his opinion in the papers and on the local TV stations. Although in his days running the club, he was told he would eventually meet him, he never did. It was casino impresario, member of the infamous Cremosa crime family, and city socialite, Roberto Cremosa. He was everything Nicky had aspired to be when he ran NJ’s, but while Nicky acted the part, Roberto had already been the leading man for a decade. He looked impeccable in a made-to-measure light-grey suit. He was flanked by a three-man entourage. The one next to him, who had a rush of blown-back hair and dimpled cheeks, fit the description of Pauli Gaspari, a Cremosa captain. Nicky had been told of him in the Gold Room days.

“Is there a reason you are shouting my casino down?” Roberto asked.

“My girlfriend has gone missing, and she –”

“Slow down, when did this happen?” Roberto asked, prompting side glances from his entourage who seemed bemused he hadn’t already palmed this off to one of them.

“I lost her in the crowd, you know, that came out of the casino,” Nicky said. “Once they all went back in, she was gone.”

Roberto swept his hand through his gelled black hair. Pauli said something into his ear. Nicky could feel him looking at the trace scars around his eye. “What is your name?” Roberto asked with such authority, Nicky instantly found himself answering.

“Nicky James.”

Roberto put his tongue in front of his front teeth and glanced upwards. “You used to run the club next door, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” Nicky answered.

“That was Samuels’ club,” Roberto said. “That club was always in cahoots with him.”

Nicky’s voice got high and panicked. “It wasn’t when I was there. They came into the club once, when I was fully in charge, and it cost me my eye,” he said, rubbing his cheek.

“The beast Leslie,” Roberto said.

“Yes, Leslie,” Nicky answered.

Roberto gave him a suspicious look. I guess he doesn’t have a reason to believe me about any of this.

“You know what he did to my family?” Roberto asked.

“Yes,” Nicky said, thinking if Roberto knew he was in the same car as Leslie before he died, he would be taking a grilling much different to this. He certainly didn’t want to embroil himself with another crime organisation.

“Leslie may be dead, although I will feel a lot happier when I have his head – but the mute, she has never been found,” Roberto said. “You haven’t heard of her whereabouts?”

“No, nothing, I’m not in that world now,” Nicky said.

“Very well. I hope so, because there is no grey area regarding the mute,” Roberto said. “Anyone who lies to me will pay a very high price.”

“I have no fucking idea, they are psychopaths,” Nicky said.

“I’m glad that’s understood, now about your girlfriend. This whole place is covered by CCTV, Ernesto here will take you to the camera room.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Nicky replied, as Roberto started to walk away.

“Oh, Nicky,” Roberto turned back to face him. “Look after yourself won’t you.”