CHAPTER 23

 After slamming the receiver back down on it’s cradle, Terry cursed under his breath. Even the phones were dead! The emergency lighting switched on but nothing else did. Terry was already agitated as it was, “Agent Mulder, I do appreciate that you think you have located the culprits who blew up my safe, but I really think…”

    

In his usual dead pan way Fox cut him off, “with all do respect Mister Benedict. There is the little matter of how much money was reported stolen.”

    Benedict held his ground, “I’ve already been over this with the Insurance Companies and they have been over this with your bosses. Now I do not wish to get in the way of your work Agent Mulder. Why are you getting in the way of mine?”

Carl Hoffman had been quiet up till now. He apparently just enjoyed seeing Benedict squirm. The man was thin, had a worn face, and was never without that ridiculous cowboy hat of his. Benedict had fired the guy's brother in law. The reasons were perfectly legitimate. The guy was a moron. He had been fired from almost every other casino in Vegas too. Yet Hoffman always took it personal. Now the man from the Gaming Commission spoke, “Terry, now I’d like to know just exactly how much money that was. I know you got that fancy vault of yours down there but it’s kind of hard…”

 Terry cut him off, “what I do with my own money is my business.  I follow the NGC regulations to the letter and you know that.” Terry remained business like but it was hard to suppress all of the edge in his voice. Hoffman had been looking for the least of violations to shut Teryy down.

Skully now took her turn. She had produced a photograph from her brief case and slid it across the table, “we’ve tied the suspects in with this girl Mister Benedict. Do you recognize her?”

 Terry most certainly did. It was a picture of the girl his security people were supposed to be moving at this very moment. How did the Fed’s know? Why were they playing this game? If this was about a kidnapping then why come here talking about a year old robbery? That was unless they were just taking a stab in the dark. Maybe they had a surveillance on his operations? That seemed almost likely, and if it were the case then they saw his men bring the girl in. Maybe they were just fishing and trying to find out who she is? Leaning back in his chair, Terry laughed, “you think this little girl had something to do with it?”

Mulder played it straight, “we don’t find it a laughing matter Mister Benedict.”

Terry poked at the picture and slid it back across the table, “that girl is a prostitute.”

Hoffman laughed as well, “are you pimping now Terry? I don’t think the NGC will take too kindly to this.”

 Now Benedict did not attempt to hide his displeasure. Fortunately he had a ready distraction at the most opportune of moments. Walsh and several of his security men came in. They all looked very tense and that seemed proper given the power failure. There was no telling what kind of madness was going on out there. Terry rose from his seat and buttoned his jacket. He addressed the Gaming Commissioner first, “of course I am not a pimp, Carl, and I challenge you to try and prove it. That girl works for a perfectly legal escort service here in town. She’s a regular with several of my high rollers and that’s all I can prove. Till I find out otherwise I’m in the business of entertainment. You people are the police, you go and bust her. I have more important things to do.”

Mulder stepped towards the door, “we’re not done here.”

 “You are now,” Benedict replied without hesitation.  “You have any more questions then Mister Walsh here will be happy to give you my lawyers number.” Once in the hallway Benedict lashed out with more than a bit of pinned up frustration, “I better be told this is not a repeat of last year.”

Walsh gulped before answering, “no sir the vault is perfectly secure. I sent most of the security people down there to guard it.”

That seemed proper but then Terry thought hard about it for a second, “most? What about?”

“Um…” Walsh licked his lips and bounced in place before answering, “Mister Santoro has arrived.”

Terry patted the man on the shoulder, “good. Find out what she knows then take her to the exchange point as arranged.”

 Inside the room, Hoffman exchanged a few words with the agents but then left quickly. He seemed to be pleased in having made Benedict itch. Skully, on the other hand, was not pleased at all. They had not accomplished what they were trying for. She reached for her phone and hit the speed dial. She was horrified when she noted to Mulder, “my phone is dead!”  

So was his.