The neighborhood casino near Harwick Lane operated with the particular atmosphere of a place that had been in the same location long enough to have become part of the local infrastructure, not glamorous but legitimate, with regular patrons who knew the staff by name and arrived with the resignation of people who had made peace with the specific thing they were doing there.
Mike came in through the east entrance and stood for a moment in the lobby, reading the room the way he always read the rooms he had just entered.
Blackjack tables on the left. Slots in the back section.
A poker room is off the right hallway. Bar along the east wall.
Gerald was not at any of the obvious positions.
Mike crossed to the bar and ordered something simple and stood with his back against the counter, which gave him a view of the entire floor.
