Billy Two Hearts
by Doug Langille
Act 1
Chapter 1
# Billie Two Hearts
A crime adventure about a trio of grifters and their pursuit of the big score
2014-02-06-planning
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id: 234
title: Planning
date: 2014-02-06T20:00:00+00:00
author: Doug Langille
layout: post
guid: http://douglangille.ca/planning/
permalink: /planning/
tumblr_post_id:
- 142354364330
categories:
- Writings
tags:
- Fiction
- QuickRead
-–
Everything was going according to plan. Everyone had their roles to play. Amy was dealing and Scott was running the table, losing just enough to keep the eye-in-the-sky at bay. Just the same, Billie became increasingly nervous. The pit boss had taken an interest in their little fiction. Amy warned them that Big Mikey stood as the wild card. She nudged Scott in the ribs and said “He’s here’.
Her brother frowned at the interruption. “So?” he said to her. “I got this.”
Billie knew that look very well. They’d been down this road before. The signs screamed at them to stop. Statisitics and an eidetic memory were no substitute for situational awareness. That was her job.
“Seriously, Scott. Let’s cash out. You promised we’d go dancing. It’s my birthday after all.”
“You’d better listen to the lady,” said Amy, shuffling. She shot her eyes quickly to Mikey and back to Scott. He finally understood.
He passed her a chip. “A tip for you, Miss. Time… to dance!” said Scott in a flourish of latino posturing. He hooked his arm around Billie’s waist, pecked her cheek and made for the door as swiftly as they dared.
Big Mikey blocked their egress. “The House would like to thank you for your patronage and comp your evening. Please follow me.” It wasn’t a question.
The siblings were led to a back room, accompanied by some toughs who Billie dubbed Beefcake One and Beefcake Two. The small space was poorly lit and smelled of coppery dust. It was hot. The lock clicked and the duo were alone.
“Don’t say anything,” said Billie quietly. “We’ll be okay.” However, there was little evidence that would be the case. Scott didn’t deal with stress well; people like him needed structure. They were off plan and things were about to go very badly.
“We only needed to play one more hand,” he said. “One more hand.”
The door opened suddenly and Amy was shoved inside. Her eye was blackened, blood dotted her blouse and her arm hung strangely. She was crying. Scott charged the door and was met with a fist. He crumpled uselessly to the floor and the lock clicked again.
Billie found some linens on a shelf and fashioned a sling for Amy. Without water, there was little else that could be done.
“It’s not as bad as it looks,” said Amy. “Mikey had to make it look authentic.”
Billie glanced at Scott, who was starting to come around, then back to Amy. “What are you talking about?” she asked.
“Trust us,” said Amy.
“So, Mikey’s in on it? That’s a four-way split. That wasn’t part of the deal.”
“Better that than a desert grave. I had to improvise.”
“You have a point.”
“How’s Scott?” asked Amy, wincing uncomfortably.
“He’ll be fine once we get out of here. We are getting out of here, right?”
The door opened again and Big Mikey entered. “Let’s go. We have ten minutes.”
The girls helped Scott to his feet. “Where are we going?” he slurred.
“Baja,” said the larger man.
“Are things all arranged?” asked Amy.
“Yeah. The car’s just outside the emergency exit.”
“The cash?”
“Benny took his 20% of chips off the top, but the rest is cash in the trunk.”
“Good. Thanks, Mikey. There’s just one thing left.”
“What’s that?”
“It’s only a three-way split. Sorry.” Amy grabbed a pistol off the top shelf and shot Mikey between the eyes. The big man dropped like a stone.
“Where’d that come from?” asked Billie.
“What can I say? I’m a planner.” She smiled and kissed Billie warmly.
***NOTE: These characters also appear in ‘The Perfect Trick’ and ‘Cut and Run’.***
2014-07-25-scott-woos-amy
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id: 147
title: Scott Woos Amy
date: 2014-07-25T21:00:00+00:00
author: Doug Langille
layout: post
guid: http://douglangille.ca/scott-woos-amy/
permalink: /scott-woos-amy/
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categories:
- Writings
tags:
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- QuickRead
-–
“I would give you the moon, babe.”
“It’s pretty easy to offer the impossible, Scott.”
“But if I could, you know, I would.”
“What about that star over there? Would you pluck that from the sky for me?”
“I’d do better, Amy. I’d make it rain stars.”
“But would you respect me in the morning?”
“That depends. Will you be here when the sun rises?”
“Only if you kiss me like you promised.”
2014-07-25-too-hot
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id: 146
title: Too Hot
date: 2014-07-25T21:00:00+00:00
author: Doug Langille
layout: post
guid: http://douglangille.ca/too-hot/
permalink: /too-hot/
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categories:
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-–
Billie winced as she tiptoed across the sun-baked deck with two cold wobbly-pops in hand. “You look smokin’ hot, sweetheart,” I said, taking the beers with one hand and pushing her into the pool with the other.
Photo by Joe Shlabotnik
2014-09-13-the-perfect-trick
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id: 133
title: The Perfect Trick
date: 2014-09-13T21:00:00+00:00
author: Doug Langille
layout: post
guid: http://douglangille.ca/the-perfect-trick/
permalink: /the-perfect-trick/
tumblr_post_id:
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categories:
- Writings
tags:
- Fiction
- QuickRead
-–
All eyes were either on Scott’s hands or Amy’s outfit. That was part of the hook. He’d fumble through the basic show tricks ably enough despite only picking up the magic book yesterday. Billie said he was a quick study and the proof stood up on stage.
Scott’s bit was distraction. If the Nugget job taught them anything, it was to keep Billie’s brother on simple tasks, like charming an audience.
Amy, in her low-cut high-slit sequinned dress, kept him on script. She also had a bead on the two mooks standing guard at the exits. She hoped the revolver taped to the trick table would remain unused. It was hard to get a clean gun in Nevada these days. It’d be a shame to waste it on a small job a hundred miles north of the big scores in Vegas.
Somewhere in the darkened audience, Billie served drinks in her own specially- tailored outfit that left little to the imagination. Some of the patrons copped a feel; the hands-off policy didn’t extend to this dive. Every once in a while, Amy would catch a glimpse of her lover floating through the crowd, from table to table like a bee pollinating flowers. They’d lock eyes and know that the joke would be on these slobs soon enough.
Amy looked into Scott’s magic bag and smiled. The card skimmer under Billie’s tray performed its own brand of magic. Credit card numbers whizzed on the screen one after the other on the wireless tablet in the bag.
Maybe this wasn’t such a small job after all. Show time!
“And now, ladies and gentlemen, for our final trick of the evening.” Scott’s voice sounded more like a carnival barker than a magician.
Amy mouthed to him to tone it down. He looked at her and smiled his winningest smile. She felt a pang of guilt for leading him on. He was a good kid. She smiled back and whispered, “Go on. Bring it home.” Amy blew a kiss at the audience, quieting the murmurs. All eyes on front. Someone clinked a glass. The show’s background music played on.
Scott turned back to their captives. “Folks, I need a volunteer from the audience.” The spotlights roamed the crowd. “You. Miss. Won’t you join us on stage?” he asked, pointing to his sister.
The spotlights centered on Billie making her outfit sparkle and her lips pop a glistening ruby red. She looked to Rick, the manager, light operator and lone bartender for the evening. He nodded and she answered the magic maestro. “I’d be delighted.” She turned back to her customers and winked. “I’ll take care of all you fine people in a few minutes.”
Applause erupted as Scott offered his hand to assist and Amy set aside Billie’s serving tray behind the curtain. The lights focused on stage again.
“And what is your name, Miss?” asked Scott when it quieted, making a gallant show.
“It’s Billie, Master Maestro??” Billie with hearts over the I’s.” She giggled and Amy rolled her eyes exaggeratedly to the audience. They laughed.
“Well, Billie Two-Hearts, you can just call me Maestro.”
“Yes, Maestro,” she said in a girlish voice, twisting her hips back and forth.
Amy palmed her forehead to the continued delight of the crowd. She turned to Scott. “Maestro, the trick?”
“Ah yes. Thank you, Miss Amy. A round of applause for my lovely assistant and for the equally fabulous Billie… with two hearts.” He held up two fingers and winked at the audience. There followed more booze-fueled applause.
Scott held his hand up to hush them. “For my last trick, I shall make the wonderful Miss Two-Hearts disappear!”
Amy brought on stage the black three-paned screen and unfolded it. In practiced fashion, Scott and Amy spun and rotated the screen around Billie, who spun in the opposite direction, soaking up the crowd.
“Now folks, this trick is one I picked up from a Romany ten years ago and it took me until tonight to be ready. For this evening, this trick finally gets its debut. Especially for you.” He pointed to the crowd again and they roared in appreciation.
“Billie, would you be so kind as to stand behind this screen with your hands above your head so these people can see you.”
“Yes, Maestro,” she said and tiptoed around the screen, clicking her heels on the stage. She waved her hands high. “Hello, everybody,” she sang. The crowd laughed.
Scott continued “Okay everyone. This is it. When I count to three, the lights will go out. We’ll count to three again and then the lights will come back on. And Miss Billie Two-Hearts will have vanished. Ready everyone? Ready Rick?”
Everyone was ready.
“One. Two. Three!” yelled Scott.
The lights went out.
“One. Two. Three!” yelled the crowd.
The lights came on.
“Where is Billie?” asked Maestro Scott.
“I’m right here, Maestro. Am I invisible?” asked Billie, waving her hands and poking her head out the side of the screen.
“Not quite,” said Scott and Amy threw out another eyeroll to the hysterically laughing crowd. Scott and Amy made a show of mock embarrassment.
“I told you not to try this trick. You’re not ready, Maestro,” said Amy, for everyone to hear.
“I want to try it again,” said Billie, pouting.
Scott toed his heel into the stage, head down. “I don’t know.”
“Please, Maestro. Please! I want to disappear and be invisible.” Billie tugged on Scott’s sleeve for effect.
He straightened and faced the crowd. “What say you, folks? Shall we try this again?”
Applause and shouts of ‘yes’ swept the room.
Scott held up his hand and said “We need absolute quiet. Please, not a word. I need to concentrate.”
Amy said as an aside to the audience. “Maestro needs to Con-cen-trate.”
Scott looked at Amy and glared. Amy glared back. Billie shrugged her shoulders and her customers laughed.
They got into positions and Maestro Scott said “Ready.” The crowd grew even quieter.
“One. Two. Three!” yelled the Scott.
The lights went out.
“One. Two. Three!” yelled the crowd.
The lights came on. The folding screen stood alone on the stage.
No Maestro Scott. No Miss Amy.
And no Miss Billie Two-Hearts.
***NOTE: These characters also appear in the short stories ‘Planning’ and ‘Cut and Run’.***
2015-02-27-cut-and-run
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id: 1407
title: Cut and Run
date: 2015-02-27T22:44:39+00:00
author:
- Doug Langille
layout: post
guid: http://douglangille.ca/cut-and-run/
permalink:
- /cut-and-run/
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post_date:
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post_excerpt:
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categories:
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-–
Amy hung sloppily off the arm of Scott. To everyone at the party, it appeared that she couldn’t hold her liquor as well as she’d thought. Billie, of course, knew the truth.
The shapely Billie floated around the room from table to table, mingling with the rich folk. She talked them up, especially the men??” and occasionally the women. Not that it bothered Billie to have that kind of attention. In fact, she delighted in teasing Amy with the competition.
Already the fifth night of the cruise, and the trio scored more than they’d hoped. Easy marks, these people were oblivious.
Billie left the latest table and felt at least one pair of eyes on her backside. She tucked a lock of hair over her ear and spoke lowly into her mic. “Deck C, Cabin 34”.
“Already on our way,” responded Amy as she and Scott maintained the conceit of mutual drunkenness, ambling down the hallway of Deck C’s port-side cabins.
“We’re here,” said Scott, as he and Amy slipped on their latex gloves. He pulled the slimjim from his breast pocket. Amy stood across the hall and kept watch. Nearly everyone was at the party, but diligence kept them safe.
Inside, Amy closed the door and leaned against it with her hands behind her. “You bring the UV light this time?”
Scott shot her an annoyed look. “Of course I did. Right here.” He held up the flashlight with the purplish lens as he headed to the cabin safe.
Amy turned the bolt on the lock and followed him. She slid her hands over his shoulders and felt the breadth of his chest. If Billie wasn’t in picture… Well, who knows? Scott will always be special??” to both of us. “I’m sorry, Sweetie. This should be our last one and we can enjoy the rest of the cruise.” She kissed him wetly on the back of the neck and let him go.
Scott’s face turned a hot red. Billie always got the upper hand. Growing up, she’d take his things and steal the limelight. These days, he’d play wingman for her. Amy played them both.
He shook his head to focus on the task at hand. Shining the light on the keypad, the residue of the most recent user’s fingertips shone darkly on each number. Four of them were fresh.
Amy spoke into her mic. “One, two, seven, zero. Make any sense to you, girl.”
“Birthday. October 27th,” came back Billie’s reply.
“Try one-oh-two-seven, Scott,” said Amy.
He did and turned the handle. Bingo. Amy reached in and thumbed through the contents. Passports, some weed and a billfold of money. The cruise was all-inclusive and the giftshops were all charge accounts. No one needed cash on hand but everyone took some anyway. Most wouldn’t notice it missing until they hit port. That’d been the experience so far.
Amy tucked the cash into her handbag and Scott closed up the safe with the same code. She took one last look around before they left. Clean as a whistle.
“Nicely done, Scott,” she said and handed him her gloves. He stuffed both pair in his pocket and they made their way back to the party.
“We’re on our way,” said Amy to Billie.
“Good. Hurry. Something’s happening. I need you here,” said Billie. Her voice was louder and more frantic than expected.
“What’s wrong?” asked Amy. No response.
The loud roar of gunfire sounded from the venue ahead. Scott grabbed Amy’s arm and they took off at a sprint.
Billie nearly ran into them as they rounded the corner of the stairwell.
“You okay?” asked Amy.
Billie nodded. “Not really. We got problems.”
“What kind of problems?” asked Scott.
“Pirates. A lot of them. They’re rounding everyone up into the banquet room. They shot a bunch of the staff already.”
“Well, that’s unexpected,” said Scott. “I don’t understand. There’s not supposed to be pirates. I didn’t factor this in. What do we do?” He sat on the floor and tucked his head into his knees, shutting down.
Billie closed her eyes and forced herself to take a breath. He couldn’t help it. This is how he is. She grabbed him gently by the shoulders. “Get it together, Bro. It’ll be okay. We need you to help get these idiots off this boat.”
“How do we do that?” Amy’s eyes were wide.
Billie didn’t know. Everything inside her screamed at her to fight and come up with a plan. They’d worked too hard for this. No freaky-ass band of pirates were going to swipe what they’d earned.
“Fire,” said Scott quietly and looked up. “We use fire.”
Billie smiled. “Yes. We’ll use fire.”
TO BE CONTINUED….?
***NOTE: This story features characters from two other pieces: ‘The Perfect Trick’ and ‘Planning’.***