# 4

Robert Franklin Pettigrew was a gentleman, a man of virtues and principles, and a patriot. He was born filthy rich and was busy throwing the money back in the gutters.

He was on his usual trip monthly trip to Las Vegas. It was Friday the 13th, the Fight Night. Too much was on stake that evening. Having lost a (strictly relatively) small fortune at the Caesar's high-rollers roulette table, Rob decided to slosh himself. His arrogance and hyper-inflated ego had earned him complete solitude, noiseless and bitter.

A rap on the door announced the arrival of his third bottle of scotch. As the girl pushed the cart near to Rob's bed, he realized how sun had perfected her skin and turned it into irresistibly sensuous. She was dressed in something that was innocence and mayhem at once. Alcohol makes you overlook innocence, almost always. When it doesn't, what you are left with is honesty and pristine love. It was the always the former with Rob.

Rob noticed a blackjack table completely empty on the floor. Sunday afternoons were normally siesta times for gamblers. For others it belonged to the God. He approached the dealer and spilled 10000$ chips from his pocket onto the table. Samuel gathered the chips, piled them into neat stacks and waited for Rob.

"Let's play nigger-jack, my African American friend"

Sam started dealing. Rob kept staring at his face all the while, and pushed all the chips in without looking down. Sam was slightly afraid to look up and see in his eyes. Realizing it was his call, Rob skipped his hole card and let out a piercing cry,

"Hit me!"

-

Las Vegas Echoes
Monday, 16th March.

Robert Franklin Pettigrew, 34, a millionare from Ohio was punched to death by, Samuel Robbins, a blackjack dealer at Caesar's on Sunday afternoon on the casino floor. Eyewitness say that Samuel repeatedly punched Robert Pettigrew in the face until he was dead. The people of the floor were horror-stricken and motionless as Mr. Pettigrew was dead within six blows before the casino security guards could arrive at the scene. Before being taken to the state prison, Samuel was allowed to see his sister, Rose, in the state hospital.
Curiously, Rose worked in Caesar's as well in the room service department and was found severely wounded in mysterious conditions in the alley at the back of the hotel on Saturday. The hotel management is tight-lipped on the case and the police have also not found any clue on the same.

- Local Correspondent