Episode Transcript
Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale
“All That Glitters,” Part 1
INTRODUCTION
HOST
Welcome to Jabberwocky Audio Theater.
HOST
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RATING ANNOUNCER
The following audio theater is rated AD-PG, so parental guidance is suggested.
ANNOUNCERLAND
MUSIC: THEME MUSIC BEGINS
ANNOUNCER
Throughout history, there has always been a chasm between the bulk of humanity and the enigmatic circle who hold true dominion. Those whose influence remains shrouded, save for the rare instances when their designs cross into the outside world…
(THEME MUSIC CONTINUES QUIETLY THROUGHOUT THE FOLLOWING SCENE)
QUORUM COUNCIL CHAMBER
(HEAVY REVERB, ALONG WITH A SLIGHT MECHANICAL HUM, AS IF IN A LABORATORY HOUSED WITHIN A MAHOGANY-LINED CHAMBER; VOICES ARE LARGELY EUROPEAN-ACCENTED)
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES OUT
MR. KING
Mr. Queen. How close are we to the next phase of Operation Repatriation?
MR. QUEEN
The last of our major pieces for the Los Angeles stage are now in place, Mr. King.
MS. ROOK
After the events of the Las Vegas phase, you’ll understand if we might be a bit… skeptical.
MR. QUEEN
I understand, Ms. Rook, even if I don’t agree.
MR. KING
Let’s not raise old business at this stage. Mr. Bishop, how did the probability model hold up?
MR. BISHOP
Well within parameters. If anything, events unfolded more smoothly than expected.
MR. QUEEN
You see, Ms. Rook? All is on schedule. We should be able to proceed within… two months, by my estimate.
MR. KING
Ms. Knight, any significant financial implications?
MS. KNIGHT
Even disregarding windfall from the Las Vegas phase, expenses to date have been well within expectations.
MR. KING
Very well. If pawns are in place, we will continue as planned. I think it’s safe to say our future — not to mention our past — is shaping up just as we’d hoped.
ANNOUNCER (V.O.)
Far removed from the clinical calculations of this council, the real-world repercussions of their schemes play out with dramatic results.
(BEAT)
Jabberwocky Audio Theater presents: Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale. Tonight’s presentation: “All That Glitters,” episode one.
MUSIC: THEME MUSIC ENDS
INGLEWOOD PARK CASINO – POKER ROOM
(CROWDED, ECHOING AMBIENT — CARDS FLIPPING, POKER CHIPS CLICKING, CHEERS AND MOANS, PICKING OUT INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE ROOM)
MUSIC: UPBEAT JAZZ
CONFIDENT POKER PLAYER
(STAGGERED/SIMULTANEOUS)
I’m all in.
SKEPTICAL POKER PLAYER
(STAGGERED/SIMULTANEOUS)
You playing for the flush? Hell, I’ll pay to see if you make it…
CRANKY POKER PLAYER
(STAGGERED/SIMULTANEOUS)
No way in hell you can be running this good all night. My money says you’re about to crack.
EXCITED POKER PLAYER
(STAGGERED/SIMULTANEOUS)
Yes! I’m dodging bullets here!
(JIMMY’S VOICE IS CASUAL BUT JADED, BORED; HIS VOICE OVER LINES ARE DELIVERED AFTER THE FACT)
JIMMY (V.O.)
Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Vegas anymore.
SOUND: CHIPS TOSSED ONTO FELT
JIMMY
All right. I’ll call that two-fifty.
SOUND: CHIPS TOSSED ONTO FELT
CASINO POKER PLAYER 1
What the hell. I’m staying in. Same.
SOUND: CARDS BEING DEALT
JIMMY (V.O.)
Don’t get me wrong, I know playing poker for a living’s a far cry from the typical nine-to-five. But this isn’t where I pictured I’d be just a couple of years ago.
CASINO DEALER
Flop is two of spades, jack of hearts, and four of diamonds. Rainbow flop. To you, sir.
SOUND: CHIPS TOSSED ONTO FELT
MATT
Bet. Five hundred.
DODGE
Ah. Guessing you got a piece of that, eh, Matt?
MATT
Could be, Dodge. Or maybe I’m just feeling lucky.
DODGE
Okay, okay… loose call for me.
SOUND: SEVERAL CHIPS ON FELT
CASINO POKER PLAYER 2
Fold.
CASINO POKER PLAYER 3
I’m out.
JIMMY
Raise. Twenty-five hundred.
CASINO POKER PLAYER 1
Whoa. I’m out.
MATT
Feeling a bit confident, aren’t we? Fair enough, kid. Your funeral. I call.
SOUND: CHIPS ON FELT
DODGE
Too much for me.
JIMMY
Burn and turn.
SOUND: CARD BEING DEALT
CASINO DEALER
The turn… ten of clubs.
MATT
Check.
JIMMY
I’ll check as well.
SOUND: CARD BEING DEALT
CASINO DEALER
And the river… ace of hearts.
MATT
Another twenty-five hundred. Let’s keep it interesting.
JIMMY (V.O.)
Tell the truth, this was the biggest pot I’d seen all day. No way was I going to let it go so easy.
SOUND: CHIP STACK GOING INTO POT
JIMMY
Then interesting it shall be, Matt, is it? I’m all in.
MATT
(LAUGHING)
Think you can buy your way out of this?
SOUND: CHIP STACK GOING INTO POT
MATT
I call. You got me covered, so I’m all in.
SOUND: CARDS FLIPPING
MATT
Pocket rockets, buddy. River gives me trip aces. Live and learn. Never had a chance, buddy.
SOUND: CARDS FLIPPING
JIMMY
My three-five says different. That same river gives me a wheel. Ace through five. Which, if I’m not mistaken, does top your three of a kind.
SOUND: COLLECTING CHIPS
MATT
You… Oh, son of a bitch…
DODGE
Sometimes lady luck just ain’t smiling, Matty boy. Least not on your ugly mug.
SOUND: CHAIR PULLING AWAY FROM TABLE
MATT
Eat it, Dodge.
(CHIP STACKING SOUNDS CONTINUE THROUGH FOLLOWING VOICE OVER)
JIMMY (V.O.)
Not the most prudent play on my part. Shouldn’t have bet so big on the flop. Four-and-a-half to one with that board. But after six hours of grinding, I was getting punchy. Which meant it was time for me to stop.
JIMMY
Actually, I think I’ll go ahead and cash out.
CASINO DEALER
Very well, sir.
SOUND: CHIP FLIPPING ON TABLE
JIMMY
Here you go.
CASINO DEALER
Thank you, sir.
SOUND: PLACING CHIPS IN RACK
JIMMY (V.O.)
All told, a decent haul. But a far cry from the good old days. Stakes at LA’s Inglewood Park Casino were a fair bit distant from the big tables in Vegas. That last hand was a godsend. Be able to pay the rent this month. And keep my other plans moving forward.
SOUND: CHAIR PULLING AWAY FROM TABLE
JIMMY (V.O.)
Not that the work was especially grueling. Plenty of dead money in here, tossing it away after watching Rounders and a few seasons of ESPN poker. Fish in a barrel for a pro like me. But takes time to reel it in.
INGLEWOOD PARK CASINO – CASINO FLOOR
(LOUDER ACTIVITY, BUSIER ACTION, BUT NO SLOT MACHINES OR TRADITIONAL VEGAS CASINO SOUNDS)
SOUND: FOOSTEPS WALKING THROUGH CASINO
JIMMY (V.O.)
How I got here’s a story. This was July of 2012. Some bad stuff went down in Sin City about a year back, involving Vegas hoods, a set of overzealous feds, and a semi-reformed gangster named Wiktoria Sałkiewicz. Since then I was persona non grata in Vegas. Couple that with the online poker shutdown, and I was back to grinding. Ran the circuit of the LA cardrooms, which made for a lot of travel time — out to Commerce or Bell Gardens, Gardena, even down to Compton on occasion. But Inglewood Park was a straight shot down the 405 for me. Being near the airport, they brought in a decent-sized crowd of players, but not exactly high-rollers.
RACING ANNOUNCER
(FILTERED, OVER LOUDSPEAKER)
Come on out to the grandstand to catch the best in thoroughbred racing. Just two weekends left in the spring/summer meeting at Fairwager Inglewood Park…
JIMMY (V.O.)
Racing season was in full swing, despite the massive heat wave LA was currently undergoing. Had its pluses and minuses, and not just for the horses. Overflow traffic made for more amateur play in the cardrooms. You’d think they’d be easier to take down, but true amateurs can be tough to read, since they really have no idea what they’re doing. Key’s to take advantage of patterns when you spot them, but not to look for them when they aren’t there.
(DISTANT VOICES APPROACH THROUGH THE CASINO)
CASINO SECURITY GUARD
Keep it moving. Don’t want to cause any more trouble.
(SKITCH IS OBSEQUIOUS, SMARMY, A BIT MANIC)
SKITCH
No trouble, no trouble. Misunderstanding’s all, see?
TOM
(FURIOUSLY)
Misunderstanding my ass. Son of a bitch ripped us off.
CASINO SECURITY GUARD
Sir, we have this situation in hand.
SKITCH
It’s all good. No worries, Tom, mi amigo.
TOM
Sure as hell ain’t your “amigo.” Who are you to say no worries? I’ll give you worries!
SOUND: SCUFFLE
CASINO SECURITY GUARD
Please back off! Harry, give me a hand with these two!
SKITCH
I’m cool, I’m cool! Cucumber!
SOUND: HEAVY BUMP
SOUND: POKER CHIPS FALLING TO FLOOR
JIMMY
Hey, what the hell?
CASINO SECURITY GUARD
Apologies, sir. Harry, you got him?
TOM
Fine, I’m going. Gotta go meet someone at the track anyway. But we are not through, weasel!
CASINO SECURITY GUARD
Here, let me give you a hand with these.
SKITCH
Hey, lemme pitch in. I’m all good Samaritan like that.
SOUND: PICKING UP CHIPS
SKITCH
Hey — I know you. Harmon! Jimmy Harmon! It’s Skitch. Remember me? From Vegas. Tight with your pal Peeps. Or I think you’re pals. Not sure how you two left off.
JIMMY (V.O.)
Of course, in case I needed a reminder that the Vegas life wasn’t all sunshine and roses, here it came.
JIMMY
Skitch… Listen, I just need to clean these up and —
SKITCH
Hey, beauty stack you got here. That just from the casino here, or you got heavy action going on somewhere outside?
JIMMY
These are Inglewood Park chips, so yeah, unless they’ve become negotiable currency elsewhere, just from here. Um… that’s one of mine you’ve got there.
SKITCH
What? Oh, oh, sure. Here you go. Just bein’ helpful.
CASINO SECURITY GUARD
Let’s keep it moving, sir. I don’t think either of us want to involve the authorities.
SOUND: FABRIC RUSTLNG
SKITCH
Take it easy, take it easy. Copacetic. Just catching time with an old compadre.
JIMMY
Running into a little trouble?
SKITCH
No rumpus, just… guy don’t like to lose. Know how it is. And a mix-up with my member card. Musta gotten… demagnetized. Yeah. So I’m just… punching out.
JIMMY
Right.
SKITCH
So since we’re both clearing, got anything on tap? Bring an old pal in on? I’m full team player…
JIMMY
No, no, this is it. Playing things close nowadays.
SKITCH
Right, right. But you let me know you get any high-potential pigeons coming on, okay?
JIMMY
I’ll… keep an ear to the ground.
SKITCH
Great. Glad I ran into you. What’re the odds? Only in town a while ’cause of another clash of perspectives in Vegas… guess you know how that is, am I right?
CASINO SECURITY GUARD
Sir, I have to insist.
JIMMY
Look, Skitch, I need to go —
SKITCH
Oh, yeah. Of course. Me too, me too. But hey, you got my digits, right? Here, let me —
JIMMY
Got my hands full, but I can always get it from Peeps.
SKITCH
Sure, sure. We’ll bridge up again soon, mark it!
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS LEAVING
INGLEWOOD PARK CASINO – CASINO CAGES
(SOMEWHAT QUIETER, WITH MARBLE-FLOORED REVERB)
CASHIER
Ready to cash out, sir?
JIMMY
Yes, please. Here’s my member card.
CASHIER
All right… and would you like a casino check, sir?
JIMMY
I’d prefer cash if you can. Save me a trip to the bank.
SOUND: CHIPS SHUFFLING IN CARRIER
JIMMY (V.O.)
Skitch… One of the shadier characters on the Vegas poker scene. As in shady enough to make an elm tree green with envy. Well, greener. Not quite criminal, but… scratch that, he is criminal, a prime example of the grifter subspecies. Just not full-on gangster. Perspective changes once you run up against the real deal. Could hold his own at the table, but like as not to go in with a collection of aces in his hip pocket. No doubt related to his current predicament. No way I’d vouch for his reputation, not anywhere I valued my own.
SOUND: CASH COUNTED OUT
CASHIER
Total is… twenty-four thousand, four hundred twenty.
JIMMY
Thank you very much.
SOUND: COLLECTING CASH
JIMMY (V.O.)
Truth is, I did have something going on, setup I’d been working toward a while. Kind that could pull me out of the bareknuckle brawl of the public cardrooms, so long as I showed I could spar with the heavyweights. Had to call in a favor from aforementioned quasi-gangster Wiktoria Sałkiewicz — not to mention padding my bankroll to one hundred large, and in good old folding paper — but hopefully it’d pay off soon.
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES IN
KREITZER ESTATE – BALLROOM
(CROWDED, ECHOING AMBIENT — CARDS FLIPPING, POKER CHIPS CLICKING, CHEERS AND MOANS)
MUSIC: SOFT CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
SOUND: CARDS SHUFFLING
CHAMBERS
I swear, my luck is going to change this time around.
JIMMY
You’re the big blind, sir.
CHAMBERS
Oh, sorry. It’s… two thousand, right? Here you go.
SOUND: POKER CHIPS DROPPING ONTO FELT
JIMMY
Very good, sir.
SOUND: CARDS DEALING
JIMMY (V.O.)
More potential haul in this room than the biggest poker rooms in Vegas. And maybe half as much awareness of how to play the game. A toxic mix of near-bottomless resources and blinding self-deception. But that’s Hollywood for you. Well, Bel Air, to be precise.
TABLE PLAYER 1
I fold.
TABLE PLAYER 2
I’ll pass this one.
GITTES
Jeez, never played against such a bunch o’ slack-jawed cowards. Raise. Ten thousand.
SOUND: POKER CHIPS CLICKING
TABLE PLAYER 3
Pfft. Fold.
CHAMBERS
Um… so then that’s… eight thousand back to me?
JIMMY
Yes, Mr. Chambers, sir.
CHAMBERS
Okay, I guess… I’ll call. Yes, call.
SOUND: POKER CHIPS CLICKING
GITTES
Heh. Your funeral, fish.
SOUND: CARDS DEALING
JIMMY (V.O.)
Normally I’d kill to be in a room like this. Crazy rich people, folks all reason would tell you’d be all too careful with their money. Easy pickings. But tonight, I’m just dealing the cards. Had my eye on an even bigger prize. Or at least a more long-term one.
GITTES
Check.
CHAMBERS
I… I’ll check, too. Let’s see the turn.
SOUND: CARD DEALING
JIMMY (V.O.)
Big private affair like this was more high-profile than I liked to play things. Especially since its legality was… questionable, given the house was raking a chunk of the prize pool. I wasn’t asking questions under the circumstances. But damn if the digs didn’t feel like God’s own mansion. Kind of place I’d take odds hosted the occasional Eyes Wide Shut bacchanal.
(ANTON KREITZER’S VOICE IS CONFIDENT, JOVIAL, WITH A HINT OF A NEW YORK ACCENT)
KREITZER
(FILTERED, OVER LOUDSPEAKER)
Ladies and gentlemen. Or, to be accurate, lady and gentlemen, as we do have an unfortunate bit of gender disparity here this evening. While I am happy to serve as your host for the evening, I must insist that after the conclusion of this hand, we take a thirty-minute break.
JIMMY (V.O.)
That would be the deity in question. Anton Kreitzer. Big venture capitalist, I gather. Billionaire big. Started as a New York hedge fund manager until he found the stakes too pedestrian. Spent time in Boston, San Francisco, now mostly settled in LA. Had a reputation for being… eccentric. But most relevant to me, he was the gatekeeper to the next step in my plan.
GITTES
Eh, I suppose time’s a-wastin’. I’ll check again.
CHAMBERS
Well, then I think I’ll check, too.
SOUND: CARD DEALING
JIMMY
Bet is to you, Mr. Gittes.
SOUND: POKER CHIPS CLICKING
GITTES
All right. Enough dicking around. Thirty thousand.
CHAMBERS
Okay… I’ll see your thirty thousand…
SOUND: POKER CHIPS CLICKING
CHAMBERS
And I’ll raise you…
JIMMY
Ah, no string bets, sir.
CHAMBERS
I’m sorry, what?
GITTES
You can’t call, wait, and raise, dumbass.
CHAMBERS
What? What the hell are you —
JIMMY
He’s correct, sir. You’ll have to just call.
CHAMBERS
That’s not fair! I want to talk to Anton!
GITTES
For chrissakes… You’ve seen too many damn movies. Act like you’re just calling, gauge my reaction, then change your mind. Sucker move, near on cheating.
JIMMY
I will be happy to call Mr. Kreitzer over, Mr. Chambers, but the rule is absolute. You have to make your decision, call or raise, in one action.
CHAMBERS
(EXASPERATED)
Fine. I’ll just call, then. About to break anyway.
SOUND: CARDS FLIPPING
GITTES
Two pair. Kings and sevens.
CHAMBERS
Whoa — good thing for me I’m holding pocket sixes, Mr. Gittes. Which, matched with their friend on the board, makes for trips. Six-six-six, the Devil’s hand. Maybe I sold my soul to old Scratch himself.
GITTES
Don’t need the play-by-play, chump. Son of a bitch…
SOUND: POKER CHIPS CLICKING AND SLIDING
JIMMY
Thank you, gentlemen.
GITTES
And I’ll see you after the break, chuckles.
CHAMBERS
Oh, that’s fine by me.
SOUND: CHAIRS SLIDING, PEOPLE MOVING
JIMMY (V.O.)
I was happy to play it cool. Act like the hired help. Which I guess I was. But not quite how it looked.
KREITZER ESTATE – HALL
(AMBIENT NOISE SHIFTS AS JIMMY MOVES OUT OF THE BALLROOM)
JIMMY (V.O.)
Now it was time to find out if I’d earned a chair for the next round.
FARAH
Ah, Mr. Harmon. Nice to see you again.
JIMMY
Farah, please call me Jimmy. Anton… Mr. Kreitzer… said to meet him in the billiard room at the break. Is he in there now?
FARAH
Um… no, not yet. But… I think you can go in. I’ll be happy to get you a drink.
JIMMY
Sure… Thanks. Scotch, if you have it.
FARAH
(AMUSED)
I’m quite sure we do. Is MacCutcheon all right?
JIMMY
MacCutcheon? Yeah, of course. Neat, please.
FARAH
I’ll bring it in to you in just a minute.
SOUND: HEAVY DOOR OPENING AND CLOSING
KREITZER ESTATE – BILLIARD ROOM
(A QUIETER ROOM THAN THE HALL, THOUGH WE HEAR A GAME OF POOL IN PROGRESS)
JIMMY
Oh, hello. I didn’t know anyone else was in here.
(ELEANOR’S VOICE IS COLLECTED BUT AMUSED, KATHLEEN-TURNER SULTRY)
ELEANOR
Just me. Trying to kill time waiting for someone.
JIMMY
(CHARMING)
Hey, I’m someone.
ELEANOR
Convenient, that. Eleanor Wallis.
JIMMY
Jimmy Harmon. A pleasure.
ELEANOR
Still to be determined. You a player?
JIMMY
I get around some, but I wouldn’t go that far. Oh, I suppose you mean poker… a little. But not tonight.
ELEANOR
Yeah, I picked that up from the dealer’s vest.
JIMMY
Oh… um, right.
ELEANOR
Hmm, not so quick on the uptake after all.
SOUND: POOL BALLS CLACKING
JIMMY
No, I mean… I’m just here to… to see Mr. Kreitzer.
ELEANOR
It would seem he’s a popular fellow.
SOUND: DOOR OPENING
FARAH
Your drinks? MacCutcheon for you, Mr. Harmon… and a Harvey Wallbanger for the lady.
JIMMY
Oh, yes. Thanks.
SOUND: DRINK GLASSES CLATTERING
ELEANOR
Yes, thank you.
FARAH
Mr. Kreitzer is just seeing to one of his more… demanding guests. He should be in momentarily.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS LEAVING
SOUND: DOOR CLOSING
ELEANOR
So tell me, Mr. Harmon. What are your expectations for the evening?
JIMMY
Oh, I don’t know. We could start with a drink, maybe some light conversation…
ELEANOR
I already have a drink.
JIMMY
I meant another drink. After.
ELEANOR
Hmmm. Let me guess. You’ve got a wife and two lovely children at home, but you’ve got a free pass for the evening and hope to make the most of it. Am I right?
JIMMY
Who, me? No, not at all. My last serious relationship ended more than a year ago. Well, more or less…
ELEANOR
Ah, that may reveal more about you than you intended.
JIMMY
No, I just mean sometimes people… grow apart…
ELEANOR
I don’t think you’re improving your situation.
JIMMY
Wait… I don’t mean that I —
SOUND: DOOR OPENING, CLOSING
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS CROSSING ROOM
KREITZER
Ah, Mr. Harmon, Ms. Wallis… Glad to see you both here. Sorry to keep you waiting.
JIMMY
Mr. Kreitzer. I have… um, did the two of you need to take care of something first? I can wait.
KREITZER
Ah, no need, James. My business with Ms. Wallis may take a bit longer to discuss. Unless you have concerns about speaking freely with her in the room.
JIMMY
Um, no. Not on my part.
KREITZER
Very well. I trust you’re finding the evening… educational?
JIMMY
Very much so, Mr. Kreitzer. Would you like the rundown?
KREITZER
Please.
JIMMY
You’ve got maybe four people in the room worth a damn. Two of ’em are pretty low on chips. I’d bet they won’t last another level, two tops. Third’s at table two. Quiet, European suit. Decent stack, playing it cool.
KREITZER
And the fourth?
JIMMY
My table. Playing it up like he’s an idiot, but slowly eating away. Got one guy so upset he’s completely on tilt. Name’s Chambers. Or at least that’s what he says.
KREITZER
Very astute. That would be Glen Chambers. We do occasional business together, in addition to playing poker. He’s a real estate… investor, facilitator, speculator. Has aspirations of becoming a film financier, as I understand it.
JIMMY
I could also go into the dealers, or the room staff. Or the individual you were speaking with before the break. Trying to look inconspicuous, but his mannerisms are fairly distinct. Speaking as someone with more than my share of experience with bad disguises —
KREITZER
(AMUSED)
That… that is sufficient. Wiktoria’s assessment of your skills was not inaccurate. Or so I gather. Cigar?
SOUND: HUMIDOR OPENING
JIMMY
Uh… sure. Thanks.
KREITZER
Ms. Wallis?
ELEANOR
Not for me.
SOUND: CIGARS CUTTING, LIGHTING
KREITZER
Of course, Mr. Harmon, you could be making this all up out of whole cloth. How can I be assured of your… powers of observation?
JIMMY
All right. Well… you’ve recently had some work done in here. I can smell sawdust. And the mullion patterns don’t quite match the wainscoting. Your assistant Farah out there is new — very professional, but the way she wavered told me she hadn’t been in your service long.
KREITZER
I am impressed.
JIMMY
Oh, and… please don’t take this the wrong way… the cigar’s counterfeit. See how the band doesn’t have the raised lettering? That said, it tastes fantastic. Frankly, I probably wouldn’t waste a perfectly good Cuban on me either.
KREITZER
Bravo, Mr. Harmon. Bravo. You have renewed my faith in humanity.
JIMMY
Well, faith in Wiktoria’s judgment, anyway. Might be a stretch to call her human.
ELEANOR
Ouch. I fear this may portend a misogynistic streak.
JIMMY
(FLUSTERED)
What? No… I didn’t mean…
KREITZER
Relax, Mr. Harmon. Ms. Wallis is well aware of Ms. Salkiewicz’s… reputation. In fact, she comes into my service by a similar —
ELEANOR
I’d prefer to retain at least some air of mystery.
KREITZER
(AMUSED)
Of course, of course. Mr. Harmon, I understand you desire an invitation to the more… regular playing group in which I participate.
JIMMY
Yes, sir, I would. Desire that.
KREITZER
I think you’ll find the caliber of play is more… polished than most of the crowd here this evening. And the stakes are commensurately higher. From what I understand, this will be a level of play somewhat above your usual fare, either at the casinos or online.
JIMMY
That’s precisely what I’m hoping for.
KREITZER
And are you sure you’re ready for that?
JIMMY
Had a mentor who said something like that, though his judgment turned out a bit… skewed, to say the least.
KREITZER
To be clear, I don’t imagine our group would take offense at poor play. Lord knows there are a few of us who often fall into that category. But we can… afford to be a little careless from time to time.
JIMMY
I take your meaning. Like all online players, I lost a bundle when the sites shut down. But I have spent the better part of the past year rebuilding my bankroll, and what good is money if you don’t put it to use?
KREITZER
Spoken like a fellow capitalist at heart. So you are prepared for the potential consequences?
JIMMY
I’d be an idiot if I didn’t account for the possibility… That said, I don’t plan on losing.
KREITZER
(CHUCKLING)
No, I don’t imagine you do. Very well, so long as we’re all eyes open, I think —
SOUND: DOOR OPENING
(WELLS’S SPEECH IS FAST, CONFIDENT, FUELED BY WHITE POWDER)
WELLS
Hey, Anton, I’m gonna head out. Oh, hi, there. So… this is Wiktoria’s guy, huh?
KREITZER
Yes, yes he is. Oh, Parker, I believe you’ve met Ms. Wallis. And this is James Harmon. James, this is —
JIMMY
Parker Wells. I’m familiar with your work.
KREITZER
Familiar enough to penetrate your shroud of anonymity.
WELLS
Eh, can never fool everybody. Sometimes it’s enough just to reduce a share of the unwanted attention.
JIMMY
I can certainly understand that.
WELLS
(SNIFFING)
So what’s the verdict, Kreitzer?
KREITZER
I was just coming to that, Mr. Wells. James, I believe we’d be happy to have you join us. Not that it’s fully my decision — it’s Margaret Florian’s game. But she let me know she had no objections pending my endorsement.
JIMMY
Thank you very much. I’d say you won’t be disappointed, but that depends how well you play against me.
WELLS
I think you’ll find we hold our own. More ways’n one, you catch my drift.
KREITZER
In any case, no sense putting it off. Our next game is tomorrow evening. The Beverly Palm hotel.
WELLS
Saturday night special. Usually play Thursdays, but that being right after the holiday this week, we postponed. Folks love to head off to see their fireworks. ’Less you’ve got weekend plans.
JIMMY
Not at all. I look forward to it.
KREITZER
I’ll have Farah send you the details. Oh, and Mr. Harmon, I do realize your role as dealer tonight was largely pretext, but I would appreciate your finishing out the evening, if you’re up for it.
JIMMY
Of course. Happy to. I’ll see you back out there in a bit. Ms. Wallis… Eleanor. I hope to see you again.
ELEANOR
Mr. Harmon. Jimmy. Time will tell.
JIMMY
And Mr. Wells, I look forward to facing off tomorrow.
WELLS
We’ll see, we’ll see. Catch you tomorrow, Anton.
SOUND: DOOR OPENING
KREITZER
Now, Ms. Wallis, about the task you performed for —
SOUND: DOOR CLOSING
SOUND: FOOSTEPS WALKING OFF
JIMMY (V.O.)
And with that, I had what I’d been working toward all year: an invitation to probably the biggest, most exclusive private cash game in all of LA.
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES IN
LOS ANGELES STREETS – JIMMY’S CAR
(GENERALLY QUIET CITY AT NIGHT; CAR DRIVING SOUNDS THROUGHOUT)
JIMMY (V.O.)
The rest of the evening was… uneventful. This Chambers character kept playing the fool, tricking everyone into thinking he was an idiot, until he’d cleared our whole table. Didn’t take the big prize, though. Knocked out by the player in the fancy suit.
SOUND: CAR TURNING, ACCELERATING
JIMMY (V.O.)
As for the big game, the real game, Kreitzer was dead certain I’d wind up losing, or he’d never have approved my joining. Why risk it? Better to keep the pros out. Limit attendance to celebrity A-listers, like the cocaine-fueled Parker Wells. People who can bring in the deep-pocketed whales desperate to rub elbows with stars. Let everyone feast on ’em. And from what I’d heard, Wells was the apex predator in that regard. Margaret Florian may host the games, but he’s the real power broker. I’d normally peg Kreitzer as one of the whales, but apparently, he and Wells had history.
SOUND: CAR TURNING, DECELERATING
JIMMY (V.O.)
Fortunately, I was low-profile enough they didn’t think I was any threat. And more than likely, Wiktoria had inflated my net worth talking me up to Kreitzer. In the end, it didn’t seem Kreitzer had any idea as to the real reason for my wanting to join that game.
JIMMY’S APARTMENT – OUTSIDE
(SOUNDS OF EVENING CITY ACTIVITY)
SOUND: CAR STOPPING, EMERGENCY BRAKE PULLING
MUSIC: TRANSITION MUSIC FADES OUT
JIMMY (V.O.)
Then there was her. Eleanor Wallis. Yeah, I know we only talked a minute, but… wow. Clearly dominated the room just being in it. Beautiful, sure, that much was obvious. Dressed as if she owned the place. Not so much fancy, but practical in a way that exuded an easy confidence. But it was more than that. It was like there was something… dangerous about her. Here I thought I was pouring on the charm, and with just a few incisive words, she turned me into an awkward kid. In all fairness, I was out of practice. Hadn’t really seen anybody seriously since Robin and I… well, ended.
SOUND: CAR DOOR OPENING, CLOSING
JIMMY (V.O.)
Almost dawn by the time I got home. Don’t get anywhere quick in LA, but as it happens, Bel Air’s just twenty minutes from my place in North Hills. Least in the middle of the night. You’d think the heat would’ve eased up after having the whole night to cool off, but the air still felt like a blast furnace.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS WALKING UP STAIRS
JIMMY (V.O.)
Like to imagine yourself moving up in the world, but this place was crappier than the one I’d had before all the Vegas insanity went down. Same with my car, and that’s saying something. But they were both cheap. And had AC, which I’d never appreciated more than now.
SOUND: PICKING UP NEWSPAPER
JIMMY (V.O.)
Still paid to have the daily paper delivered. Don’t know quite why, seeing as how I almost never had time to read it, but it felt like the kind of thing you did when you were trying to live more-or-less respectably.
SOUND: KEYS JINGLING
JIMMY (V.O.)
Humble though my lifestyle was, I was still looking forward to curling up and catching some shuteye. But in that regard, I was destined for disappointment. The evening had one more surprise in store for me. A visit from probably the last person on Earth I expected to find on my doorstep at five AM.
SOUND: GUN HAMMER COCKING
(ROBIN’S VOICE IS PANICKED, SHAKING, EVIDENTLY INTOXICATED)
ROBIN
Jimmy… don’t move.
JIMMY
Who… Robin? What… what the hell is —
ROBIN
Shut up! Just… shut up. Let me do the talking. I need to know… why the hell you’re trying to kill me!
JIMMY
(SHOCKED)
What?
JIMMY (V.O.)
And like that, my ex pointing a pistol straight at my head, it was painfully obvious my troubles had only just started.
MUSIC: CLIFFHANGER MUSIC CUE
ANNOUNCERLAND
MUSIC: CLOSING MUSIC BEGINS
ANNOUNCER
You’ve been listening to Jabberwocky Audio Theater. Tonight’s production: Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale — “All That Glitters,” episode one of ten. Produced by Jabberwocky Audio Theater, in association with WERA-LP: Radio Arlington, ninety-six point seven FM, Arlington, Virginia.
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Featured in the cast were Cameron McNary as Jimmy Harmon, Pete Papageorge as Anton Kreitzer, Ariana Almajan as Eleanor Wallis, Daniel Rylee Bush as Parker Wells, Liz Christmas as Farah, Mike Bernal as Skitch, Kevin Murray as Glen Chambers, Alex Stinson as Gittes, Greg Jones Ellis as Matt, Tony Quinn as Dodge, Nick DePinto as the casino dealer, Bob Hurley as the racing announcer, Tara Garwood as the cashier, Christopher Walker as the security guard, Tom Kramer as Tom, James Whalen as Paul, and Emily H. Gilson as Robin — with Pete Papageorge as Mr. King, Joel Snyder as Mr. Queen, Faith Potts as Ms. Rook, Anna Fitzgerald as Ms. Knight, Brian Crane as Mr. Bishop, and additional voices by William R. Coughlan, John Glasfeld, Patrick Kirchner, Lydia Kraniotis, James E. Lewis, Bjorn Munson, Ricardo Padilla, Laura Rocklyn, Brooks Tegler, and James Whalen.
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Recorded at Tulgey Wood Studios in Springfield, Virginia, with supplemental recording at a variety of independent studios across the region.
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Music by Brooks Tegler. For specific music information, see our show notes at jabber audio dot com.
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This week’s episode was produced by Bjorn Munson, and written and directed by William R. Coughlan.
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For all the latest episodes and information on Jabberwocky Audio Theater, visit jabber audio dot com.
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If you’re enjoying Quorum and the other yarns we spin at Jabberwocky Audio Theater, be sure to subscribe, rate and review us on Apple Podcasts or your podcast provider of choice. Check out our Patreon page at Patreon dot com slash Team Jabberwocky for exclusive content, and to help us continue to bring you further tales of mysterious suspense and high adventure.
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Until next time, this is Marsha Rehns, saying thanks for listening… and tune in next week for the next episode of Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale!
MUSIC: CLOSING MUSIC ENDS
INGLEWOOD PARK CASINO – RACETRACK
(RACETRACK AMBIENCE, BUSY CROWDS)
RACING ANNOUNCER
(FILTERED, OVER LOUDSPEAKER)
Post time for the next race is coming soon. Don’t miss your chance to get in on all the action!
SOUND: PAPER SHUFFLING
TOM
Hey, Paul! Glad I found you. Got caught up in some nonsense over in the casino. Lowlife trying to scam the table. Security got him out, but I think I’m gonna stick out here with the ponies. Anyway, tote board’s telling me nothing. Whattaya got for me?
(PAUL SPEAKS WITH A DISTINCT BOSTON ACCENT, ASSURED, CONFIDENT)
PAUL
Tom, my boy, I’ll be square with you. Keep your eye on Polly Bee — saw the odds change from four-to-five to four-to-three. In the fifth race, a four-dollar exacta box… with two and four… and a three-dollar trifecta bet one… then five, then four for the same race.
TOM
We do make a good pair, Paul. See, this is where the real action’s at. You are a genuine hero.
CONCLUSION
HOST
Hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Text © William R. Coughlan, under license to Jabberwocky Audio Theater. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.