Episode Transcript
Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale
“Outstanding Debts,” Part 9
INTRODUCTION
HOST
Welcome to Jabberwocky Audio Theater.
HOST
This podcast is made possible by listeners like you — thank you. Visit our website at JabberAudio.com/support to learn more, or go to Patreon.com/TeamJabberwocky.
RATING ANNOUNCER
The following audio theater is rated AD-PG, so parental guidance is suggested.
ANNOUNCERLAND
MUSIC: THEME MUSIC BEGINS
ANNOUNCER
There has always been a gray area between the just and the unjust. The lawful and the lawless. A nebulous region where the trappings of authority share little crossover with the course of justice. And where those who attempt to shine light into the dark recesses of power are often the least expected.
(BEAT)
April 2011. Professional poker player Jimmy Harmon has been dogged by a string of misfortunes and mysteries. Trying to stay ahead of Las Vegas gangster Wiktoria Sałkiewicz has seemingly led to the death of his friend Will Archer, in a car bomb apparently meant for him.
(THE FOLLOWING EXCERPTS ARE REPLAYS OF THE SCENES FROM PREVIOUS EPISODES)
SOUND: MASSIVE EXPLOSION
JIMMY
Jesus Christ! What the hell was that?
PEEPS
Sounded like that was right in the garage!
JIMMY
Oh, crap, Will was just. No, that can’t be… my car… Oh, Jesus. Will…
ANNOUNCER
Harmon finds himself interrogated by Las Vegas police detective Ben Marshall, but is reluctant to pin the blame on the mobster.
MARSHALL
You could clear everything up with just a name.
(EXPLODING)
And every minute you jerk me around is making it harder for us to do the right thing here!
JIMMY
Jesus. You are absolutely insane!
MARSHALL
(CHEERILY)
Nope. Had my psych checkup last month.
ANNOUNCER
Further inquiry implies that Sałkiewicz herself may be the target of unknown forces intent on buying out the Limelight Hotel that she makes her home base.
WIKTORIA
I believe someone in this group is intent on ensuring my position is weakened. By any means necessary.
ANNOUNCER
But before Wiktoria can reveal the full scope of her suspicions on the true culprit behind the attempt on Harmon’s life, they find themselves under attack.
SOUND: AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE
SOUND: CRACKING GLASS
JIMMY
Aaah!
CRICK
Get down, dammit! Doors are armored!
SOUND: POLICE SIREN
MARSHALL
(THROUGH BULLHORN)
Put down your weapons and step away from the vehicle!
SOUND: AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE
SOUND: PISTOL SHOTS
ANNOUNCER
Narrowly escaping the assailants, Harmon heads out of town, but ends up pursuing another trail with fellow gambler Rachael Leblanc — commonly known as “Peeps.”
PEEPS
Holy… is that what I think it is? ’Cause if so, I am getting seriously skeeved out right about now.
JIMMY
If you’re thinking it’s a shallow grave, then I think you might be right.
ANNOUNCER
Tracking the body’s demise back to the Lyon Majestic Hotel, Harmon and Peeps uncover a cadre of federal agents keeping a secret witness, Peter Sokolov, under wraps, along with information about significant action to be taken the following day.
PEEPS
Something about money laundering, bank fraud, wire fraud… UIGEA violations… possible seventy-five-year sentence…
JIMMY
The “money man” is Sokolov. He’s not an investor, he’s a banker. I mean, there may be some connection, but we’ve walked into some kind of federal case here.
PEEPS
Courthouse… deposition… and then a press conference at one. Our boys have a very busy day.
ANNOUNCER
One step ahead of the agents, Harmon makes his way to the Remington Hotel, where his friend “Big Mike” Dalton, mainstay of the Vegas poker scene and front man for the online poker website All-In Poker, has offered to help. But an inopportune slip cues Harmon into a new, as-yet-unanticipated threat.
BIG MIKE
Seems your first step’s to go back to the bombing. Track down this Watson character who killed your buddy Will. Someone put him up to it, you might be able to get him to tell you… What’s the matter, son? Look like you’ve seen a ghost.
JIMMY
I… I didn’t tell you his name.
BIG MIKE
What? Whose name? Like I was saying, you’ve got to —
JIMMY
Watson. Wiktoria’s flunky. I never said his name.
SOUND: GUN COCKING
JIMMY
Whoa, Mike, what’s with the gun?
BIG MIKE
Reserved for special occasions. And, unfortunately, this qualifies.
ANNOUNCER
Jabberwocky Audio Theater presents: Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale. Tonight’s presentation: “Outstanding Debts,” episode nine.
MUSIC: THEME MUSIC ENDS
REMINGTON HOTEL – SUNSET LOUNGE
SOUND: PAPERS RUSTLING
JIMMY
Look, Mike. This is crazy. Think rationally. That bartender, Bobby, just saw us both in here. Anything happens they’ll know it was you.
BIG MIKE
You think I’m worried about a damn bartender? That is absolutely the least of my concerns right now. You expect me to believe you’ve got no idea what you’ve uncovered here? You really that blind?
JIMMY
What… the feds, or whatever they are? Those don’t have anything to do with anything. Just some witness protection thing.
BIG MIKE
Pete Sokolov. Owner of Quickbill. Turning state’s evidence. Big announcement tomorrow… or today, seeing as it’s past midnight now.
JIMMY
What the hell are you going on about?
SOUND: CELL PHONE RINGING
BIG MIKE
Aw, Christ.
SOUND: ANSWERING PHONE
BIG MIKE
Yeah…? Yeah, I know about it… I thought we took care of it… Watson was supposed to follow up, but he’s AWOL… Wait, what are you talking about? It’s down? Totally down…? I have to call you back.
SOUND: DIALING PHONE
BIG MIKE
You just sit tight, Jimmy.
SOUND: CLOTHES RUSTLING
JIMMY
I’m not going anywhere. You know, not unless you plan on putting that gun down.
BIG MIKE
Nicky? Yeah, you and Frank get in here… The Sunset Lounge… Bring my laptop. Fast.
SOUND: PHONE TURNING OFF
BIG MIKE
Jesus Christ.
JIMMY
Sounds like something’s really upset you, Mike. Look, I can come back later. I really don’t want to get in the way.
BIG MIKE
Now’s really not the time, son.
JIMMY
Okay, just an offer.
SOUND: DOOR OPENING
NICKY
Here’s your laptop, Mike.
FRANK
What the hell’s going on?
SOUND: LAPTOP OPENING, TYPING
BIG MIKE
Sweet Jesus.
(SOFTLY, READING)
“This domain name has been seized by the FBI pursuant to an arrest warrant issued… illegal gambling business… properties, including domain names… money laundering transactions… subject to forfeiture…”
(BEAT)
Wait a minute, what about…?
SOUND: LAPTOP TYPING
BIG MIKE
(SCREAMING)
Son of a bitch!
SOUND: LAPTOP SMASHING
FRANK
Whoa, Mike. What the hell?
BIG MIKE
It’s gone. It’s all gone.
JIMMY
What… what’s gone?
BIG MIKE
The whole goddamned site is gone. Seized. Offline.
JIMMY
Wait… All-In Poker is… gone?
SOUND: PHONE RINGING
BIG MIKE
They’re all gone. You… you shut the hell up. And keep your ass on that damn barstool.
JIMMY
Whoa. Yeah, yeah, I’m still.
SOUND: ANSWERING PHONE
BIG MIKE
(SHOUTING)
What the hell, Benny? You said this would all be taken care of. I stuck my neck out, and this…? That’s everything for me! Everything!
(BEAT)
How can you tell me to stay calm? After everything I’ve done… Dammit, you know what we did. Screw the shutdown. That’s small potatoes. If they start going through the books…
(BEAT)
Dammit, we had a deal!
SOUND: GUNSHOT
JIMMY
Whoa!
NICKY
Take it easy, there!
(A MOMENT OF QUIET)
NICKY
Okay, we have to… we can’t stay here. Someone might’ve heard that.
FRANK
Want me and Nicky should take this guy somewhere less comfortable?
JIMMY
What are you… Mike, who are these guys really?
BIG MIKE
(SIGHS)
Like I said, Nicky and Frank here are associates of mine. Technically private contractors, but they work close with the in-house security team. With All-In Poker being such a boon for this establishment, nobody here’s likely to make trouble for us.
JIMMY
I can’t imagine gunshots in the middle of the Sunset Lounge fall into what they consider acceptable.
BIG MIKE
You might be surprised. Still, come on. Let’s move.
SOUND: RUSTLING NOISES, STRUGGLING
JIMMY
Holy… wait, you were the guys in the SUV! The… the Hummer, not the Tahoe. The ones who hit Wiktoria!
FRANK
Glad to see we made an impression.
NICKY
Even if we didn’t manage to get her. Or you. And here you go and plop down right in our lap.
BIG MIKE
Take it easy, Nicky. Still want to see what our outs are. What say we go for a stroll, Jimmy? Nice and easy. We’ve got quite a bit more talking to do. Back over here. Let me just cover the Colt here. Gimme your jacket.
SOUND: CLOTHES RUSTLING
JIMMY
Always thinking ahead, eh, Mike?
REMINGTON HOTEL – CASINO FLOOR
(ASSORTED CASINO BACKGROUND)
BIG MIKE
Don’t get any ideas, Jimmy. You make any funny moves and Frank and Nicky will get more persuasive. And I guarantee you don’t want to go there.
SOUND: ELECTRONIC KEYPAD
SOUND: DOOR OPENING
BIG MIKE
All right, get through there. Now.
JIMMY
Ow, watch it!
REMINGTON HOTEL – SECURE CORRIDOR
(HOLLOW ECHOES, WITH CASINO SOUNDS CUTTING OFF AS THE DOOR CLOSES)
SOUND: DOOR CLOSING
JIMMY
Since when do you have access to the Remington’s secure casino areas, Big Mike?
BIG MIKE
Near fifty years in this business tends to earn you a few privileges. Well, that and running the biggest promotional TV program this place has running.
JIMMY
And what it doesn’t earn you get with a little excessive force from these goons, is that it?
BIG MIKE
Oh, these two aren’t regular friends of mine, Jimmy. But you play the hand you’re dealt, son.
FRANK
Yeah, we just got common interests.
NICKY
Common interests. I like that. Sounds nice and respectable.
JIMMY
So where do we go from here?
BIG MIKE
Son, I tried to get you to bug out when you had the chance. I got nothing ’gainst you, really I don’t. But you been wading into waters over your head.
JIMMY
Apparently, I have a tendency to do that. Wait a minute, is that what this is really about?
BIG MIKE
Excuse me?
JIMMY
I haven’t “paid my dues” in your world, so I’ve got to be put back down in my place? Wow, that’s petty.
BIG MIKE
Don’t go making assumptions on my personal motivations. Might think I’ve fair right to be upset at another online punk who waltzes in, expects the world to treat him same as folks who’ve put their lives into the game for years? Hell, I bent over backwards showin’ you a mite more courtesy than you likely deserve.
JIMMY
And here I thought that courtesy actually meant something. Should have known better.
BIG MIKE
(SIGHS)
Jimmy, if I really did get all riled at every upstart came through here I’d have left this life a long time ago. Said I had a right to be. Didn’t say I was. This really ain’t about you or your little insecurities.
JIMMY
Well, what is it about, then? You were talking to Benny. I assume Benny Hazred? One of the investors Wiktoria said was trying to buy her out of the hotel? ’Cause you’re sending mixed messages here. First you’re all freaked out about All-In Poker going down, but then you tell Benny that’s small potatoes.
BIG MIKE
Be awfully convenient for me to spell it out for you, wouldn’t it? ’Fraid I’ll have to disappoint you. Here we are.
SOUND: DOOR OPENING
REMINGTON HOTEL – BACK ROOM
(A PERSISTENT HUM OF AIR CONDITIONING EQUIPMENT)
JIMMY
Oh, a maintenance room, away from prying eyes. So this is how we’re going to play it.
BIG MIKE
Depends on you. We’ve actually just got a couple things we need to figure. You help with that, and maybe everyone can go home happy.
SOUND: CHAIR SCRAPING ON FLOOR
JIMMY
Tell that to Will Archer.
FRANK
Have a seat.
SOUND: ROUGH SHOVING INTO CHAIR
JIMMY
Hey, watch it.
BIG MIKE
Wasn’t kidding when I said I was sorry to hear about your friend Will. And I don’t expect you to believe me, but truth is I didn’t know what Watson had in mind for you.
JIMMY
You knew he wasn’t likely to be buying me flowers. So what happened? Dog get off your leash?
BIG MIKE
Heh. Flattered you give me so much credit, but it weren’t my leash he was on. But that does raise our first item of concern. Specifically, where is Watson?
JIMMY
(BEAT)
Wait, you’re serious? How the hell should I know? Isn’t he on your team?
BIG MIKE
Who knows who’s on what team anymore? All we know is he’s gone missing. Could be he’s back working with Wiktoria, could be he’s with you. Last we heard — and it was me talked to him — he was off to do his thing.
JIMMY
Meaning off to put a bomb in my car.
NICKY
All right, enough of this.
FRANK
Yeah, he knows what we need or he don’t.
BIG MIKE
(SIGHS)
I tried. Sorry, son, but we need to be sure. They need to be sure. Nothing personal, you understand.
JIMMY
Feels pretty damned personal to me.
BIG MIKE
Well, life’s full of bad beats.
FRANK
Now it’s our turn.
NICKY
And we ain’t got reservations about being direct.
SOUND: GUT PUNCH
JIMMY
Whoof… didn’t I just leave this party?
FRANK
Funny. Where’s Watson?
JIMMY
How the hell should I know? I’m the one he was trying to kill, in case you low-foreheads forgot!
SOUND: FACE PUNCH
JIMMY
Ow! Punching me in my goddamned face? What the hell?
NICKY
We got all night, kid.
BIG MIKE
Just tell ’em what you know about Watson, Jimmy. This can all be over.
JIMMY
Over, my ass. Think I’m stupid enough to believe these guys have any intention of letting me out of this room alive? Or that you do, for that matter?
BIG MIKE
Now what the hell are you insinuating —
JIMMY
Insinuating, nothing. Flat-out saying. You know damn well what’s going on. Knew what was going on the other night. Whatever demons you may have struggled with, you exorcised them the moment you got involved with whoever you’re in bed with. Am I that far off?
BIG MIKE
There’s a hell of a lot more to this than you suspect, son. Fine, Watson tried to kill you, and… and in the end, I more or less knew that’s what he was liable to do. Ended up killing Will Archer in the process. As much as a dragon-lady like Wiktoria Sałkiewicz deserves whatever she’s got coming to her, she didn’t have anything to do with that. But none of that means diddly, son. Wiktoria’s afraid about someone buying out her hotel. Christ, who gives a damn? There are much bigger forces at play, and right now we are all buried in a pile of fecal matter.
JIMMY
Look, just tell me what the hell is going on and maybe I can —
BIG MIKE
(EXPLODING)
I’m one of the investors. Dammit, I have been working on this for way too long for it all to get ripped out from under me. Fifty years, dammit. Fifty years and I finally have something to show for it. And then the goddamned feds come in and tear the whole thing down.
JIMMY
(TRYING TO SOUND CALM)
Yeah, that does sound like a bad deal.
BIG MIKE
(CALMING)
Ah, I see what you’re doing. Catch me on tilt and trying to play me. Smart move. But you’re nowhere near skilled enough for that.
JIMMY
I play the table I’ve got.
BIG MIKE
All right. We got all kinds of loose ends to tie up. Watson’s just the first of them. Then I can worry ’bout keeping the feds from digging too closely through the finances of All-In Poker. So ’less you give these guys something worth a damn sight more than you’ve done so far, they ain’t letting you go.
NICKY
He’s got that right. Frank, hold him.
SOUND: GUN COCKING
FRANK
You got it, Nicky. It’s now or never, kid.
SOUND: ROUGH SHOVING, FABRIC RUSTLING
SOUND: CLATTERING NOISE, PLASTIC ON FLOORING
JIMMY
Thanks, Big Mike. That’s mostly what I wanted to hear you say. Took you long enough to come out with it.
FRANK
What the hell? Why’s his phone all lit up?
JIMMY
Oh, hey, can you be careful with that? Those smartphones are pretty expensive.
BIG MIKE
What… what the hell is this about? Is that thing on?
JIMMY
Funny story. After my little sojourn at the police station, that crazy-ass detective, Marshall, gives me his card. Says I should put his number in my address book, maybe even put it on speed-dial. Figure he’s nuts, so why bother? But after these chuckleheads start shooting at us, I thought it might not be that bad an idea. Good thing, ’cause that way, soon as I realized you were full of it, just had to press one button and presto!
NICKY
What does he mean, “presto”?
JIMMY
Just hit the little speaker icon there.
FRANK
What, this one?
NICKY
No, don’t —
(TINNY SOUNDS OF PHONE SPEAKER AUDIO)
SOUND: POLICE SIREN (OVER PHONE)
JIMMY
Please tell me you’re getting everything, Marshall.
MARSHALL
(OVER PHONE)
Well, yeah, but you’re not making it easy. Coming out all muffled, but I can make it out well enough, ’cause I’m just that good. Thought I’d been butt-dialed, but I caught on eventually. I have a habit of listening to butt-dialed calls anyway, ’cause I usually find ’em pretty funny. But that’s neither here nor there.
JIMMY
On your way, I take it?
MARSHALL
(OVER PHONE)
Yeah, thanks to the fact you kept dropping little verbal clues as to where you were. “Gunshots in the middle of the Sunset Lounge,” “Remington’s secure casino areas” and all that. We’d have been there sooner, but somebody decided to try going straight up Las Vegas Boulevard instead of the freeway. And by somebody I mean Betty. You remember my partner Betty, right? Say hi, Betty.
BETTY
(OVER PHONE)
Hi!
MARSHALL
(OVER PHONE)
So anyway, we’ll be there in…
(SHOUTING)
Hey, buddy! You hear this siren? It means get your ass over to the side of the —
SOUND: PHONE SMASHING
BIG MIKE
Son of a bitch! Let’s get out of here, fast.
JIMMY
Hey, that phone was expensive. Not to mention all my contacts are on —
FRANK
What you want we should do with him?
BIG MIKE
Leave him! We don’t have time for —
NICKY
Hell, no. We take him. One, he ain’t told us what we need to know, and two, we might need a bargaining chip.
SOUND: CHAIR FALLING OVER
JIMMY
Hey, not that this hasn’t been scintillating, but I really think we ought to call it a night, boys.
SOUND: MACHINE GUN SLIDES COCKING
FRANK
No, I think you’ll want to be coming.
JIMMY
Read you loud and clear, boys.
SOUND: ROUGH HANDLING
SOUND: DOOR OPENING
REMINGTON HOTEL – SECURE CORRIDOR
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS RUNNING
NICKY
Come on. We make it to the south side garage and we can get a car there. Head out west on Grand Central while the cops are stuck coming up the strip. Then catch the freeway…
FRANK
Come on, you… you…
JIMMY
At a loss for words, Frank? Here’s where having more than a fourth-grade education would come in handy.
FRANK
Shut up!
BIG MIKE
Keep moving, dammit!
JIMMY (V.O.)
Not exactly according to plan — well, what passed for a plan, anyway — but once they’d discovered the phone, I had to think quickly. Alas, any hopes I had that fear of discovery would panic them enough that they’d scatter like cockroaches were dashed. They were panicked, all right, but not enough to leave me behind.
NICKY
Out here! Have to go back through the casino floor.
REMINGTON HOTEL – CASINO FLOOR
(ASSORTED CASINO BACKGROUND)
BIG MIKE
Come on, if we’re gonna do this, we’ve got to go quickly. Don’t want to draw attention.
JIMMY
Attention?
(LOUDLY, IN HIS AUSTRALIAN ACCENT)
Oi! It’s “Big Mike” Dalton! From All-In Poker! Hey mate, just saw you on that “Tips from the Experts” show. Crikey, everyone, it’s Big Mike! Can I get an autograph?
SOUND: GUT PUNCH
JIMMY
Whoof! Why you wanna bail me up for, ya bogan?
FRANK
You shut the hell up right now!
CASINO ATTENDEE 1
Hey, what’s with the overreaction. Guy was just asking for an autograph.
CASINO ATTENDEE 2
Always thought Big Mike was one of the classy ones.
FRANK
You want some of this?
NICKY
Easy, Frank. Not in front of civilians.
CASINO ATTENDEE 1
Hey, Mike. These the kind of guys you hire for security?
BIG MIKE
They’re not… happy to explain later. We’re a mite rushed now.
CASINO ATTENDEE 2
Man, things have really changed around here. Did you see that?
SOUND: ELECTRONIC KEYPAD
SOUND: DOOR OPENING
REMINGTON HOTEL – SERVICE CORRIDOR
NICKY
What the hell you playing at?
JIMMY
What? I’m a fan.
BIG MIKE
Move!
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS SHUFFLING
JIMMY (V.O.)
Still not part of any real plan, but at least now I had a sense of how desperate they were. Didn’t want to resort to guns in front of a crowd. Though if I’d actually thought about it a second, I’d have realized that wasn’t really a good bet to risk taking.
SOUND: HEAVY EXTERIOR DOOR OPENING
REMINGTON HOTEL – GARAGE
(THE SOUNDS OF NIGHTTIME FREMONT STREET FLOOD IN, ALONG WITH THOSE OF SEVERAL CARS)
BIG MIKE
Come on. We get up to the second floor of the garage we’re less likely to draw attention.
SOUND: FOOTSTEPS RUNNING UP STAIRS
BIG MIKE
Okay, so look around for a car we can —
SOUND: TIRES SCREECHING
NICKY
You! Out of the car, now!
SOUND: AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE
SOUND: WINDSHIELD GLASS BREAKING
SOUND: WOMAN SCREAMING
SOUND: CAR DOOR OPENING
CAR DRIVER
Please, anything! Take it.
NICKY
Get the hell out of here!
JIMMY (V.O.)
And apparently, there were limits to their gun-wielding reticence.
SOUND: CAR DOORS OPENING
SOUND: ROUGH SHOVING, FABRIC RUSTLING
FRANK
All right, get in the car, jerkwad.
JIMMY
Much better. Your vocabulary’s really starting to impress. I can tell you’re going places.
BIG MIKE
This is crazy. We can’t just go around —
SOUND: POLICE SIREN APPROACHING
SOUND: CARS APPROACHING, STOPPING
SOUND: TIRES SCREECHING
MARSHALL
(THROUGH BULLHORN)
Everybody freeze! Cavalry’s here! Like how I acted like Betty had us stuck in traffic? See, I knew you were listening, so I got all crafty. Saw it in a movie once. Betty’s a way better driver than that. I mean, duh.
NICKY
Aw, hell, no!
BIG MIKE
No, don’t!
SOUND: AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE
SOUND: METALLIC RICOCHETS
MUSIC: ACTION CUE
MARSHALL
(THROUGH BULLHORN)
Machine guns, again? I hate machine guns!
SOUND: PISTOL SHOTS
FRANK
Aaagh!
SOUND: BODY FALLING
NICKY
Frank! Aw, dammit! Mike, get that son of a bitch Harmon in the car, now!
SOUND: AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE
BIG MIKE
You heard the man. Get in the goddamned car, Jimmy!
SOUND: GUN COCKING
JIMMY
Are you out of your damn mind? Wait, scratch that. I think we’ve had that amply demonstrated.
BIG MIKE
Just get into —
SOUND: SUV APPROACHING
SOUND: TIRES SCREECHING
BIG MIKE
Now what. Who are those guys in the Tahoe?
NICKY
It’s the goddamned feds. So much for your idiotic honey pot scheme.
BIG MIKE
Dammit, that was working just fine!
MARSHALL
(THROUGH BULLHORN)
Welcome to the party! The more the merrier. You know, unless you’re with those guys, in which case, not so much welcome.
SOUND: RAPID PISTOL FIRING
MARSHALL
(THROUGH BULLHORN)
Whoa! Las Vegas PD here. In case the lights and clearly marked police cars didn’t tip you off.
NICKY
Whoa, the feds are shooting at the cops?
BIG MIKE
Told you the honey pot plan was solid. So much that they’re willing to shoot cops to keep things quiet.
SOUND: AUTOMATIC WEAPONS FIRE
JIMMY
How is any of this helping anybody?
BIG MIKE
Hooker in the desert. They managed to bury it…
JIMMY
Literally, I’m thinking.
BIG MIKE
But they still want to tie up loose ends.
JIMMY
What loose ends?
BIG MIKE
Mostly you.
JIMMY
Mostly. But not totally?
BIG MIKE
You catch on quick.
SOUND: RAPID PISTOL FIRING
SOUND: CLOSE RICOCHET
MARSHALL
(THROUGH BULLHORN)
You know, maybe this would work out much better if we all used our words.
NICKY
That guy’s really getting on my nerves.
JIMMY
Yeah, he’s kind of an acquired taste.
NICKY
Enough of this. Get in the damn car. This ends now.
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 — “Outstanding Debts,” episode nine of ten. Produced by Jabberwocky Audio Theater, in association with WERA-LP: Radio Arlington, ninety-six point seven FM, Arlington, Virginia.
(BEAT)
Featured in the cast were Cameron McNary as Jimmy Harmon, Joel Snyder as Big Mike Dalton, Yasmin Tuazon as Rachael “Peeps” Leblanc, Lydia Kraniotis as Wiktoria Sałkiewicz, Ricardo Padilla as Nicky, Greg Jones Ellis as Frank, Nick DePinto as Detective Ben Marshall, and Kim Davenport as Detective Betty — with additional voices by Daniel Rylee Bush, Anna Coughlan, and Kim Davenport.
(BEAT)
Recorded at Arlington Independent Media, with supplemental recording at Tohubohu Productions in Burke, Virginia.
(BEAT)
Music by Brooks Tegler, with special thanks to Don Lerman for providing supplemental music for this episode. For specific music information, see our show notes at jabber audio dot com.
(BEAT)
This week’s episode was produced by Bjorn Munson, and written and directed by William R. Coughlan.
(BEAT)
For all the latest episodes and information on Jabberwocky Audio Theater, visit jabber audio dot com.
(BEAT)
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.
(BEAT)
Until next time, this is Marsha Rehns, saying thanks for listening… and tune in next week for the season finale of Quorum: The Gambler’s Tale!
MUSIC: CLOSING MUSIC ENDS
ANONYMOUS POKER ROOM
(SECLUDED POKER ROOM AMBIENCE)
SOUND: CARD BURN, THREE CARDS DEALT
SECRET DEALER
The flop is… six of hearts, nine of diamonds, and four of hearts.
SOUND: CARD BURN, ONE CARD DEALT
SECRET DEALER
Now the turn… ace of diamonds.
SOUND: CARD BURN, ONE CARD DEALT
SECRET DEALER
And the river… ace of spades.
CONCLUSION
HOST
Hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Text © William R. Coughlan, under license to Jabberwocky Audio Theater. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission.