Cash Fever: Fiction

By M L George

This fiction, "Cash Fever" is a unique crime thriller. It exposes the high risk area of gambling, man's never ending urge for quick and easy money, the dirty intrigues of criminals and corruption spread over in all the walks of life including public administration. The beautiful craft and architecture of the novel rouses the enthusiasm of the reader from the beginning to the end, in one word, it is a one sit-reading.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Partridge Publishing India
• Release date: Mar 5, 2014
• ISBN: 9781482818185

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

CASINO—GOA—FEVER STARTS

Kelvin was grossly engrossed in trawling the slot machine named Golden Lite. The sound and fury of the slot machines inside the crowded casino did not distract his thoughts in any way. His only intention was to hit the jack pot. It was a must for him now. Casino showered luck on him only on the first two days. But later he began to lose heavily. But as every gambler feels, he was also optimistic. He thought, this day, he would win! But it was not so. He was losing heavily and steadily and frustration began to overwhelm him as days advanced. Today, when he counted his balance amount available, he got the real shock. One lakh rupees was now reduced to just nine thousand!

He began to realize that Lady Luck has been mercilessly joking at him every day with some sort of a sinister pleasure. Something will have to be done, he thought. ‘But what? Luck is luck. No body can change its course’, they say! He looked at the blinking screen and earnestly prayed to help him to have at least some bonus game now. A favour which the slot machines some times munificently give to both the winning and losing player. He had also got it some times. For this small luck, the Scatterer will have to appear three times, beginning from the first row, then second row and finally the third row. Then the player would be eligible for fifteen free games. The style differs from machine to machine. It can save the bet amount and then get some credit as well. Lucky people get away with lot of money.

Now he badly wanted at least that favour from the machine. He casually glanced at his credit balance. Though it was not comfortable, he raised his bet from ten to twenty five rupees so that the bonus game, if favoured, may bring out better results.

‘Come what may!’ He was not bothered about the credit balance. He should make some substantial sum today. ‘At any cost I should hit at the jack pot! It is possible. If others can, why not I?’

That stream of thoughts elevated his mind. But at the same time an unpleasant thought flashed across his mind and distracted him. The hotel bill will have to be settled today. He was given the last warning by the hotel manager. The manager had shown him a little sympathy as Kelvin behaved like a gentleman unlike other guests. Kelvin used to wish him a good evening or good morning on meeting him and smiled heartily, a quality which most of his guests lacked. Further he had no complaint and no demand as if he was totally satisfied with the facilities in the hotel. But the hotel was actually a dingy one, apparently a dilapidated and looked disgusting. It seemed the walls never saw the painting brush after its opening. In many places, the plastering peeled off and concrete ceiling gaped unpleasantly. The bath room was not tiled and the flush did not work properly. Kelvin chose this hotel mainly because, its name, Hotel Mandovi Classic, attracted him at the very first sight. Further, it was the first hotel that was sighted on his alighting at Kadamba Bus Terminal, Panjim. But the real reason, to be frank, was his compelling urge for relieving his bowel. It could not be ignored. Perhaps another attraction was, the hotel was adjacent to the bus stand. The proximity of the bus stand would, no doubt, facilitate easy mobility to any place and easy identification of the hotel. For a stranger, it was important.

He got admission instantly, without much formalities. Even the ID proof was not required.

The advance amount given while checking in was only for three days. But his stay continued for fifteen days now. The dues had risen high beyond its tolerable limit. The manager could not catch hold of him as Kelvin sneaked into the room only in the wee hours. Though he had brought one lakh rupees for playing, lodging and other incidental expenses, it was almost over within no time.

He tried to brush out unpleasant thoughts and tried to concentrate on the screen. He pressed the button invoking all the saints he knew. After spinning, the screen blinked brightly, but nothing happened except showing the win window as 0. Now, cursing his luck, he pressed the ‘Repeat’ button hard with the same bet once more. When the spinning was over, he anxiously looked at the screen. Again nothing happened; screen blinked with ‘0’ win! He sat back, exhausted. His thoughts went wild.

Meanwhile, something else happened. Shattering his dream world, Kelvin heard a thunder bolt announcement of hitting the Jack Pot. Random hitting at the jack pot of Rs three lakhs rupees! Wild cheers erupted sweeping across the Casino. Repeated mike announcements followed. Audience gathered around a person sitting at his opposite side. Wild cheers and clapping of hands! The waves of excitement engulfed the entire casino. The jack pot winner continued his guffaw with all types of naughty gesticulations. Now losing all hopes, Kelvin almost screamed aloud… s h i i i… t.

His curiosity urged him to have a look at the lucky man and he craned his neck to have a better look at the winner. He noticed the winner was a pretty old man and he was playing with his left hand. His right hand appeared to be totally paralized. An old lady, seemingly his wife was standing very close to him and was sharing the euphoria, thumping at his back.

Having lost all his hope of hitting at the ‘progressive jack pot’, grief and despondency overwhelmed Kelvin. He looked at the various symbols on the screen with contempt… ‘Fuck you all!’ With a sinister pleasure he put the entire balance credit for the next bet. ‘Eat monster, e a t!’ Again 0 win. He cursed loudly and made his way to the bar counter. He ordered for a brandy, a double large. With a deep pull on the glass, he finished it neat. He staggered down the stairs and sat in one of the heavily upholstered chairs in the spacious Lounge, facing the river, Mandovi. The cool, mellifluous breeze from the river was soothing and lulling. The fatigue and the influence of the drink drove him immediately into a deep slumber.

It would have been past mid night when Kelvin woke up from his exhausted sleep. He looked around. The Lounge was almost empty except one or two couples. He looked at them. ‘May be honey moon couples from wealthy families’, he thought. It seemed they got annoyed with the stony stare of Kelvin. They passed some comments. He then turned his gaze to the night sky. The star lit sky had captured the crescent moon which had started its downward motion from the zenith of the welkin. It was beautiful beyond words. Then his gaze fell on the gently flowing river. The spacious sheet of water was reflecting the crescent moon and the silvery glow was being carried away by the escalating waves. The sound of silence spread every where with a pacifying touch. He noticed a well lit liner moving majestically in the off-shore.

Kelvin’s heavy head, still under the influence of drinks was almost reeling.

He vainly tried to recollect his past days at the casino. Though myriad pictures paraded, nothing was clear, just hazy. The most disturbing fact was that his purse was almost emptied. The cruel casino ate him up to the very bone marrow. The thought that he was reduced to near beggary increased his pulse rate and he began to breath fast. A streaky pain began to make a serpentine move from the foot of his sternum, slowly upwards. He earnestly tried to forget about his losses at the casino and tried to convince his mind:

‘It is play; there may be loss today, but may gain tomorrow. That’s all!’

But the pain did not stop. When he felt the pain spreading, he began to rub his chest with his right hand, following the the serpentine path of the pain. This action slowly soothed him and he slumped into another sleepy session once again in the cool breeze from the river.

Hot breath touched his face and Kelvin suddenly woke up, startled. When he tried to open his lazy eyes, he saw somebody sitting very close to him as if eager to talk to him. Kelvin was enjoying a dreamy sleep and hence instantly got irritated by the stranger’s presence. He turned towards the stranger and asked:

What do you want? His harsh question did not seem to irritate the intruder; rather he kept his cheerful countenance intact. He replied in a soft voice:

Excuse me, I am Mohammed. I am here to help you.

What did you say? Kelvin’s surprise rose and he did not hide it.

Yes, I said, I can help you with money. I understand you’re badly in need of money His composed voice was pretty clear. He was still keeping smiling.

Kelvin’s curiosity was exposed. He tried to interrogate him.

Who are you and why do you want to help me?

To be very frank, you can take me as a financier, a money lender you know. He chuckled and continued: I have been watching you continuously losing at the casino. You seem to have lost all your money and you are badly in need of replenishing your purse… . right?

This revelation shocked Kelvin beyond words. Truly it hurt his ego in a way.

‘How did he come to know my miserable situation? He asked himself.

This question needed an explanation. For a few minutes Kelvin was speechless. He kept on gazing at the stranger’s face. But he could not read his face, nor his mind. His brain did not work, and he looked totally blank. But his curiosity was working up. Now his gaze was replaced with a startled stare at Mohammed. The stranger, as if having read the in-goings of Kelvin broke the silence.

You need not worry about how I came to know your problem, Mr. Kelvin.

Hearing his name from the stranger’s mouth, Kelvin’s surprise doubled. His heart began to beat heavily, pulse at peak with curiosity.

How did you know my name? Kelvin’s anxiety found expression. His voice was still bit harsh.

The stranger laughed at the question. Then he slowly began to explain:

"See, I told you I am a financier and truly so. A financier is supposed to know his client very well. That’s the first lesson, one should learn, is n’t it? Without waiting for Kelvin’s reply, he continued further.

I have little bit of spying. It is required for my business. The Receptionist, the Public Relations Officer and the attendants in the casino get my generous tips and they leak the information to me. It may look odd but it is a must in every business and mine has no exemption, Mr. Kelvin!

Kelvin was listening with increased curiosity.

His next revelation broke his spine. It was really a bolt from the blue!

Mr. Kelvin, it appears, you are not wealthy and cannot squander money by frequenting the casinos, can you?

Kelvin was speechless again. He kept staring at Mohammed with irritation.

It seemed Mohammed understood the in-going of Kelvin and he said:

Sorry if I offended you… I spy on every frequenter to casinos as some of them may become my future clients. Saying thus, he broke into a pretty loud laughter and sat back, as if waiting to hear from Kelvin.

Moments passed. But Kelvin kept quiet, and sat as if he was not having much interest in the conversation. But he was trying to compose his turbulent mind.

Mohamed shifted his weight to the other side of the sofa and continued his talk:

You saw the man who got the jack pot today. He is my client. He has been losing a lot of money by playing. When I found him thoroughly penniless I financed him. And now you saw he got three lacks rupees! No body knows when the luck is going to favour a gamer. I feel you have inherent luck and have the chances to win the jackpot. But you will have to continue the play to get back your money. You might have been lucky to have few bucks in the beginning, and it might have attracted you to continue the play, no? Mohammed tried to rouse him.

But Kelvin did not answer. He kept blankly blinking at Mohammed. But Mohammed continued his talking slowly in a detached tone.

"Let me tell you one secret. Money attracts every body and when it is easily gained from a place like that in a casino, one is tempted to go there frequently. Usually every gambler is seen lucky at the beginning. That is the trap. The player’s interest increases there by and he develops certain type of affinity in the gambling. A certain sort of addiction, so to say. But the fact is that it slowly and steadily but surely implants the germs of an almost incurable disease which I would like to call as Cash Fever." Mohamed paused for a moment, sat back and began to chuckle.

This information was indeed very much disturbing to Kelvin. Though Mohammed put it lightly, it seemed to be a serious piece of information for Kelvin. It did not strike as a joke to him as Mohammed expected. It was not amusing, rather it amazed him. And so he did not feel like laughing with him. This revelation of the new disease stirred his brain and roused some interest or anxiety. He somehow liked the name Cash Fever which according to Mohammed was prone to strike casino-goers. He was not sure. ‘Is it true?’ He asked himself: ‘Am I becoming an addict; have I got inflicted with Cash Fever?’. He went on brooding over it.

Mohammed shifted his weight and continued his talk with an air of a philosopher.

As the fever goes along, the patient develops an irresistible desire and temptation for gambling like that of a drug addict. He paused for a moment to elicit some reply from his listener, but in vain.

Mohammed continued his talk. He asked:

So far you have visited almost all the casinos in Goa, both the land casinos and the cruise casinos. Am I not correct?

Kelvin did not reply. He never expected that he was being spied. He never thought Shylocks were roaming around casinos. Scumbags!

As if his innocence had been injured and ego at risk, he felt really uncomfortable. Without a word he stood up and started to move.

Mohammed followed him mumbling some thing. But Kelvin ignored him.

He got into a waiting taxi at the exit of the hotel.

He did not notice that Mohammed was following him!

CHAPTER 2

CASH FLOWS

Sleep was playing hide and seek game with Kelvin. In all the spells of wakefulness he was haunted by Mohammed. An athletic body connected by a short neck to a round face with straight pointed nose; sharp, narrow eyes; sunken cheeks; thick moustach and receding hair line. Though age seemed unpredictable, Kelvin assumed him to be below forty five. What attracted Kelvin was that the stranger radiated a permanent expression of confidence. His sharp picture appeared and disappeared in the mental frame of Kelvin and he could not wipe out his image easily. Though his encounter with Mohammed was only for a short duration, the imprint was so deep it remained indelible within his mind despite his best efforts to forget.

Only when sleep embraced him in the cool of the dawn, he could forget the encounter with Mohammed. He slept seemingly for a long time until the intercom buzzed. He got up with a shudder. The call was from the Reception. He was very much afraid of any call from the Reception as his lodging bill was over due. Pulling up his trousers to his waist line and drawing up the zip, he answered into the instrument. He was holding the piece bit away from his mouth:

Good morning, Kelvin tried to be polite though he was angry for disrupting his sleep.

Good morning, sir. This is from the Reception. Can I send an envelope addressed to you, sir?

Envelope! What envelope? Kelvin’s voice was louder than necessary. He was surprised at the news.

It is from one Mr. Mohammed, sir The Receptionist gave little explanation.

Hearing the name of Mohammed, he was bewildered.

Mr. Mohammed? . . . . Is he there?. He inquired with a bit of embarrassment.

No, sir… . He left the place almost immediately after handing over the cover.

Kelvin was silent for a few seconds; virtually speechless.

Can I send it to your room, sir? It seemed receptionist was in a hurry

Huh… well. yes please. Thank you. Kelvin mumbled. He replaced the instrument.

His curiosity began to mount up. A train of questions began to disturb his mind. He vainly sought answers for them. ‘How did Mohammed find out my hotel? Why is he following me? What is his motive? What is this envelope? Why he has taken all the pain to visit my hotel?’ Etcetera.

He sat on his bed thinking. His long fingers were smoothing his unruly hairs which fell on his forehead. While moments passed, his anxiety and curiosity began to go wild. Finally after about twenty minutes he heard the knock at his door. He jumped up and opened the door, and almost snatched the envelope from the room boy’s hands without waiting for a word from him. The room boy stood surprised. Ignoring him, Kelvin closed the door and rushed back to his bed.

Sitting at the edge of the bed, Kelvin stared at the envelope and debated with his turbulent mind whether he should open the envelope or not. His hands were almost shaking. The envelope was pretty big. Finally he decided to open it. He carefully tore it open. Its contents were exposed. He was amazed to find a heavy bunch of currency notes of 1000 rupees denomination. There was also a scribbling on a piece of paper.

‘Good luck Mr. Kelvin; we will meet at 9 p.m. in the casino. Enjoy playing. Your well wisher – Mohammed’

His mobile number was also written at the corner of the little noting . He stared at the noting and at the fresh currency notes intently. Kelvin hesitantly counted the currency notes. One hundred thousand—one lakh rupees. O my God! His heart began to pound hard and he slowly lied on the bed holding the money in his hands. He did not know what was happening to him. He wondered how a stranger could give him such a big amount just after a short meeting.

Kelvin recollected that he had come to GOA with one lakh rupees. The amount was collected from his various friends as loan. His friends were only happy to lend him the money as they all knew that he seldom misused money. At the same time no body knew that he was going to Goa to play in the casinos. They all had a very good opinion about him.

Kelvin was working with a successful Chartered Accountant in the city, after completing one year of Commerce in the college. He had to stop his studies due to some problems in campus politics etc. He was blessed with a good physique and was a good Volley Ball player. As such he had lots of friends. During the college election he worked for the SFI panel. Unfortunately, he had to indulge in some goondaisom during the election campaign for which he had to face a prosecution case. Though the case was withdrawn later, the college management was not happy with him. Their ire was boiling and were looking for a chance to pounce upon him. Soon they could find a reason. He was a defaulter of fees. He was expelled from the college in the name of default of fees.

Financial problems were annoying him during those days. His father, Wilson was a butler in a bar hotel in the city and he was horribly alcoholic. His mother was a sad figure and used to get beatings from Wilson almost every day apparently for no reason. She died when Kelvin was about fifteen years old.

After that sad event his father doubled his booze in-take. What was more unfortunate was that their father – son relationship got strained gradually, steadily and almost irreversibly. Kelvin seldom talked to his father who used to come only in the odd hours of the night. The only good thing his father did according to Kelvin was that he found out a man for his only sister Tessy to be her husband. After few months of Tessy’s marriage, Wilson died in a road accident on his way back home after his duty. The post-mortem report revealed that he was horribly drunk and was in a state of delirium-tremens.

In the beginning, Kelvin enjoyed his work in the Chartered Accountant’s Office. He had a good company of colleagues. He started romancing with one of the girl Accountants, namely, Stella in the office. It finally culminated into their marriage. They had a happy married life. He enjoyed life and it was colourful.

He was very happy when his baby was born after two years of their marriage. They