The jury was grinning right back at him. They were all gamblers at heart, and I never knew a gambler yet who didn't have some sort of good luck charm or superstition when it came to gambling. We had them all in the palms of our hands.
"What I mean is, does it have any physical effect on the wheel?"
Howley looked puzzled. "Well, I don't know about that. That's not my field. You better ask Dr. Pettigrew."
There was a smothered laugh somewhere in the courtroom.
"Just how do you operate this good luck charm, Mr. Howley?" I asked.
"Why, you just hold it so that your thumb touches one strip of silver and your fingers touch the other, then you set the dial to whatever number you want to come up and wish."
"Wish? Just wish, Mr. Howley?"
"Just wish. That's all. What else can you do with a good luck charm?"
This time, the judge had to pound for order to stop the laughing.
I turned Howley over to Thursby.