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She texted back a minute later.
Josie: Yeah. He’s very sweet. But I found out he’s sick. No insurance either.
I shut my eyes and swore under my breath. “Opal, can you set up a lumber order I need placed before five? I’ll text you what to get.”
“Of course.”
I grabbed my keys and stalked toward the door.
Opal called after me. “Where you running off to in such a hurry?”
“To put a stop to old habits.”
***
I hadn’t kept tabs on Ray Langone like I’d planned to, but I had a hunch where to find him. My first stop was the Crow’s Nest, but the place was empty except for the two retired local cops who owned it. The dog track two towns over was my next stop. They started racing at five, so I stepped on the gas to get there before the betting window opened.
My stomach turned as I walked inside. It could have been the place or the reason I was looking for Ray. I wasn’t certain, but it made my foul mood even worse, which didn’t bode well for the man if what I thought had happened today turned out to be right.
I did a lap around the track. There weren’t too many people, but they all seemed to resemble Ray—same age range, leathered skin, drinker’s noses, and looks of disappointment on their faces. As I turned the last curve, I’d started to think I’d wasted my time, but then I looked down at the field and spotted a guy talking with his hands and sporting a big smile. No doubt Ray was spewing about hissure thing.
I knew my size. Hadn’t often used it to my advantage since my hockey days, but sometimes actions spoke louder than words. Squaring my shoulders, I came up behind Ray and looked down at his five-foot-six frame. My shadow announced my arrival.
Ray lifted his chin high as he turned, probably ready to tell whoever had stepped into his personal space to back off. Until he saw me.
“Fox Cassidy.” He flashed a hesitant smile. “Long time no see, buddy.”
“Not your buddy.”
The guy he’d been talking to couldn’t wait to scurry away. “I’ll talk to you later, Ray. Thanks for the tip.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “Where’d you get the money to bet today?”
His face wrinkled. “Why do you care?”
“Answer the question, Ray.”
“I had it.”
“Bullshit. You lost your job working construction with Pat Egmont last month because you couldn’t show up on time. You’d have to drive an hour to find someone who didn’t know someone who fired your ass, and you can’t do that when you spend most of your days getting loaded at the Crow’s Nest.”
“What the fuck, man? Are you my mother?”
I held out my hand. “Give me the money your niece gave you today.”
I’d been hedging, of course, but the look on Ray’s face told me I’d hit a bullseye. “How do you know about that?”
“I didn’t. You just told me. Now cough it up. Or I’m going to grab your ankles, turn you upside down, and shake until everything falls out of your pockets.”
His face turned red. “You can’t do that.”
“Look around, Ray. Who’s going to stop me?”
“Since when do you shake down people for a living? I thought you were a do-gooder who volunteered his free time because your pockets were lined from your days in the big leagues.”
“Don’t shake people down. Just retrieve things for people who were scammed.”
“What are you talking about? My niece gave me the money. We’re family. She’s helping me out.”
