Ray fled to his favorite coastal village to hide, but he won’t escape from me this time. He’d gotten away, but a little bird named Rita whispered in my ear and told me where I might find him.
And find him, I would. The coastal village was home to a long line of nefarious characters, and Ray was only the latest.
I head for the café that Carlos owned. While he ran a respectable cafe in the front, what went on in the back rooms was less than upstanding. I found Carlos sitting behind his favorite table in the far corner of the room.
I slid my revolver from its holster as I sat down across from him. He barely nodded at my arrival. “Ray and Laura ?”
I ignored the shot of whiskey that appeared in front of me. I was an old regular, and the bartender knew my poison of choice.
“Haven’t seen them in months.” Carlos was very good at looking innocent. He looked at my revolver now pointed at him. “You plan on using that?”
“Only if you’re stupid.”
Carlos grinned from ear to ear. “Then I shall attempt not to be stupid.”
“Rita.” I prompted.
“Haven’t seen her in ages either.”
I knew better but didn’t question him. “What was your cut of the bank job?”
His eyes widened as he tried to look surprised. “My cut?”
“We both know very little goes on around here, without you knowing about it or having a cut of it.” I took a drink of whiskey.
“That was an unfortunate incident, which I had nothing to do with.”
“Ray killed a guard and a bystander, and Laura was seen there too.”
Carlos sipped his whisky. “So was another man, I hear.”
“Red is dead.” I let it lay there as I also sipped my whiskey.
His eyebrows raised. “He tried to outdraw a leveled gun?”
“One too many times.” We both knew of Red’s obsession with his draw and speed. He was fast and pretty good, but it was known not to try to draw on a leveled gun. Red had managed to do it a couple of times, but he’d been lucky, and the other guy missed or misfired. “He’d thought he could do it against a shotgun.”
“Ray?” I reminded Carlos.
Carlos leaned back in his chair and shrugged. A movement from the curtain in the door behind him caught my attention.
“You looking for me?” Ray appeared out of the back room, and my hand went to the revolver on the table. Ray grinned as Laura came out to stand next to him.
“Yeah, I’m looking for both of you.”
“Figured Rita would let you know where we came to hide.”
“That she did. Did you think you could escape me?”
“Nah, wasn’t trying to escape you. Just trying to hide from the honest lawmen.”
“What makes you think I’m not honest?”
Ray laughed. “Because you’re the one who shot the guard, not me.”
I moved my hand back from my revolver. “That was me, wasn’t it?”
Ray nodded and sat across from me. “You want your cut?”
“Why, yes, I do.”
And find him, I would. The coastal village was home to a long line of nefarious characters, and Ray was only the latest.
I head for the café that Carlos owned. While he ran a respectable cafe in the front, what went on in the back rooms was less than upstanding. I found Carlos sitting behind his favorite table in the far corner of the room.
I slid my revolver from its holster as I sat down across from him. He barely nodded at my arrival. “Ray and Laura ?”
I ignored the shot of whiskey that appeared in front of me. I was an old regular, and the bartender knew my poison of choice.
“Haven’t seen them in months.” Carlos was very good at looking innocent. He looked at my revolver now pointed at him. “You plan on using that?”
“Only if you’re stupid.”
Carlos grinned from ear to ear. “Then I shall attempt not to be stupid.”
“Rita.” I prompted.
“Haven’t seen her in ages either.”
I knew better but didn’t question him. “What was your cut of the bank job?”
His eyes widened as he tried to look surprised. “My cut?”
“We both know very little goes on around here, without you knowing about it or having a cut of it.” I took a drink of whiskey.
“That was an unfortunate incident, which I had nothing to do with.”
“Ray killed a guard and a bystander, and Laura was seen there too.”
Carlos sipped his whisky. “So was another man, I hear.”
“Red is dead.” I let it lay there as I also sipped my whiskey.
His eyebrows raised. “He tried to outdraw a leveled gun?”
“One too many times.” We both knew of Red’s obsession with his draw and speed. He was fast and pretty good, but it was known not to try to draw on a leveled gun. Red had managed to do it a couple of times, but he’d been lucky, and the other guy missed or misfired. “He’d thought he could do it against a shotgun.”
“Ray?” I reminded Carlos.
Carlos leaned back in his chair and shrugged. A movement from the curtain in the door behind him caught my attention.
“You looking for me?” Ray appeared out of the back room, and my hand went to the revolver on the table. Ray grinned as Laura came out to stand next to him.
“Yeah, I’m looking for both of you.”
“Figured Rita would let you know where we came to hide.”
“That she did. Did you think you could escape me?”
“Nah, wasn’t trying to escape you. Just trying to hide from the honest lawmen.”
“What makes you think I’m not honest?”
Ray laughed. “Because you’re the one who shot the guard, not me.”
I moved my hand back from my revolver. “That was me, wasn’t it?”
Ray nodded and sat across from me. “You want your cut?”
“Why, yes, I do.”
