Against The Odds (Anna Dawson #1) (26 page)

But Karl Richardson didn’t have Raymond Joseph’s instincts. He probably hadn’t—still hadn’t
 
- put together my visit and his horrible game the following day.

 
Or what that could possibly mean in the gambling world.

But here sat Raymond, and he knew the score. And that would save me valuable time.

“What’s the spread on tomorrow’s game?” he asked.

Yes. Definitely the right choice.

“The spread doesn’t matter,” I said. “Penn State has to win.”

The look on his face was why I had made never knowingly involving a player a rule to live by.

 
Disbelief. Anger. He started shaking his head. “There’s no way we’d lose to Penn State. They’ve only won three games in the conference.”

“It’s about to be four.”

“No. Somebody would know something was up.”

I took a sip of coffee. “Upsets happen every day. Every week in the Big Ten. There’s a lot of parity in the conference this year.”

“Not between us and Penn State,” he said indignantly.

“Northwestern beat Wisconsin last week,” I pointed out. “Upsets happen all the time.”

“I can’t guarantee a loss,” he said, pain in his voice. I wasn’t sure if he meant that he couldn’t do it in practical terms or in moral ones, but it didn’t matter.

“You’re the point guard, you control the game.”

“So what, I throw three wild passes and coach benches me. Then I’m no help.”

I shook my head. “You don’t fix games on offense. That’s what everyone thinks, that you pull your shots, or make bad passes. But that’s not it.”

He leaned forward, elbows on the table. So did I. “You fix a game on defense. You give your guy an extra step on his dribble. You take a step back when he’s in three-point range. It looks like he’s having the game of his life, nobody even notices you.”

“Coach will,” he said.

“Maybe, but is he really going to take you out if you’re having trouble guarding a hot shooter? Your replacement—the kid has what, ten minutes total playing time this year?—is he going to do any better? No, he’ll keep you in there.”

“No,” he said. “I won’t throw a game. How much to cover the spread?”

“That offer’s not on the table.”

“That’s the only offer I’m willing to talk about.”

Underneath the table my legs shook. I summoned up all my bluffing skills, honed through hours and hours at the poker table.

I stood up. “Then we have nothing more to discuss.” I started toward the door, waiting for him to stop me. When he didn’t, my admiration for him went up. As did my distaste for what I was about to do.

 
I still had an ace up my sleeve.

At the door I turned around. He’d followed me as far as the living room where he now stood.

“How’s your little sister doing, Raymond?”

I hated myself for the pain that washed across his face. “What do you know about my sister?”

More than Raymond himself probably knew, I thought, knowing how thorough Jimmy’s guys were. “I know she needs help.”

He let out a sound—something between a moan and whimper.

I stepped back into the living room, but didn’t touch him. He wouldn’t want comfort from me. I didn’t blame him. I hated myself right now, too.

“I know you’re the man of the family. That your mother has worked two jobs for years to keep you and your sister fed and safe. But it wasn’t enough Raymond. Not this time.”

He walked backward until his shins hit a chair—a beat up la-z-boy—and he dropped into it. He leaned forward, his elbows on his thighs. I waited for him to look up at me. When he finally did, I continued.

“She needs to go to a good rehab, Raymond. If she stays in that neighborhood, she’s going to die. Your mother’s doing all she can. You’re doing all you can. But you’re miles away and she needs professional help.”

I felt horrible about the guilt he probably felt, but it was nothing to compare to mine, so I went on. “Coach Wayne is known for running a clean program here. I know there’s no alumni slipping you money at gatherings. No cushy jobs in the summer. No cars in your mother’s name suddenly appearing.”

“That’s why my momma wanted me to come here. She liked Coach Wayne. Heard good things about him,” Raymond said softly.

“And she was right. He’s a good man. But there’re lots of players out there, at other schools, who play the same game you do and aren’t struggling the way you are. Their families aren’t hurting like yours is.”

He nodded. He knew this, had obviously come to terms with it at some point. And still he’d chosen CIU over one of those schools. It only made my estimation of him rise even more.

 
“I’ve got the name of a great rehab center in Chicago. One that your mom could get to easily enough when she’d be allowed to visit but one far enough away from the neighborhood.”

“We know about that one. Momma’s insurance won’t cover it, she already checked.”

“I know,” I said.

“It costs twenty thousand dollars just for the two-week detox program.”

“I know that too.”

“We don’t have that kind of money,” he said, knowing what I would say.

“You would on Monday.”

He said nothing for so long I almost started to move, but my poker playing senses kicked in and I did nothing, said nothing.

“Penn State. Fuck,” he finally said.

I had him.

And I felt like shit.

W
e moved back to the kitchen table, I poured us both more coffee.
 

“So, how does it work? The money I mean.”

I sat down at the table, handed him his cup, took a sip from my own. “You get two thousand today, the other eighteen after the game.”

“Why not half and half?”

“Ten thousand dollars is a lot of money to a kid like you. What assurance do I have that you’d fulfill your part of the bargain?”

“But you know I need twenty thousand.”

“And you’ll have it.
After
the game.”

“How do I know I can trust you?”

“You don’t.”

He snorted at that. “So, I get two thousand. You go and bet the farm on the game, I do all the dirty work, and I never see you again.”

“That won’t happen.”

“How do I know that?”

“First of all, it’s in my best interest to make sure you’re satisfied, so that you don’t go to the authorities.”

He nodded, that made sense to him.

“Second, there may come a time when we want to do business again.”

“No. No fucking way. This is a one-time deal. To help my sister.”

“If that’s the way you want it.”

He stared at me, hatred in his eyes for what I’d driven him to. I held his gaze, not flinching. I’d faced hatred across a table before. And with more money on the line.

I pulled out an envelope from my jacket pocket. I wrote down the phone number of my old phone on it and slid it across the table. “Here’s the two thousand. And a number where you can reach me to arrange pick-up of the rest
.
After the game.”

“Where are you going to be?”

“I’m staying here. I’ll be at the game. I can meet you right afterward with the rest of the money if that’s what you want.”

“What’re the odds on Penn State winning?” he asked. I was glad I’d thought ahead. I wanted this kid to get more for his sacrifice.

“Five to one when I last looked. I don’t think they’d change this late.”

“So, if you bet my entire twenty thousand, I’d have a hundred,” he said.

“I won’t bet that much for you. That kind of money showing up all at once would raise a lot of questions.”

“I’m not stupid. I wouldn’t spend it all at once. Besides, if my sister makes it through the detox, the rest of the program is going to cost some major change.”

“I know you’re not stupid, but I’m not going to hand that much money to a kid. I’ll bet half for you. You’ll win fifty k, with your twenty for the work, you’ll walk away with seventy. You can keep your sister in rehab for the whole program. If people question it, tell them the insurance company came through. I’ll let you figure out what to tell your mother.”

Raymond nodded. He’d been the man of the family since his father had been shot in front of him during a drive-by when Raymond was ten, according to Jimmy’s source.

I pulled out my phone. “Let me make sure that your bet can be placed, first.”

“You’re kidding,” he said.

I shrugged. “My contact is having some…issues…right now. I want to make sure he’ll be able to place the bet before promising it to you.”

He stood up. He took off his simple gold cross from around his neck, and the diamond stud from his ear and placed them on the table. “I’m taking a shower,” he said and left the room.

Jimmy answered on the third ring. “It’s me,” I said.

“Yeah?”

“Any news?”

“Just a pissed-off detective. But no, no news on the shootings.”

“Did he come there?”

“Yeah. He made a lot of noise about you being gone didn’t look good. That it could make you a suspect. That he just wanted to help with whatever kind of trouble you were in. We both knew he was pissing up a tree if he thought I was going to give him anything.”

“Sorry. And thanks.”

“It’s okay. You need a bet placed?”

“Yeah, if you think you can still do it.”

“I can do it. I’m dying to get out of here for a couple of hours anyway. I’ll hit the casino and then head over to your place and see the boys.”

“Thanks, Jimmy,” I said.

“How much on who?”

“Ten thousand on Penn State over Central Iowa.”

“Getting, what? Fifteen? Sixteen.”

“Not the points. The money line.”

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Penn State, a sixteen point underdog that hasn’t won a Big Ten game on the road is going to come to fourth in the nation Central Iowa and beat ‘em straight up?”

“Yes.”

There was silence for a moment, then, “Mind if I piggy-back on this bet?”

“Not at all, I was going to suggest it.”

“You getting in on it beyond…beyond…”

“No.”

“You want to? I could lend—”

“No. No,” I said a little forcefully.
 

“Okay, okay. Sheesh, I was just asking.”

“I know, sorry. Thanks, but I’m good. Just the ten thousand.”

“Okay. Consider it done. So, I’m assuming you won’t be back in town before this game or you’d place the bet yourself.”

“Right. But, it looks like now I’m going to have to fly back, collect the bet and then get back on a flight to…” I didn’t finish the sentence. Jimmy had to know where I was, but I wasn’t going to put in the position of knowingly lying about my whereabouts to Jack.

 
To anybody.

“Let me know. I can collect the bet and meet you at the airport if you want.”

“It’ll depend on flights. I want to have this done and get home to Ben as soon as I can, so I may take you up on that.”

“Hey, for what I’m going to make on this game, that’s the least I can do.”

I smiled, it took a little of the sting out of it. I was just about to sign off when the diamond of Raymond’s earring hit the light and reflected at me. I picked it up and held it to he light, twirling it. It was fake, but it gave me an idea. “Jimmy, wait.”

“Yeah?”

“Bet it all. Bet the whole eightteen thousand I left with you.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah.”
 

“Okay. Done. Stay safe.”

“Thanks, I’ll be in touch,” I said as I hung up.

I set the phone down on the table, placed my palms down on the formica and took a deep breath.

I told myself that it didn’t count. That betting on the game wasn’t for my gain. Was for something else entirely, so it wasn’t really breaking my rule.

I didn’t buy it.

In the space of an hour I’d just broken the only two rules I lived by.