The Farmer's Son

Chapter 55 Where There's Smoke

At this time of morning, Hank's was officially closed, but when Ray and Alan got to the bar, Kathy was there to open the door for them, dressed in a close-fitting tank top and loose jeans, her short white hair tied back at her nape.

"I borrowed the keys from Hank," she said, closing the door behind them. "I didn't want to risk anyone overhearing us. You two look nice," she added, glancing them up and down. "I like the hat."

"We were......meeting someone in Carrington," Alan said, as Ray tipped his hat at her.

"Oh, right, Buzz," Kathy said, leading the way to the bar. "How did that go?"

"Wait, how did you know about Buzz?" Alan asked, frowning and glancing at Ray.

"I asked Kathy to find out who ran ArgaGen, and where he'd be," Ray said haltingly. "We can talk about that later." Alan had forgiven him, but he wasn't exactly keen to remind him of what he was forgiving.

Early morning sunlight beamed through the glass of the door and windows, turning the gritty nighttime hangout into a warm, almost cozy place, smelling of wood polish and freshly brewed coffee. As they took seats at the bar, Kathy went behind and poured them two steaming cups, then took out her phone.

"This is what I called you here to see," she said, placing it face up on the bar.

On the screen was a slightly dark picture of Ray, sitting in one of the booths at the lounge near the stage.

"Is this me?" Ray asked, peering closer. "When did I go to the lounge...?"

"Yes, when did you?" Kathy said, with a shrewd look on her face. "Because this was taken last night."

Blue and brown eyes snapped up at her, then at each other.

"Exactly," Kathy said, pointing at them. "Christy mentioned last week that she saw someone who looked like Ray in the lounge, but when she went to talk to him after her shift, it wasn't. Except, he introduced himself as Ray. Since then, he's been coming in every other night, getting drunk, picking fights, and harassing the girls."

"In other words, drawing lots of bad attention to himself," Alan said.

Kathy nodded. "I asked her to take a picture the next time he came in. One as 'Ray', and one..." She swiped the screen, and a new picture slid into view, of an average looking man with slightly pockmarked cheeks and a cigarette between his lips.

"Christy said he smoked like a chimney," Kathy said, making a face at the picture.

"Well, this is proof," Alan said. "We should show this to the Sheriff. He can pick this guy up the next time he shows up. That's good news, right, Ray?" Alan asked, looking at him. "Ray?"

But Ray sat silently, a frown on his brows, and a hand at his mouth. "It's not enough."

"What do you mean?" Alan asked, with a frown of his own now. "This is proof that there's someone impersonating you."

"No, this is proof that a man who looks like me from the back has the same name. There's nothing linking him to the things they're accusing me of. So far all he's done—so far all we can prove he's done—is cause trouble at a strip club."

Now the other two fell into silence, all three staring at the pockmarked man on the screen.

"Is Christy working tonight?" Ray suddenly asked.

"I think so," Kathy replied.

"Could you ask her to collect something for me?"

"Sure," Kathy said, with a confused frown at Alan. "What is it?"