“I was comin’ to that.” Joe shifted his eyes. “I guess I had a bad bit of luck the other day. I lost that dough in a crap game.”
Dillon stiffened. “What the blazes has that got to do with me?” he demanded.
Joe picked at the grass, keeping his head turned. “Why, I guess maybe you’re right. It ain’t got a lot to do with you, but I just told you.”
Dillon said, “See here, Chester, I gave you that dough to keep us under cover. If you’ve lost it, that’s too bad, but it ain’t our funeral, see?”
Joe shifted the conversation. “Ma tells me you’ve made a swell job of work with the old fence,” he said to Roxy.
Roxy shrugged. “I’d go nuts tryin’ to pass the time. I enjoyed doin’ it.”
Dillon said between his teeth, “Suppose you skip this an’ tell me what’s been goin’ on.”
“Sure I’ll tell you.” Joe leant back on his elbows, raising his skull-like face to the sun. “Well, you know how it is, the newspapers have been playin’ the Hurst murder up. The Feds have been lookin’ for you. Comin’ round asking questions. Huntin’ around; you know how it is.”
Dillon said, “They don’t suspect you?”
Joe shook his head. “Did I tell you they’re offering five grand reward for you guys?”