Free Murder at the Racetrack by Otto Penzler

brother,’ she used to say. Told me how good you were to them.”
    He was surprised to hear this, but shook his head. “Not so much, really. And Mark was smart. Just in a different way.”
    She looked as if she would counter that but must have changed her mind, because she stayed silent.
    “I don’t think he knew quite how to live without her,” Eric said, offering her the same excuse he offered himself. “He changed,
     after Carlotta died.”
    She nodded. “Mark used to let Jimmy stay over here sometimes. Jimmy liked it, I think mostly because of the horses, but also
     because he just needed a change of scenery, if you know what I mean.”
    “Yes. Yes, I think I do. And thanks for letting him do that.”
    “He’s good company. He is bright and good hearted, and he’s had too much bad luck that he didn’t deserve. Although I’m not
     completely convinced that luck…”
    “What?”
    She shook her head. “Nothing. Anyway, he just needs someone to stand by him, you know? I hope you—” She broke off, apparently
     realizing she was lecturing a client.
    He smiled. “I agree. Don’t worry, I have no plans to abandon him.”
    “Of course you don’t,” she said quickly. “I could tell that, and I’ll bet anything he can, too. Anyway—I’ll call the barn
     and get them to send liim over here.” She used the intercom on her phone to talk to one of her workers. The worker kept her
     on the line with some questions about another horse. While she talked to him, Eric stood and stretched.
    He looked out the window, seeing the house across the way. How much of a risk would it really be to move out here, let Jimmy
     be close to someone who cared about him so much? Eric doubted the asking price would be outside his ability to meet it. He
     wouldn’t have to sell Mark’s place—keep that in case Jimmy decided he wanted it later on. He felt certain that Donna Freepoint
     viewed him as someone merely to be tolerated, but so what? Couldn’t he be an adult about it, for Jimmy’s sake?
    “Sorry about that,” she said, coming out from behind her desk.
    “The place across the road that’s for sale—know anything about it?”
    She studied him for a moment, then said, “Sure. I grew up here, so I know most of my neighbors.” Her description of the house
     was straightforward: built about sixty years ago, modernized about two years ago by new owners, and kept in good repair. Owners
     were “perfectly nice folks” who had dreamed of country living and then couldn’t handle the isolation once they were out here.
     “They’ll take quite a bit less than they’re asking for it,” she said. “Thinking of moving?”
    But Jimmy came in before he could answer. Eric was still amazed at the transformation being around the horse had made in the
     boy. He was chattering excitedly about how well Zuppa had settled in, telling Donna how happy he was that she was going to
     be training Zuppa. “Finally,” he said in the tone of someone who often has to wait for adults to come to their senses.
    “You have your uncle to thank for that, so don’t forget it. And if you’re going to be advising Eric, you need to listen up,
     all right? I explained all this to him, but he wanted you in on the decisions.”
    He looked at Eric with obvious gratitude.
    “I don’t know manes from tails, remember?” Eric said.
    Jimmy looked embarrassed. “I shouldn’t have said that. You’ll learn. This is just all new to you.”
    Donna began again, and hearing the information a second time, Eric found he was taking more of it in. Jimmy stopped her every
     once in a while to explain things in greater depth to Eric or to ask her questions.
    “So,” he said, “Shackel might have been doping him?”
    “I have no proof of that, Jimmy, and it’s probably too late to find any trace of it at this point.”
    “Nobody ever finds proof of anything he does,” Jimmy said bitterly. “My mom knew he was crooked, and I think my dad was… well,