After we finished at the station, we set out to give the bad news to Dana Coleman.
20
Dana sobbed on her couch after we broke the news. She only lived a few blocks over on Conch Trail. The HVAC business was good. The couple lived in a nice bungalow with mint green siding, white trim, and a well-manicured lawn. They had two kids, Emma and Matt, 11 and 13. It was heartbreaking.
This was always the hardest part of the job.
Dana blotted her eyes with a tissue. She was an attractive woman in her early 40s with red hair that tickled her shoulders, tawny eyes, and fair skin. The kids were asleep at this time of night.
It seemed like Ray had the perfect life, and it was all taken away in a heartbeat.
I said, “I know this is a difficult time, but can you think of anyone who wanted to harm Ray?”
Dana blotted her eyes, sniffled, and said, “No. Everybody loved Ray. He was so kind and compassionate. He’d go outof his way to help. Coached Little League and was involved in the community. He’d give you the shirt off his back.”
“What about disgruntled clients?”
“Well, you can’t make everyone happy. But as you see, Ray would service a unit any time, day or night. He ran a small mom-and-pop shop. Not like these corporate guys who try to screw their customers at every turn. His prices were reasonable, and you just couldn’t get that level of service anywhere else. I know a private equity firm has been trying to buy him out, but he wouldn’t sell. The same company owns seven other local companies. They all price fix to keep rates high.”
I shared a look with Jack.
“What’s the name of the company?”
“I don’t know offhand. I’d have to look.”
“What about employees? Has he had any problems? Did he let anyone go recently?”
Dana cringed. "I hadn’t really thought about that, but he fired Cliff not long ago.”
“What was the circumstance?”
"Cliff was showing up drunk, using drugs. He was rude to customers, and Ray caught him selling and installing units on the side. He was running his own private business at our expense.”
“That would be a reason for termination,” I said in an understated tone. “How did Cliff react?”
"Not well. Cliff is a volatile personality. The drinking and drug use don't help. I think when he's sober, he's a nice guy, but when he's been drinking, he gets belligerent."
“Did he make any threats?”
"I wasn't present when Ray fired him. But I imagine words were exchanged.”
“I’ll need contact information for Cliff and the private equity group, if you can find it.”
She nodded.
“I don’t mean to be indelicate, but did Ray gamble or dabble with drugs?”
Her face tightened. “No. Never. Ray didn’t even drink.”
She thought about it for a moment. "You know, this is probably nothing, but… Ray had a little problem with one of the parents on his Little League team. He benched the kid during the playoffs and the championship game. That didn't sit well with the kid’s father. He's one of those over-parenting types. Former athlete himself. Thinks his kid is going to go pro. He was livid when Ray made his kid sit out the last couple of games.”
"Why?”
"The kid has a discipline problem. He's a downright bully. He beat up another kid and put him in the hospital. Fractured the boy’s orbital bone. That boy is lucky he didn't lose his vision.”
"Who’s the kid’s parent?"
"Ken Boyd. Little Bobby is a downright menace." Dana lifted an eyebrow. "I wouldn't be surprised if you have run-ins with the kid when he becomes an adult."
