Chapter 57

Katrina continued, "Ruby did intend to bring Louie back after a while, but as she walked, she ran into her usual gambling friends, who invited her to join them. She had always been a compulsive gambler. Despite numerous warnings, she just couldn't stop." After a pause, she continued, "Ms. Fowler, since I've already told you so much, I might as well tell you the whole story. Ruby even stole money from Allen and Bailey to gamble. Before Louie's accident, she had a history of stealing. It started with small amounts. "As you know, Allen and Bailey own a successful supermarket. When they were busy, Ruby would pretend to help but was actually looking for opportunities to steal. At first, they didn't notice. "Once, Ruby played as the banker in a gambling game and won hundreds of dollars. She was thrilled. A smart gambler would have stopped there, but Ruby thought she was on a roll and continued. "Eventually, she lost all her winnings and even borrowed two thousand dollars, hoping to turn