Slinging bullets, p.8
Slinging Bullets, page 8
“Will do, Ava. I enjoyed the house tour. It is a lovely place. Now that you’ve shown me yours I will have to show you mine.”
As Luke walked out the door I thought about how much I would like to see his.
Chapter 20
Luke
The next morning my agent calls before I leave the house. Hannah Collins has served me well over the years despite running a small agency on her own. She is a strong negotiator who represents several football players and a few basketball players. I think a tennis pro was recently added to her client list as well. The contracts settled by Hannah have always been generous considering that I have only been a backup until now.
“Luke, I am so happy that you have earned the starting spot. Congratulations! We will have to see how the next few weeks go but then I will definitely look into restructuring your deal. Play every week like you did yesterday and my job will be easy.”
“Thanks, Hannah. This is the last year of my current contract so it would be ideal to settle the next one before the deadline. I know I have to keep producing before we approach the front office. I really like the Detroit Wheels and would love to stay here.”
Hannah seconds that, “Absolutely, but don’t tell them that. Everyone likes the way Mr. Cannas is running the team and obviously you guys are on an upswing in the wins and losses column. I do have to remind you that Nate Donovan is in a similar position as you. He is not my client but I am well aware that he is at the end of his contract too. He will fight hard to get back on the field to prove his worth to the Wheels or any other organization willing to consider him.”
“I know. I need to work harder than ever to keep this job. I really want this, Hannah. Nobody goes into the NFL with a plan to be a backup.”
“So, I had two reasons for calling. First, I wanted to check in and congratulate you. Second, I need to discuss endorsements.”
That surprised me. “What? Has someone offered me a deal?”
“Let’s just say that inquiries are coming in. Nobody has made an offer yet but they are putting out feelers. They like you, Luke. You are good looking and stay out of trouble. There is no controversy surrounding you. Putting in years as a backup and now finally getting your chance makes for a good storyline. If you hold your spot and get some wins they will want you for sure. Are you open to doing endorsements?”
It didn’t take me long to consider my answer. “Of course. This career won’t last forever so I don’t mind taking in some extra money for investments. I don’t want to be doing stuff like underwear ads though. Leave that to Brady, but I will certainly consider offers. Thanks, Hannah.”
“That’s my job. I will get back to you in a few weeks. Keep playing well so those offers start coming in. Congratulations again.”
“Bye, Hannah.”
Well that boosts my spirits as I take off for practice. I am excited to share the news with Ava. It’s odd that is where my first thoughts went. Usually, any key step in my college or pro career resulted in an immediate call to my parents. I couldn’t wait to share good news with them. This time, Ava was the first person to enter my mind. I know she is working on one of her murder cases this morning so I hold off on calling. I will touch base later.
When I arrive at work I hit the weight room. That is not my favorite part of playing football but I put in time there every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I much prefer the cardio workouts and time on the practice field. At least this week I have something extra to think about for motivation as I do my reps.
Chapter 21
Ava
“Bennett, I can’t help feeling like we are still missing something. We have interviewed everyone near the area or connected to the family, checked out the limited security camera footage that was in the vicinity and analyzed all of the evidence from the scene. There has got to be some other lead to follow besides waiting for the brother to open up.”
Bennett moves the papers on his desk and takes a sip of coffee. The grimace on his face confirms what I was thinking. That coffee was poured over an hour ago. “We did catch one major break in that the bullets at our scene matched those found at that drive-by from the prior week. I got the sense from Detective Richards that they are close to an arrest on that one. If they come through, we should be able to tie everything together.”
“That is what we need for sure. I am so ready to give young Natasha some justice.” Detective work is rewarding when you can do that. You can’t bring a victim back but you can provide some sense of closure for the families and know that you removed a dangerous person from the streets.
“So, tell me about Mr. Sexy Quarterback,” Bennett grins. “Is he all arrogant now that he moved up to the #1 spot?”
I had been waiting for Bennie to ask about Luke. I am surprised we got this far into the day before he demanded an update.
“You know that I was less than enthusiastic about this assignment at first. It turns out that Luke is a very nice guy with a wacko stalker. The violent tone of the threats concerns me a lot. The most recent stuff that went to the team’s social media account mentioned amputating his throwing arm among other things. It was awful.”
“Okay, that is serious. Do you need help? Fill me in on what you have so far.”
I explain the three types of incidents and ran through my possible suspects so far. Skylar Grey still tops my list because the social media aspect is right in her wheelhouse. Nate Donovan certainly has a motive to mess with Luke. Ryan Bradford can’t be ignored either. It could be some random person but without a fingerprint or computer trace it is pretty hard to know where to start with that. Unfortunately, the tech experts came up empty. The social media posts were made from a computer in a public library using an account that was created that day just for that purpose.
After listening attentively, Bennett asks, “So where do you go from here?”
“I will continue playing the role of the girlfriend, Ava Morales, and talking to as many people as I can without being too obvious. We have private security people monitoring Luke’s house and following some of his movements when he leaves work. I set up our phones to track each other’s locations in case something does occur. I will try to stay close within reason for a girlfriend. The security guards at the stadium have been given notice that I will be coming and going with a firearm and they are not to draw attention to it.”
Bennett gives me that grin again and says, “I suppose that being the ‘close’ girlfriend is a real hardship, Ava. He is pretty good looking and obviously exceptionally fit. A guy like me could get very jealous.”
He is joking around but I think a little of that rings true. Bennett has given me reason to believe an unrequited crush may be in play. I don’t think he will act on it because we work together, but I have seen the signs. When I was hanging out with Tracy one night she even said that her dad really likes me. I said that of course he likes me because we are partners. She nodded but then said that was how it started but she knows it is more. You would think that a seven-year-old would be focused on her toys and books instead of making those kinds of observations. I know that Tracy really misses her mom. She will never replace her but perhaps she is ready to have another female in her life and thinks her dad should have one too. I do like Bennie a lot but not in that way.
“Hey Ava, you are off in la-la land and have been ignoring the buzzing of your phone. Were you having dreams about a certain football player?”
“Knock it off, Ben,” I complain as I pick up my phone and check my texts. “Oh no, another threat letter showed up, this time at the stadium. Luke said that if I am free I should come over and check it out. He has time for an early lunch in the team dining room. Would you like to come with me?”
“Sure, but what is my cover story? I can’t exactly pretend to be your brother since my red hair and pasty white complexion doesn’t exactly coordinate with your Hispanic beauty genes.”
“I should have thought about this sooner. I knew I would want to bring you into the case at some point. It would be easy enough to come up with a reason for you to be around once but we need something that you can continue using. Let’s get moving and we can talk it over on the ride.”
We pack up our stuff and walk to the parking garage. We decide to take Bennett’s personal car instead of the department car we usually use together.
Bennett gestures at me enthusiastically indicating that he had an idea. “Didn’t you tell me that you are posing as a freelance travel writer? How about if I am a college friend who is interested in a career in sports writing? It would certainly make sense that I would be getting advice from you and wanting to hang around the team also.”
“Great idea, Bennie. I went to Eastern and you went to Central. Do you think you could pretend to be an Eagle instead of a Chippewa for a while? Since my college is more likely to come up during my conversations as the girlfriend, I would like to stick with what I know.”
“Sure, that will work. I have even been to the EMU campus several times. One of my best friends from high school went there. We spent some weekends on each other’s campuses, especially when our teams played each other in football.”
“I don’t think we have to worry about anyone looking you up but let’s call you Bennett Smith just in case. Everything else can stay the same. You can still be a single dad. What is new with Tracy, by the way?”
Bennett appears amused by my question. “What isn’t new with Tracy? I swear she picks a new hobby every week. She does dance, painting, softball and the list goes on. Just last weekend, my mom introduced Tracy to knitting so now our living room looks like a playroom for cats. I can’t imagine why she needs so many balls of yarn at one time.”
“That is cool. I actually know how to knit too. My tía taught me. I will be sure to bring my knitting stuff next time I come over to babysit.”
“Tracy will be ecstatic. Hey, we are here. Where should I park?”
I give him directions to the guest lot that Luke has told me to use. The guard at the entry is one I have encountered before so he lets us by without question. I am not sure where the team dining room is so I text Luke and tell him where I am. He responds quickly by letting me know he will come to me.
It doesn’t take long and Luke appears wearing shorts and a sleeveless shirt. Oh, those muscles. Bennie nudges me out of my stupor. I give Luke a hug to keep up appearance and all. “Luke, I would like to introduce you to Bennett Smith. He is a college friend who wants to be a writer like me, except in the sports genre. I am helping him with ideas to get started,” I say wanting to give him a clue that we made that up.
“Ah, Bennett. Ava has told me about you. She also mentioned your beautiful daughter, Tracy. It is nice to meet you.” Then they shake hands.
Good, it is clear to Bennett that Luke knows who he really is.
“It is great to meet you too, Mr. Bradford. I am definitely a big Wheels fan. That was a great game you played on Sunday.”
“Thanks. Call me Luke. Let’s head to lunch and we can talk some more.”
Luke carries a folder which must contain his latest letter. We travel through several hallways. Luke says hello to various staff members and players but we keep moving. We enter the dining area and go through a buffet line of very delicious looking but yet healthy food. I wouldn’t mind having a professional dietician in my house planning my meals. The pizza that I have eaten for multiple nights is now gone and I am at a loss for what my next meal will be. I might have to get creative with what is in my pantry and freezer. All of those hours I’ve spent watching Chopped on Food Network should inspire me. I like cooking but finding the time to plan, shop and cook can be a problem.
Luke leads us to an unoccupied area of the dining room. We settle in and he says, “Another letter came in today. From what I have learned, it was left on the reception desk yesterday, probably late in the game or afterward. The receptionist hadn’t seen it when manning the desk during the first half. By the time the fourth quarter started she left to catch the end of the game and then went home. The envelope was brought to me this morning with the rest of the internal and external mail delivery. It was probably handled by several people after being added to the internal mail system.” He slides the folder toward Bennett and I.
I open the folder. The letter is on top of the envelope. It is short but makes its point quickly. It says in bold print, “Why are you still playing? Die Bradford.” I close the folder so nobody comes along and sees it.
“I am so sorry you have to deal with this again. I keep hoping each one will be the final one,” I said as I place my hand on his. That results in a look from Bennie. “Who else knows about this?”
“Mr. Cannas was in his office so I showed him. That’s it. I should update Coach when I get a moment alone with him. Mr. Cannas mentioned that there have been no new posts on social media. He would let us know right away if there were.”
“Good. Don’t let your friends know about the letter. Bennett or I will take this to the lab to process. The envelope is probably useless but they will still make a record of all prints found on it. We will see what’s on the letter itself. I am sure it will come up empty like the last one.
“We have security people tailing you but I don’t like leaving you. I wish I could be around more, especially on your road trip games. The security team can attend the games and stay in your hotels but they can’t get too close. If our perpetrator is Nate Donavan then that is a concern. If it is someone outside the team then you may actually be safer when you travel. Of course, the hope is that this person has no intention to really act on anything. Some screwed up people simply enjoy making other people scared. It is a kind of power trip.”
Bennett nods in agreement. “If I had to bet, that is what I would put my money on. We will investigate fully but that is the most likely situation.”
Luke looks slightly comforted by that opinion. He gestures with his head to the area next to us. Four very sizable men approach, each holding a tray with multiple plates that are all piled high. They sit down at a nearby table.
“Hungry boys,” observes Bennett.
“That’s my O-line. I like them to be well fed,” responds Luke.
We commenced eating as that had been delayed by our discussion. This healthy stuff is amazingly tasty. Fresh herbs can do wonders.
Luke looks at me and says between bites, “When can I see you again, Ava? We travel on Saturday morning. Knowing how much you want to spend time with me, I would invite you to the afternoon practice but they are not open to the public like they were during preseason.”
I couldn’t figure out a reason to justify wandering around and talking to people today either. Game days work much better for that. “Do you have any other team events this week?”
“Not really. We are just in straight up game preparation mode. I would be happy to make you dinner tonight though. You do need to get in a visit to my house.”
I have little food in my house and a good-looking man is offering to cook? Sign me up. “I would love that.”
“Great. Come over around 6:00. Practice ends at 3:00 today but I need to make a stop at the grocery store and have time to cook. Is there anything I need to avoid?”
“I am not a fan of fish but I love other seafood. Everything else should be safe. I am an omnivore who has no fear of carbs. I do run on most days to earn them. Can I bring anything?”
Luke said he could work with that and I only needed to bring myself. Then he adds, “Bennett, you are welcome to join us.”
Bennett shakes his head and says, “Thank you but I have a date with my seven-year-old who doesn’t like when she gets stood up.”
I agree. “I had to cancel on her once and then got the silent treatment for two weeks. That girl knows what she wants and doesn’t appreciate being disappointed.”
Luke laughs. “I will keep that in mind when I have the chance to meet her. Maybe the three of you could come for game day sometime.”
“I think she would love that,” says Bennett. “I would too.”
We finish our meals, turn in our dinnerware and trays and head out. Luke gently hooks my arm to turn me toward him. “Hey, with the other stuff going on I almost forgot to share my good news. My agent says that some companies are inquiring about possible endorsement deals. I am pretty excited about that.”
I hug Luke and give him a kiss, warranting another curious look from Bennett. I share Luke’s happiness. “That is wonderful news, honey! You have hit the big time.”
At that exact moment, Nate Donovan wanders by and says, “There is no chance in hell that he will get any deals. He is just a second stringer who had one lucky game.” Then off he goes.
“Ah, well, that was odd but I have confidence in you. You are made for TV.”
“Thanks, Ava. Your support means a lot. I was excited to share the news with you but I’ve got to go. Break time is about over. I look forward to seeing you tonight. Bye, Bennett.”
“It was nice meeting you, Luke,” Bennett says and I think he even means it. He does still have a little bit of jealousy straining his face. Nobody else would see it, but I know him well enough to interpret his moods and expressions.
I give Luke another quick kiss and Bennett and I take off. When we get into the car, Bennett turns toward me before starting it. “I must say your efforts to look like the girlfriend are quite impressive. Multiple kisses and a honey? Are you sure you are pretending?”
“Of course I am. What girlfriend would be around Luke and not want to give him hugs and kisses? I can’t just shake his hand.”
Bennett doesn’t appear to be convinced. “I suppose,” is all he has to say.
Once back at the station, we swing by the lab to turn in the threat letter and then go back to our desks to work on the domestic violence case paperwork. As the afternoon moves on, I admit that I look at the clock too many times. This girl is excited to get ready for her dinner date, all in the name of work, of course.
