Dirty Little Secret: The Damaged Series - Book One

by Shayne McClendon

  Upon college graduation, Jared was drafted to the Broncos where he played three stellar years before a hit during a late season game destroyed his shoulder and ended his football career.

  When it first happened, the nerve damage made it almost impossible to do anything with his right hand. Two surgeries and thousands of hours of rehabilitation in the best clinic in the country gave him back the full function of his arm.

  Rhiannon Storm and her daughter Raine, the doctors who owned Storm Sports Medicine, called Jared their greatest success despite the fact that he’d never throw a football professionally again.

  They didn’t go easy on him. There were times he hated them both but they never gave up. Because of them, he was able to sign his name and tie his own shoes.

  Jared collected the money from his guaranteed multi-million-dollar contract and went back to the small town where he grew up.

  His parents were incredible. He moved back into his old room while he decided what he wanted to do next.

  “There’s no rush, honey. It’s so good to have you home!” He was fairly certain that Debbie Stalzer planned to make him fat with huge meals and tempting baked goods. “You look hungry...I made ravioli and your favorite garlic knots!”

  There were a lot of years between Jared and his younger siblings. His sister was in college and his younger twin brothers were about to graduate high school.

  Even if his mom no longer had young children, there were plenty of charities and community projects where she could devote her time.

  For the most part, the house was quiet.

  For weeks, Jared walked the neighborhoods to determine what Tomina needed to improve the quality of life for the residents - particularly the children, the poor, and the elderly.

  His dad had been elected to a sixth term as sheriff but joked that he was getting too old to train rookies and work in a place that usually had a slight scent of urine.

  Jared tempted him to retire and take up woodworking since he’d remodeled their family home over the years.

  “I just might do that, son. Hmm. I’ll give it some thought.” The next day, Gary came downstairs and peeked around the door of the den. “I want to talk to you about something if you have a minute.”

  Jared was working on his laptop and promptly closed it to give his dad his full attention. “Absolutely.”

  Settling on the chair beside the desk, he seemed to gather his thoughts. “The west side of Tomina has always been pretty run down, Jared. The street lights don’t get fixed, a lot of the houses are falling down, and there’s people who don’t have much. They got drainage issues and with all the rain we get, things can get sketchy.” He sighed heavily. “I’ve talked to the mayor and the city council over the years. Tried to get them to put some funding into the neighborhoods on that side of town. They don’t care much about anything but their voting block.”

  His dad pointed at the notebook Jared had been steadily filling since returning to the house. “Saw your ideas, son. The west side is where Kendall lived. I want to help.”

  Glancing at the spiral, Jared murmured, “I went to her house almost every day for six months. I never saw any of it. It wasn’t until we rented the place after she left that I started paying attention.” Flipping open the cover, he added, “This is a list of the houses that have been foreclosed on. These are the ones on the brink. I want to help those people.”

  Clearing his throat, Gary said, “I thought we could buy some of the vacant lots or the condemned houses that need to be torn down. Build some of those snug little cottages you’ve been drawing.”

  Smiling slowly, Jared nodded. “Nice houses but affordable, cut the lots down because most of them are overgrown, and elevate foundations to avoid flooding.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I was thinking, too.” His father clapped him on the back. “I got two more years of my term but I’ll pitch in where you need me. It will give me something to look forward to when I retire.” Standing, he ruffled Jared’s hair like he used to when he was a boy. “Good to have you back, son. Real good to have you back.”

  * * *

  Over the next two years, Jared started a non-profit organization to help the town, opened several businesses, committed time and money to community sports and charities, and used his notoriety to encourage the wealthy to write fat checks to get things done that needed doing.

  Within eighteen months of the conversation Jared had with his father, the three acres he purchased on the outskirts of town held more than two dozen tiny houses with basic necessities. They were free for the homeless to use.

  He lived his life better than he would have if he’d never met Kendall. His organization helped men, women, and children he’d never met in their sleepy town. Some were young, others old. There were families as well as single people, from every race and belief system.

  There was a time they would have been invisible to him.

  Before meeting Kendall, before loving her, Jared figured he’d leave Tomina and never return after high school. He imagined flying his family to spend holidays in luxurious digs in the tropics.

  He’d been shallow, selfish, and blind to what mattered.

  Losing her changed everything. His hometown was where his memories of Kendall were strongest and he needed more closure than her letter provided.

  So, he spent holidays with his family and friends in the Pacific Northwest. It was better than renting some sterile getaway on a tropical island.

  Turkey tasted best out of his mom’s oven.

  His parents were worried but not surprised when Jared purchased the house Kendall once lived in. He returned her furniture and possessions to the basement space. He’d been paying storage fees for years to keep them secure.

  Understandably, his mom and dad were concerned about his emotional and mental health.

  His mother told him gently, “Jared, you can’t wait for her. You need to live your life.”

  It was important to put their minds at ease.

  “If someone amazing walks into my life, I’m open to it. I give you my word. I’ve dated. I’ve had relationships, but I won’t settle for less than I had with Kendall. The house and her things are nothing more than reminders to be patient. I’m willing to wait for magic to happen twice.”

  He gutted the entire house and remodeled the upper floors. He bought the empty lot next door for more outdoor space.

  Little by little, Jared made it into what he needed.

  The day he moved in, his neighbors were shocked. They didn’t understand why a man who wasn’t lacking in wealth would choose to live among them in the poor part of town.

  It would take time for them to accept him and he understood. On and off the clock for his organization, he showed them that he was committed to turning their community around so it was a place they could be proud of and safer for the kids.

  He was the local boy who made good.

  Chapter Nine

  July 2016

  Over the years, Jared quietly put out feelers for Kendall.

  He needed to know she was safe. Regular nightmares about masked men torturing her left him off-balance for days.

  The morning after one of the violent imaginings brought to life by his subconscious, he hired two private investigators in a panic. Their leads went nowhere.

  Only his closest friends knew there were times he spiraled into periods of isolation, depression, and drinking too much. He concealed that particular truth from his parents.

  They’d worried enough.

  Gradually, he figured out how to fill his time. Staying busy in every waking hour helped to calm his thoughts and lessen his fear for her. He dated, worked, and tried to be normal.

  Part of him was always with the girl who took his heart and drove into the night, disappearing without a trace.

  * * *

  The channels Jared used to search for Kendall weren’t official and he was contacted twice more by the mysterious H to stop looking for her.

  On one of his Face
book posts once he moved into her old house, Jared wished his followers on social media a safe and happy upcoming Easter.

  Everything went wrong nine years before around this time and he wanted to send a message.

  Maybe she would get it.

  At the end of his live video, he added, “Holidays aren’t just about the friends and family around you. It’s also about remembering people who passed through your life and made an impact. If you have the chance to reach out to those people to make sure they’re safe, to catch up on each other’s lives, you should take it. The not knowing can be the hardest part. It’s slow torture. A call, a letter, an instant message can sooth you and the other person. Happy Easter, guys.”

  * * *

  In the spring of 2017, Jared sponsored the Tomina Annual Easter Egg Hunt for the local kids. He wandered among the crowd and slyly pointed out hidden eggs to the smallest kids or any who didn’t have eggs in their basket yet.

  He’d brought several crates of additional plastic eggs packed with goodies that his mom and siblings helped him fill. They would be evenly distributed to all the children at the end.

  Rounding one of the pavilions, Jared met the gaze of a stranger leaning against a tree. Tall, lean, dressed in tactical gear, with black hair and gray eyes, he looked like a man who could capably murder everyone at the park.

  “Mr. Stalzer. You and I need to chat.” Glancing behind him, Jared worried about the townspeople in attendance. “I would never hurt anyone here.”

  “Who are you?” Jared asked quietly.

  “I’ve written your father - and you - over the years. I signed them H for Hollow.”

  “That’s not a name.”

  The man smiled. “It’s the only one you need.” Pushing away from the tree, Hollow approached. “You don’t listen very well, Mr. Stalzer.”

  “I listen to my father, my mother, and my conscience. I don’t know you. At eighteen, I agreed that we needed to give Kendall a head start...but it’s been nine fucking years of not knowing if she’s still breathing so you can kiss my ass.”

  Silver-gray eyes stared into Jared’s for a long moment. “A teenage boy has carried a torch all these years? How unusual.”

  “Again, I don’t know you and you sure as hell don’t know me. I’m careful about how I search for her. I have no intention of putting her in danger but I will figure out - one way or another - if she’s safe. Maybe that will stop the nightmares.” Jared straightened to his full height. Hollow was still taller. It was an unusual feeling. “If you aren’t going to be helpful, then our little chat is over.” He turned to go back to the crowd in the park.

  “Stop, Mr. Stalzer. While I applaud your bluff, we both know you’re dying to grill me about her.”

  Jared stared at the ground. “Fuck you, man.”

  “I hear that a lot. It must be my sparkling personality.”

  Looking over his shoulder, one side of Jared’s mouth lifted in a smile. “Sounds about right.”

  “Let’s talk while you make your rounds. I’ve been watching you with the locals. Impressive.”

  Jared shrugged. “Kendall changed me.” Raking his hand through his hair, he asked, “Is she okay?”

  “Alive and well.” Hollow started walking and Jared fell into step beside him. “About a year ago, there was a change in her situation. The old guard of the cartel was slaughtered. There isn’t much interest in her from the younger set. An astronomical sum of money was used in the pursuit of her family.”

  Jared greeted a couple of his neighbors who looked pointedly at Hollow. “This is Dan. A friend from college.” They were all smiles and Hollow played along. When they drifted away, he asked hopefully, “They’re not looking for her anymore?”

  “That’s not entirely true. They refuse to devote the same resources their predecessors felt were justified. They sent a team tasked with hunting her quickly and taking her out.” Pausing in a clearing, Hollow murmured, “It became necessary to fake her death. They needed a body.”

  “You...killed someone?”

  “Too many movies, Mr. Stalzer.”

  Jared laughed sarcastically. “Yeah, because none of this is like a fucking movie.”

  “Touché. A young woman came through the morgue in Washington D.C. - dead from an overdose. She was homeless, had no identification on her, and matched Kendall’s appearance and approximate age.”

  Frowning, Jared asked, “They bought it? She’s safe now?”

  “It’s too soon to say for certain. After members of the cartel appeared at the funeral her family held for her, the assassination team was called back to Colombia. We changed her identification and she moved again.”

  Jared stared at the enigmatic man for a long moment. “Why didn’t you hide her?”

  “Ah. That would be because her father told her to never trust anyone who wasn’t related to her by blood.” When Jared’s jaw dropped in surprise, Hollow added, “I’ve never met her face to face, Mr. Stalzer. A protocol was established by her father and my people have followed it.” He shrugged. “To be fair, it kept her alive.”

  “Where is she?”

  “At least another year, Mr. Stalzer. You’re an ex-football star who played in the NFL. That means it’s a huge risk no matter how long you wait. Stop looking for her and when it’s safe, should she wish it, she’ll contact you. Spending a fortune on private investigators isn’t secure. You put her in danger as well as your own family.” Gesturing to the park, Hollow added, “You’re being productive with your time. Changing lives.”

  “I live vicariously through them.” Turning to Hollow, Jared extended his hand. The other man took it. “Thank you for telling me what you could. I know she’s alive. That’s more than I had this morning.”

  “I’ll send you an email from a secure server. Don’t make me regret doing so, Mr. Stalzer. When you feel the urge to do something rash, reach out to me.” Jared nodded. “Enjoy your holiday.”

  Turning, the lean man walked rapidly for the tree line and was out of sight in seconds. Jared assumed he must have parked in the lot on the far side. Moments later, a helicopter lifted into the air and sped away.

  “Yeah. Not like a movie at all,” he muttered.

  * * *

  Jared emailed Hollow several times over the following year. It helped ease his panic for a long-lost girl he couldn’t stop loving. Knowing she was alive helped him get his sleep schedule under control.

  Then a lead landed in his lap out of nowhere. It was delivered through the last person he expected.

  Kendall was gone more than a decade when an unlikely series of events led him to her with zero fanfare.

  It seemed the moment Jared stopped bending everything in his world to finding Kendall…he found her.

  Chapter Ten

  Jared was fascinated at the way things fell together sometimes. He’d just returned from - yet another - date that didn’t inspire him in the slightest. Locking up the house, he was surprised to get a text from his friend and old teammate.

  Call me when you get this.

  Big Country had recently retired from his career with the NFL. A simple man with simple tastes, he loved the crazy-silly woman in his life to distraction and moved back to her hometown of Boulder so she could be closer to her older sister who was fighting cancer.

  His mother-in-law was the queen of crafts. For Jared’s birthday, Ms. Tara created a shadow box of his football memories from keepsakes Big had hauled around with him for years. He was a sentimental bastard.

  Sissy adored art because of her mom and often persuaded her malleable husband to take her to local exhibits where she added to their eclectic collection. His quiet agony made for excellent stories when all the friends got together for a visit. Jared was convinced Big secretly loved art but was too shy to admit it.

  Jared called him. “You sent the bat signal?”

  “Listen, man. It’s important. We went to an invitation only opening last night for Ken Jacobs…”

  “Another art show?
You’re a glutton for punishment…”

  “Dude. Shut up and hear me out.” Jared heard the big man inhale deeply on the other end of the line. “The photographer is reclusive but his work is getting well known. He didn’t show last night.”

  “To his own exhibit? Is that usual?”

  “Every piece sold anyway. The gallery owner was really strange when we asked questions about the photographer. Sissy wanted to meet the guy, you know? It’s weird because Caroline - that’s Tara’s boss - she’s always got a million stories about the artists she features.”

  “Big...man, is there a point?”

  “I’m getting there, dude. Okay, so there was this one canvas that caught my eye.” On the other end of the line, Big cleared his throat. “A couple having sex. No way it was staged. No fucking way. The thing is, it was familiar. Like something I saw in a movie or a dream.”

  There was a tingling on the back of Jared’s neck. Gripping his phone tightly, he waited.

  “You can’t see the faces of the models but it was like déjà vu.” There was rustling in the background. “I bought the fucking thing, dude. I’m at the gallery. They’re packing it. Want me to send it by courier?”

  “Did you take a pic with your phone?”

  “Damn it, no. I didn’t even think to do that. I’m sorry.” He covered the phone and talked to someone. “Hey, it can be there first thing in the morning.”

  “The artist never showed?”

  “Not even a pass through. We’ve been to several of Caroline’s exhibits and always end up taking at least one thing home. Sissy has a great eye.” His voice lowered. “I’m telling you, I’ve never seen Caroline so tight-lipped about one of her artists.”

  “Is it her, Big? Do you think it’s Kendall?”

  “Man, the room, the models, all of it…if it’s not her, then someone has her shit. I hope I’m not wrong. I don’t want to get your hopes up.”

  “Book me a hotel. I’m on my way.”

  “Will do.”

  Jared packed quickly and gave his parents a call to let them know he’d be out of town for a few days. A car service took him to the airport. While he waited for his flight to leave, he Googled the work of Ken Jacobs.