by Erin Wade
“No, I have to prepare a test for class,” Regan answered.
“And I have to study for her test.” Brandy snickered.
“You’re on the faculty here?” Wayne said as he gaped at Regan. “You look more like a student.”
“Coach Wayne, this is Professor Shaw,” Brandy said.
“You’re the one Tucker roofied,” Wayne snorted. “I can understand why.”
Fury flashed through Regan. “Seriously? You think it’s easier to roofie a woman than to ask her permission?”
“Nah, I didn’t mean that,” Wayne drawled. “I meant I could understand why he wanted to get it on with you.”
Regan stood. “Honestly, Coach Wayne, the more we talk, the more I dislike you. It pains me to think you influence young men.” She stomped away, disappearing into the crowd.
“Neanderthal,” Brandy snapped at Wayne before sprinting after Regan.
“Where’d the girls go?” Joey asked when he returned from the food truck a few minutes later. “I got Brandy a sub.”
“Just more for us.” Wayne snarled as he tore into the wrappers.
##
“Regan. Regan!” A firm hand wrapped around Regan’s upper arm. “Don’t let that caveman ruin our evening,” Brandy said as she turned the professor to face her.
“Where in God’s name did the university find these misogynistic bastards?” Regan railed. “This is like stepping back into the Stone Age.”
“Men’s attitudes don’t change,” Brandy huffed. “They just learn to hide them better. Present a little better façade.”
“Your father isn’t like that.”
“No, but Dad was raised by two women. My grandmother and her lover. He is much more genteel than most men. I suppose that’s why my mother chose him.”
“Your mother wasn’t with him at the reception.”
“We lost her in a boating accident when I was twelve. Talk about trial by fire. I’m sure my dad thought the world was coming to an end. I was so angry that she was gone. Hurt that she would leave me.” Tears began to trickle down Brandy’s cheeks.
“What did he do?” Regan comforted her, pulling Brandy into her arms.
“The same thing you’re doing.” Brandy sniffed. “He just held me and let me cry or curse until I finally got it out of my system and realized how lucky I was to have a father who loved me.”
Brandy dried her eyes on her shirtsleeve. “We must go find Joey. They’ll get him into trouble if we don’t.”
They walked back to the picnic table, but Joey and Wayne were gone.
“Let’s split up,” Brandy suggested. “You start on this end of the bleachers, and I’ll start at the far end. We’ll meet in the middle. If you spot Joey, call me on my cell phone. Don’t try to get him to go with you. I don’t know how much he’s had to drink. He can get belligerent when he drinks.”
It took Regan thirty minutes to spot Joey under the bleachers. He was throwing up. Clint Wayne and Robin Chase were with him. Too much to drink, Regan thought.
Regan called Brandy’s phone, but it went to voicemail. She left a message describing where they were and then walked toward the three.
“Is he okay?” Regan asked as she approached.
“He’s fine,” Wayne grumbled. “We’ll take care of him. He’s had a little too much to drink.” He began to lead Joey away as Chase stepped in front of Regan to prevent her from following.
“Joey’s fine,” Robin Chase’s feral grin didn’t convince Regan that Joey was fine.
“Maybe I should take him home,” Regan offered, although she had no idea where home was. She just wanted to get Joey out of their clutches.
“Maybe you should mind your own business, Professor.” Chase continued blocking her way.
“He’s my student,” Regan countered. “He is my business.” She sidestepped Chase and moved around her.
Chase caught Regan’s arm and twisted it behind her back. She overpowered Regan, pushing her deeper under the bleachers. She shoved Regan’s arm higher up her back, causing the brunette to scream out in pain.
“You’re hurting me,” Regan howled. “Let me go.”
“Oh, I think you like it.” Chase’s hot breath burned Regan’s ear as she shoved her hard against the crossbars supporting the bleachers and used her body to pin Regan against them. “I’ve got something else you’ll like too.” She shoved her hand under Regan’s sweater and reached around to grope her breast before snaking her hand into Regan’s jeans.
“Help me! Someone help me!” Regan screamed but knew she couldn’t be heard above the cheering crowd who had begun to stomp their feet on the bleachers. The roar was deafening. She knew no one would save her from Robin Chase.
Robin’s head snapped sideways from the force of the blow as Brandy hit her with her fist. Brandy hit her again, and Robin crumpled to the ground. She continued to attack with the fury of a wild animal, kicking Robin over and over.
It took Regan a minute to realize what was happening. She caught Brandy’s hand and pulled her away from the body of Robin Chase.
“Stop, Brandy,” Regan commanded. “Stop! You’ll kill her.”
“I want to kill her,” Brandy growled. “She was trying to rape you.”
“But she didn’t. Thanks to you, I’m fine.”
“We need to find Joey,” Regan yelled above the noise. “They gave him something that made him throw up. Probably a drug or something. Wayne has him.”
Chase moaned, and Brandy kicked her again.
“The athletic department has a motor coach on the other side of the food trucks. They probably took him there.” Brandy caught Regan’s hand. “Watch for security as we go. We’ll need all the help we can get.”
“Go on without me,” Regan instructed. “I think Robin cracked my rib or something. It hurts to breathe.”
“I’m not leaving you alone,” Brandy said. “We’ll take it easy.”
They walked hand in hand past the food trucks and headed for the motor coach with LONGHORN FOOTBALL emblazoned on the side.
Suddenly, Peyton King stepped in front of them. “Regan, where are you two going?”
“I’m glad you caught up with us, Peyton.” Brandy quickly explained what was happening.
“Where’d you leave Robin Chase?” she asked as she punched in a number on her cell phone.
“Beneath the west-side bleachers,” Regan replied.
“Sawyer,” Regan barked into her phone. “Pick up Robin Chase. She’s under the west bleachers. She’s pretty beat up. Arrest her.”
Peyton listened as Pat Sawyer repeated the information. “We’ll be at your office as soon as possible,” Peyton added. “I’m picking up Joey Sloan.”
The three waded through the football players milling around the motor coach and opened the vehicle’s door. Joey was lying on the sofa. His face was pale, and his breathing was shallow.
Peyton immediately called for an ambulance as Brandy rushed to Joey’s side. She fell to her knees and caught Joey’s face between her hands.
“Joey, wake up. Wake up, baby. It’s me, Brandy.” Tears ran down her cheeks as she tried in vain to get a response from him.
“Peyton, what’s wrong with him?” Brandy cried. “I can’t rouse him.”
Before Peyton could reply, Clint Wayne and a male student came out of a bedroom wearing only their jockey shorts. “What’s going on out here?”
Peyton took a picture of the almost-nude men with her cell phone. “Your star quarterback has OD’d on something,” Peyton said. “We’re trying to save his life.”
“You have no business in here,” Wayne fumed.
“This says I do.” Peyton pulled back her jacket, exposing her badge and Glock.
The wail of a siren stopped everyone in their tracks. Pat Sawyer burst through the door, assessing the situation. “In here,” she yelled to the ambulance attendants.
The men quickly placed Joey on a gurney and rolled him into the back of the ambulance. Brandy looked from Joey
to Regan. “I want to go with him,” she said between sobs.
Regan nodded, and Brandy jumped into the back of the ambulance with her boyfriend.
Peyton watched the ambulance speed away and then turned to Pat Sawyer. “I told you to take care of Coach Chase.”
“I looked for her under the west bleachers,” Pat said. “She wasn’t there. She must have left under her own steam.”
Peyton was suddenly aware of the circle of behemoth football players surrounding them. For the first time in ages, she felt uncomfortable. She knew three attractive women in the midst of drunk and drugged brutes was a powder keg waiting to ignite. She reached for Regan’s hand and whispered to Pat, “Call for backup. ASAP.”
Peyton unsnapped the strap over her gun and slowly pulled it from the holster. Pat did the same. “Shoot anyone who even looks like they will rush us,” Peyton instructed as they backed out of the circle.
“Get them,” Wayne yelled as he jumped from the motor home, still in his underwear. “They’ll destroy everything we’ve worked for.”
Peyton shot Wayne in the leg. “My next shot goes into his head,” she yelled as they continued to back away from the crowd.
Flashing blue-and-white lights accompanied by sirens announced the arrival of campus police and a SWAT team in full regalia. One of the officers began speaking through the public address system built into his car. “You all need to move along. This party’s over.”
The men continued to mill about, and the officer spoke again. “Move on out,” he commanded. “Anyone still standing here after I count to ten will be arrested.”
The men began to leave and disappeared into the crowd of homecoming partiers.
“I called an ambulance for Coach Wayne,” Pat informed Peyton.
Peyton nodded and started to walk away. “Agent King,” Regan called out. “Can you give me a ride home? It seems I’ve been deserted.”
“Sure, come on.” Peyton never broke stride as Regan ran to catch up with her.
##
Regan gasped as the bonfire went up in flames. It lit the night sky like the sun. Peyton stopped her car and watched the spectacle. “Impressive,” she snorted then turned to Regan.
“I need to run by the chancellor’s home and inform her that I shot her assistant head coach. She’s not going to be happy with me, but I want to assure her that he’ll be able to coach the big game Saturday.”
They rode in silence until Peyton pulled her sedan into the circular drive of a multimillion-dollar home. “Wow!” Regan gasped. “The university provides nice housing for its top brass.”
Regan smiled. “No, Katherine O’Brien owns this home. She said she plans to spend the rest of her days in Austin, so she purchased her home instead of using the one provided by the university.”
“It’s impressive and beautiful,” Regan mumbled.
Peyton got out of the car and walked to Regan’s door to open it. “Aren’t you coming in?”
“No, I’ll just wait for you.”
“Please come in. The chancellor will be pleased to see you. She’s a big fan of yours.”
“I’m dressed for a bonfire, not a visit with the chancellor.” Regan reluctantly got out of the car, gasping as the pain in her side increased. She just wanted to get home, take a half dozen aspirin, and put ice on her injuries.
“Chancellor, how many times do I have to tell you not to answer the door yourself?” Peyton scolded softly when Katherine O’Brien greeted them.
“Everyone has the day off except Marisa.” O’Brien laughed. “I am the only door opener available. I thought you were . . . Professor Shaw. What a pleasant surprise. Do come in.”
“This is a line-of-duty visit,” Peyton explained as they followed O’Brien into the library. “I’m afraid there’s been some trouble at the bonfire.”
“Please, sit down,” Katherine said. “I’ll have Marisa bring us coffee, and you can tell me all about it.”
As Peyton related the events of the day, Regan scanned Katherine O’Brien’s bookshelves. She had the usual academic tomes, an entire bookshelf of finance-related hardbacks, and all of Regan’s novels—even her last book, Deadly Romance.
Katherine caught Regan looking at her collection. “As you can see, I’m a fan of yours,” she said. “You have such interesting plot twists. Things I never expect.”
“Thank you,” Regan replied. “I’m flattered that you make time in your busy schedule to read my novels.”
Katherine returned her attention to Peyton. “Agent King, you say my assistant football coach commanded the team to attack you, and Women’s Athletic Director Robin Chase tried to rape Professor Regan?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Will you file charges against them?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good,” Katherine said.
“I will begin the search for a new head coach, assistant coach, and women’s athletic director. The athletic department has needed a good housecleaning for a long time.”
“What about the game Saturday?” Regan asked. “Who will coach the players through that?”
“Athletic Director Bob Bradford can surely handle that.” Katherine smiled and sipped her coffee. “We select the weakest team in our division to play for homecoming. That guarantees a win, so it should be a no-brainer for Bradford. I’ll call him after you leave. I hope he’s sober.”
Peyton thanked the chancellor for her time and rose to leave.
“Where are you going now?” Katherine asked.
“The hospital.” Peyton grimaced. “I need to find out how Joey Sloan is doing and check on Clint Wayne. I also need to know if Robin Chase showed up in the emergency room. From what I heard, Grace Brandywine gave her a good beating.”
“Please keep me informed,” O’Brien instructed Peyton. “And it was good to see you again, Professor.
She walked them to the door and watched as Peyton’s vehicle disappeared.
##
“Do you mind riding to the hospital with me?” Peyton asked. “If I’m right, you will have some bruising on your back and arm where Chase manhandled you. I’d like to have you examined and all injuries photographed and detailed as evidence against her.”
“I could do that while you check on Joey,” Regan said. She didn’t want to see Brandy and certainly had no desire to see Brandy and Joey together. I’ve been a fool, Regan thought. I was falling in love with Grace Brandywine. Obviously, she’s sowing her wild oats before settling down with Joey. I just caught her fancy.
“Penny for your thoughts,” Peyton teased.
“I was just wondering if you have any persons of interest in Coach Tucker’s murder,” she said. She had no interest in sharing her true thoughts with the agent.
“Honestly, not a soul,” Peyton huffed. “We’ll start interviewing all the people who filed assault charges against him and see what shakes out.”
“Women he molested?”
“Dear Coach Tucker showed no favoritism,” Peyton said. “He was an equal-opportunity rapist. I have complaints in his file from women and men.”
“Tucker was a big man,” Regan said. “I’m guessing his killer would have to be strong and big to overpower him.”
“Remember, he was falling-down drunk,” Peyton reminded her.
Peyton pulled into a reserved parking space close to the hospital entrance and tossed her federal government identification parking card on the dash.
Regan followed her to the hospital information desk and looked around while Peyton got Joey’s room number. “I need to speak with someone about collecting evidence for an FBI investigation,” Peyton said.
The attendant nodded, punched a number into the phone, and handed the receiver to Peyton. The agent explained what she wanted, repeated a floor and room number, and then thanked the attendant.
“I’ll take you to the third floor and go over what we need with the nurse,” Peyton said as they headed for the elevators.
##
Peyton ex
plained that someone had physically assaulted Regan. “She wasn’t raped but was handled very roughly. I need shots of any bruising or cuts. I must check on someone else here. How long do you think this will take?”
“No more than an hour.” The nurse handed Regan a hospital gown and motioned for her to change into it. “She can call you when she’s finished.”
“Put the gown on backward so it opens down the front,” the nurse instructed. “Oh honey, someone did a number on your arm.”
“It’s okay,” Regan said. “It’s a little painful to move it, but I’m sure that will go away.”
“Was your arm shoved up behind your back?”
“Yes, how did you know?”
“Classic domestic violence.” The nurse shook her head. “The bastards always twist the women’s arms behind their backs, threatening to break them if they don’t comply with their sick demands. Was he demanding anal sex?”
“What? Uh, no!” Regan squeaked. “It was a woman.”
“A woman? Are you a—”
“No! It wasn’t like that. She attacked me because I wanted to help my student.”
“Humph,” the nurse snorted. “As I said, put the gown on opening down the front. I need to take pictures of your torso. You’re black-and-blue.”
Regan complied, feeling almost as degraded by the exam as she had been by Robin Chase sticking her hand down the front of her jeans.
“Did she shove you against something?” the nurse asked as she took pictures of the X-shaped bruise on Regan’s breasts and stomach.
“Yes,” Regan whispered. “The crossbars beneath the bleachers.”
“Are you having pain?”
“Yes. I feel like a train ran over me. I ache all over.”
The nurse called a doctor on duty, and he arrived as she finished her examination of Regan. He looked at the photos and X-rays.
“Do you have someone to drive you home?” the doctor asked.
“Yes. Agent King,” Regan answered.
“Then I’m going to give you something for pain. It will make you sleepy. In about thirty minutes you’ll feel no pain.”
##
When the exam was finished, Regan called Peyton, who requested that she join her in room 210. “I’m almost finished. Just wrapping up Joey’s statement. What did your exam show? Any broken bones?”
