Sudden Death

by Michael Balkind

  “I’m okay, everyone,” Reid said. “Please go back to bed. Sorry for wak ing you.” Joan started to walk into the room. “What happened?” “Mom. I’m fine. Now please go back to bed. I really don’t want to talk right now.” “Whatever you say, dear.” Joan turned and sighed as she stepped over the splintered wood and left the room.

  Chapter 25

  The next morning, Shane joined Reid and Stu for a run. Reid ran slower than normal so she could keep up. Bad move! Once they made the turn onto Reservoir Road and Shane didn’t need Reid to show the way, she took the lead and increased the pace. He had to work hard to keep up. Soon, his legs began to burn. Two things kept him from dropping back: his pride and his view. The distraction took his mind off the intense pain. What legs, he thought. Then, as his eyes shifted a little north, he stumbled on a protruding stone in the dirt road. Stu couldn’t refrain from laughing as he watched Reid lurch forward, arms flailing as he compensated to avoid a nasty fall. Relieved, Reid said quietly so Shane couldn’t hear, “I better keep my eyes on the road or I’m really going to fall for her.” He and Stu laughed. “What’s so funny back there?” Shane asked. “Oh nothing,” said Reid. “Just enjoying the view.” “Hey, watch it, wise guy, or the view is going to leave you in the dust.” Shane increased the pace again, and the friendly banter ceased for the balance of the run. When they returned to the house, Reid had a message on his cell phone. It was Aimee inviting him down to the studio to preview the commercial. It was far from finished, but it was looking very good, according to her.

  A short time later, Reid, Shane, Joel and Stu drove downtown in the Jaguar. Stu and Shane decided that the back seat was perfect if you were under 10 years old. They felt like size nine feet in a size six shoe. All four of them met Aimee at the studio and watched the commercial. The set was long gone. Not even a puddle remained. “You shot that here, in this studio? It looks like you’re on a glacier,” Shane said.

  “Hard to believe, huh?” Reid said. “You should have seen the set. It was incredible.” “Well, congratulations, the commercial is excellent,” Shane remarked. “Don’t congratulate me; it was Aimee who pulled it off. Can we get a copy?” he asked Aimee. “Sure, I’m glad you like it. Don’t let him fool you, Shane. He’s a natural actor.” “Yeah, I’ve noticed.” “Hey,” Reid said grinning. He threw a slow soft punch falling short of her jaw. Aimee opened a folder and said, “Here, take a look at the magazine and billboard proofs.” “These are good,” Joel said, leafing through them. “I can’t believe that’s me,” Reid said. “They’re going to be incredible when they’re done. This is one of the best campaigns I’ve ever worked on,” Aimee said. “I’m impressed,” Reid said. “I’m also hungry. Aimee, you’ll join us for lunch, won’t you?” Reid asked. “Sure,” she said, “Gotta eat, right?” After lunch, Aimee left them to head back to the studio. On their way home, Reid wanted to stop and visit some old friends who owned a store in the town of Rye. They entered Woodrow Jewelers where Reid introduced everyone to Michael and Rob Woodrow. Then he nonchalantly began to look around the store. As he had hoped, Shane was drawn to the jewelry. He joined her and together they looked at some necklaces. He asked Michael to take a few out for her to try on. She tried to object, but Reid couldn’t be stopped. Together, they chose an emerald and diamond necklace that matched the green in her eyes.

  She reached for a glimpse of the price tag but Reid ripped it off, say ing, “Oh no you don’t.” He handed Michael his credit card.

  After hugs and kisses, they went to an electronics store and bought a huge high definition TV and DVD player for Reid’s mom. He made sure it would be delivered the next day because he couldn’t stand another day of watching her antique TV. On the way back to the house, they picked up several pizzas for dinner. They ate early and went to see a movie.

  The following day, they went back to Westchester Country Club. When Reid explained to Steve that yesterday’s unexpected trip to the studio caused him to miss their lunch date, Steve said, “Don’t worry about it. I was just about to go grab a bite. Why don’t you all join me?”

  The main dining room was crowded. Tour golfers who had begun to arrive for the tournament greeted them throughout the meal.

  After lunch, they walked the back nine. Reid and Buddy discussed dis tances, bunker locations and possible pin placements on the greens. They got back to Joan’s house around 5 p.m. to find Joan, Hunter and Judy hard at work in the kitchen. They were making linguine with white clam sauce, one of Reid’s favorite meals.

  “Hey, what’s with the TV?” Joan asked. “It barely fits in the room. My old one worked just fine. You didn’t have to get me a new one.” “You’re welcome, Ma. Just enjoy it.” “Thank you, it’s wonderful,” she said. Turning to the others she said quietly, “I think some of these gifts he’s buying me are more for his enjoyment than mine.”

  “Hey, I heard that. Maybe you should wait till I leave the room before making comments like that.”

  “Sorry, honey. Look, I love the car and the club membership, but the TV…you know I couldn’t care less about what kind of TV I watch. I barely watch it anyway. But if it gets you to visit more often, then I love it.” “Sure, Mom. Whatever.” Joan shrugged. Everyone sat down for dinner and talked about the day. They decided to go to the beach the next day, Saturday. Shane needed to go home first to pick up a bathing suit and more clothes if she was staying through the weekend. Reid offered to take her shopping instead, before going to the beach.

  The group crammed into the den after dinner to watch the commer cial. When the TV was turned on, Joan commented enthusiastically, “Wow, what a great picture! This TV is great! I love it!” Everyone had a good laugh. They started the video. What Reid wasn’t prepared for were the outtakes that Aimee included at the end. They were hilarious. The comments afterward ranged from roasts to high praise. When everyone settled down, they started a movie. Betsy brought in popcorn and Hunter’s homemade brownies.

  As much as he had tried, Reid couldn’t concentrate on the movie. Thoughts of the threats were consuming him. He looked around the room. He was upset and annoyed. Why had it taken a death threat to get him to spend time with the people he loved? Was someone really going to take all this away from him?

  Chapter 26

  In the morning, Reid took Shane to buy a bathing suit and some other necessities. While shopping, they chatted. He told her about his childhood years, the fact that no matter how hard he tried, he remembered absolutely nothing about his father. He explained that although his father had left them financially okay, his mother had to work as she raised Reid and his sisters. He admitted that he probably would not have been able to attend college without his scholarship. He was currently covering Hunter’s tuition at Julliard.

  He informed Shane that his reputation as “The Bad Boy of Golf” was really nonsense. The press irritated him and he occasionally put them in their place, but only when they deserved it. He was courteous on the golf course and only gave other pros a hard time if they didn’t respect course etiquette. There were times when he didn’t give many autographs, but he would never treat a fan disrespectfully. Overall, the label “Bad Boy” was untrue, but it had a good effect and he enjoyed the notoriety. Buck agreed that Reid should continue to give the press a hard time, but just enough to stay in the limelight. “Sometimes I push them too far, but I’m never the instigator.” She smiled at that statement. “What?” he asked. “I didn’t say anything.” “Cute as it was, that smile said a lot,” he accused her. “Oh, don’t go getting all sensitive on me.” He shook his head and laughed, then continued to explain the ICSF and AllSport. They talked about spending a long weekend at AllSport as soon as they could both find the time. He described his homes; the house he shared with Buck at AllSport, his apartment in New York and his townhouse in Florida.

  Shane explained her career as a freelance writer. She wrote regularly for three magazines and often worked on newsletters for various organizations. They both agreed a newsletter cou
ld be good for the Inner City Sports Foundation. It would be an excellent tool for informing regular contributors as well as soliciting new donations.

  Reid learned that Shane’s parents had retired and lived in Florida. One of her brothers was an attorney living with his family in Telluride, Colorado. Her other brother was a struggling entrepreneur with a lot of good ideas but little to show for them. They grew up in Cherry Hill, New Jersey and only recently scattered around the country. She didn’t get to see them as often as she wished. She told Reid that although she had known Jamie Freed for about four months they had only started dating recently. More importantly she had not gone out with him since she had met Reid.

  They made a quick stop at a sports shop, where Reid bought boogie boards, a Frisbee, and some lacrosse sticks. He hoped one of the bodyguards would know how to throw a lacrosse ball.

  When they got back to the house, Reid went down to the basement to look for his lacrosse stick. What he found brought on a rush of emotions. Piled in a corner was his old football equipment. He rummaged through the gear, picked up a partially deflated football and sat for a few minutes, flipping the ball from hand to hand, reminiscing.

  His mood was melancholy when Hunter came down and found him. She sat next to him. “Miss it, huh? Well, it certainly would have been a different life for you. We used to get so worried every time you played.”

  “Yeah, I got banged around a lot, but I do miss it,” he got up, found his lacrosse stick and said, “Come on, let’s go to the beach!”

  They went upstairs, rounded everybody up and packed the vans with beach gear and coolers filled with lunch.

  The roads were fairly clear until they neared the beach; then they hit typical Summer Saturday Long Island beach traffic. Double team security meant that they now had teams one, three, four and five with them. Greeny and Mench, nicknamed the “assassinators” due to their expertise in finding and eliminating assassins throughout the world, were in the rear of the vans, scanning traffic for any suspicious vehicles that might be tailing them.

  Upon arrival at the beach, the security teams disembarked before everyone else. After a quick survey of the area, they gave each other silent all-clear signals. The group carried the sports equipment and coolers down the boardwalk to the crowded beach and made camp high up near the dunes. Reid immediately challenged anyone to a Boogie Board race. Shane and Betsy accepted and grabbed boards. “Come on, Joel,” Reid said. “Are you a chicken?” He did a ridiculous chicken impression and got a few laughs. “Not today, Reid. Sorry.” Shane had picked up on the change in the security team’s behavior.

  They seemed to have stepped up to a more serious level. “Reid, what’s going on?” she asked. “Why are Joel and the others suddenly much more serious?” “Yeah, I noticed it too,” Betsy said. “What happened?” Reid put his head down and said, “Now please don’t overreact. I don’t want everyone panicking. I got another threat yesterday at the golf course. I didn’t want to worry you guys more than you are already.”

  “Oh my God! Not another one!” Joan shrieked. “When are they going to find this guy?”

  Reid walked over to her and gave her a hug. “Calm down, Ma, it’s going to be okay. These guys are the best protection we could have. They’ll get him…or her.” “I’m just scared. I can’t help it.” “I know, me too,” he admitted. They spent a few hours riding the waves, eating lunch and soaking in the sun, but the news of the second threat had put a damper on things. The only highlight of Reid’s day was finding out that Stu had played college lacrosse. After an easy warm-up catch, they began throwing the ball harder and harder until they were firing shots at each other at breakneck speed. They had to quit after a little while because they had attracted an audience. After all, how many times do you get to see the nation’s top golfer throwing a lacrosse ball at Jones Beach? Kids rushed from all over the beach with their sticks to join in. He threw a ball with them until Joel said, “Sorry, kids, we have to go.”

  After a quiet dinner it was time for bed. The day at the beach hadn’t been as much of a distraction as Reid had hoped. The relentless thoughts of the threats were now etched into his brain. Usually, Reid looked forward to a good night’s rest after an active day. But sleep was becoming more difficult every night. Reid was beginning to dread the thought of going to bed in fear that lying alone would magnify his turmoil.

  In season, Sundays are rarely a day of rest for a PGA golfer; quite the oppo site, in fact. Today, Reid wanted to do absolutely nothing but relax and maybe take a walk. Betsy had to get back to her family in Connecticut. She hadn’t seen them in more than a week. She agreed to drive back down with Steve and the kids the following weekend to watch the final rounds of the Classic. Hunter had made plans to spend the day with her friend, Dayle, who lived in the area. After lunch, Reid, Shane, Joel and Stu drove Betsy to the airport. She had to fly to Hartford where her car had been parked since she had flown to Augusta. They dropped her off, then drove to Ward Pound Ridge Reservation and took a two-hour hike through the woods. It was exactly what Reid needed to help him relax.

  Later, he watched the end of the LPGA tournament on TV. It remind ed him that he needed to make hotel reservations. He couldn’t chance the distractions of staying at the house during the tournament, and he would need his daily massage. He called and reserved a suite and four additional rooms at The Rye Town Hilton, which was only a few miles from the golf course.

  It was decided that Joel, Stu, Buddy and Reid would head to the hotel in the morning, while Lance and Beebs would drive Shane to her apartment. She would return to the house on Wednesday and stay through the tournament.

  Reid was breaking one of his own rules: No girlfriends around during tournaments. Never mix women and golf. It’ll be okay, he tried to convince himself. I just need to get into the zone during the tournament and I’ll be fine. Nothing distracts me when I’m in the zone.

  They ate takeout Chinese food for dinner. Afterward, Reid brought a box of cigars out to the deck. Joan and Hunter went inside while Shane stayed out with the guys. Shane put up with the smoke without a complaint. She even took a puff from Reid’s cigar for kicks. Reid smiled. This girl is definitely marriage material, he thought. Upon finishing the cigars, they called it an evening.

  Chapter 27

  Monday morning arrived. After breakfast, Reid and Shane went outside to say goodbye. “I’ll call you tonight,” he said after a tight embrace. “Please be careful. Now that I’ve found you, I don’t want to lose you.” “I’m going to miss you. I know we haven’t known each other for long, but I think I’m falling in love with you.” It was out before he realized what he was saying. It was a first for Reid; he had never said that to any other girl.

  “Me too.” She smiled and kissed him again, more passionately this time. “I’ll see you Thursday.” The others came out, said their goodbyes to Joan and Hunter, and left. Buddy had been waiting in the lobby when Reid, Joel and Stu arrived at the hotel. Reid said, “Let’s check in and put the stuff in the rooms; then I want to get a massage. If any of you want one, just put it or anything else you want on my room tab. After that, I want to head to the course to practice.”

  They all went for massages, then headed to the club. The driving range was empty, so Reid suggested that Stu and Joel hit some balls while he worked with Buddy. Joel was pretty good. Stu would have been better off going for a bike ride. They followed Reid from the range to the chipping area to the practice green, then took a lunch break.

  The clubhouse was starting to buzz with tournament activity. Some of the members’ kids were waiting in the lobby to get autographs. They attacked Reid as he walked in. In spite of his better judgment, he signed away. What’s with me? he thought. A month ago I would have walked right past these kids. The truth was he was having fun, more so than he’d had in a long time.

  Howard Brock walked into the lobby and a bunch of the kids ran over to him. Reid took advantage of the moment and exited after a quick nod to Howard. He headed for t
he dining room with Stu, Joel and Buddy. They sat at a table, reserving a seat for Howard.

  After lunch, Reid and Howard talked about the course and its areas of difficulty. There was a brief discussion of security, at which point Howard asked Stu and Joel, “If you don’t mind me asking, have you guys made any headway?”

  “We’ve narrowed the possibilities down, but the guy is still playing with us,” Stu said. “We’ll get him,” he added with absolute confidence. “I just hope he doesn’t get me first,” Reid said. “Why don’t you just do as he asks, Reid?” Howard joked. “You mean I shouldn’t win? Ha, very funny, Howard. You got as close to beating me as you’re going to get.” “Can’t blame me for trying, can you?” They all chuckled. “Do you want to join me on the range?” Reid asked. “I’ll meet you there in a little while.” They left the dining room and fortunately for Reid, the kids were gathered around another golfer in the lobby. Reid was able to get by without the kids noticing. The other guy mouthed, “Help!” but Reid was no fool; any more autographs and he’d get writer’s cramp. With a quick wave, Reid mouthed back, “Sorry,” then walked out. At the range, Reid noticed the sportscaster, Bobby Lee, interviewing a golfer at the far end. Not in the mood for an interview, Reid stepped up to a practice tee with his back toward Bobby. He started swinging a club to loosen up. As he turned to get his driver, he heard Bobby yell, “Reid, there you are. I’ve been looking for you.”

  “Damn,” Reid said under his breath. He then he noticed that Bobby had been interviewing Jim Turner. Bobby and his cameraman walked over. “Reid, how about a quick interview?” Reid didn’t see that he had much choice. Turning him down would only provoke Bobby to retaliate on national TV. “Great, Bobby, I hoped you were coming over.” “Oh, such lies,” Bobby said. “No, really, I’m sure after your interview with Turner I need to defend myself.” “Good point, you’re right. Jim is not very happy with you or your investigators at the moment. So are you ready? Can we shoot?” “Yeah, but only if you use a different word.” “Oh. Sorry, I really didn’t mean to say that.” “I know. Go ahead and start, but please keep your questions related to the tournament.” The camera’s light turned red. “I’m here with Reid Clark. As you know, Reid recently won the Master’s after receiving a death threat. You just heard me speaking with Jim Turner, who complained about how Reid’s investigation team questioned him as to his whereabouts during the death threat. Reid, is Jim a suspect?”