In High Gear

by Gina Wilkins

  “She loves you, too, Mom,” Kent answered gently, thinking that his mother would never know quite how much. He decided right there on the spot that he wasn’t going to tell them about the blackmail attempt, not even about Tanya’s fierce determination to protect Patsy. He wasn’t going to let the loser who had tried to extort money from him cause any distress to his mother.

  No more than he was going to have to cause her, himself, at least, he added, thinking of what he had come to tell her and the others. And that, too, was the blackmailer’s fault, because Kent wouldn’t have felt the need to do this if the guy hadn’t reminded him of how precariously his secret was being kept.

  Still, it would feel good to finally get this off his chest. To rid himself of the guilt and worry that had plagued him for so long. Or at least, that was what he tried to believe as he cleared his throat and searched for courage.

  Funny how hard it was for a guy who climbed without blinking into a race car to blast around a track at 180 miles an hour to admit an old wrongdoing to his parents. Did one ever outgrow that dread of displeasing one’s mom and dad?

  “There’s something I need to tell you all,” he repeated, looking from his parents to his great-grandparents. “And I hope you won’t think too badly of me when I’ve finished.”

  His nana looked up lovingly at him. “We could never think badly of you, honey.”

  “Yeah, well, you haven’t heard it yet,” Kent said miserably.

  “Just spit it out, boy,” Milo advised, kindness behind his gruff tone. “Let’s get it out and talk about it.”

  Nodding, Kent drew a deep breath and launched into the ignominious tale of his aborted career at State University.

  TOO RESTLESS TO STAY at home, even though she didn’t have any pending appointments, Tanya spent the day in her studio, making calls, working at the computer, ordering equipment and making tentative travel arrangements for an out-of-state wedding she would be shooting in April.

  Mandy was there for a few hours, catching up on the books, but she could tell Tanya wasn’t in the mood for conversation so she finished her work quickly and let herself out, leaving Tanya alone in the studio. Tanya was sitting at the computer, gazing wistfully at the photo of Kent and herself kissing in Victory Lane, when her twin brother came in unannounced.

  “Don’t you ever have to work?” she asked him, minimizing the picture before he could see it.

  “It’s after five,” Trevor said, tapping his watch. “Even the most junior lawyers get off around that time most days.”

  She was startled that it had gotten so late. She’d been sitting at her desk for a couple of hours without accomplishing a thing. Sighing, she shook her head and pushed her chair away. “Do you want a soda? I’ve got some in the fridge.”

  “No, thanks. I’ve got a date tonight, and I can’t stay long. I was just passing by and saw your car outside and I thought I’d stop and say hi.”

  Passing by? Her studio was hardly on the way to any place Trevor would likely be going. But she kept that observation to herself, figuring he would just make some other excuse rather than to admit he was concerned about her. Which she could tell from his expression that he was.

  “It’s always nice to see you,” she said, pulling a can of diet cola out of the mini-fridge for herself. “Who’s your date with tonight? Anyone I know?”

  “No, I just met her a couple of weeks ago at a party. She seems nice. I don’t think it will lead anywhere, but we’ll see.”

  “What’s her name? What does she do? Is she pretty?”

  “Her name’s Bambi, she’s a stripper, and now that her plastic surgeon is through with her, she’s drop-dead gorgeous.”

  Tanya gave her brother a look over the rim of her cola can.

  He laughed, then shook his head. “Her name is Kathleen, she’s an accountant, and she’s attractive in a wholesome, Irish country girl sort of way. Is that more believable?”

  “Much. She sounds nice. Maybe I’ll get to meet her sometime?”

  “Maybe. How about you? How are things going with Kent?”

  “They’re fine,” she said brightly.

  Trevor sat on the corner of her desk, his arms crossed over his chest as he looked at her levelly. “Remember how you knew I was lying about the stripper?”

  She ran a finger around the rim of her can, avoiding his eyes. “Yes.”

  “Well, now I’m calling you on a fib. What’s really going on, Tanya?”

  She hesitated. And then she reminded herself that she had promised Kent she wouldn’t tell her parents anything about what had happened during the past weekend—but she had never said anything about her twin. Kent hadn’t even asked her not to tell Trevor, though she knew even as that thought crossed her mind that he just hadn’t thought to include her brothers in the vow of silence.

  “There was a troubling incident this past weekend,” she admitted. “But Kent and I took care of it. I think.”

  Trevor obviously didn’t like whatever he saw in her face. “An incident? What sort of incident?”

  She paused again, struggling with her conscience. She wouldn’t tell Trevor about what had happened at State U, she promised herself. That was a secret Kent had every right to want buried. But he’d been completely innocent in the blackmail attempt. Her brother was an attorney, though certainly not yet in the same league as their father. If any legal ramifications of the attempted blackmail existed, Trevor could offer advice.

  Telling herself she was reaching pretty far to justify telling her brother when the truth was she just needed to talk to him, she sank into her chair and set the cola on her desk. “You have to promise to keep what I’m about to tell you between you and me. Twin’s honor,” she added, falling back on a phrase from their childhood.

  He chuckled a little at her use of the old term, but he grew quickly serious when he saw her expression. “You know I would never break your confidence, Tanya. What is it?”

  “Kent received an anonymous e-mail last Friday. Someone tried to blackmail him for a hundred thousand dollars.”

  Trevor had certainly not been expecting anything like that. He gaped at her as if he wasn’t sure he’d heard her correctly. “Someone tried to blackmail Kent? But, why? What did he do? He didn’t pay the guy, did he? Because payoffs rarely resolve something like this, sis. The guy will be back again and again as long as he thinks the bank is open to him.”

  Holding up a hand to stem the flow of questions and spontaneous advice, she shook her head. “I said we took care of it. We took away the blackmailer’s ammunition.”

  Reminding him of the old rumors about the Grossos and the Murphys, she went on to describe the photograph Kent had received and the threatening note that had accompanied it. She did not mention the previous note from the same anonymous sender.

  Trevor was predictably outraged by the threat to Kent’s mother. He had met Patsy Grosso only a few times, but he liked her, and was adamant as Tanya in denying that Patsy would have killed a man in a hit and run. “You called the police, I assume.”

  “Well, no. Kent refused.” Calming her brother’s immediate reaction with a gesture of her hands, she went on to tell him what they had done, how she had found the article that included the original photograph of Patsy that the blackmailer had superimposed on the tavern shot.

  “It was very well done. I doubt that you’d have been able to tell it was a fake, either. Not even up close. But of course the original photo would have come out eventually had the blackmailer gone public with his ‘evidence.’”

  “Something he had to know. He was banking on Kent panicking and wiring the money. Probably would have disappeared after that, being satisfied with the hundred-thousand.”

  Tanya nodded. “That’s what Kent thought. He said he was convinced whoever sent the e-mail was an amateur. Maybe a first-time blackmailer hoping to get lucky.”

  “Probably. It doesn’t sound like a very sophisticated scheme. Nice job, by the way, finding that article. I know Kent m
ust have been extremely relieved.”

  “He was. Like I said, it would have shown up, anyway. I just found it quickly enough to avoid some embarrassment for the family.”

  Trevor shook his head again. “Kent must have been livid. I know I would have been. I still think he should have called the police, but I can almost understand why he didn’t. It’s the sort of thing you want to handle yourself, I guess, especially when it involves your mother.”

  It must be a guy thing, she decided. “That’s pretty much what he said.”

  “And there’s been nothing else from the blackmailer? No more threats or demands?”

  “Not a word.”

  “It’s probably over, then,” Trevor conceded cautiously.

  “I certainly hope so. It was a dreadful ordeal.”

  He gave a tiny shrug. “He’s not the first wealthy celebrity to have someone try to rip him off. Some folks hear about people with money and they drive themselves crazy trying to figure out how to help themselves to some of it.”

  “I hate that part of Kent’s fame,” Tanya admitted. “The unfounded gossip and vicious lies. The outright hostility from fans of other drivers, even though Kent’s never done anything to them but win some races.”

  “That’s enough to make some fans hate him,” Trevor said with a slight smile. “Some race enthusiasts have as much fun booing their least favorite drivers as they do cheering their heroes. It’s all part of the sport. Kent knows that.”

  “Yes, he knows. Most of the time he thinks it’s funny. But I still don’t have to like it.”

  “Does that mean you don’t want to be involved with a famous driver, after all?” he asked gravely.

  “No,” she whispered. “It would all be worth it, if Kent and I can just…”

  Her voice trailed away as she thought of how hurt she’d been that Kent had shut her out that afternoon.

  His expression sympathetic, Trevor reached out to mess up her hair. “I love you, sis. And I’m pretty sure Kent does, too. You’ve just got to give him a chance to prove it to you.”

  Moistening her lips, she whispered, “I hope so, Trevor. I really hope so.”

  KENT STOPPED BY THE Maximus Motor Sports shop on the way back from the farm that evening. Everyone there greeted him with a broad smile, congratulating him on his win in California. A tour group was crossing the parking lot behind their guide just as Kent arrived, and they were thrilled when he stopped on an impulse to greet them, sign autographs and pose for photos.

  It felt good to be among them, to have them looking at him with so much respect and admiration. Maybe he’d just needed a quick ego boost after that humiliating experience with his family, he thought wryly, waving goodbye to them as he stepped into the elevator to go up to the restricted office area.

  There’d been a time when he’d turned to Tanya for ego boosts. Lately, however, she had a way of looking at him that made him think she saw him a little too clearly for that.

  Which was probably the way it should be, he assured himself. He and Tanya still loved each other, but it was only natural that the last three weeks had changed things between them. For now. He had no doubt that they could get back to where they had been, once they’d put all this ugliness behind them.

  It was pleasantly quiet upstairs, many employees hard at work at their desks. All of them looked up as Kent passed, waving, smiling, telling him how pleased they were about Sunday’s results.

  Neil was in his office, too, a stack of files in front of him, his computer humming on his desk.

  “Hey, Kent,” he said, glancing up without surprise when Kent strolled through the open doorway. “I’ve been looking at the fuel calculations for Las Vegas. I think we can improve our mileage by two percent.”

  “Legally?”

  Neil grimaced. “Of course, legally. What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “Just joking,” Kent assured him, dropping into a straight-backed chair. “Heck of a weekend, wasn’t it?”

  “Yeah. Must have worn you out, the way you rushed away from the track and didn’t show up again ’til today.”

  “I wasn’t feeling very well.”

  “Hmm. Tanya been with you all this time?”

  “She has.”

  “I’m sure she took good care of you. You feeling better?”

  “Much better. Thanks.”

  Neil nodded. “Good to hear. Now about that fuel mileage…”

  “Yeah, just a minute. How are you feeling, Neil?”

  “Okay. That was a good win, wasn’t it? Heck of a finish between you and Branch.”

  “Yes, it was. You called the race brilliantly, the pit crew was totally on the ball, Steve didn’t miss a thing. We keep racing like that, we’ll definitely be in the running for another championship at the end of the season.”

  “That’s the goal, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah. That’s the goal.”

  Neil shrugged, looking at Kent levelly. “That’s all I want, pal. Another championship. Heck, I’ll be honest. I want more than one more. I won’t be happy ’til you’re up there with the all-time greats.”

  Kent searched his crew chief’s face. He saw determination there. Sincerity. And something else. Something new.

  Resentment?

  “You aren’t still mad at me for having that talk with you the other day, are you?”

  “Just because you threatened to get me fired?” Neil shrugged again. “Why would I be mad about that?”

  “It wasn’t a threat. It was a warning. I was just letting you know that you couldn’t go on the way you were or Dawson was going to take drastic steps. I told you as a friend, Neil. A partner in this crazy career. We were great together Sunday. I came here today to tell you how glad I was about that. And that I’m sorry if I offended you the other day.”

  “Like you said, you were just doing what you thought best. Now, how about we talk about work?”

  It was clear that Neil wasn’t yet ready to forgive the hard things Kent had said to him. But if that lecture had gotten through to him, made him realize that he’d been destroying his own career, Kent supposed it was worth it.

  They would get past this, he promised himself. Just as he and Tanya would get back to their former footing, the same would be true with Neil.

  He was determined to get his life back. The luckiest man in the world, he had called himself only weeks earlier. He wanted to feel that way again.

  They talked about fuel mileage for a few minutes, and then Kent stood. “I’ll let you get back to work. I’ve got some things to do, myself, this evening.”

  “Yeah. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Sure thing.” Kent paused in the doorway, one hand on the jamb. “By the way, how’s it going with Erica?”

  Neil glanced up without expression. “We decided not to see each other for a while. Take a little break, you know?”

  “I’m sorry. I hope things work out for the best for you. You deserve to be happy, Neil.”

  Neil nodded. “Yeah. I think it’s about time for that.”

  Still feeling as though something were being left unsaid, Kent headed down the hallway. He found Tobey in the fab shop, engaged in deep discussion with Joey about a car that was currently in production.

  Pulling Tobey out into the parking lot, Kent asked, “How’s it going?”

  “With Neil, you mean?”

  Kent nodded.

  Tobey gave the question his usual consideration before replying, “It’s better. In a way.”

  That seemed like an odd way of phrasing it. “In what way?”

  “He’s working harder. Focusing more. But he’s mad all the time. Not like usual—not yelling and firing people. Just mad.”

  “He’s got some things to work through. He’ll get over it.”

  “Yeah. I’m sure you’re right. He’s a great crew chief, Kent.”

  “One of the best,” Kent agreed. “And you know what? You’re going to be a great crew chief, yourself, someday.”

&
nbsp; “That’s the goal,” Tobey quipped with a grin.

  They parted then, Tobey going back to the shop, Kent turning toward the parking lot. Something made him look up on his way. He spotted Neil in the window of his office, looking down and frowning. He’d been watching Kent talking to Tobey. And he didn’t like it.

  Kent sighed. Neil probably thought he and Tobey were talking behind his back. And, well, he guessed they had been, at that. But surely Neil knew that both Kent and Tobey were loyal friends who only wanted the best for their crew chief.

  They would get past this, he promised himself again. But first, he had to talk to Tanya.

  “HOW DID YOUR FAMILY take the news you had to tell them?”

  Kent sighed deeply as he accepted a cold drink from Tanya and sank into a seat at the round, slate-topped wrought-iron table in her apartment kitchen later that evening. “About as I expected. Dad yelled, Milo lectured me about my responsibilities to the family name, Mom teared up, and Nana wrung her hands and tried to make excuses for me.”

  She winced, thinking of what an uncomfortable scene that must have been for him. She could understand why he had dreaded it for so long. “Did you remind them it all happened eleven years ago?”

  His mouth twisted. “Several times. Didn’t matter. We had to go through it all as if it were just last week.”

  “Are they still mad?”

  “Oh, they calmed down. After a couple of hours.” His expression told her just how unpleasant those two hours had been. “Now Dad’s mad at his brother for helping me cover it up, even though I told him I begged Uncle Larry to keep it quiet.”

  “Did you tell them about the blackmail attempt?”

  “No. I decided they didn’t need to know that. Mom has enough to worry about just now.”

  “Then how did you tell them what made you decide to confess about your college expulsion?”

  “I told them I’d gotten an e-mail alluding to the incident and it made me realize I’d been keeping it a secret for too long.”