by Nikki Duvall
He raked his hand through his hair and willed himself to enter Halee’s room. He could see her feet from the hallway, the only part of her not hidden by a curtain. She stirred.
“J.D.?”
He took several steps. “Yeh. Yeh, it’s me.” He peered around the curtain. She lay on her back, her eyes closed, her creamy skin as white as the sheet that covered her. Her strawberry blonde hair lay damp from her night of agony against a small flat pillow. Several IV drips hung by the bed, snaking their way into her tender veins. She looked so young and innocent. He glanced down to where the baby should have been, his baby. After all the women he’d slept with, he’d never foreseen the day when someone would call him Daddy. He’d been so careful, until Halee, that is. But then, everything with Halee was different.
She cracked one eyelid and reached out to him. He took her hand and rubbed her fingers with a kind of quiet reverence.
“I’m sorry, J.D.” Her voice came out in a hushed whisper. “I wasn’t strong enough to carry her. I guess I’ve never been strong enough to do much.”
“Don’t say that, Baby.”
One tear trickled down onto her pillowcase. She formed her words slowly, carefully. “I wanted her, J.D. I wanted to have your child more than anything. I just wanted a piece of you to hold onto, you know? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have tricked you that way.”
J.D. kissed her palm, holding her small hand against his lips. “We can start over, Baby,” he said. “We can have a whole bunch of kids. I love you, Halee. I want to marry you…”
“Shhh.” A brief smile formed on her lips. “No more lies.”
“I ain’t…”
“You’ve been lying so much, you don’t even know what the truth is anymore, J.D.”
“That ain’t so…”
“Help me find Ty,” she said, squeezing his hand. “Help me get him back. I promise I’ll stay out of your life forever if you just help me find him.” A deeply mournful cry escaped her, a gut wrenching sob from deep within. J.D. shuddered.
A nurse entered and sized up J.D. with apparent disapproval. “You’ll have to go,” she said in a stern tone.
J.D. leaned over and kissed Halee gently on the forehead, then her moist cheeks, then on her full pink lips, and whispered the words she longed to hear.
“I’ll find him.”
***
The clock displayed five a.m. by the time J.D. dragged himself across the threshold of his apartment. Faye, Sam and Rita had all gone home with Cam and Stephen, insisting they wouldn’t be welcome in Cat’s home and feeling too strange to stay in Halee’s empty apartment without her. Maybe it was for the best. He wasn’t exactly good company right now.
He turned the lock and pushed open the heavy door to the flat he shared with Catrina, his pretend fiancé. What a mess he’d made. The lies had seemed so innocent at the time the Federals had named their conditions. So innocent and so necessary.
The plan had been to stage a fight immediately after the engagement party and go their separate ways. Yet something told him Cat was reconsidering her position. After just a few weeks living in the Big Apple, Catrina liked her role just a little too much. She’d been coming on stronger, even out of public view. And she’d burned through J.D.’s money so quickly, he’d had to hide his sign on bonus in another account before she dashed his dreams of ever buying the Double HL Ranch.
Every light in the apartment was on when he entered. Some version of electronic club music vibrated through the apartment’s stereo system. A strange aftershave, one he never wore, permeated the space. He dropped his keys on a table by the entrance and headed to the kitchen in search of a stiff drink and painkillers. Cat came strolling out from the back bedrooms wearing nothing but a sheer robe edged in white fur and matching high heels. He could smell her perfume across the room. She paused in the doorway, cocked one hip, and waited for him to notice.
“Put something on, Cat,” he said in a tired voice.
“It’s the night of our engagement party, Baby,” she cooed. “I thought you’d want to celebrate.”
“Game’s over, Cat,” he said. “Deal’s done. You can pack your things and go home.”
She moved a little closer. “Maybe I don’t want to go home.” She untied her robe, letting skin hit air, and stood dangerously near. “Where’ve you been?” she asked casually.
“I told you, at the hospital.”
She stroked his arm. “I called the hospital. You weren’t there.”
“Then you called the wrong hospital.” J.D. rubbed his eyes. “I don’t want to do this right now, Cat. Leave me be.”
She slid onto the bar stool next to him, letting the robe fall away from her generous breasts, and spread her legs wide, leaning closer.
“I ain’t in the mood, Cat,” J.D. warned.
“The J.D. I know is always in the mood,” she purred.
“That life’s over.”
“I can make you change your mind.”
J.D. gulped down half a tumbler of gin. “Don’t think so.”
“I talked to Tony,” she said, continuing to glide her fingers along his muscular frame. “He told me the whole story.”
J.D. spit a piece of ice back into his glass. “I ain’t surprised. Tony loves nothin’ better than to wallow like a pig in the mud.”
“Maybe he’s happy for us.” Cat dragged her claws across J.D.’s neck, then followed with her ruby red lips. “Maybe he’s happy Halee’s little trick didn’t work. Uh, Oh,” she sang. “Baby died…”
J.D. shoved away and circled the counter. “You’re sicker than I thought, you know that?”
Cat laughed a dirty little laugh. “You want to know what’s sick?” she said, narrowing her eyes. “You’d rather fuck that little whore than me!”
“I told you the deal is over. I want you out by the time I get back tomorrow!” He headed for the back of the apartment.
“Not so fast, Federal Boy!” said Cat, following him down the hall. “I’m going to need a little something to keep me quiet.”
“You got what we agreed to, Cat. Take your greedy little ass back to Daddy.”
“I changed my mind. I’m going to need more incentive to keep your secrets from hitting the front page.”
“I don’t care what you tell or who you tell it to, Cat. I just want you gone.”
“I’ll tell the Federals about your shoulder. I’ll tell them how you lied to sign that contract. I’ll tell them everything!”
“Be my guest.”
“I’m glad your baby died!” she screamed.
J.D. turned on her, inching closer with the look of a murderer in his eye. She backed up one stiletto at a time. “If you were a man, I’d punch you right now.”
“Go ahead!” she spit. “You’re nothing but trash. Mexican trash raised by white trash. Go ahead and hit me!”
J.D. stared at her, breathing heavily.
“Yeah, I know you’re a dirty Mexican. Wiley told me everything,” she said. “Right after he fucked me!”
J.D. slammed his bedroom door and headed for the shower.
“Blood, J.D.! You’re gonna pay in blood for how you’ve treated me,” she sobbed.
J.D. locked the bathroom door and stood under a hot shower till the sound of Cat’s tantrum faded in the water’s white noise. Cat’s words had stung, mostly because some of them were true. He’d been willing to do anything to reach the top, setting up a string of lies that had left more than a few victims in its wake. He’d paid the price, losing the love of his life and the child they shared, but he hadn’t been the only one to suffer. It was time to right the wrongs.
He dried off and took a deep breath. Reaching for his phone, he speed dialed Victoria Pryor’s office and left a message. “Mrs. Pryor,” he began, “this is J.D. Shaw. I need an audience with you and the board this afternoon. I have a few confessions to make.”
~NINETEEN~
Victoria Pryor smiled at her Blackberry and congratulated herself on a hard won victory. “Yo
u were right from the beginning, Darling,” she purred into her phone. “J.D. might be the most stubborn player to come along in years, but the great ones are always difficult. With my star centerfielder focused on his future, the Federals are sure to win the pennant.”
“Focus might prove to be the hard part,” said King. “Halee’s gone missing.”
“What do you mean missing? She miscarried last night. A woman can’t just get up the next day and disappear.”
“I called the hospital this morning to check on her. I was abruptly told that Halee McCarthy was no longer a patient.”
“How can you discharge a woman who’s just lost her child?”
“There’s a new paradigm in healthcare,” said Tony. “It’s called profit.”
“Clearly.”
“She can’t be far. I’m pulling some strings with NYPD to locate her.”
Victoria sighed. “She could be anywhere. You’re forgetting that Halee can be as stubborn as her lover.”
“Former lover. That’s the other thing getting in the way. She’s written J.D. off.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. They were meant to be together, even if they are the last to know. She’s hurting, and rightfully so. He’ll beg her forgiveness and we’ll all live happily ever after.”
“I need my client to have his head in the game. I don’t have all season. The playoffs start in a few days. I need a fast resolution.”
“Then find her.”
“There’s a complication. Social Services took the child away. The mother resurfaced in Chicago.”
“Oh, for heaven’s sake! This is getting worse by the minute.”
“Apparently the mother has a good excuse for disappearing. Claims her brother was into some bad shit and she needed to keep the baby safe for a while. The judge is likely to award her custody again.”
Victoria sighed. “Halee loved that child so dearly. You’re right. This complicates things.” She tapped a pen on her glass desk and gazed over the morning skyline. “Perhaps we can convince the mother to disappear again.”
“She’s likely to do that on her own,” said Tony. “The question is, how soon, and will she leave the kid behind?”
“Perhaps we can persuade her in our favor.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Splendid. And find Halee while you’re at it. I have a charity to run.”
Victoria disconnected and began to dial another number when Cat burst through her door.
“He’s a liar and a cheater and he’s scammed you all along!” Cat was looking more devilish than ever in a bright red jumpsuit and black boots. By the looks of her dark eye circles and dry lips, she was also hung over.
Victoria leaned back in her executive chair. “Hello, Catrina.”
“You need to fire his ass!” Cat shouted, pacing across the Persian rugs. “He lied to you! We were never gonna get married! It was all a plot to get a Federals contract!”
“Yes, I know,” said Victoria calmly.
Cat gasped. “Well, ain’t that fraud? Shouldn’t you take him to court or something?”
Victoria studied her for a moment. “Let me ask you something,” she said with one finger on her chin. “When did you know about this little scheme?”
“She’s innocent.” J.D. came through the door, hat in hand, looking tired and troubled. “The whole thing was my idea, Mrs. Pryor. Cat had nothing to do with it.”
“That’s right!” said Cat, glaring at J.D. “For once, he’s telling the truth.”
“That’s very chivalrous of you, J.D.,” said Victoria, “but a little hard to believe. In fact, I believe it’s you I should be filing fraud charges against, Catrina.”
Cat gasped. “I ain’t the one who took a $750,000 sign-on bonus!”
“But you took a cut for your services, didn’t you? In fact, I’m willing to wager that the reason you’re so angry is that your bargain with J.D. has come to an end. Isn’t that right?”
Cat stared at J.D., mad enough to chew nails.
“Show a little class, Miss Hiett,” said Victoria. “He’s chosen someone else. I suggest you go quietly and preserve whatever dignity you have left.”
Cat hesitated.
“Or we can pursue this with my attorney.”
Cat stared hard at J.D., her eyes wet with tears. “You ain’t heard the last from me,” she spit. Turning on her spike heels, she slammed the door behind her.
Victoria gazed on J.D. a full minute. “How uncomfortable. But then, the last few days have been more than uncomfortable for you, haven’t they?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Why aren’t you at practice?” she asked.
“I reckoned I owed you an apology. Thought that ought to come first.”
“First?”
J.D. slid a piece of paper across Victoria’s desk. “Before my resignation.”
Victoria shoved it back without reading it. “Not accepted.”
“Mrs. Pryor…”
Victoria held up one hand. “J.D., you’re young and impulsive and more driven than most players I’ve come in contact with. Luckily you’re worth the trouble. You made that clear on the field yesterday. I would have done the same thing in your shoes. Although I probably would have chosen a different type of person…”
“That’s not what I’m here for, Mrs. Pryor. I lied about my fiancé, I lied about Cat, but I lied about something much bigger.”
“I’m listening.”
“My right shoulder is injured. Messed it up the night we signed the contract. Doc says I’ll need surgery once the season is through. I can’t guarantee I’ll be one hundred per cent when it’s all over. I can’t even guarantee I’ll be able to finish this season.”
“I see.”
“I broke the contract. I’ll return the money the first of the month, with interest. I‘ll appreciate it if you don’t take me to court. Maybe I can still get some work with a minor league team down the road.”
He turned to go.
“J.D.”
He turned back.
“You’re right. You should have told us before we signed you on. So should your agent.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“And he did.”
J.D. looked puzzled.
“Tony King told me all about your shoulder injuries. He also told me you had more heart and soul than any player he’d ever met, and even if you hurt that shoulder further you’d die trying to deliver on your contract.” She smiled slightly. “He was right. Underneath all that bravado and story stretching lies a man worth believing in.” She leaned back in her chair and studied the resignation letter for a moment. “On the other hand, a contract is a contract and I don’t spend a million dollars lightly. We’ll need a new contract going forward. That is, if you want to stay on the team.”
“Depends on the conditions.”
“Ah,” said Victoria with a smile. “Talent for business, as well. The conditions are this. You play every game until the end of the season.”
“I can’t guarantee my shoulder will last…”
“And we win. We win the Series.”
“I’m not the only player on the team, Mrs. Pryor. No one player can guarantee victory.”
“You can. I knew it the moment I first met you. You’ve got an iron will and the talent to make it happen. Find a way to force the same out of everyone else on the team.”
“You’re asking the impossible.”
“Those are the conditions, Mr. Shaw. Negotiations are in my favor. I have a signed confession in my hand. You agree or I take you to court.”
J.D. set his jaw and stood a little taller. “Anything else?”
“Yes. Get your rear end back to practice before I fine you for being late.”
“I can’t do that, Ma’am. I have somewhere else I need to be.”
“Halee?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
Victoria sighed and stared at the skyline. “You have three days to settle things, J.D. I need you to report b
ack to training two days before the first playoff game. Do I have your word?”
J.D. hesitated.
“We need you to clinch this Series, J.D.”
“Halee needs me more.”
“It’s the best I can do,” Victoria said firmly. “If you don’t report to training by Sunday evening, we go to court.”
J.D. headed toward the door.
“Oh, and J.D.,” said Victoria, “tell Halee to get back to work. She has a charity to run.”
***
Rita backed Uncle Gus’ truck into an empty space at a 7 Eleven directly across from a housing project north of Midway Airport. Twenty years prior, the city of Chicago had dedicated otherwise unusable land wedged between two freeways for low income housing. The units had looked their best the first day of completion and deteriorated every day since then. A chain link fence was the only barrier separating small children from the thunder of passing trucks and did nothing at all to keep out the noise or the filth kicked up by the steady stream of traffic.
Rita killed the engine. The two women sat in silence for a long moment, both pondering the scene before them. It was hard to imagine Ty living in this place, or anyone else, for that matter. Especially someone Halee loved so deeply.
“Do you think he’s here?” Halee asked.
“That’s what Bobby told me,” said Rita. “Said Chantrell’s been living with her brother and his arrest records pin him to this address. You never know, though,” she said, gazing out over the complex with a mixture of pity and disgust. “People like Chantrell and her brother move all the time.” She blew out a deep breath and looked over at Halee. “How are you feeling?”
“I’ve been better,” said Halee. “The blood just keeps coming. I go through a pad every hour.” She reached behind the seat and pulled out a bag filled with extra clothing. “Wait here. I need to change before I ruin Uncle Gus’s seats.”
“I’m not letting you go in there alone.”
“Nothing’s going to happen to me,” Halee assured her. “More likely, the truck will get vandalized if you leave.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I don’t have a choice.” Halee slipped out of the truck. “Lock the door behind me.”
