by Gregg Stutts
What Max had to find out now was how high up the Dante scandal went. He didn’t even want to consider the possibility that Joe Patterson was involved.
Chapter 76
Max looked at his phone. It was almost three o’clock. He should be leading a Monday practice in forty-five minutes. Instead, he was trying to figure out how to get justice for Dante’s mother, how to keep himself and Michelle one step ahead of whatever awaited them back in Lakeside and possibly avoid being arrested for killing Jack Murphy.
“Max, help me understand why Jack or anyone with the university would risk bringing Dante to Lakeside the way they did,” Michelle said.
“It all comes down to winning football games,” he said. “Winning means happy alumni. Happy alumni mean more donations. More donations mean better facilities, which means better recruits, which means more wins. And so on. Most likely, Dante would have finished out his high school career in Alabama and then played for Alabama or Auburn. Someone decided it was worth stealing him from them and bringing him to Northern Arkansas State with a stop-over at Lakeside High School.”
“And they’d be willing to get caught?” she asked.
“There’s so much money involved in college football, Shelle,” he said. “Forbes published an article last year that showed the top twenty-five college football programs accounted for over $1.2 billion in revenue. And that was just the top twenty-five schools. There are over a hundred Division-1 schools. With that kind of money at stake, they’re willing to take risks.”
“So I guess someone would be willing to kill, too?” she said.
That was really what it had come down to. Someone, and that person was not yet known, had been willing to kill Dante. Was it to keep him quiet? Had someone simply tried to scare him and gotten carried away? Or did they mean to send a message? Maybe Dante would serve as a warning to others in the future.
Max thought back to the morning Jack mentioned a new player moving to Lakeside from the Dallas area. He’d been confused at the time when he had said, “You’re welcome.” Now it was making sense. Dante had been the first, but there were others. Jack was building the pipeline.
It was somebody’s job to identify up and coming high school players. It was Jack’s role to pay them a visit and make them “an offer they couldn’t refuse.”
Whatever player Jack had in mind had never materialized. Maybe the powers-that-be were getting nervous. Maybe they wanted to get the situation with Dante worked out before bringing anyone else in. Max tried to think of any other star players who had moved to Lakeside during his time on the coaching staff. He couldn’t think of any and wondered if Dante was the first.
“Shelle, I’m not sure anything would surprise me at this point,” Max said. “It wouldn’t surprise me if other schools were doing the same thing. What better way to steal a top recruit from another school than to throw some money at a needy family while the kid is still young?”
They walked to their car, got in, then realized they didn’t have anywhere to go yet. “I think we need to stay out of Lakeside for at least another night,” Max said. “We need a game plan before we go rolling back into town. If Lakeside’s police chief is in on this, then I might get picked up the moment I show up at school. Let’s get a room here in Eureka Springs.”
“How about that place we stayed at for our anniversary that time?” Michelle said. “Remember the Enchanted Forest Resort?”
“That sounds good to me.” Michelle was grinning. “What’s so funny?” he said.
“Do you really not have a game plan or are you just trying to get another night in a hotel with me?” she said.
“Well, I really don’t have a game plan,” he said.
“But?”
“But I’m trying to get another night in a hotel with you,” he said. Then added, “Satisfied, Miss Smarty Pants?”
“Very,” she said, still grinning.
Chapter 77
The Enchanted Forest Resort was a little north of downtown Eureka Springs and had a number of secluded, luxury cabins. Fortunately, they had one available. They’d enjoyed a long weekend there before Sarah had gotten sick and before he’d taken the head coaching position at Lakeside. It was before life had gotten complicated. Before he’d gotten so angry. He knew that was an issue he would still need to deal with if he and Michelle were going to be truly healthy together.
They stopped at a grocery store on their way and loaded up with enough groceries for a night and a day. Each cabin had a full kitchen, so Max offered to cook dinner while Michelle took a bath. He prepared a salad, gluten-free chicken piccata and sautéed zucchini. As he cooked, he tried to formulate a plan for the next day.
He had enough information, so now it would come down to what to do with it. He couldn’t go to the police, at least not the Lakeside police. He wasn’t even sure which law enforcement agency would have jurisdiction over something like this? The sheriff? The state police? The FBI? Maybe he should try contacting the NCAA.
No matter who he approached, he realized how easily this could all blow up in his face. There was no guarantee he would come out of this looking squeaky-clean. In fact, he could very easily come out of it looking just as bad as the others who were actually guilty. As the head coach, he was responsible for what went on in his program. Clearly, Dante was an illegal player. No one would care that Max hadn’t known about Jack Murphy providing a house for the family and a job for Ms. Jones.
He would have to do some soul searching on that one. He should have asked questions. He should have looked into Dante’s situation. Some people might give him a pass since he’d been dealing with the death of his daughter, but it didn’t really excuse it. The buck had to stop with someone. And as the head coach, the buck had to stop with him. And that’s when he realized what he had to do. The plan came together in an instant.
But it could wait until morning. Tonight was another night in a hotel with Michelle.
Chapter 78
Their cabin was the Hilltop Hideaway, which came with a two-person hot tub in the master bedroom. Michelle relaxed in the hot water while Max finished preparing dinner. The past two days with him were intimate and exciting, not to mention full of danger. She’d really meant it when she told him she was into “fugitive sex.”
She knew he was trying to win her heart back. A heart he’d almost lost for good. She’d almost given it to Chris. Like she had once before. The last ember of love for Max was slowly being extinguished and then she’d gotten the text from him. The one where he’d asked what made her feel loved.
“Shelle, dinner will be ready in five minutes,” Max called from the kitchen.
“I’ll be right there.” She enjoyed the warmth of the water a little longer, then got out, toweled off and stood in front of the mirror. She could hear Max setting the table in the other room.
At first, it made her angry that he didn’t already know the answer. Chris knew. He didn’t need to ask. He knew what made her feel loved and special and beautiful and wanted.
And so she’d let things go too far. That was a nice way of saying it. At the time, it felt right. At the time, she told herself she deserved to feel loved and wanted again. She wondered what Max might suspect. Did he know how far she’d gone? And if he didn’t, did he want to know?
I’m going to have to tell him.
Chapter 79
Michelle sat down at the table while Max finished up in the kitchen. She opened the bottle of wine and poured a glass of Pinot Noir for each of them. She took a sip of wine and said, “What are we having?”
“Oh, don’t worry, it’s something you’ll like.”
“Well, it smells good, whatever it is,” she said.
“I promise, you’ll love it.”
“I’m sure I will. Anything for dessert?”
“Um, no, I hadn’t planned anything for dessert. Sorry.”
Michelle took another sip of wine. “That’s okay. We’ll figure something out.”
Max came out of the kitch
en and saw Michelle seated at the table. Topless. He set the plates down and said, “Wow!”
She took a sip of wine and said, “Yes, dear?”
He sat down without taking his eyes off her. “You know it’s really not fair.”
“What isn’t?”
“Oh, come on. Romance for a woman means dinner and talking and feelings and candles. Stuff like that.”
“So?”
“All you have to do is show your breasts.”
“Mmm, this smells so good,” she said. “What is it?”
“Chicken picatta,” he said. “So I’m really supposed to concentrate now?”
“Why don’t you say the blessing so we can eat,” she said. “I’m really hungry.”
Max prayed, but with his eyes open.
They were quiet for a couple minutes while they ate, then Michelle said, “This is all going to work out, Max. You know that, right?”
“Do you mean us or everything happening in Lakeside?” he said.
“Both.” After a moment, she set her fork down, took a deep breath and said, “Max, there’s something I have to…”
“Hold on, Shelle,” Max said looking at his phone. “It’s Ms. Jones.”
Chapter 80
Cell phone reception was better on the deck so Max stepped outside to take the call. Michelle sipped her wine and waited for him to return. She was confident everything would work out with Ms. Jones and the issues with the football program. It might get ugly for a few days, but the truth would come out and they’d be okay somehow.
She also believed their marriage would be okay, but that would depend on both of them being willing to forgive and put the past behind them. She’d already chosen to do that. Now Max would have to as well.
She was surprised he hadn’t asked about Chris yet. Maybe he’d already put the past behind them. Still though, she had to tell him. He had to know what exactly he was putting behind him.
She hadn’t planned on bringing it up over dinner, but there would never be a good time. Of course, sitting there topless might seem manipulative now. Maybe it would be best to wait.
The door opened and Max came back inside.
“Everything okay?” Michelle asked.
“She’s nervous,” Max said. “She’ll be okay though. I told her what you said.”
“What did I say?”
“That everything would be okay.”
“Oh, right, that.”
Max took a bite of his food and swallowed the rest of his wine. “What were you saying before the phone rang?”
Michelle finished her wine too. “It can wait,” she said then sat down on Max’s lap with her legs straddling him.
Chapter 81
Tuesday, October 1
Over breakfast, Max and Michelle formulated their plan. The time of playing defense was over. It was time to go on offense and drive the ball right down their throats. A suffocating defense was great, but keeping the other team’s offense off the field by controlling the ball and the game was the way to win.
For the time being, they would stay at the cabin in Eureka Springs. Max was confident he would be able to work things out, but it was way too risky to stay at their house in Lakeside.
They left the cabin a few minutes after nine o’clock in the morning. The first thing they needed to do was go to the airport to pick up his truck and take it back to the cabin. Michelle would do that while he went to the high school. His first stop would be Bill Jackson’s office. He was going to give Bill the benefit of the doubt and assume he’d be willing to do the right thing when presented with the choice. If he didn’t cooperate, then Bill would receive adequate warning of the coming fallout.
He wasn’t going to give Bill advance notice he was coming. You don’t let your opposition know the plays you plan to run against them. And even though he was going to give Bill the benefit of the doubt, he had to consider Bill the opposition, so he needed the element of surprise on his side.
At a few minutes past ten-thirty, Max parked his rental car in the lot outside the athletic offices. He went unnoticed as he entered the building and walked down the hall to Bill’s office. It had only been a few days since he’d been on school grounds, but it suddenly felt like foreign territory.
Bill’s receptionist looked surprised to see him enter the waiting area. Max said good morning, opened the door to Bill’s office and walked in unannounced. Bill was even more surprised than his assistant.
“Good morning, Bill,” Max said as he took a seat.
“Max? What are...what are you, I mean...” Bill’s reaction made it clear Max was the last person he’d expected to see in his office that morning.
“I thought you wanted to meet, Bill? Did I misunderstand?”
“Ah, no, you didn’t misunderstand, but I’m not sure this is really the time or the place to do this,” Bill said.
“Do what exactly, Bill?” Max said, raising his voice. “I’m the football coach. You’re the athletic director. Where else would we meet?”
Bill came out from behind his desk and pulled a chair up next to Max, presumably to get Max to lower his voice. “You don’t have Dante’s mother here, do you?” Bill said.
“No, I don’t,” Max said. “Should I?”
“No, no, that’s good,” Bill said. Max could see Bill was trying hard to gather himself and assess the situation.
Max had no intention of letting that happen. “Bill, I’ve always liked you. So that’s why I came to you first.”
“What are you talking about?” Bill said.
“I’m talking about doing the right thing.” He looked at Bill and let the words sink in. “I’m talking about giving you the chance to do the right thing.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Max. I’m the one who should be the one giving you the…”
Max cut him off. “Don’t, Bill. Don’t go there. Just stop. I told you I came to you first so you could do the right thing. If you want to play games with me, then you’re going to lose.”
Bill stopped talking, but Max could see the tension on his face. His eyes narrowed. His jaw was clenched. He looked ready to either run for his life or throw a punch. Either would have been fine, but after everything he’d been through over the past month, he’d have preferred Bill take a swing. He didn’t though.
“Max, you need to listen. You need to understand who you, who we’re, dealing with,” Bill said. “They’re feeling backed into a corner right now. They admit things got out of hand. People got hurt, but…”
Now it was Max who could feel his jaw clenching. Through gritted teeth, he said, “Got hurt?” Max stood up. “Got hurt?” His voice was getting louder again. “People didn’t get hurt, Bill! People died! A young man died! One of my players!” Max stood up and looked down at Bill.
“Max, please sit down,” Bill said. “Let me try to explain. And please keep your voice down.”
“Bill, I didn’t come here for an explanation,” Max said. “I’m simply going to ask you one question. Just one. And I want you to tell me the truth.”
“What do you want to know?” Bill said.
“Were you aware that Jack Murphy was funneling money from the Pioneer’s football foundation to Dante’s family?”
Bill sat quietly. Max could see he was thinking carefully about his answer. “Yes,” he said finally.
“Then I have another question,” Max said. “Do you know who killed Dante?”
Perspiration was forming on Bill’s forehead. “Possibly,” he said.
“Possibly? What does that mean?” Max said.
Bill stood up and began to pace around his office. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead. “Look, when Jack first came to me with this, I told him I wanted no part of it. I told him there was no way I would clear Dante to play football here.”
“So what happened?” Max said.
Bill sat down behind his desk and turned to look out the window. It was the look of a man who knew his days
of being the athletic director were numbered. “They took pictures,” Bill said.
“What pictures?” Max said. “What are you talking about?”
Bill slumped in his chair, head hung low. “Of me. With a student,” he said. “They set me up.”
“What happened? How?” Max said.
“It was a few days after I told Jack that Dante was ineligible to play at Lakeside,” Bill said. “She was a senior. She played on the volleyball team. She was here at school late one night. Said her car wouldn’t start. She asked me for a ride.”
