by R Weir
“How did he feel about you replacing him?” I asked.
“He understood,” replied Casey. “It’s part of the game. I would have preferred winning the job on the field but one always has to be ready to take over—next man up, as they say.”
“Ray was damn good,” said Stoney. “Might be good enough to make pro with the right breaks. We all understand the risks but we also think it won’t happen to us. I myself tweaked a knee earlier in the season and wondered if my year was over. Luckily, I only missed a couple of weeks. Taped it up, wore a brace and I was back on the field. It sucks what happened to Ray. Only so much you can do when it’s your brain.”
“Anyone know where he might have gone? Any other male or female friends he might be with?”
“He does have a girlfriend,” said Parker. “A hot one, too.”
“I’ve already talked with Ariela and she says they are no longer involved.”
“Ariela wasn’t his girlfriend,” replied Casey. “Just some fun on the side he screwed. His real girl is Shawna. She is one of the school cheerleaders. I would say talk with her.”
This was news to me, as I’d not learned this from my last trip up.
“How long have they been together?” I asked.
All three looked at each other, trying to come up with the proper answer. “Less than a year, I’d say,” said Brad. “Ray was a hound with the ladies. He could get anyone he wanted. He was like a rock star when he came here. Nailed a few others before he settled down with Shawna. Well, maybe settled down is too strong a word. She was his most consistent relationship.”
“Where can I find her?”
“They practice at Butler Hancock in the afternoon about the same time we do, which is 3 p.m. If the weather is good, they train on the field with us at Nottingham.”
“Probably too chilly for them today,” stated Parker. “Their tits would be extra hard in the cold air and stick through their outfits, distracting us players. And the coaches don’t like us distracted.”
The three of them laughed out loud with more high-fives exchanged. Oh, the sweet bird of youth!
I finished up the sandwich, which wasn’t bad for school food. I reached into my wallet passing out business cards.
“Thanks for the info, gentlemen. If you think or hear anything about Ray, give me a call. His parents are worried and want to make sure he is safe.”
“All kidding aside,” said Casey. “We do like the dude and hope he is OK.”
“Yeah, he is one of our teammates so we do care about him,” added Parker.
I shook each of their hands and walked out of the dining hall. I had a couple hours until practice so I wasn’t sure what to do next. While walking I sensed someone following me. I took my time and rounded a corner near the side of the building ducking down behind a trash can. Shortly along came a young lady dressed in black with black and red hair. She passed by and stopped, trying to figure out where I went. I stood up behind her, startling her. She wasn’t sure what to do but in her defense she didn’t run. She had a long strand of hair covering the entire right side of her face, but I could see she had a nose and lip ring. She glared at me, straight in the eye, and gave me a big frown.
“Looking for me?” I asked.
“I wasn’t trying to stalk you or anything,” she answered. “I wanted to speak with you some place others couldn’t listen in.”
“Where would you like to go?”
“Can we walk and talk?”
“Sure. What do you want to discuss?”
“Ray. He is my best friend and I’m worried.”
Chapter 7
I followed along beside her walking the grounds. She was mysterious looking and I certainly would have never guessed she had been Ray’s best friend. Her long black coat nearly dragged on the ground; black stretch pants covered her slender legs, with a meshing over top. She had various symbols on a cut-short black shirt leaving her navel exposed. She had rings on every finger, with lots of bracelets on her wrists. Black platform boots, dark eyeliner and lipstick completed the ensemble. She was the polar opposite of what you would expect a jock’s best friend would look like.
“So you and Ray are best friends?” I asked.
“Since high school.”
“So you went to Lincoln?”
“Yes.”
From what I could see on her face she was telling the truth. Plus, there was no exposed private skin to throw me off, as with Ariela.
“I know you don’t believe me. Most people don’t when I tell them.”
“Actually, I do. Though it does seem you two are different in a lot of ways.”
“Yes, we are. Probably wouldn’t have been friends if it wasn’t for him speaking up for me with some boys who were bullying me at school.”
“At Lincoln?”
She nodded her head.
“You became friends?”
“Yes. We’ve been close ever since and we talk almost every day.”
“But not lately, I’m guessing.”
“No he’s been distant since his last concussion. I’ve tried to reach out to help him, but I haven’t had much luck. I think he has been getting himself into some trouble. I know he was hanging out at a strip joint with a couple of bad dudes. He wouldn’t give me any details because he felt he could handle it. I think he was into something he couldn’t get out of.”
“Do you know their names?”
“No. He never told me. I wouldn’t be caught dead in that hell-hole, as they demean women.”
“When did you last talk with him?”
“About a week ago, and only via text. He’s been avoiding me lately. I think he was mad I was on his case. I was worried he was going to get hurt. I care a great deal for him.”
“So, no ideas on where he might be now?”
“There was a dancer he’d been seeing.”
“Yeah, she ended it with him. Said there was no future. What about the cheerleader, Shawna?”
“I doubt it. She was pretty hung up on him, but he didn’t love her.”
“And you do?”
She stopped in her tracks and turned to me, her eyes looking at her boots. I’d hit a nerve and she acted uncomfortable at the suggestion. After a minute her eyes met mine.
“What makes you think I love him?”
“A hunch. Little clues that make me wonder. The look on your face when you talk about him. Body mannerisms when you say his name. Part of the skill of being a detective. Actually more of a wild guess, to tell the truth.”
“OK, yes, I love him. Though nothing will ever come of it.”
“Because of the differences between you?”
“Yes. He is my best friend but I know we’ll never be a couple. His dad would never approve and his approval is important, even though Ray would never admit it.”
“Have you ever met his dad?”
“Yes, but he didn’t like me. Bill didn’t want Ray and me to be friends. He believed his son could do better.”
This really surprised me about Bill. I thought he was a little more progressive about things like interracial relations. Maybe it was because it was his kid. Or he had a hidden side to him I’d never witnessed before. Not surprising, since he wasn’t exactly an open book.
“Here is my card,” I said. “Call me if you hear from him.”
“Please call me, too; I need to know if he is OK.”
She gave me her number and I placed it into my phone. Her real name was Constance, but she liked to be called Raven.
“It’s good he has a friend like you,” I said. “I’ll be sure to let you know if I learn anything after I call his parents. Can I walk you to your next class?”
“Sure,” she said, and we talked the whole way. I found her interesting and quite smart.
Once we said our goodbyes I headed towards the athletic center again to try and find Shawna. The maze of people I conversed with so far had led me to few new facts on Ray. No one seemed to have any idea where he was right now, which wa
sn’t a good thing. His closest friend didn’t know much and was worried. Now I needed to see if the girlfriend knew anything that would shed some light. It hadn’t been this hard to track him down the first time. I was growing concerned there was more involved.
Arriving at the building I asked for directions to where the cheerleaders practiced. The lady at the front counter stared at me strangely like I was a pervert. Showing her my license, I told her I was searching for a missing student and that one of the cheerleaders was his girlfriend. She seemed relieved, and pointed me in the right direction. I went through the hallways until I found the gym. Inside there were several female and male students working their routines. An older woman approached me, telling me this was a closed practice. I again showed my ID and asked to talk with Shawna.
“She is busy, can this wait?” she stated with a growl.
“Her boyfriend is missing, so I’m sure she can spare a few minutes from saving the world.” It was my shot at what I thought of cheerleading in general. I doubted it helped much to place it on your resume.
She grumbled but called out to Shawna to come over, and with a jog she joined us.
“This man needs to speak with you,” she said. “She can spare ten minutes then she must get back to work. Our routine is in the toilet and we need to fix it quickly.”
“Shawna, my name is Jarvis Mann and I’m a private detective. Can we go for a walk and speak some?”
“I don’t think Coach would be pleased if I left,” she replied.
“It makes it easier to talk and frankly, ‘your routine in the toilet’ is not a major crisis in my book. If she gives you any grief, I can shoot her if you’d like.”
She gave me a big smile. “Sure, I guess it would be OK.”
We stepped out of the gym and made our way down the hall. I figured it was always best for people to open up without prying eyes and ears nearby.
“I’m looking for Ray,” I said. “His parents are worried. He appears to be missing. I understand you two are seeing each other, so I’m wondering if you know where he might be.”
She stopped in her tracks. “Missing?”
“Yes, for a little over a week now. Have you seen him recently?”
“No. We broke up about ten days ago. He called a couple of times but I didn’t want to talk with him.”
“Why did you break up?”
“Because he was seeing that slut! Banging her instead of making love to me. I don’t stay with two-timing guys.”
“Who was he, uh, banging?”
“Some dancer at a strip joint. I didn’t know her name.”
“When did you find out?”
“Shortly before I left him. I could smell her on him. I didn’t want to get VD. Who knows who else the whore had slept with? Probably screws guys as part of her living.”
From talking with Ariela, this appeared likely.
“How did you find out?”
“I got suspicious so I followed him to the club he’d been going to. He was there with her and those two mean friends of his. I met them once and didn’t care for them, either. They were eyeballing me, whispering to each other and imagining what it would be like to screw me. They were creepy.”
“Do you know their names?”
She stopped to think for a minute. “Grady and Mack, I believe. Grady was black and Mack was white. They dressed well but they were thugs. I didn’t like Ray being with them but they made him feel special, especially after the injuries had knocked him down a peg or two. He needed some masculine building-up and they were providing it. I also think they were spotting him cash.”
“Was it a lot of money?”
“I don’t know, but I warned him he could lose his eligibility. The NCAA doesn’t look kindly upon those things.”
“Did you tell anyone this?”
“No. I cared too much for him to squeal. Please don’t tell on him. Even though I think he is a pig for cheating on me, I still don’t want him to lose his scholarship. It would only make it worse for him. Football is his life.”
“How long had you been seeing each other?”
“We started dating earlier in the year.”
“Was your relationship exclusive?”
She threw her head back and sighed.
“It was for me. I knew he played around some, being a big-shot athlete. Girls were always coming on to him. I looked the other way for a while but the way I felt about him…as time went on, I sensed he didn’t feel the same for me.”
“When did it go completely off the rails?”
“He was having issues after the first concussion, although it was much worse after the second one. It really threw him, and it changed him in a lot of ways. His concentration was off and he had real trouble sleeping. In bed together it wasn’t the same, if you know what I mean. I did my best to understand and help, but he was too proud to admit to having problems. The macho athlete code got in the way. He was drifting, and I knew I’d lost him and wasn’t getting him back.”
“Do you have any idea where he’d be now?”
“If he isn’t home then he’d be with those two creeps or with the slut. Check out the club and you might find him. It had been his fortress of solitude the last few weeks before I broke up with him.”
“Shawna,” sounded the booming voice of her coach from down the hall. “It’s time to get back to work. No more dilly-dallying.”
“I’ve got to go. Mother is calling.”
“I can still shoot her if you want. A little flesh wound to change her attitude.”
She smiled again, though a few tears filled her eyes. “Thanks. Save your bullets. I do hope you find Ray. I don’t want anything bad to happen to him. I did love the guy, but I had to move on.”
I handed her my card, with the same line as all the others. The way I was handing them out, I’d need to order a new supply. Hopefully they would yield some results, as I was killing a lot of trees.
Chapter 8
I decided to get a bite to eat at a local Subway in an effort to drop a few pounds. In the commercials they claimed all I had to do was eat there every day and off it would come. Since Madison Avenue never lied, I’d be slimmer and trimmer in no time.
I enjoyed the meal in my car while checking out the location of The Hustle. It wasn’t a long drive but took me to the other side of town, east of the campus. It was already dark when I arrived short of 7 p.m. The day had flown by but still I hadn’t a clue where Ray was. I was hoping to strike gold here and finally learn something that would lead me to him.
It was early yet so the parking lot was mostly empty. I navigated the potholes and found a place up front. The outside appeared pretty shabby and I didn’t have high hopes for the inside. I decided I’d better have my gun with me, as it didn’t appear this was a family-friendly environment. So I slipped on my shoulder holster and strapped in my Berretta, making sure it was loaded and the safety was on, all concealed under my jacket. As I reached the front door, a large black man asked me for some ID.
“Members only,” he bellowed.
I pulled out a couple of twenties and handed it to him. “Will this cover me for one night?”
He pocketed it without hesitation while letting me in. “Enjoy yourself.”
Once I stepped inside I saw the place wasn’t a total dump, but it wasn’t Vegas either. It was very warm and the sound was ear-shatteringly loud, with modern dance music I didn’t care for. There were about ten patrons in the place, all men, most of whom were in suits. They were enjoying the show on the stage, where the mostly naked woman were doing their best to dance. Their G-strings barely covering their lower bodies, the chests completely exposed and wiggling to their gyrations. Many places like this didn’t allow the patrons to touch the dancers but here it appeared to be encouraged, as two of the men were getting rubbed down by one dancer, while she bounced back and forth between the two. The more money they flashed the more she would do. If I wasn’t so real world–hardened I’d probably be blushing, not that
anyone could see it in this dim lighting. I sat down at a table and a waitress, slightly more clothed, wearing spandex bottoms but still topless, came up asking me what my pleasure was, her chest pointed straight at me.
“I’m sure many men here answer your question in a naughty way,” I said to her.
“Yes, most do. We are trained to say it, make it sound sexy. Gets them riled up. Good for business.”
“Good to know they don’t skimp on training the staff,” I said. “I’ll do my best to control myself. I’ll take a draft light beer if you have it, and run a tab.”
She wiggled away, also part of the training, and I had to admit I enjoyed the skin she was showing, though I’d say Melissa’s was more to my liking. She returned quickly, setting the suds and bill on the table.
Surveying the room I saw two guys who fit the description of Grady and Mack, though it was hard to tell since the lighting was so bad. The stage strobe flashed in rhythm with the music, doing little to brighten the place and only blinded you. They were sitting at a large table near the front, each with a woman cradled on their laps whispering in their ears. When the sound stopped, the two women left and went backstage. About ten minutes passed and the music started again and a new pair of dancers hit the stage, one of whom was Ariela. She had on a biker outfit, chaps, spiked leather boots, a black leather bra with tassels, and a skull cap covering her hair. The other dancer was dressed nearly the same and both of them began to dance to “Bad to the Bone.” This brought hoots and hollers from the men in the crowd as they gyrated around, doing their best to tease the men and slowly disrobe.
I decided to move closer and made eye contact with her. She had now removed her bra and was slowly stripping out of her chaps. I pulled out some cash and began waving it at her. She stepped down off the stage and came over to me, snuggling up against me with her sweaty body. I took a couple of bills and placed them into her G-string, and she came around and straddled me, rubbing her crotch against mine. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant and I was playing a part, looking like someone enjoying themselves. She put her mouth to my ear and began nibbling.
