Stealing Second

by Alison Packard

  Trey regarded the attorney with an assessing gaze. “Aren’t you going to ask me if I did it?”

  Channing, a solidly built man of about fifty, unbuttoned his dark gray suit jacket and shrugged his broad shoulders. “My job is to keep you from being charged with attempted rape and clear you if you are. That’s much easier if you’re innocent. However, you’re not required to tell me.”

  “I didn’t do it,” he said, then looked at Jade. “I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a rapist.”

  “Why don’t we get down to business?” Adam broke the ensuing tension-filled silence. “The detectives aren’t expecting us for a couple of hours, so that gives us a fair amount of time to strategize.” He moved to the table and pulled out a chair. “Jade, why don’t you set up here and take notes as we go along. And Katherine…” He glanced at her. “Thanks for the heads-up on the security tape.”

  “What security tape?” Trey asked as he and Tom retook their seats.

  “The hotel security tape.” Katherine met Trey’s puzzled eyes. “I thought about it last night when Tom and I were—” she paused, slightly flustered by the amused quirk of Tom’s mouth “—when we were discussing your situation.” Shaking it off, she pulled out a chair across the table from where Jade had settled and sank down on the cushioned leather seat. “If we’re lucky, we may be able to prove that Ava was in your room for the amount of time you claim and that she left with her clothing in the same condition as when she walked in.”

  Trey let out a breath and leaned back in his chair, visibly relaxing. “A videotape will prove I’m telling the truth. Were you able to bring it with you?”

  “No. I wanted to, but Tom made a valid point. We don’t want Ava or her legal team to allege we doctored it in any way, so I called the Denver PD last night and asked them to have the lead detective get in touch with me as quickly as possible. She returned my call this morning and informed me they had already requested the tape and would have it in their custody this morning.”

  “So this could be over today?” Trey asked, his eyes hopeful as he looked from her to Channing, who’d taken a seat in between Adam and Jade.

  Channing leaned forward and focused his attention on Trey. “If the tape shows Ava leaving your room after a matter of minutes with her clothing not damaged beyond repair, as she alleges, it’s my opinion she doesn’t have a case.” He opened his briefcase and pulled out a yellow legal pad. “However, it isn’t wise to pin all of our hopes on a tape. If the camera angle is bad, or the video surveillance system was malfunctioning, then we’re right back to a he-said-she-said situation. I suggest we plan for that scenario in case the tape falls through.”

  The attorney pushed his briefcase to the middle of the table, then pulled a pen from his inside jacket pocket. “Shall we proceed?”

  * * *

  Four hours later Katherine sat in yet another conference room. One a lot smaller than the one she, Tom and Trey’s team had hunkered down in earlier in the day. Full of nervous energy, she sipped the large decaf coffee one of the detectives had offered her after she’d given her statement.

  Just before they’d ended their strategy session, Martha had finally returned her calls. And after Katherine gave her an overview of the situation between Trey and Ava before Ava’s accusations, Martha advised her to speak with the detectives, but to only say that Human Resources had been informed of possible inappropriate sexual conduct by Ava toward Trey and that an investigation had begun. Martha had also asked to speak to Tom and instructed him to acknowledge to the police that Trey had spoken to him prior to the date of the alleged incident about the sexual harassment, but nothing further. Martha didn’t know of Ava’s advances toward Tom, so whether he would tell them of it remained to be seen. She’d find out soon enough when he returned.

  Trey and his attorney were also in an interview room with the lead detective, and Adam had excused himself after receiving an urgent call from another client, so that left Katherine alone with Jade O’Brien.

  Across from her, Jade stared intently at her open laptop, intermittently typing in rapid bursts, then absently biting her lower lip when she paused to presumably gather her thoughts. After observing Jade for the last few hours, it was easy to see why Adam thought so highly of her. She’d efficiently taken notes on her laptop, retrieved any documents Adam needed from the several files in her tote bag, and even arranged for lunch to be brought in for all of them when it was obvious they needed a break.

  She’d also done her homework regarding Ava McCandless. All it had taken was a simple internet search for Jade to discover that long before Ava had gotten her hooks into Simon, she’d been accused of stalking the girlfriend of a professional football player she once dated. It seemed that Ava had a history of not handling rejection well. Or maybe she had a screw loose. Everything she’d done recently didn’t say much for her state of mind.

  All through the strategy meeting Katherine couldn’t help but notice the quick glances Jade and Trey gave each other when the other wasn’t looking. Other than that first brief exchange, they never spoke directly to one another again, but it was more than obvious each was aware of the other’s presence. Much like she was aware of Tom with every cell in her body. Even while being in the room with Adam, the attractive and interesting man she’d thought she might want to get to know better, it was Tom she was wholly aware of.

  “Can I get you more coffee?”

  Katherine blinked and Jade’s inquiring expression came into focus. She glanced at her cup. Still half-full. “No. Thanks,” she said, with a smile. “Are you still typing up the meeting notes?”

  Jade shook her head. “Just answering email. It builds up if I don’t take care of it quickly.”

  “Tell me about it.” Katherine set her cup down. “I logged in this morning and there were fifty more emails than there were yesterday afternoon. Luckily, I was able to forward most of them to various members of my staff.” She smiled. “I feel the same way about them as Adam does about you. I’d be lost without them.”

  “Adam and his partner are great.” Jade closed her laptop, then rested her arms on the table. She’d taken off her jacket, and Katherine couldn’t help but envy her smooth, naturally tanned skin. Although her surname was pure Irish, her olive complexion hinted at a Mediterranean or perhaps Latin ancestry. “I interned at Logan-Johnson during college. I’ve always loved sports and my goal is to one day be an agent. During my internship, I spoke with them both about my career aspirations and offered to work anywhere in the agency—even the mail room—after college so I could learn the business. Right after I graduated, they told me they would be willing to start me out as an executive assistant, with the expectation of shadowing them after a couple of years to learn the ropes. I agreed because I trust them implicitly and also because I wanted to pursue my master’s degree.” She brushed her hair over her shoulder and flashed a relieved smile. “I’ll be done with school in six months.”

  “I’m impressed,” Katherine said. “It’s tough going to school and working full-time. I pursued my MBA after I was hired by the Blaze, and for a while there it felt like I had no life except for work and school.”

  “No life is right. My boyfriend broke up with me because he said I didn’t have enough time for him.”

  “Oh, I’m sorry.”

  “I’m not.” Jade grinned. “He turned out to be a bit of a jerk.” She sighed. “I always seem to meet up with these super-self-absorbed men who think they’re the center of the universe and that I should consider myself lucky they bothered to notice me at all.” She rolled her eyes. “The egos some of these guys have are enormous.”

  “You’ll deal with a lot of healthy egos when you start representing athletes. But I’m sure you’ve already discovered that working at Logan-Johnson.” Katherine gave her a wry smile. “The tension between you and Trey wasn’t hard to miss.”

  Jade’s dark eyes narrowed. “We rubbed each other the wrong way the moment we met. I try to be polite, but I ca
n’t stand him.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he’s cocky and arrogant, and he thinks he can have any woman he wants with the snap of his fingers. The first time I met him at L-J he propositioned me.” Her eyes flashed with irritation. “I’m not about to become a notch on some oversexed athlete’s bedpost, and furthermore—” She stopped abruptly and stared at Katherine with wide, horrified eyes.

  “Are you okay?” Katherine asked.

  A tinge of pink crept up Jade’s neck and blossomed over her oval face. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I never should have spoken like that about one of our clients. Please forgive me for being so unprofessional.”

  Katherine waved a hand. “Don’t worry about it. Trey’s been known to ruffle a few feathers here and there, and it’s not uncommon for players to let fame and adulation go to their heads. Some grow out of it, some don’t. For what it’s worth, I’ve known Trey since he first joined the team. He’s a decent guy underneath all that cockiness. I’ve seen that for myself.”

  Jade didn’t look convinced. “If you say so.”

  The door opened and Adam stuck his head in. “Katherine, may I speak with you for a moment please?” He glanced briefly at Jade. “Out here.”

  Rising from her chair, Katherine nodded and Jade dutifully opened her laptop. Once she was outside the room and had closed the door behind her, Adam cupped Katherine’s elbow and led her a few feet from the conference room. Situated away from the main floor of the Sex Crimes Unit, the hallway was empty and quiet except for the low hum of office machines and ringing telephones, the universal white noise of offices everywhere.

  “What’s going on?” she asked, her pulse heightening at the sight of Adam’s tense jaw. “Did they arrest Trey?”

  “No.” Adam lifted a hand to the knot of his tie and loosened it. He looked tired, but it didn’t detract from his attractiveness one iota. “Trey and Mike are still in the interview room. But I thought you should know that Ava McCandless announced she’s selling the Blaze.”

  Although she’d half expected it, Katherine was still surprised. “When?” she asked, wondering why Doug hadn’t called to give her the heads-up. But knowing Ava and her unpredictability, it was entirely possible he was finding out now himself.

  “She held a press conference ten minutes ago. It was short, and she didn’t take questions.”

  “Probably because she didn’t want to talk about her allegations against Trey.”

  “I agree. Honestly, I believe she knows her bogus charges are going to blow up in her face and she’ll be in hot water with the commissioner. Selling the team now is actually a smart move on her part because she won’t have to deal with a disciplinary process that could end with her having to sell the team anyway.”

  “Did she say who she’s selling to?” Katherine asked. “Rumor has it Carlton Sprigg is interested.”

  “She said it was a group of investors from Texas, so it may very well be Sprigg. He’s wanted to own a professional baseball team for years.” Adam grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “And Lord knows he’s rich enough to pull it off.”

  “Isn’t that the truth? He could buy two teams if he had a mind to,” she said, and they both laughed.

  “What’s so funny?” Tom’s terse voice cut through their amusement.

  Katherine looked past Adam to find Tom glowering at them from a few yards away. “Adam just told me that Ava’s selling the team.”

  “And you find that amusing?” Tom moved toward them with the dark brown sport coat he’d worn most of the day folded over his arm.

  Adam turned toward Tom, but not before she saw a frown crease his brows. “Lighten up, Morgan. You didn’t hear the entire conversation.”

  Tom halted in front of them, the muscle in his jaw working furiously as he stared with stony eyes at Adam. “You’re right, Logan. So why not enlighten me?”

  “It’s not that important,” Katherine said quickly, hoping to squelch the rising testosterone level in the immediate vicinity. The last thing she needed was Tom and Adam going all alpha on each other. Tom had been churlish toward Adam all afternoon, and although Adam had taken it in stride, his supply of goodwill appeared to have dwindled considerably. “I’d rather hear how your interview went.”

  After a few tense seconds, Tom’s shoulders relaxed and the tic in his jaw disappeared. “It’s hard to tell. With that face, the guy could be a poker champion. I couldn’t read him at all.”

  “Did he—” she began, then was cut off by the ringing of her phone. “Excuse me, it’s probably Doug.” She pulled the phone from the pocket of her herringbone blazer and answered the call without glancing at the caller ID. “Hello.”

  “How’s my favorite daughter?”

  “Dad?” Disconcerted, she looked from Tom to Adam and shrugged. The booming voice of her father was the last thing she’d expected to hear.

  “Still as sharp as ever, I see.” Cal laughed. “I know you’re in Denver handling this Trey Gentry mess, but there’s some—”

  “How did you know I’m in Denver?” she interrupted, then sighed. “Never mind. I forgot it’s all over the news. If you’re calling to get the inside scoop, you’re out of luck. I don’t have any for you.”

  “Now, don’t get surly, Katie. That’s not why I’m calling.” Like Tom, he’d never abided by her wish to be called Katherine either. “I have some important news, and I wanted to share it with you before everyone else hears about it.”

  “Well, what is it? Are you and Fiona getting married?” she asked, lifting an impatient hand and shaking her head at Tom and Adam. “If you are, I approve.”

  He laughed. “Thanks for your blessing, but Fiona and I are fine with our current arrangement. But it’s nice to know you wouldn’t mind having her as a stepmother.”

  Katherine resisted the urge to stamp her foot. As usual, her father was making a production of whatever it was he wanted to share with her. “Then what the blue blazes is it?”

  Cal chuckled. “Brace yourself, daughter. Carlton and I are buying the San Francisco Blaze.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  For a stunned second, Katherine thought she’d her father heard incorrectly. “Are you serious? You and—” she said, then clamped her mouth shut. Until she had more details, broadcasting the massive bombshell her father had just laid on her didn’t seem like a smart idea.

  “Hang on a second, Dad.” She lowered the phone slightly and exchanged a quick glance with Tom. “I’ll be right back. I need to take this call in private,” she said, then moved several feet away to stand at the end of the corridor. Aware of both Tom and Adam’s interest, she turned and faced the window overlooking the parking lot.

  “You and Carlton are the new owners of the Blaze?” she asked, keeping her voice low.

  “Not yet,” her father said. “There’s a process that has to be followed. You know that better than anyone.”

  “But…but you don’t even like California.” She stared absently at the American flag atop a flagpole in front of the building, where a gentle breeze lifted it to fly proudly under the late afternoon sun. “It’s a blue state.”

  Cal chuckled. “True, but at the moment it’s the only state with a Major League Baseball team for sale.”

  “I don’t recall you ever being interested in owning a team. Did Carlton talk you into it?”

  “You know me well enough to know I make up my own mind. Especially when it comes to business. And there are four of us all told, but Carlton and I are putting up a helluva lot more cash than the other two.”

  Katherine lifted her hand and pressed two fingers to her temple. She loved her father dearly, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to work for a team he had control of. Her love of baseball wasn’t the only reason she’d turned down his offer to work at Whitton Oil Technologies and accepted the job with the Blaze. She wanted to advance in her chosen career on her own merits, not because she was the boss’s daughter. No matter how good she was at her job, ne
potism would have surely reared its ugly head. “How involved do you and Carlton plan to be?”

  “If you’re worried we’re going to come in and fire everyone, don’t be. We’ve done our homework. The only problem we see is the current owner. You should be over the moon Mrs. McCandless is selling the team to us. Unlike her, Carlton and I appreciate and respect the game.”

  “I hope you mean that. Everyone in the Blaze organization adored Simon. He treated us like family. A couple of years ago he tried like hell not to lay anyone off, but with the recession it couldn’t be helped. It hurt him deeply, and as soon as the economy started to rebound he made it clear that we were to reinstate those who were laid off when it was financially feasible.” She looked over her shoulder, and behind Tom and Adam she saw Trey and his attorney heading toward the conference room.

  “Dad, I’m sorry, but I’ll have to call you back later tonight or tomorrow. I need to finish up what I’m doing here in Denver. Love you,” she said, then ended the call before he could protest. Taking a breath, she tried to ignore the quick twist in her stomach at the sight of Trey’s grim expression and moved away from the window.

  Although Adam’s attention was focused on Trey, Tom’s concerned gaze skimmed over her as she approached. She gave him a tight smile and halted beside him.

  “How did it go?” Adam asked, and looked from Trey to Channing.

  “Trey’s free to return to Phoenix,” Channing said as he and Trey joined them. “They reviewed the video surveillance tape but wouldn’t divulge the contents. I’m sure they wanted to get Trey’s account of the incident on the record before revealing what was on it.”

  “I know what’s on it.” A defiant scowl settled on Trey’s face. “The truth.”

  Katherine slipped her phone into her blazer pocket. “What’s the next step?”