Cross of Ivy
Page 30
“Ginny, this is Russ.” He smiled at his wife and pecked her cheek.
“Nice to meet you,” Ginny said.
“At long last, I meet the Ginny Houston. It is a pleasure.” Russ’s genuine response warmed Ginny instantly. She had been skeptical about bringing in strangers, but her husband was so insistent and he really trusted this man. She was glad she liked him.
“I’ve made coffee and lunch. I hope you’re both hungry.”
“Famished and grateful. Is that fresh bread I smell?” Russ said as he unconsciously rubbed his belly and lifted his nose in the air.
“Yep. It’s about to come out of the oven.” Ginny smiled and turned. The two men watched her disappear toward the kitchen. She was about five-six, trim but not skinny, and walked with the sure step of a woman who felt secure and in control of her home and her life.
Ric led the way to a large room full of family pictures, a wall of bookshelves with space for the TV, and other entertainment choices. Comfortable overstuffed traditional furniture in blues and greys with red accents beckoned. Above the brick fireplace rested a collection of mugs of various sizes, designs, and origins, some of ceramic or clay, some of glass or pewter, all with a story behind them.
They sat across from each other in matching rockers. “I need to think clearly, Russ. I mean, am I crazy, or am I right about this?”
“You’re not crazy. He can’t stay here. To do that would poison the whole department and eventually the university. From what you’ve told me, the visibility of the program and all that you do makes it impossible to neatly tuck this skeleton away. Besides, there’s Sam, and you have the Abby accident thing on top of it. It’ll all come out. He should go, but you need to be sure you’re prepared for the worst-case scenario.”
“What’s that?”
“Getting fired.”
“Oh. Yeah. I thought of that. Stuart will want me for fish bait if Zach is canned, and he has a lot of friends, or should I say, fellow piranhas, and they are powerful.”
“First, can you live with that?”
“Ginny and I have talked it through a lot. It comes down to this. I can’t live with Zach as my football coach. I haven’t slept a whole night for weeks now, waiting for my suspicions to grow horns. If he stays, I go. You’re the only one besides Ginny who knows that. But frankly, I don’t know if I want to wag that threat out too soon; somebody might see it as an easy solution. They’d be wrong, but still...”
“Okay, we’ll start from the premise that you can live with being fired if Zach isn’t. Let’s map this out. If any of this feels bad, stop me. Step one: Whose decision is it, yours or the chancellor’s?”
“Mine, I think.”
“You have to find out. Let’s get all the steps down first and then see where you sit. Step two: Confront Zach again with all of the facts. See what he says. Step three: either offer support, counseling, talking with him and Abby, see if they can make the marriage work. All that. Or, if he remains in denial and arrogant, and if it’s your decision, ask him to resign. What kind of shape is his wife in now? Was it on purpose, do you think?”
“On purpose? God, I hadn’t considered that. I don’t think so. Jesus, I hope not. And now, well, she’s off the critical list and mending. If she hadn’t been found within the hour, she’d have been dead. Christ almighty, that woman’s been put through hell, and it’s just going to get worse for her.”
“If this weren’t so awful, it’d be funny. I mean, who’d believe this shit?” Russ leaned back in the rocker and laughed. “You’re in for a hell of a ride, but I think you can handle it. And if we think this through every step of the way, maybe you’ll even be stronger in the end.”
Ginny walked in carrying a tray of turkey and Swiss sandwiches on thick slices of steaming bread.
“This is heaven, Ginny. You’re a lucky man, Houston,” Russ said between bites.
“I know. I’ve been blessed.” Ric reached over to Ginny and patted her hand. “Thanks, Gin, this is fantastic as usual.”
“Well, good. I’d love to stay, but I have bridge club in half an hour, and I have to get all the way to Hillman’s. I’ll talk to you later. Russ, your room’s ready. Your host can show you the way.” Ginny said she hated to leave, but she knew she’d hear all about it later and have time to put in her two cents. “I put the phone on answer, so you don’t need to bother with it.”
“Thanks, Gin, have a good time.”
Ric was warmed by the bread that had been lovingly kneaded and shaped by his wife’s hands. He couldn’t imagine life without her. Together they had built a life, nice friends, terrific kids. Maybe he took it too much for granted, and Zach was a reminder that all was not always well in Camelot.
Breaking into his thoughts, Russ asked, “How many of your staff know what’s going on, and who are they?”
“My personnel director knows what I know up to today. Before he knew who the principals were, I asked him what he thought I should do if a supervisor was sleeping with a subordinate. He said that would be a serious ethical breach because of the supervisor-supervisee relationship, but that I’d better be damn sure I could prove it or stay out of it.” Ric stood up and began to pace the braided rug in front of the fire.
“Good advice.” Russ followed his friend’s deliberate walk with his eyes, back and forth, hands in his pockets, rattling his change.
“Yeah. Well, that’s what I did. I just kept my eyes and ears open, looking for and hoping I wouldn’t find anything more. Then I decided to start looking at travel expenses and phone bills. I needed to see if it was what I thought it was.
“So I talked to my whole group in a soundproof room in a non-athletic building, cloak and dagger stuff, for chrissake.”
“And?”
“And, nobody was surprised that he was screwing around, and less surprised that it was Bobbie. One of them thought Zach was hammering a coed who acts like a groupie all the time. There was also some talk about the wife of the baseball coach. The picture just gets more and more repulsive. The consensus was more confrontation. I think we all secretly hoped Zach would come to his senses and fix things with Abby and come clean on the rest. I mean, that was a reasonable hope, don’t you think? I mean if it meant your job?”
The tall former basketball player looked at Russ like a little boy looks at his father when he needs to be patted on the back. Some reassurance that what he did was somehow right even if he doesn’t quite know why he did it.
“I’d say so. But now, they think he should be shit-canned?”
“Most do. But, again, the issue is proof. Until today, I had nothing solid, just a lot of hearsay and rumor and some suspicious charges.”
“Who disagreed, and why?”
“My recreation director. She thinks I should try to get all the parties to reconcile somehow. Try everything first before throwing Zach out the door. She says none of us are as moral as we like to think we are. And who defines it anyway?”
“She makes some good points.”
“Yeah, but I just don’t want to work with Zach anymore. If he’d have told me the truth, even by the tenth time I asked him, I might agree, but not now. If he’d lie to me about something like this, he’ll lie to me about players on the take, or recruiting or academics, or anything. I don’t want the arrogant bastard in my program. His brand of bad will spread and contaminate the whole place. It’s simple. He’s finished here, or I am.”
Russ was quiet for a moment. He stroked his furry chin and rocked his chair a few times. “I think what you’re saying is he’s morally bankrupt.”
“Yeah. Good way to put it.” Ric Houston sat back down, but he was still fidgeting, unable to sit still.
“Do they all know you could lose your job over this?”
“Yes and no. I’m fairly optimistic with them, but they aren’t fools. They know the players in this game, and they know I might lose. What they don’t know, at least not yet, is that I won’t stay if he does”
“Time to tell them,
if you trust them. Step four: Build your support base, and start with your staff. It means dragging them along with you, but it also spreads out the risk and will help you if the going gets tougher, and I think it will.”
Intrigued by the idea, Ric leaned toward his confidant and said, “Okay. What’s Step five?”
“Got any influential alums you trust?”
“A few. More than a few. Probably a dozen. A couple are on the Board of Directors, and most of them can barely tolerate Stuart Leer. They all love Zach though, so I don’t know. And I have a few faculty who are very supportive and would probably join up if I asked them.”
“Ask. You don’t have time to lose. Leer is undoubtedly working the rank and file in his group, and Zach is still on a high from the season. They will think you can’t pull it off, and if you don’t have a power base, you’re dead meat. I’m not impressed with the reaction of the chancellor. What kind of a man is he?”
“In a word, brilliant. The man’s mind is incredible, and he’s an unparalleled speaker. He can make tuna fish sound like the most exotic dish in the Northern Hemisphere. But throw him a conflict, and all you see is his ass leaving out the nearest door. He avoids embarrassment at all costs and acts like he might catch the dreaded disease from anyone who has a nasty nest to clean. He likes things neat and orderly. Student sit-ins give him heartburn for weeks. I mean, the man gets as upset about the friggin’ student newspaper as if it were front page of the Times.”
Russ grimaced slightly. “Too bad. It’ll be harder than I’d hoped to convince him you’re right, and your base will need to be broader and stronger. Do the players on the team know?”
“I don’t know. But somebody’s going to notice, don’t you think?”
“They’ll need to know. At least the captains, and they need to be on your side. But let’s leave that one alone for now. You’ll need to be further down the road before getting them involved.”
Ric stood again and shoved his hands in his pockets so hard that Russ thought he’d rip them out. “I don’t want to get them involved. They don’t need the burden of this crap. No, Russ, I draw the line there. Last resort only, and maybe not even then. Agreed?” His jaw was tight, his brow raised to his slightly receding hairline.
“Let’s see how you feel a week from now. This thing has been sliding under the door for weeks, and it’ll drag on a little longer. But soon it’s going to heat up, hit the papers. In fact, today the stakes went up, and you know it. That’s why you called.”
“I have done almost nothing else that wasn’t critical for days now. I’m on the phone constantly and meeting with my staff. I’ve met with Zach over and over and all the coaches who are coming out of the woodwork. I’ve had a full investigation done on all his expenses for the last two years and poured over ever dollar myself first and then gave it to my business manager who found even more problems. It’s been un-fucking-believable.”
“Do you have a friend in the administration?”
“Yeah, a couple. Victoria San Diego and Dominick Northwood. She’s the student life VP and he’s the VP for public relations. I trust them both completely, and they would agree with my position, I think.”
Russ jumped up and whacked his friend on the back. “Ric, you’ve just hit the jackpot! If you can get these folks on the wagon, the Chancellor will feel less alone, and he will be getting inside pressure to support you.”
Houston stared at his friend. “I hadn’t thought of that. But what do I tell them?”
“The truth. Always the truth. It’ll save your ass every time.”
CHAPTER 41
Abby woke before Zach. His chest moved up and down, lifting the blankets at regular intervals. He didn’t scare her when he was asleep. The cracks around his eyes and the creases on his forehead were the only obvious changes to his face over the years. Otherwise, it was the same face she’d seen on the cover of the LSU football program so long ago. He was still a striking man. And when he was asleep, he looked so deceivingly innocent.
How well she knew the skin beneath his shirt and the way he walked, so tall and sure. How well she knew his lies, and how he hated, even feared, being alone. But today, Abby felt no warmth or pity. Today, she felt only contempt and a burning eagerness to escape his grasp.
Zach’s wife wondered what had drawn her to him. Guilt and rebound, she thought. Zach was her rebound man. She stared at him with a loathing she could allow herself only when he was asleep. This was the last time she would sleep in his bed, the last time she would have to pretend she was his devoted, obedient wife. Abby had meticulously planned this day for weeks. He stirred and cracked open his eyes.
“Time is it?” he grunted.
“A little after seven. Isn’t your flight at noon?” Abby asked.
“Yeah. But I gotta get to the office first.” Zach stretched his long body and climbed out of bed. He turned to his wife. “It’ll be less than three days this time. You’re well enough, right?”
“Oh, yes. Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. The only thing that still hurts a little is my ribs, but I’ll be fine. You just have a good trip,” Abby said in her newly acquired saccharin voice.
“Yeah, okay.” Zach put on his robe and headed for the bathroom.
Lying was an odd sensation for Abby. She had not come by it naturally, and it took immense effort to maintain her new attitude, although she had noticed that the more she lied, the easier it got. She slept in his bed, cooked his food, and seemed to remember nothing about Bobbie Jansen, or New York, or the accident. Every day, Abby called Wills to tell him how she was doing, and every day, she got stronger and more determined to do what needed to be done.
Zach would not survive what she had so carefully, methodically planned. He would pay dearly for his betrayals; she would see to that.
Abby drove Zach to the airport and kissed his cheek goodbye. She even stayed and waved from the window. When his plane was headed for the clouds, Abby smiled and drove first to the bank. She emptied their accounts and went home to Shay Mountain.
“I’ll pay twice your normal rate, in cash, but you must come tomorrow, and you must pack it all in one day. And this must stay confidential.” Abby put the phone back in its cradle and breathed as deeply as her lungs would allow. It helped that she’d quit smoking and stopped all medications and alcohol, but still she could feel the throbbing of her heart against its injured cage. Abby felt as if she were in a race, but knowing she was winning kept her alert and energized. She picked up the phone one last time.
“Jeanne, this is Abby Trudeau. Is Ric Houston in?”
“Why, Abby, so nice to hear your voice. How are you?” Jeanne asked.
“Much better, thanks. May I speak to Ric, please.”
“He has someone with him,” Jeanne lowered her voice noticeably, “Sam Jansen. But I’ll tell him you called.”
“I see. Thank you.” Abby hung up the phone and waited. She knew it wouldn’t be long before he called back. Zach had told her about Ric’s meetings. He’d told her how concerned Ric was about her health and how happy he was that Zach and she were planning a holiday in the spring and how Bobbie Jansen had quit so suddenly without another job. And still, Abby played the amnesia game well, and things had settled down for a time.
The phone rang right on cue. “Hello, Abigail Trudeau speaking.”
“Abby, Ric Houston. It’s so good to hear your voice. What can I do for you today?”
“Ric, do you have time to stop by the house today? I would like to talk with you, privately.”
“Your house? Oh. Well, sure, what time?”
“What’s good for you, Ric?”
“Now is fine. I have a couple of free hours.”
“Good. I’ll put on a pot of coffee. See you soon.”
Ric Houston called Russ immediately upon hanging up with Abby. “What do you think, Russ? What can I say or not say?”
“Say nothing and listen. She obviously has something to tell you, and it’s probably hot.”
“What’s happened now?”
“Sam says he’s already gone public. He says Bobbie’s on the road with Zach. He’s losing it big time. Lots of shit’s gonna hit the fan any second. The Chancellor is still pansy assing, but I’ve got my camp of alums lined up, and they’re starting to call him. Yesterday he said, one swallow doesn’t make spring, so I’ve lined up a whole flock. Tom Stebbins, my favorite professor of engineering, was in an executive board meeting the other day, and he told me that he surely heard more than they intended. He says people forget he’s there because he’s in a wheelchair, almost like he’s deaf as well as unable to walk. He’s our friend, and the faculty are lining up on the right side of this thing now.”
“Good. The plan is working. The pressure is going to really heat up as soon as it hits the papers, if they print any of it.”
“Good? What do you mean good?”
“Well, Zach has announced to you that you can’t touch him because of Stuart. Stuart has his hatchet club lined up, but even with all their clout, they won’t have figured on the angry husband going public, and they probably still think the Chancellor can be bought or silenced. They’ve underestimated you and your plan. Now the wife, I would guess, is about to hand you dessert.”
“She says she can’t remember anything. What could she have?”
“Be ready to listen. She has something, and I think you’d better see what it is. Call me back when you find out.”