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Coach gave a tight smile. “Not interrupting anything.” Then he turned to the players. “Run three laps and then start on your drills,” he commanded, clapping his hands together. The team obeyed and got to running. Only I noticed Jeremy’s slight hesitation.
Coach Ramstrom placed his hands on his hips.
“What can I do for you?” he asked. I assessed his tone and his stance. Coach wasn’t a tall man, but a bulky one. I imagined it evoked a level of intimidation and fear among his team. Fortunately, it didn’t stand a chance against me.
I mimicked his stance. “I just wanted to check out the players, see how they were doing this season.”
Coach’s eyes narrowed. “Is that all you’re doing here, Montgomery?”
I smiled. “Consider it a welfare check. I know how much pressure there is on these small-town boys to make it big.” I pursed my lips. This town went crazy for football; sports and academics be damned. Even though I benefited from the system, that didn’t mean I necessarily agreed with it. Football took a lot away from other programs. And it also could take a lot away from the kids playing the sport, depending on how the program was run.
“What do you mean by welfare check exactly? What are you planning to do?”
“I’m just here to ask questions, to observe. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
Coach scoffed. “You know you can’t interview those boys without their parents’ consent.” He pointed vaguely in the direction of where the group was making their lap around the field.
I just gave him an easy smile. “Oh, I’m aware of the law.” I couldn’t interview the kids here, and I wouldn’t bother. Nobody would talk where the coach could overhear. I’d have to run it up the flagpole, but I planned to meet with the players individually to learn more information. I doubted any of them would go on the record.
Coach hadn’t done anything blatant to make me think he was guilty, but his cocky attitude made me think he would be gutsy enough to pressure the players into doing what he wanted.
Still, I wanted to keep him on his toes without tipping him off about what I was doing. I excused myself and took a seat on the bleachers for the rest of practice. Jeremy threw me a few curious looks, but a subtle shake of my head told him not to. I didn’t need him to draw attention to himself. Coach already seemed disgruntled enough that I stuck around.
Well, good.
He deserved to feel like someone was watching over him.
When Coach sent the guys to the showers, I slowly made my way back to my car and logged a few hours at the precinct. I checked the tiny clock in the corner of my screen.
Almost six.
Shit.
I had to hustle back downtown for my next appointment.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” was the first thing I heard as I entered the building.
I chuckled as the door to Barb’s Diner closed behind me.
The light reflected off Whitney’s wavy auburn hair as she stood up from the table.
“Barb!” she yelled to the woman in charge.
I held up my hands in surrender. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”
Gala planning was bound to be a lot more fun with Whitney Rose at the helm. Assuming that’s what Barb had masterminded.
Barb played dirty for such a sweet old lady.
I was the unlucky bastard on the force whose turn it was to participate in the gala planning committee. Nobody wanted the gig, so we rotated year after year. It made it bearable for everyone.
Having Whitney partnered with me might make the process, dare I say, enjoyable. Suddenly, I was grateful for the excuse to keep her near me. Maybe working together would remind her of all the good times we had when we were younger. Of baking in my parent’s kitchen, of splashing around in the creek behind my house, and how we snuck into the city to see Paramore play.
And maybe, just maybe, proximity and persistence would finally convince her to tell me the truth about what happened all those years ago.
I found a seat at the large round table in the center of the diner, not my usual spot, but the one where the committee met during our first meeting two weeks ago. Whitney continued to glare at me as I made myself comfortable. There hadn’t been enough time to change after my shift, so I still donned my police officer’s uniform.
I watched closely as Whitney took in every inch of the garb. When her eyes lifted back up, she realized I caught her staring. A blush flushed her cheeks, and she sat down without another snarky comment.
