by Harlan Coben
'Then it's settled. I'll have my attorney write you out a check tomorrow afternoon. One million dollars of your brother's money will be yours. Agreed?'
He chuckled lightly. 'Laura, have you ever been called stubborn?'
'Frequently. Agreed?'
Stan shrugged. 'I don't know what to say.'
'Say yes,' Laura urged, while her mind churned in confusion. Was she doing the right thing? 'Say you'll cancel your flight back to Michigan. Say that you'll get cracking on this mall idea. Say that you still want to be part of this family.'
'Of course I still want to be part of this family.'
'Then say yes.'
Stan lowered his eyes and then slowly raised them toward Laura. 'You won't regret this, Laura.'
Laura smiled uneasily. Won't regret? She thought that maybe she already did.
Clip Arnstein put out his cigar. He glanced across the table at his two star players. Earl was in his late twenties and just at the pinnacle of his career. He had led the league in scoring twice and rebounding once. He was also a consummate shot-blocker. But he had scored a lot of those points off great passes from David. He had been able to get open for many of those points because teams had often concentrated on trying to contain White Lightning.
Timmy Daniels was a few years younger. He was a shooting guard from Brigham Young University, a super all-around athlete who had a fiery intensity that matched David's. He liked to win, had to win, would do anything to win. His appearance may have reminded one of a little kid in the playground, but he was as tough as Clip had seen in his fifty years plus of basketball. And he could shoot. Now that David was gone, Timmy was probably the best outside shooter in the league.
Clip took out another cigar and bit off the end. 'I thought it was about time the three of us met in private.'
'What's up, Clip?' Timmy asked.
'I have the results of the team vote. You two are now the captains of the team.'
Timmy glanced over at Earl before speaking. 'I think I speak for both of us when I say that that's an honor we wish had never been bestowed on us.'
'I know,' Clip replied. 'But we all know the team is not going to be the same without David. Hell, our lives aren't going to be the same. But we have to go on. The season starts in a couple of months and we have to get prepared. Rookie try-outs are next week.'
'What do you want us to do?' Timmy asked.
Clip tossed a file to both of his star players. 'Here's some info on our draft picks and free agents who are supposed to try out for the team.'
They both scanned the reports. When he was finished, Timmy closed the file. 'It's shit.'
Clip nodded his agreement. 'There wasn't a hell of a lot of talent in this year's draft, plus when you win a championship, you pick last. We've got a problem here, guys. We lost one of the league's best players. We don't even have a decent scorer from the forward spot now. We'll get crushed on the break without him. So my question is this: how are we going to find someone new on that list of players?'
'I don't know,' Tim responded. 'But you've been in tougher spots than this, Clip. You're famous for the last-minute deals you've made over the years. You're not called the Miracle Worker for nothing.'
Clip chuckled. 'Thanks for the vote of confidence. Earl, you haven't said anything. What do you think?'
'No one can replace David,' Earl said quietly.
'I know that,' the Miracle Worker replied. 'I'm not looking for a replacement. The team as a whole is going to have to shift perspective. Without David, you're not going to get those passes, Earl. We'll have to play a slower game, a more controlled game. You have to post up down low like you did at Notre Dame. And Timmy, your outside shot is without question the best around. But we're going to need you to penetrate the middle and open it up. You're going to have to be more creative. But even with all that, we are still going to need more parts to make this machine run smoothly. I may have to make some trades.'
'Trades?' Timmy repeated. 'You can't break up this group.'
'It's a business, Tim. I traded three popular veterans to draft David and Earl, and I'll deal players if I have to.'
'Isn't there another alternative?'
Clip nodded. 'Sure.'
'What?'
The Miracle Worker stood. 'Hope for a miracle.'
Stan woke with a start. He wondered if he had had another bad dream. Impossible. No way. For the first time, everything was going his way.
He swung his legs over the bed and grabbed the clock. Three-thirty a.m. What a day he had had yesterday! As if duping Laura yesterday morning was not enough luck, the night had crowned him with yet another spectacular achievement. Maybe he should have held back. Maybe he should not have tempted the gods by stretching his luck, but oh man, he could not resist.
The woman lying next to him stirred and twisted her naked body toward him. Stan gasped at what he saw. His groin was reacting to just looking at her.
'How do you feel?' he asked her.
Gloria looked up at him with the eyes of a small animal. 'Very happy.'
'Me too,' he said. 'Do you know that you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen?'
Her body quivered. 'Thank you.'
'I mean it. And it's been so long, Gloria. It's been so long that I can't remember ever feeling this close to someone.'
'Do you mean it, Stan?'
'Of course I do.'
'Please don't tease me.'
He lay back down and put his arm around her warm body. 'I would never do that, Gloria. I . . . I don't know if I should say this.'
'Please,' she urged.
'Well, this may sound corny, but I feel like last night was the start of something wonderful.'
'Really?'
'I hope I'm not being too forward,' he continued. 'Usually, I'm pretty shy and laid-back. I don't open to a person very easily. But it's just that I feel so right when I'm with you. Like I can say anything.'
She smiled hopefully. 'I feel the same way.'
'You do?'
Gloria nodded. 'I haven't been with a man in over a year.' She adjusted herself in the bed. Stan watched her. She had the nicest breasts he had ever seen. Large, round, firm. Mr Happy felt like a block of lead between his legs. 'I want to tell you something before we go on with this.'
'What is it?' Stan asked.
'It's about my past.'
'You already told me about that. It doesn't matter to me, Gloria.'
'Did I tell you about the last time I was with a man -- or should I say men?'
Stan tried to hide the look of surprise on his face. 'You don't owe me any explanations.'
'Unfortunately, I do. Then you can leave if you want.'
About a year ago, Gloria was living on the West Coast with a dope dealer. For about the millionth time in her life, Gloria was sure she had found the right man. Tony may have been a dope dealer and a small-time pornographer, but he was not like the others. He was gentle. He genuinely cared for her. True, he had her hooked on drugs but she had been an addict even before they met. And Tony said she had it under control, that to go through withdrawal would be painful at this stage. So he kept giving her the needles with heroin and the cocaine for her nose because he cared, because he did not want to see her suffer.
But there were still fits of depression for Gloria. She had no self-esteem, no self-respect. But that wasn't so bad. Not as long as she could drug herself to a point where it did not matter. Sometimes, days would go by and she would not leave her bed. Sometimes, weeks would go by and she would not remember anything that had happened.
She had been living with Tony for about three months when he came home one day with a big-time dealer from Colombia. The three of them had dinner together but Gloria could not remember much about it. Tony had really given her some prime stuff and she was just flying. She did notice that the big-time dealer from Colombia was staring at her all the time. But that was nothing new. Men were always staring at her. And she was safe. Tony was there with her. And he loved her
very much.
It was getting late and Gloria was feeling especially weary. 'Tony?'
'Yes, Gloria?'
'I'm going to go to sleep now. I'm really tired.'
'Okay. Say goodnight to our guest.'
She did. She held onto the railing as she steered her way up to the bedroom. She closed the door, took off her top and then slid off her pants.
'Guapa! Beautiful!'
She spun, trying to cover herself with her hands. The Colombian opened the door and stepped in. 'What are you doing up here?'
Tony stepped in from behind the Colombian. 'It's okay, baby.'
'What . . . What's going on?'
'Mr Enrique is a very important supplier, Gloria. He's asked for a little favor.'
'But Tony -- '
'It's all right, baby. I'll be right here. It'll be fun.'
The wide-eyed Colombian quickly stripped down.
'Tony, I don't want to.'
Tony began to take off his clothes too. 'For me, Gloria. Please.'
Trembling, she turned toward the Colombian. He stood in front of her completely naked. He reached out a hand and grabbed her breast roughly. Pain shot through her. He lowered his mouth toward her nipple.
'Please don't.'
Gloria was forced back, tears pouring down her cheeks. Tony held her down as the Colombian did as he pleased.
Stan held her. 'It's over now, Gloria. It's over.'
'No it's not. I have to finish the story before I run out of nerve.'
The next morning, Gloria woke up feeling sore and dirty. She snorted a little cocaine and then made her way to the shower. She stayed under the powerful spray until the hot water ran out. She still did not feel clean.
Gloria did not cry that morning. For the first time, she saw clearly through the drugs. Nothing was different. Tony was not different. He was like Brad and Jeff and Stuart and Mike and J.J. and Kenny and all the others. He knew she was not worth loving, not worth caring for. She was just an object to abuse as he saw fit. And at long last, Gloria knew what she had to do. She finally realized how she could stop it. It was simple really.
She would kill herself.
She wondered how she should go about doing it. First she would call her sister Laura. She had not spoken to her for almost eight months but Gloria and Laura really loved one another. Her parents, well, they had given up on her a long time ago. But not Laura. It would be really nice to hear her voice one more time.
She picked up the phone and called. Laura was thrilled to hear from her. Laura thought it would be a great idea if they could get together soon. Gloria agreed. Maybe next week would be a good time.
'Is everything all right, Gloria?' Laura asked. 'Why don't you come home and stay with me for a while?'
Gloria declined the invitation, thanked her and hung up. Then she turned her attention to how she should kill herself. The answer came to her quickly. She would take a drug overdose. A friend of hers in San Francisco had done that about six months ago. Gloria resolved herself to her decision. Tomorrow night she would OD on heroin.
That night, Tony came home full of apologies and words of love. 'I was so stoned, baby. I didn't know what I was doing. I'm so sorry, Gloria. Please forgive me.'
'Do you really mean it, Tony?'
'Sure, honey. I never knew it would hurt you. I love you, baby. I would never do something to hurt you. You know that.'
And Gloria thought that maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he did love her after all. Maybe he didn't understand how she felt about what had happened. If he did, he would never have made her do it.
Tony continued to talk to her, to soothe her. He had received a new shipment too. Prime stuff. And she needed a fix. Her whole body was craving for a little prick from Tony's needle. He shot her up with a very large amount of drugs.
Her mind became fuzzy, even more fuzzy than usual. She drifted back, her world spinning in a murky haze.
'How do you feel, honey?'
'I'm flying,' she replied with a smile. 'I'm flying.'
'Good, baby. That's real good.'
She felt his hand on her blouse. He was unbuttoning her top. He slipped it off and then he pulled down her shorts and panties. She began to giggle. 'You want to do it now?'
'Yeah, baby. I got something special planned.'
Special. That sounded nice. She closed her eyes as the drugs sped through her veins. It felt nice to be naked with Tony.
She felt him hold down her arms and legs. No reason to. She was not about to struggle, except that sometimes he liked that. The lights were suddenly very bright in her eyes. Tony must have pulled up the shade. But wait. How could he have pulled up the shades when he was holding her down?
Then she heard people speaking Spanish.
She opened her eyes but the harsh glare made her close them again. She moved to shade them with her hand and that was when she realized that her hands and legs were tied to the bed.
'Tony?'
More whispered words. Some in Spanish. Some in English. And then laughter. She felt so tired she just wanted to go to sleep. She forced open her eyes and focused.
The Colombian smiled down at her. He was with six other men. They were all naked.
Now she struggled but the drugs and the knots were too strong. 'Tony?'
'I'm here, baby,' he laughed. 'Just enjoy.'
The men approached her, each stroking a different part of her body with their hands and tongues. She looked up and saw Tony holding a video camera. The rest was a blur of words and positions. Her body was turned over, twisted every which way, abused.
'Get her closer to the camera.' 'Put it in her mouth.' 'This is going to be the best film yet.' 'Bend her the other way.'
Gloria felt saliva and warm breath covering her face, her neck, her breasts, her thighs. Rough hands clawed at her.
Then a female voice shouted, 'STOP!'
Suddenly the men were being pulled off her. Gloria felt someone untying her arms. She managed to open her eyes and look up. But what she was seeing had to be a hallucination from the drug.
'Laura?' she called out.
'Just relax,' her sister said. 'You'll be all right.'
Gloria started to cry. Why hadn't she killed herself? Death would have been preferable to letting Laura see what her older sister had become.
David and T.C. had come with Laura. T.C. whipped out his badge, causing the Colombians to scatter in every direction. David destroyed Tony's video recording.
'You're going to be all right, Gloria,' Laura said through her tears. She held her sister tightly. 'I'm going to help you now.'
Gloria raised her head. 'Now, if you want me to leave, I'll understand.'
What a fucking story! Stan thought. It gave him another goddamn hard-on! Stan moved toward her. 'Don't you understand, Gloria? None of that matters to me. I'm happy you want to be open with me, but that's all in the past now. You don't have to keep apologizing for it. It's the Gloria I know now that I care about. And I have something of a past myself. To be honest, I'm still not all I seem to be. But I'm trying, I really am. Will you help me, Gloria? Will you let me help you?'
They made love again and then Stan got dressed. He looked over at her body and felt Mr Happy start to stir yet again. Never had he been this horny for a chick's body. He had had plenty of women in his day but he had never seen a body like this. Soft skin, curvaceous and supple, flat stomach and, of course, the kind of breasts men fantasize about. There was only one thing that could arouse him more: Laura.
But that conquest would come in time. Right now, he had to be careful with Gloria. Christ, what a story, he thought again. Talk about Miss Instability 1989. Stan didn't want to take the chance of letting Laura know about him laying her sister so he had convinced her not to tell anyone.
'Just for a little while,' he assured her. 'It's a superstitious thing with me. I'm afraid if we tell the world something bad will happen.'
She had bought it. And besides, Gloria made an ideal safety valve i
n case something went wrong or if he needed another score. She had plenty of dough of her own.
They headed out of the hotel together. When they reached the street, Stan faced her. 'I'll see you tonight.'
Gloria nodded, her face beaming.
He bent down and kissed her passionately.
Across the street, a jogger wearing an Adidas sweatsuit watched the kiss from behind his zoom lens. He snapped a few more pictures and then he picked up the phone and dialed.
'What have you got?'
'He and Gloria Ayars just left,' he replied. 'They appeared rather chummy.'
'Keep following Baskin.'
'Okay, but I want to know what this is all about.'
'Don't worry about it. Just keep following him and call in if he does anything unusual.'
The jogger shrugged. 'Whatever you say, T.C.'
The phone buzzed.
'Yes, Estelle.'
'John Bort is here to see you.'
'Send him in.'
John Bort opened the door. 'You wanted to see me, boss?'
'Yes, John. Come in.'
'Something wrong with the security?'
'No, not at all,' Laura assured him.
'This place is wired better than Fort Knox, you know.'
'You're doing a super job, John. Please have a seat.'
'Thanks, boss.'
'You can call me Laura.'
'I prefer boss.'
She shrugged. 'Suit yourself.'
'What can I do for you?' he asked.
Laura tilted back her chair. 'You used to work for the FBI, right?'
'Thirty-three years with the agency,' he replied.
'So you've seen it all in your time.'
'Just about. What's this all about, boss?'
'My question deals with a bank transaction.'
'Huh?'
'Let me give you a hypothetical situation,' she continued. 'Suppose a large sum of money vanished -- '
'Large amounts of money just don't vanish, boss.'
'True. Let's suppose a man transferred this large sum to Switzerland and they transferred it elsewhere. Now the man dies and there is no way to track down the money. What would you do?'
He thought for a moment. 'I'm not sure, boss. The man probably wanted to hide his money. Could be that he was afraid someone was after it -- you know, a relative or something -- and he wanted to make sure they couldn't get their hands on it. Or it could be that he had a mistress someplace and he wanted to take care of her without the family knowing about it.'
'What do you mean?'
'Well, let's say he knew he was going to die, right? His family would have a claim to the money. But he wants to leave a certain amount to somebody else without letting his family in on what he's doing.'