Breakthrough

by Sarah Stevens

  “We’ll see. I have my own troubles to deal with in the morning. The NHL isn’t going to like the video, blackmail or not, it makes me, and the team look bad. I just hope this bitch and Connor are found.”

  “Me too.” Parker then lifts my chin up, so our mouths are only centimeters apart, then he kisses me with a kiss that is soft and gentle and full of all the love he has for me. When he pulls back fromthe kiss, he looks me in the eyes, and says nothing. He really does not have to say anything because it is written all over his face. I break and say the words he said to me earlier, “Love you,” then I lay my head back down and let my thoughts consume me.

  This big oaf of a guy has shown me over and over again he’s not like my dad, he’s not like Connor. He is his own person, maybe a little cocky at times, and yes, definitely a player at one time. He’s proof that you can change your ways when the right person comes along. I can honestly say I regret ever pushing him away as I lay here in his comforting arms. I’m realizing that fighting whatever has been burning between us is fruitless.

  I doze off at some point because when the phone rings again it is getting light out. I’m in such a daze I’m not even sure who’s phone is ringing, then I hear another one start.

  The officer is calling my phone and Coach is calling Parker.

  I answer my phone as I poke Parker awake. “Hello, have you found her?”

  “No, however we located the car.”

  “You have? Where?” I ask then give Parker his phone so he can call Coach back.

  “Ms. Hutton, we located the car at the airport. I have a team on the way there now to look at the security footage from last night. The car was checked back into the car rental place a few hours ago. If we’re lucky, we can find them before they get on a plane. Oh crap, I’ve got to go. I’ll call you back shortly,” he abruptly ends the call. I’m sitting there staring at my phone wondering what the fuck just happened. Parker gets out of the bed and starts pacing the room.

  I can already tell this is going to be a bad day.

  31

  Parker

  I’m barely awake when I call Coach back, I haven’t gotten much sleep at all. Too much is going on in my head to relax enough to close my eyes, but sleep did take over for a little while.

  “Coach, what’s up?” I say when he answers the phone as I get up and move across the room to let Mandy continue her call.

  “Too much. Meyers was drugged yesterday, he said he only had one drink at the bar that he remembers. In all honesty, that sounds more like him. When I heard he was drunk yesterday afternoon before the game I was shocked. I’m glad someone found him. He’s staying in the hospital through today and will be discharged tomorrow morning in time to leave with the team for our next game. The question is who would do that to him.”

  “I have my suspicions, but it’s just a thought. Mandy said Chris was acting weird yesterday when they went to the arena early to set up before the game. For starters, that is weird in itself. The trainers usually go with the gear before coming to the hotel. I assumed Meyers and Chris went when we arrived so that Mandy could get Callie and Angie settled.”

  “Why would Chris have anything to do with it?” Coach asks.

  “I’m not sure, Coach. There are too many factors not adding up.”

  “You got that right. We will have to question both of them when Henry gets here later this morning. Now on to you, I heard from the NHL a little bit ago. They understand your circumstances in reference to the blackmail but have asked you to sit the bench the next game until things get smoothed over with the police and a statement can be given from the police department stating the video is fraudulent and a part of an ongoing blackmail case. I told the commissioner that it would not be a problem because of the current situation with Callie going missing and it would be good to have you here to support her. I want to clarify this isn’t any sort of suspension issued from the commissioner.”

  “Thanks Coach. I understand completely. I’m glad to have you on my side and that you believe in me enough to know this video is bullshit.”

  “If you hadn’t come to me before hand, I might question it, however you have been honest and on top of it since day one, so yeah, I believe you. I know things can happen at any time, but I can honestly say I wouldn’t picture you in any sort of domestic situation. Now are there any updates with Callie and her nanny?” he asks.

  “I’ll have to get back with you on that one, Mandy is on the phone right now. I do know they determined last night that she was ushered to a waiting car by a red headed woman posing as security. Sounds familiar huh?”

  “All of this is a well woven scheme, for what, custody of that little girl? That guy has completely gone crazy,” he states.

  “Yeah, no kidding. Hey, someone is at the door. I’ll let you know when we know more,” I say as I hear another knock.

  “Sounds good, later.” I go and check the peephole before opening the door. On the other side stand Cam, Ski, and Seb. They all look as exhausted as I feel and I open the door wide to let them in. I hold my finger to my lips to silence them because Mandy is still on the phone. The four of us make ourselves comfortable finding somewhere to sit in the small room. I’m thankful that Cam thought to bring up some coffee as he hands me one. I take a cautious sip, not knowing how hot it will be then look over to Mandy, who is now staring at her phone. I put my coffee down and rush to her side to find out what happened.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask.

  “He was talking, cursed, said he had to go and hung up,” she replies sounding confused. “Hey guys,” she says when she realizes the guys are in the room.

  Cam walks over with her coffee, “Here ya go, thought you both could probably use some caffeine.”

  “Thank you,” she says to Cam then turns to me. “I don’t like how he hung up.”

  “What did he say before that?” I question.

  “He was telling me they found the car at the airport, returned to a car rental place. They have someone looking at the security footage hoping to locate Callie before they get on a plane. Then he cursed and hung up.”

  “God damnit. This isn’t good if they get on a plane.”

  “What did Coach have to say when he called?” she asks.

  “Apparently Meyers was drugged yesterday and will be in the hospital until tomorrow morning then will go on with the team. They are looking into who might have done that. Also, he notified me the NHL commissioner recommends I sit out the next game until the Nashville police can make a statement about the fraudulent video and the blackmail case that is ongoing. He told me to stay with you. Henry will be in town soon and will be questioning both Chris and Meyers, especially after they both warned you against the other.”

  “Well fuck,” Cam says as Seb and Ski groan in frustration. “What in the actual fuck is going on within this team? Mandy ya know I love you,” I glare at him, then he adds, “like a sister, but things have gotten all fucked up since you came back to town.”

  “What the fuck Cam, why would you say that to her?” I stand up, the same time he does and get in his face. I don’t want to fight him, but I will if he continues to disrespect Mandy like that.

  “Marsh, I mean no disrespect, I was just stating a fact. I don’t blame Mandy; I blame that crazy baby daddy she has. He is psycho. All he has done since the beginning is cause one problem after another. I’m glad Mandy is here; she belongs here where we as a team can protect her. Though I don’t feel like we did an exceptionally good job since Callie and Angie are missing.”

  “You’re right, she does belong here. Cam, there is no one in this room to blame. We were all doing our job last night, like any other night. We all knew what Angie was doing, and we all thought she’d be safe. Maybe we should have just brought them with us on the bus, but we didn’t. We were working out the kinks in having Callie and Angie come to the game. We will find them, and we will do a better job next time. We can’t sit here and place blame, we need to concentrate on finding them.�
��

  “Doesn’t make it feel any better in my chest, Marsh.” Seb and Ski agree as they get up and each give Mandy a hug. “We’re going to head down to the team breakfast and give everyone an update. Not that we have much of one, but they all want to know. We will bring you all back a plate of food. Text if you hear anything.”

  “We will,” I answer as they turn and walk out the door.

  The silence in the room is killing me and I suggest we go for a walk. We have our phones on us so if anyone calls, we can answer.

  We flank Mandy on either side as we walk out of the elevator, Cam and I wearing baseball hats and sunglasses to disguise us somewhat in the lobby of the hotel. We are definitely in no mood to be recognized today. We walk out to the grounds of the hotel where it is quiet, with no one around. Breathing some fresh air feels good but it does nothing for Mandy. We find a secluded bench and take a seat. Mandy’s body too tired to walk anymore. Still Cam and I flank Mandy on either side, then her phone rings.

  She answers with a weak hello.

  Mandy starts to cry, and I take the phone from her. Cam pulls her into his side as I get up and walk a few feet away to take the call.

  “Hey Maggie, it’s Parker. She’s not doing great.”

  “I’m sure she isn’t. Thank you for being there with her. I was telling her Henry and I landed, and we will be there as soon as we can. Are there any updates?” she asks.

  “I’m not sure what you know, but we know they were taken away from the arena in a car and the car was found at the airport. It’s driving us crazy we can’t do anything. I have Cam here with me and I’ll be staying with Mandy after the team leaves tomorrow. I was asked to sit out the next game because the video was leaked.”

  “Oh, Parker. I’m so sorry. Henry will help you get that all taken care of. He spent the entire trip on the phone. A car just pulled up for us. I’ll see you soon.”

  “Okay, Maggie. See you soon.” I hang up the phone and go back over to Mandy and Cam. “Maggie is just getting in a car at the airport and will be here soon. We should probably make our way back to the room. Ski and Seb might be looking for us anyway since they were coming back up with breakfast for us.” I take Mandy’s hands and pull her up off the bench. She still has tears in her eyes, and I wipe them away, pull her into my embrace and then start walking, almost dragging her. It’s been a little over an hour since Officer Jansen abruptly hung up the phone.

  Seb and Ski are walking up to the door of the room, arms full of food, when we come walking down the hallway.

  “Hey guys, perfect timing. We went for a walk to get Mandy out of the room for a while,” Cam says as he opens the door for everyone.

  “Maggie and Henry are on the way here from the airport. I’ll need to talk to Henry when he gets here, and Mandy will probably want some time with Maggie. Let’s try and eat before they arrive then we can all head out.” The next half hour I try and eat but I just cannot stomach it. I end up pushing the food around my plate. I almost rejoice when there is a knock on the door. Ski jumps up to answer trying to give us time to finish the food that has hardly been touched. Maggie comes bursting into the room beelining it for Mandy, followed by some guy I don’t know. As her grandmother’s arms wrap around her, she bursts into tears again. I notice Coach and Henry standing in the doorway and motion for everyone to leave. I take a moment to back track to Mandy. I tap her gently on the shoulder.

  “Mandy, I’m going to leave you and Maggie alone for a little while, same with the guys. I have to go and talk to Henry but I’ll be a phone call away if you need me.”

  “Thank you. I’ll call if I hear anything.” I bend down and kiss the top of her head before I walk out of her room to meet Henry and Coach in the hallway. As I’m walking towards the door I get stopped by this unknown guy. “Do they know where my wife is?”

  Ah so this must be Angie’s husband. He looks like a total asshole and honestly, I can’t picture Angie with him. “Not yet. We are waiting on an update,” I say, and I continue walking out the door.

  I shake Henry’s hand as I say hello. “Thanks for coming all the way out here.”

  “No thanks necessary. We need to get to the bottom of this for you and Mandy and with as little damage as possible. Let’s go to your room and talk. I’ve been on the phone the entire trip here,” Henry says as I lead us to my room.

  Once we all have a seat Henry goes right into it.

  “The NHL commissioner is fully aware this has been a set up and you’ve had a blackmail case since the beginning, we don’t have any evidence to who it is. They are also aware there is the situation going on with Mandy and the kidnapping of Callie and her nanny, Angie. I have informed them we think both issues are connected. I’ve also been in contact with the police in Nashville. They too, are aware of what has gone on over the past twenty-four hours here in Las Vegas. I’m not sure how, but I’m confident Connor is at the center of all of this. I’ve looked into both Chris and Meyers, and Chris, unknown to anyone, has a record in his past. He was charged in college with drugging a classmate at a party. He hid it well, and not to mention he has a wife back east, related to Connor. Were you or Mandy aware that Connor had a sister?”

  “Uh, no, I wasn’t. I don’t even think Mandy knows that.” I am dumbfounded by this information.

  Henry goes on, “Connor’s sister is actually married to Chris. Chris and his wife have been trying to have a child for an exceedingly long time, and nothing has worked out for them. It’s kind of convenient when Mandy decided to come live back home that Connor decides he wants full custody. Anyway, I’ve relayed all the information I’ve found to the police in Nashville and also here. The NHL commissioner sees what is happening for what it is, and not what it looks like, and decide to make the recommendation of a one game sit out, not a suspension of any kind. Just enough time to get things notated and a press release out. We decided to hold off on making a statement this morning and I’ve already notified PR. I assume that is okay with you, since you’ll want to be with Mandy until Callie is found.”

  “I’m perfectly okay with that, thank you Henry for all you’ve done. So, what happens if it’s discovered Connor is behind all of this?”

  “He will go to jail along with his family, and goodbye baseball career. While he was trying to destroy your career, he killed his own, if he’s the one in the center of it all. Have to prove it first.”

  “Do you have a picture of this sister?” My curiosity getting the best of me.

  “I do, actually.’ He answers.

  “Can I see it please. I might be able to identify the redhead if it’s her. She never really showed her face in the video. Probably too scared to get recognized.”

  Henry flips through his folder until he finds the photo. He hands it to me, and I immediately recognize the girl, however she isn’t a red head.

  “That’s her. She was wearing a wig when she was in my apartment and in the video.”

  “Perfect. Let me make a call then and get a warrant for her arrest in motion.”

  As happy as I am I was able to identify the girl, it makes me more pissed off that Connor would go to these lengths to try and destroy Mandy and me.

  “So, Coach, what do you think of all of this?” I ask as he sits there slouched in his chair with a look of total bewilderment on his face, like he can’t believe the shit storm surrounding his team is real.

  “Shocked, surprised, and want it to all be over so we can go back to our lives and win the cup this year without any more distractions.”

  “I hear you on that one.”

  “Looks like you will be needing a new athletic trainer. Do you know anyone that could handle the job?” I laugh knowing full well that Mandy is a shoe in for the job. She has the skills, no one has ever given her that chance.

  “Yeah I know. Let’s get through this before we go promoting someone. Heck I may just have two head trainers and leave it at that for now for the rest of the season. Mandy and Meyers can work it all out on their own
.” He laughs some more.

  While we wait on Henry to make his calls, I sit pondering what life will be like a year from now.

  32

  Mandy

  Grandma finally arrives and the second she embraces me I break. We sit on the bed together and cry for what seems like forever but was only a short time. Henry and Coach take Cam and Parker out of the room but not before Parker places a kiss on the top of my head.

  Once we are left alone Grandma starts to ask questions.

  “Mandy sweetheart, do we know anything new yet?”

  “I wish I had an answer for you, but I haven’t heard from officer Jansen since earlier this morning. I’m waiting for him to call me back now.”

  “Okay, so we’ll sit here and wait.”

  I feel like such a weak woman sitting and waiting. I know there really isn’t anything I can do, however, this is driving me over the edge. I need to do something though, so I suggest we go to the cafe in the lobby and get some coffee. John’s presence in the room is unnerving to say the least. He hasn’t said anything to me, he’s been sitting across the room and glaring at me. I try and talk to him, ask if he wants some coffee too and if he’d like to come with us. I don’t know anything about this guy other than my time in school with him and Angie, even back then I never liked him. He was an asshole to everyone and thought his shit didn’t stink because his parents were rich and his dad the mayor of our little town.

  “No! I don’t want some fucking coffee, I want to know where my wife is. This is all your God damned fault!” He yells at me, shocking me with his outburst.

  “Do you think I asked for this? Do you think I asked for my daughter and your wife, my best friend, to turn up missing, probably kidnapped? Do you really think I don’t have enough guilt in this situation, guilt that it is tearing me up inside? Who the fuck do you think you are?” I go off on him, and honestly it feels good to let some of what I am feeling on the inside out of my system.