Think Twice

Spark’s normally ruddy complexion turned a dark shade of aw-shucks red. He tried to make himself comfortable on the sofa, but he was the kind of big where everything around him looked too small for him. “Can I just say something before we start?”

“Of course.”

“I don’t want to come across as a kiss-ass, but I remember the way you dominated the Final Four your senior year. I was a kid then, just starting to play. You were one of the coolest players I’d ever seen.”

Myron didn’t know what to say to that, so he went with “Thank you.” Then to get to the matter at hand: “It says here you worked three seasons under Greg Downing.”

“That’s right. All in Milwaukee.”

“What was that like?”

“Working with Coach Downing? I learned a lot. No one was better at scouting, at planning, at coming up with a game plan than Coach Downing. He was meticulous in his preparation. A real details guy.”

Myron nodded, remembering that that was how Greg had been on the court — the smartest and most prepared player he had ever seen. He could anticipate every play, every pass, every defense, every offensive set. He knew his opponents’ strengths and weaknesses and how to counter and exploit them.

“But,” Spark continued, “he also knew what buttons to push to get the maximum out of each player. Some guys needed to be coddled, some needed to be left alone, some needed tough love. Coach Downing understood that.”

Okay, Myron thought, enough with this uncomfortable setup.

“Do you mind if we start with a few basics?” Myron asked.

“Shoot.”

“What’s your family situation?”

“I’m married to Kendra. We met at Oklahoma State. She works as a dental hygienist. We have two boys, Liam and Joshua. Liam is eight, Joshua is six. Right now we live outside of Boston. But I already talked to Kendra and we’d be more than willing to move out here. This is an exciting opportunity for me. She gets that.”

Myron could see the hope in the man’s eyes, and it was crushing. This had been Win’s idea. Myron tried to take comfort in that, but it felt like a cop-out. He was participating, wasn’t he? He was the one asking the questions. He was the one who was now perpetuating the lie.

It was time to move it along.

“Any other family?”

The blinks gave him away. The smile stayed on Spark’s face, but it no longer reached his eyes. “Family?”

“Mother, father, siblings?”

He cleared his throat. “My father died a few years back.”

“I’m sorry.”

“We weren’t particularly close. My mom’s alive.”

“Where does she live?”

The question slowed him down. “She travels a lot. Right now, I think she’s in Rome, maybe Paris.”

They were getting close to it now. “Any siblings?”

“No.”

Just like that. Fast. No hesitation. He had been expecting the question by now, and he was ready with his answer.

Myron feigned going through the file. “It says here you have a younger brother. Brian.”

“He’s...”

Myron waited.

“It’s not relevant. He hasn’t been a part of my life in a long time.”

“I’m sorry. Where does he live?”

“Is it okay if we don’t talk about it?”

“Well, it’s not really my decision. This is a new franchise. And it’s in, let’s face it, Sin City. There will be a ton of scrutiny, and the league is obviously nervous about that. We need to fully vet any possible employees. If there is any hint of scandal—”

“There isn’t.”

“So where is your brother, Spark?”

The smile fled.

“He lived in this city under the name of Bo Storm,” Myron said, dropping the pretense. “You know this. His boyfriend was murdered. No one has seen him since.”

“Damn.” Spark stared at Myron and slowly deflated. “I should have known.”

Myron said nothing.

“There’s no team coming to Vegas, is there?”

“No,” Myron said. “There’s not.”

Spark shook his head. “Dick move.”

Hard to argue.

Spark put his hands on his knees and pushed himself into a standing position. The man took up a lot of space. “Is your friend going to give me a ride back? I missed Liam’s game for this. I’m his AAU coach too.”

“I don’t mean your brother any harm.”

Tears welled up in the big man’s eyes. “I’d like to leave now.”

“I really need to talk to him.”

“You could have just called and asked. You didn’t have to drag my ass across the country and give me all this hope.”

“I’m sorry about that. I really am.”

“I could have told you on the phone. I haven’t seen him in years. I don’t know where he is.”

“No idea at all?”

“I have to go now. Can you get me back home or do I need to book a flight?”

“Win will fly you back. No problem. When was the last time you heard from your brother?”

“Like I said, we hadn’t been close in a long time. You want to know the truth? I think he’s dead.”

“How about your mother?”

“What about my mother?”

“Where is she? Can I talk to her?”

Spark came over at the mention of his mother. He loomed over Myron, his eyes on fire. “My mother doesn’t know anything. You stay away from her. You understand?”

Myron made his voice firm. “Take a step back, Spark.”

“I’m telling you to leave her alone.”

“How about Greg Downing?”

That confused him. “What about him?”

“Do you know where he is?”