Chapter Two

As Jack Harper drove the seven blocks from his home toward Culver City High, he felt a great relief. No cases to worry about, no reports to write, no trials to attend, no lawyers to hassle with. No more office politics. For two whole weeks he would get to be on his own, relax. The thought was almost too much for him to take in. The only thing that bothered him was that he hadn't really mapped out any particular thing he wanted to do for his vacation. For the first day he'd beat up on himself for not making plans to go to Spain, or maybe down to Mexico to go sport fishing. But hey, he could always do the latter next week. It was easy to call and get a fishing boat at Baja, or, for that matter, he could always call his old buddy Will Lazenby and fly over to Hawaii for some marlin fishing.

The truth was he was almost relieved that he didn't have any plans. Maybe he'd just hang with his son Kevin for a while, like he was doing today. Watch the kid play lacrosse, go to the batting cages with him, or play some hoops down at the beach. That was something he really enjoyed and he needed to be with his son more. Kevin was a sophomore in high school now, and who knew where he would end up when he went off to college. Jack may not have been the best dad in the world, but the thought of not having Kevin around really shook him up.

He hoped his son would stay in town and go to UCLA, but Kevin was getting to be a great lacrosse player and might well get a full scholarship to an East Coast school. Scouts for the University of Virginia and Jack's old alma mater, the University of Maryland, had been hanging around his son's games.

If he ended up on the East Coast Jack would never see him. So he really ought to spend as much time with him as he could right now.

Jack stood on the sidelines with the other Culver City parents as Kevin cradled the ball in his midfielder's stick and made his way down the sideline toward the Brentwood goal. Jack was stunned by his son's speed. When he had played, Jack had been a good stick handler but wasn't all that fast. With Kevin the talents were reversed. His boy was blazing fast but he was sometimes a little careless with the ball.

Now Jack hoped that Kevin would see a wide open crease-attackman crossing in front of the goal. One good pass and a quick stick shot by Andrews, the attackman, and Culver City would win the first-round play-off game.

But Kevin was being dogged by a big defenseman and didn't see Andrews crossing and waving his stick high, calling for the ball. Instead Kevin tried a dodge, dropped the ball, and took a couple of steps cradling his empty stick, not realizing that the defenseman had already scooped up the loose ball and was heading to the other end of the field.

“Kev,” Jack yelled. “Kev, the ball.”

Kevin turned, looked at his stick, and Jack thought he could see his red face right through his helmet and mask.

For a second it looked as though Kev was going to hang his head and just stand there, but suddenly he lit out after the defenseman. The big guy was running in long strides but busy looking at opposing Culver City defensemen who were coming up to stop him.

He didn't see Kevin moving up behind him.

Now the Brentwood defenseman held his stick back a little, ready to make a pass to a lone attackman on his side. Which gave Kevin exactly the shot he needed. He whacked the big guy's stick so hard it fell from his hands, the ball rolled free, and Kevin scooped it up and headed back toward the Brentwood goal.

Everyone on the Culver bench was up and screaming as Kevin dodged one middie, then another, and ended up open in front of the Brentwood goalie. Two defensemen were closing fast on him and he barely had time to get off a low ground shot, which sailed to the left of the goalie's stick and into the net. Just as time ran out.

Immediately after the shot Kevin was decked by both defenders, a human sandwich. After the dust had cleared, he was up and being carried off the field by his ecstatic teammates.

Jack quickly joined him and the regular coach, Mike Mahoney. They pounded Kevin on the back as he was mobbed by mothers, fathers, and other Culver City lacrosse fans.

“Way to go, son,” Jack said. “That was just awesome.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Kevin said. “Sorry I dropped the ball.”

“Don't worry. You kept hustling and it paid off.”

He tousled Kevin's black hair and felt a surge of happiness.

All around him parents were talking, chattering, and congratulating their sons for a great game.

Kevin stepped up to Jack and spoke in a low voice.

“Dad, I think I see the next Mrs. Harper checking you out.”

Jack laughed. “You do? Where?”

“Look just off to your left. Slowly, don't be obvious about it.”

Jack turned and looked across the green field to where he saw a brunette in her late thirties, wearing skin-tight Levi's and a form-fitting green sweater. And she had the body to fill it out. And those lips . . . even thirty feet away, Jack could see she had luscious, full lips. She smiled his way and he managed a half-smile back.

But then there was a nasty little surprise. A big, sandy-haired guy in his forties walked up behind her, took her hand, and they turned and walked away toward the parking lot.

“Well, there goes that fantasy, Jack said. "HE next time you find me a new Mrs. Harper please see if she's married first, okay, pal?”

Kevin laughed and shook his head.

“Well, she looked like she was alone, Dad, and you gotta admit she was staring at you with that lean, hungry look.”

“Yeah,” Jack said. “But she's probably a team mom.”

“Not for our school,” Kevin said. “Must be for Brentwood.”

“She looked too fancy for me even if she was single,” Jack said.

“Not my type.”

Jack carried the lacrosse bag to the car and had just locked it in the trunk when his cell rung.

“Hello.”

“Jackie, thank God it's you.”

Michelle? What's up? It was his Michelle Wu, the most gorgeous and trickiest woman he'd ever met. Michelle specialized in hot cars. She worked with a gang who stole them, gave them to her to break down, and then resold the parts all over Mexico and Latin America.

Jack had busted her three years ago and recruited her as a snitch, but it had become a lot more complex during their last case. Michelle had risked her own life to save his.

Jack was uncomfortable being in her debt. And even more uncomfortable because he had feelings for her that were strictly taboo, given her line of work.

Now he tried to gauge the degree of panic in her voice. How much of it was real fear, and how much acting? Michelle Wu was a consummate actress and drama queen.

“I'm in Santa Fe, Jack. My sister Jennifer and I came here for a little holiday. We rode up to Taos to see the pueblo and got separated. Now she's gone. Someone has taken her.”

“You sure she didn't just wander off, Michelle?”

“No way. She would never do that.”

“You contacted the local cops?”

“Yes, of course. But they say they can't do anything for twenty-four hours. They gave me that ‘most people come back on their own’ bullshit.”

“But they do, Michelle.”

“Jackie, I would never ask you to do anything that interfered with your work, but please come out here. Please. I know this is bad.”

“How do you know that, Michelle?”

“I can't talk about that on the phone, Jack. I can't. I'm at the La Fonda hotel in Santa Fe.”

“Michelle, I'm sorry but I—”

“Jackie, are you going to make me say ‘you owe me'?”

“You don't have to say it,” Jack said. Jesus, he was already stressed out. His vacation had barely begun.

But it was true. He owed her.

“I gotta get some things together but I'll be there. By tomorrow, Michelle.”

“Thanks, Jackie. I wouldn't bother you but this is freaky, man. Please call me as soon as you make your reservations. You can always stay with me in my room, Jack.”

“No, thanks, Michelle. I'll get my own.”

“I knew you would say that, baby,” she said. “Thinks, Jack. This is really serious.”

Jack hung up the phone and looked across the parking lot at his son.

“Hey, Dad, you want to hang out and get some pizza at the farmer's market with the guys?”

“Not tonight, Jack said. Something's come up.”

Kevin's face flashed severe disappointment.

“Oh, man, he said. You gotta go? I thought you were on vacation.”

“I was. I mean I still am. This should only take a couple of days.”

Kevin shook his head.

“Yeah, right.”

“I have to call Grandpa. He'll come down and stay with you. You'll have fun together.”

Kevin sighed.

“I don't need Grandpa, Dad. I'm almost sixteen years old. I can stay by myself.”

“No way,” Jack said. “Hey, think of all that fried food he's going to make for you.”

Kevin made a “gag me with a spoon” face and his shoulders slumped as he got inside the car.

“Kev, I'm sorry. But this is someone I can't turn down.”

Kevin slammed the door and looked straight ahead.