He looked at Sally and knew that something had changed between them. For the first time, she was seeing beyond Jackson Shore, Football Legend, to the man he was inside.
He tried to look away. Couldnt.
She touched his arm. "This story is going to make both of our careers. "
Her touch was like an electrical spark.
He forced himself to look down at the papers spread out between them. He tried to read. Words drifted up to him, meaningless and unconnected. Then he noticed something. "The campus is closing today for winter break. "
"I know. "
He had to do something. Anything was better than sitting here, suddenly aching for a woman he couldnt have. "What do you say we go back, drive around? The administrators and staff will be gone. Maybe someone will talk when the wardens arent around. "
"Its worth a shot. "
Jack paid the bill; then they left.
Back on campus, they tried all their usual places, looked for all their previous sources. They made themselves impossible to ignore, easy to find.
Nothing.
Finally, they pulled into the parking lot and sat in the car beneath a bright streetlamp. A silvery rain beaded the windshield.
"I guess thats that," he said at last, reaching for the keys. A glance at the dash clock revealed that it was one in the morning. In a few hours, hed have to show up for work again.
A knock at the window shocked the hell out of both of them.
Jack rolled down the window. There, sidled close to the door, was a uniformed campus police officer, a man theyd tried to interview earlier. Sally immediately reached for a notepad and flipped to a blank sheet.
"Youre lookin for the dirt on Drew Grayland?" the officer whispered.
"Yeah. We heard he got picked up for drunk driving last Saturday night. "
"Nothin new in that. These athletes get away with murder. Im sick of it. Ive got daughters, you know?"
"Can you confirm that Drew was arrested on Saturday night?"
The officer laughed. "Arrested? I doubt it. "
"Whats your name?"
"Mark Lundberg. "
"Can we quote you on the record?"
The officer shook his head. "I got two kids to feed. I cant take on this fight. But I cant stand by and do nothin anymore. Here. " He slipped a manila envelope through the open window.
Jack glanced down at the envelope. There were no markings on it of any kind. When he looked back outside, Lundberg was gone.
Jack opened the envelope and withdrew the papers, scanning them. "Oh, my God . . . "
"What is it?" Sally asked, her voice spiking up in anticipation.
"Incident reports. Four women have accused Drew of date rape. "
"And hes never been arrested?"
He turned to look at her. "Never. "