Page 25 of Breakaway

Turk leads me to the couch and sets his cup next to mine before crossing to the door. Clark walks in followed by Mel. Mel drops a small bag on the floor and comes directly to me, pulling me in for a big hug. “You okay, little girl?”

“I’m fine. Are you okay? Did anything…” I glance at Turk and the other men. Pulling back, I look at them all. “What’s going on here? How does Mel know you?”

Mel crosses to the older man and holds out his hand to shake. “Detective Banner.”

“Just Joel, Mel.”

The man who made me breakfast smiles and extends his hand. “Caitlyn, I’m Joel Banner, Turk and Tatum’s father. I’m a retired detective. It’s a long story, but we know about your stepbrother, and we want to help.”

I shake my head. “You can’t help. No one can. He has people he pays.”

“Yes, we know. After last night we’ve identified several and I’m confident they will expose others.”

“Wh-what happened last night?”

Joel, Clark and Mel all look to Turk.

“A lot has happened. Let’s sit and get everyone on the same page,” Turk says, taking my hand and urging me to the couch.

“How do you know Mel?” I ask again.

“Caitlyn,” Joel cuts in, “Let’s start at the beginning. Clark and Turk have known each other since they were in pre-school. They were inseparable, almost like twins. Ask Tatum and Leslie. Tatum used to bitch that she had two over-protective brothers.

“That bond was never more apparent than when Baylor deliberately injured Turk, ending his hockey career.”

“Baylor was the one who broke your leg?”

“Yes,” Turk says. “So you can understand that anything he’s involved in makes me, us, suspicious. The night I found the two of you in the tunnel together I became apprehensive. Not initially of you, but of him.”

“Initially?”

“You tried to deceive me. You walked one way then I saw you sneak back and get on a bus. I followed you to the diner, saw you go upstairs and come out in an apron and go to work. Later you went back upstairs for the night. I had a copy of the employee forms you filled out. That wasn’t the address you listed as where you lived. I watched again another night. Waiting to see if Baylor was involved.

“I soon realized you were afraid of him as well. That he was threatening you in some way. I contacted my dad. We went to the diner on a day you wouldn’t be there. I wanted to get a feel for the place and what was going on. It turned out, Dad knew Mel. We talked and that conversation led us to your brother. Then we found out he was a silent part owner of the team before Clark purchased it.”

Mel meets my gaze. “I’ve known Joel for a long time. He used to be a regular at the diner when my grandparents were still alive. I knew he could be trusted. I told them about the shake down loan your brother holds over your head. The little prick needs to be dealt with.”

Clark cuts in, “You don’t grow up around a detective and not learn a few things. Turk and I went through all the contracts and yours wasn’t the only one with pay anomalies. Baylor had something to do with each one. We became aware of his close relationship with Missy and after the physicals, Turk suspected drugs in her case. We have inadmissible evidence that Baylor was supplying her drugs in exchange for her throwing games.”

“Cat,” Turk takes over, “When Tatum realized you were gone, she was a nervous wreck. She called me and told me Baylor told you to throw the game. She was terrified that Baylor did something to you. I told her I’d find you. I called her after your incident with the car, explained you were safe and that I was driving you home. I asked her to go tell Clark everything.”

He covers my clenched fist with his broad one. “She told us about Baylor wanting you to throw the game, and your confession to the team on the ice. That took a hell of a lot of courage. I’m so proud of you.”

I meet his gaze, looking for the truth of his words. No one has ever been proud of me before. But I see it in his eyes.

Clark nods. “When Tatum got on the bus, she confronted Baylor loud and clear. Outing him so all the team would hear. When we got back to town he disappeared.”

“A couple hours later, Mel calls me,” Joel chimes in. “Someone was trying to break into the restaurant and the apartment overhead. We were able to apprehend three men.”

“I’d already taken the little bit of stuff you’d left out, so they didn’t get anything. It’s all in that bag,” Mel assures me.

“Any damage to your building?”

Mel shakes his head.

“They’ll never go to trial.” I meet his gaze. “Slack has people on the force and in public office on his payroll. The people you have in custody will either never say anything or they’ll die in jail. You can’t beat him. He’s been doing this his whole life.

“He learned from my stepfather and perfected his methods. Once Slack has something on you, your life is never your own. He involves you in his illegal operations then threatens and controls your every move. When someone doesn’t do what he wants he kills them or a loved one and makes sure everyone else under his thumb knows how ruthless he is.

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