Page 118 of Coach
He’d come to save me after all.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Coach
“A soccer coach,” Rook told me. “College soccer coach.”
“I need more than that.”
“He was Este’s college soccer coach. For her first year, anyway. She dropped out before the second season started.
And she’d been real cagey about not wanting to tell anyone why.
Could it have something to do with this guy?
“Stop giving me drips and drabs,” I demanded, jaw tight.
“Something must have gone down that first year. Because the coach got fired. And Este was granted a restraining order. Things seemed to be going alright then for a while. At least on paper. But suddenly, the restraining order was up. And the coach got hired again. After that, Este dropped out. And dropped off the face of the earth for a while.
“She popped up again, half the country away. Then disappeared. Then popped up.”
“What about the coach?”
“He quit. Disappeared.”
“He was following her.”
“That’s my best guess.”
“She never got another restraining order?”
“None on record, no. Figure maybe she wasn’t able to prove he’d done anything wrong. It’s harder than it should be to get those fucking things. Someone can stalk the fuck out of you, but if they don’t threaten or hurt you, judges don’t take the shit seriously.”
“Send me a picture. I want to see the fuck.”
“Already sent.”
I guess I’d been expecting a relatively young, fit-looking coach, but George was closer to middle age, out of shape, greasy, and seemingly uncomfortable in his own skin.
“Seen him around?” Rook asked.
“No. Sent it to everyone. Maybe they saw him, though.”
“On it. I’ll keep digging. Let you know if I—”
“Hey!” Detroit yelled before Rook could sign off, making me turn to see him running up. “This ain’t what he looks like.”
“No, that’s him,” Rook said in my ear.
“No. Well, maybe once. But you gotta shave off seventy pounds or so. Pack on muscle. This fuck has been hitting the gym.”
“The gym?Ourgym?” I asked, heart thundering.
He was right there, under our noses, all this time.
“Yeah. Seen him a lot in the late mornings. Just for a few weeks. Figured maybe he was a new prison guard.”
“Did you talk to him? Ask where he lived?” I asked.
