The Innocent: The New Ryan Lock Novel Read Online Free PDF Page B

had passed already.
    Kim looked at him. ‘I believe you, and I trust you.’ She reached out and wrapped her hands around his.
    It was what he had needed to hear. ‘So what do I do?’ he asked her. ‘I mean, I can’t just pretend it never happened.’
    ‘No, you can’t.’
    Neither of them said anything for a moment. Then Malik said, ‘I kept thinking, what if it had been Landon in there with some weird guy? Or Katy? How would I feel if someone saw that happening to one of our kids, and turned their back?’
    ‘But you didn’t, did you?’ Kim said.
    ‘And look where it’s got me. I have a feeling that, even if I win this game tonight, Laird’s got me down as a troublemaker.’
    Kim’s brow furrowed. ‘Why doesn’t he want to take it any further? So they kick the guy off the board. Big deal. He’s still out there, doing whatever he was doing before.’
    Malik had a feeling they both knew the answer already. The college didn’t want to get involved. This way they could say they had acted decisively. But they hadn’t dealt with the problem: they’d just stopped it being their problem.
    ‘I know,’ said Malik. ‘Someone has to stop him.’
    As soon as he said it, he realized he didn’t even know the name of the person they were talking about. He didn’t have a face either. Laird knew, so did Tromso, but there was no way they were going to volunteer that information.
    ‘You could call the state police, couldn’t you? Or the FBI?’ Kim suggested.
    Malik had already thought about it. Sitting in his car after he’d seen Laird, he’d almost made the call then and there. But something had stopped him, and it wasn’t just that he didn’t have much to give them. As ashamed as he was to admit it, he didn’t want to do anything until after the game this evening.
    Despite his lingering anger and resentment, he couldn’t help but get caught up in the excitement of the final game of the Wolves’ season. He might have played in bigger games, but for the kids on his team this was the pinnacle of their college career. For them it would be their high point of playing basketball, a memory to be cherished, something to tell their own kids about. They wouldn’t be going on to the NBA. This was it for them, the top of the mountain. Malik couldn’t afford to let what he’d stumbled upon ruin that. He wanted them to be able to remember finishing as winners. He owed them that. The rest would wait, and there was something to be said for allowing himself to make his next move, whatever it might be, with a clear mind.
    ‘Malik?’
    His wife was looking at him, waiting for a response.
    ‘They don’t have state police here, but I’ll follow it up tomorrow. See if I can’t speak to some more people, find out if they know what’s been going on.’
    Kim squeezed his hand. ‘I know you’ll do what’s right.’

Nine
    Malik went upstairs, showered, put on slacks and a polo shirt, then headed back to college. There was less than six hours until the game started and a lot left to do. He got into his car, and drove to his office in the athletic department. He met with his assistant coaches, including Mike, whom he questioned again about the late-night text, getting the same answer he had before (‘I swear, I was home asleep the whole time, Coach’), and went over final preparations.
    The game plan for the evening was already decided. Malik didn’t believe in setting out to frustrate the other team. His approach had always been simple: play fast, be aggressive, everyone to know what their job was ahead of time.
    He watched some tapes of potential freshmen recruits. There was a kid from Gainesville he was desperate to have on the team, but he was pretty sure that a bigger college would land him. Despite all the noises that were made in public, all kinds of under-the-table deals were still being struck. Malik wouldn’t play that game, and if it meant he lost out, then too bad. He had seen, up close and personal, how