I sat up in the chair, a little. "How do you know her, Lloyd?" I asked, trying to sound calm. If true, It would be a wild coincidence.
     "Years ago, I worked at Lincoln-El. I'd need to take a look at that picture of her, to be sure, but what you've described so far, sounds like a girl that I saw there, a few times. I could be wrong. There were lots of people there."
     "What did you do, there?" I asked, a bit surprised that Lloyd had worked there. When I really thought about it though, there was a lot about Lloyd that I didn't know.
     "Oh, you know, a little of this, a little of that. Mainly I designed circuit boards...and did some assembling...and you know, independent quality inspection." He sounded like he was answering the question but avoiding an answer.
     "It's okey, Lloyd," I said evenly. "I don't really care about what you might have done 20 years ago. I'm just interested in anything you might know about this girl. Come on over and look at the picture and tell me if you think it's her."
    "Come over?" Lloyd scoffed. "What for? Take a picture of the photo with you phone and send it to me."
     I shook me head at myself for not thinking of that, Did as Lloyd asked and hit the send button.
     After a couple of minutes, Lloyd's voice chimed back. "Good job, Sam Spade, now if we can just drag you kicking into the 21st Century --"
     "Knock it off, Lloyd," I sighed. "Do you know her, or not?"
     After a few more moments, Lloyd came back. "Actually, yes." I used to see her around, but I can only think of a couple of times that I talked to her. Well, one time that I talked to her, and one time where she listened in, while I got talked to."
     I grabbed  pen and pad, ready to take notes. "Okey, details, Lloyd, details"
     "The one time, I was outside at lunch. Weird, I know. You know how I feel about the sun. Anyway, I saw her hanging around the smoker's area, and she looked like she was crying, or had been anyway. Against my usual instinct, I asked her if she was all right. She nodded and dismissed me and said everything was ok. Trying to be funny, I said, "Oh, that's right. Crying is usually the socially demonstrable indicator of everything being all right."
     I knew he couldn't see me, but I was shaking my head.
     "Anyway, I don't know if it was my tone of voice, or what, but she looked at me like I had just dropped her kitten in a wood chipper, flicked her cigarette at me and stormed off."
     I was trying not to smile as I imagined the scene. Lloyd had the social skills of gorilla at a garden party, and I was  not surprised that it wasn't a recent development.
     "Tell me about the other time."
     "Oh, that," he said, a bit distantly. "Yeah, she was the witness at my exit interview."
     "Go on," I prodded.
     "Well, imagine you have a brilliant idea. Imagine this idea would turn the company you work for, from a small, but growing, local business into a heavy hitter that could go toe-to-toe with Raytheon."
     "Sounds brilliant," I said, getting more and more intrigued.
     "Imagine that this brilliant idea can be made, from parts you have just lying around the shop."
     "Getting better."
     "Imagine presenting your brilliant idea to everyone up the chain of command and getting stuffed at every turn."
     "That would be frustrating."
     "Imagine taking your own initiative, and creating a working prototype of your brilliant revolutionary idea."
     "That should convince anyone."
     "Now, imagine being called into the HR office, with your supervisor, the HR director and a member of her staff, security outside the door, and hearing the words, 'misappropriation of company property', 'termination' and 'federal charges'."
     "What the Hell, man?" I asked really trying not to laugh. I knew Lloyd to be brilliant, but not to engage in anything criminal. "What did you make?"
     "Let's just put it this way, you know the radar systems they put on cars so you don't back over Billy's bike, or don't created a second door in your garage?"
     "Yes", I said, dying of anticipation.
     "They are manufactured at L-EL. My design was the genesis of it. Not what I wanted to do with it, but pretty odd how they appreciated my work."
     "What were you going to do with it?"
     "Seeker head for hand-held, anti-personnel missile," he said, matter-of-factly.
     To be honest, I wasn't surprised.
     "Very important question, Lloyd. At this meeting where she was present, did you say or do anything that could be, you know, interpreted as a threat or anything?"
     "I don't think so. Not to her, anyway. She just sat there, looking uncomfortable, but I think was her discomfort, not mine."
     "Okey, come on over and look through these files, with me. See if that sparks any other memories that could lend some background."
     I tried to get started on the husband, Rick's file, but didn't get any further than finding out that he was the rainmaker for Land-Grant Real Estate developers. He had been at it for over five years and had landed some big-time deals. He wasn't a member of the million-dollar club, but he was close.
     Lloyd half-crashed, half-slammed through the door. His usual entrance. He carefully closed the door, looking slightly embarrassed, as if that had never happened before.
     "Glad you made it," I said. "Now, lets get into --"
     "I've got to tell you about the Cowboys," he blurted.
     "What cowboys?" I asked, a little perplexed by his sudden change of tack. I shouldn't have been, but I was.
     "McNeese State. Duh," he said, looking at me as if I were the slow kid who had pasted his hands together...again.
     "Oh. Right." I sat back down and chambered a round from the desk bottle. Once Lloyd gets fixated on football, he rolls. Ask him a simple, one line question, and he'll give a 20-minute dissertation if you don't reign him in. "Break it down."
     Lloyd went into his zone. He got that far-away look like he was communing with the Oracle of South Bend. If his voice had changed, I would have hit him. "I can't decide if this game is going to be a bigger blow-out than last week, or slightly smaller."
     "Firm commitment, there, Lloyd."
     "They are the 7th-ranked team in the FCS. I just can't figure out if that makes them better than FAU or not. Either way, this is one of those games where there really is no benefit to Nebraska."
     "A win is a win, right?"
     "Yes. And no. Everyone expects Nebraska to win by a large margin, so if it is close or if they pull off a Appalachian State-Michigan scenario, it's like losing two games."
     "So, what's going to happen?" I asked, hoping he would finish up so we could get back to business.
     "It will be a blow-out. There. I decided. McNeese state has a terrible defense, they have trouble stopping FCS opponents. This is also their first game and the Huskers have a ton of confidence. I'm thinking that Ameer will have another 200-yard day. I think the coaches will want to work on Tommy getting better at checking down his pass options. He'll only throw deep if Kenny or Jordan are so wide open that I could throw the ball to them using three tries to get the ball there."
     "That would be a sight," I laughed.
     "Their offense will actually be pretty good. I'm betting they get to the end-zone a couple of times, possibly both in the first half. Will cause some concern when the ticker scrolls by with Nebraska 21-McNeese State 14."
     "That would cause some concern."
     "Randy Gregory being out will not be that big of a deal. Jack Gangwish will start in his place, but I don't think hell be going up against a high draft pick left tackle."
     "Can we go two games in a row without a turnover?"
     "I'd like to say yes, but the odds tell me, no. It might be something silly like a muffed punt, or it will be late in the game when the back-ups are in, but there will be one."
     "Hit me with a final score. I need to add to my stash. I added 90 bucks last week and I need to make it grow."
     "There is no Vegas line, so you'll have to connect with one of the O-Street bookies," Lloyd said, with a slight hint of disdain in his voice.
     "Duly, noted," I said. "What is your prediction, for entertainment purposes only."
     "The two drives that were field goals, last week, are touchdowns, this week. 63 for Nebraska. McNeese State has a decent offense, and will make things interesting for a while. Final score, 63-20."
     "Thanks for the knowledge, Lloyd. Now, lets get down to business and see if we cant figure out what happened to the lovely miss Jamie, and why Tompkins cares so much."

                I told Jim that I either needed a trip to the tombs, or that he needed to arrange for the evidence boxes to be delivered. He told me that they would be delivered to my office, but I had to sign for them; chain of evidence and all that hoo-hah. I told him that I would need an assistant, to help with the leg work, and some of the techy-magical-computer stuff that reputable investigators use these days. He told me that would have to be filed under the 'expenses' part of the ledger, and since when did I consider myself 'reputable'?

            Touché. Ouch, but touché.

            I reminded him that I would probably have to interview him, just to get his perspective on the events. He told me his perspective was in the files. Not a good sign. I told him that we could do a quick, once-over, informally, just to get the highlights set up. He gave me that look. The look only a hard-core, lifer cop can give you, that makes you feel like he knows, just knows about all the crap you've pulled, including that time you lied about your age to get into a movie that you weren't supposed to be at in the first place...when you were 14.

            "All right", he said. "We'll go over some of the particulars, just to get you going."

            He sat back in the booth and collected his thoughts. It can be very interesting to watch a man's face as he starts pulling memories up, especially the ones that cause pain. The little twitches, winces and furrowed brows are giveaways, but you never know which memory causes what twitch.

            "January 14, 1997," he began in a voice that was younger, less gravelly, less jaded. "Jamie Brewer, 25, of Lincoln, was reported by her husband, Rick, 28, as missing, when she failed to return home following a night out with several friends."

            'Last seen at?," I interrupted.

            "Her friends said they dropped her off at her car after drinks at Iguana's . The six of them were out partying, having a blow-out. They walked Jamie back to her car, she got in and drove off. Her friends all assumed she was going home, that was at 1:30 a.m."

            I was taking some notes, beginning to think that this was going to end up as a wild goose chase, but I did have to exercise my due diligence.

            "Mr. Brewer's first call came in at 8 a.m., we gave him the standard, 'You need to wait 24 hours' bit. She might be taking a break, crashed at a friend and forgot to call...'All that good stuff. So, the next day, he shows up at the station, all pissed off and we write up a missing person report. He's ranting and raving about how we've wasted valuable time and all that. The desk Sergeant, a great, big, old-school bull copper had to come in and settle him down."

            I looked up and my friend, Lloyd, was sitting at the bar. Lloyd does that, he shows up at places, he might have been there for hours, but you don't ever seem to notice him until he wants to be noticed. I stopped Jim, mid-story. "I need to go consult with my 'operative' for a moment. Grab a drink, put it on my tab --"

            "Where it will be billed as an 'expense'," Jim growled.

            "See.  We already read each other."

            Lloyd was fiddling with one of his many electronic devices. "Lloyd, man, I've got a gig, if you're interested," I said as I eased myself into one of the high-backed chairs along the bar.

            "I don't know," came the unexpected reply. "I am getting all set for my analytics, this season. The depth chart just came out. The first game is this weekend. There are some really good games on a tough schedule."

            "Relax. Have a drink. You know I wouldn't disrupt your 'data analysis' unless it was important. It's a paying gig."

            He shifted his gaze and looked at me. Wait. No. He looked toward me. His watery eyes seemed to stare through me. This look of his could be really unsettling. Sometimes it appeared as if he were seeing something just beyond the visible spectrum. Other times it looked like he didn't care about anything. The blank stare of someone who just doesn't give a shit about anything, including life, itself.  

            "Okey," he said. "I can go all in this week, and maybe next week. I'm really not expecting much of a hassle, this week. This is one of those games that Nebraska should win, it's just a question of, 'by how much'. I fully expect Ameer Abdullah to have close to 200 yards, rushing. It will be a vanilla game on both sides of the ball. Line 'em up and pound them, don't reveal too much to future opponents. Tommy Armstrong needs to show that he has progressed since last year. No bad interceptions."

            I nodded at him as he paused for a sip of water.

            "The defense needs to show that they haven't slipped, too far, from the end of last year. The interior line should be able to get some reps for the newer players in order to build depth. The linebackers and secondary will be challenged. Johnson, the Owls' quarterback is big and mobile, he'll make the defense cover the whole field."

            "So, after the game, you want to help me out? I have sweet, sweet cash for you."

            "The line is -22.5 for the Huskers. Take the points. Yes, I'm in, " he said, his gaze returning to our plane.

Honky Tonk Woman

                Tawna's file on 'The Girl' was pretty thin, which  I guess was appropriate since the girl was thin, and pretty. The name they had on her was Cynthia Thomas. Occupation, actress/entertainer, which could mean she was an actress or it could be a euphemism. Age, 25, not a student and a bit unusual for one of the  guys on the team to be connected with an 'older' woman. The address they had on her was in a decent part of town. The vehicle she drove was a dark blue Mustang, not new, but not a clunker, either.

            The pics in her file showed her with Ray at some team event. A couple of goofy photo booth snaps and a few surveillance shots that were about as incriminating as admitting that you had a library card. I spread the photos out on my desk and really looked at them. There was just something about them that kept slipping up to me and slipping away again just as I was about to grasp it. It wasn't a sense of instant, surprising recognition, like watching an episode of 'Rockford Files' and realizing the bad guy is Ed Harris. It was more like seeing someone out of context, knowing, just knowing that you have seen the person before, but in a different setting, or with completely different lighting, or in black and white instead of color.

            I pushed back in my chair and assessed my next move. It was pretty clear that I had to track down the girl and see what connection she had besides girlfriend.  I had to find out if it was a serious thing, or just a bit of fun. There was no mention of any kid in the dossier, so I don't know if Tawna was messing with me or if she just didn't have the info. There had to be a deeper connection than the one on the surface. If the relationship made Tawna itchy, I had to take notice.

            The easiest, and most obvious step was to roll out to the address listed and see if she was home and have a little chin-wag. I got the car and started rolling south. I had the radio on the local sports station and got to hear news about seven defensive players becoming Blackshirts. Good job. Kind of different than recent years but a big morale booster for a young defense about to get tested in a couple of days. I rolled through  the neighborhoods that were populated by Chevy Malibus and Toyota Corollas. I passed into more recent developments where SUV's and minivans stood poised to make supply runs to Hy Vee to get a week's worth of groceries that the pioneers could have stretched into three months. I turned a last corner and eased down a street where Mercs, Jags, and Lexi kept on eye on things. The trees whispered the presence of an outsider to each other and the front lawns entered greenness competitions. I pulled into the right driveway.

            No car, but she might keep it in the garage. The house was nice, and yes, I had to say it was too nice for an actress/entertainer that had yet to make her break. Lincoln wasn't exactly a hub in film industry. It looked like it was a three to four bedroom job on two floors and a basement. Big house to live in alone. In this part of town, the property taxes would pay for a teacher for at least a semester.

            I figured a direct-ish approach would be best. I reached into my glove box and selected one of my business cards. I went up to the door and rang the bell. How's that for direct? The door was opened by a sleepy looking young woman wearing a fuzzy robe over a pink t-shirt with the word 'pink' in black lettering. Clever that. She was pretty, small, thin build, and the look she had was one of late nights, ETOH and not enough coffee, yet. I love the noon hour in college towns.

            She focused her gaze on me and asked, "what is it?" while stifling a yawn.

            Show time. "Hi. My name is Sam Hawkins and I'm an agent for Blackhawk Productions. A friend of mine sent me video of one of Cynthia's performances. We were quite impressed and would love to chat with her about an upcoming television role." I held my card out to her held between my first two fingers. She took the card, read it over and woke up all at once.

            "Come on in. She's not here, right now, but let me see if I can get a hold of her for you." I followed her into the house. The decor was spare if not spartan. One couch in front of a decent sized flat-screen on the wall in the living room. The sink had collected dishes from the several days ago and didn't look like it was in any mood to get started on them. There were notes and a dry-erase board on the fridge that had contact numbers and sectors with the names Cynthia, Natasha, Jordan and Emily printed in neat, precise handwriting.

            She went to a line of phones charging on the counter and picked one up. A few tippity taps and then we waited. I kept scanning the room, while the girl scanned me. She had that look like she didn't quite believe my schtick. That meant that she was  at least a little bit smart.

            "Hey, Cynthia. This is Natasha," she said to the phone in a sing-song tone. "There's a guy here, who says he's got a gig that he thinks your perfect for. He's from Blackhawk Productions. The number is 402-555-2368. Bye-eee." She ended the call and looked up at me. "She didn't pick up, so I left a voice-mail. But that is kinda weird."

            "What's weird?" I asked.

            "That she's off the grid. She almost always picks up. At the very least to text back if she's too busy to talk, or working or stuff like that."

            "When was the last time you talked to her, or heard from her at all?"

            "Last night. She was heading out as I was coming home." Natasha had a concerned look, and kept chewing at her lip.

            "Are you okey," I asked. Her stance was telling me that something was vibing her as very hinkey.

            "Yeah, I'm fine." She brightened a bit and added a smile that never made it to her eyes. "It's just that she never stays out all night. Never. She might get home at 5 in the morning, sometimes, but she always comes home. This is not like her."

            "Where was she going?"

            "She had just got back from dinner with Ray. It was early because he was tired from practice. Then she was going to a party, downtown."

            "What kind of party? Frat, kegger, something like that?" I asked.

            Natasha smiled. "No, sooo not her thing. When Cynthia says she's going to a party, it's one of those high class deals where guys with too much money and too much to drink try to look down her dress while she laughs at their lame jokes."

            "That sounds political," I said. "Or financial. Like investments and land deals, that sort of thing."

            Natasha shifted gears on me, maybe realizing she had said more than she intended. "I'm not sure. It's her life, and she always seems to have a good time. Who am I to judge?" she shrugged off some other thoughts.

            I refocused on my role. "Well, when she gets in, have her call me. You have my card. I was hoping to meet her, today. It's a pretty good role I'd like her to audition for, but I'm sure I can find another cute blondie to take the gig." I started moving to the door. "You said Ray had to practice. What is he, in a band or something?"

            Natasha really laughed this time. "No. He's on the football team. Football practice." She shook her head.

            "What is it?" I asked.

            There was a hint of a smile left. "He's funny. He thinks he's going to cash in on the NFL in a couple of years."

            "You don't think he will?"

            "I have no idea. My dad says he's a back-up, who hasn't gotten enough playing time to prove himself. Without cracking the starting line-up, he'll be lucky to get a try-out in Canada...whatever that means." She looked up at me with an earnest expression of concern. "I'll call you if I hear anything, too."

            "Great," I said. "You do that. Time is money, you know." I waved a little salute at her and headed for the car.

            I started heading back to the office while the sports guys started tossing predictions for the Wyoming game around. I listened and weighed what was being said. If push came to shove, I was thinking Nebraska would take Wyoming, 52-24. The offense is going to roll, maybe the best in the Conference. The defense was young, inexperienced, and talented, but might give up a few big plays.

            That sounded familiar.

Country Tonk

                I stepped out of my cool, serene shelter and into a classic Nebraska summer day. The kind of day that feels like a large, wet dog has propped himself on your shoulders and is panting in your face.

            I headed for the office, hoping that the bills and junk-mail hadn't made too much of mess in my absence and dialed up Lloyd on the phone, or communicator as he insisted on calling it. He picked up, interrupting the Star Trek theme on his callback tone. "Ellroy, here."

            "Lloyd. I need to meet with you. I've got a case and I have a feeling I'm going to need your expertise," I said.

            "Audio, visual, or both?"

            "Both. I'm getting expenses on this one, so bring your whole Felix bag."

            "I got a new FLIR imager. Can I bring it?" he asked. The note in his voice told me that if I said no, he'd be like the kid who got socks instead of action figures for Christmas.

            "Lloyd, my man. You are a sub-contractor. You can bring anything you want, itemize the usage and submit a bill. You don't need my permission."

            "Right...I knew that. It's just..."

            I stopped walking, leaned against a wall, and rubbed the space between my eyes. "You know I will try to keep you as far away from the bad guys, as possible. I don't want a repeat of the last time, either."

            "I know. I just...you know...freak out every now and then. Still."

            "I get it, Lloyd. I should have never put you in that position. You're the best surveillance and tech guy in town. I think this case is going to be mostly old-school, but since everyone has cell phones and computers, I will probably need someone with the skills to access that kind of stuff."

            He paused for a bit longer than I was hoping for, but he eventually replied. "Okey, I'm in."

            "Great," I said. "Meet me tonight at the office tonight at 7, and we'll set up the preliminaries. I don't even know what my first move is."

            "You're used to that, I'm sure. Ellroy out."

            Lloyd can be kind of mean, sometimes. Although I guess I deserved it.

            I checked the office and saw that the bills had made gains on the junk mail. The plastic fern needed water and the desk bottle was running a bit low. I checked to make sure all my pens worked and that there was more than enough room on the legal pad for plenty of doodles when the office door opened up.

            He was a young guy, mid twenties, maybe. Clean cut, good shape, polo shirt and khakis. Nikes and white socks. Still learning to dress. He had a backpack slung over his shoulder, and looked like he could be a grad student. But he wasn't.

            "Excuse me, sir. Are you Sam Hawkins?" he asked, pointing at the painted letters on the glass door.

            "Either that, or Lon Chaney is even better than he used to be," I replied, trying to look serious.

            The kid fished around in his backpack, and brought out a large manila envelope that was nearly sweating with the effort to stay closed. He nodded blankly. The joke had gone completely over his head. He held the envelope out to me, "Ms. Brixton told me to deliver this to you--well, a Mr. Hawkins, anyway."

            "Yeah, that's me. Thanks. I'd toss you a quarter for a tip, but I'd be afraid you'd just blow it on jawbreakers and red-hots down at the candy store."

            He shouldered his backpack and gave me a once over. "Ms. Brixton warned me, that you might be--"

            "A jerk?"

            "Challenging, she said. Before we get in deeper than either of us want, I need to tell you that she wants me to be the go-between on this one."

            "This one, what?"

            "This case. She said I was to liaison between your organization and our office. She said it would make more sense and be safer if anyone monitoring her movements were to see her coming in and out of your," he paused a second as he scanned the office, "establishment."

            "Ah, I see. So, employee or intern?" I asked.

            "Intern. What does that--"

            "What's your major?"

            "History. With an emphasis on Mili--"

            "Great. That's just great," I said, plastering on my big, cheesy smile. "You got a name, kid?"

            "Richard. Richard White," he answered, his eyes narrowing as he tried to see what care instructions for my shirt were.

            "Richie, we'll get along just fine, I think." The used car salesman smile made my jaw ache.

            Richie's jaw tightened a little bit, and he wasn't looking very happy. "I prefer Richard, thank you."

            "You're polite, too. Tawna must love that. I get it, Richie, but I think first impressions are important. To me you look more like a Richie...unless you think Dick is better."

            Richie's face reddened. I knew he had heard the gag a million times and probably hated his parents every time he did. He shifted his weight on his feet, pulled his backpack a little tighter on his shoulder. "First impressions are important. Trust me, I know a dick when I see one." He turned on his heel and was out the door. I did have the good taste to not let him see me smile.

            Well done, lad, I thought to myself. I'm going to like this kid.

            I pulled my letter opener out of my desk and sliced open the envelope. I had just a few days before the first game, with Wyoming coming to town and I wanted to get a handle on the situation as quickly as I could.

            I had been turning a hypothesis around in my head, that whoever was behind the threats was going to make their move at a critical point in the season. If that was the case, there were only a few games which were considered critical. UCLA, Northwestern and Michigan State in Lincoln, and Michigan on the road. If the Huskers were successful in those, then there was the conference championship against Ohio State, most likely.

            I know that coaches like to take it, 'one game at a time' and not 'overlook any opponent' but I've always thought that was just coachspeak to keep the fishwrap fillers from inciting the other side. I didn't want to think that Wyoming could be overlooked, but hey, If the Cowboys were to walk in to Lincoln and get the win, the problems would be much bigger than the one I had to deal with.

            The first sheet I took out was a photo taken for the media guide. Doyle, Ray stared back at me. 21 years old. Mom dad and siblings living in Johnson City, Tennessee. Scholarship recruit three years ago, worked his way up from scout team fodder to second string db. I was having a hard time getting my head around the idea of him being the link that could be critical in any big game, but when the evidence doesn't support the hypothesis, change the hypothesis.

            Tawna had sent academic records. Decent grades as a Exercise and Physical Education major. He had been involved in a slight legal issue as a freshman, he got Mipped, but clean since then, nothing anyone could use as leverage. He was involved in the community service stuff the team usually does, visiting sick kids in hospitals and stay in school stuff, so nothing there.

            The girlfriend's picture was next. She was cute, early 20's, blonde and blue and her face blipped my memory radar. Not a huge blip, like I knew her personally, but a background blip. I knew her, but couldn't quite place from where.   

The Girl With Faraway Eyes

                Kicking off the 2013 season a little differently. So much analysis, predictions, prognostications, etc. are out there. This is a story, that will play out over the course of the season, with Nebraska football as the background. I'm not going to get into depth charts, recruiting and play calling so much. What I will do, is tell my tale with significant plot points being derived from the games. I Hope you enjoy it.

 

 

      I loved getting here before anyone else. The staff knows me. Ryan, specifically, knew how I liked my drinks. The cool and the dark is always as refreshing as long pull of ice cold pop after a night of too many ghosts.

            The stool was at the perfect level for me to keep an eye on the guy directly across from me. We were surrounded by hundreds of enemy soldiers in browns, greens and the occasional blue. Their cheerful labels and whimsical names did little to belie their menace or potential to initiate a banzai charge. I nodded at the other guy and raised my glass. He returned the salute and I knew we would go down together if the attack was launched. We couldn't win, but we'd take as many bastards with us as we could.

            Business is lousy. Divorce gigs aren't what they used to be. Back in the Cretaceous Period, you needed to have some sort of proof if you wanted to appear before a judge and dissolve. Now, it's usually a case of, "You wanna?"

"Yep."

"3K, a short wait, and we're outta here."

            There was still the occasional contested issue where one side would want dirt on the other and needed to find some muck-raking, garbage-diving low-life to provide the goods. That's what my cards read... on the back. Throw in a fidelity test and a background check or two for a blue blood and I managed to get the rent paid and the cat fed.

            I smelled her before I saw her. The scent of L'air de Temps pushed through the other smells like a bodyguard clearing a path for a starlet through the paparazzi. I nodded at Ryan, made the 'two' sign and indicated the seat to my right. Ryan poured two glasses of bourbon and placed one in front of me and the other in front of Tawna as she sat next to me.

            "Hey, there, Kitten," I said. "What's a girl like you doing in  place like this?" I always wanted to say that.

            "Can, the crap, Sam. I'm here on business." She tossed the bourbon back in one smooth motion.

One of the many things I dug about Tawna, she could drink with the big boys. "Something must be brewing," I said. "You wouldn't be saying hello to the only reason we keep Kentucky in the union before sundown unless it was important."

"It is." The bourbon was already beginning to work its magic. I could see the tension beginning to unwind. A bit. You had to know where to look and you couldn't look directly. I had the guy opposite look for me.

            She emptied her glass, took a deep breath and turned to me. "We have a situation." She had my attention, for real, now. "There have been some threats made to one of the football players. Not him, directly, but this girlfriend-slash-hookup-slash-possible baby mama that he is involved with."

            I smiled. I laughed a little bit. Mistake.

            "What?!", Tawna demanded.

            "Nothing. I'm just amused by you using the term, 'baby mama'." After shrugging off the daggers her eyes shot at me, I waited a beat and rejoined.  "Okey. Kid's got girl problems. How do you and the Security Detail get involved? And more importantly, why has it got your Vicky's Secret unmentionables bunched up like the old dudes at Grandmothers on free pudding night?"

            "We can't get involved, directly. The girl isn't a student, so we can't even go talk to her, really. The player is the only one suggesting there have been threats, and he won't go to the police, since it would be a 'distraction'. The coaches care, but they know they can't make him do anything not related to football or class. So I'm stuck, not able to do what I know needs to be done and my hiphuggers are right where they're supposed to be." She motioned at Ryan to bring two more.

            "Fine. Why tell me all this?", I asked.

            "Are you going to actually make me say it?"

            "Say what? You got a tough nut to crack and your hands are tied. Normally, you're not into that sort of thing, so you're doubly pissed off. I would be, too."

 

            She gripped her glass a little tighter. I was hitting all the points I knew I shouldn't. I was having fun, though.

            "What I need," she said. "Is someone I can...trust...to check this out and see if it's a legitimate threat. I need to get it resolved and kept out of the public view, too. I'm tap-dancing in a mine field here, Sam."

That did it. She used my name. This was serious. I tossed back the rest of my bourbon and looked at the guy across from me. He looked me in the eye and reminded me that I owed her. "All right", I said, pushing my hat back. Give me the particulars. Let me know the no-go zones, too."

            "Would that matter?"

            "I'm wounded by that crack. I only break the rules when absolutely necessary."

            "Necessary being as often as possible."

            "Hey. I'm helping you out, remember."

            "You're helping me out because you need the gig, and it involves football. If the kid were on the gymnastics team, you wouldn't care."

            "That's true," I nodded. "But neither would anyone else. And you wouldn't be all hot and bothered about keeping it under the rug."

            It was her turn to toss back the bourbon.

            "Let me have my tech guy, Lloyd to work the case, too," I said.

            She looked me over, thought a minute, "Agreed."

            "Good, because without him, my idea of a wire tap is adding an extra piece of string to the tin-can line." That actually got a hint of a smile. "So, what, exactly, do you want me to find out?"

            "You need to find out exactly what the nature of the relationship is. Determine if there is a threat, the nature of the threat and determine what the motivation is. You get all that, I can get your fees, plus expenses."

            "Where's that going to come from?"

            "I'm consulting with you," she said. Then she winked.

            With that, she spun off the stool and sauntered to the door. Her hiphuggers were in the right place. I caught the guy across from me looking.

            I took stock of my situation. I had to locate and deal with a threat to a football player, without knowing the exact origin or nature of the threat. The first game was only a week away. I started listing off all the characters that might have an interest in how well a player performs. Fans, business owners, the 'O' Street bookmakers, opposing fans, the Vegas bookies, local and national media, the students, the team, the coaches, the athletic department and the U in general.

            Easy, right?

            I had to get in touch with Lloyd and make a few calls. I needed Tawna to provide the name of the player and his girlfriend...or whatever.

            I pulled the schedule out of my wallet, along with a couple of bills for Ryan. Wyoming was the first game. In Lincoln. I didn't have a whole lot of time to dwell on it, but I do know they are called the Cowboys, and it was time to saddle up and ride.

Going Back to Ohio

     It may not look like much on the scoreboard, but a rally from a 17 point deficit to a 3 point win is pretty impressive. The swing from last year was a whopping 34 points. Big difference: no Russell Wilson for the Stinking Badgers. Not as big difference, the new and improved Taylor Martinez.
     You always hear how the game is won in the trenches, usually spoken by guys who's only idea of trench warfare is the assorted 22 minutes or so from Downton Abby. If true, then the Husker front four drove the mastodons from UW even closer to extinction. Extra props to the linebackers, too. All made impressive plays, 'Zo Whaley, Sean Fisher and Will Compton stood out at key moments. Compton reminds me of a classic throwback '60's linebacker, except fast.
     I think the ground game has a recipe for long term success. Wave after wave of Burkhead and Abdullah. You could see it starting to take shape in the second half. Sprinkle in a little T-Magic and this offense looks like it might be unstoppable by anyone, save themselves. Dropping 45 points a game on opponents is tough to counter.
     On to the next gig. All the way to Columbus, Ohio. Lloyd and I loaded up the van with lads and began the odyssey all the way to the Arch City...wonder if that's because of Archie Griffen? I could see it. "Groping in the Dark" was booked for a place called 'The Worst Bar in Columbus'. I'm sure the competition was fierce, but that is the actual name of the place. I sought out the owner or manager or bartender who looked like he was in charge in order to get sorted out.
     I wonder if Bo will have any chance to enjoy his homecoming.
     Rod was a decent sort, all things considered. He only looked at us like we were noisy tourists talking too loudly in a cathedral. More tolerant than I expected. I anticipated him looking at us like enemy agents trying to slip by his border post undetected. Yes, he knew where we were from.
     He came sauntering up as Nigel struggled to fit his synthesizer onto the tiny stage with all the other gear. "You know you're going to lose on Saturday, don'cha?"
     Figuring that Nigel had no idea about what Rod was talking about, I intervened. "Lose at what?" I asked, putting on my best confused look. That one is easy, I'm confused a lot.
     "The Buckeyes are going to destroy Nebraska, ol' Braxton will run circles around them."
     "What is a Buckeye and who or What is a Braxton?", I asked, not rising to the bait.
     "The Buckeyes, you know, the football team from THE Ohio State University."
     I always hated that extra emphasis on 'The' that OSU players and fans coughed out.
     "Braxton Miller is the quarterback that will make those Cornhumpers look silly", Rod continued.
     "Oh, ok," I nodded. "You still haven't told me what a Buckeye is, though."
     "Awe, hell, it's a tree. The Ohio Buckeye, a type of chestnut."
     "Why name your team after a tree?"
     "It's not just the team. It's the State, the people. Ohio is the Buckeye State."
     Chas chimed in, "You mean like conkers?"
     "What?"
     "Conkers. You put the conkers, or horse chestnuts, on a bit of string and whack the hell out of them in turn, until one breaks," he explained.
     Rod looked at him as if he had grown a second head, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
     "Yanks," he scoffed and went back to setting up.
     I had a feeling that Chas was on to something, though. I started thinking that the game would be like a game of conkers. Each side is going to take a whack at the other until one breaks. Both offenses are just a bit better than the defenses they will face.
     Nebraska was the more diverse attack, and will force OSU to play honestly all game. The main weapon is Taylor Martinez, who has been making key passes as well as plays with his running. Rex and Ameer are the best running back tandem in the B1G. Kenny, Quincey and Kyler are effective downfield weapons.
     OSU has Braxton Miller. He does the same job as the entire Nebraska backfield. He is the key to the game. He is just a good enough passer to hurt the defense. He won't sit back in the pocket and pick the D apart, he'll do it while running, drawing defenders up and hitting receivers that get left open.
     The band brought me out of my reverie as they sound checked with Blondie's 'One Way or Another'. Seems to fit to me. A huge dude wearing khaki shorts and an Ohio State sweatshirt ambled up to me. The shirt was so badly stretched over his massive gut, that the type 'O' looked more like an ellipse. "Are you Sam?" he wheezed.
     "Yeah," I said. Who wants to know?
     "Susan said to give you this," he said, pressing a folded piece of paper to my hand.
     I opened it right there. It read 'Meet me at midnight at a place called Hang Over Easy -- S'
     That meant I could hang out, catch the game, and still hit the meeting. Finally, a break.
     I settled in to bide my time and watch the track meet that was about to unfold.
     A track meet that I expect the Huskers to win, 38-35.
     Husk-husk and on the qb.

Almost back to normal.

     The drive back home was loooong.
     The band made a few bucks, entertained some new fans, and probably committed a couple of misdemeanors with their, ahem, followers.
     But, that's the biz.
     Lloyd and I were anxious to get back. We needed to see if there had been any word on Susan. We thought that maybe she had skipped ahead, if Mickey's info was worth anything. It was possible that she was anywhere from Utah to Pennsylvania. We had to narrow down the search area.
     We asked the lads where they had been scheduled to play.
     "Not sure, mate," said Nigel. "We know she booked several gigs in Lincoln, the L.A., deal and she said several other travel opportunities."
     "Did she mention where the travel opportunities were?"
     "Dunno," Chas chimed in. "Sounded right foreign to us, Ohio, Iowa, Michigan..."
     "Chicago!" Derek interrupted.
     "Chicago?"
     "Yeah. I remember Susan telling me that she had to go to Chicago at some point to secure the venue for a gig. I remember it because it was the one place I had heard of."
     "All nighter, Lloyd?" I asked.
     "We can do it. If we drive in shifts and sleep when we get the chance, only stopping for gas and food, we can get home in 24 hours."
     We blazed right by Las Vegas. The lads got mad. Maybe on our next vacation, I told them.
     We stopped in Cedar City, Utah, for gas and packaged preservatives in snack cake and beef stick form.
     As we roved through the mountains, Derek observed that the Rockies could have inspired Tolkien for the Misty Mountains.
     Derek has got some depth, to him.
     I started keeping an eye out for goblins and trolls. Especially around Boulder.
     From Denver we swept through the plains. Lloyd and I struggling to stay awake. The coffee and five-hour energy shots hardly living up to their name.
     The lads were rapt. I wondered if they expected to see the whole Sioux Nation riding out to waylay us. Nothing about America fascinates the Brits as much as the Wild West.
     I promised them each a Stetson, because Stetsons are cool.
     We finally rolled back into Lincoln, unloaded the gear and caught a few hours of kip time. They had a gig on that Saturday.
     That Saturday turned out to be Anxiety Saturday. The Huskers played well, Taylor had an awesome game. But Bo was ill, sidelined, under the weather.
     He didn't come out of the locker room. He took an ambulance ride. The press didn't know where he went or what was done. They were thwarted by privacy laws.
     They don't know that you have to talk to housekeeping. Housekeeping knows all and moves like wraiths through the halls of every hospital. They are invisible, but they know and see all.
     Malcolm is a junior pre-med student who pulls shifts at St. E's. He's on scholarship, but needs cash to take care of some things. He will also impart information from time to time for the right dead president; or statesman if it's really good.
     For the price of a conversation with Mr. Franklin, Malcolm said that the brought Bo in, ran his EKG, ran the full cardiac panel and rayed his chest. He had some of the symptoms for a cardiac event, but the blood levels and EKG were normal. They proceeded with the G.I. cocktail, a mixture of Maalox and liquid lidocaine. Discomfort resolved. Dx papers signed and Bo was out the door.
     As for this weeks game against Idaho State, get your media guides out. You will see names you have never heard before.
     Rex will get about ten carries as we welcome him back. Ameer will shoulder most of the load and Braylon and Imani will get a lot of work in the second half.
    I think Taylor will run the show in to one possession in the second half, then give way to BK3.
     We welcome back Chase Rome to the team who settled his personal issues. I translate that as he broke up with his girlfriend from back home, just a theory, I could be wrong.
     Zaire Anderson got hurt, blew up his ACL. Sadness. Time for Santos to step it up.
     Final score, Huskers 63, Idaho State 10.
     Getting caught up takes a lot of work,
     Husk-husk and on the qb.

Spartan Accomodations

     I love being right, well, kind of right. In my pre-game post, I indicated that Nebraska should employ the base nickle defense instead of the 4-3 they've been running all year. Carl did me one better. He utilized Green Bay's 'Psycho' defense in obvious passing downs, which for Michigan State seemed to be third-and-greater than 3.
     Old-school, smashed mouth, slobberknockin' football is my favorite. Sure the kids are bigger, faster, and stronger than the kids in the long, long ago, far away time. but the principles are the same. Get there the fastest with the mostest and you win the engagement before it even starts.
     For having a really cool mascot, and an outstanding legend to build a football team and athletic department around, MSU sure does seem to have a lot of  ass-holes on the team. I'm not saying you shouldn't be edgy, or try to get into the other guys head, but play with some control to that edge. To be fair, if you want to be an ass-hole and cost your team fifteen yards, that's fine, I'll take it, swing away at the guy wearing a helmet, genius.
     Herodotus should be required reading for every football player. Why? Check him out for yourself.
     Blackshirts should be in lockers this week, at least in my humble opinion. Best performance of the season, and Bo pretty much let it slip during the post-game conference that they had been earned. In that vein I want to congratulate Ankrah, Steinkuhler, Rome, Cameron, Compton, Fisher, David, Dennard, Stafford, Austin, and Jean-Baptiste. I want to toss a couple extra shirts in the lockers of Evans, Thorell, and Green for not giving up and growing into their roles, even when surrounded by negativity. Plus one more for Jared Crick, who has more than earned his.

     Check out Coach Carl presenting the Blackshirt

     Rex Burkhead may end up as one of he all-time best running backs in NU history. He may not end up with the numbers of a Rozier or a Green, or have the highlight reel of Phillips or Jones, and I will pretty much guarantee he never gets the cover of Sports Illustrated, but play-for-play, pound-for-pound, this guy is one of the best and I would want him on any team I was coaching. Which is probably why 85,000 fans were holding their collective breath when he didn't get up after a third quarter play. This is a guy who always gets up. Leg cramps. Two plays later he caught a 27-yard TD toss from Martinez. Bo calls him a warrior. I dare anyone to disagree.

     I-Backasaurus Rex in action

     I like this big, physical, tough Big Ten Conference. It suits Nebraska and the way they play. I especially like how defensive linemen look in the fourth quarter when they are out of gas and keep looking at the clock wondering when it's going to be over. I especially like how Yoshi smiles and helps a defender up after all 320 pounds of him have been crushing him into the field turf.
     If Taylor Martinez comes Trick-or-Treating, tomorrow. I want to slip a guide of proper throwing mechanics into his treat bag. He's got speed, he understands the offense, he is a leader, but I really, really, really wish he would learn to step into his throws.
     Nebraska may have to play Penn State twice in four weeks. Their offense isn't that impressive, but their defense looks to be almost as good as Sparty's. Hmmm. They are 5-0 in B1G play and have the pole position for the LeaderS. If Nebraska wins out, Penn State would have one loss and could win their division with a 7-1 record. That would make a re-match for the B1G Championship game. But, get this. If Ohio State wins out, and Nebraska wins out, then there would be a Nebraska-Ohio State re-match. There is also still a possibility of a Nebraska-Wisconsin re-match, but a lot would have to happen, now that they have dropped two straight, to teams Nebraska beat.
     Nebraska should be back in the Top 10, now that Clemson, Michigan State and Kansas State each got dropped, yesterday. The University of Nebraska's Geological seismology department recorded a spike at 5:33 p.m., yesterday. Leading theories indicate that it was the sudden impact of Wildcatfans expectations meeting reality.
     I got to watch some Stanford and Andrew Luck. Based on what I've heard, I'm hoping that I saw the worst game of his career, because he did not look like future #1 draft pick against USC.
     Going to the Northwestern game, this Saturday. It's on the 5th of November, Guy Fawkes Day, or Bonfire Night. I have to get a 'V for Vendetta' mask and paint N's on it. I'll be sitting in the faculty section, so you'll probably be able to hear me. I'll be the only one cheering...loudly, anyway.
     Husk-husk and on the qb.