“He made sixty mil during his career, but looking at him, you wouldn’t know it. He was a modest guy, one of those salt-of-the-earth kinda types. Real polite, but very reserved, too. Honestly, he was kind of a hard guy to get to know. Then, when hedidtalk, he’d say the funniest, darkest shit you’ve ever heard. He had a wicked sense of humor.”
“If he was so quiet, why was he the captain?”
“Not every captain is the type of guy to give theserah-rahmotivational speeches. Hath was a lead-by-example kind of guy. He showed up every day and busted his tail. If you only gave an eighty percent effort, or even a ninety percent effort, you looked lazy next to him. He made everyone better like that. But he wasn’t afraid to speak when he had to, either. And when hedidtalk, everyone shut the hell up and listened, because you knew what he had to say was important. If he called you out, it was because you deserved it—and he usedjustthe right words to describe the problem exactly, and how you had to fix it. He was smart as hell.”
“You said he was the team’s best player, too?”
“Without a doubt. By far the most skilled guy I’ve ever played with. We called him Captain Clutch. Anytime we needed a big goal, he was the guy who could elevate his game to the next level and justwillit to happen. If Soupy was the heart of our team, then Hath was the soul.”
“Did Soupy and Hath get along?”
“Oh, absolutely. They were best friends, actually, even if their personalities were complete opposites.”
She tapped her chin. “From what you’ve told me, it sounds like Soupy could only drive home if he got his keys from Hathaway. Did anyone ask him how Soupy got his keys?”
“Hath said he didn’t know. And yeah, Hath gathered up our keys, but it’s not like they were stored in a vault. They were put in a bowl and stashed somewhere in the house. It was just a precaution. We never thought we’d actually have a guy tryto drive home.”
“Maybe he blames himself for Soupy’s death?”
“Maybe.”
“How did he react after the news?”
“That time of my life is pretty much a blur.” Dane looked skyward as he tried to remember. “I mean, he was devastated, obviously. But he didn’t talk much. Which wasn’t exactly anything new, so I didn’t think anything of it. And people deal with death differently, you know? Some guys cried, some got quiet, some went into a rage, some didn’t seem to even grasp that it was real, and some straight-out refused to believe it.”
“Which one were you?”
“Oh, I bawled my eyes out for a week straight.”
She touched his arm. “Aw. Dane.”
“I’m not ashamed to admit it. I’m a sensitive guy. Even movies can make me cry—I’m kind of a baby like that.”
“That’s a little surprising.”
“Why?”
“Because.” She sucked her cheeks as she searched for the words. “I guess I used to think I knew you so well before I’d even met you. From what I heard about Dane DeHardt in the media, you’re just this dumb, intimidating jerk.”
He grinned. “Well, that’s true, too.”
“No, it’s not.” Austen shook her head. “But you know what’s funny? When I was doing my research about you before our interview, I couldn’tbelievethat I couldn’t find any decent stories about what happened with Campbell and Hathaway. Everything was so surface, you know? Campbell had a ‘car accident.’ Hathaway was taking ‘an indefinite leave of absence due to personal reasons.’ And nothing more than that ever came out.”
“Yup.”
“I started thinking about all the unanswered questions, and thinking that our interview could cover that. Because maybe, just maybe, the team was still dealing with the death of a teammate? Then I told Thayer what I was planning.”
“I’m guessing he didn’t like that idea.”
“Nope.Not at all. That’s when he told me the subject was forbidden, which is why I was so afraid to talk about it at your house.”
He laid his hand on her shoulder. “Don’t feel bad. You’re not the first person to want to report on it only to get told to pound sand.”
“What about their families?” Austen asked, pointing at the two players’ stalls. “Don’t they want answers, too?”
“I’ve talked with Soupy’s parents, but it’s not much help. They know as much as we do. And it’s obviously very hard on them to talk about it.”
“And Hathaway?”
