“Way to bury the lead,” Cannonball scoffed. “Tell me about it. Do I need to shove off from a different spot or add more air holes to the capsule?”
Ronan shook his head. “What she saw involves the United States Coast Guard.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Cannonball’s revitalized energy flagged. “What the hell can the Coast Guard to do help, especially when I’m going over the Canadian side of the falls?”
“Have you ever seen videos of Guard swimmers rescuing people whose boats have capsized?” Ronan asked.
“Yeah, dumbasses out in hurricanes who need to be rescued.” Cannonball rolled his eyes.
Fitzgibbon snorted. “Dumbasses in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
Cannonball barked out a quick laugh.
“Donotget your hopes up, but I have a friend with the Guard station in Chatham, Massachusetts,” Fitzgibbon said. “I spoke with him earlier and he promised to do what he could, which includes calling the commander at Coast Guard Station Niagara. He’s going to call back later with more information.”
Jude was glad to hear what Fitzgibbon was saying. “According to Everly, she saw Guard divers in the water rescuing you.”
“That’s great news, but why do the three of you look like I pissed in your Cornflakes?” Cannonball asked.
“Time is fluid,” Ronan said. “Ten tells us this all the time. You could do or say something in the next twenty-four hours that could change the outcome. Same goes if the wind and weather conditions change on the river. So while what Everly says is good news, you’re not out of the woods yet, especially where we don’t know if the Coast Guard is going to agree to lend a hand and their resources.”
“I have one question.” Something Cannonball had said earlier had stuck with Jude. “You talked about eclipsing what your father did. Why is that your biggest motivator here? He’s been dead for twenty years, surely your living wife and son have to be more important that your father.”
Cannonball sighed. He looked as if he didn’t want to spill the details behind his obsessive need to best his father. “My Dad was famous. I don’t just mean that everyone in our little town knew who he was, I mean everyone we ever met in the Walmart, at Disney World, in the mountains, the middle of downtown New York City. Strangers came up to him wanting to take pictures or shake his hand. There were women who named their babies after him. The attention was constant and Rooster basked in it, as if he were some kind of Hollywood movie star.”
Jude knew how this story ended. “I’m guessing the strangers got his love and attention instead of you.”
“Yeah,” Cannonball agreed. “The only time he paid attention to me was when I misbehaved, which I quickly learned was not the way to go, or if I tried to emulate him. When I attempted my first ramp jump on my two-wheeler, Rooster was there to show me how to build the ramp for maximum lift and how to hold my body for the landing. The first jump I attempted was smooth as silk. My father cheered for me and told me to do it again. I did and wiped out spectacularly. Broke my right wrist and wrecked my bike. What do you think he did after that?”
All three detectives remained silent.
“He dragged me into the house and shoved me toward my mother. Told her to take my pussy ass to the hospital.” Cannonball took a shuddering breath. “I spent the rest of his life trying to prove to him that I was worthy of his love and praise. Do you have any idea how wrecked I was to see my father laughing and talking with other kids? To see his soft and fun side shown to fucking strangers? He ruined my childhood and now I get to take my power back. If I beat the falls, I beat him. If I die, well, then I won’t be around to see the damage I cause.”
Jude took a minute with Cannonball’s words. “Look, I get wanting to walk in your father’s footsteps but you’re doing it for all the wrong reasons. You’re putting your life and your family on the line for something you’ll never achieve.”
“What, surviving the falls?”
“No, peace.” Jude paused, hoping his point would sink in. “You think that if you beat your father that your life can continue on a different track. You’ll have the monkey of his legacy off your back. But then what? What will you do on Monday?”
“I-” Cannonball stopped, whatever he’d been about to say died on his lips. “I don’t know. No one’s ever asked me that question before.”
Jude had a feeling that was the case. “You’re a young guy, with fifty or sixty years left if you’re lucky. How do you plan on filling all that time? I think you’ve spent so much time trying to best your father that you never thought about what you actually wanted. Did you want to be a banker or a fireman or a furniture maker? Do you even like being a daredevil?” Jude would bet the house that Cannonball’s answer to his last question would be a resounding no.
“I fucking hate it.” Cannonball offered a wry grin. “I’ve broken thirty bones. Some of the same ones twice. I was on the verge of becoming addicted to Vicodin after my last failure. Heidi was the one who took my stupid ass to a rehab facility so I could get a handle on it before it got to a place where it ruled my life. She wanted me to promise I’d stop doing stunts after that, but I refused. So far, I’ve managed to stay away from the prescription pills, but I hate to think of the state my stomach and liver are in after all the bottles of Advil I’ve swallowed over the years.”
“I’ll text you when I hear back from my friend at the Coast Guard.” Fitz got up from the table. “What are your plans for the day?”
Cannonball shrugged. “Heidi wants me to spend the day with CJ, but I don’t think that’s what he wants.”
“We’re taking the kids to play Dinosaur mini golf when the meet and greet ends. Why don’t you two come with us.” Jude watched as an uncertain look grew in Cannonball’s eyes. “I promise we won’t talk about the stunt at all. It will be a fun afternoon with our kids and lunch at the Frankenstein-themed Burger King.”
“And probably more bubblegum soft serve. The kids can’t get enough of it,” Ronan added.
“By kids, Ronan means himself.” Jude chuckled at the sour look on Ronan’s face. “We’ll meet you at eleven in the hotel lobby.”
“Yeah, okay,” Cannonball agreed. “See you then.” The daredevil stood and walked out of the room with his head down.
“You think he’s gonna show up?” Fitz asked.
