Sinking Suspicions

Chapter 28

163 Chapter 28 Sadie and Lance arrived at the ballpark just in time to see the ninth inning of a coed softball game between the Sycamore Sparrow Hawks and the Jay Bulldogs. Jay was ahead by two points and the Sycamore fans were doing their best to cheer the home team to victory. They found good seats near first base, and Lance went to the concession stand to gather baseball food. Sadie saw several people she knew, waved to those at a distance and chatted with others nearby, talking up her new travel business at every opportunity. It felt good to be among so many friends. She watched Lance from a distance. She loved the way he moved fluidly through the crowd with both respect and authority, and the way people reacted to him in kind. His coal-black hair and his handsome face stirred her heart. Any woman would be honored to have him look their way. Why did she have to get so scared when he offered that coveted attention to her? The crack of a bat brought her thoughts back to the game. A high fly ball fell in right field near the fence, and the crowd went wild while the players scrambled on the field to tag the runner before he scored. Lance returned with a tray of hot dogs, nachos, two cans of soda, and a piece of fry bread. Sadie laughed with joy as they balanced the feast on their laps and tried not to spill anything when, a short time later, the home team scored the winning run. 164 “What happened to the ice cream?” she asked. “Sorry, the young lady at the concession stand said it was too hard to keep it frozen in this heat.” Lance wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and gathered the paper trash from the food. “Want to stay for the next game?” he asked. “It’s a doubleheader.” Sadie looked at her watch. “When did you become so interested in baseball, anyway?” she asked. “I really need to get by my office before the end of the day and check my messages.” Lance nodded. “How about we stay until the next game gets started and then we’ll go. I just had a hunch about a baseball glove we found, and I thought I might pick up on something to help me identify the owner.” “Oh, okay.” Sadie said, uninterested. “Next game is fine.” From their seats on the top row of the bleachers, they had an excellent view of the entire area. The crowd was constantly changing, people coming and going. It was almost impossible to sit still for very long in the oppressive summer heat, and a lot of folks would wander back and forth to the shade offered by a tent near the concession stand. Sadie couldn’t help but notice Lance scrutinizing every individual who walked through the gate. It was something that came with being a police officer, she surmised. You have to know what’s going on around you all the time, he’d told her before. As the teams warmed up on the field, Sadie noticed two women arguing near the batting cage. The younger woman wore the colors of one of the teams, and Sadie thought maybe she was the coach. The other woman had come out of the crowd and appeared to be a little drunk. It looked like the situation could turn physical at any moment. She glanced at Lance and saw that the women had already caught his attention as well. Lance stood. “I’ll be right back,” he said, and immediately descended the steps and made his way toward the two women. Sadie watched as he approached in a friendly manner. The younger woman ignored Lance and yelled again at the other woman. The baseball bat hit the ground as she stomped off. Lance offered to shake hands with the other woman, but she seemed too intoxicated to respond. She waved him away and staggered to the gate. Lance turned toward the stands and then stopped, waiting while the younger woman walked over to pick up the bat she’d dropped a minute earlier. Lance approached her and seemed to be introducing himself. They spoke for a moment until the team began to filter 165 in from the baseball field, surrounding the woman. Lance backed out of the group...