The Perfect Game (10 page)
Authors: Leslie Dana Kirby
(Saturday, October 1)
The search officers filed out shortly after noon, lugging Lauren's computer, cell phone, all of her shoes and jewelry, and her golf clubs, providing Lauren with a few evidence receipts in exchange. Wallace even confiscated the flip-flops Lauren had been wearing, leaving her with no footwear other than a gaudy pair of fluffy white bunny slippers friends had once given her as a joke.
Lauren still hoped to make it to Chase Field before the 4:10 start time. Despite Dennis' admonitions, she longed to call Jake in the worst way.
It took her well over an hour to put things back where they belonged. Then she headed out in her Acura. Spotting a pay phone at a gas station, she fed it coins and dialed Jake's cell number. He would already be at the stadium, but she hoped to catch him before his warm up. Instead, she got his voice mail.
“Hey, it's me. Umm⦔ Lauren started before remembering that she didn't have a number to leave for him. “I don't have my phone right now. It's a long story. I'll tell you when I see you.”
Lauren's shopping excursion to Kohl's in her white bunny slippers attracted quite a few bemused glances and at least one out-loud snicker, but she was able to purchase tennis shoes and a pair of flip-flops in less than fifteen minutes.
As soon as she entered the AT&T store, she was bum-rushed by an employee. “Hey, my name is Cody. How can I help you today?” His eyes widened in surprise. “The Wakefield case, right? I recognize you from the news.” He was tall and gangly, about twenty years old. He might have been cute if not for the bizarre piercing protruding from his lower lip.
“Don't believe everything you hear on TV.”
“No worries. I don't think you offed your own sister.”
Lauren attempted a polite smile. “Ummm, so I need a new phone.”
Cody seemed overly eager to help her out. She wasn't sure if it was because he felt sorry for her, was impressed by her infamy, or was on commission.
When the transaction was complete, Cody gave her the new phone, accessories, and his phone number. “Call me some time. We could grab a pizza and hook up.”
Lauren's mouth fell open.
“What, you don't like pizza?” he grinned.
Lauren bolted from the store, interpreting the curious stares of all the other customers as accusations boring into her back as she fled.
She headed straight for the stadium. The four teams in the National League divisional playoffs from best to worst records were the Atlanta Braves, the Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Chicago Cubs, with the Cincinnati Reds as the wild card team. The Diamondbacks were hosting the Cubs at Chase Field. Jake was slated to pitch, so Lauren had arranged to swap this evening's shift with Ritesh.
As a matter of discretion, she no longer parked in the VIP lot. She impatiently waited in line for public parking, then hurried to Will Call to pick up her ticket. She was still in the long line when the game started.
“Lauren Rose,” she told the Will Call clerk.
The older woman searched the R tickets twice. “Is Rose the last name or the first name?”
“Last, but people do reverse it sometimes. Maybe it's under the L's.”
“Sorry, it's not there either. We can search for it using the credit card you bought it with.”
“A friend bought it for me.”
“It probably got filed under her name. What's that?”
Lauren hesitated. Discretion was paramount, but she was already missing the game. She could hear the crowd cheering periodically. “Wakefield.”
“Like the pitcher?”
“Exactly like the pitcher,” Lauren said with a straight face.
But the clerk still couldn't locate the ticket. Lauren gave up and approached the sales booth. “Sorry, but we're all sold out. Everybody wants to see Jake Wakefield pitch now that he's back on the market.” The gum-chewing girl in the ticket booth giggled.
Of course it was now impossible to call Jake to ask about her ticket. Why did the cops choose today of all days? She might not get another chance to see Jake pitch again this season. If they lost this series to the Cubs, the Diamondbacks would be done for the year.
Disheartened, Lauren was trudging back to her car when a scalper offered her a ticket. The seat was terrible, especially compared to those she had become accustomed to, and he was asking three times face value for the ticket, but Lauren leapt at it. When she finally settled into her seat in the middle of the second inning, the Diamondbacks were winning one to zero.
She indulged in a bag of peanuts and the game allowed her to forget her worries of the day. The crowd was chanting Jake's name. More than one female fan held up “Marry Me, Jake!” signs. He pitched a great game before he was pulled in the eighth inning to allow a fresh-armed replacement to close the game. The jumbotron showed a close-up of Jake waving as he jogged off the field. Lauren felt uplifted when the Diamondbacks won the game, three to two.
After the game, Lauren headed to Jake's house where they had agreed to meet for a late meal and post-game discussion. She sat alone at the dining table where she had placed a Chick-Fil-A bag with a salad (his) and chicken nuggets (hers). A long hour passed and she began to worry that he had forgotten that they were meeting tonight. Her work schedule only allowed for erratic attendance at his games.
Suddenly, Jake was hugging her from behind, whispering in her hair, “I've been worried sick about you. When I got that voice mail from you, I thought you had been arrested. I tried to call back and there was no answer. I called the detectives, but those bastards wouldn't tell me anything. I almost pulled myself from the game. I've been so worried.”
Lauren filled him in on the day's events. He laughed appreciatively when she told him about the mistake on the search warrant. “Those detectives are so dumb, blondes tell jokes about them.”
“Dennis said you're going to need to confirm you gave me that ring.”
“Happy to. I'll give Detective Walrus a call first thing in the morning and let them know it was a gift. I gave them an inventory of the missing jewelry so it shouldn't be a problem anyway. I keep telling those jerks they're barking up the wrong tree, but they seem to enjoy chasing their tails.”
“Dennis asked me to stop spending time with you,” Lauren said, her eyes filling with tears.
He nodded. “My lawyer called last night when all those news stories about you started going viral. He told me the same thing. It sucks, but we'll survive it.”
“Your lawyer?”
“The family lawyer. The guy my dad keeps bugging me about. My parents are paranoid. They go on and on about how husbands always get accused. Of course, this might be a good thing. They won't find anything suspicious in your apartment. After they figure that out, maybe they'll finally change direction on this thing. Then we can get back to our usual lives. In the meantime, we just have to be careful.”
Lauren swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded.
“On a happier note, did you enjoy the game?”
Lauren explained how she hadn't been able to retrieve her ticket from Will Call and he swore under his breath. “Damn it. I bought an awesome seat for you. I can't believe they lost it.”
Lauren joked about her nosebleed seat in the third tier. They analyzed the game in great detail as they always enjoyed doing. Jake was exalted about the win. This was the best year he had ever had.
That is, the best year in baseball.
(Sunday, October 2âFriday, October 7)
The other interns rallied around Lauren, recognizing her life had become a hurricane and she was in a sinking rowboat struggling to bail water. Practical jokes were rampant in an effort to lighten the mood. For one shift, Lauren had opened her locker to discover that Ritesh had adorned her stethoscope with Mickey Mouse stickers. More patients than ever before had questioned Lauren's age and credentials. In return, Lauren and LaRhonda stuffed Ritesh's locker full of free handouts from the public health department. When Ritesh opened the door, hundreds of condoms rained down on him.
New media stories about Lauren were released nearly every day. Dennis' team was reviewing each of them and he had promised to file legal action against any news outlet reporting slanderous information. However, most of the news stories skated on the edge of deception, combining factual information (such as the search of her apartment) with salacious “allegations” that Lauren had killed Liz.
Dennis capitalized on every opportunity to address the media on Lauren's behalf. “I implore the Scottsdale Police Department to stop these prejudicial leaks which falsely implicate Lauren Rose. Such breaches are unethical and unprofessional. Any member of the investigative team releasing information outside of their chain of command is acting in direct violation of procedure and undermining public confidence. It is unconscionable to try Dr. Rose in the press when she has never been charged with any crime.”
The Scottsdale Police public affairs officer was also frequently featured, emphatically denying that leaks were emanating from the department.
Jake remained a beacon of hope in Lauren's stormy world. Despite the risks, they maintained telephone contact and he convincingly reassured her everything would turn out fine. However, she had not seen him for the entire week. Between her work hours, his trips to Chicago, and reporters following them both, it had been impossible to get together.
Jake contacted Lauren after each of his games so they could discuss the plays, coaching calls, and pitching decisions. Debating game strategy allowed them both to tune out the outside world for a short time. Jake called from Chicago shortly after the Diamondbacks won their third game against the Cubs. “Now if we can just get past the Braves, I'm going to the World Series. Can you believe it?”
“Of course I believe it. You deserve it. And you guys are definitely going to get past the Braves. Have you seen their batting averages? They couldn't hit a pitch thrown by a Little Leaguer.”
“I've dreamed of a World Series ring since I was playing T-ball.” He paused. “It's been a strange year. One of the worst and one of the best all at the same time.”
Lauren briefly allowed herself to imagine a future with Jake. “I know what you mean.”
(Saturday, October 8âThursday, October 13)
The Diamondbacks did indeed get past the Braves over the course of the next week, taking four of six games. Lauren hadn't been able to attend any of them.
Jake called after the final win. “Next year, you'll be watching every single home game from the VIP suite.” Lauren was heartened by his projections for a future together.
“I wish I could see you now. I've missed you.” She allowed herself to say the words and then held her breath.
“I know. I miss you, too. Now that I have some time off before the Series starts, we'll find a way to get together when I get back from Atlanta. I promise.”
But before he could keep that promise, the day Lauren had been dreading arrived.
She was at work, rushing to the supply room for a suture kit when she spotted Detective Wallace heading her direction. He was accompanied by the medical chief of staff and the hospital attorney. Their mood looked grim. Detective Wallace was walking with a sense of purpose. Lauren felt frozen to the spot, as she did in so many of her recent nightmares.
“Dr. Rose,” Chief Cantor greeted Lauren. “This detective needs to have a word with you.”
“Right now? I'm right in the middle of my shift.”
“I'm afraid so. I'll make sure your patients are covered. We've arranged for you to use the first floor conference room. Our attorney, Mr. Lawrence, will accompany you.”
Mr. Lawrence led the way. As she followed him, Lauren felt as if she was walking to her own execution. The four of them filed into a room with a large conference table surrounded by leather-bound chairs.
“Have a seat, Miss Rose,” Wallace said.
Lauren broke into a cold sweat. She had a strong urge to bolt, vividly imagining her flight path out the ER doors. Instead, she sat down. Her hands started to shake and she attempted to control them by clasping them tightly together in her lap. Mr. Lawrence sat next to her. Detective Wallace and Chief Cantor took chairs on the opposite side of the table.
Wallace cleared his throat. “I'm here to advise you that we have issued an arrest warrant for the murder of your sister.”
Lauren's mouth was painfully parched.
Was he going to handcuff her and parade her out in front of all her coworkers? Would he take her out the front door where news reporters nearly always loitered these days or would they be kind enough to use the employee exit in the back?
Lauren glanced at Chief Cantor. He was a giant in the field of trauma surgery and she has been so eager to impress him when she first started her internship.
I'm sure this is making quite an impression upon him all right
.
“Okay,” she forced out.
“Detective Boyd has just taken Jake Wakefield into custody at Sky Harbor Airport upon his return from Atlanta.”
“What?”
“Mr. Wakefield has been our primary suspect for quite some time, but we only recently compiled enough evidence to secure a warrant for his arrest.”
The room began to spin around her. “Jake? Jake didn't kill Liz.”
“You should wait until you hear the evidence before you make up your mind about that.”
“I doubt you have any evidence that could make me believe he killed her.”
“We'll see. Look, I understand that you have gotten⦔ he cleared his throat, “â¦close to Mr. Wakefield. We have taken a lot of negative press for leaks in this case so I'm not at liberty to discuss the evidence with you at this time.” He looked at her meaningfully and Lauren knew he was referring to Dennis' press releases. “However, I have been authorized to advise you that the source of the leak has been identified.”
“And?” she asked.
“The negative information released about you came directly from Jake Wakefield.”