real friend I ever had. Thanks.â His eyes were moist as he walked out of the office.
Mollyâs first call was to the teamâs Security Chief to arrange for close surveillance. She only said there had been threats. Then she called her father and got him out of a business meeting. âSorry Dad. Weâve got an emergency. I need to talk to you and Larry and a good criminal lawyer. Call the best one you know. Weâll meet in your office here at the stadium this evening, some time after this afternoonâs game. Iâll arrange to have dinner sent up thereâ¦. No, I canât tell you what itâs all about until then. Sorry.â She hung up and made the same arrangement with Larry, refusing to give him any information, either.
Her next visit was with Kenny Boyce. âKenny, Iâll be in uniform for the game, but my head is going to be elsewhere. Youâre going to be making the decisions.â
âYou got problems?â
âOne. Big one. Thatâs all I can tell you.â
âOne guess. OâHara.â
âYou got it in one, but I didnât tell you.â
Las Vegas won the afternoon game 8-2, sweeping the Oakland Aâs and now standing undefeated in six games, with two straight sweeps of the teams expected to be fighting for the division lead in the AL west. The media were incredulous in their reports and comments about the great job the Malones and Larry Henderson had done in assembling such a powerhouse expansion club. They also noted this was the first game of the young season the Gold had not played under protest. Molly waited until the reporters, players and coaches had almost all left the clubhouse before making her way upstairs to her fatherâs office. The others were already there. Mike introduced her to George Halverson, a distinguished looking man in his fifties, tall enough without being overpowering, who offered a firm handshake and said nothing but the usual greetings.
âWell, Molly, whatâs so drastic on your mind?â Mike went right to the point of the meeting, his usual style in conducting business.
âItâs complicated. Thatâs why I asked you to be here, Mr. Halverson.â
âGeorge.â
âGeorge. We have what I believe is a criminal matter on our hands, but Iâm not sure exactly what it is, who is involved and how much we are involved. Certainly Major League baseball either is or will be involved. If you and Larry do not wish to be involved, Dad, then tell me now and Mr., uh, George and I will move to my office and discuss it together.â
âWhy wouldnât we want to be involved?â
âLarry, thereâs a possibility if you are in the know, and the worst scenario comes to be the truth, both you and I and somebody else could be banned from baseball for life.â
âThatâs pretty heavy, Molly,â Mike Malone rumbled. âBut youâre my daughter, and Iâm in itâwhatever â it â isâas deep as you are.â
âAnd Iâm part of this organization, and have been since the beginning. Count me in, also.â Larry Henderson reached over and shook hands with Molly.
âOkay, then. Brace yourselves.â And Molly told the tale much as Tabby had told it to her. âThereâs an ethical, a moral and a legal problem here, it seems to me. I have already got Sam Blackwell setting a security guard on Tabby and on his apartment, whether heâs home or not. And thatâs the end of my tale.â
Silence left the room as quiet as a cemetery at midnight. Before anyone could speak, their dinner arrived, and the waiter set things up in front of the picture window looking out over the playing field, then quietly left the room. The four left their seats and sat around the table and began to eat, nobody having yet spoken.
George Halverson broke the silence. âI guess itâs up to me to begin,â he said, smiling thinly at no one