we can’t prove either, but you and I know that Adam is behind this..The question is, what can we do about it?”
“Not we, Lauren, just me. I don’t want that man directing any more of his vindictiveness toward you. You two have a rough enough history as it is.”
“What are you talking about, Daniel. When I said the vandalism was personal, I meant that it was aimed at the two of us. We’re in this together. A lot of what’s bothering him happened between Adam and me well before you came on the scene. He hates that we’re together. He hates that we live in the same town. We are his target, not just you.”
“I still don’t want you to be involved.”
“I took on Adam Hampton before and won. I’m ready for round two. This nonsense has to stop. We’re going to have to fight him together. I’m not backing down on this. Do you know what you‘re going to do?”
“Yes, I’ve made up my mind. First, I’m going to announce that I’m moving the teams out of town. Then I’m going to make the town of Old Brooking a gift of the stadium and the arena. That should prevent any further vandalism. I’ll get a nice tax write-off, the town will get a new source of revenue. Local 33 may be replaced by municipal workers, but that’s Gil’s problem.”
“Does that mean that we can move soon?
“As soon as I iron out all the details, but it won’t be long.”
“I’m amazed at how quickly things are happening.”
“Well, actually I’m making decisions on the fly. I got a call from the hockey league business office about an hour ago. It seems that the town of Westfield, Massachusetts is ready to open a new hockey arena. They would welcome the Blizzards and can accommodate our schedule starting in two weeks. Think of it, Lauren, a brand new stadium and no responsibility for operating it.”
“What kind of a town is Westfield? I’ve never heard of it.”
“It’s a quaint town with a population of about forty-five thousand. Its history dates back to the sixteen hundreds. There’s plenty of housing available according to the real estate listings and it’s over sixty five miles from here. Do you need any more?”
“It sounds too good to be true. Will the change in location interfere with the travel schedules of the other teams?”
“Actually, since they all travel by bus, many of the teams will be closer. As for our own team the players expect to move around. It’s common when you play sports.”
“I think we should do it. We’re never going to get another offer that good. What’s happening with the football and baseball leagues?”
“I talked to both right after I heard about Westfield. They’re sympathetic to our plight. When I told them about the vandalism, they both said that, under the circumstances, they would not allow any future games to be played in the stadium as long as the situation remains unresolved.”
“I guess I don’t blame them. They have to consider the safety of all the players, officials and the fans.”
“Are they amenable to you moving the teams?”
“Yes for football, no for baseball.”
“The hockey league office gave me a number to contact to explore opportunities for semi-pro football teams in the Westfield metro area. They feel the prospects are good. I have Judy looking into moving the Wildcats to a stadium up that way. In the meantime, the league agreed to re-schedule the last three games as away games, so for all intents and purposes the Wildcats and the Blizzards are taken care of for this season. As for the Indians, I think it’s time to either sell the team or just shut it down. The season is still a few months off, so I have time to decide which it will be. The team’s not a money maker and attendance sucks so I won’t have any regrets either way. Without them, I’ll land up with time on my hands. Maybe I’ll start a girl’s volleyball team. They usually have a big fan base.”
“That’s one idea you can get out of your head right now,” she said with a smile. “Are you sure about the rest of it, though?”
“I’ve never been more certain of anything in my life. Of course, you know that I was just kidding about the volleyball thing.”
She smiled as she said, “Yes I know, but you did have me going for a few seconds. Then I realized that since you’ve got me, you’d never need a bunch of young female bodies jumping around on a volley ball court.”
“Just think about what this means, Lauren. We’ll have a four month hiatus between seasons to travel or do whatever we want. It’s the best of both worlds. Oh, incidentally, I asked Judy if she would come up to Westfield with us if the company moved and she said yes. I say let’s do it.”
“Do you have the phone numbers for those realtors handy?”
Hours later, Lauren sat alone in her bedroom. She found herself tossed between joy-filled feelings of making a fresh start in Westfield and her resentment of Adam Hampton that she has harbored for years. Ambivalence was new to her, but no matter how much she tried to resist, something took possession of her whenever she heard his name or entertained a thought about him, her thoughts vacillating between the pain and suffering he inflicted on her prior to their divorce and his current attempts to hurt her and Daniel.
Lauren started thinking of Adam,
Daniel sat alone in his office. During the past hour he had received a proposal for renting a football stadium ten miles north of Westfield. He turned over all the information about the team franchises and stadium deals to his attorney to work out the remaining details. He was finally ready to leave Old Brooking. He sat back with a drink and reflected on the early days with the three franchises.
Minutes later he had Walt Madding on the phone. “I’m going to need that number we talked about the other day. I’m going to need some help.”
Chapter 25
Adam sat in his favorite chair in front of a roaring fire, a “Rusty Nail” in his hand. Bootsy was resting on his left side contented by the warm fire. Occasionally, the crackling fire would cause her ears to perk up. On the other side of the chair Flopsy gnawed on a large rawhide bone. At the edge of the fire, on the hearth, was a small metal plate. As the flames flickered the inscription “THE CONTENDER” was clearly visible.
As he watched the painting burn, Adam thought,
That last thought bounced around his subconscious for a moment. He was trying to forget about the conflict raging in his life. Adam mixed another drink. The scotch/drambuie combination always relaxed him; helped him gather his thoughts. He settled back in his chair to ponder what his next moves would be.
The first thing he needed to do was name a replacement for Marcia Bloom at Bretton Trading. That wasn’t going to be easy. There were no candidates on the succession horizon.
