Page 64 of Little Hidden Fears

Clark looked around as if concerned about who was in our immediate vicinity. For the moment, the two of us were alone.

Leaning toward me, he said, “I was thinking we might take a walk. There’s a park across the street. What do you say we have our conversation there?”

“Why not talk in your office? Is there any reason why we can’t?”

He lowered his voice and said, “The architect did an excellent job designing the club, although they skimped on the budget when it came to soundproofing. Let’s just say the walls aren’t as thick as I would like. And since I haven’t been made fully aware of the reason for your visit, I wouldn’t want to take the chance that someone might overhear our conversation.”

Given it was a sunny day, and almost sixty degrees outside, a chat in the park didn’t seem like a bad idea.

“What do you know of our meeting?” I asked.

“Not much. I’ve been told Alexander sent you to discuss something with me. Whatever it is, Max made it sound like it’s a big deal.”

I nodded, and we started walking toward the park, engaging in small talk along the way.

“How long have you been managing the tennis club?” I asked.

“Oh, let’s see ... it’s been about twelve years now.”

“Do you like your job?”

“I love it.”

“Do you have a tennis background?”

“Sure do. When I was in my early twenties, there was a time when I thought I had a shot at going pro.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“I was in a car accident, hit by a drunk driver. Several bones were broken, including one of my arms. The healing process took a lot longer than expected. After several months, I was cleared to play again, and I couldn’t wait. There was just one problem. Even though I thought my injuries were behind me, I struggled to get back into the game, and I never played the same way again.”

“It must have been hard to give up on your dream.”

“Harder than you can imagine. Prior to the accident, tennis was my entire life. I lived and breathed it, often at the expense of everything and everyone else. I was devastated.”

“Looking at you now, you seem to have found a way to get past it.”

“My biggest tragedy turned into my biggest blessing when I met my wife, Heidi. I was in a dark place when we first met, and she pulled me out of it.”

“Are the two of you still married?”

“We are. What about you? Are you married?”

“Not yet. I’m engaged.”

“When’s the wedding?”

“August, in New York.”

As the small talk simmered down, I shifted gears.

“During my first visit, you didn’t treat me the way you are now,” I said. “Part of me thinks Alexander’s influence is the reason for the sudden change of heart. I also think there’s more to it. Mind sharing?”

He cleared his throat. “I’d like to apologize for my brusqueness in tone when we first met. I wasn’t having a good day. Ever since Noelle died, there’s been a lot of gossip going around the club, employees speculating about what happened to her and why. It’s been ... well, in a word, exhausting.”

“Your employees are no different than everyone else in this town. People find great discomfort in the unknown, and oftentimes, they create their own narrative, even though none of us knows what happened to Noelle, or why, yet.”

He nodded, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a stick of gum. “Want some?”

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