Page 35 of Sure Shot
All my blood stops circulating. “Come again?”
“Yesterday, Bart Palacio’s wife retained legal counsel at Darby, Connors and Morgan, the same firm that represented your wife for her divorce—”
Georgia steps between us suddenly, like a skilled referee heading off a fight. “Questions at open practice can only begame-related. And Tankiewicz is needed in the dressing room.”
Miranda switches off her microphone. “Then I guess I’m done here.”
Georgia actually has to give me a hard nudge to get me moving toward the locker room, because I’m trying to wrap my head around this new layer of bullshit.
“Tank,” Georgia says the minute we’re past the double doors that lead to the locker rooms. “What the hell just happened?”
“Nothing,” I say quickly.
She studies me with a frown. “I hate to ask, but…” She clears her throat.
“No,” I say, preempting the question. “I never spent any time with Juliet Palacio. I had no idea they were getting divorced. And I do not know why.”
“Sorry,” Georgia says quickly. “I’m just trying to stay ahead of the news cycle.”
“You and me, both.”
“Okay.” She pats me on the arm. “Good practice.”
I just laugh, because it was not a good practice. Not even a little.
Twelve
Big Hunk of Kryptonite
Daily News and Sports
“Dallas’s Palacio Throws Down a Challenge. Tankiewicz Won’t Answer It.”
By Miranda Wager
Brooklyn’s morning practice was just as squirrelly as last night’s game. The team has some work to do, as Tankiewicz fails to settle in.
They used to call him “Sure Shot.” But that nickname will have to die if he doesn’t get his stick on the puck more often.
Meanwhile, his old team has finally found its footing without him, beating Arizona last night, redeeming their Boston loss.
When asked about the upcoming Dallas / Brooklyn matchup, team captain Palacio was confident. “We’ll take them by at least 3 goals,” he said. “It’s gonna be a gong show, too. There are tensions that need airing out.”
Palacio didn’t say what those tensions were. However, this week his wife retained counsel with divorce attorneys.
At any rate, Brooklyn fans will be glued to their TVs in early January to find out if their team can take down its nemesis with one of its former players.
When asked for his own prediction for that game, Tankiewicz refused to provide one.
* * *
Tank
I read the so-called article in the back of a taxi the next day. It’s not Miranda Wager’s best work. But hey—she has to file a story whether she finds one or not, or lose her job to someone else. I get it.
The comments, though. They’re worse than usual. Miranda opened the door for another round of armchair hockey fans to smear my name.
Tankiewicz gets into a fight with Palacio, then they both get divorced. Coincidence?
