“What did you see?”
“First Doc seemed to tell Terry something that upset her. She kept shaking her head ‘no’ as if to deny what he was telling her, and Doc kept nodding ‘yes’ like he was telling her it was so true. She seemed to get more and more upset. Finally, he had her roll up the sleeve to her jersey and he gave her a shot.”
“A shot? What for?”
“I don’t really know. Because she was upset, I guess.”
“But he didn’t force her to take it, or anything like that?”
“No. From what I could see, she went along with it without any fuss.”
“I don’t suppose you could see what was in the hypo?”
“No. But, whatever it was, it must have been plenty powerful.”
“Why do you say that?”
“Because Terry went out like a light. She just sort of keeled over and curled up on the floor like she was going to sleep. But it must have been a pretty deep sleep, because she didn’t move a muscle when they came to take her away.”
“When who came to take her away?”
“I don’t know who,” Bubba told me. “All I know is, Doc unlatched the door that leads out to the lot behind the stadium, and these two gorillas came in and carted Terry out like she was a sack of oats. Like I said, she never even twitched when they took her.”
“Why didn’t you try to stop them?”
“They had guns sticking in their belts. I’m not that heroic.”
“How come you didn’t tell Coach Newtrokni about this when there was all the guesswork going on about Terry’s disappearing?”
Bubba took a long count before he answered. “I guess I wasn’t sure whether or not he was in on it,” he said finally in a low voice.
Now it was my turn to think before I spoke. “How come you’re so sure about me?” was what I said after the extended pause.
“I’m not.” Bubba shrugged. “I just took a chance. Like I said before, it was because you did me that favor.”
So I thanked him for the favor. It was obvious from his attitude that Bubba didn’t want to get any more deeply involved than that. If there had been any doubt about that, it was banished by the way he clammed up when his roommate entered.
Bubba’s roommate was Rhino Dubrowski. He looked happy to find me there. He had tried to get over his hang-ups, but the truth was that Rhino was always a little on edge when he found himself alone with Bubba. He felt this way even though they’d been rooming together all season and Bubba had never so much as winked at him. So, Rhino was glad I was there.
“Come on downstairs, and I’ll buy you a drink, old buddy,” I suggested.
Rhino’s face lit up. Now, he was gladder. He trotted right along with me to the hotel bar.
When he’d slowed down enough over his second bourbon so that I was sure I had his full attention, I told Rhino what Bubba had told me about Terry’s being snatched. “Doc Fink slipped her a knockout needle and then turned her over to two cohabitating goons,” he summed up. “Well, I think we should have a talk with Doc Fink, Steve.”
“I was thinking the same thing myself. The trouble is that he probably won't want to talk to us. Particularly if he’s part of a plot to snatch Terry.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to insist.” Rhino shifted his bulk on the barstool; muscles rippled menacingly. “There are ways to make feces talk.” Rhino’s lip curled, showing fang.
“What do you mean?”
“There are things I learned in intercourse-ing ’Nam!”
“You mean, torture him?” There was shock in my voice.
“ ‘Nam wasn’t always pretty.” Rhino lapped up another bourbon-and-beer.
“What the hell are you talking about, Rhino? You were a Marine, not a Green Beret.”
“I kept my eyes open.”
“You were a goddam embassy guard, for Christ’s sake! You never even met a Cong any closer than rifle range!”
“Fecal matter! That’s no way to talk to me, Steve! Hades! I saved your life!
“Sure you did. And I’m grateful, too. You’re a brave man. But you weren't ever any torturer that I know about.”
“I saw things!” Rhino insisted mysteriously.
“Okay.” I gave up. “Okay. So, you were the Torquemada of Saigon. So, get your fingernail-pullers and your thumbscrew and your rack and your Chinese water-torture device and let’s go pay a call on Doc Fink. Only I’m warning you, Rhino. I can’t stand the sight of pain. If you make him suffer too much, I’ll go to pieces.”
“So don’t look, you old, yellow illegitimate child!”
We made our move the next day. We waited until the team was out on the field practicing and then we cornered Doc Fink in his infirmary. Before he knew what was happening, I’d thrown a sack over his head, and Rhino was carting him down to the clubhouse cellar, where we could interrogate him without worrying about being seen or overheard.
“What’s the meaning of this?” Those were Doc’s, first words when we removed the sack. He was a small man with a bristly moustache too imposing for his skinny face. Although he sputtered well, indignation made him ludicrous. “What do you two jokers think you’re doing?”
“Never mind that, feces-face!” Rhino raised one hamlike hand threateningly. “We’ll ask the questions.”
“Are you threatening me?” Doc Fink was quick to pick up on things.
“Darn straight!” Rhino glowered.
Doc thought about it. “I don’t get it,” he said finally. “What is it you want from me?”
“We want to know about Terry Niemath!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” But his face gave him away.
“You’re a lousy liar, Doc,” I told him. “We know you gave Terry a shot to knock her out and then turned her over to a couple of strongarm men. Now we want to know why you did it. Who’s behind it? Where did they take Terry Niemath?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” It was even less convincing than the first time he’d said it.
“Think again.” Rhino lifted him from the chair by his earlobe.
“Violence won’t intimidate me!”
“You think he means that?” Rhino grinned ferociously.
“Let's find out.”
Rhino propped a thick wooden stave against the wall and broke it in two with a karate chop. He picked up a steel poker and bent it like a pretzel with his bare hands. He lit the stub of a cigar, puffed on it until it was red-hot, and then swallowed it, glowing ash and all.
“I’m not scared!” First impressions are misleading. Doc Fink was obviously a lot tougher than he looked.
“The thumbscrew,” I suggested, playing along with Rhino.
“Nothing compared to the E.S.T.54 sessions I’ve been through,” Doc countered smugly.
“I’ll get the whips,” I threatened.
“It won’t work. I’ve had primal therapy. I’m all screamed out.”
“The Chinese water-torture.”
“No chance. I’m into TM55 , too. I’ll just recite my mantra and ignore it.”
“This calls for extreme measures,” Rhino realized. “This offspring of a female canine is tough.”
I looked at him pleadingly. Tough as I might have talked in an effort to scare information out of Doc Fink, I really wasn't into torture. Basic morality, or something.
“They’ve got Terry,” Rhino reminded me gently. “There’s no telling what they’re doing to her. We have to fight fire with fire. Watch him. I’ll be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“There are some things the toughest illegitimate child can’t stand up to.” And with that he left.