A Little Bit of Déjà Vu (32 page)

She shook her head and mouthed the words,
Don’t look at me
.

He knew she would never betray his confidence. So if she hadn’t told Carmichael, who had? Howie must have proof if he was bringing it up before the board. The only way the chiropractor could have any evidence would be if Jake’s classroom had been bugged the day he’d talked to Pam.

Still, it didn’t make sense for Carmichael to call the newspaper before he ousted Jake.

Anthony Petrillo winked at him and gestured toward the reporter, encouraging Jake to answer the man. Had the superintendent called the press to give Jake the opportunity to publicly set the record straight?

In reality, he would probably fair better that way as opposed to facing a closed session of Carmichael’s cronies and becoming the topic of whispered rumor and conjecture.

Alex shook Jake’s shoulder. “Tell them it’s not true, Dad. The bastard’s lying.”

“Technically he’s not.” He patted Alex’s arm and rose. The only way to save his reputation was to fess up to what had really happened. “Mr. Lincoln, I never falsified my job application, because I was never prosecuted or convicted of the incident you’re referring to.”

“But you don’t deny raping a minor and getting her pregnant?” the reporter asked.

A horrified murmur rumbled throughout the room as his son and Emma’s shocked faces both turned toward Maggie who just sat there, her eyes squeezed shut as if she were wishing she were invisible.

“Statutory rape,” Jake corrected. “I was twenty-three, and the young lady was completely willing.”

And eager and responsive. He’d relived the night a thousand times.

“When I slept with her, I wasn’t aware she was still two months shy of turning eighteen, and once I learned she was having my baby, I offered to marry her.”

“Why don’t you tell everyone who that girl was?” Howard taunted from the front table.

Jake glared at him. “I don’t think that’s pertinent, seeing as she was an innocent minor.”

“Maybe not. But the baby she conceived is relevant, and I’m sure everyone here is interested in what happened to him or her—especially your son and daughter-in-law.”

That son of a bitch. Of course, Alex and Emma would want to know the fate of their half brother or sister.

“Yes, what became of the baby?” the reporter pushed Carmichael’s point, just as Howard had clearly hoped he would. “Have you been a father to the child?”

Jake swallowed hard and looked at Maggie, wishing their kids weren’t aware it was her everyone was referring to. He didn’t have much choice but to be forthcoming.

“The pregnancy was terminated.”

Emma peered at her mother as if she were seeing her for the very first time. Maggie stared down at her lap rather than meet her daughter’s gaze.

“I’d like to add that it was this personal experience that turned the prevention of teen pregnancies into a crusade for me. So you see, Mr. Lincoln, I’m the perfect person to be teaching these people’s kids about sexual responsibility and abstinence because I know firsthand how easily a person can screw up his life.”

Debbie Carmichael’s big hair caught Jake’s attention from the corner of the room. Why hadn’t Howard mentioned Maggie’s current pregnancy? Hadn’t his wife told him what she’d overheard?

She flashed a genuine, reassuring smile at Jake and then scowled at her husband. Evidently she was against what her spouse was doing. It seemed the bastard had simply planned to humiliate Maggie by letting the world and their kids know she’d once had an abortion.

Jake turned to the board and rocked back on his heels. “What I’d like to know, Dr. Carmichael, is how the board came to be in possession of this information? You must be able to substantiate the claims you’re intent on dismissing me for.”

“I don’t need to prove anything. You’ve admitted you committed the crime whether you were prosecuted for it or not.”

“Except I’m guessing you also broke the law. Since I was hired, I’ve only discussed this with one person in confidence at the school. I know the individual in question didn’t share this information, so I can only assume my classroom was bugged.”

Guilt flickered in Carmichael’s eyes. “The administration has the right to monitor your classes.”

“Yes, but they don’t have license to listen in outside of school hours when I have an expectation of privacy. I’m wondering if I should contact a lawyer to explore a possible violation of my rights under the federal communication laws.”

Carmichael swaggered over to him and shoved a folder at him. “Rather than threatening me, Coach Manion, I think you ought to take a look at this before the board goes into executive session for a vote. Maybe you’d like to explain how this could happen while you were supposedly in charge?”

Jake flipped open the folder and had to swallow back the sour bile rising from his stomach. He wanted to believe it was a retouched photo and his son hadn’t done something like that, but the horror in Alex’s eyes when he leaned over to see what was in the file betrayed his guilt.

“You bastard,” Jake muttered through gritted teeth. “Your problem is with me. Leave my son out of this.”

“No way,” Carmichael whispered so only Jake and Alex could hear. “I’m sure ESPN, the tabloids, as well as the coaching staff at Penn State, will be very interested to see this. You either voluntarily resign,
Coach
, or I’ll ruin your kid’s career just like you did my son’s.”

~~~

Alex stared at the eight by ten glossy of him plastered against the shower wall in apparent ecstasy with Brandy’s mouth and hands on his buck-naked body. The picture made it seem even more sordid than the day it happened.

Phil must have snapped the photo with his cell phone from behind their teammates because the backs of their heads were in the lower forefront of the print making it clear an audience had watched.

This picture had to be why Brandy called him last night.

He stiffened as he realized Emma must have overheard and had risen to peek past his shoulder at what the board president had given his dad.

“Oh, God, no.” She sank back in her chair and buried her face in her hands.

“Angel, it didn’t mean anything, I swear.” He tried to pull her into his arms, but she pummeled his shoulders and shoved him away.

“Let go of me, you disgusting pig.” She turned to Maggie. “Mom, please take me home. I’m not feeling well.”

As Emma raced out of the library followed by her mother, Alex stood to go after his wife. He froze when he caught a glimpse of the disillusionment in his father’s eyes and the victorious grin on Howard Carmichael’s face.

Setting things straight with Emma would have to wait. He couldn’t let that bastard Carmichael get away with doing this to his dad. Alex faced the people who’d cheered for him on the football field for the last four years. “I’m sure all of you are wondering what’s in the folder Dr. Carmichael gave my father. Well, I’ll tell you, because I refuse to let him blackmail my dad into quitting a job he’s so good at.”

“Alex, don’t.” His father grabbed his wrist and tried to push him back down into his seat.

He yanked his arm away. “The file contains a photograph of me in the field house shower with a girl. You can use your imaginations to fill in the blanks.”

Brian Carlton’s dad rose at the back of the room. “Alex, I guarantee any board member who votes to replace your father, on the basis of what we’ve heard here tonight, will lose his seat when it comes up for reelection. My son could be dead today except that your father takes the time to get to know his students and listens to them.”

Tina Sutton’s mom stood up and chimed in, “That’s right. There’s not a parent in this room who isn’t grateful for your dad’s dedication to our kids.”

Alex scanned the room and smiled. “Thank you, everyone. I won’t try to excuse myself by telling you the girl pushed herself on me. However, I think you should know Dr. Carmichael only has this photograph because it was his son, Phil, who set me up and took the picture.”

A dark-haired man in his early thirties stood in the back and cleared his throat. “Hi, I’m Dr. David Lambert. I’m sorry to say, I’m not a resident of Redemption. However, I established my pediatric practice in this town and hope to move here someday. My friend, Dr. Paul Brennan, on the other hand, has lived in this town for years. He wanted to be here tonight to speak on the Coach’s behalf, but one of his patients went into labor. Last semester, Paul talked to Mr. Manion’s classes about sexually transmitted diseases and was impressed with Mr. Manion’s rapport with the students. He told me he doesn’t know a finer young man than Alex or a better father than Jake Manion.”

“Paul told me the same thing, David.” All eyes turned to Doc Foster as he rose next to the young pediatrician. “I
am
a resident. As most of you know, I founded the Redemption Family Health Center, and my wife, Abby, and I have lived here for nearly forty years. I can’t divulge any specifics, but several of your children have consulted me about drug, alcohol, and sexual issues simply because Coach Manion took an interest in his students and encouraged them to visit me.”

Doc Foster and his wife were more than simply long-time residents of Redemption. They were the backbone of the community. Doc had been Alex’s scoutmaster, and his wife had taught Alex’s Sunday school class for several years.

From what I’ve heard here tonight,”—Doc pointed at the school board president—“I suspect this man is the one the school district should be getting rid of—not Jake Manion.”

“Don’t worry, Matt,” Dr. Webber, Alex’s dentist, spoke up from the seat next to Mrs. Foster. “I think it’s clear to everyone that Howard Carmichael has used his position on the board to carry out a personal vendetta against the Manion family. I promise you, he’s done his last adjustment on my back.”

Dr. Carmichael glared at Alex and muttered under his breath, “You’re gonna get yours, you little shit.”

“You don’t scare me.” Alex scowled back at him and snorted. “Hell, if the politicians in our country can survive a scandal like this, sadly enough, if you make that picture public, you just might turn me into a campus hero.”

One of the other board members banged the gavel on the front table. “Howard, I think it’s about time we took a vote.” The fellow glanced around the table. “Since the roll call is public record, I don’t see much point in taking this into closed session if no one objects. I’m making a motion to offer Mr. Manion a contract with tenure.”

The motion was seconded and passed almost unanimously except for one abstention from the soon to be ex-president.

Alex slapped his dad’s back and headed for the door. “If you’ll all excuse me, I have some explaining to do at home.”

Louise Harrigan, the elementary school librarian, stopped him in the hall. “Would you tell your mother-in-law not to worry about her proposal for the parents’ book club? I’ll cover for her tonight.”

“Sure thing, Mrs. Harrigan.” Assuming Emma’s mom was still speaking to him.

Jake followed him out to the parking lot. “Thank you.” He hugged Alex. “You shouldn’t have humiliated yourself that way for me.”

“I didn’t, Dad. At least, not tonight. I should’ve shoved Brandy away. I want you to know I didn’t encourage her. And I had no idea all those guys had come back. I was showering alone and all of a sudden she was there. When she—”

His father held up one hand and cut him off. “You don’t have to explain. I have a good idea of what happened. I don’t think most guys could push a girl away in that situation. Especially at your age.”

“Thanks for understanding. I just hope Em can.”

“And Maggie. She wouldn’t talk to me even before my son betrayed her little girl.”

“Dad, now that this whole thing with your job is settled, I really need to talk to you.”

“Can it wait until tomorrow, Alex? I have to see Maggie, right now.”

“I suppose.” He really needed to get home to Emma, anyway. He didn’t know what he could say to make her believe he really hadn’t wanted Brandy.

~~~

Margie stretched out alongside Emma on her twin bed and rocked her while her daughter wept in her arms. “Shhh—try to sleep, Sweetie. The baby needs you to rest.”

“I was right. Alex doesn’t really love me,” Emma sobbed. “If he did, he couldn’t have let Brandy do that to him.”

Margie squeezed her tight.
Oh, God, please let my baby and my grandchild both be girls
.

If she could summon up the nerve, she’d kick her son-in-law right in the family jewels so he could never produce another Manion male. Alex was no different than his father, taking his pleasure wherever he could get it.

On the other hand,
she
was no better. Margie had known Jake loved Roxanne, yet she’d still surrendered to his seduction, not just once, not just twice—but
three
times. And he’d gotten her pregnant—
again
.

A woman with a chimpanzee’s brain would’ve learned in her first go-round with him.

Emma blubbered hysterically into Margie’s shoulder until she finally exhausted herself and fell asleep. When the doorbell chimed, Margie jumped off the bed and dashed to the door to keep the bell from ringing a second time and waking her daughter.

She had no doubt it was either Jake or Alex, so she left the chain on the door—not as much to keep them out, but to restrain herself from strangling whichever one of them was on the other side. If she had to look at either of them right now, she might not be able to control herself.

“Go away,” she snapped at Jake through the narrow opening.

He wedged his body against the door to keep her from closing it. “Damn it. Let me in, Maggie. We need to talk.”

“Emma’s finally asleep. If you wake her, I swear I’ll—”

“You brought her here?”

“Of course. You don’t actually think I’d leave her at your house to live with that cheat. You should be very proud. Alex is a chip off the old block.”

“Don’t do this to them. You’re making things worse. Emma needs to let him explain.”

“Not tonight she doesn’t. She needs to sleep. Now leave.” She slammed her body against the door and turned the deadbolt.