Chapter Ten

Tony had a somber look as he walked into the locker room. He’d been talking with Pat Brisson, Sidney’s agent, and there seemed to be an issue. He didn’t like it. He didn’t like it at all. Sidney caught the look on Tony’s face and they moved to a quieter corner of the room.


“What is it?”

“We got another one.”

“Your sure? I mean, it’s the same person?” Sidney questioned.

“Yes, we’re sure. I don’t like this Sid. I think we need to put someone on the house and,” he hesitated, “your parents, too.”

“My parents? You think they could be in danger?”

“Sid, your parents are very open. Anyone can find their house. Anyone can follow them around, or for that matter, Taylor too.”

Tony’s news filled Sidney with dread. The first letter was unsettling. Someone had sent an irate letter to Pat’s office, threatening Sidney. It was vulgar and angry, describing what the author deemed as Sidney’s crimes. Pat had not wanted Sidney to see it. He had spoken to Tony, who had in turn spoken to a friend of his who was a psychologist and regularly dealt with threatening correspondence in his work with the Pittsburgh Police Department. Dr. Roundtree had not thought it was a joke. It was a very advanced form of threat and he was interested in finding out if Pat had received others that could have possibly come from the same man. Usually, these kinds of threats started angry and then escalated. He had told Tony to take this threat seriously. Now, there was another letter. This one was graphic, a dissertation again on Sidney’s crimes and the punishment that the author intended to dish out when he caught up with him.

“Do it. I want them protected,” Sidney was not just annoyed at this anymore. He was scared. And he was mad.

“There’s something else we need to talk about,” Tony said. Sid waited and listened. “You’ve been spending a lot of time with someone without me around. We need to consider what to do about her.”

“No one knows about her yet, not even my family. Is she in danger?”

“You are at her place often. He could follow you there as easily as anywhere. I want you to let me drive you until we get this situation under control. I think we should put someone on her place, too.”

“Okay, but I don’t want her to know. I don’t want her to be scared and then this turns out to be nothing. She shouldn’t have to deal with this.”

Tony scowled. This didn’t sound like a good plan to him. However, Sid had a point. She shouldn’t have to be scared. A roar of laughter from the other side of the room ended their conversation.

“Max, you brought him with you?” Letang exclaimed.

“What? Who could resist that face?” protested Max and he lifted the pup’s chin and talked to him as if he was a baby. “He’s a pretty pup.”

“You still peddling that dog?” Sid asked, resting his hand on the pup’s head.

“Frank can’t keep him and I can’t take him. Look at that face,” he said again, giving his own puppy dog eyes to Sid. Sid laughed at him and shook his head.



Sid took his time getting to Payton’s. He wanted to make sure there was no one following him. Tony was irritated that Sid wanted to take his own car. Sid only had so much freedom and his Navigator was one of the things he did not want to relinquish. They had compromised and Tony had gone straight to Payton’s to watch her place for a few hours until the security team could be put together to take over surveillance.

“Hey Baby?” Sid called peering in through her door. The studio was quiet and appeared empty.

“I’m upstairs.”

His lips curved into a sly smile and he put a finger to his lips and said, “Shhh.” He snuck through the studio area and out to the back porch, encouraging his new friend outside. He then hurried up the stairs.

“Hey Baby,” he said with a kiss. She beamed up at him welcoming the break from the paperwork spread out across the bed.

“Hi, I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

“Well, I have a surprise,” he grinned. She raised her eyebrows and took his extended hand. He led her downstairs and her eyes got wide as she glimpsed his surprise through the glass door. She gave him a questioning look.

“He needs a home and I thought since I‘m gone so much that maybe you might like the company.”

He was a beautiful, blue-eyed Siberian Husky pup, approximately four months old. He had huge paws and long, gangly legs. He was peering in through the door with his tongue hanging out.

“He’s adorable!! Where did you get him?” She opened the door and he bounded in. She bent down to stroke his fur.

“Max’s brother Frank got him a couple of months ago, but it seems his wife has a really bad allergy and they can’t keep him. Max has been shopping him around the locker room.”

“What’s his name?”

“They were calling him Chuck.”

“Chuck?! What kind of name is that?” The pup tilted his head in response to his name being called. “Look, not even he likes it!”

“Well, name him what you want.”

There came a loud knock on the door. “Chuck” bristled and expelled a low growl. Sid smiled.

“Oh, he’s a tough guy, huh?” Payton exclaimed. Sid went to get the door while she occupied the pup. He was very interested in who was at the door and did not take his attention from the delivery boy until Sid closed the door and came back.

“I could call him Crosby,” she grinned.

“Oh, no you can’t. I don’t want you yelling my name when he chews up the rug!”

She gave him an exaggerated pout. “Well, he’s a tough guy and he has big blue eyes, how about Brooks?” Brooks was the team’s star defensemen with piercing blue eyes.

“You seriously want to name my dog Brooks?”

“I thought he was my dog.”

“He’s our dog.” Our dog, she liked the way that sounded.

“Well, Max has blue eyes, too. We could call him Max.”

“Brooks is fine,” he said defeated.