Kill Club

By Mike Larkin

What would happen if several killers formed a club? What would happen if they decided to kill in unison – night after night? What would happen if they brought their threats to the nation, and others who learned of their plans for murder joined them? What would happen if an entire continent became paralyzed with fear? The Kill Club knows...and Detective Lou Zubek is about to find out..

• Language: English
• Publisher: Mike Larkin
• Release date: Nov 19, 2013
• ISBN: 9781311559159

Book preview

Prologue

Emily checked her watch for the tenth time in the last five minutes. He said he was prompt. If he was true to his word, he’d call within minutes.

She moved to the lone mirror in the room. Emily liked what she saw, and she was confident that he would, too. She pulled on the straps of the negligee, sliding it further down her shoulders – exposing more of her full breasts. He said he was a boob-man.

Emily grinned, checking for lipstick. There was a small red smudge on one of her incisors, and as she started to wipe her tooth, her cell phone rang. She gasped, balled her hands into fists to keep them from trembling, as her inner voice said, don’t answer! Things had already gone too far.

Hello.

Nasty Thing?

The voice was a whisper, not the deep, guttural rasp she’d expected.

Uh, huh. And I take it this is ‘Pleaser’?

Again a whisper. You’re about to find out just how much pleasing I can do.

Emily giggled. I’m counting on it. She’d planned her next line for months, and she delivered it as sensuously as she dared. Room 240. Prepare to get rocked.

The line went dead. Her legs felt like jello, and she strained to recall what he said he would do to her – for her – every one of your fantasies fulfilled. Her nipples hardened.

Emily moved to the door of the motel room, and waited for the knock that she knew would change her forever. Moments later it came, in the form of a gentle tapping. Emily looked through the peephole, and saw a bowed head revealing thick blonde locks. So far, so good. She opened the door.

What she saw shocked her. What she felt shocked her even more. And as she fell to the floor, blood pouring from the deep slash across her throat, her last thought was that maybe her life hadn’t been so bad after all.

PART ONE : MONDAY

Chapter 1

Do you need some water? Maybe a tissue for your brow?

Lieutenant Lou Zubek looked up to see Min Park grinning down at him. You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?

Min laughed. Better you than me.

Yeah, well I may just call on you to join me on stage. After all, you were as big a part of solving the Thin Air case as I was.

You wouldn’t dare. Min’s grin faded.

Levens and a couple of the other guys are participating. It’s not too late to include you.

I will kill you.

Zubek tried to look innocent. You’ve got the fancy, business-chick suit on – very nice by the way – so, you’ll look the part.

Min tugged on the navy skirt that hugged her slim thighs. If you call me up on stage, one of us will die. And I’m too young to die.

Just don’t leave the room.

Since San Francisco’s Lieutenant Zubek and his team had solved the Thin Air serial killer case, Zubek had publicly reviewed the case study more times than he could count. Today he addressed over 500 police and affiliated personnel at the Toronto International Sex Crimes Investigators’ Conference.

The back doors of the conference room opened, and the attendees streamed out. Zubek and his team were speaking immediately after the break, so as soon as the room had sufficiently cleared, Zubek entered it and headed for the podium. A reluctant Min Park trailed behind him.

The head of the Toronto Sex Crimes unit greeted them. He congratulated them on solving the Thin Air case, then pointed behind them. This guy’s been looking for you.

Zubek and Min turned to see Ottawa Detective Mike Donnelly approaching. Donnelly had been instrumental in helping bring down the Thin Air killer.

Mike. Great to see you, Bud.

You, too, Lou. He turned to Min. You still putting up with this guy’s snarly attitude?

It’s a job. She laughed. So good to see you. Are you back in the good books?

Barely, but I’ll manage. Without the proper paperwork, Donnelly had been reprimanded for helping Zubek and Min in their cross-border pursuit of the Thin Air killer.

Zubek asked. So, are you ready to say a few words?

Happy to.

The lights flickered off and on. Zubek said, Showtime, wiped his palms on his trousers, then took his place on stage while Min and Donnelly grabbed seats in the front row. Zubek was wearing one of the three worn sport jackets that he rotated daily, and he had buzzed what little hair he had down to the wood. Min had tried to convince him to purchase a new suit for these occasions, but Zubek wouldn’t consider it. Gotta preserve my mystique.

Zubek came across as professional, light-hearted - despite the gruesome subject matter - and sincere. And the audience was mesmerized as Zubek told the story of the Thin Air killer, describing how the he had stalked his female victims, abducted them from covered parking garages, then raped and murdered them – before hiding their bodies in a place where he was confident that they would never be found.

So, like most cases of this nature, we got lucky. Had it not been for Erin Finley, I think we’d still be tracking this killer today.

After the presentation, there were a few questions, and Zubek handled them expertly. It was clear to Min and others in the audience who knew him well, that Lieutenant Lou Zubek had come a long way in the last year.

When Captain Jackson had first asked Zubek to interview for the position as head of the Special Crimes division, he had declined. Zubek’s rationale reflected the view of many within the SFPD. He was a 40-year old former Homicide cop who had had a nervous breakdown four years earlier, had missed a year of work as a result, and had spent the last three years in Field Training – a place reserved for burnt-out and washed-up cops. Running a division as stressful as Special Crimes was beyond him.

Captain Jackson, hadn’t agreed. He’d been aware of the concerns about Zubek’s suitability for such a high-profile role, particularly those expressed by the D.A. But, he had believed that his former partner could do the job, and he had made sure that Zubek knew how he felt. So, after careful deliberation, Zubek had interviewed for the vacant Lieutenant position, and got the job.

Zubek’s wife, Lori, felt that the last thing he should be doing was getting back into the line of fire, particularly after what had happened. Lori had berated him for what she viewed as selfish behavior, and had insisted that he decline Jackson’s offer. They had fought, Zubek claiming he needed to start living again…to get past the tragedy that had led to his breakdown. Lori had left him, but not before admitting that she held him responsible for the incident that had forever changed their lives…and their relationship.

Zubek scanned the room. There were no more questions. He looked directly at Min. A detective who played a key role in solving this case, and who re-inforced the importance of applying new technologies to the art of police investigation, is Detective Min Park. Min also put together this presentation, and I’d like to thank her for that. Min, please stand so the audience can acknowledge you.

Min glared at Zubek as she reluctantly stood to the sound of warm applause.

Zubek smiled down at her from the edge of the stage. Min, was there anything you wanted to add?

Min shook her head. No…I…uhh…

Zubek’s eyes twinkled. Min looked like she was ready to strangle him. Okay. Thanks again for your excellent work. He turned back to the audience. Thanks for listening, and thanks also to the Metro Toronto Police Department for hosting us here today. It’s been an honor.

The room filled with loud applause. It had been a good day – the best he was going to have for a while.

Chapter 2

Missy Bradford was tired. She had cleaned most of the rooms on her floor, and had only one more to do before she could call it a day. Room 17 still had the Do Not Disturb sign on its door handle. Housekeeping policy was to wait until 4:00 p.m. before asking a guest if he or she wanted the room cleaned. It was 2:30 p.m. Missy checked her guest sheet. The room was registered to Ms. Morgan Willow, and according to the register, she was the lone occupant.

Yeah, right, Missy muttered. Missy had been working at the two-story Shady Knoll motel for almost seven years. Her job didn’t pay well, but it was close to home, and she could usually leave by 3:00 p.m., and be home to greet her children when they got off the bus.

Missy strolled down the hall toward room 17, hoping to hear signs of activity. When she reached the room, she pulled her thick, black hair over her left ear, and leaned toward the door. Her guess was that Ms. Willow was screwing around on her husband. Missy put her ear to the door. There wasn’t a sound.

Missy was about to leave when she noticed a small amount of dark fluid seeping out from beneath the thin door. She bent, touched the liquid. It was sticky, reddish-brown. She moved her hand closer to her face. Then she screamed…

********************************************

A scream woke Zubek. What the hell?

Min whispered, Sorry, then went back to the in-flight movie.

Zubek’s eyes crinkled at the corners as he shook his head. He sat a little straighter in his seat, rubbed his neck as he checked the nearest video monitor. A San Francisco detective had just screamed while watching Scary Movie III, a comedy. Zubek could picture the guys in the office laughing when they heard about this incident.

Lieutenant Zubek had been working with Min Park for almost a year. He had promoted her into the Detective position within the Special Crimes Division and, as he expected, her appointment had raised a lot of eyebrows. She had several strikes against her in the eyes of the old guard within the department. She was young, female, had never walked a beat, and she was Korean. And in some quarters, she would have registered another strike. Min was beautiful. She was 5’7", weighed a buck twenty at most, and had thick, shoulder-length, raven-colored hair with burgundy highlights. When she was working, she wore her hair in a tight bun. Today she wore it down, framing her gorgeous face.

Zubek’s decision to bring Min onto his team had proven to be a good one. Min was a computer genius, and during her brief time in the Special Crimes Division she’d greatly enhanced the computer investigative skills of the department. Through osmosis, those around her – including Zubek – were becoming far more adept at using technology to help solve complex cases.

The airplane shimmied, interrupting Zubek’s thoughts of Min. The familiar ping, which signaled an upcoming announcement, silenced the airplane’s passengers.

This is Captain O’Neil speaking. We’re going through a patch of rough air right now. We should be through it in a few minutes. Until then, please remain in your seats with your seat belts on. The rest of the flight looks pretty clear, and we should be arriving in San Francisco on schedule at 2:15. It’s a beautiful day in the Bay Area today with a current temperature of 68 degrees.

Zubek glanced at his watch. He’d be home in a few hours. He’d arranged to have dinner with his 17-yr old daughter, Alexa. Since he and Lori had separated, he had spent less time with his daughter than he’d anticipated. It would be good to catch up.

Then, tomorrow, back to the grind. Special Crimes was working on several intriguing cases, including one focused on cracking a large child pornography ring. None of the current cases had the high profile of the Thin Air serial killer case, which was fine with Zubek. Neither he nor the city of San Francisco needed another case like that.

********************************************

Hey, Alexa.

Alexa Zubek turned away from her desktop computer to see Larry Stanton, one of her fellow interns at CITY TV, staring at her. Oh, hi, Larry. How’s it going?

He waved a brown manila envelope. Some guy gave me this package. It’s for Georgia.

Georgia Graves was CITY TV’s crime reporter, and one of San Francisco station’s genuine on-air personalities. Alexa was helping Georgia, while her assistant was on maternity leave.

Larry held the envelope steady so Alexa could see how it was addressed. She leaned forward, her long, blonde hair spilling over her shoulders. She pushed it back. Georgia gets lots of mail. Every day I sort, like, 40 or 50 packages.

Larry thrust the envelope toward her. This one is marked urgent.

Alexa took the package, and examined it. Personal and Confidential was written below Georgia’s name, and the word URGENT was to the side, hand-scratched in bold, red letters. Alexa squeezed it gently, confirming that it was bubble-lined. Probably a video. Somebody looking to get on television. She handed the envelope back to Larry. Why don’t you deliver it? You’ve been dying to meet her.

Larry’s eyes widened. I don’t know. She has no idea who I am, and I don’t want to look stupid or anything.

Larry, Georgia is so nice, and she’ll make you feel comfortable. You’ll see. She’s in now. Just take it to her office.

I guess. He took the envelope. I’ll let you know how it turns out. Maybe we could meet after work.

Sorry. Alexa stifled a grimace. I’m having dinner with my Dad.

********************************************

Andy Crowley, the motel manager, heard Missy’s scream all the way down in the modest lobby. It startled him, and he left the front desk to see what was going on. As he reached the staircase, Missy came charging down.

Missy, what the hell is going on?

The chambermaid responded. Blood, Andy. Coming from under the door of 17!

Jesus, Missy, are you sure?

I think so. I don’t know. I think we better call the police.

Andy shook his head. Let me check it out first. It could be nothing, and there’s no point drawing negative attention if we don’t have to. That’s just bad for business.

Andy trudged up the stairs and down the narrow hall to room 17. He noted the dark fluid at the base of the door, then used his master key to enter the room. Andy didn’t scream. He fainted, but not before registering what he had seen. The body of a woman dressed only in a negligee…and the woman’s severed head, face up, smiling, eyes open, nestled between the body’s open legs.

********************************************

As Larry approached Georgia’s office, he heard laughter. He was about to leave, when a pretty, young blonde woman emerged. She was holding a TicketMaster envelope.

Thanks again, Auntie G. The girl noticed Larry, and said to Georgia. You’ve got a visitor.

I’ve got a package for Ms. Graves.

The girl called to her aunt. It’s some guy bearing gifts.

Send him in.

Larry extended his hand. I’m Larry Stanton.

The girl shook it. It was damp, and she resisted making a face. And I’m Melissa Graves, Georgia’s niece.

Larry pointed at the envelope. You going to anything special?

The Nickelback concert.

At the Filmore.

Yeah. You know the band?

I follow them a bit.

Cool. Melissa stepped aside. She’s all yours. She blew a kiss at her aunt, now standing in the doorway. Later, G.

Georgia smiled. Later. She looked at Larry. Hi, you have a delivery?

Yeah, hi. I’m…uhh…Larry Stanton. I’m an intern, and Alexa said I should bring you this. He handed Georgia the envelope.

So, you’re studying…

Broadcast Journalism at City College.

Larry Stanton looked nothing like what one would expect of a Broadcast Journalism major – at least not in terms of potential on-screen talent. For starters, he was at least 35 years old, and appeared to be packing 35 or 40 pounds more than his 5’10" frame should be carrying. His blonde hair was showing an inch of dark roots, and looked like it hadn’t been washed in days.

Well, good luck with your career. Georgia took the envelope. She moved back into her office, and Larry followed her.

Georgia turned. Is there something else, Larry? As Larry moved into the light of the room, Georgia noted that his pale skin showed scars from severe acne. He could barely make eye contact.

It’s really, really nice to meet you. I’ve been watching you for years – literally.

Well, thank you. I appreciate that.

I just love what you do. He licked his lips, smiled.

You’re very kind, Larry.

I could never be on camera, or anything, but I love all the behind the scenes stuff.

Well, I hope you’re getting some good insight into the industry working here at CITY.

Oh, yeah. Larry licked his lips, and smiled again.

Okay, well thanks again. She placed the envelope on a stack of unopened mail.

It’s marked ‘Urgent’.

Huh.

Larry pointed to the envelope. It says Personal and Confidential and Urgent.

********************************************

Zubek arrived at his former home shortly after six p.m. He waited in the driveway, hoping that Alexa would emerge. When she didn’t, Zubek made his way to the front door. He was about to use his key, but he remembered how Lori had gone ballistic the last time he’d done that. So, he rang the bell of the two-story home he had shared with his wife and daughter for over fifteen years.

Lori opened the door. Alexa will be ready in a minute. She got home late, and she just got out of the shower.

Zubek gestured to the hallway behind her. May I…?

Whatever… She walked away, leaving the door open behind her.

How have you been?

Fine, Lori replied, without turning around. Alexa should be down shortly. She headed toward the kitchen.

Lori didn’t look fine. Her mousy-brown hair, which she normally wore fashionably short, was now chin-length, making her look older than her 39 years. Lori had lost weight over the past year, something she couldn’t afford to do. She had gone from being trim to thin, and the clothes she was wearing hung on her body like a cheap suit on a wire hanger.

Zubek stood at the base of the staircase for a couple of minutes before heading after his wife. He found Lori sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the tiny television that she’d added shortly after he’d departed. She was sipping on a glass of white wine.

Anything interesting on the news?

Lori stared at the screen. The usual…

Zubek glanced at the screen and the image of CITY TV’s, Georgia Graves. He’d had plenty of run-ins with the crime reporter over the years. During Thin Air, Georgia and her occasional sidekick - tabloid journalist Arnold J. Peeper Peoples – had stirred the city into frenzy, and had pushed Zubek well beyond his tolerance level. Can you turn it up a bit?

Lori squeezed the remote, and Georgia’s strident voice filled the room.

…a murder has occurred here at the Shady Knoll motel, on Upper Great Highway not far from Ocean Beach. Details are sketchy, but reports from several of the motel’s guests suggest that the victim was female, and that the woman’s head was completely severed.

Lori turned the volume down. That should make your day, she smirked. Maybe get you back in the limelight.

Nice, Lori. Really nice. Zubek shook his head, choked back the words he wanted to say.

Lori stared blankly at Zubek, sipped her wine. Nobody asked you to follow me to the kitchen, Lou.

What’s going on?

Alexa was behind him, her freshly-washed, blonde hair shimmering in the hallway light, and her blue eyes sparkling. We were just watching a crime report on television, Baby. Those kinds of things always upset your mother.

Oh, shove it, Lou!

Mom!

Was that really necessary, Lori?

Lori glared at him. Don’t play innocent with me, Lou. You bait me, then when I retaliate, you make like this… She waved a hand back and forth. …is all my doing.

I can’t stand when you guys fight. You’re split up, so why can’t you just try and get along?

Zubek gave Alexa a hug. You’re right, Baby. We’re sorry. He looked over his daughter’s shoulder at Lori who was still scowling at him, and didn’t look the least bit sorry – at least for what she’d said to him. How about we head out? Any place special you’d like to go for dinner?

How about Rubicon? My friend, Stacy, was there last weekend and she and her twin brother saw Matt Damon.

Zubek looked at Lori, who turned away, teary-eyed. Sounds like a plan.

Great. Alexa brushed past her father, and moved to her mother’s side. She leaned down and kissed Lori gently on the forehead. I won’t be long, Mom. Maybe when I get home we can watch The Bachelor.

That would be nice.

Chapter 3

Perry Poundstone hated his job. A guard with Valley Commercial Security, he provided service to six small motels, all in the same vicinity, and all owned by the same company. Every one of them would be classified as a dump by even the least discerning of travelers.

Perry worked the 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. shift, four days a week. His duties included visiting each motel in sequence, then walking the property in search of potential troublemakers. He spent 15 minutes at each property before moving on to the next. In his 12-hour shift Perry was able to visit each motel six times.

Occasionally, Perry received a call from a motel manager asking for immediate assistance. He looked forward to these calls because they usually meant that a customer was causing a ruckus. As a former high school football lineman, Perry loved nothing better than to break up a ruckus. Especially if doing so gave him a chance to punch out some drunk.

Perry had just started his shift when he received one of these calls, from the night manager at the Mission Inn. The manager explained that a guest had heard a woman’s scream, followed by what sounded like a scuffle.

Perry asked, Does the guy know which room the sounds came from?

He thinks it was from the room across from his. He said he checked the peephole, and didn’t see anything.

And this just happened?

The manager replied. No. It was about an hour ago, and since the noise stopped, he figured it was nothing. When his wife returned to the room a few minutes ago, he told her what he heard, and she freaked out a bit, and made him call me.

Okay, Perry said. I’ll head right over, and check things out. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.

Twelve minutes later, Perry was standing beside the manager outside the room where the scuffle likely took place. At six foot six, Perry towered over the diminutive manager, and he felt good knowing that the manager felt more secure in his presence.

The manager tapped on the door. There was no answer. He banged on it, with the same result. Time to exercise my right of entry under special circumstances… He fumbled with his keys. These circumstances seem special to you, Perry?

Very.

As the manager opened the door, Perry clenched his fists. He relaxed them, felt his heart pounding in his chest, as he stared down at the partially-naked, bloodied body of an attractive middle-aged woman. Her head was severed, and it was wedged between her open thighs…eyes open…her mouth twisted into a grotesque smile…

********************************************

The staff of the Shady Knoll was cooperating with SFPD Homicide Detective Rondell Houston, who was investigating the murder. The problem was that neither of the motel’s employees had seen anything that could be construed as a legitimate clue. The coroner’s assessment was that the murder had occurred sometime between 1:00 p.m. and 2:00 p.m., and neither Missy Bradford nor her manager, Andy, had seen anyone enter or depart the motel at that time.

Houston noticed a partially finished crossword puzzle behind the front counter. Clearly, that’s what had held the manager’s attention this afternoon. Houston’s guess was that the perpetrator had probably walked right past the manager. Mr. Crowley, when the victim registered, she used the name Morgan Willow. We’ve run a trace on that name, and can’t seem to locate a Morgan Willow in any of our databases. Did the woman show you any identification?

Nope. She paid upfront in cash, and I gave her the keys. That was it. I figured she’d be gone in a few hours, like most of our guests. I just didn’t expect that it would be in a body bag. He smirked.

The detective’s dark-eyes flashed. When you ‘figured she’d be gone in a few hours’, what exactly did you mean?

Andy glanced at Missy, who looked petrified, before replying. She came here to get fucked. Plain and simple. She had arranged a little afternoon delight, and things went wrong.

What are you implying? the detective asked.

Maybe she should have been a little more careful in picking the guy she decided to bed down with, that’s all. He looked at Missy and grinned, revealing stained, yellow teeth. A lady’s gotta be extra careful these days. There’s a lot of creeps out there.

********************************************

Zubek and Alexa were standing inside Rubicon, waiting for the host to greet them when a voice boomed from the back of the restaurant. Hey, Zubek…long time. The man rose from his table, and headed toward them.

Zubek smiled at Bao Phan, the owner of a popular Vietnames restaurant called the Saigon Door. Hey, Bao. You checking out the competition?

Bao shook his hand, smiled. Always, and sometimes just get sick of home cooking.

Zubek laughed, then asked, You remember my daughter, Alexa?

Of course. Bao took her right hand in both of his, and squeezed it gently. So beautiful, like her mother.

So, how is business?

Good…good. Much thanks to you. More important. How is Zubek?

The burly detective looked down at the restaurateur. A little better…

Zubek had first met Bao during his investigation of four murders that occurred in the city’s Mission District. The murders were believed to be the work of the vicious Vietnamese gang, Xiang Liu, who had carved out a niche for itself within the mostly Hispanic neighborhood by offering protection to Vietnamese-owned businesses.

Bao Phan had been paying Xiang Liu for over a year. So was Bao’s closest friend, but his grocery business was suffering. So when gang members told him that the protection fees were being increased, he refused to cooperate – threatening to kill anybody who tried to extort more money from his struggling operation. The Xiang Liu representatives left without incident, but later that night the grocery store was burned to the ground, and Bao’s friend, his wife and his three children were tragically killed.

Nobody in the Vietnamese community was willing to provide evidence that would implicate the gang in the murders - except Bao Phan. He identified the key players in Xiang Liu, and provided tactical details of its operation. When Zubek questioned Bao on his extensive knowledge of the gang and its operations, Bao didn’t hesitate. Bao live many years Saigon. Xiang Liu operate same style.

Armed with the insight provided by Bao, Zubek hatched a plan to take down every known member of the gang in one massive operation. The three leaders of the gang had been tipped off about the operation, however, so when Zubek and his team made their move, the triumvirate opened fire. Four police officers were shot - one fatally, and all three of the gang’s leaders were killed – two by Zubek.

That was supposed to be the end of Xiang Liu, but Zubek soon learned that the gang’s roots were imbedded deeper into the community than even Bao Phan knew. Xiang Liu struck back within days… in a way that changed Zubek’s life forever.

Bao nodded. Better is good.

********************************************

Georgia was heading for the parking lot when someone called, Ms. Graves, did you open the package?

She turned to see Larry Stanton. Georgia shook her head. Not yet, Larry. I’ll get to it tomorrow.

Okay, but the guy who gave it to me said it was really important. That’s why he marked it ‘Urgent’.

I’ll look at it first thing in the morning.

********************************************

Excuse me, sir. Are you Lieutenant Zubek from the San Francisco Police Department?

Zubek looked up to see a middle-aged couple who looked like they were on their way to a 1980’s retro party. Zubek glanced across the table at Alexa. Yes, I am.

We’ve seen you on Larry King. Do you mind if we take your picture?

Color flashed across Zubek’s cheeks. Uhh…

Alexa jumped up. You guys get in it. She reached for the camera, and the woman handed it to her. They moved into a position on either side of her Dad, and Alexa snapped the picture. That should be a good one. She handed the camera back to the couple, and they went on their way mumbling something about finding celebrities at the Rubicon.

Alexa’s smiled as she sat. And here I was looking for Matt Damon…

Amazing, huh? One appearance on a show like Larry King, and the special on America’s Most Wanted, and I’m recognized. Shows the power of the media.

Actually, Dad, that’s what I’m thinking of doing next year. Studying Broadcast Journalism.

Really? What happened to the whole teaching thing?

She twirled a finger through her shoulder-length, flaxen hair. You know I’m on my school co-op assignment?

Uhh…yeah, you’re at…umm…

Alexa rolled her eyes, shaking her head. Do you actually listen to the things I tell you, Dad, or is all this… She waved her hand back and forth in a manner like her mother had done earlier. …just to make you feel less guilty about moving out?

Whoa, that’s a low blow. You know that the problems between your mother and me are not all my doing.

I guess I just kind of got used to having a father who… She turned away.

Baby, I’m still part of your life, and you know…

You love me. Yeah, I know. She looked at him, then her eyes found the table.

Alexa, I do recall your co-op program, and how you were about to get your assignment. I’m sorry that I haven’t asked you about it. I’d really like to know what you’re doing.

Alexa took a deep breath before replying. I’m interning at CITY TV as part of my media studies program.

At CITY? Interesting.

Alexa’s face brightened. It’s amazing. I’ve only been there for a few weeks, but so far, I love it. I’m the only intern from high school. And, I don’t know, I just click with these people. They’re older, but we have lots in common, and I’m having such a good time.

It sounds fantastic. Zubek’s tone said otherwise.

It is, and I’m learning a ton. We’ve had several guest speakers, including that guy you hate, the one you call Peeper. He was really interesting.

Zubek grunted. Peeper was an asshole, but he wasn’t about to say anything to dampen Alexa’s improving mood. I’m so happy for you.

"Dad, seriously, after three weeks at CITY I’m convinced that teaching is not for me. I’d love to be on-air doing a job like Georgia Graves, even though I know you can’t stand her.

We’ve had our moments.

Yeah. I know how she gets in your face, but she’s got a pretty cool job, and she’s really nice to me. I’m even assisting her on some stuff, because her admin person had a baby.

That’s good. Did she mention me, or take the professional high road when it came to our family connection?

Alexa stammered. I…I use Mom’s maiden name at the station. She’s using it now, so I thought…

Zubek raised his voice. So, you’re no longer a Zubek?

Dad, it’s not like that. It’s just that you’re really well known, and our family name is an uncommon one. I don’t want to be treated differently in any way – good or bad – because I’m your daughter.

I get it, he sighed. He took Alexa’s hands in his. "I think you would make an amazing on-air reporter. You