Star Power

By Arthur Susnow

Dick Jenkins is the most talented young baseball player in the major leagues. In fact, one might say he has star power. But Dick also has a dangerous secret compulsion, and unfortunately his young female fans who idolize him are adversely affected by this compulsion, and become the victims of his dark obsessions.

The team executives and Dicks cousin attempt to control Dicks impulses, and because of his outstanding ability on the ball fi ld, when on occasion they fail to control Dick, the executives and his cousin will do anything to protect him and his career.

Dicks agent, a former major leaguer, becomes suspicious, and retains the services of a private detective, who uncovers the truth, and Dick is forced to flee. Time will tell if his past and subsequent behavior will catch up to him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Sep 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462036660

Arthur Susnow

Arthur Susnow graduated from NYU law school and has been a practicing attorney for over fifty years. He is a native of Brooklyn, New York, where he still resides today with his wife, Ellen. Together, they have two daughters and two grandsons. This is his first novel.

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Contents

Chapter

1

Chapter

2

Chapter

3

Chapter

4

Chapter

5

Chapter

6

Chapter

7

Chapter

8

Chapter

9

Chapter

10

Chapter

11

Chapter

12

Chapter

13

Chapter

14

Chapter

15

Chapter

16

Chapter

17

Chapter

18

Chapter

19

Chapter

20

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21

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22

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23

Chapter

24

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25

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26

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27

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28

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29

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30

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31

Chapter

32

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33

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34

Chapter

35

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36

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37

Chapter

38

Chapter

39

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40

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41

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42

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43

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44

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45

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46

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47

Chapter

48

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49

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50

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51

Chapter

52

Chapter

53

Chapter

54

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55

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56

Chapter

57

Chapter

58

Chapter

59

Chapter

60

Chapter

61

Chapter

62

Chapter

63

Chapter

64

Chapter

65

Chapter

66

Chapter

67

Chapter

68

Chapter

69

Chapter

70

Chapter

71

Chapter

72

Chapter

73

Chapter

74

Chapter

75

Chapter

76

Chapter

77

Chapter

78

Chapter

79

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80

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81

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82

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83

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84

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85

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86

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87

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88

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89

Chapter

90

Chapter

91

Chapter

92

Chapter

93

Chapter

94

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95

Chapter

96

Chapter

97

Chapter

98

Chapter

99

Chapter

100

Chapter

101

Chapter

102

Chapter

103

Chapter

104

Chapter

105

Chapter

106

Chapter

107

Chapter

108

Chapter

109

Chapter

110

Chapter

111

Chapter

112

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113

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114

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115

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116

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Chapter

1

THE HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL season in Remsen, Illinois, finally ended, and it ended in the same manner as the preceding season. Dick Jenkins, the all-star shortstop for Remsen High hit a walk-off home run, and Remsen High defeated Randolph High for the State Championship.

After the game and the celebrating, the hero and his cousin, Lester Johnson, sat together in the locker room. The other players had showered and dressed and were gone. Despite his heroics, Dick appeared disturbed. He rose from the bench and leaned dejectedly against his locker, barely moving, for more than ten minutes. Lester finally approached his cousin and good naturedly patted his rear.

Dick, he said, please sit down and relax. Have a Coke. I can’t relax, Dick said.

Dick, consider the following: Your walk-off home run won the game against Randolph High, the team that was favored to win the state high school baseball championship. You’ve been nominated to receive the most valuable player award, an award that you won last year. And Dick, when you graduate, you’ll sign that lucrative and I mean lucrative contract with the New York Stars. Your agent, Mike, has worked out all the details.

I know, I know. But I just can’t relax. Look outside in the hallway. Lynda and Susan are standing there. I feel better already. They’re real blonde beauties. Give me a couple of baseballs, and I’ll autograph them. Dick, listen to me. Susan has a girl friend, and Lynda does not like you. "I realize that. But Susan plays shortstop on the girls’ baseball team and appreciates my talent, and Lynda is too polite to walk away.

Hello, girls, Dick greeted the girls, as he and Lester walked out into the hallway.Did you enjoy the game? You were simply great today, Susan said. That home run must have been at least four hundred fifty feet from home plate. Thank you, Susan. I autographed the ball. You can have it. Thank you. I’ll really treasure it. Lynda, I have an autographed ball for you too.Oh, thank you. Is this the ball that you hit into a double play? Lynda, Dick didn’t hit into any double plays. That’s yesterday’s home run ball. Oh, thank you. I’ll really treasure and keep it with my old Barbie dolls. Girls, it’s still early. Let’s go for a drive in the countryside. I have my parents’ car, and it’s a beautiful day. That’s a great idea Dick, But we have to be home by seven thirty p.m. Don’t you worry. We’ll have you home by seven p.m., and this time of the year, it will still be daylight."

The four then walked to the parking lot, where the car was parked, got into the car and Dick drove along Hicks Road, a practically deserted two-lane highway.

There’s Hicks Lake, probably the most beautiful lake and area in the region. Let’s stop for a few minutes, Dick said.That’s a great idea. You’re more than just a baseball player.

Dick parked the car a short walking distance from the lake. They got out of the car and strolled leisurely side by side along the lakefront, enjoying the warmth of the day.

Susan, follow me, Dick said. I remember rose bushes about fifty feet off the trail. Let’s pick a few. Okay, Dick. I’m with you. Lynda, Lester, we’ll return in a few minutes.

And Susan followed Dick towards the rose bushes.

Lester and Lynda remained quietly sitting alongside the lakefront for approximately fifteen minutes, when Lynda suddenly exclaimed, Did you hear that? Hear what?Lester replied.

It sounded like a muffled scream coming from that direction, Lynda said.

It can’t be in that direction. That’s where Dick and Susan are. They would’ve heard the screams. Lester, I’m right. I have to check it out. Are you coming with me? There was no scream, Lester said. I’ll wait here.

Lynda walked off in the direction Dick and Susan had gone, and Lester remained behind. After at least another fifteen minutes, he heard a scream, and it wasn’t muffled.

Dick called for Lester, who ran toward him. What he saw he couldn’t believe and would never forget. Both girls were lying face up, apparently dead. Dick was standing between them, barely moving.

Dick, what did you do? Lester asked. Why didn’t you call me? I’m always there for you to protect you against such problems arising. It wasn’t my fault. All I did was embrace them and kiss them. Each tried to push me away. Before I realized it, I must’ve grabbed them around their necks and probably choked them. It was an accident. I didn’t intend to choke them. It just happened. Okay. It had to be an accident. But what do we do with them now? I don’t know. Wait, I have an idea. When we met with the New York Stars representatives, a Mr. Jacob Wells, the head of security, gave me his card and actually told me, if I had a problem of any kind, I should call him, that he’s there for his ballplayers. Lester, I’ll call him. He’s still in town. I have his cell phone number. Lester handed Dick his cell phone and he made the call.

Hello Mr. Wells, this is Dick Jenkins. Hi, Dick, how are you? And call me Jake.Everybody calls me Jake. Jake, I have a problem, and I need your help. I have to see you now. Sure, Dick, I’m here to help. Where are you? Jake, take the highway north and make a right turn onto Hicks Road. I’ll be there with my cousin Lester, waiting for you in the roadway. You can’t miss us. It’s approximately a twenty minute drive. Dick, my associate Ed Long and I will meet you in twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes elapsed, and Jake and Ed arrived. Jake, a tall, well-dressed gentleman in his forties, was apparently in charge. Ed was slightly shorter and younger. He was also well dressed. (Well, they were executives of the most famous and successful team in baseball). Ed stood next to Jake and nodded hello. Jake spoke for both of them. Hi, Dick. And this young man must be your cousin. Hi Lester What’s the problem?Jake, we have a big problem. I was with a couple of charming young women, having a great time, when suddenly, I found them lying alongside each other on the ground, motionless. They may be dead’ ‘Dick, I see the bodies, and they do appear to be dead. Jake, what do we do with the bodies? Dick, apparently we have to dispose of the bodies. But I must first call my office and speak to Stephen Baxter. I do require his input and consent. Oh, you mean the chief. Please call him. He’s really a great guyYes, Lester, I’ll make the call now.

Jake and Ed walked back to their car, which was parked off the road, and Jake made the call to the chief. The conversation lasted longer than he had anticipated, because the chief did not or could not understand that Jake was requesting permission to dispose of the bodies of two young women to protect a future Star ballplayer. The chief finally understood, and Jake was given specific instructions. When the phone conversation ended, Jake approached Dick and Lester and quietly advised them that he and Ed would dispose of the bodies.

You two must head directly home. Do not tell another soul what happened today, he told them.

Okay, Jake, and thank you. I just don’t know what happened. Dick and Lester then got into their car and drove off.

Jake, they’re gone. Yes, Ed., we’ve got us a really strange kid, Jake said. We’ll have to watch him very closely. He has ability, and Ed, I’m not exaggerating. He will be, within a very short period of time, the very best player in both leagues. If you say so, Ed said. I’ll help you dispose of the bodies. God, they were lovely young ladies.

The two carried the girls to their van and carefully placed them in the rear. Then they quietly drove away to find a suitable location to dispose of the bodies, Jake driving and Ed sitting next to him, when Ed glanced towards the rear, and then turned to Jake, and excitedly broke the silence. Jake, one of the girls is alive. She just moved What do we do now? Jake pulled over to the side of the road and turned towards the rear.Ed, you’re right. She’s breathing. Jake, tell me what to do. I need your help. If helping you means disposing of her together with her dead friend, I can’t help you. She is lovely and reminds me of my daughter Anna. We’ll bring her to a hospital and leave her, and we’ll disappear. What happens if and when she recovers she could implicate Dick. Ed, I can’t worry about that right now. She’s in really critical condition. We’ll remove all her identification and drop her off at a hospital miles from Remsen. Jake, I’m with you. Let’s do that."

In the meantime, Dick and Lester headed back to Remsen. Lester, I really feel so relaxed, Dick said. Let’s stop at the Pizza Corner in Remsen and get a slice and coke. I’m buying. Cuz, you’re driving. I could go for a slice and coke, especially when you’re buying.

Chapter

2

ONE FINE SUMMER AFTERNOON, Art Snow’s legal secretary Joan quietly walked into his office and announced, as usual, Tarzan is on the phone. Give my regards to Jane. My next secretary will not have Joan’s strange sense of humor, Art thought. The Tarzan Joan referred to was actually his best non–real estate client, as well as a boyhood friend. His name was Miklos Tarzandropolous. Everyone called him Mike, except Joan; she always addressed him as Tarzan and asked him how Jane was. He graciously accepted her banter and attempt at humor, usually responding with a like humorous remark.

Mike, Chuck David, and Art first met when they played baseball for their high school team. Chuck was the shortstop. Mike was the centerfielder, and Art, with the least talent, was designated a utility player. Chuck was the more accomplished player.; He was the shortstop for the Stars for more than fifteen years, and when he retired,, Mr. Dickson, the New York Stars president, appointed him manager of the team.. Mike played five years in the majors and when he retired, with his experience, knowledge and contacts,wisely pursued a second career as a respected player’s agent. Art went to law school, and when he graduated,and passed the bar, opened an office in Manhattan.

Art could recall Joan’s first day in his office, eight years ago. She was a recent high school graduate. He remembered the first call from Mike. She announced with a quizzical expression that Mr. Tarzan is on the phone. Her humor developed later. Art carefully spelled out Mike’s last name to Joan, and then answered the phone to speak to an impatient Mike. In that conversation, they discussed Mike’s meeting a young man, named Dick Jenkins, who subsequently became his client and,without question, was now the most outstanding baseball player in the majors.

Mike’s friend, Jay Penny,was Dick’s high school coach. He had phoned Mike and spoke glowingly of Dick’s ability.

"Mike,

I have a player on my baseball team who is the best player I have ever coached or played with or against. Words cannot describe his ability. You must watch him play to appreciate his ability. He can play short, outfield, and pitch. His fastball is already in the nineties, and he is only seventeen. But like Babe Ruth, his future is as an everyday ballplayer. He is that good. Mike, fly out here immediately, Jay requested. Here" was Remsen, Illinois.

Without hesitating, Mike flew to Remsen. He had that much confidence in his friend. Jay greeted Mike at the airport, and,they drove to Dick’s home. Mike was introduced to Dick and his family.. His father Ray, mother Rosa, and cousin Lester Johnson, who lived in the Jenkins’s home.

At seventeen, Dick was already six feet one and 175 pounds. In a few short years, he would and did develop further. He was now six feet three and two hundred pounds, all muscle. The resemblance between Dick and Lester was remarkable, except that Lester was six inches shorter and weighed thirty-five pounds less. Lester was also no athlete.

Mike had a cordial conversation with the parents, discussing Dick’s future after graduation and the possibility of Dick playing professional ball.

Dick’s next game was scheduled for the following day, and arrangements were made for Mike to watch the game. Dick played shortstop, and was spectacular in the field. He made several plays that a major leaguer would be proud of. In the ninth inning, with the score 5-4 in favor of Dick’s team, Jay brought Dick in as a relief pitcher. Dick struck out the side, and his team won., Dick had a single, a double, and a triple, and an almost homerun. But the opposing centerfielder made a tremendous leaping catch over the fence. and. Dick had to settle for three hits. His average was well over four hundred for the season.

After the game, Mike met with the family and signed Dick to the standard agent’s contract with Dick’s father signing for his minor son.

At the meeting, the family had seemed quiet and reserved. They finally explained to Mike that one of Dick’s girlfriends, Lynda Jackson

, was missing. Mike was shown a recent picture of Lynda. She was a blond, blue-eyed beauty. Dick was with Lynda the day before she disappeared At that time, it was assumed that she was with a friend and would soon return. However, yea rs have passed, and despite an extensive search by the police and private agencies, she was still missing and was presumed dead. Dick was now twenty-five, and has not fully recovered from the loss, or so it seemed to Mike. Though Dick was extremely good-looking, and a baseball icon, he didn’t appear to be interested in dating.

Chapter

3

JOAN REMINDED ART THAT Mike was on the phone. How are you, Mike? Art greeted his old friend His response was slow and perfunctory. Something was obviously disturbing him. Art, I’m in New York, and I have to see you. I can be in your office in thirty minutes.Fine, I’ll see you in thirty minutes, Art said.

Within the thirty minutes, Mike entered the office, and Joan greeted him in the usual manner.

Hello, Tarzan. How is your wife, Jane? Mike’s response was friendly and polite, but there was none of the usual banter between the two. As Art had previously noticed, Mike was apparently disturbed and had to speak to him.

Mike walked into Art’s office, sat down, and without the usual salutations held between old friends who hadn’t seen each other in a while, immediately revealed why he came to see his old friend.

Art, what I have to say you will not believe, and further, you cannot repeat,not even to your lovely wife unless I give my approval. Of course, Mike. What is it? Art, do you recall when I first met Dick, several years ago in Remsen, Illinois? Yes, I remember your traveling to Remsen Remember Dick’s girlfriend, Lynda, was reported missing the day after her date with Dick? Yes. Has she been found? No, she is still missing and presumed dead. I recall this incident to remind you that Lynda was purportedly with Dick, and the next day, she disappeared. Mike, It was proven that Dick was not involved with her disappearance. He appeared to be fond of her, and on the day she disappeared, Dick was either at practice or at school or at home. Jay Penny was with Dick almost constantly during that period. At this late date, you can’t possibly make accusations against Dick Art, there’s more. After Dick’s graduation, I negotiated a contract with Jerry Dickson, owner and president of the New York Stars. You assisted me. It was a lucrative contract. Jerry recognized and appreciated talent and agreed to our terms. Dick was then assigned to Raleigh in a class-A minor league.

I remember the entire transaction, Art said. I even traveled with you to Raleigh to watch Dick play, and I may add he was outstanding. His fielding was superb, and his batting average was 350. Not bad for an eighteen-year-old in his first year of organized baseball. The only problem was determining the best position suited to his skills. The New York Stars organization soon determined that, with his strong arm and speed and batting prowess, his best position was centerfield. Mike, what is the problem? Art asked. Dick was exceptional on and off the field. The sportswriters covering the team marveled at his ability and behavior. Dick played for Raleigh a full season and a half, Mike said, and in August of the following year, he was assigned to the triple-A team in the international league in Montreal. He played in Montreal for two seasons, and Montreal won the pennant and the minor league World Series in both seasons. Dick was outstanding, and at age twenty-one, he was promoted to the majors. Mike, Art said, I’ve been following Dick’s progress and his extraordinary performance. Art, please bear with me; I need your advice and counsel, Mike said."Approximately two weeks ago, I was a guest of Mr. Dickson, and I watched the Stars play a night game against the Hawks in his box seats, which is located directly behind home plate.

The game was tied until the ninth inning, when Dick with two out and two strikes against him,(and he really looked woeful on the last strike) hit one of his famous walk-off home runs, and the Stars won. They are now four games out of first place. Dickson and I celebrated, and I’ll admit, we had a few beers and felt no pain. After the game, as Dickson and I were exiting,I observed Dick also leaving the stadium through the rear door of the clubhouse. He was with a tall, blond young lady. I commented to Dickson about observing Dick with the young lady, and he responded that he had not seen Dick or the young lady. I later spoke to a few of Dick’s teammates and others, and it appeared that no other person had seen Dick leave with the young lady. I therefore have to question whether I actually saw Dick and the lady or if it was my inebriated condition. Mike, what’s the problem? He was either with or not with a young lady. Dick can take care of himself. You are not his mother or father. You are only his agent. Art, Dick with a young lady is not the problem. Do you recall reading the papers several days ago about the disappearance of Lisa Holloway, a promising young blond actress? Yes, I read the article, and her picture was included in the article. She is quite the attractive young lady. Did they find her? No, she is still missing. Did you notice her resemblance to Lynda? I didn’t look for or see a resemblance, except that they are both blond young ladies. There is an uncanny, startling resemblance, and I have a gut feeling that Lisa was the blond with Dick after the game. How can you make such a claim? You even admitted having several beers with Dickson and that you may have been inebriated. They were also quite a distance from you. Dick left the stadium through the rear door of the clubhouse, and you were heading towards the box seat exit and your eyesight like mine is not the same as when we played baseball in our youth. Further, Dickson did not see them together, and no one else observed Dick with a blond, including his teammates who are young and have the eyesight we once had. If they can hit a ninety-five-mile an hour fastball, their eyesight must be better than ours. I think you are overreacting to your unproven observation of Dick with a girl who may be the girl who subsequently disappeared. Art, there is more. This incident made me recall Dick with another tall, blond young lady in Raleigh who also subsequently disappeared and is still missing and presumed dead. At the time, I didn’t think much of it, except that Dick was dating. I was too involved with meetings, contracts, and other important business matters, so Dick’s date in Raleigh was soon forgotten. However, Lisa’s disappearance stirred up memories of Dick in Raleigh and that date with a blond who also disappeared. I need your help and skill to prove that the disappearances of young women after dating Dick are mere coincidences. You have the contacts, knowledge, and experience. I remember how you aided the police in destroying and convicting the principals of that world-class conglomerate. You saved many innocent people. My situation may not be as desperate, but you have to disprove my belief that Dick is somehow involved with the disappearance of young women. Tracking down an alleged killer and the disappearances of women is not my field, but as a friend and to prove that you may be wrong in accusing an apparently clean-cut young man of committing such heinous crimes, I’ll try to prove his innocence to your satisfaction, Art said "I’ll require a list of all the teams Dick played for and the cities in each league. We then will investigate and follow up on all alleged crimes committed against your described victims in each city.The internet, of course, will be invaluable, as it was in the conglomerate case, and may I add that Joan was also invaluable in her use of the internet? We will require the services of an experienced investigator, and fortunately, I have the right man for the job: Alex Jones, the hero cop. In that conglomerate case, he saved my life and Joan’s life, and he is most likely a future police commissioner. He’s a tough and brilliant young man, and he is available, because he is presently recovering from injuries recently sustained. He has the experience and ability and is reliable. He will be invaluable in determining if Dick was involved in the disappearances of these young women.

With your consent, I’ll call Alex. Incidentally, he and Joan recently became engaged. Oh, Mike said, then he must be a good man. There’s no one better than Joan."

Art and Mike called Joan in from the front office and explained Mike’s suspicions to her. She frowned and confessed that she had heard the conversation on the intercom. She was hesitant and doubted that Mike’s suspicions were correct, but with a little prodding, she contacted Alex, who agreed to meet with Art and Mike the next day.

Chapter

4

THE NEXT DAY, ALEX and Joan arrived together at Art’s office. Joan sat down at her desk in the outer office. Art was quite sure she was listening in on the intercom. Alex and Art sat down in Art’s office. Art, in his chair behind the desk, and Alex in a worn but comfortable chair facing the desk.

Art described the previous day’s conversation with Mike and the importance of keeping Mike’s suspicions completely secret. Then Alex told Art that he knew Mike and Dick Jenkins. Alex explained that several years ago, he was a highly regarded baseball pitcher,and that Mike had almost signed him as his agent. He said that, years before, he had played with Dick in the minors and he had the highest regard for his ability. He added that he, personally, doubted Mike’s suspicions. No way can this kid be involved with the disappearance of these women, Alex said. Mike is way out of line and is wasting his time and money. To prove him wrong, I will follow up on this investigation. Incidentally, I would’ve made the majors, if I didn’t have arm trouble.If you had pitched in the major leagues, Joan and I would not be here today. You saved our lives. You’re the hero cop."

As Art had expected, Joan came into the office and sheepishly admitted to having heard the entire conversation. She initiated a plan to investigate to prove Mike wrong.

Last night, I made my plans with respect to my contribution. I knew Alex would agree. Despite his protestation of Dick’s innocence, the disappearance of young women who allegedly dated Dick is too intriguing, Joan began. "Art, I need the dates and cities when and where Dick played for the past years. I can then access the crimes committed against young blond women and or their disappearances in each