Chapter 3 #2
“Beth, do you want to help us check people in?” Chris asked as we made our way around the table.
When Beth nodded, Chris smiled and pulled out a form.
“Okay, what we need is their name, their donation, their toy, and their experience in darts. If they’ve played in a local league, they’ll have a rating.
I’ve got a sheet listing all the local players.
Most people are honest, and it’s a matter of pride with ratings.
Some try to drop their ratings so they can get a better partner. ”
“I’m not sure I can do this.” Beth’s eyes widened as she looked at the form and the cashbox in front of her.
“You run a church office and just got your master’s,” I reminded her. “If you can’t do this, no one can.”
Beth nodded and Chris gently pushed her into a chair. “I’ll help you with the first one. Troy? Come over here and we’ll get you signed in.”
I sat in the chair to the left and watched as Chris walked Beth through the process. Then I took the next person. By the time we’d gotten through the list, it was almost time to start and Greg, Jim, and Amanda hadn’t shown up yet.
“I’m paying for Lille and me,” a voice said as he set two boxes of LEGOs on the table. “I hope these are good.”
The boxes of LEGOs were the expensive ones. There was a Star Wars one, and one that looked like a small village. I looked up into Dom’s face. “They’re great, thanks.”
“I brought the guys from my club with me. So that should help raise money for the kids.” He nodded behind him where a new line had formed. Guys in leathers and jeans, most with a woman on their arm who held the toys. “Gunter, get up here and sign in. You and Trixy are next.”
At the doorway, watching the Demon Dogs sign in, stood Greg and his brother. The gang was all here.
By the time we got everyone checked in and the pairings announced, I was worn out. Chris, on the other hand, was in her element. She had the first round announced and games started within minutes. She grinned at the overflowing boxes of toys behind us. “I think we did good. Who wants a drink?”
“I’d love a Coke,” Beth said as she finished counting and straightening her money box. “I’ve got over six hundred dollars but I don’t know what I started with.”
“There was a hundred in small bills in each box. It’s Chip’s personal donation to the cause. I’ll go get drinks, and you”—she handed Beth her cashbox—“can combine all the boxes and we’ll announce the entry fee donation in a few minutes. I love it when we all work together.”
Chris took my drink order—a hard cider—and left the registration table. I gave Beth my cashbox and she combined it with Chris’s. Greg came up and handed me a bottle. “Oh, thanks. Chris just went to get me one.”
“Not anymore. I caught her on the way there.” He put a Coke in front of Beth. “Looks like you drew the short straw.”
“I like counting money. I have to do it after every service, so I’m used to it.
” Beth glanced over to where Jim was already playing a game.
He was partnered up with one of the club members.
They looked like the odd couple. Jim was all clean-shaven, dressed in a polo shirt and docker shorts.
His partner wore jeans and a T-shirt that barely covered his belly.
“Lord, I hope that man can deal with Jim’s narrow-mindedness for a few hours. ”
“Jim will be fine.” Greg glanced at the pairings. “It looks like Beth has one of the best players in the league, as do you.”
“I got a good player? Cool.” My nerves went down a little. I hadn’t played darts except for the occasional night out since college. “I hope I can hit the board.”
“I think your partner will be fine. He’s nationally rated and always gets lower players in open tournaments like this.” Greg watched as Dom and Lille, who somehow got paired together, high-fived each other on the first board. “I’m not sure this was a great idea.”
“What? We have probably a couple of grand to give to the charity and over three boxes of new toys. What could go wrong?” I said, not knowing I had just jinxed the entire night.
Greg shook his head. “The alcohol is just beginning to flow.”
* * *
As usual, Greg’s prediction was spot-on. We were down to six pairs still in the running for the win when the first fight broke out. Greg, who was still in it but not playing, let Toby handle getting the men out of the dart room. He looked over at me. “There’s one.”
I was watching my partner throw and ignored his comment.
The way Dan could hit the board, I wasn’t needed.
Except for the lucky shot I got every other round, to our competition’s dismay.
We needed two more numbers closed and we would move onto the hill, which meant we hadn’t lost a match yet.
I was getting a top-notch lesson in darts.
Toby came back into the room and sat with us. Greg raised an eyebrow. “They both had sober rides home and agreed to leave rather than me putting them in the drunk tank, so I think that was a win.”
“No one was hurt?” Greg sipped his soda. He might be off duty technically, but he knew he could be called in at any moment. South Cove was his town.
“Bruised egos. One guy made a pass at the other’s girl. I think he forgot who he came with. His wife is mad as a hornet.” Toby grinned as the next player grabbed his darts. “I think you’re up, boss lady.”
“I’m just delaying the inevitable,” I said as I stood and went to the throwing line. Dan walked up to me. “What do you want me to get? Points or try to close the fifteens?”
“We always try to win the game, darling.” Dan nodded to the board. “Just relax and aim at those fifteens. If you miss, I’ll clean up.”
I could hear the other team behind me, strategizing for their next turn. If I missed and they got a turn, they could add enough points that Dan wouldn’t be able to win alone. I blocked out the voices. I needed to trust myself as much as my partner.
I aimed, and by the time I’d thrown all three darts, I’d closed the number and won the game.
Dan grabbed me and swung me around. “I knew you could do it.”
Greg grinned as I came back to the table. “Nice darts.”
“Thanks, but I think my partner just about had a heart attack,” I teased as I finished my cider. We moved to another table to wait for our next game. Now I got to watch Greg and his partner play against Lille and Dom.
Lille wasn’t happy and Dom, usually chatty, was silent. Something had happened between them since they’d signed in but I’d been too busy playing with Dan to notice. Chris was manning the board and had the next games already prepped to play. I walked over to talk to her.
“You’re running this like a well-oiled machine.” I smiled at her.
“Thanks, but you’re winning, so of course you’d say that. I had a complaint that I was running the games too fast an hour ago. I think we should get out of here in just over an hour. I’m ready to go home. I forgot how tired I am of dealing with drunks.”
“Did you used to work at a bar?” I didn’t know Chris well.
She smiled as she watched the games. “You could say that. I was married to Chip, so I was free labor for ten years. It was fun the first few years, but it got tiring quickly. You don’t have a home life. And Chip? Well, let’s just say he’s not the one-woman type.”
“I’m sorry. You didn’t have to come back for this.” I wondered why she had.
“Carrie’s a friend. I owe her. So I’m here.” She nodded to the board where Greg was now playing. “Go on, your man’s up. I hope it’s a King versus King final.”
The next fight was quieter than the first and happened right after Greg and his partner kicked Dom and Lille out of the tournament.
“You did that on purpose,” Lille told Dom as she pulled on her coat. “I’m getting a little tired of your redemption tour. I prefer my men to have a spine.”
She stormed out of the dart room and Dom turned back and saw me watching. “It was a good game,” I lied. He’d been bad and Lille worse. The more he missed, the madder Lille got and the worse her darts got.
“Lille doesn’t like my new life plan,” Dom said, but he wasn’t watching me.
He was staring over my head. I turned to see Chip staring back at him with malice in his eyes.
“And neither do a few of my former associates. Good night, Mrs. King. It was a pleasure getting to know you, and thank you for welcoming me to your home for dinner. I haven’t had a family Thanksgiving in years. ”
He walked out and Chip started talking to him as soon as he got near. Or yelling at him. The only thing was, I couldn’t hear what they were saying. Someone had just turned up the jukebox, so all I could hear was Queen as the two men left the dart room.
There was something going on and I had no idea what it was.
* * *
The next morning, I got a call from Carrie.
She and Chris had planned on meeting at the bar to pick up the toys and deliver them to the charity’s office in Bakerstown.
I was finishing off the last piece of pumpkin pie.
I’d take Emma walking when Beth showed up, so I figured I had a little bit of room in my daily calorie requirements.
Okay, maybe not, but whatever. It was the holidays.
“Hey, Carrie, are you already done? Did you take pictures for Darla? She said she’d put an article in next week’s paper.” I put more whipped cream on the pie.
“Where’s Greg? He needs to get down here now. We’re still in town, at the bar.”
“Greg?” Chills went through my body. “What happened?”
“Chip. He’s dead. Chris is freaking out.” She paused. “Can you get someone here? I’ve already called Doc.”