CHAPTER 28 #2
“Ms Liu, let me finish. They've said numerous times that this takeover is happening, even that it's about to happen, and those loyal to you will be sacked. I know I'm not the only one they've threatened. Ma'am, I wouldn't trust Kyle or Drew as far as I could throw them.”
“Are they working with the consortium?” I asked. “Are they part of it?”
Eddie grimaced. “I can't say with absolute certainty, but I reckon so. They've implied it often enough. If they're not working with them, they definitely feel supported by them. They're not talking or acting like people unsure of their futures.”
I needed concrete evidence!
“They're definitely tight with them.”
I dug my hands into the pockets of my blazer. “Eddie, I'm sorry for asking this, but please tell me you're not just telling me this to save your job?”
“Be careful,” David said quietly.
I had to ask.
“Ms Liu,” Eddie started, then took a step closer, “Sasha, okay? I love this club and I love my job. I'm one hundred percent telling you the truth about everything I know, and I've made my reluctance to do so absolutely clear because I fear the consequences it'll mean for my job.”
“Thank you, Eddie... Is there anything else, please, no matter how small?”
“That's everything.”
I nodded.
Eddie pointed to his camera equipment. “Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get on.”
“Of course,” I said.
“May I walk you back to your car?” David asked.
“Bro, I could use your help here,” Eddie said.
David looked at me, longingly.
“I think it'd be best if you stayed here,” I said, then saw Eddie was facing the other way and slipped my arms around David's back, hugging him. “Thank you for all your help.”
“If I find out anything more, I'll be in touch. Or, if you need anything, just ask.”
“I will,” I said, breaking the embrace.
“You promise?”
“I promise, David.”
I deliberately drove past the club's training ground on my way to my next meeting, casting a glance across in time to spy DeShaun in conversation with Kyle and Drew as the other players practised behind them.
I put my foot down and sped on.
My meeting took me out of town to the car park of a country pub.
Dex was already there, his car parked under the shade of an old tree as the sun shone down from high above.
I felt nervous as I stepped out of my Porsche in my skirt, keeping my boots firmly together to be careful to conceal my panties.
He watched me the whole way as I crossed the car park. “Hey, honey,” he said, as I shut the passenger door.
“What've you got for me?” I asked curtly, avoiding eye contact.
Dex tapped his steering wheel. “Okay, business first. Regarding Drew Heseltine, I've compiled some notes for you to look at it.” He passed me a folder. “This is a combination of online chatter, intelligence I've gathered in the local pubs and social clubs and a chat with a former employer.”
I sifted through the pages.
“I'm onto something that connects Drew and the consortium.”
There seemed to be nothing more than conjecture.
“I believe he's one of them.”
“Really?” I asked.
“My only serious doubt about that is Drew's financial position.” Dex turned over several pages until he came to Drew's bank statements.
“He's not a rich man, as you can see. However, I suspect someone may be propping him up and preparing to make him the face of a new era at the club when they take over and you leave.”
“As manager, Dex?” My eyes were off the folder and on him. “You think they'll oust Kyle?”
“I've heard talk as chairman, but manager's possible. He has the support of a real unsavoury bunch who're willing to drag Broxburgh back to the dark ages.”
“The protesters?”
“The organisers of those protests, Sasha.
They're a coordinated group. Listen to me, if you give into these people, Drew and the rest of them will undo all the work you've done to make Broxburgh an inclusive club.
There'll be no more focus on girls in the youth team, plans for a professional women's team and you can kiss goodbye to the idea you had for an exclusively trans team.”
“You know this for a fact?”
Dex turned back a number of pages and pointed.
“There's plenty of reading about it there.
That isn't online speculation. That's Drew's words spoken to organisers of the protests in the pub last night.
See what he said, No more of this woke nonsense, we're taking back our club, whether Sasha wants to sell it to us or not and so on.”
“I didn't realise he was such a big drinker.”
“He isn't,” Dex said. “I haven't observed him touching a drop. Soft drinks only. Seems to like to keep a cool head. But he's made guarantees to the protesters about the consortium's plans.”
“Such as?”
“The consortium's vision aligns with the protesters.”
“Do you think there's anything else?”
“Och, Sasha, with the luxury of time, I'm sure I could find out all sorts of secrets about him and the members of the consortium, but they're a shadowy group. It may be the consortium's alliance with the protesters is short-term, only using them to drive you out of Broxburgh.”
“I'll never leave the town.”