I Burned The Hockey Star Down novel · Chapter 11 of 32

Chapter 11: Knee

He came at ten, right on time.

The rink was dark except for the work lights over the ice and the red glow of the exit signs.

Peg had gone home to bed.

The compressor groaned under the floor, steady and old.

Beau came in through the loading dock with his skates over his shoulder.

"You said rink," he said. "I figured I'd better bring these."

"You don't have to skate."

"I think better on the ice." He sat on the bench and started lacing up. "And from the look on your face, I'm going to need to think."

I had the recorder in my hand.

The little silver one, back out of the bread box.

My fingers had left sweaty prints all over it.

"Beau, before I play it, I need you to know I didn't know. I recorded it last July and I never listened to it. I swear."

He stopped lacing.

"It's Dane," he said.

"It's Dane."

"On one of the book tapes."

"He was drunk. He came here after some golf thing. He fell asleep on the couch in Peg's office." My voice was shaking. "I found it the night of the Cup. After you drove me home."

He looked at me for a long moment.

"That was almost a month ago."

"I know."

"You've been carrying this for a month."

"I didn't know how to give it to you."

He nodded slowly.

He finished lacing his skates, tied them off, and stood up.

"Okay," he said. "Play it."

He stepped onto the ice.

He didn't skate anywhere. He just stood at the edge in the work light, a big dark shape in a gray hoodie, with his hands at his sides.

I held the recorder out over the boards and pressed play.

I'd cued it to the right minute.

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