Read Break Point for Free Online Page A
Authors: Danielle LaBue
beautiful, isn’t she?” A tall tan man with grey hair and a white, Nike sweat suit came up behind him.
“She sure is,” Jake agreed. “She’s amazing to watch.”
“Yup, I heard she showed up this morning looking for a Steve, her hitting partner. I had to see with my own eyes.”
“She wasn’t expected back so soon, huh?”
“She wasn’t expected back at all. The doctors said she’d be lucky if she could have even fifty percent of her range of motion. Shame too. She has a two-handed backhand that would make you cry.”
“I believe it,” Jake mumbled, his eyes transfixed on the court. For as much as he was impressed by her beauty, he was completely stunned by her athleticism. Watching her was a sport in itself. The way she would sail through the air with the grace of a dancer then pound the ball with the force of a lumberjack. A forehand return exploded off Summer’s racquet and skidded dead on Steve’s base line. She gave a fist pump, then strutted to the back court pick ing at her strings as she went.
“A lot of people thought she’d give it up.” The man paused, his attention on the court when she nailed a deadly swing volley. “But they don’t know Summer.”
Jake nodded, watching as she pranced back to the base line, jealous of the ball she pulled out from under her skirt. “You seem to know her pretty well.”
“Are you kidding? I practically raised her. She’s been here at the school since her deadbeat father dropped her on my doorstep.”
Jake turned suddenly realizing who he was talking to. “Wait a minute, you must be Anston Vitalie. You own this place.”
“That’s me.”
In Jake’s research, Vitalie’s name had popped up once or twice. From what he understood he was the owner of the Vitalie School and the head coach for the kids who attended. Jake extended his hand to him to shake. “I’m Jake Harrison. I’m a friend of Summer’s.”
“Well, a friend of Summer’s is a friend of mine.” He accepted Jake’s gestures then turned his attention back to the court. “I’m glad she has some friends to support her. She could use all the help she can get, especially with that maniac on the loose.”
“Yeah, well, actually that’s why I’m here. I am a private investigator. I’m sort of overseeing the investigation.”
“Really?” he smirked. “I hope you can light a fire under law enforcement better than Geoffrey Martin can.”
Jake cocked his head, mentally noting the angry tone in his voice. “I take it you’re not a fan of his.”
Anston let out a breath. “Let’s just say I don’t trust him. He’s an operator. He doesn’t care about anybody but his own damn self.”
“How do you know?” Jake asked.
“He and I used to be partners. We opened the Vitale Tennis School fourteen years ago. It has my name because I put up most of the money. Anyway, we both loved the sport and we liked coaching and it just sort of happened.”
“And now it is a huge success.”
“That’s right.” He smiled. “Out of the top twenty men and women tennis players in the world, about half attended here. Most have big time endorsements now.”
“That means a lot of money for you.”
“I’m a coach not a manager. Geoffrey was the one who was into the business end of it. I just wanted to play the game, but Geoffrey had his own agenda. He would hone in on promising players and shop them around like prize cattle. That’s what he did with Summer. Now he’s trying to do the same with Nila Norcova”
“Wait a minute, why is Nila hanging out with Geoffrey if she is still affiliated with you?”
“I don’t own these girls.” Vitalie replied. “They can do what they want. That’s why I haven’t said anything to Summer about her engagement to him.
“Y ou think it’s a bad idea, huh?”
He shook his head. “Why do you suppose a girl like that would be with a guy like him? You know how many good decent men out there would kill to be with her?”
Jake sucked in a
“She sure is,” Jake agreed. “She’s amazing to watch.”
“Yup, I heard she showed up this morning looking for a Steve, her hitting partner. I had to see with my own eyes.”
“She wasn’t expected back so soon, huh?”
“She wasn’t expected back at all. The doctors said she’d be lucky if she could have even fifty percent of her range of motion. Shame too. She has a two-handed backhand that would make you cry.”
“I believe it,” Jake mumbled, his eyes transfixed on the court. For as much as he was impressed by her beauty, he was completely stunned by her athleticism. Watching her was a sport in itself. The way she would sail through the air with the grace of a dancer then pound the ball with the force of a lumberjack. A forehand return exploded off Summer’s racquet and skidded dead on Steve’s base line. She gave a fist pump, then strutted to the back court pick ing at her strings as she went.
“A lot of people thought she’d give it up.” The man paused, his attention on the court when she nailed a deadly swing volley. “But they don’t know Summer.”
Jake nodded, watching as she pranced back to the base line, jealous of the ball she pulled out from under her skirt. “You seem to know her pretty well.”
“Are you kidding? I practically raised her. She’s been here at the school since her deadbeat father dropped her on my doorstep.”
Jake turned suddenly realizing who he was talking to. “Wait a minute, you must be Anston Vitalie. You own this place.”
“That’s me.”
In Jake’s research, Vitalie’s name had popped up once or twice. From what he understood he was the owner of the Vitalie School and the head coach for the kids who attended. Jake extended his hand to him to shake. “I’m Jake Harrison. I’m a friend of Summer’s.”
“Well, a friend of Summer’s is a friend of mine.” He accepted Jake’s gestures then turned his attention back to the court. “I’m glad she has some friends to support her. She could use all the help she can get, especially with that maniac on the loose.”
“Yeah, well, actually that’s why I’m here. I am a private investigator. I’m sort of overseeing the investigation.”
“Really?” he smirked. “I hope you can light a fire under law enforcement better than Geoffrey Martin can.”
Jake cocked his head, mentally noting the angry tone in his voice. “I take it you’re not a fan of his.”
Anston let out a breath. “Let’s just say I don’t trust him. He’s an operator. He doesn’t care about anybody but his own damn self.”
“How do you know?” Jake asked.
“He and I used to be partners. We opened the Vitale Tennis School fourteen years ago. It has my name because I put up most of the money. Anyway, we both loved the sport and we liked coaching and it just sort of happened.”
“And now it is a huge success.”
“That’s right.” He smiled. “Out of the top twenty men and women tennis players in the world, about half attended here. Most have big time endorsements now.”
“That means a lot of money for you.”
“I’m a coach not a manager. Geoffrey was the one who was into the business end of it. I just wanted to play the game, but Geoffrey had his own agenda. He would hone in on promising players and shop them around like prize cattle. That’s what he did with Summer. Now he’s trying to do the same with Nila Norcova”
“Wait a minute, why is Nila hanging out with Geoffrey if she is still affiliated with you?”
“I don’t own these girls.” Vitalie replied. “They can do what they want. That’s why I haven’t said anything to Summer about her engagement to him.
“Y ou think it’s a bad idea, huh?”
He shook his head. “Why do you suppose a girl like that would be with a guy like him? You know how many good decent men out there would kill to be with her?”
Jake sucked in a