“You have an inside track, Jenny,” Maggie said. “You must have heard rumors about players using.”
“Sure, but never anything about Jake.”
“Then who? Anyone on the Ice Cats?”
“No...” Her hesitation suggested she knew something but was loath to share it.
“You can trust us.”
“It’s not about trust. It’s...difficult.” Jenny sighed. “In the months before Adam’s death, I heard speculation that he might be juicing.”
Despite her friend’s reluctance, Maggie sensed they were on the right path. “Go on.”
“Some players always try to cut corners. Especially if they’re not really good enough. Adam didn’t have Jake’s natural skill and he often struggled to perform.”
“His stats were unusually good in the weeks before he died. He could have had some ‘extra help.’” Tracy used air quotes.
“All athletes go through fluky spells.” Maggie hated what this would do to Jake if it was true. “Were there any other signs?”
“His erratic behavior,” Jenny said slowly.
“Had he bulked up? Did he have skin problems?”
“Maybe. But if Adam was using, why don’t the investigators have his name?”
“They may have ignored him because he’s dead.”
“Perhaps he didn’t use that internet pharmacy,” Tracy suggested.
An idea occurred to Maggie. One that made horrible sense. “What if he used the pharmacy but didn’t use his own name? What if he used Jake’s information as a cover?”
“He wouldn’t do that to his closest friend.” Jenny’s words lacked conviction.
“Why? Because he was such a great bloke?” She was tired of hearing about how wonderful Adam was. “If he took steroids, he’d have been desperate to hide it, and Jake would be a perfect cover.”
The more she thought about it, the more she knew it was the answer. “If we could prove what Adam did, we could clear Jake’s name.”
“Jake’s hearing is this afternoon,” Tracy said. “There isn’t enough time to find proof.”
“Without concrete evidence, convincing anyone Adam’s guilty will be impossible.” Jenny looked apologetic.
There had to be a way. “What about Adam’s roommate, Nick? He’d know.”
“If he did, he’d have said so by now.”
“Unless he was trying to protect himself.” Maggie blew out a frustrated breath. “Can you get hold of him?”
“Give me a few minutes to make some calls.”
Her friend pulled out her phone and began dialing. Within minutes, she had Nick’s number. She put the call on speaker when he answered.
They exchanged greetings, then Jenny got to the point. “Was Adam using PEDs?”
The silence vibrated with tension.
“Jake’s career is on the line here, Nick. He doesn’t deserve to be punished for something we both know he didn’t do.”
Still, he said nothing.
Exasperated, Jenny swore. “Look, I don’t care if you were using, too. Just tell me the truth about Adam.”
Finally, Nick said quietly, “We both tried them. But when they didn’t work, I quit. I begged Adam to stop, but he kept upping the dose. Then he started stacking, using multiple steroids at once.”
“Why didn’t you tell someone? Get him help.”
“I couldn’t risk it, in case they suspected I’d taken them, too.”
Doing nothing had cost Adam his life and almost killed Jake, Maggie thought bitterly.
“Why didn’t you say anything after the accident?” Jenny’s voice was calm despite her disgusted expression.
“I thought they’d figure it out when they examined his body. When they didn’t, I let the secret be buried with him. You know, I’ve been trying to reach Jake since they raided that internet pharmacy, but he won’t return my calls.”
Nick’s whining grated on Maggie’s nerves.
“Do you have information that will help Jake?” Jenny asked.
When he didn’t reply, she spoke through gritted teeth. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll go to the NHL and you’ll be implicated.”
He swore. “Adam used a credit card in Jake’s name to buy the drugs.”
Maggie felt both relieved and sick. Jake’s friend had set him up.
“Do you have proof?” Jenny demanded.
“It’s in those boxes that Jake has.”
Both Maggie and Tracy were on their feet before Jenny had hung up.
“Do you still have the key Jake gave you?” Tracy grabbed the car keys.
“Yes, but we can’t just go into his house and open them without his permission.”