Chapter 20

XXXXXXX

"Jeremy Owen is a regular here. We give him a free membership because of his 'star' factor." Cedric was Downtown Definition's daytime manager. He was a large, muscular over-tanned man with a shaved head.

"'Star factor'?" Viv asked.

"Yeah, because of his former football status and guest hosting on ESPN he his highly recognizable by men, which is a bulk of our clientele; having Jeremy come here to work out helps our reputation." Cedric commented as he placed clean towels on the counter as Viv and Jack followed him around the gym as he did his chores.

"I don't see any boxing rings or punching bags." Jack commented as he looked around.

"We aren't a boxing gym, we don't have those." Cedric casually replied as he wiped down a counter.

"Mr. Owen said that he hurt his hand here boxing. Do you have any idea why he would say that?" Viv asked.

"Boxing? No, although, he did get into an altercation with another member last week. It was the day he brought his son in with him."

XXXX

Cedric was in the locker room picking up wet towels from the floor. He saw Jeremy sitting on the bench getting changed while Owen senior was at the other end of the locker room getting clean towels. Nate Cooley, another member walked up to Jeremy and said, "Hey Mark. I didn't know you came to this gym."

Jeremy looked really nervous and said, "I'm sorry you must have me confused with someone else."

"Mark, c'mon…it's me, Nate." Nate looked at him in disbelief.

Owen senior overheard the comment and walked up to stand between Nate and Jeremy. "His name's not Mark. You have him confused with someone else."

Nate quickly stepped back and said, "Oh, my mistake. Sorry."

He was going to walk away when Owen Sr. snidely said, "That's right; take your faggot recruiting someplace else."

Nate turned back to face Owen Sr. "Look, I said I was sorry. There's no need to be hostile."

"I'm just trying to protect my son from you homos. Stay away."

Nate clenched his jaw trying to argue back but he looked at Jeremy's cowering figure behind Owen Sr. and simply started to walk away when Owen Sr. shoved him and said, "That's right, run your little fag ass away."

Nate responded by stopping where he stood and saying, "Don't touch me."

"Dad, stop it." Jeremy pleaded but Owen Sr. just gave him a hard look and Jeremy was quiet.

"What are you going to do about it gay boy?"

Nate started walking away again when Owen Sr. made to grab him from behind but Nate's reflexes were too fast and he grabbed Owen Sr.'s arm and punched one of his hands into a locker before subduing him by holding his arms in a locked position.

Owen Sr. tried to force his way out of the hold but Nate's arms weren't budging as he said, "Calm down."

Owen Sr. puffed for air for a few beats but said, "Okay, let me go."

Nate took a minute but released his hold on Owen Sr. and stepped back.

XXXX

"And that was it. Nate went back into the gym and Jeremy took his son and left."

"Can we have Nate's address?" Jack asked.

"Actually he's just over there if you want to talk to him." Cedric pointed to a man running on a treadmill.

They walked over to him as Viv made the introductions, "Hello, we're agents Vivian Johnson and Jack Malone. We'd like to ask you a few questions about Jeremy Owen and his son, Jeremy Owen II."

Nate pressed the buttons on the panel and the treadmill slowed to a stop. "Yeah, I heard Jeremy was missing. How can I help you?" He stepped off the treadmill and wiped his forehead with a towel.

"I understand that you and Jeremy Owen Sr. had an altercation a week or so ago."

"Yeah, it was just a misunderstanding. I thought his son was someone else. We got it straightened out." Nate smoothly replied.

"According to a witness, you called him Mark. Who's Mark?" Jack asked.

Not meeting their eyes Nate replied, "He's an acquaintance."

Jack asked in a voice tinged with annoyance, "Does this 'acquaintance' have a last name?"

"Why? Like I said, it was a misunderstanding. He wasn't Mark." Nate replied, somewhat defensively.

"I'm just curious as to what this Mark person looks like that you would confuse him with Jeremy." Jack pressed, staring intently at Nate.

Nate looked back and forth between Jack and Viv before answering, "I don't know what Mark's last name is. I'd only met him once."

"He must have made quite an impression." Viv remarked.

Nate didn't respond but so Jack spoke up. "Let me tell you what I think: I think you know Jeremy as Mark. When his dad showed up you tried to cover up for him but things got a little heated. All I want to know is how you know Jeremy as Mark."

Nate looked Jack over carefully before responding, "I met him at a bar."

"Does this bar have a name?" Jack asked.

Nate bit his lip before replying, "Rick's Tiki Lounge."