Chapter 6 - THE HOUSE WITH THE LIGHTS OFFElaine Maddox lived fifteen miles from the Strip in a modest one-story house Cole had offered to replace at least six times.
She always refused.
"This is where I raised my sons," she would say.
Cole arrived at 1:17 a.m.
The house was dark.
His heart began pounding before he reached the porch.
He unlocked the door.
"Mom?"
A lamp came on.
Elaine sat in the living room wearing a robe.
"Cole?"
He exhaled.
"You scared the hell out of me."
"You came into my house at one in the morning."
"Are you okay?"
She studied him.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"Then you're a terrible liar."
Cole checked the windows.
The back door.
Garage.
Elaine followed.
"Would you stop?"
"Anybody been here?"
"No."
"Cars parked outside?"
She hesitated.
Cole turned.
"Mom."
"There was a black SUV earlier."
"How long?"
"Couple hours."
"Why didn't you call me?"
"Because you are fighting tomorrow."
He stared at her.
"That isn't an answer."
She smiled sadly.
"You sound like Ethan."
The name hurt differently now.
Cole sat at the kitchen table.
Elaine saw something in his face.
"What?"
He couldn't protect her with ignorance anymore.
"Did you know Ethan was offered money to lose his last fight?"
Her fingers tightened around the back of a chair.
That was the answer.
"You knew."
Elaine sat slowly.
"He told me afterward."
"After he agreed?"
"Yes."
Cole stared.
"Everyone knew except me."
"You were twenty-two."
"I wasn't a child."
"You were my son."
"So was Ethan."
Elaine looked down.
"He was trying to save this house."
"I would've let the bank take it."
"I know."
"Why didn't he?"
"Because Ethan believed being the oldest meant he had to fix everything."
She smiled bitterly.
"Your father taught him that without meaning to."
Cole leaned forward.
"What did Ethan find?"
Elaine's eyes lifted.
"Ray told you?"
"Part of it."
"He came here the morning of the fight."
"Ethan?"
"He gave me something."
Cole went still.
"What?"
Elaine stood.
She walked toward the hallway.
Returned carrying a small wooden jewelry box.
From inside she removed an old brass key attached to a faded red tag.
"After Ethan died, I couldn't look at anything connected to that night. Years passed."
Cole took the key.
Stamped into the metal tag were the words:
SILVER STATE BOXING CLUB — LOCKER 214.
Cole recognized the name.
The gym where Ethan had trained before it closed seven years earlier.
"Why didn't you give me this?"
Elaine's eyes filled.
"Because I already buried one son."
Cole looked away.
She reached across the table.
"Don't fight tomorrow."
That surprised him.
"Mom—"
"I know what I've always said. I know how hard you've worked. I know what the title means."
She tightened her hand around his.
"But Ethan believed he was protecting us too."
Cole said nothing.
Elaine whispered, "A belt doesn't sit at Christmas dinner."
His throat tightened.
"I can't run."
"There's a difference between running and surviving."
Cole looked at the key.
Then at his mother.
"Ethan wanted somebody to find whatever he left."
"Maybe."
"Then I'm finding it."
"And the fight?"
Cole stood.
"I'm still fighting."
Elaine closed her eyes.
Before he left she called his name.
Cole turned.
She looked at him the way mothers look at sons who are old enough to choose danger for themselves.
"Ethan said something that morning."
"What?"
"He said, 'If Cole ever gets this far, tell him winning isn't worth becoming owned.'"
Cole stared at her.
Then he left.
At 2:06 a.m., he stood with Maya and Ray outside the abandoned Silver State Boxing Club.
Locker 214 was still there.
Cole inserted the key.
Inside were old gloves.
A photograph.
A notebook.
Several envelopes.
And a list of names.
Roman Drake appeared six times.
Another name appeared four.
Cole read it twice.
May you like
Then looked at Ray.
RAY MERCER.
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