Basketball

1:53-2:18 562 words

By the time Don and Robin left the building, the sun was just beginning to rise. It was hard to believe that a mere seven hours ago, they had watched a hitman die for the one murder he hadn't committed. The governor's phone call that was just a minute too late complicated matters, and Don and Robin had spent the past seven hours being debriefed about their roles in the situation.

Finally, the powers that be were satisfied, and the two walked, arm in arm to Don's car. "Charlie's house is closest. Why don't we crash there?" Don asked.

Robin nodded numbly. "Sounds good to me. You going to be able to stay awake to drive there?"

"Yeah," Don murmured as he unlocked the car. "With all the coffee I drank in there, I think my blood is half caffeine right now."

Don had exaggerated, of course. He had a hard time keeping his eyes open until he turned the corner and saw Charlie's house. "Robin," he said, nudging the dozing prosecutor. "Am I dreaming?"

The house was strewn with maroon and white streamers, and Charlie's formerly blue Prius had been transformed by a sloppy coat of what Don hoped was water soluble maroon paint. Robin muttered a curse and said, "I hope we're both dreaming. Has Charlie committed some bizarre scientific experiment?"

Don slapped his forehead. "The game. He and Dad and Larry were coaching the Cal Sci basketball team for the first time last night. Cal Sci has lost something like two hundred games in a row."

"They must have been trying to generate team spirit."

"That has to be it. It couldn't be a victory celebration with those three coaching."

Robin snorted as Don parked behind the maroon Prius. "As tired as I am, I need to solve this mystery before I crash."

Don tried the front door. Unlocked. He glanced at Robin as he pushed the door open. "Dad must be up. Chuck is definitely not a morning person."

Instead of the morning quiet he had expected, Don heard excited chatter coming from the living room. "Charlie?" He glanced dramatically at his watch. "You're awake at this hour? What's up?"

Charlie stood. He wore a white shirt, maroon tie, and gray dress slacks, but they were topped by a Cal Sci jersey that almost reached his knees. "Don! Robin! Hey, come on in! We're watching the video of last night's game."

"How bad was it, Buddy?" Don asked sympathetically.

"Bad? No, man, it was great! We won! Come on in!" Charlie led the way to the living room, where Alan dozed in his chair, and Larry was trying to pause the video. "You gotta see this."

Don and Robin let Charlie drag them into the living room. As Don watched the video, he shook his head. "Ringers? You brought in ringers? You know the game won't count."

"Of course it'll count," Charlie said. "Larry just added two teaching assistants."

"But they're Lakers. They're pros."

"I don't know how he did it. Who he bribed. Whatever. It doesn't matter. We won! The curse is broken! I'm thinking next year we'll be in the NCAAs."

"Charlie, Cal Sci is not a Division 1 school. They can't be in the tournament. The only March Madness you're going to see will be Millie's reaction when she finds out what you guys did."