Page 92 of Blade

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Excerpt from Testimony of Bobby Stark

Ada Olson: When Indy was expelled from The Palace by Dawn Sumner, did she try to contact you?

Bobby Stark: Of course—we were in touch every day, from the moment she left. She told me the things that happened there—to her and the other girls. When she got kicked out, she begged me to coach her again. She didn’t even care about the Olympic cycle being lost—she said being able to come home was a silver lining.

Ada Olson: But you didn’t train her again, did you?

Bobby Stark: No.

Ada Olson: Why was that?

Bobby Stark: When Patrice found out Indy and I had been talking, conspiring to get her home, she accused me of being inappropriate with her. And then she reported me to Safe Sport.

Ada Olson: That’s the organization that protects child athletes from abuse?

Bobby Stark: Yes. She told them I was grooming her.

Ada Olson: For sex?

Bobby Stark: Yes. It was a disgusting lie. Indy was like a daughter to me. I hired a lawyer. I had to tell them about Patrice wanting to have an affair. I had to show them proof—I had her text messages. Still, it was my word against hers.

Ada Olson: And during that time, did you have any contact with Indy?

Bobby Stark: Yes. I had to tell her the truth—why I couldn’t train her. Why I couldn’t even speak to her anymore.

Ada Olson: You told her about her mother’s sexual advances—and how she made false accusations about you to the USFS?

Bobby Stark: Yes. I wanted her to understand—it had nothing to do with her.

Ada Olson: But you still cut her off.

Bobby Stark: Well, yes. I couldn’t risk losing my career.

Ada Olson: Did you tell her to her face? Did you see her one last time?

Bobby Stark: No—like I said—I couldn’t risk it.

Ada Olson: So you told her over the phone. How did she take it?

Bobby Stark: She was upset—and angry. Enraged, actually.

Ada Olson: And then . . .

Bobby Stark: I think we all know the ending.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Ana

Before—Two Years at The Palace

In the aftermath, in the weeks after her mother died, what Ana needed more than anything was comfort. She took what she could from her lessons with Dawn and her nights with Emile.

She worked on the triples, fighting to get the height, tofight the fearand go faster, be stronger. She let Dawn pull her into her coat and whispergood girlwhen she finally landed the triple flip clean four weeks before Nationals.

“See! That’s the way,” Dawn told her. “There’s no hesitation now—the fear is gone.”