Drop Shot

Chapter One Cesar Romero," Myron said. Win looked at him. "You'renot serious." "I'm starting off with aneasy one." On Stadium Court the players were changing sides. Myron's client,Duane Richwood, was shellacking the number-fifteen seed IvanSomething-okov, leading 5-0 in the third set after winning the firsttwo sets 6-0, 6-2. An impressive U.S. Open debut for the unseededtwenty-one-year-old upstart from the streets (literally) of New York. " Cesar Romero," Myron repeated. "Unless you don't know." Win sighed. "The Joker." "Frank Gorshin." "The Riddler." Ninety-second commercial break. Myron and Win were keeping themselvesbusy with a scintillating game of Name the Batman Criminal. The TVBatman. The Batman starring Adam West and Burt Ward and all those Pow,Bam, Slam balloons. The real Batman. "Who played the second one?" Myron asked. "The second Riddler?" Myron nodded. From across the court Duane Richwood flashed them a cocky smile. Hesported garish aviator sunglasses with loud fluorescent green frames.The latest style from Ray*Ban. Duane was never without them. He hadbecome not only identified by the shades but defined by them.Ray*Ban was rather pleased. Myron and Win sat in one of the two players' boxes reserved forcelebrities and players' entourages. For most matches every seat inthe box was filled. When Agassi played the night before, the box hadoverflowed with his family, friends, suck-ups, young lasses,environmentally correct movie stars, hair weaves-like an Aerosmithbackstage party. But Duane had only three people in the box: agentMyron, financial consultant Win, and Duane's coach, Henry Hobman.Wanda, the love of Duane's life, got too nervous and preferred tostay home. " John Astin," Win answered. Myron nodded. "How about Shelley Winters." "Ma Parker." "Milton Berle." "Louie theLilac." "Liberace." "Chandell theGreat." "And?" Win looked puzzled. "And what?" "What other criminal did Liberace play?" "What are you talking about? Liberace only appeared in that oneepisode." Myron leaned back and smiled. "Are you sure?" In his seat next to the umpire's chair Duane happily chugged down abottle of Evian. He held the bottle so that the sponsor's name couldbe clearly seen by the television cameras. Smart kid. Knew how toplease the sponsor. Myron had recently signed Duane to a simple dealwith the natural water giant: during the U.S. Open Duane drank Evianin marked bottles. In return Evian paid him ten grand. That was waterrights. Myron was negotiating Duane's soda rights with Pepsi and hiselectrolyte rights with Gatorade. Ah, tennis. "Liberace only appeared in that one episode," Win announced . "Is that your final answer?" "Yes. Liberace only appeared in that one episode." Henry Hobman continued to study the court, scrutinizing with intenseconcentration, his line of vision swinging back and forth. Too bad noone was playing. "Henry, you want to take a guess?" Henry ignored them. Nothing new there. "Liberace only appeared in that one episode," Win repeated, hisnose in the air. Myron made a soft buzzing sound. "Sorry, that answer is incorrect.What do we have for our player, Don? Well, Myron, Windsor gets thehome version of our game plus a year's supply of Turtle Wax. Andthank you for playing our game!" Win was unmoved. "Liberace only appeared in that oneepisode." "That your new mantra?" "Until you prove otherwise." Win-full name: Windsor Horne Lockwood III-steepled hisCoben, Harlan is the author of 'Drop Shot', published 2007 under ISBN 9780385342100 and ISBN 0385342101.