What shed die for about now was a tip for a juicy exposé on local spas. Surely she could find a way to pitch that idea. Shed happily volunteer as the guinea pig for any undercover research too. She could already hear the laughter from her team if she made such a suggestion. Her entire MO was leaving the fluff pieces and the half-baked ratings bait to the other guys.
The guys who werent winning awards the way her team did year after year.
She reminded herself that she had left Hollywood for many reasons, not the least of which was to find a place where substance mattered more than the smoke and innuendo of the next dramatic scandal.
By the time she slid into the backseat of the commuter car waiting for her at the curb, her phone had vibrated with another three alerts. Her determination to remain accessible to her team often conflicted with her goal of developing a worthwhile personal life. With a sigh, she retrieved her phone from her purse and checked the various alerts of email and two voice mail messages forwarded from the office.
In the first voice mail, she was pleasantly surprised to hear her fathers voice. Shed called him days ago hoping he had a name or some insight on getting around the army bureaucracy shed slammed up against as she tried to find confirmation on the names listed. Her dad, a legend in Hollywood, had produced and directed movies ranging from highbrow documentaries to summer blockbusters and seemed to have friends and contacts around the world in all branches of business. According to his brief message, he wasnt ready to call in a favor for her. His best advice was to work the story from the ground up.
As if she hadnt been doing that. Well, calling him had been a long shot.
The next voice message was from Parker Lawton, making yet another terse request to meet. She deleted it and shoved the phone back in her purse. Lawton was the last name on the list, and she wanted some solid facts and a better overall picture of the situation and the men involved before they had a conversation. She didnt want a possible thief skewing the perspective on the story.
It infuriated her when the subjects of budding stories learned her team was poking around. Most likely the anonymous tipster had let something slip, unable to keep from making a not-so-veiled threat or suggestion. As a producer, she had to assess the value and impact of a story before they had the facts. After several years on the job, her instincts were spot-on, and the repeated messages from Lawton confirmed her hunch that he had either something to confess or something to hide.
She and Bill had divided the list of names and created a cover story about soldiers returning to civilian life to explain their interest in the six men named by the source. Cautiously checking into Lawtons current situation had been Bills job. So why was Lawton fixating on her? Her mind stirred it around and around, refusing to let go of work, even as she paid the car service and entered her apartment building in the heart of Russian Hill.
Inside, she locked the door behind her. She kicked off her work heels and dropped her purse on the nearest chair, fishing out her phone and taking it with her to the bedroom. Using the voice commands, she called Bill while she changed clothes for the evening. Her date was taking her to some elite awards gala. Hed been dropping the names of San Franciscos wealthiest and brightest innovators all week, to make sure she didnt back out. She didnt have the heart to tell him shed already met the business rock stars on his list at one event or another.
What are you doing calling me? Youre supposed to be off the clock, Bill said in lieu of anything as mundane as hello. You told me you were going on the date.
Reporters, shed learned from day one, were a habitually nosy lot. Im dressing while we speak.
A low wolf whistle carried through the room. Now, thats an image.
She laughed. Hed seen her at her best, her average and even her worst more than once when they traveled to remote locations in search of the story. Through it all, Bill had become a hybrid of friend and mentor with a side of big brother tossed in for good measure.
You dont scare me. She laughed, knowing Bill was far more likely to be picturing her date. What kind of dirt are you finding on Parker Lawton?
Why? Bill asked, in a whisper. What did he say?
Interesting. Bill was a legend in the industry for maintaining his cool in every circumstance. Why was he nervous? Nothing. The man has left messages for me all day that dont say anything other than he wants to meet in person. His emails are the same. Shouldnt he be calling you instead of me?
Bills sigh filtered through the speaker.
His assistant was a brick wall when I reached out as myself, he said. So I tried Lawtons personal number. I left him a message as your assistant, saying we wanted to interview him for his perspective on the sudden rise of homegrown terrorism.
Her hand stilled on the hanger supporting the little black dress shed been pulling out of her closet. That wasnt the story