Since Brooke was currently drawing a blank, she had to look elsewhere for story ideas. That was easier said than done. It didn’t happen very often, but Treasure Cove seemed to be in the midst of a slow news day.
For the rest of the residents in town, that was probably a nice change of pace. For reporters, it was a terrible development. Mostly because it made it harder for them to do their jobs. Luckily, Brooke always kept a stash of human interest story ideas around. Most of the time, they weren’t as fun to report on, but they did provide some much-needed content. After all, Brooke had to deliver something to her boss before the broadcast. At least she wouldn’t be grasping for straws.
***
When things remained quiet for a second day, Brooke found herself scratching her head. What was going on in this town? This wasn’t the Treasure Cove that she was accustomed to. In fact, things were far mellower than they had been in a while.
That soon changed. With just one phone call, things heated up in a hurry.
That said, the call started off on an innocuous enough note. When Brooke heard her phone ring, she instinctively reached into her purse to see who was calling. As she looked at the caller identification screen, she didn’t recognize the phone number at all. That didn’t stop her from answering. It could be someone with a hot tip. Or a lead of some sort.
Then again, it might be something else entirely.
“Hello,” Brooke said as she answered the phone.
“Is this Brooke McDillon?” a female voice asked.
“It is. Who is this?”
“This is Sabrina Carlson.”
“Wow. I didn’t expect to hear from you. What a great surprise. What can I do for you?”
“Are you still interested in interviewing me?”
“Absolutely,” Brooke said. “Did you change your mind? Are you willing to sit down and talk to me for a few minutes?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“This isn’t some kind of a trap, is it?”
“Of course not. It’s going to be an incredibly flattering segment. Like I said before, you have done some amazing things for this town. And I think people should be aware of that.”
The line fell silent for a few moments.
It actually got so quiet that Brooke wondered if the call had dropped.
“Sabrina, are you still there?” she asked.
“If I agree to an interview, there’s a couple of topics that are off limits.”
“Fair enough. Which ones?”
“My daughter, for example. I want to keep her out of this.”
That was reasonable. Sabrina had an eleven-year-old daughter. If Sabrina didn’t want her brought up, that was fine by Brooke.
“Is that all?” Brooke asked.
“I also don’t want to talk about my sister,” Sabrina said.
Brooke had a feeling that Jessica Daley would be off limits. With good reason. A number of decades ago, Jessica had disappeared one day while she was out on a run. Despite a thorough investigation, she remained missing for eleven years. For a while, it was one of the biggest mysteries in all of Treasure Cove.
Then Sabrina solved it. One day, a human skeleton was found on a construction site. After the forensics lab performed some tests, it was determined that the skeleton was Jessica Daley. From there, the search was on to find her killer. Ultimately, Sabrina solved the case. But the emotional scars that she dealt with were sizable.
Brooke knew why Sabrina wouldn’t want to dig up those memories, much less talk about them in a TV interview.
“I understand,” Brooke said.
“You do?” Sabrina asked.
“Yes. And I promise that I won’t bring up either of those topics.”
“All right.”
“All right, as in, you’ll do the interview?”
“Yes.”
“Wow. That’s fantastic. Thank you so much. You won’t regret this.”
So much for a slow news day. Suddenly, Brooke felt like she had hit the jackpot. This was one of the biggest scores of her professional life. When she got off the phone, she felt like she was walking on air.
Chapter Nine
The interview was scheduled for a few days later. When that afternoon arrived, Brooke was nearly beside herself. This was the moment that she had been waiting for. And it was finally here. The question now became, how would the interview go? She didn’t have to wait very long to find out.
At about one o’clock, a production assistant who worked at the station approached Brooke at her desk.
“Sabrina Carlson is here,” the assistant said.
Brooke got up from her chair. “All right. It’s time.”
Brooke walked over to the lobby of the TV station. That’s where she met up with Sabrina.
“Good afternoon. How are you doing?” Brooke asked.
“I’m all right,” Sabrina replied.
“Are you ready to do this?”
“As ready as I’m ever going to be.”
Brooke stared at Sabrina.
“You look nervous,” Brooke said.
“That’s because I am.”
“Why? I won’t bite.”
“Like I told you before, TV interviews aren’t really my thing.”
“You’ll do fine.”
“How can you be so sure about that?”
“You track down murderers for a living. This is just a TV interview.”
“Those two things are very different. Chasing down murderers is much scarier.”
“It’s no walk in the park, that’s for sure.”
“I can imagine. Now, let’s get you situated.”
***
It took a few minutes to get everything set up. Once everything was in place, Brooke was anxious to get started. Before the camera began rolling, Brooke leaned forward in her chair and gave Sabrina a smile.
“Thanks again for doing this,” Brooke said.
“Let’s hope I don’t regret it,” Sabrina replied.
“You won’t,” Brooke said. “Anyway, let’s get started. The camera will start rolling in about five seconds. Then I’ll start the interview. Got it?”
Sabrina nodded.
Brooke went silent for a few seconds as she waited for the cameraman to give her a cue that the camera was rolling.
When Brooke got her cue, she stared directly at the camera.
“Today I'm interviewing renowned local amateur sleuth, Sabrina Carlson,” Brooke said. She then turned toward Sabrina. “Mrs. Carlson, thank you for agreeing to this interview.”
“You’re welcome,” Sabrina replied. “Although, I don’t know if renowned is the right word to describe me.”
“I think it is.”
“I still disagree, but I’m not going to argue with you.”
“You know, I was told that you were humble, but I wasn’t quite prepared for this level of humility. You have to admit, you’re definitely a local celebrity.”
“I suppose, but we live in a pretty small town.”
“Speaking of our little town, you have quite an interesting background. For those in the audience that don’t know, Sabrina is the general manager of Daley Buzz Coffee Company.”
“I sure am. And I’m proud of it. My grandmother, Betsy, opened the place over fifty years ago and still comes in almost every day.”
“Sounds like you come from a hardworking family.”
“I certainly do.”
“That said, as hard as the other members of your family work, the reason I wanted to interview you today is because you’ve been putting in some serious overtime. Not at the coffee shop, mind you, but doing something else. Solving murders.”
“When you put it that way, it does sound pretty incredible.”
“That’s because it is. Very few people in life can say that they have ever solved a crime. But you’ve solved dozens.”
“Let me clarify. I’ve had a hand in solving a number of crimes. I haven’t done it all by myself. In fact, my hu
sband does most of the work.”
“For those in the audience that don’t know, Sabrina is married to Detective David Carlson.”
“Happily married, might I add.”
“Don’t get me wrong. The detective is very good at what he does. But staring down criminals is also his job. He’s been trained to solve cases. Your story is much different. Do you have any formal training?”
Sabrina shook her head. “No official training. But I did take some criminology classes in college.”
“I think we can both agree that college classes and in-the-field training are much different.”
“They sure are.”
“Yet there you are, working alongside your husband to crack cases,” Brooke said. “That’s remarkable.”
“It didn’t always used to be that way. In the beginning, I used to do my own separate investigating.”
“How did your husband feel about that?”
“He didn’t like it one bit.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh yeah. He was not a fan.”
“What made him come around?”
“Eventually, he realized that I could be a big help.”
“Let’s take a step back for a moment. What made you want to investigate murders in the first place?”
“Honestly, the first case that I worked on was completely unplanned.”
“Really?”
Sabrina nodded. “I ended up discovering a dead body in the alley behind my family’s coffee shop. The deceased was a friend of mine.”
“How terrible.”
“Yeah. It was an awful sight. To this day, it’s still disturbing to think about.”
“I won’t make you relive the horror then. I’m just curious. As a coffee shop manager with no formal investigative training, how did you go from discovering a dead body to chasing down a murderer?”
“A number of days went by without any arrests being made. The more time that went by, the more I started to worry that the case would go cold. I couldn’t let that happen. I knew I had to do something. I was determined to make sure that justice was served.”
“And just like that, a sleuth was born?”
“In my defense, even though I’ve never had any police training, I’ve always loved mysteries. Growing up, I read every mystery book that I could get my hands on. I also watch tons of police procedural shows on television. In addition, people have always told me that I have really great instincts. Plus, those criminology classes came in handy as well.”
“I believe you’re right. The results speak for themselves.”
“I suppose they do.”
“Speaking of investigations, I don’t know how you do it.”
“Do what? Conducting an investigation is all about following leads. It’s like solving a really elaborate puzzle.”
“The part that baffles me is how you’re able to stare down a murderer and not freak out.”
“Who says I don’t freak out?”
“You get scared then?”
“Of course, I do. Every single time. Without fail.”
“Yet you still manage to catch the killer. How do you do that? How are you able to overcome your fears?”
“By telling myself that there’s one thing more terrifying than a killer.”
“What’s that?”
“The idea of letting a murderer go free.”
“That is a chilling thought.”
“It’s the sort of thing that can keep you up at night.”
“Do you have a lot of sleepless nights?”
“More than I’d like. But in general, I sleep pretty well.”
“Good for you. I can’t say that I’ve been sleeping well lately.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. Why not?”
“It’s this crazy town that we’re living in. You never know what might happen next. Just when you think that things are finally quieting down around here, something new happens.”
“I know what you mean.”
“I’m glad I’m not the only one who feels that way. Which brings up an interesting question. Now, I’m just a reporter. I don’t solve crimes. But you do. That’s why I’d like to ask you this. What’s going on with our town lately?”
“That’s a tough one.”
“I have spent a number of nights trying to come up with an answer, but I can’t think of one.”
“Neither can I.”
Brooke’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Sabrina grimaced. “I have no clue why things have gotten so out of hand lately.”
“That’s a shame. I was really hoping that you’d have some sort of an explanation.”
“I wish I did, but I have no clue.”
“That’s not very encouraging, considering how you solve crimes for a living. I figure that if anyone would have an answer, it would be you.”
“I’m sorry to disappoint you.”
“That’s okay. Although, it does make me curious. Given how much things have changed around here, and the fact that you have a young daughter at home, have you ever considered moving?”
“No.”
“Is that so?”
“Don’t get me wrong. After a particularly tough week, my husband and I have joked about it a little, but we’ve never given it any serious consideration.”
“Why not?”
“This is where I’m from. It’s where my family lives. Where my friends are. It isn’t easy to just pick up and leave.”
“True.”
“Besides, my husband and I believe that we can make a difference by staying.”
“I agree with that. I’m happy to have you around looking out for our town. Let me tell you, the work that you both do is very much appreciated.”
“Thanks for saying that. It’s nice to know that we’re making an impact.”
“You certainly are. Anyway, I don’t want to take up too much more of your time. Before we go, I would like to say just one more thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Take care of yourself.”
“I’ll do my best.”
Chapter Ten
A few seconds later, the cameraman signaled to Brooke. That was her cue that the camera had stopped rolling. Brooke then turned to Sabrina.
“That’s it,” Brooke said. “We’re all done.”
“Really?” Sabrina replied.
“Why do you look so surprised?”
“That went by quicker than I thought it would.”
“You’d be amazed how often I hear that.”
Sabrina took a deep breath. “I’m glad it’s over with.”
“That was a pretty big sigh. The interview wasn’t that stressful, was it?”
“Honestly, it went better than I thought it would.”
“That’s nice to hear.”
“I told you it wouldn’t be so bad.”
“You did. Then again, a lot of people have told me things over the years. Not all of them have been right.”
“I hear you. Anyway, thanks again for agreeing to the interview. I really appreciate it.”
Just then, Sabrina’s phone beeped. She instinctively reached for it immediately. As she pulled her phone out of her purse, she looked at her touchscreen intensely.
A look of concern came to Brooke’s face. “Is everything okay?”
Sabrina glanced up from her phone. “I have to go.”
“Why? What’s going on? Do you have a new case to work on?” Brooke asked.
Sabrina shook her head. “No.”
“Then what is it?”
“My husband bought me a cake.”
Brooke broke into laughter.
Sabrina’s nose scrunched. “What’s so funny?”
“I thought something big had taken place.”
“Something did,” Sabrina replied. “Didn’t you hear me? There’s some cake waiting for me back at home.”
“What I meant was that I thought maybe a crime had occurred. And that you had to run out to investigate it.”
“Nope. And what a relief that is. I’ve done enough sleuthing lately.”
“The criminals in this town have definitely kept you busy.”
“Too busy. It would be nice if they gave me a permanent break.”
“Is that so?”
“Oh yeah. I’d be fine going the rest of my life without ever having to investigate another case.”
“What do you think the chances are of that happening?”
“Slim,” Sabrina replied. “Maybe even none.”
“I figured you’d say that.”
“What can I tell you? I’d rather be sitting at home eating cake.”
“I have to say, you and I get excited about different things.”
Sabrina’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute. Cake doesn’t excite you?”
“Not as much as it excites you.”
“What a shame. Maybe you just haven’t had the right cake. Have you been to Mitchell’s Bakery?”
“I have.”
“Don’t you think the desserts there are to die for?”
“That’s some interesting phrasing.”
“It sure is. But my point stands. I love Mitchell’s.”
“You’re an interesting woman, you know that?”
“I know. I’m also a hungry woman. Speaking of which, I really do need to go.”
“All right. Enjoy your cake.”
Sabrina smiled wide. “Trust me. I will.”
Chapter Eleven
A few minutes later, Sabrina left the TV station. At that point, Brooke still felt like she was walking on air. The satisfaction of a job well done always gave Brooke a serious rush.
She couldn’t wait to go over the footage of the interview. Everything seemed to go well in the moment, but from time to time, her feelings were misleading. She would reserve her final judgment until she watched what had been recorded.
Brooke didn’t sit down in front of the replay monitor alone, however. Her producer boyfriend joined her. They quietly watched the interview together. Once they had gone over all of the footage, Brooke turned to Greg.
“So, what did you think?” Brooke asked.
“Do you want me to be brutally honest?” Greg replied.
Brooke bit the corner of her lip and replied, “Wait. Did you not like it?”
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