by Suzie Quint
Alec took the rental car to interview one of the women Bales had said was seeing Sebastian, and Cleo and Jada took Annaliese’s car to the casino for rehearsal.
He was just finishing up with the woman when his cell rang. The interview had been a waste of time, but Sebastian’s sometimes-lover had insisted on feeding him a peach cobbler that was possibly the worst thing he had ever tasted. He didn’t have to check the display since he’d already programmed Cleo’s calls to play “Hot Child in the City.” Whatever she wanted, he would use it as an excuse to escape.
“Yeah?”
“Alec. Thank God. Where are you?”
Her voice had an edge that made him sit up straighter. “I’m just finishing up an interview. Why? What’s happened?”
“I’m at the casino. They’re saying Annaliese has been charged with Sebastian’s murder.”
“What?” On some level, he’d known it was a possibility, but he hadn’t really expected it. “Who’s saying that?”
“Everyone. Jada melted down so badly they called the house doctor. He’s giving her a sedative.”
Cleo didn’t sound all that stable either. He turned off his voice recorder, pocketed it, and started mouthing apologies to the woman he’d been interviewing as he stood to leave.
The woman nodded but looked curiously at him, clearly having picked up from the change in his tone that something had happened.
He automatically started to reach for one of his cards but killed the action. This woman didn’t know anything he needed and he didn’t want to spend even one extra second on her. Instead, he waved a goodbye and walked out the door.
“Where’s your laptop?” he asked as he raced to the car. “And your voice recorder?”
“I’ve got my recorder with me, but my laptop is at the condo.” Her voice was steadier but confused. “Why?”
“Because if they have arrested Annaliese, they’ll get a search warrant for her house and her car, which means they’ll take custody of anything that might contain incriminating evidence.” He backed the car out of the parking space. “We don’t want to lose all our notes.”
He winced over how self-serving that sounded as he jammed the car into Drive, but he wasn’t just thinking of their story. For Annaliese’s sake, they needed to control the information they’d gathered. They could always share it if they decided to, but they needed to defend the reporter’s privilege that protected sources if that seemed more prudent. “The rental car should be safe, so as soon as I get to the condo, I’ll put everything in the trunk.”
“Okay,” Cleo said, but she sounded disappointed. As if she’d hoped for something more from him.
He hated hearing that tone, but this was the best he could do for them. For her. He hoped she’d see that when she had the chance to catch her breath and think it through.
The light ahead of him changed to yellow and he pressed harder on the gas. As soon as he was though the light, he told himself to slow down. The last thing he needed was to get stopped for a traffic violation.
He started thinking ahead. The prosecuting attorney was bound to have a press conference. He’d have to find out when. He also needed to update Nigel, but if he told his boss that the woman arrested for Sebastian Koblect’s murder was Cleo’s mother, even with that British reserve, Nigel would likely open a bottle of champagne.
The Inside Word was in a position to scoop every newspaper in the country. Nigel was good at playing his cards close to his vest, but this? Even a saint would be tempted to gloat. The longer he could keep this information under wraps, Alec decided, the more of an advantage it gave him.
But he had to let Nigel know about the arrest and that he and Cleo were on top of it.
If he called, Nigel would have questions. Questions Alec couldn’t refuse to answer. Answering those questions would expose Cleo, pushing her into a spotlight she didn’t want. Her emotions were raw, and he suspected she was already holding on by her fingernails.
For the first time in his career, his loyalties felt divided.
His employer—his integrity as a reporter—or protecting Cleo.
He didn’t want to make this decision.
The debate continued as he pulled into Annaliese’s complex.
When he had all their equipment and their notes safely locked in the trunk of the rental car, he leaned against the car, staring at the phone in his hand, still undecided.
Would a compromise work?
Before he had a chance to convince himself he was skating on the edge, his thumbs went to work. His text to Nigel included the bare bones that an arrest had been made. No specifics. Nigel would have to settle for Stay tuned for more details.
All Alec had to do now was ignore Nigel’s call when it came.
And give Cleo whatever support he could.
Cleo and Alec’s story concludes in Liar, Liar, Heart’s Desire.
If you enjoyed Liar, Liar, Tabloid Writer, please consider leaving a review
Liar, Liar, Tabloid Writer concludes in the forthcoming Liar, Liar, Heart’s Desire
Other books by Suzie Quint:
The McKnight romance saga
A Knight in Cowboy Boots
Knight of Hearts
All’s Fair
A Dark & Stormy Knight.
And if you like fairy tale retellings, the real story of Snow White, as told by the eighth dwarf Bitchy is also available:
Snow White & the Eighth Dwarf
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