He took another look at his watch.
“If you have somewhere to go, don’t worry. You can trust me,” I promised. “And maybe when this settles down, you can talk to my news director about the way we cover this part of town.”
The reverend thought about it. “We’re having a memorial service for Val the day after tomorrow. I don’t want your cameras there exploiting the situation.”
I shook my head. “I have no control over that.”
He silently shifted his weight from one leg to the other.
“I keep my promises.” I fished in one of my overstuffed pockets and pulled out a creased business card with the KJAY logo. “Here’s how you can reach me if you’re unhappy with my work.”
He took the card, examined it, and looked at the door. “I guess I don’t have much choice. You’re right about Rachel and Gideon.”
Reverend Phillips left and I returned to the back room. Rachel once again cried her loud, lusty sobs onto Gideon’s shoulder. The room felt much larger with only the four of us, and Diana looked very alone without her friends.
“Reverend Phillips said you’d changed your mind about going on TV,” I said to Diana. “I completely understand.”
She tried to smile at me, but it came out as a quick lifting of her head that turned into a nod.
I turned to the young woman sloppily patting her eyes with Kleenex. “Miss, are you Rachel?”
She peeked coyly from behind the tissue. “Yes.”
“Rachel, would you like to talk about Val?”
Her face lit up. “Oh, yes. I want to be interviewed. I’ll never get over it.” As if trying to prove it, she completely broke down and buried her head in her hands.
Gideon took her into an embrace. “It’s okay. I’m here.” He made sure to turn his head outward so I could see his grief-stricken face.
I crossed to my camera and changed the setup from Diana to Rachel.
“You’re going to interview me too, right?” Gideon asked. “Val was like a brother to me. We grew up together as kids. Then my mom got her act together and I went back home, but even then we were only ten minutes away.”
Not to be outdone by the victim’s almost brother, Rachel bravely wiped tears from her face. “We were engaged.”
Her announcement had a dramatic effect on the two other people in the room. Diana’s head jerked up and she made a loud gasp.
Gideon forgot to look sympathetic. “You were not.”
At this exact moment the doorbell rang, again.
“I don’t believe this.” I dropped the mic I was about to clip on Rachel’s shirt. “I’ll get it. It’s probably one of our reporters.”
As I walked down the hallway, I heard Rachel’s angry voice behind me. “How do you know what went on between us? Maybe we didn’t want anybody to know about it.”
I expected Rod, but took a quick peek out the window in case Belly and Skinny had tracked me down. What I saw made me angry, not frightened.
I jerked the door open. “What are you doing here?”
David looked up from his cell phone, where he appeared to be reading a text message. “Good to see you too.” He slipped the device into a pocket and picked up his camera.
“This is my shoot.” I physically blocked the doorway. “Callum and I have a deal that doesn’t involve you.”
He pushed past me into the entryway. “Not anymore.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’m here to shoot Rod’s interview with the family. I agreed to work a double shift so we’ll have coverage without you this afternoon.”
“Nice try, but this is my assignment.”
His confidence didn’t falter. “No, it’s not. Callum’s orders are for you to return to the station and turn in your gear. You’re back on suspension.”
“I don’t know how you managed this, but you’re not stealing my interview.”
“Talk to Trent. He’s the one who suspended you, not me.”
“Is everything okay?” Gideon leaned out the doorway at the end of the hall. Rachel’s sobs could be heard through the open door. “We heard yelling.”
I turned around. “I’m sorry. Everything’s fine.”
“You’re not leaving, are you?”
“Don’t worry. I’ll be right back. Why don’t you check on Rachel? She sounds upset.”
Gideon cast a dirty look toward the interior of the back room. “Okay.” He disappeared and closed the door behind him.
I glanced onto the empty porch. “Where’s Rod?”
“In the van. Said he had to fix his hair.”
I took a moment to run over my options. It didn’t take long because there weren’t many. “I need a favor.”
This unexpected request actually cracked David’s aura of calm assurance more than my earlier anger. “What kind of favor?”
“I need you to walk away and leave me to shoot this.” He laughed and I continued, “And I need you to take Rod with you so I can shoot it fast.”
David laughed again. “You want me to give up a huge story and hand it over to a shooter on suspension for incompetence?”
That last word stung. It took all my willpower to speak calmly. “Yes. That’s what I want.” He opened his mouth, but I cut him off. “Go away, take Rod with you, and I’ll do one of your on-call nights.”
He hesitated for a moment, then licked his lips. “Eight nights, maybe.”
“Are you crazy? That’s two months’ worth.”
“You’re the one asking for the favor, not me.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to block the urge to kill him. “Two nights.”
“Deal.” He picked up his gear and stepped onto the porch. “At least this way you know I won’t tell Trent to fire you.” He laughed. “Well, not for a two weeks, anyway.”
I reached for the door. “You shouldn’t have caved. I would have done it for eight.”
Rod came up the steps at that exact moment. He saw me and smiled. “Hi, Lilly.”
“Bye, Rod.” I closed the door on both of them.
I didn’t know how David would explain to Rod, and I didn’t care. I quickly returned to the room at the back of the house and finished setting up the camera. I’d asked Rachel a few questions and patiently waited through the long and overwrought answers when the doorbell rang again.
I pulled my eye away from the viewfinder and slammed my fingers onto the stop button. “I don’t believe this.” I looked at Gideon. “Can you answer that?” Gideon looked disinclined to rouse himself so I added, “I’m on a deadline and if I’m interrupted, I won’t have time to interview you.”
He leapt off the couch. “I’m on it.” He disappeared down the hallway.
I hit the record button again. “Please begin that last answer again.”
Rachel had gotten several sentences in when I heard footsteps behind me. I looked up just in time to see a man in a dark suit place his hand in front of the camera.
“Don’t tell her anything,” he instructed the room.
I stood. “Excuse me?”
“Immediately cease this interview and leave the premises,” he ordered me. “This is private property and you have no right to be here.”
Behind him a second and a third man, also wearing dark suits and carrying leather briefcases, poured through the open door with Gideon.
“They said they needed to talk to us,” Gideon explained. “They said it’s about our inheritance.”
“You must be Mrs. Boyle.” The first man approached Diana, who was now standing and looking annoyed. “Please allow me to apologize for the way we barged in. We saw the news van outside and realized the situation was urgent.”
“I’m waiting for you to introduce yourself,” Diana told him.
“Once again, my apologies.” He withdrew a silver case from his inside coat pocket and offered her a business card. “My firm represents your son’s employers, and I’ve come to make arrangements for the sizable death benefit your family is due to receive.”
“It was something he did through the winery. He wanted to make certain you’d all be taken care of if he wasn’t able to be here for you.”
She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Slowly she lowered herself back onto the couch. When she did finally speak, the words were choked. “He …he did that?”
“Yes, Mrs. Boyle. He must have loved you very much.”
She began quietly crying.
“There is, however, a clause in the company’s insurance program that prohibits communication with the media.” He turned to Rachel and Gideon. “It will take some time to sort out who is eligible for what amounts, but giving this journalist an interview will jeopardize your settlements.”
Gideon looked at me and pointed to the door. “Get out.”
“I appreciate your coming,” Diana said, her voice still full of emotion. “But it’s probably best if you go now.”
I was beat. No way round it. I packed up my gear while the lawyers produced reams of paperwork for Diana to sign. When I was ready to go, several of them escorted me to the door and locked it behind me.
The once deserted street now boasted a horde of luxury cars. BMWs were parked in front and back of my van, and across the street I recognized a Mercedes, a Lexus, and a brand-new Jaguar. I didn’t see Skinny and Belly’s car, but just to be safe I made sure the Mace was still in my pocket.
I loaded my gear in the back of the van and paused. No options were left. I’d have to tell Callum everything and hope he wasn’t the one who’d sold me out to Skinny and Belly.
I heard a car door open across the street and turned to look. The driver’s-side door of the Jaguar was slightly ajar.
“Lilly?” a voice tentatively called.
“Who’s there?”
A hand appeared and gestured for me to come.
I cautiously approached. “I said, who’s there?”
The door widened and Tom Sinclair’s head appeared, without the cowboy hat. “It’s me, Tom. Come closer.”
I walked to the car. “What are you doing here?”
“Get in. We can talk in private.”
I stood my ground in the street. “There is absolutely no chance I’m getting in that car with you.”
He sulked, but got out of the car and joined me.
“What are you doing here?” I repeated.
“I’m acting in a supervisory capacity, even though I thought it prudent to stay outside.”
I followed his gaze to the house. “Why are you supervising lawyers from a winery in Arvin?”
His hand went to his wedding ring and began twisting back and forth. “Um, we’re …we thought …you see …”
In the time he took to hem and haw I figured it out. “This morning, at the ballpark, Bob told me you’re related to Leland Warner.”
“He’s my father-in-law,” Sinclair admitted. “But I’ve earned my position in the company. Leland depends on me.”
“Warner owns the winery, doesn’t he? Dewey Ridge, or whatever it’s called.”
He nodded. “I was director of production there. I made a lot of improvements to our operations, but Leland needed my help with the Drillers so I transferred.”
“And Val Boyle was your assistant.”
He nodded. “I mentored him. I wanted him to transfer with me to the Drillers, but things …circumstances—”
I cut him off. “What happened last night at the orchard?”
His wedding ring made a clinking sound as it hit the pavement. He snatched it back. “Don’t pretend with me. I know all about your plan to blackmail us.”
“Blackmail you?” I cried.
He replaced the ring and checked the empty street for witnesses before speaking. “You should take the money that’s being offered.” He stepped forward and made a lame attempt at intimidation. “Things could get very difficult for you otherwise.”
I paused to calculate all the implications of his statement. Then I got very angry, very fast. “Did you send those cops to my house? Did you tell them to beat me up?”
He jumped back. “No. Of course not.”
I noted his lack of surprise. “But you know about it?”
“You asked me those questions this morning, like you knew I was involved, so I called Leland. That’s when I first learned about the tape.”
I advanced on him and he stumbled backward. “There is no tape. The tape was black. Do you know what those goons said they’d do to me? Do you honestly think I’d hold out after that?”
He shook his head as if he didn’t believe me. “It’s much smarter to deal with us than to try and sell to someone else.”
“I can’t sell what doesn’t exist.”
Tires screeched on asphalt. An SUV barreled down the street followed by an old Buick. We each instinctively stepped toward our own vehicles to clear the road. When the vehicles showed no sign of slowing, I further retreated to the space between the rear of my van and the BMW.
At the last moment, the two cars stopped. Eight young African-American men got out. They weren’t all dressed alike. Some wore sports jerseys. One wore a T-shirt. But dark blue was present in all their clothing. It announced their unity as clearly as a uniform.
One emerged as the leader and advanced on Sinclair. He carried anger and violence in every step. “You don’t ignore me, Tommy Boy. You don’t ever ignore me.” Compared to this man, Skinny and Belly were mild annoyances.
Thankfully, no one appeared aware of my presence and I was very happy to stay back.
Sinclair tried to sound friendly and upbeat. “I tried calling your cell, Jason. All morning. I would never ignore you. Your network must be down.”
“Funny.” Jason gestured to one of the men behind him. “The man I had watching Val’s place didn’t have any trouble calling and telling me you were stupid enough to come here.”
Sinclair put his hands up in the air. “Let’s remember we’re all friends.”
“Where’s my money?”
Sinclair dropped his fake smile. “I never had it. I swear. Whoever killed Val stole it.”
Jason shook his head. “Not my problem. I jacked the Sonoran Fancy and put it on a clean truck. You owe me sixty percent of the take, plus interest, and since my truck is now sitting in the police impound lot, you’re going to pay for that too.”
“But it wasn’t my fault.”
“Not my problem. You made a tidy sum from the first two jobs by sitting back on that useless butt of yours. You can afford to pay extra.”
“No, I can’t. Not for six months. I sent that money overseas to launder it.”
Jason smiled. “Then you better call on your old man.”
“He wouldn’t give me the money. He hates me.”
“That I believe.” Jason laughed and his men followed his lead.
When the laughter died, Sinclair made another attempt at reasoning with Jason. “You need to find out who killed Val. I know he made the delivery and was bringing the money back. Find out who killed him and you’ll find the money.” Jason’s silence encouraged Sinclair. “And I’ll give up my share. You can have it all.”
Jason’s slender smile faded. “Tommy Boy, do I look stupid? Is that what I look like? You think I’m just some dumb, tacked-up, little boy?” Jason turned to his remaining men. “Put him in the car.”
“Don’t you dare.” Sinclair gestured toward the house. “I’m not alone. I have men inside. They’ll come out any minute looking for me.”
“And when they do, you’ll be gone,” Jason replied.
Like a rat on a drowning ship, Sinclair jumped back and pointed to where I was hiding at the rear of the van. “She’s the one you want. She’s a blackmailer.”
They all turned.
“What? No,” I cried.
“She says if we don’t pay her, she’ll put us on the news,” Sinclair yelled. “She’s probably recording right now.”
“Y
ou’re going to blackmail me?” Jason started toward me and his men followed.
That’s when Sinclair saw his chance and darted for the Jaguar. They tried to stop him, but he got the power locks on too fast. I watched in horror as the car roared to life and went from zero to sixty in less than ten seconds.
Jason barely contained his rage. “Get her in the car.”
EIGHT
I started to run, but Jason grabbed me. He pushed me against the side of the van and held my throat. Belly had done the same, but not like this. My hands clawed at what seemed like a vise squeezing the air from my body.
“Nobody causes me trouble.” He didn’t notice when my hands lowered. “Especially not a little girl like you.”
My hand connected with the cool metal cylinder in my pocket just as he pulled away to yell at his gang. “Who wants to drive a news van?”
They laughed and Jason turned back to me.
The Mace hit him dead in the face. He doubled over, wheezing and crying out.
I jumped in the van and hit the power locks. His men surrounded me. They shouted threats and beat on the windows. For some reason I put my seat belt on before jamming the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life as a tire iron smashed into the driver’s-side window. Small fragments of glass flew across the van. Most of the window remained in place, although now fractured and milky.
I floored it away from the curb. The Buick shot into my path and I slammed on the brakes. I heard an engine start and turned to see the SUV. I knew I had seconds before it moved to cut off the street behind me. I put the van in reverse and hit the gas.
They did the same. Metal hit metal, glass shattered, and everything spun.
Then, all at once, I wasn’t moving anymore. I vaguely remember more obscenities coming from angry voices. The vehicle was a mess, but it had got around the Buick and the street ahead was clear. I put the van in drive and took off. I didn’t look back. The rear window was cracked, so I wouldn’t have been able to anyway.
I found the cell phone in my coat pocket. I tried to enter the familiar numbers and realized I was shaking. The alignment had lost its mind so as soon I heard a ring, I rested the cell against my shoulder and used both hands to steer.
Callum picked up on the seventh ring. “KJAY, we’re on your side.”
A Bad Day’s Work Page 9