Into the Night

by Herb Scribner

  "And I just can't believe that we still haven't figured out who killed this woman. It's madness! I mean, first we find out that Annette Gardner, one the country's most famous journalists of the modern era, is there the night of the murder. And then we find out that her sister is blaming Annette. Then, an aide for Senator Simmons is accused of murder. It's just plain madness."

  Another man interjects. "Madness indeed. We need to find out who killed this woman before it's too late. I swear."

  The camera turns back to the anchor of the show. It's a woman with straight black hair and a purple blouse and blazer. Her eyes are a glassy blue that shine on screen.

  "Well, I hate to interrupt this riveting discussion but we have some breaking news coming into the desk right now and it's urgent. It seems a coalition of senators have arrived on Capitol Hill and are holding a special session of Congress. It looks like they will sign the bill that will allow the government to reopen and then ship it off to the president, who is expected to sign it. This is breaking news coming in. Let's go to our White House reporter with the details."

  A screen of red, white, and blue with the words BREAKING ALERT flash on the screen. When the pictures opens up again, White House reporter Kelhani Martin stands at the screen with her hands together.

  "Hi Vanessa. Thanks for the introduction. So we're getting some breaking news updates here from the White House and it's pretty remarkable with what's going on. Congress has agreed to sign a bill that would reopen the government as soon as three days from now. As you know, and as we have reported before, the shutdown happened after the Senate hearings and no one could decide on what regulations we needed for the tech industry and many of the companies like New Surge, Up Sync and all of that. Well, Congress seems to be motivated by the death of Kayleigh Donnowho, the woman murdered at the monument waters earlier this week. She was apparently an employee of New Surge. Congress agreed to reopen the government with the promise of drafting Kayleigh's Law, a new tech bill that would offer clear regulations about how the government can use tech companies for census and personal data. This is a huge breaking news detail. The Senate has also agreed to place their vote on the hearings now that Kayleigh has passed away. My sources tell me that the Senate will vote NOT to recommend any actions against the tech companies now that the shutdown deal is in place."

  Wow. That was a mouthful. I consider the reporter's story though. It amazes me that the government is working so quickly and that all of this chaos will be over. They're done. They've agreed on their deal and they're waiting for the president to sign it. And it puts an end to the Senate hearings. Everything that had been going on in regards to New Surge and Up Sync end in one full swoop.

  It's clear to me that this is all the work of a senator. No one else knows what I know. But based on what I know, it's clear the senator organized all of this. She killed Kayleigh. She murdered her at the monument. But that was only a piece to the puzzle. The incident caused chaos. It disrupted the order of things. But it also inspired Congress to act. And now they had. They had crafted their agreement to end the shutdown and finish putting regulation on tech companies.

  It's amazing that they've finished this so quickly. But what does it mean for all of the stuff I've learned? Well, if the government signs an agreement on tech companies, then Senator Simmons, Up Sync and New Surge will be in the clear, won't they? I haven't read the bill, but I am assuming there's something in there about grandfathering in existing deals since there are probably a slew of deals made already between tech companies and the government.

  The CNN anchor asks Martin what she might know about the president's feelings on this.

  "Yeah so the president has said multiple times that she would sign any deal that came upon her desk. She wants to end the shutdown as quick as possible, and she doesn't want this Senate hearing to go on any longer. My sources tell me that the president has been so worried about the chaos and the instability of the government and Washington that she just wants it all to end. Especially with the 2020 election on tap, the president wants a clear plate before she starts working on reelection."

  "Well, this is such an interesting scene, Kelhani. Thank you for all of your reporting. We'll come back to you when there's more to report, of course."

  "Thank you, Vanessa. And just one more thing for the viewers back home -- this is a very fluid situation and we're expecting everything to change. We've heard from inside the White House that the deal will be delivered to her desk by the end of the day. The president is expected to give a speech tomorrow morning from the Rose Garden to announce everything. Again, this is a totally fluid situation, but that's what we know as of now."

  I flip the TV off and sit there in my hotel room in silence. My mind spins with ideas about what needs to happen next and what I need to do. Well, is there anything I can do? If I could piece together my story with an official source and broadcast it to the world, maybe then the government would hold off on those tech regulations. And New Surge wouldn't be taking everyone's data from the government and vice versa. The government wouldn't have access to all of our information, our photos, our videos, our browser history. We wouldn't be withheld to them.

  My phone is laying on the couch. It buzzes as a call from Ben comes in. Of course. The last thing I need is another problem, but there's a good chance he's calling with one. I take two deep breaths to steady my nerves and then raise the phone to my lips.

  "Hey babe."

  "Annette, hey. Please be sitting."

  "I am, babe. What's up?"

  "The station called."

  "And?"

  "And they told me who paid my bail."

  "And, who was it? The senator. It was probably the senator, wasn't it?"

  "No. It was your girl. Minny Swensen. Minny paid my bail."

  Chapter 28:Minny

  Minny. Swensen.

  Minny. Freaking. Swensen.

  Of course it would be her. Of course she would be the one to pay my boyfriend's bail to get him out of jail. The ghost of my present life makes herself known yet again. I don't know what to say to Ben. I'm sitting here on the couch, my legs crossed, still waking up from my deep sleep, and I am shocked about what I just heard. Minny Swensen. Minny Swensen paid his bail.

  "Annette?"

  "Sorry, sorry, I just. Wow. I can't believe it."

  "Well, believe it. And, you're going to love this, she left a note for me to call her once I was out and safe and I was sure that I had a secure phone line."

  "Wait, really?"

  "That's what one of the officers told me. I'm still in shock about all of this."

  "Are you going to call her?"

  "I was going to give you her number."

  My heartbeats speeds up. My face flushes a beet red. For a second my legs turn to jello and I think about falling over and sleeping off the rest of the day. I can't imagine what it would be like to finally talk to Minny after everything that happened. I couldn't imagine talking to Heath, and yet I done that already.

  "I'm not sure I'm ready for that, Ben."

  "What are you talking about? You've been looking for her for this entire week. She's the missing piece. She's the key to your story and understand what happened with New Surge. I don't get why you wouldn't want to talk with her."

  He's right. He's totally right. She is the key, and she is someone I want to speak with for the article. I do need to know more about what's been going on and Minny is the only one who is going to tell me everything I need to know. She's been down this road. She's reported on this entire story before. So if anyone knows where this entire road is leading, it is her. She's what I need to connect the senator to everything.

  But I can't. I can't talk to her. I want to so badly, but I know she's going to run away if I do. She doesn't want to talk to me. She wants to chat with Ben. She gave Ben her number. She doesn't care about me and what I am reporting. If she did, she would have reached out already.

  I don't feel right about calling her up. She doesn't
want to talk to em like that.

  But that doesn't mean I can avoid the conversation forever. I need to find a way to speak with her. It will just have to be in a much different way.

  "Ben, I can't call her. She wanted you to call her, you know? She gave you her number."

  "Yeah, so? What's the difference if you call her."

  "If I call her, she might hang up and we won't have any other shot to find her again. She's good at disappearing and hiding from people. That's what she's done these last few years. I mean, I keep hearing her name but I haven't seen her yet."

  "So, what, you want me to talk to her?"

  "I have an idea actually that just came to my mind. I think maybe it would be best if you talked to her on the phone and said you wanted to meet her somewhere else, like a coffee shop or something. And then, when you're on your way, I can run into her randomly and start talking to her about everything."

  "Wow, Annette. That sounds little hypocritical. I mean, you don't want to talk to her at all, you don't want to say anything to her on the phone, but you're cool with running into her randomly and talking to her from there. Seems sketchy."

  "It's a little sketchy. If it makes you feel any better, maybe you can her can go grab coffee. And then you'll go use the restroom and I'll run into her there. That way we get best of both worlds. Maybe she'll tell you something interesting too."

  "I don't know, Annette. This seems really sketchy."

  "Ben, come on. We have to do something. I don't feel right about just talking to her over the phone when she gave you her number. And plus, think about it. She might have something she wants to tell you. We can't that opportunity go unnoticed. You have to speak with her. Bring her out for coffee. And then I can find both of you when I'm there."

  He thinks it over in the silence. I know what Ben sounds like when he's thinking. He's quiet, but almost too quiet. The longer he takes in between sentences is a sign that he is letting his gears run and he is trying to find a solution for whatever problem he's facing.

  And, best yet, when he takes an extremely long time to speak, he's weighing in favor of whatever I want. I've seen it before when we have to decide whether or not to go to Taco Bell or not.

  "Fine," he says. "I'll call her, and go out for coffee. I'll hear what she has to say. And then I'm done. I am sick of all of this attention with this stuff so I sort of want to go into hiding."

  "Babe, of course. We'll make sure that's the case."

  "Alright. I guess I'll call her now. I'll let you know where we're meeting and go from there."

  I hang up the phone and immediately spring into action. I run into my room and grab a new outfit to wear for the day. I hop in the shower and clean myself up. When I step out, I immediately feel refreshed and ready for the day. I check my phone and see Ben texted me the address of the coffee shop where he and Minny are going to meet. It's a Starbucks near the capitol.

  I wonder if he and Minny talked about anything when they were on the phone. Maybe they talked about me or New Surge or anything, really. I wonder why she gave him the bail money to get him out of jail. That's an incredibly nice thing to do, especially for someone who doesn't know whether or not Ben committed a murder. It just seems too strange that Minny would get involved this deep into the game.

  That is unless she's been watching all of us squirm around, waiting for the right opportunity to involve herself in the chaos.

  There's so much riding on all of this. There's so much riding on this meeting with Minny.

  When I'm ready to go, I slip my bag over my shoulder so that the strap lays across my front and the bag across my back. I leave the room and head out into the hallway. The smell of smoke is gone. They must have used some fresh scents to push it away and out of the hallway. The fresh smell the hotel isn't all that bad.

  As I pass by each room, I wonder about who is inside and what their lives are like. One room released the sound of children playing. Another of a couple laughing and giggling. The rooms provide a diverse cast of characters.

  I head into the elevator and take it down into the lobby. People are getting ready for the day, grabbing coffee, scones, muffins, Danishes and whatever other breakfast items are available. I walk over and snag a cup of coffee, pouring into one of the basic to-go cups that they offer at the booth.

  A woman stands by the cash register. She finishes handing off a muffin to a man who walks away from the booth and toward the street. She turns to me.

  The young millennial cashier looks over at me. "Need anything?"

  I shake my head. "Not at all. I'm just grabbing some coffee."

  "Aren't you that reporter?"

  My eyes tick over to her and then back to the coffee. Here we go again. Another person finding out that I am the famous Annette Gardner. It's definitely one of the worst parts of my day when I have a determined mind.

  Her name tag reads Mikala.

  "Yeah. Annette Gardner. Former podcaster and now I report for the Scribe."

  "Ah, that's a shame. I used to love your podcast. Mining for Murder was so great. I don't like what they did with it now. It's just not the same."

  This is the first time that someone has told me how they feel about my old podcast. I don't even remember reading many reviews. I only read the early reviews, and early reviews are almost always positive. "A new spin on an old favorite!" "Mining for Murder is back with spice!" "Mining for Murder is ready to spill the tea on everything!" I've seen so many headlines that praised it.

  But this is the first time that someone in person has told me that they miss the original version. The one I used to film before the New City murders of 2017. The one before I moved to Minnesota and gave up my rights to be on the show. The original version. The OG. The one I used to run.

  "What's so different?"

  "I dunno," Mikala begins bashfully, "it's just, and trust me, I don't want to ever tell someone how they should do things. But the new podcast feels like it has so many rules and restrictions. Like, there's barely any recordings. A few phone interviews here and there. But nothing authentic. I remember you used to talk about where you were walking and you were so in the moment, you know? Like we always knew where you were and why you were there. These new people feel like they're talking to us from a studio."

  A sly smile creeps across my lips. I can totally understand that perspective. When I was on the job, I always wanted to record information that I could use as raw footage and audio. I always liked giving my listeners the feel that they were there with me. It doesn't surprise me that someone else took over the podcast and made it feel more manufactured.

  "I totally understand," I tell her. "I've always thought that it's important to be there in the morning."

  "Yeah, I wish that you could come back and just add that influence."

  "I think my days with 'Mining for Murder' are over, unfortunately. I sort of gave up the rights after everything that happened in Minnesota."

  "Minnesota? Was that where that crazy woman tried to kill you by keeping you in her house?"

  "Something like that."

  "Well, I really hope you don't ever count out coming back."

  "Eh, there may be something new coming in the future. I have to get approval from my bosses, you know. But we'll see."

  "You just always kept things really real, you know? I just hope you'll do that again. I always loved feeling like I was there. Terrified, but also safe because you were doing the work. Sorry, that probably sounds mean. But it's the truth."

  "You bet," I say. I secure the lid on top of my coffee cup, and I extend my hand for a shake. She shakes me back. "It was so nice to meet you."

  "Nice to meet you too."

  Mikala gave me a lot to think about. As I head out the door into the early morning, I have a soft memory of the days when I would go out on my reporting and prepare for the day. I would record everything and then bring back the audio for the production later in the day.

  I have the urge, all of a sudden, to do it again. It's a
strange feeling, to feel something you only felt years ago. It's like seeing a bike and wanting to ride it after you haven't since your childhood.

  If there's any time to hop back into the mode of reporting for an audio story, now would be that time. That's what I am good at. And that's what this story deserves.

  The Scribe has rules. The Scribe has ethics and guidelines that they like to follow. But an independent podcaster with enough details that she's confident in can change everything. If I do my reporting the way I want to do it, and if I do it the way I know I can do it, just like I did all of those times in the past, maybe I can enact real change.

  I pull out my phone and open up the voice recorder app and begin to speak.

  "This is Annette Gardner. I am currently walking through Washington, D.C., and I am on my way to meet up with a friend, Ben Casselwhite. He's meeting a woman named Minny Swensen at a coffee shop. I am going to work my way into the conversation and talk with Minny about the senator and all the story details that I have. She is the key to everything, and I need to put the dots together. I'll let you know more."

  I click off the record and throw my phone back in my pocket. I smile again. That has such a good feeling, telling a fake audience that I am going to be bringing them a story. And it's just like riding that bicycle. A little confusing, a little lackluster, but I can still do it with ease.

  Luckily I know where Ben's Starbucks spot is so I walk all the way there. I cross the open park between the capitol and the rest of the city. Tourists are meandering about, snapping photos here and there, enjoying memories together. I stop for a second and gaze around me. The sun glows all around, melting the small piles of snow that have gathered in various spots around the park. It's a beautiful morning. But there's something far more nefarious happening underneath the table of it all. Dark things are happening beneath the surface.

  The walk takes me about twenty minutes. I'm working in some steps and I totally don't mind it. I've been running around this city in cars so it's nice to stretch my legs and finally have a chance to burn off some calories.