it, Mike. Tough as an acorn this one. And you know how talented I am at cracking nuts.”
“Well as far as you’re concerned, the show is over.”
“I was leaving anyhow. With all these people, a dead body and a bomb, I was thinking of getting away from it all for a while. You know—to clear my head.”
“Just stay out of my way. Deal?”
“Your wish is my command, Detective.”
As they watched Jennifer make her way through the crowd, Speers turned to Kendall.
“Nothing but trouble, that one,” he said.
“I couldn’t agree with you more,” Kendall concurred.
Speers shook his head and began to walk away.
“One more thing, sir,” Kendall said tentatively. “Ms. Malone said a man in the crowd saw a grey Volvo parked on Elm Avenue at 6:45. He said a white male was behind the wheel.”
“Have Mario take a statement and follow it up. I’m going to talk to the press and then head to Barker’s house to see if we can figure out why he was here in the first place.”
Jennifer half-jogged back to The Telegraph and made a beeline to Mitch Carson’s office.
“I’m onto something really big. The only thing is I can’t tell you what,” she said, out of breath.
“What do you mean you can’t tell me? I’m the editor-in-chief!”
“Time’s a-wastin’, Mitch. Trust me on this. It’ll only be for a few hours.”
“Fine. Now if time really is a-wastin’, what are you doing here?”
“I have to take a little trip and won’t be back until noon at the earliest.”
“Are you kidding?” Mitch protested. “You’re my best reporter. That’s why I didn’t hesitate to give you this thing. Now you want to bail?”
“All I need is someone to cover the crime scene—you know, take notes of times, talk to witnesses. One of the interns could do that.”
“You really can’t tell me where you’re going or why?”
“Right.”
“All of a sudden, I’m thinking I’m the crazy one.”
“It’s 8:00 now. I’ll call you later this morning, say 10:30, with an update.”
“You’d better. ’Cause if I don’t hear from you I’m going to give the byline to Girard.”
“That hack?”
“I heard that, Malone,” Arnold Girard said with a smirk as he passed the doorway.
“I meant ‘hack’ in a positive way,” Jennifer called after him.
“Now that’s settled, do you need anything for this secret journey?”
Jennifer thought for a few seconds.
“Got a hundred bucks for expenses?”
SEVEN
As she drove one of the paper’s cars to Mantis Pharmaceuticals, a number of issues continued to entertain Jennifer’s thoughts:
Why was multi-millionaire Robert Barker standing outside The Nation Today’s studio and from whom was he hiding?
Who was the man in the grey Volvo parked on Elm Avenue? The getaway driver?
And where was the female shooter during this time?
These questions especially gnawed at her because if she’d kept working the crowd, she was certain she’d have learned more about the shooter’s actions—before and after the killing. As it was, she was simply assuming things from the few seconds of the show she’d watched in the company of her newspaper brethren. She was amazed she had witnessed it at all, as Good Morning America had a Brad Pitt/Angelina Jolie interview scheduled for the same time. Unfortunately for Brangelina, she’d been outvoted by Levison and his political pals.
Pulling into a visitor parking spot, she took a deep breath and kept telling herself that this trip was more important than any old crime scene.
She walked through the giant glass doors of the main building and was greeted by a woman behind the reception desk.
“Good morning,” the woman said cheerfully. Her name tag read Kimberly.
“It is, isn’t it. How are you today?” Jennifer replied in an equally chipper tone.
“Very well, thank you. Do you have an appointment this morning?”
“Actually, I’m doing some research for a college course I’m taking at Shelton Academy. I’m looking into the manufacturing and testing of new medicines, drugs—that kind of thing.”
“And how can we help you?”
“Would there be anyone who could answer a few questions, so I can better understand how your industry works?”
“Well, I’m not sure,” Kimberly said hesitantly. “We usually don’t give out such sensitive information.”
“I think you’re getting me all wrong. I’m not doing an article on the industry—or even your company. I’m simply looking for someone to give me a very general overview how things are done. At no time would I ask specific questions about Mantis Pharmaceuticals. Because you see, between us, I think I’m way over my head in this course. I thought it would be easy to write, not realizing how technical everything is.”
Jennifer saw a look of sympathy come over Kimberly’s features.
“Just an overview, right?”
“Exactly.”
“Please have a seat.”
Soon a balding gentleman in his early 50s stepped off the elevator and strode confidently toward Jennifer.
“Jennifer? I’m Kenneth McIntyre from the public relations office.”
Jennifer stood and shook McIntyre’s hand, who continued to hold hers for a couple of beats longer than was necessary.
“Very nice to meet you,” she said, flashing him a winning smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t call ahead.”
“No need to apologize. All that matters is you’re here now. Why don’t we go up to my office and I’ll try to answer any questions you have.”
If that’s the way you want to handle this, you dirty old man, then that’s the way it’ll be, Jennifer thought as she got in the elevator with Mr. PR.
For the following 45 minute period, Jennifer asked all the general
