a cold case, I’ll look into it again. If I find out anything, I’ll let you know.”
She shook her head. “If it’s a cold case, you have a responsibility to investigate it. And I have an obligation to my station. I’m not about to let this story go.”
Understanding dawned, and he chuckled. “Oh, I get it. All your talk about doing what’s right was just a ploy to get me to help you with a big story. What do you want, Grace? Are you tired of being back in Memphis and you need something that can get you back to the major networks?”
Her face flushed, and she shook her head. “No, Alex. I want the truth, and I’m not going to give up until I find it. I worked as an investigative reporter before I went to the anchor desk, and I can do it again. It would help to have the police involved with this, too. But if you don’t help me, I’ll just have to do it on my own.”
“You’re still as headstrong as ever.” He studied her for a moment. “I don’t believe you want the truth, but it so happens I do. You’re right about one thing. It is my job to work a cold case, so I’ll help you investigate Landon’s death.”
She swallowed. “How can you work with me on an investigation if you hate me so much?”
His shoulders sagged, and he shook his head. “I don’t hate you, Grace. I don’t trust you.”
Tears sparkled in her eyes, but he didn’t blink. He’d seen enough of her tears through the years to know it was her way of getting what she wanted. He cleared his throat and glanced down at her arm. “I need to get back to work, and you need to go to a hospital and get that arm checked.”
She nodded. “Derek is going to take me by the hospital before we go back to the station.” She started to climb in the van but turned back to face Alex. “You’re right about a lot of things about me, Alex. I made some mistakes in the past, but you did, too. And you’re wrong about my reasons for wanting to find out the truth about Landon’s death. I hope you can come to see that.”
He didn’t know how to answer her, so he shook his head and stepped back from the van. He watched it drive away before he walked to where he’d parked his car.
When he’d gotten out of bed this morning, he’d expected a routine day at work. So far there had been nothing routine about it. He’d seen a man fall to his death, and he’d prevented Grace from following him into the Mississippi River. Now he was about to take another look at a cold case that hadn’t produced a lead in twelve years.
The most troubling thing, however, was the fact Grace wanted to be involved. He didn’t know if he’d be able to cope with that or not. Being around her stirred up too many painful memories. She’d broken his heart, and it had taken him years to get to the place where he was now. All he could do was protect himself so it didn’t happen again. He didn’t intend to ever let anyone hurt him again the way she had.
TWO
Even with the bright lights on the set, a chill rippled through Grace’s body as she watched the footage from the bridge play on the monitor. She and Derek had reviewed the final cut several times, but her heart still hammered every time she watched her struggle to keep from going over the railing.
When the footage ended, the camera focused back on the WKIZ News anchor desk. Her coanchor Todd Livingston turned to her and flashed his trademark toothy smile. “Wow, Grace. You had quite a morning. Thank goodness that detective was there to keep you from being pulled over the railing.”
Grace returned his smile. “Yes, Todd. It was touch-and-go there for a few minutes, but thanks to Detective Crowne, I wasn’t hurt.”
His gaze dropped to the elastic bandage around her wrist. “What did the doctor say about your arm?”
She held up her arm. “It’s just a sprain. It should be okay in a few days. I really am lucky.”
Todd looked into the camera and broadened his smile. “Knowing you, I doubt if you’ll let a little thing like a sprained wrist slow you down.”
She chuckled. “No, I won’t. Before Mr. Mitchell plunged to his death, I promised him I would look into his son’s death and see what I could find.”
Todd turned back to her, his eyes wide. “But I thought you said his son committed suicide.”
“The police suspect suicide, but they can’t be sure. There was blood on the front seat. Mr. Mitchell believed his son was murdered and that the scene was staged to look like a suicide.”
“So, what happens if you find something that suggests it might have been murder?”
“That’s a matter for the police, of course. I’ve already talked with Detective Alex Crowne of the Cold Case Unit, and he’s agreed to investigate the case with me.” She looked into the camera. “If there’s anyone who has information about Landon Mitchell’s death or a high school secret society that he might have been a member of, you can contact me here at the station. Even if it’s something that seems inconsequential, get in touch with me. You never can tell what detail might help to solve a crime.”
Todd picked up the papers in front of him and shuffled them into a neat stack. “Well, that’s all the time we have for today.” He glanced at Grace and gave an exaggerated shiver. “Suicide on the Memphis-Arkansas Bridge? A secret society in one of our high schools? A twelve-year-old unsolved death? It sounds like my busy bee coanchor has enough to keep the newsroom buzzing for a while. Tune in tomorrow and see what she has for us next.”
Grace plastered a smile on her face and held it until the camera shut down. Then she turned to Todd. “Were you trying to embarrass me on air?”
His eyes grew wide. “Why should I do that? You do it quite well without any help from me.”
Her skin warmed, and she scooped up the papers on the desk in front of her. “What is that supposed to mean?”
Todd pushed to his feet. “Nothing. I just can’t imagine a story about a secret society of high school kids in the most prestigious school in the city going on a killing spree. I have better stories to focus on than something like that.”
Grace rose and faced him. She tilted her head to one side and smiled. “You know, Todd, I figured out a long time ago what the difference was between the two of us. We both love to report the news. But all I want is to keep the public informed about what’s going on in the world. You, on the other hand, only care how you can use your reports to propel you to a network job.”
Anger flashed across his face, but it disappeared when he noticed the cameramen were listening to their conversation. He took a deep breath and flashed his smile again. “And maybe it will, Grace. You might have blown your chance with the networks, but I haven’t yet.”
Grace watched Todd walk away before she turned to leave the set. Derek shook his head and pointed to Todd’s retreating figure. “Don’t let that guy get under your skin, Grace. He’s jealous that you get more fan mail than he does. Everybody here at the station knows the reason you left your job in New York, and they admire you for coming back to help take care of your father after he was wounded in that drive-by shooting. We really respect you for that, Grace.”
Her heart thudded as it did every time she thought of her active father confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life. “Thanks, Derek. My family means a lot to me.”
