Bylines & Deadlines

by Kimberly Vinje

  “Okay,” she was bubbling inside. “Will, this is it. I now have all the stories tied to Rawlings. This is a huge piece.”

  “I agree, but it’s almost 3:30. Let’s go back to bed and tackle this in the morning,” he said.

  “But,” she said in protest.

  “But nothing. I’m still your boss, and that’s an order,” he took her hand. “Come on.” She reluctantly left the office and went back to bed.

  * * * * *

  Will knocked on Kristine’s door around 7 o’clock. “Yeah,” she grumbled. He walked in and went to the side of her bed. She was sleeping on her stomach. She shifted up onto her elbows. “Mmm.. You smell good,” she said sleepily. “What’s up?” He sat on the edge of her bed. He was in a suit.

  “I’m going into the office for a little while this morning,” he said playing with her hair. She rolled on her side and brushed a piece of lint off his suit leg.

  “Do you have to?”

  “I have to sign some papers and take care of some business. I’ll be home by lunch,” he said. “Just make yourself at home and don’t do anything impulsive before I get back.” He stood up.

  “Promise,” she said. He kissed her forehead and started to leave.

  “Be back soon. Go back to sleep,” he said as he closed the door.

  * * * * *

  Kristine was showered, dressed and in the office when Will returned. He brought lunch with him.

  “Kris, I’m home,” he called from the kitchen. He was getting dishes and opening boxes when she came into the kitchen and hugged him from behind.

  “How was your day, dear?” she asked in a Leave it to Beaver tone. He turned around abruptly and looked at her. “What?”

  “Nothing. It’s nothing,” he said.

  “No, tell me,” she said poking him in the side and taking a step backwards. He turned and said.

  “It just brought back a memory, that’s all,” he said.

  “Oh,” she said only slightly understanding.

  “I heard that same phrase every day for 16 years,” he said. Her heart sunk.

  “Oh,” she said again. “I’m sorry.”

  “Hey, hey,” he said as he walked to her and took her in his arms. “No, I’m sorry. Things like that are bound to happen when you’ve been with someone for so long.” He kissed the top of her head. “Want some lunch?”

  “Yeah, I’m hungry,” she said leaning back to look up at him. “What was up at the office?” She chose her words carefully so they were safe.

  “I met with Bronston,” he said turning to finish putting the food on plates. “He didn’t have much, but he said there are some rumors that Rawlings has a lot of interest in Sudan.”

  “Interesting,” she said following him into the dining room. He paused and continued into the living room. She smiled to herself. They sat in front of the coffee table. “No one will go on record if they feel their life is threatened, so I’m going to have to find another source. I wonder if that’s what happened to the eight year old.”

  “Mmm,” he said swallowing. “Maybe. I want to bring in the authorities on this. Unless we get enough for an indictment, you’ll be in danger,” he said. “I did some checking today to see who we can trust, and our legal options.”

  “I don’t know. That sounds like a big gamble. What if they ice my story?”

  “We’ll figure out something,” he said and took a drink of bottled water. “I also had another meeting,” he said looking at her to see her reaction. She raised her eyebrows. “I met with a divorce attorney.” The eyebrows went higher and her eyes bulged.

  “Really?” she replied. “Why now?”

  “I wasn’t as motivated as I am now,” he said. She sighed heavily and shook her head.

  “I don’t want to be the reason for all this,” she said tossing her sandwich on her plate. “Sixteen years is a long time.”

  “You aren’t the reason,” he said and put his hand on her leg. “You’re the sunlight at the end of a very long tunnel.”

  “Well, that’s a lot of pressure. Heating and lighting the earth, jeez!” she laughed. He squeezed her leg.

  They used the rest of the afternoon and evening to make phone calls, search for more information on Rawlings and finally went to their individual beds after midnight. The phone rang a little after 4 a.m. Kristine rolled over. Ten minutes later Will came into her room.

  “Kris?”

  “What’s going on?” She rolled over to face him. The light outlined his frame in a silhouette.

  “Honey, that was the police. They’re on their way here,” he said. “I want you to stay back here. I’m going to pack up your stuff and put it in here with you.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “They found Bronston. He’s dead,” he said as his voice trailed.

  “What?!” she sat up in the bed.

  “He was found in a park shot to death,” he said.

  “Oh my God,” she whispered in disbelief. “Did we do this?”

  “No. Now let me get your stuff and make sure there’s no sign of you here.”

  “What are you going to tell them?”

  “I’m not sure, but I will protect you,” he said.

  “Will, what if they come after you?” she asked growing more and more upset and frightened.

  “I’ll be fine,” he replied. “Now let me get your things.” She got out of bed and helped him. They put her belongings in the closet. She made the spare bed and put her bags in the closet. “I’m going to leave the door open to avoid suspicion.” She nodded.

  “Be careful,” she said and climbed in the closet with her bags. She sat down and leaned against the wall to be as comfortable as she could. She didn’t know how long she would be there. He backed out of the room and smoothed the footprints as he went. If anyone walked down the hall, there would be no trail leading into the second bedroom or near the closet.

  The door buzzed at 4:45 a.m. Will let the police into the penthouse. Kristine couldn’t hear what anyone said, and she stayed as still as she could in the closet. She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but it seemed like hours before she heard someone come into the spare bedroom. The door opened and the light hurt her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” Will said as he reached down to help her out of the closet. “I didn’t think they would ever leave.”

  “What did they say?” she asked stretching.

  “Nothing really. They just asked a lot of questions about Bronston, whether he had any enemies and what he had been working on. They want to go through his desk and some back issues of the paper. I’m going to meet them at the office in a couple of hours. Come here,” he said and turned her around to rub her shoulders. It felt so good she let her head drop forward.

  “What did you tell them,” she asked feeling the magic of his fingers on her skin and over the straps of her white tank top, working her muscles.

  “The truth. I told them about how I had asked him to get some information on RJR Corporation. I’m going to stop by his apartment to see if there’s anything I can do for his family when I leave the paper. I may be home late.”

  “Sure. Do whatever you need to do,” she said. “I think I’m going to work on the story today. I may start writing it and just fill in the blanks later.” He stopped rubbing her shoulders and pulled her into him.

  “I don’t think I have to tell you how important it is for you to be careful,” he said softly. She nodded. She turned in his arms to face him.

  “You look so tired,” she whispered. Her heart hurt at the thought she was the reason he lost sleep. “Can you go back to bed for a while? I’ll hold you while you sleep or you can hold me.” He was quiet for a minute.

  “I wish I could, but I have to get to the office,” he said in a disappointed tone. “I need to be there on a day like today.”

  “You’re right,” she said. He was gone within 45 minutes, and she sat in front of her computer screen. It was blank. She put her fingers on the keys. Bronston Mars
hall ran through her mind. She didn’t know him. He worked in a different section of the paper on a different floor. Now he was dead because he was helping get details for her story. She wondered if Will felt any guilt for asking him to get the information. What if Will became a target? She felt a tear roll down her cheek. She was going to do the rest of this on her own. She opened her email. There was a message in there from a law firm. She opened it. It was from Carolyn Rawlings’ lawyer. He said he had something Carolyn wanted her to have in case of her death, and he had to give it to her in person. She hit the reply button and typed the words, “Meet me in the emergency room of County General Hospital at noon.” She figured the hospital would have many different entrances and exits, be crowded and would be a good place to be if she got shot.

  She sent the email. She sifted through papers organized neatly on Will’s desk looking for something with his address on it. She found an electric bill then checked to see if Will lived on a bus line. She wrote down a bus number, packed her computer and files into her bag and went to her bedroom. She packed one bag with what she thought she would need for a day or two. She took the money Will had gotten the day they left the office together. She also took her cell phone and the cell phone registered to the paper. She put her bags on the chair in the living room and then wrote Will a note. It said:

  Will,

  As long as you’re helping me, you’re in danger. I couldn’t live with myself if anything happened to you. I’ll call you tonight.

  She hesitated for a moment before she signed it. Should she just sign her name or should she put the word love before it? If she did, should she spell it l-o-v-e or l-u-v? She settled on drawing a heart and put a K under it. She put the note on the kitchen counter where he would find it.

  The bus would pick her up a block away, and she had 15 minutes to get there. She took a deep breath and left the safety of the penthouse.

  Chapter Five

  She took the bus to the subway and the subway back into the heart of the city. She found a hotel and got in line to check in. There was a young man and a young woman working behind the counter. She hoped to be lucky enough to get the young man to help her, and she did. She walked up to the counter. The young man, whose name tag said Brady, smiled and said, “How can I help you?”

  “I’d like a non-smoking room please,” she said hoisting her bags on her shoulder. They were heavy, but she was afraid to put them on the ground.

  “King or two doubles?” he asked looking in the computer.

  “Whatever is available,” she said. She reached in her pocket for money while he clicked through the computer.

  “Okay,” he said. “I’ll need a credit card.”

  “Oh great,” she said flustered. “This has been the worst day of my life!” She made her lip quiver as though she was going to cry. Brady looked helplessly at her. “I no sooner got into town and someone picked my pocket,” she sniffed at the end of the sentence.

  “That sucks,” he said. She nodded and pretended to wipe away a tear.

  “They got my credit card and my ID,” she said. “Luckily, I had most of my cash stashed in one of my other bags. I only need the hotel for a couple of nights until my friend gets back into town. I’m staying with her, but she had to stay a couple of days later than she thought on her assignment. I didn’t want to change all my plans so I thought I’d just get a hotel until she gets back. She’s modeling in Paris right now.” Brady’s eyes widened. “Do you think I could just pay cash?” she asked sweetly.

  “Um, I’m really not supposed to,” he said looking around.

  “Oh please. If you don’t help me, I’ll have to sleep on the streets until my friend gets home,” she said lip quivering again.

  “Oh, okay,” he said looking around nervously. “I’ll figure out how to trick the system. We comp people sometimes.”

  “Comp people?” she asked knowing the answer.

  “Yeah, people can stay for free if the management says it is okay.”

  “Are you good with computers?” she flirted.

  “Yeah, it’s my major,” he said clicking away. He handed her a room key and took the money for a two night stay. She wasn’t sure if the money would end up going in the drawer or helping to pay for Brady’s college education. Either way, she didn’t care as long as she had a place to stay.

  She went to her room. She had an hour before she had to meet the man claiming to be Carolyn Rawlings’ attorney. She thought it would be a good idea to get to the hospital early.

  She entered through the main hospital entrance and walked the halls to the emergency room. She snuck back into the admitting area and found someone she knew. Kristine wasn’t sure it was a good or bad thing that through her years of reporting she knew most of the people working in the city’s emergency rooms.

  Derrick loved to talk to Kristine and see himself in the paper even if he was an unnamed source. He also liked to talk about shoes, purses, cute Hollywood actors and makeup. Derrick’s outward appearance was phenomenal - masculine and pretty at the same time. He was about Kristine’s height, and he lifted weights regularly. His skin was the color of creamy coffee and as smooth as glass. He had black hair and black eyes with eyelashes that reached all the way to his well-groomed eyebrows. Derrick had wanted to be a doctor, but that’s an expensive and time consuming education.

  Like most other hospitals, County General Hospital’s emergency room wasn’t a happy place. Shootings, overdoses and the bizarre were common nearly every minute of every day. Today was no different. Kristine caught Derrick’s attention and motioned him behind an empty curtain.

  “Hey, girlfriend,” he said and gave her a kiss on each cheek. “You look like someone they usually roll in here on a gurney,” he said.

  “That’s actually not funny,” she said, and his look took a turn for the serious.

  “What happened with Chief Running News guy?”

  “Not much. I’m working a really big story.”

  “I’ve been trying to call you,” he said. “There was a huge shoe sale yesterday!”

  “I haven’t had my cell on since we talked the last time,” she said. “Look, I need your help.”

  “Sure. What do you want me to do?” he asked always eager to be part of the action.

  “I’m supposed to meet someone in the waiting room at noon,” she said. “I need you to scope it out for me - make sure he looks okay - and then I may need your help getting out of here so no one can follow me.”

  “Girlfriend, what are you into?” he asked worried.

  “It’s just a big story,” she said. “I’ll be fine once it runs.” Or at least she hoped. “Anyway, this guy should be carrying an envelope or disc or something.”

  “I’ll keep an eye out on the waiting area,” Derrick said. “Come on, I’ll get you something to wear so you’ll fit in back here.” Derrick gave Kristine the top portion of scrubs and put her in the staff lounge. She took off the denim jacket she was wearing and put the scrubs on over her white T-shirt. “Wait here.” He obviously loved being involved in a story. He opened the door to the lounge, looked suspiciously up and down the hall, turned to her and gave the thumbs up and walked out. She smiled and shook her head.

  Shortly after noon, Derrick came bursting through the staff lounge door. “Come on,” he yelled. This wasn’t exactly the quiet exchange she had planned.

  “What is it?” Kristine asked, standing.

  “They just brought in a guy who was in a hit and run right outside. I think he tried to say your name before they intubated him.” Derrick turned and took off at a fast pace with Kristine following closely. Chaos surrounded the gurney where a tiny man in brown dress pants and yellow dress shirt fought for his life. One leg was bent half way down his shin. Blood soaked the gurney. Derrick led Kristine to the head of the gurney. “This is Kristine,” he said. The man’s eyes, full of fear, darted to her. He began to grunt and point to a suit jacket hanging on the wall. It matched the brown pants.

 
“Who did this to you?” she asked breathing hard and knowing the answer. He grunted louder and pointed to the jacket again, more urgency in his eyes.

  “You want this?” Derrick asked walking to wall.

  “What the hell is going on,” one of the doctors said.

  “I’m helping a patient. I suggest you do the same and worry about him, not me,” Derrick said in his bitchiest of tones. Had Kristine not been so scared, she would have laughed out loud. Derrick pulled an envelope from the inside jacket pocket. The man’s head nodded, and he lost consciousness. “Let’s go,” Derrick said and grabbed Kristine by the arm.

  They left the emergency room, ran down a stairwell and out of the hospital into the employee garage. Derrick handed Kristine the envelope and said, “Go, and be careful, gorgeous.” He gave her a kiss on the cheek and went back into the hospital. She opened the envelope, took out the contents, which was a sheet of paper and a disc. She folded the paper and put it in her mouth. She pulled the scrubs over her head and untucked her T-shirt and stuck both the disc and the paper into her jeans. She left the shirt untucked. She threw the envelope in the garbage can by the door and made her way through the garage and toward sunlight. She got on the first bus she saw and didn’t pay attention to where it was going. Three stops later, when she saw a large crowd exiting, she decided to blend in with them. She got off the bus and followed the crowd to the subway. She found a subway going back toward her hotel, but she decided to take more than one. Kristine tried not to look nervous as her eyes scanned the faces to see if anyone was following her.

  She made it back to her hotel room and called the police station nearest the hospital. One of her sources told her witnesses at the hit and run said the car’s passenger got out of the car and took Carolyn Rawlings’ lawyer’s briefcase. Amazing, she thought. She called the hospital and found out the lawyer was in critical condition. She put the disc into her laptop and opened the paper.