As much as I wanted the universe to take it easy on me, that wasn’t how things usually went. In my experience, just when it seemed like things were finally getting back to normal, something weird would happen again. I lived in a crazy little town, that’s for sure.
Right then, I couldn’t help but wonder what my mother thought of all of this.
“Mom, do you believe that life will go back to normal now?” I asked.
“Yes,” my mother replied.
My mom didn’t have any hesitation in her voice as she answered. It was safe to say that I wasn’t nearly as convinced as she was.
“What if it doesn’t?” I asked.
“Honey, don’t think that way.”
“It’s not like I want to,” I replied. “It’s just that you said the same thing to me last time I came back from Lake Ashford. Then a few weeks later, a new case started.”
“I realize that.”
“So, what if life doesn’t go back to normal?”
“If that happens, we’ll figure things out when we get there.”
“Are you sure?”
“Jess, there’s no reason to worry.”
“You say that, but I can’t figure out why weird things keep happening in Treasure Cove in the first place.
“Dear, were you listening to me? There’s nothing to worry about.”
“I heard you. It’s just that my mind is telling me something else.”
“Your father and I are going to do everything in our power to take care of you,” she said. “You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Good. Now, relax. Everything is going to be fine.”
I bit the corner of my lip. I then replied, “I hope you’re right.”
“So do I. Only time will tell,” my mother said. “In the meantime, how about another scoop of ice cream?”
I smiled wide. “That works for me.”
The End.
Live from the scene of the crime
Chapter One
“With the killer in police custody, the residents of Treasure Cove can finally sleep soundly again. At least, for now. The question becomes, how long will peace last? Only time will tell. This has been Brooke McDillon with Treasure Cove News.”
Brooke fell silent as she stared at the video camera that was pointed at her. A few seconds later, Mark Dickenson, the cameraman who was recording the broadcast, signaled to her.
“We’re out,” Mark said.
“Good,” Brooke replied.
The reporter then lowered her microphone and approached Mark.
“By the way, what was up with that last part?” Mark asked.
Brooke shrugged. “What are you talking about?”
Mark imitated Brooke as she spoke.
“How long will peace last?” he said.
Brooke smiled. “That was a tease.”
“I realize that.”
“Then you should know why I did it,” she replied. “To get the viewers wondering what might happen next.”
“Yeah? Well, if you keep talking like that, you’re going to scare them. You might want to reconsider teasing them next time.”
“That’s just part of my job.”
“I hear you. But the locals have been on edge lately. I feel like they could use a break.”
“Of course, they could use a break. At the same time, they live in Treasure Cove. And anyone who has been around this town for any stretch of time should realize that something crazy is bound to happen again.”
“Don’t remind me.”
“In fact, it’s only a matter of time before the rug gets pulled out from under us again.”
“Brooke, you can stop right there.”
“Look. I know you don’t want to hear that, but it’s the truth, whether you’re willing to admit it or not.”
Mark took a deep breath and asked, “Do you ever wonder what's wrong with this town?”
Brooke chuckled. “Are you kidding? Most days I wonder what isn't wrong with this town.”
Mark grimaced. “And yet you stay here.”
“Because a place like this is a dream for a reporter. There's never a shortage of interesting news stories.”
“I suppose you're right.”
Brooke threw her arms out. “How about you? If you're so down on Treasure Cove, why haven't you left?”
“That’s a good question.”
“Be truthful. You like the excitement.”
“To be honest, I’ve given some serious thought to leaving.”
Brooke’s eyebrows rose. “Really?”
He nodded. “I just haven't pulled the trigger...yet. But that day might be coming.”
“Really?”
“Oh yeah. There's only so much insanity that I can take.”
“Those are the kinds of words that a reporter would never say.”
“I guess that's why I'm a cameraman.”
“Mark, I didn’t realize you were on the fence about leaving town.”
“Oh yeah. But I haven’t made my decision yet. I’ll keep you posted.”
“I think it would be a real shame if you left. You’re a great cameraman.”
“Thanks for saying that. Anyway, I have some serious thinking to do.”
Chapter Two
A few minutes later, Mark and Brooke began loading up the news van. When they finished that, it would be time to head back to the television station to finish up their work for the evening. At least, that was the plan.
It didn’t take very long for Brooke’s plan to change.
As Mark closed the back door of the van and walked toward the driver’s-side of the vehicle, he looked over at Brooke and asked, “Are you ready to go?”
The news reporter didn’t answer his question. Instead, she stared at the front of the police station.
“Brooke, did you hear me?” Mark asked.
“I’m not leaving yet,” she replied.
Mark threw out his arms. “Why not?”
“Stay here. I’ll be back in a minute.” Brooke then walked away from the van.
Mark’s forehead wrinkled. “Where are you going?”
Brooke pointed at a brunette who had just exited the police station.
“Do you know who that is?” Brooke said.
Mark shook his head. “I have no clue.”
“It’s Sabrina Carlson.”
Mark’s forehead wrinkled. “Is that supposed to mean something to me?”
“It should. In fact, Sabrina should be a household name in this town.”
Mark stared at Sabrina, but he remained baffled about what was so special about her.
Meanwhile, Brooke made her way over to Sabrina.
“Excuse me. Mrs. Carlson. Can I have a word with you?” Brooke asked.
Sabrina looked visibly uncomfortable as she glanced at the reporter. “Brooke McDillon. What a surprise seeing you here.”
“I was working on a story.”
“I’ll bet you were.”
“Can you spare a few minutes?”
Sabrina grimaced. “It’s not really a good time.”
“What would be a good time?”
“I’m not really sure. Just not now.”
“I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable or anything. I would like to have a few words with you at some point, though.”
“On camera or off?”
“Does it matter?”
“Kind of. I’m not a big fan of interviews.”
“This wouldn’t be a typical interview.”
“Look. I don’t mean to be rude, but it has been a really long night. I just came out here to get some fresh air. The last thing I need right now is to be hassled by a reporter.”
“Clearly, I’ve caught you at a bad time. So, I’m going to leave you alone.”
“Thanks.”
“But before I go, I just want to say one thing. I really hope you’ll reconsider doing an interview with me. Before you answer, let me assure you, this wouldn’t be some hard-hitt
ing piece. It would be a human interest story. Celebrating all that you’ve done for this town.”
“Are you serious?”
“Does that change your mind at all?”
“Not really,” Sabrina said.
Brooke looked deflated.
“Like I said before, I’m not a big fan of interviews.” Sabrina took a few steps back. “I’m going to head back inside the station now.”
“If you change your mind, don’t hesitate to call me at the TV station. You have done so many great things for this town. I want people to know that.”
Chapter Three
It was safe to say that Brooke’s conversation with Sabrina had gone much differently than she thought it would. When Brooke first approached Sabrina, the reporter was convinced that Mrs. Carlson would agree to an interview. Instead, Brooke ended up returning to the station with nothing to show for her efforts.
Brooke wasn’t about to give up, however. She was a tenacious person. And if she got an idea for a story in her head, she always followed through on it. That approach had paid off for her in the past.
On the drive back to the TV station, Brooke began brainstorming a number of other possible news stories. Like all reporters that she knew, she was constantly chasing the next story.
The news didn’t rest for anyone. When one broadcast ended, there was always another one to look forward to. If she wasn’t ready for that next broadcast, she would end up looking like a fool. There was a rush that came from jumping from story to story. But it could also be exhausting. It was definitely a relentless way to live.
When Brooke returned to the TV station, the first person she met up with was the station’s news producer, Greg Fitzgerald. The angular-faced forty-one-year-old was more than just a producer at the station, however. He was also Brooke’s boyfriend.
“What a day, huh?” Greg asked.
Brooke nodded. “It was a wild one, all right.”
“You did a great job today.”
“Not that you’re biased or anything.”
He leaned in and gave her a kiss.
“I might be just a little bit biased,” he said.
“Only a little, though, right?” Brooke playfully replied.
He laughed. “Okay. I’m incredibly biased.”
The world of TV journalism was an odd one. Filled with irregular hours, lots of stress, and plenty of emotional highs and lows.
To an outsider, it was a crazy world. One that was difficult to understand. In the past, it had been very hard for Brooke to keep a boyfriend. A lot of men were attracted to her, but when they got a taste of her wild life, they just couldn’t deal with it.
Greg was different. He understood the TV world. It wasn’t crazy to him. It was just life.
In retrospect, it was almost inevitable that Brooke would end up with someone like Greg. The two of them spent so much time at work. If Brooke was dating a man who was in a different line of work, it might be hard to carve out time for them. That was a huge sticking point during Brooke’s past relationships. In fact, that strain had come back to bite Brooke many times in the past.
That’s why she set out to do things differently this time around. Being understood was incredibly important to Brooke. So was being accepted for who she was.
Greg didn’t get upset because she put her job first. Greg also put his job first. They had an agreement. An understanding. And that worked for them.
Granted, it was still early in their relationship, but she had high hopes for this one.
“Even if I wasn’t biased toward you, I’d say the same thing. You did a really great job,” Greg remarked.
“Thanks,” Brooke replied. “That means a lot to me.”
He stared deep into her eyes. “Brooke, is everything all right?”
“Sure. Why do you ask?” she replied.
“You have a strange look in your eyes,” he said. “What’s going on?”
“I was just thinking about this new story that I want to do.”
He chuckled.
Brooke’s nose scrunched. “What’s so funny?”
“You just finished your last story and you’re already thinking about the next one.”
“You know how things work in this business. You can’t just rest on your laurels. If you’re not looking forward, then you might not have any news to broadcast tomorrow.”
“You don’t have to explain that to me. I know how the business works.”
“Then why did you make that comment?”
“Because we were having a nice little romantic moment together. Contemplating new story ideas can wait a few seconds.”
“I suppose you’re right.”
He leaned in and gave her another kiss.
“Enjoy the moment,” he said.
“Trust me. I’m enjoying this a lot,” she replied.
“Good.”
He gazed at her. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
A few seconds later, he switched gears.
“So, what’s this new story about?” he asked.
“I want to interview Sabrina Carlson,” Brooke said.
“That would be amazing.”
“I know…if I can get her to agree.”
“What made you think about her?”
“I ran into her outside the police station tonight.”
“Did you ask her for an interview?”
Brooke nodded.
“What did she say?” Greg replied.
“She told me no.”
“What a shame.”
“I’m not giving up so easily. I’m going to keep at it.”
“I’m sure you will.”
“I wish you luck,” he said. “You’re going to need it.”
Chapter Four
The next day
Every morning, the news team gathered in the conference room at the TV station to have a meeting. The general manager would provide the staff with the latest updates. In addition, the head producer would give us a rundown of the top stories of the day. From there, the reporters and the anchors would pitch story ideas. Some of those pitches received warm welcomes. Occasionally, the pitches fell flat. It was a stressful time. That wasn’t all. Before the meeting was done, the producer would dish out assignments.
That particular morning, Brooke got the assignment that she wanted. In the aftermath of a murder investigation, she liked to do a number of follow up stories. Later that morning, Detective David Carlson would be holding a press conference at police headquarters. Brooke was assigned to cover that conference.
When the meeting ended, she got ready to head out. Before she could leave the newsroom, Charlotte Fowler pulled her aside. Charlotte was one of the two anchors on the evening news broadcast.
The black-haired fifty-one-year-old looked at Brooke with a sparkle in her blue eyes.
“I have to say, you never cease to amaze me,” Charlotte remarked.
“Thanks for saying that,” Brooke replied.
“Of course.”
“If you don’t mind me asking, what did I do to earn a compliment like that from you?”
“You’re just always hustling. You’re constantly digging up incredible stories.”
“I wish I could take full credit for that. Sometimes, good stories just fall into my lap.”
“I realize that. But you do generate plenty of great story ideas by yourself. I know you’re working like crazy.”
“I do put in a lot of hours,” Brooke said.
“I know what that’s like. You know, in a lot of ways, you remind me a lot of myself,” Charlotte said.
“Is that so?”
Charlotte nodded. “Maybe a little too much.”
Brooke’s forehead wrinkled. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Here’s a word of advice for you. Be careful.”
Brooke shrugged. “About what?”
“Burning yourself out.”
“I don’t think there’s any danger of that happening.”
“That’s what I used to believe. Then I ended up narrowly avoiding a nervous breakdown.”
Brooke’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“This isn’t exactly public knowledge, but yeah. It got pretty dicey for me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Luckily, I managed to avoid having a complete meltdown.”
“How did you do that?”
“By taking a step back. Slowing down a little. Not running myself so ragged. Taking some time for myself rather than living and breathing for this station.”
“That’s nice and everything, but the news doesn’t stop for anyone.”
“I get that. Here’s the thing, though. This station has more than one reporter. It wouldn’t kill you to let one of the other reporters take a few of those hard-hitting stories. Meanwhile, working yourself to the bone might leave you with some serious scars.”
“You might be right.”
“I am. Do yourself a favor. Take your foot off of the gas pedal while you still can. Otherwise, your nerves might end up taking the wheel.”
“It’s definitely something to consider.”
“Here’s something else to keep in mind.”
“What’s that?”
“Things also got much better for me when I took this anchor position,” Charlotte said. “You should consider making a switch.”
“To the anchor desk?” Brooke asked.
Charlotte nodded.
“What am I missing? Are you leaving the station or something?” Brooke asked.
Charlotte shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m confused then. If you’re staying at the station, then how could I make the switch to news anchor?”
“Brooke, there are hundreds of other cities in this country that have TV stations.”
“You’re suggesting that I leave town then?”
“I’m just bringing it up as a possibility.”
“Are you looking to get rid of me?”
Charlotte shook her head. “Not at all. In fact, if you did take a job in another town, I would miss you a lot. You’re probably the best friend that I have at this station.”
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