“What do you want me to say? It was a great story. You found out about the plan and I didn’t. Super job. Way to go, Tiger.”
“Thanks, but are you going to give me credit?” she said.
“Maybe,” he said and shrugged.
The move appeared to infuriate her, as Quinn knew perfectly well it would.
“Oh, come on. You have to. We reported it first and I’m so tired of everybody…”
“I don’t have to do anything,” Quinn said. “Remember a month ago? Who had the story about the Leesburg First State Bank getting slapped with a fine by the federal government for losing all those files? Last I checked, I exclusively reported that with a document leaked to me from a source. But when the Post’s Extra ran the story, with your by-line as I recall, I don’t remember getting any credit.”
“That was different,” Summer said. “I told you that I already had that document. If I had relied on your reporting in any way, I would have…”
“Oh, you had the document, did you?” Quinn said. “Is that the rule now? I thought reporters generally gave credit when they got beat to a story, not just when they didn’t already know about it.”
“Listen, this is totally different…”
“Am I interrupting something?”
Quinn had been so focused on his debate with Summer he hadn’t noticed Kate standing right by him.
Summer’s attention instantly shifted away from Quinn.
“Hi, I’m Summer Mandaville,” she said with a bright smile. “I’m with The Washington Post.”
“The Loudoun Extra to be exact,” Quinn said.
Summer shot a dirty look in his direction and extended her hand. Kate shook it.
“I’m Kate Tassel,” she said. “I’m new with the Loudoun Chronicle.”
Quinn could almost see Summer stop the handshake. The smile stayed on the rival reporters’ face, but it appeared suspiciously plastic in nature.
“Oh,” she said. “Well, that’s great. The Chronicle could use a fresh face. It’s a good little paper. A great place to start.”
While Quinn silently fumed at the condescending words “good little paper,” Kate jumped to the rescue.
“Actually, I have several years experience already,” she said. “I chose the Chronicle. I wanted to join a paper that would really dive deeper into local issues. A lot of the larger papers don’t have the time or energy to do that.”
Summer’s smile slipped a little.
“Well, at the Extra…”
“Oh, I think it’s a great idea,” Kate said. “A free supplement buried in a big paper like that. It’s a great little handout.”
Quinn watched with glee as Summer struggled to find something to say.
“It was nice meeting you,” Summer finally said, in a tone that indicated it was anything but.
“Nice meeting you too,” Kate said cheerfully, as if nothing was amiss. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know you better. I’ll be covering the Phillips Farm case, so I’m sure we will see each other around.”
Summer nodded and walked to the end of the row before sitting down.
Quinn turned to Kate.
“That was fucking awesome,” Quinn said. “I have never seen anyone leave her speechless before.”
Kate grinned and she seemed to positively glow. She leaned in closer to Quinn and talked softly.
“Her article wasn’t that good,” she said. “I’ve just been handed the plan for the farm, and she got a couple facts wrong and missed the most important part. So we already have a good way to come back on this story. Also, your article did a better job than hers of really laying out the situation.”
Quinn looked at her to see if he could find a trace of flattery there. But Kate’s gaze held no dishonesty in it. She really thinks my story is better, he thought.
“Believe me, I will give her a run for her money on this story,” Kate said with a smile that on a competitor would have frozen Quinn in his tracks. “I so look forward to kicking her ass.”
Quinn thought he had never heard someone say anything so sexy in his life.
From there the meeting was a blur. While Kate took notes as citizen after citizen spoke about protecting their local heritage, Quinn found it hard to concentrate. He was nominally there as back up, but one look in her direction and he knew he wasn’t needed. She knew what she was doing.
After the meeting was over, it was no different. Quinn watched as Kate made the rounds easily with everyone important in the room. Martha Paletta appeared to be practically eating out of her hand as Quinn stood nearby.
“We’ve got great plans for the place,” Martha was telling her. “We have a Christmas tree farm all set up for winter. In the meantime, we’ve just been planting a large vegetable garden. I know the folks around here aren’t much for pumpkins-for obvious reasons-but there’s still no reason not to grow some and sell a bundle in FairfaxCounty. Course I don’t think we have the manpower to pick everything out there, but it’s a start at paying some of the bills and the Phillips were incredibly kind to…”
Quinn lost interest. No wonder Summer had beat him on this story. A reporter was no good unless his story interested him. You do what you must to fill a paper, but you are never going to really own a story unless it owns you a little too.
Maybe I can take up an interest in dog shit, he thought. I can be the go-to guy for pooper scooper stories. He sighed. Quinn thought he should just be happy with what he had.
Quinn saw that he was not the only one to notice Kate’s easy access to the powers-that-be. While Kate sat down briefly with Martin Heller, local developer bogeyman, Quinn saw Summer staring in disgust.
Just because he could, Quinn decided to needle her a little.
“Looks like Kate is fitting in just fine,” he said as casually as he could.
“Martin chases anything in a skirt,” Summer replied.
Quinn leered at Summer for dramatic effect.
“Last I checked, you were wearing one too,” he said.
Summer waved him away.
“The guy won’t talk to me since I ran that profile of him,” she said.
Quinn thought back to the story three months ago. It hadn’t been his beat then-but he was forced internally to acknowledge it had been a good profile. Very tough, but not unfair. Just because Summer was a pain didn’t make her a bad reporter.
Of course, he was not about to tell her that. Instead he just grunted and Summer wandered away, casting dirty looks in Kate’s direction.
When most of the room had cleared, and Martin had walked away looking pleased with himself, Kate finally turned in Quinn’s direction.
“You didn’t have to wait for me,” she said.
“Well, it was so clear you needed my help.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I’m quite shy, I’m sure you noticed,” she replied.
“Also, I thought I could give you a lift. I didn’t think you had a car.”
“I do, although I walk a lot,” she said. “But it’s getting late. That would be nice.”
They walked outside and Quinn took a deep breath. There was a smell in the air. He could never place it, but it reminded him of leaves blowing in the wind, night coming quicker-fall, in other words.
“It smells nice, doesn’t it?” Kate asked.
“Nothing like it,” he said. “Leesburg’s small enough so there isn’t much pollution. The air is nice and clean.”
He walked her to the car and opened the door for her before getting back in the driver’s side.
“So where’s home?”
“Leesburg Inn,” she said.
“I hope the company is paying for some of that until you find a place.”
“What do you think?”
“My guess would be no because they are cheap bastards.”
“Good guess,” she said.
It was not a far drive. Quinn was more than a little disappointed about that.
“So what’s up with you and Summer?” Kat
e asked.
Quinn practically choked and had to will himself not to stray from the road.
“I deeply hope I misunderstood that question,” Quinn replied.
“You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to. If I hit a nerve or something.”
“Well… I… No… I… just.”
Quinn looked over at her to see her smiling slyly back at him.
“You’re taking the piss, aren’t you?” he asked.
“If you mean making fun of you, yes,” she replied.
“Sorry-I’ve been around Janus too long. For the record, there is nothing between Summer and I, nor has there ever been, nor will there ever be.”
“Don’t worry, it seemed pretty obvious she wasn’t your favorite person.”
“Kate, I’ve met many people in my life,” he said melodramatically. “A lot of politicians, lobbyists, heads of trade groups. Some are great, but others are the most self-important people you could ever meet. And Summer beats them all with room to spare. She is the most effortlessly self-involved person I’ve ever met.”
“Sounds charming.”
“Also, she has a persecution complex a mile wide. She thinks everybody is out to get her.”
“Is she right?”
“Well, some of the time. In terms of her reporting though, Summer’s intense and definitely no slouch. She’s desperate to make it to The Washington Post — absolutely consumed by the idea.”
“She already works there,” Kate said.
“Yes and no. The Loudoun Extra is very segregated from the main paper. So around here she can say she works for the Post, but it isn’t like she can escape Loudoun exactly. They view her as belonging to a satellite-and slightly inferior-office. So she works her butt off to try and get stories into the main paper. Something that will help her prove to them she’s ready for the big time.”
“Hard to do, I’ll bet.”
“Sure. My point is she’s tough. If you want to beat her, believe me when I tell you I would like nothing better. But she’ll give you a run for your money. You might be able to charm people to tell you the truth, but she will beat them over the head with a stick until they give her what she wants.”
“Don’t worry, I can be plenty aggressive when I need to be,” Kate said.
Quinn looked at her. For a moment, she looked so serious that he was worried he had offended her. But she smiled back at him.
“Here we are,” she said.
They pulled into the Leesburg Inn. Quinn pulled up to the door hoping she might stay in the car a while longer, but she thanked him for the ride and was almost out of earshot before he thought to stop her.
“Hey wait,” he called.
She turned around.
“I meant to tell you this earlier. Some of us go to this bar on Saturday nights. It would be cool if you could join us.”
Kate paused and appeared to consider the offer. Quinn hurried on as if he wasn’t nervous, but casual.
“It’s the Leesburg Tavern-right off Market Street.”
“All right,” she replied. “What time?”
“Around seven. We have dinner and there is usually a good band there for an hour or two.”
Kate nodded. “Sounds good,” she said. And she was through the lobby doors before he could say another word.
Quinn saw her stride through the lobby and lost sight of her.
He felt strangely pleased with himself. He hadn’t asked her out, but it was a beginning. Things are looking up, he thought.
He enjoyed the moment, not knowing just how short it would be.
Saturday, Oct. 7
Kate walked over to the Leesburg Tavern with some measure of dread. A part of her wanted to stay inside. Since she had been back, she had fought the urge many times to just pack her bags and head home. In her anonymous hotel room, she could convince herself she was safe. But out in the night air like this, a terrible thought kept popping up.
I’m going to die in this town.
She shook her head. It was nonsense. Understandable, given her history, but stupid. Besides, faced with another night watching terrible cable in a hotel room, what choice did she have? If she was going to live in this town, she would have to put aside her fears and at least try to be social. Otherwise, she worried she would go crazy.
When she pushed open the door and stepped inside, she was immediately hit by a gigantic waft of smoke and the smell of stale beer. Despite the dim lights, she could see the place was outfitted like a kind of hillbilly version of T.G.I. Friday’s-there were signs, photos and knick-knacks covering the wall. Most of them, Kate noted, were off-color in taste. “Big Butts welcome, so sit your ass down,” said one near the door.
She sighed. Maybe this was not such a good idea.
It took her only a moment to see Quinn, Bill and Janus sitting at a table near the front. Bill waved frantically at her and she moved toward them through the haze of smoke.
“Hey Kate,” Janus and Quinn both said when she sat down.
“How are you?” Quinn asked right after.
“Good,” she said, and smiled at him.
She didn’t know quite what to make of Quinn. The first time she had seen him she had wondered if he was some type of stalker-staring at her from across the Starbucks like that. But by now, he seemed like one of the few people she really knew in the town. She had thought about their conversation in the graveyard and at the Phillips Farm meeting a lot during the day. She didn’t know quite what to make of him yet, but she liked him. That much she knew.
“You got here just in time,” Quinn said. “The band is just about to show up. As soon as they do, they’ll be a line out front.”
She nodded. “What band is it?”
“A group called Eddie from Ohio,” he answered. “They’re local-well, sort of local, at any rate.”
“They’re brilliant,” Janus said, and looked around the table as if daring anyone to disagree. “Kind of a folk-rock thing, like a mix of Janis Joplin and Pearl Jam.”
“Pearl Jam?” Bill asked, and snorted. “Did you pull that out of a hat? More like a cross between Janis Joplin and Sheryl Crow.”
“Yes, guys, let’s do have this debate again,” Quinn said, and glared at them.
“Anyway,” Janus said, pulling a cigarette from his shirt pocket and lighting it with a silver lighter he fished out of his jacket. “They are one of the best bands that plays here. Second only to the Urban Hillbilly Quartet. Now that’s an incredible band. Like a mixture of Bob Dylan and Pink Floyd.”
“Okay, now you are just trying to piss me off,” Bill said. “Neither one of those is right. They’re more free form than that, like a mix of…”
“Please drop this,” Quinn said. “Kate has been here for five minutes and you guys are already degenerating into the same argument you have all the time. They’re like a bitter married couple.”
“Fuck off,” the two said in unison.
Kate laughed.
“It’s okay,” she said. “It’s been awhile since I've had a debate about music.”
Janus shot Quinn an “I told you so” look.
“Believe me, this is less of a debate and becomes more of a soapbox tourney,” Quinn said.
“It’s a pissing match,” Janus replied, and took a drag on his cigarette, holding it a moment before blowing a puff of smoke in Bill’s direction. “One I always win.”
“Get bent,” Bill said, using one of Janus’ favorite expressions.
“It’s easy to win a pissing match when you are as large as I am.”
Bill rolled his eyes.
“Rebecca is right-you really are a sexual harassment suit waiting to happen,” Quinn said.
“Americans are so uptight,” Janus said.
“How long have you lived here?” Kate asked him.
“Don’t let him fool you,” Quinn said. “He’s been here long enough that he drinks coffee, not tea, and he makes fun of British people too.”
“I make fun of English people,�
� Janus said. “There is a difference, you know. The English are prats.”
“My Dad is English,” Kate said. The conversation stopped, as everyone stared at Janus.
“Well, I guess… maybe not your…” Janus sputtered.
“It’s okay,” she said. “I was only kidding.”
It took a minute for that to sink in. Quinn and Bill started to laugh. Janus waited a second before joining in.
“Well, look at you,” he said. “Here only a few days and already making fun of me.”
Kate smiled at them. “When in Rome…” she said, and spread her hands.
“You’re all right,” Janus said. “Now Bill, why don’t you get off your rather large exterior and get us a drink?”
“Charming, just charming,” Quinn mumbled.
“Why do I have to get the drinks?” Bill asked. “I got them last time.”
“Do Quinn and I look daft to you, ya wanker?” Janus asked. “We remember perfectly well last week. We bought rounds and you didn’t.”
“Now, wait a minute,” Bill retorted. “I did so.”
“You’re embarrassing the lady,” Janus said.
“Actually, I…” Kate began, but Janus cut her off.
“See?” Janus said. “Look. She’s beet red. Now be a good photographer and get us some drinks.”
Bill sighed deeply.
“Okay,” he said gloomily. He took the drink orders and went off to the bar.
“You know, he really did buy the round last time,” Janus told Kate. He absentmindedly crushed his finished cigarette in the ashtray at the table.
Quinn rolled his eyes again, but chuckled.
“Don’t feel too bad for Bill, Kate,” he said. “Janus may have tricked him this time, but he does have a habit of sneaking out on paying for drinks.”
By the time Bill returned, the band had taken the stage and begun.
To her surprise, Kate found herself enjoying the whole evening. It was true that neither Bill nor Janus were exactly gentlemen, but they were fun guys. A half dozen times during the evening they started arguing, with topics ranging from which country had the best soccer team to the best restaurants in Leesburg.
Quinn, meanwhile, took turns occasionally joining in and then mocking them to Kate right afterward.
For a moment, she felt like she had always been there, sitting at the table, watching the three of them make jokes. It was a remarkably warm feeling, like she belonged here. Like she had never left. She smiled to herself. Maybe this had been why she came back-to escape the ghosts of the past.
A Soul To Steal Page 6
