Hot Off the Press (A Hailey Webb Mystery, Volume 1)

by Deany Ray

  “Who do you think killed him?” I shifted my weight again. Every familiar line of his face made my insides ache, but I forced myself to concentrate on pulling answers out of him.

  “What is it to you?” Connor asked, frustrated.

  I stayed silent, staring into his face with a blank expression I hoped might serve me well in future interviews with reluctant sources, if the Gazette was to send me on another trip to talk to people ever again. In any case, he had asked a question that I didn’t want to answer. If I let him know I worked for the Gazette, that would shut him up real fast if he knew something I could use.

  He sighed, sinking into one of the chairs scattered about the room. He pressed his thumb and forefinger into the bridge of his nose. He had always done that when something wasn’t going exactly like he wanted. I had countless memories of him in that same position when we argued, and he lost. My stomach lurched with the rush of memories.

  “Okay,” he said. “You win. We’ll talk about some dead guy instead of us and our future, but the answer is that I don’t know. I have no idea who killed him.” He looked away from me while he spoke, and that irritated me.

  Fuming, I pushed away from the table, taking a step toward the door. This was a waste of my time if he was going to dig in and not tell me the truth. Of course, what had I expected? The man slumped at the table was not exactly known for his devotion to the truth.

  “Hailey, wait!” he said as I pushed through the door.

  I kept my voice to an even tone. “Kat, we’re going. Now.”

  Kat, who was flirting playfully with the overly enthusiastic Intern Boy, turned away immediately, getting into the elevator. She pushed the down button as I ran forward, slipping in just before the doors started to close. I watched as Connor hurried toward us, holding his hand out and calling to me. Kat blew him a sarcastic kiss as the doors closed, and I smiled at her silliness as my heart continued pounding.

  We rode the elevator down in silence. Kat didn’t say anything, and she didn’t have to. I knew she disapproved, but I had needed that face-to-face time in order to move on. Still, I couldn’t help but think that I enjoyed watching Connor fall all over himself trying to get me back.

  Still lost in thought, I didn’t look around as we stepped off the elevator and into the lobby. Kat giggled, waving a small card in front of my face. “I got the intern’s number. We’ll see if he’s that eager about everything he does!”

  I chuckled along with her, rolling my eyes at her crudeness. As we walked toward the door, I had never wanted to get out of a building more in my entire life. I acknowledged the receptionist, who nodded to us in goodbye. At the counter, a tall, leggy blonde was telling some boring-sounding story about a party she had been to. The receptionist looked like she was trying hard to stay awake. I might have tried to save her with a question, but my mind was filled with thoughts of Connor who was probably rushing down in the elevator toward us.

  It turned out, however, he’d made another plan. At that moment, Connor—looking out of breath and sweaty—hurried down the stairs, almost falling down the last step into the lobby. Was this guy for real?

  I stared at him as he stood doubled over with his hands on his knees before calling out to me in a breathy whisper. Had Connor always been this out of shape? How different this real Connor was from the man I thought I’d loved. I had narrowly escaped marriage to a jerk, and I knew there was not a single part of me that could ever love the man again.

  “Hailey, please,” Connor said, finally able to breathe somewhat normally. “I just . . . I just want to talk. I can’t lose you, Hailey.”

  The blonde at the reception desk turned toward us to listen. Everything from the curve of her brow to the cupid’s-bow shape of her lips looked like it had been created by a master makeup artist. She seemed strangely familiar to me, but I couldn’t place her.

  Until she spoke to Connor.

  “Oh, there you are, darling!” she said, waving her glittering red nails at him. “I knew you would still be here for your meeting, so I came in for a late lunch.”

  The receptionist pushed her glasses back up onto her face. A sudden glow passed across her features as she sensed some drama building in the air.

  I was furious, my nails cutting into my palms as I balled up my fists. Connor was still with the damned waitress? And he’d had the gall to beg me to take him back!

  Connor, looking a bit like a deer in headlights, swiveled his head back and forth between us, his eyes growing wider with each swivel.

  The waitress wrapped her arms around his waist, sliding her hands around to his hip as fire burned inside my chest. I could hear Kat hissing through her teeth, her fury seemingly almost as hot as my own.

  Oblivious, the waitress smiled up at my ex. I sensed there was very little going on behind those pretty eyes.

  Connor at least had the decency to look embarrassed. Stepping out of the circle of her arms, he pushed her aside. “Hailey, please. Crystal here is just someone to pass the time with.”

  I stared at him. What the hell? She was literally standing right beside him.

  Adding to the weirdness, she wiggled her fingers at me and said, “Hiya.”

  If it were possible, I hated Connor even more. Now there were two women in the room he’d treated with the same amount of thought he would give a speck of dirt.

  How had I not known?

  I turned on my heel without a word, thankful for a life in which Connor had no part. Then I felt his hand wrapped around my elbow as I moved toward the door. Refusing to turn around, I continued walking, hoping that my movement would loosen the man’s grip. But he just held on, refusing to let me walk out of there and move on with my life. My anger at that point reached a fever pitch. Every wrong, every fight came back to me like a montage in a movie.

  Furiously, I jerked away so hard that he stumbled backward. Things seemed to move in slow motion after that, and I watched with a mix of horror and fascination as he tumbled to the floor, a pained look distorting his features.

  Crystal gasped loudly, falling to her knees beside him. “Oh, Bubu! Are you all right?” She trailed her painted nails across his chest, and her red lips were pursed in worry.

  I could see a hint of a smile on the face of the receptionist, as she glanced toward me. Then she turned to Connor and the smile disappeared. “Should I call for help?” I had a feeling she asked more out of obligation.

  “No, it’s okay,” Connor said, defeat in his voice.

  “I would really like to leave now.” The voice was cold and unfeeling, and I recognized that it was mine. It belonged to the woman I’d slowly been becoming since Connor had betrayed me.

  From the floor, Connor glanced up at me with the face of a sad puppy. I remembered that look too; there was a time when I would have done almost anything for that sad-puppy face.

  With Kat close on my heels, I turned and left Pearlrover West, feeling like a totally different Hailey than the one who had walked in. I kept my head high as we walked out the sliding glass doors—and away from Connor Whitacre.

  Chapter Nine

  “You gonna be okay?” Kat asked as we made our way to the car.

  I hadn’t spoken for a while, and I guessed my face looked like a thunderstorm. Kat had seen that face before; that girl had been a witness to the full extent of my emotions over our many years as friends.

  Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to smile. It took real effort to relax the aching muscles in my face. “I’ve had better days,” I said. “That talk with Manchester was a bust, and then I run into the person I throw darts at in my dreams.” I sighed. “But that’s over with. I’m fine.”

  Kat chuckled, a smile splitting her features. “Good thing; I thought for a moment you were planning to drive the Jeep into the lobby and run him down.”

  I laughed out loud, pulling out my keys as we reached my Jeep. “And dent my baby? No way. I’m telling you I’m fine.” In fact, I did feel fine. I’d heard Connor out at last, and now
that chapter in my life felt like it was behind me in a freeing way. Time to focus on what was coming next. Still, a small part of me thought about going home and eating my body weight in triple-chocolate fudge ice cream.

  I unlocked the door, and we both climbed in.

  “In all the weirdness, I discovered Connor quit his job. He’s not at Griffingate anymore,” I said as I put the key in the ignition. “I wonder why he left. He said it’s because he’s a full-time investor now, but who knows if he’s telling the truth, right?”

  Kat looked sheepishly at the floor.

  I paused. “Kat?”

  She still looked at the floor.

  “Okay, Kat, what’s going on? I’m thinking you know something.”

  “Well, yeah, I heard some things,” she said in a small voice.

  “What things?” I asked.

  “After everything that went down, he was pretty hated at the office. That’s what everybody said. I guess things must have really gotten ugly for him, and it was off to greener pastures for Mr. Butthole there.”

  I was a little shocked. “And you did not tell me because . . .”

  “Because I figured Connor Whitacre was the last name you ever wanted to hear anybody say. All the others thought so too.”

  “The others?” I asked in disbelief.

  Kat looked sheepish again. “Yeah, your coworkers at Griffingate. And mine too, for that matter. Nobody wanted to approach you and talk to you about it. They thought it would only hurt you more and they would have felt embarrassed even mentioning him to you.”

  I sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

  “Besides,” Kat continued, “you barricaded yourself at my place and you told me you didn’t want to hear anything about him.”

  I sighed again. “I remember.”

  “Please don’t be mad at me? Pretty, pretty please?” Kat batted her eyelashes at me.

  I reached out to squeeze her hand. “How could I be mad at you? During all of this, you’ve saved my life, you know.”

  Relieved, she gave me a smile. “Well, if you’re all right, I should be heading home. I have work in a couple of hours.” She glanced down at her phone. “And I also apparently have a potential roommate coming by.” She sent a flurry of text messages as she continued talking. “People are starting to answer my ad.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Finally gave in on the thing about looking for a roomie?”

  She wrinkled her nose, still staring at her phone. “I still don’t want to do it, but it will save me money, and I’m running out of options here.” She sighed and leaned back against the seat. For the first time in my memory, Kat looked tired. There were dark circles under her eyes that I just now noticed.

  “If it means you don’t have to work so much, I think it’s a good thing,” I said, reaching over to pat her arm.

  Kat grinned at me, but I could tell she wasn’t feeling it. “I guess you’re probably right. I just hope this gal doesn’t turn out to be a crackpot who steals all my pillows or something.”

  I started the engine, chuckling at the thought of this imaginary roommate running out with Kat’s hypoallergenic pillows before speeding off in some tiny car. “I’m sure it will be fine,” I said. “Just make sure she signs a contract. I’ll ask my mom for her lawyer’s name and send it over. That should save you from too much heartache.”

  I dropped her off at her place and watched as she shuffled wearily to her door. I felt a little guilty; perhaps I should have just stayed on with Kat instead of getting my own place. She had a two-bedroom condo, which she could easily afford when she worked in publishing, but since quitting her job there, it was more of a struggle for her to make those kind of payments. But she loved her place and said she’d sooner find a tenth job before moving out.

  Just as I was about to pull away from the curb, my phone began to buzz, and “Darth Vader’s Theme” spilled out of the tiny speakers. No. After what I’d just gone through, I could not deal with my mom. I could not deal with her huge lips or her liposuction or any more demands for me to pick up things. I didn’t need a guilt trip right now.

  But then I stared at the blinking light, which meant a new voicemail. Sighing, I rubbed my face with both hands. What if this was the one time her “emergency” did not turn out to be fake? I sighed, picked up my phone, and listened to her message.

  “Oh darling, I’m feeling so much better. I can even be seen in public now. We should go shopping, and we could get dinner too. It’s been so long since the two of us have gone out. Call me back, darling!”

  Taking a deep breath, I held it for a moment before releasing it. The tension in my shoulders eased a little. At least she wasn’t asking for anything this time. Maybe she actually missed me. Frowning, I stared down at the phone screen.

  I pressed to return the call.

  She answered right away. “Why didn’t you pick up?”

  Not even a hello. Nice one, Mom.

  “I have a job now,” I reminded her as gently as I could. “Also, I was driving.”

  “Good. You shouldn’t be talking on the phone while you’re behind the wheel. That’s how your cousin Richard crashed his car.” My mother clicked her tongue. “Come meet me at the mall tonight, darling. It will be fun. I promise!”

  Guilt gnawed at my heart as I heard the naked loneliness in her voice. “All right. I’ll call you after work and let you know when I’m on my way and how the traffic looks.”

  “Darling, this is Palm Shores. There’s always traffic.” My mother chuckled then hung up. I rolled my eyes before tossing my phone onto the seat next to me, putting my car into drive, and zooming away from Kat’s condo.

  As I reached the interstate, I thought about how drained I felt by the last two days. It was only the day before that I had not only gotten a new job, but found a body too. Now, I’d run into my ex—and the world’s worst waitress. Kind of different from the last few months when I wallowed in my sorrows and basically did nothing.

  As I made my way to the office, I tried to imagine Griffingate without Connor there. He’d been there when I started, and we’d kept our relationship quiet at the start until we knew it was more than just a casual flirtation. After the word was out, I used to worry that the others would think he was giving me preferential treatment. Now I snorted at the thought. When it came to how Connor Whitacre treated his fiancée, no one had to worry he was going overboard with any special favors.

  Now both of us were gone from Griffingate. I wondered why he hadn’t gone for another job in the same field, or at least a similar one, once he felt the need to leave.

  Soon I was back at the Gazette, where I walked past the desk of an unsmiling Sandra, whose attitude today wasn’t even in the top-ten list of things that bothered me the most. I smiled and winked at her, causing a look of confusion to spread across her face.

  I headed straight to Jerry’s office to update him on my visit to Pearlrover—minus, of course, the part that came after a certain rat fink made an entrance on the scene. I told him about the little bit of info I’d extracted from Manchester. “I’m not sure my source will be all helpful after all,” I added, thinking of other adjectives that could describe my source. Don’t go there, I told myself. Moving on! Mind on the future, Hailey.

  “Stay with it, Webb,” Jerry said. “In this kind of business, you never really know.” He paused to scowl at something on his computer. Then he shuffled papers furiously, mumbling to himself about “open meeting laws” and something to do with “property on Hill Street.” I was about to decide that he was done with me when he threw down the papers and turned his attention back to me. “Hadfield took good notes, I take it? Is there something else the two of you need from me?”

  Okay, that was a puzzle. Mike taking notes? The two of us?

  Jerry noticed my confusion. “Hadfield was there, correct? With you at Pearlrover?”

  Why would Mike have been there?

  Again, Jerry seemed to read my silence as total cluelessness. He
closed his eyes tightly in an effort to stay calm. “When Hadfield goes to file his stories, don’t you think it would be useful for him to have heard the information you were able to procure? Didn’t you think having a reporter there to ask some probing questions might have been a good idea? This is the news business, Webb.”

  My heart began to pound. Mental forehead smack. I didn’t even think of taking the reporter with me. What was I thinking?

  “Jerry, I . . . I’m so sorry. You’re right. I should have thought of it.” I rubbed the nape of my neck. “This is still so new to me. I should have taken him with me. Of course I should have.” Damn, damn, damn, damn.

  He sighed. “Well, why don’t you get with him and fill him in ASAP?”

  “Yes. Of course! I absolutely will.”

  I was almost out of Jerry’s office when I turned around. “Thank you,” I said to my boss.

  He half-nodded as he was already studying some papers and reaching for the phone receiver.

  I headed to Mike’s desk, but he’d apparently gone out. I shook my head, thinking stupid, stupid, stupid me. But I will get better. I was determined to make this job work.

  I moved to my computer to see if I had any more tasks. It seemed the TV critic and reporter wasn’t pleased with the hotel I had booked after I confirmed her flight. I found a Marriott with an in-room coffee maker and room service, as she had specified, and emailed her the details. Hopefully, that would keep me on the good side of both the TV critic and the people in accounting. It seemed I had already displeased someone—and that would be my boss.

  Another research project also had come in, which meant I needed coffee. I walked into the break room to find a sports guy joking with one of the reporters who covered city council. I’d seen both of them around but had not been introduced. “Hi. My name is Hailey Webb,” I said with a smile. “I just started as an errand runner and assistant.”

  “Welcome to the zoo!” Billy Norris said, who covered basketball. He let out a friendly laugh, and Sue from the city desk joined in.

  “I hope you’ll like it, Hailey,” Billy told me with a smile. “All of us stay exhausted, but at least we’re never bored.”