Page 81 of Control

Two weeks later

“Months of unanswered questions came to an end nearly two weeks ago when the man responsible for the death of Steel Ridge’s bright light, Annette “Annie” Sanders, was arrested and charged with murder. We brought you the story then, sharing the details about how it was all thanks to the selfless act of one woman brave enough to come forward with evidence that police were able to arrest that man. Jackson Taylor is now behind bars and awaiting trial.”

“We’re here just two days before Christmas, in the season of giving, and the news should help bring peace. While it’s certainly given closure to many who were hoping for answers, there’s no question of the long road filled with grieving ahead of us. We will miss Annie Sanders and the light she shined on this community. There isn’t much that can be done to alleviate the pain we’re all experiencing, but on this week’s podcast, we’re hoping a look into the legacy Annie left behind will help.”

The edit I’d done had the camera cutting away from me and turning to the piece I’d put together on Annie. A montage of images of the places she’d helped over the years, snippets of kind words and praise for her from those she’d supported, and even a short segment with her family—her mom, dad, and brother.

As I watched that part, I recalled how it all had happened. Following the arrest of Jackson Taylor, I’d received a call from Annie’s father. He’d heard about what I’d done to help get answers regarding his daughter’s murder, and he’d asked me to come for a visit to talk.

I didn’t hesitate.

And once they’d all learned about what I’d been doing from the start, how it had morphed into more than just an investigation, they were all prepared to help. Even Reed.

There was no question that Reed and his sister had a tumultuous relationship, but I’d learned that his attitude toward me following her death had been about far more than his distaste for reporters. Like Annie’s ex, Reed was dealing with mountains of guilt. He recognized how badly he’d treated her when she was alive, and to a degree, it had been easier to stay mad after her death.

But once the truth of how she was killed had been revealed, it seemed things changed for him. That was all it took for him to break down and let go of the bitterness he’d been holding on to.

Something else that might have attributed to that change was his relationship with Bethany. Apparently, they’d finally shared the truth with those closest to them. This was something I’d learned from Bethany when I met with her and Clover once again for the piece on Annie’s life.

When the segment ended a few minutes later, the edit went back to me sitting at the desk behind the microphone.

“What else can be said about a woman who gave so much of herself to her community? It’s at a time like this when we canonly hope that the impact one individual had on those around her was so profound it’ll move others to act accordingly and follow in her footsteps.”

“The world will miss Annie Sanders, but her legacy will live on for many years to come if everyone steps up and does just one kind thing each day for someone else. And to help inspire that change, to help Annie’s legacy live on, join me next week, when I’ll be talking to the man left brokenhearted by Annie’s death. Mark Watson will be sharing his plans for continuing Annie’s good work in Steel Ridge alongside her family and friends as we close out this year and this heartbreaking story of a woman gone far too soon.”

The outro played and the recording cut off.

I looked to my left, smiled, and asked, “What do you think?”

Yasmine had tears in her eyes. “This is incredible, Alana. I can’t believe everything you’ve done over all these weeks.”

“There are so many reasons I’m glad I had the chance, the biggest being that I’m happier now than I’ve ever been in my life,” I told her. “But I hate that the only reason it happened is because of what they did to you.”

Yasmine was well on her way to making a full recovery. It was going to take time, and she still had some work ahead of her, but she was making progress.

The only thing that remained unknown was the specifics of her case. While Yasmine recalled being approached in the parking lot by the men, she didn’t remember anything about the attack or the guys who did it. It was our hope that those men would be found—Jackson Taylor happened to own that restaurant. So, there was a chance the employees there were involved in carrying out his dirty work.

Perhaps, if he attempted to work out a plea deal for reduced sentencing—he was likely never going to get out—he might reveal who carried out the attack on Yasmine. Even still, hehad been the ringleader, and we knew he was the one who was ultimately responsible, even if he never laid a hand on her.

“It certainly wasn’t ideal, but it’s over now, and I’m grateful to you for not giving up, even when Dale took away that option at the station,” she said. "I still can’t get over that. Why would he not allow you to do your job?”

I shook my head. “I tried, Yaz. He refused. But now, I don’t need to worry about it, because I’m doing this. I’m going out on my own, and I’m going to be in control of the stories I cover.”

She smiled at me. “I’m so proud of you.”

“I want you with me,” I blurted.

“What?”

I returned the smile and explained, “I know you still have a long road ahead of you, but once you’re ready to get back to work, I’d love for you to join me in this new venture. It’s scary, I know, but I think we’d be great at this together. That’s why I wanted to come here to show you this. We can make our own rules and go after the stories we’re passionate about.”

Her eyes roamed over my face, her mind clearly racing. “I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say anything yet. You have time. Take the time, think about it, and whenever you’re ready, let me know. I really do believe we can be wildly successful. But if you don’t want to risk it, I completely understand.”

Laughter spilled out of her. “Alana, the risk is probably one of the biggest reasons I got into this field. I love the idea, but I want to think about it for a bit, if that’s okay.”

I nodded. “It’s totally okay. And I promise not to pressure you any further on it, but I will say this. Something about working on this story changed me. It’s not just about meeting Ty or deciding to go off on my own. I think it’s the contact I had with so many people on this one. There’s something about being able to handle this my way that just worked for me. And now, I cansee how perhaps some of the work I’ve done has helped others. I mean, I urged Mark to consider his path in life, if he really wanted to be close to Annie. And I was able to help Georgia, too. I’ve put her in contact with Annie’s family, explained how things happened at the benefit, and what Annie had intended to do for Georgia. Now, they’re covering the cost of her mom’s medical care, and they’re working to find her a position within their company to hire her for. It’s been undeniably rewarding, and I’m so excited about what’s ahead for me.”

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