Page 13 of Control

“I don’t understand.”

Alana remained silent for several beats, her eyes eventually shifting toward the door. Returning her attention to me, she asked, “If I tell you, and my parents happen to walk back in here, you have to promise me you aren’t going to say anything to them.”

Having just gone through what I had with Evangeline, I wasn’t exactly sure how I felt about Alana’s plan, or need, to deceive her parents. I didn’t like the idea of being pulled into a lie. But since I owed nothing to her parents, nor was it likely I’d ever see them or Alana again after this hospital visit, I figured it’d be harmless. “I promise.”

I’d barely gotten those two words out when Alana shared, “I was working.”

“Okay. And you make a living as a race car driver?”

She laughed and shook her head. “No. No, I’m a reporter.”

“The weather wasn’t bad, so I know you weren’t storm chasing. Why were you speeding?”

Alana’s throat moved with the deep swallow she took. There was something unsettling in her gaze, an uneasiness that had the protective instincts that came naturally to me kicking in.

“Do you live here in Steel Ridge?”

“I do.”

“Have you heard about the recent death of Annette Sanders?”

Something twisted in my gut. I didn’t know why, because Alana hadn’t given me any real information to make that so, but I’d heard about what happened to Annette Sanders. It was impossible to live in this town and not know about it. From what I knew, she’d been murdered, her head likely pushed beneath the surface of the lake until she drowned, and nobody had been implicated with her murder yet.

“Are you telling me you’re investigating the murder of Annie Sanders?”

She sighed. “At first, I wasn’t. But two weeks ago, my coworker who had been reporting on the story and doing some investigative journalism wound up being attacked. She was brought to the hospital and is currently intubated and sedated, so her body has time to heal. Apparently, she has a major chest wound. She hasn’t woken up yet, so I took on the story. I need to get to the bottom of it and figure out what happened.”

I gave myself a minute to put everything she’d just told me together. And I didn’t like the conclusion I drew as a result. “Was someone chasing you?”

“I’d been spotted. I’ve been working on figuring out what happened to my coworker, Yasmine, so I’ve been going around and retracing her steps. Just moments before I wound up in the accident, I stopped to get gas. I was minding my own business, pumping my gas, when a man approached me. He walked up and told me that I needed to stop asking questions and drop this whole thing, because I wouldn’t get another warning. I watched him as he walked away, climbed into the passenger’s side of a black SUV, and waited there. I was panicking on the inside, but I tried to remain calm. I put the pump back, got in my car, and drove off. But that man and whoever was in the car with him followed me. I started to freak out, and I had this thought that I’d be able to outrun them. I didn’t want them following me home.All I could think to do was drive as fast as I could. But I’m not a regular speed demon, so I lost control of my car and crashed.”

Suddenly, the way Alana reacted immediately after the accident made sense. I had chalked it up to shock, but now I wasn’t so sure that was the case. She had been fearful for her safety. She’d been threatened.

Yesterday, I happened to be there right when Alana got into her accident. Had the same thing happened today? Did I arrive at the hospital when someone who was connected to this whole situation showed up uninvited to her room?

“The woman who was here when I walked in,” I started. “How does she fit in with this?”

Alana tipped her head to the side and assessed me. “What would make you ask about her?”

Sending a dubious look her way, I answered, “I heard you yell at her when I arrived. It was sort of difficult to miss.”

Sadness filtered into her features, her expression solemn. “That was Rita. She’s my producer at the network.”

“And you were yelling at her?”

Alana let out a frustrated sigh. “Rita gave me the permission to take the lead on the Annie Sanders story, which I insisted would help us figure out who was responsible for hurting Yasmine. I’ve been doing all sorts of digging for the last two weeks, but then this happened. And Rita showed up today to tell me that Dale, the news director for the station, has decided that nobody on the team would be looking into this moving forward. He’s concerned for my safety.”

Some of the tension I’d been feeling instantly evaporated. “Well, that’s great. At least you won’t have to put yourself in harm’s way again.”

If it was possible, I was convinced Alana would have shot daggers out of her eyes at me. “It’s not great, Ty.”

“It’s not?”

She shook her head. “I can’t leave the truth uncovered. I can’t pretend my coworker isn’t fighting for her life. I can’t just act like a woman wasn’t murdered and there aren’t any suspects. Someone has to ask questions and seek answers. Someone has to search to uncover the truth.”

I couldn’t say I didn’t find her determination and dedication to the cause admirable. With so many conflicting stories that came out of the media across the nation daily, it was nice to know there were some who were in it for the right reasons. I respected her grit and tenacity. There was just one small problem. “And you think this is good at any cost?”

“I do.”

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