Page 49 of Criminology of a Character

“That could work.” Griffin pulled open the front door, allowing her to enter first.

“Sheriff?” The receptionist stared at them as if an unknown guilt was urging her to bolt to keep from being arrested. “Can I help you?”

“We were hoping you could help us. Is your producer here?” Griffin flashed her a comforting smile, and the woman relaxed slightly until her eyes flicked to Bel.

“Yes.”

“May we speak to him?” Griffin asked.

“Hold on.” The woman picked up her phone and dialed a short number. “Sir, the Sheriff is here. He’s asking for you… no, I don’t know what it’s about… Okay, thank you.” She hung up. “He’ll be right down.”

“Thanks.” Griffin stepped away from the reception desk, and within three minutes, the producer jogged over.

“Sheriff.” He shook Griffin’s hand before extending it to Bel. “Sorry, Detective, remind me of your name again.”

“Isobel Emerson.” She accepted his outstretched hand.

“Right, sorry. Lots of names and stories going on. I’m Gene Lawrence, the daytime producer.”

“Nice to meet you.”

“What can I do for you?” Lawrence asked, gesturing for them to follow him to his office. “Is this about the Matchstick Girls? I have nieces, and every time I think about those poor women, I keep seeing them. It makes me sick. We’ll do anything we can to help.”

“That’s actually why we stopped by.” Griffin shrugged at Bel behind Lawrence’s back. It seemed this case was the one time the news station would willingly divulge their secrets. “Killers often return to the scene of the crime to watch the police proceedings. We were so busy with the freezer that we forgot to grab crowd photos, so I was hoping your cameras got a shot of the spectators. Maybe one of your guys filmed the killer.” He slipped seamlessly into the white lie, and Lawrence took the bait, eager to rectify the police’s failure.

“You think the killer was at the scene?” Lawrence’s gaze flashed between Bel and her boss with unsettling speed. “That’s horrifying.”

“We do,” Griffin said. “Which is why we’d be grateful for crowd footage.”

“Of course,” the producer said. “I’ll have someone send it over. If it helps catch the Matchstick Girls Killer, we’ll give you anything you need.”

Bel stifled a smirk, noticing Griffin do the same out of the corner of her eye. Lawrence seemed genuinely interested in helping the police, but ever a news producer, he realized that if his station were integral in solving these murders, his ratings would skyrocket.

“That would be immensely helpful,” Griffin said.

“Is there anything else?” Lawrence asked.

“Your company vans?” Bel asked. “Does your staff have unlimited access to them?”

“Of course,” he answered. “Breaking a story first sometimes comes down to a matter of seconds. My crews need to be ready to respond at the drop of a hat. We’re a smaller station, so we need every edge we can get. Don’t worry, Detective, if something happens, my guys will be there fast.”

“That’s good to know.” Bel nonchalantly met her boss’ gaze. “Do your reporters ever cover out-of-town stories?”

“We cover whatever gets us views,” he answered. “Why? You thinking of becoming a reporter?”

“Me?” Bel laughed.

“You’re certainly pretty enough,” Lawrence said. “Having you on camera would boost our ratings.”

“Thank you.” She smiled at him, thankful his tone was teasingly good-natured and not creepy. “But it’s not for me. I ask because we’ve identified some of the Jane Does, and they aren’t from Bajka. Solving the case might mean traveling for your crews.” She half lied to conceal her real reason for asking.

“Oh, that’s not a problem,” Lawrence said. “Unlike the big stations, we have to jump through hoops to make ends meet sometimes, so we’re fully prepared to go the distance. I’m sureyou’ve watched our channel. We hold our own, and I give my staff every opportunity to succeed.”

“I do when I’m not working,” Bel said.

“How would you feel about doing an exclusive interview?” Lawrence asked. “You’re practically a celebrity in this town. People would love a segment on you.”

“I’ll think about it,” she said. She didn’t like the idea of broadcasting her face any more than it had been, but she wouldn’t turn him down when they needed his help.

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