Page 13 of Exclusive

“But I’d love a new friend.”

He nodded. “Fair enough, Ms. Skyler. You’ve got one. See you around?”

“You will. Take care, Jake. You saved me today, and I will not forget it.”

My adrenaline pumped and I bounced on my heels like a prizefighter. This was the kind of work I’d been dreaming about as I twiddled my thumbs at produce festivals. I was finally chasing astory, and it felt good. I closed my notebook and pulled out my phone, ready to place a call to one Essie at Kendall’s Steakhouse.

* * *

“What’s going on? You look like a happy little reporter,” Carlos said as he rounded the corner from the break room. The traffic pattern flowed around the perimeter of the newsroom, almost like a highway, and my desk offered the perfect rest stop on the curve. People stopped to chat, eat their snack, and shoot the breeze before they carried on. It was actually dumb luck because it gave me the chance to get to know everyone and keep an ear to the ground for what kinds of stories were in the works. The downside was I was a target for idle conversation when I should really be chasing my own stories.

“I am happy. I finally have something in the works.” I got back to typing with verve.

“And that would be…?”

I paused. I was still early and maybe spilling to Carlos would be shooting myself in the foot. We worked for the same station, so he wasn’t exactly competition. Yet I felt the need to guard what I had like an alert junkyard dog on a gravy mission. “I’ve got some intel that there’s some drama at the sheriff’s office.”

His eyes went wide and he came closer. “Denison?”

“Yeah. It’s actually sounding pretty juicy.”

“Tell me what you have, and maybe I can contribute.”

I recounted the gist of what I’d learned eavesdropping and the rest from Jake. As I spoke, I caught a glimpse of Carrie passing on the way to her desk. She’d be going live soon for the five o’clock. She was dressed and already through hair and makeup, most of which she did herself. As much as I didn’t want to be, I was always acutely aware of her presence. The back of my neck prickled as she got closer, and when she sat down, everything in me tightened just a little bit.

“That does sound juicy,” Carlos said. “Have you pitched it to Kristin and co?”

“Not yet. I need attribution. Someone on record. But I have a lead.”

“Couldn’t hurt to let Kristin know what you have working, though. Keep me posted.” Carlos offered me a fist bump, took a bite of his apple, and carried on his way.

A moment of silence passed. “I’d be careful if I was you,” Caroline said.

I turned to my right. “Oh. Why do you say that?”

“Well, because this isn’t WBBA.” She knew where I’d worked last? I filed that away. “The reporters here are cutthroat. They have to be.”

My high came crumbling down like the walls of Jericho. I felt warmth hit my cheeks. That always happened when I was embarrassed, dating all the way back to third grade when I’d been asked by Mrs. Middleton to explain why Mars was red but had not read the chapter as assigned.

“Carlos seems harmless. He’s actually been the friendliest out of everyone.” I said it with a smile, but sure, there was a hint in there. A nod in her less-than-friendly direction.

“And he is. Mostly. But you just gave him a week’s worth of information to do with what he wants. He’s a story hound, and you’re discounting that.”

I balked. “Yeah…but I don’t get the feeling he’d step on my toes in any way.”

She offered me a beautiful smile that said I was so very naive. It made me angry. The know-it-all condescension. “Okay. Then carry on.”

“I will.”

She studied her screen, and I focused on my social media scour, checking out any interaction between cast members of my burgeoningstory. When Caroline headed to the studio, I picked up the phone and placed a call to Essie.

“Interesting,” she said, when I explained who I was. “I’ll be honest with you, Ms. Ruiz. I’m not a fan of my boss or what went down. The sheriff is an ass and a misogynist.” Her voice was loud, brash. Like she didn’t care who heard her. This was a woman with an axe to grind, and that made her helpful to my cause.

“I had a feeling, which is why I gave you a call.”

A long pause. “Yeah, I’ll talk to you.”

I hopped in my seat. “Great. Can we set something up for tonight?”

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