Page 23 of 2nd Strike
Seven months along, Lily accepted a TV anchor position with the same network as Carl's morning show. She was a regular guest on that show, and often filled in for Carl's female anchor when she was sick or on vacation. By the time Ethan was born, the network decided Lily's fanbase was big enough to offer her a coveted slot—the home and family segment.
She and Carl were living the American dream… until it came crashing down, thanks to Amelia Norris.
I finish my target practice and clean my gun. My mind is clearer, my body a bit more relaxed. I toy with my phone as I'm leaving the range, silently trying out different ways of apologizing to JJ. Even though I wouldn't do things differently, I understand why he’s angry. It’s as much personal as it is professional.
I can at least take the first step to make amends and pray that between Taylor, the FBI, and myself, we figure out the truth before JJ's name gets dragged through the mud. Once news gets out, my reputation will take a beating for sure. I'm ready for it, but I don't want him to go down in flames with me.
I leave the locker room, phone still in hand when it rings. It's Meg.
“Where are you?"
I nod at the guy manning the front desk, and he gives me a salute. "Just leaving the range. What's up?"
“We have a problem, or more specifically, you and Taylor do."
I push through the double doors out into the murky sunshine. I'm still feeling good after my workout, but I'm instantly on alert. “What happened?"
“Lily Havers. Apparently, she’s none too happy about reopening the case.”
In the parking lot, I see two news vans. Outside each stands a reporter—one male and one female. The woman is fussing over her hair; her male counterpart straightens his tie, both holding microphones. Camera guys check their equipment.
“There she is," someone shouts, and everyone starts toward me.
“Shit.”
“I know," Meg says. "It gets worse.”
It's about to, all right. There's no way I can get to my car without going straight through the reporters rushing me and yelling questions, accusations.
I lift my chin and start walking as though I have blinders on and can't hear them.
I have to turn up the volume on my phone to hear Meg over their chaos. “She put out a complete media package—Twitter, Facebook, a video on YouTube, you name it. She's called a press conference that's to take place in a couple minutes, so you might want to get to a television. She claims she's suing you and the FBI.”
I knew it was coming, and yet, it still feels like a slap across the face.
"What do you think of Lily Havers’ accusations?" The male reporter shoves a microphone in my face as he and his cohorts keep pace with me. “Did you screw up, Dr. Schock? Did you give Carl and Lily the wrong child?”
The female reporter’s microphone vies for my attention, practically knocking her competitor’s away. “How could you make such a tragic mistake?" she yells at me as I fight my way to my car. “How could you do this to that family?"
“Charlie?" Meg calls from the phone. "What's going on?"
From a dark SUV a lane over from my vehicle, another woman emerges, hair swept back in a bun, power suit firmly in place. She marches toward me, her face set for battle. "My client has no comment at this time."
"I have to call you back." I end the conversation and slip the phone into my pocket.
Jackie DelRay comes in like a firestorm, and before I know it, both reporters are backing away as she threatens them with lawsuits, and more indirectly, with physical bodily harm if they so much as look at me wrong.
She does it all with a smile as she hustles me into my vehicle. “I’ll handle this. Meet me at your office in twenty minutes. Don’t talk to anyone in between."
She shuts the door on my reply, and for a moment, I watch and admire her as she backs the reporters all the way up to their vans. They are packing up to leave as I hurry out of the parking lot. I wonder if they'll try to follow me to Schock Investigations, but whatever Jackie said to them does the trick.
No one follows me but her.
12
Meg
Ihang up with Charlie and cluck my tongue. “The shit hit the fan already.”
