Part 19 (1/2)
”Mark was your brother's close friend, correct? It seems like he would have been a natural successor in leading the foundation. But instead, he resigned just a few years after your brother was killed. Were there problems?”
”No.”
Ryan paused, waiting for further explanation, but Andrew remained silent.
”Have you stayed in touch with him?” Ryan asked.
Andrew smiled politely, but his usual charisma was gone. ”He was more Hunter's friend than mine.”
”How about your father? Is he on good terms with Mark Templeton?”
”Why are you asking so much about Mark?” When he began to reach for the microphone clipped to his s.h.i.+rt collar, Ryan effortlessly s.h.i.+fted gears back to Andrew's favorite memories of his brother.
Good job, Laurie thought. We weren't going to get any more information out of him, and you kept him in his seat. Ryan was finding his sea legs.
Once the interview had wrapped, Ryan immediately asked Andrew if he could show Jerry and a camera team around the property. ”We want viewers to see why your brother considered this his home.”
When Andrew and Jerry walked out the back door, it was 12:17. General Raleigh's ”PTA,” as his son had called it, was in thirteen minutes. Just as they'd planned, Andrew's tour of the grounds should keep him from notifying his father that they'd been asking about Mark Templeton.
But then twelve-thirty became twelve-forty and then twelve-fifty. Laurie's phone rang shortly before one o'clock.
”This is Laurie.”
”Ms. Moran, this is Mary Jane Finder calling for General Raleigh. I'm afraid the General won't be able to make it to Connecticut today.”
”We thought you'd already left the city. We're already filming.”
”I understand that. I'm afraid time got away from us. But Andrew is there. He should be able to get you whatever you need in terms of access to the house.”
”We need more than access to the property. Both you and the General agreed to tell us whatever you know about the night Hunter was killed.”
”Frankly, Ms. Moran, the evidence speaks for itself, doesn't it? Not that you asked my opinion, but I'd say Ms. Carter has cost the Raleigh family enough without wasting their time with this futile reality show.” She said the words reality show as if they were dirty.
”I was under the impression that General Raleigh still believes strongly that Casey Carter is guilty. We thought he'd want an opportunity to express his beliefs. You found a reason not to sit down with us on camera yesterday. Did you persuade your employer to stand us up today?”
”You underestimate General Raleigh if you think anyone pulls his strings. Please, Ms. Moran, I'm sure your show craves drama, but there's no conspiracy here: he is on a very tight writing schedule right now for his memoirs, which, with all due respect, are a better venue for his thoughts than your program. You're free to do whatever you want with your production, but General Raleigh won't be able to partic.i.p.ate in the coming days.”
”And you? You're also a witness to the events of that night.”
”I'll be busy helping General Raleigh with his book.”
”Speaking of the General's book, that's for Holly Bloom at Arden Publis.h.i.+ng, correct? We'll be reporting Holly's role in publis.h.i.+ng Jason Gardner's tell-all book about Casey, not to mention her a.s.sistance in securing a job for the Raleigh Foundation's former chief financial officer, Mark Templeton. Does the General know that we'll be reporting these connections, Ms. Finder?”
”Have a good afternoon.”
Mary Jane didn't need to acknowledge Laurie's question. The answer was already clear. Of course General Raleigh knew the information they were reporting. That's exactly why Laurie was looking at an empty chair in the living room.
50.
Forty-five miles from New Canaan, in his Manhattan townhouse, General James Raleigh watched his a.s.sistant hang up the phone on his desk. He had only heard Mary Jane's side of the conversation.
”She thinks you're pulling my strings, does she?” he said with a wry smile.
”Pity the person who would try such a thing.”
”How did she handle the news that I would not be coming up to Connecticut?”
”Not well. As you predicted, she tried fear tactics. And I'm afraid I need to apologize. I realize that when I first called her a.s.sistant, Grace, I mentioned the name of your publisher. She's connected it to Jason Gardner's book.”
The General waved off the apology as unnecessary. ”I'm actually surprised no one realized earlier that Jason's agent and editor were both friends of mine. I see nothing wrong with the fact that I encouraged a man who knew that woman's dark side to tell the truth about her.”
”She also mentioned Mark Templeton.”
The General steepled his fingers. ”I knew when she first mentioned his name to Andrew in the library that she'd be going down that road.”
The General and Mary Jane had been on their way to Connecticut when Andrew sent Mary Jane a text message, warning them that Ryan Nichols had been asking extensive questions about the foundation and Mark Templeton. The General had immediately ordered the driver to turn around.
”Do you think she knows the truth about the foundation?” Mary Jane asked.
He shook his head. He had spoken to Mark Templeton personally. He could not imagine that Mark would be stupid enough to cross him.
”She still wanted to interview me, too,” Mary Jane said. ”Apparently Casey told her that Hunter despised me and was determined to have me fired. Is that true? Did Hunter dislike me?”
The General smiled. One of the reasons he trusted Mary Jane was because, like him, she never let emotions get in her way. She, too, came across to others as cold as steel. But, also like him, she did have feelings. He had never told her how much Hunter distrusted her, because he knew she would be hurt.
”Of course not,” he said briskly. ”Hunter liked you.”
He could tell she wasn't completely satisfied with his answer. ”Did he know about my last job?” she asked.
”No,” he a.s.sured her. ”Regardless, I would never fire you, Mary Jane. What would I do without you?”
51.
At six o'clock that evening, Laurie's office was so covered in boxes, notebooks, and loose paper that she longed for the relative cleanliness of her own apartment, Timmy's clutter and all. She had just balled up a page of sc.r.a.p paper and scored another two points in her recycling bucket when she heard a knock on her office door.
”Come in.”
She was surprised to see Jerry and Ryan. They had stayed in Connecticut with the camera crew to finish up footage outside the police station and courthouse, and were supposed to go home directly from there. ”What are you guys doing here?”
”We could ask the same of you. Seemed like a team effort might be needed,” Ryan said.