All Dressed in White

58

Laurie pushed her chair back from the desk in her room the second she heard the beep of a key card in the door. Timmy and Alex were back from the water park, both in swim trunks and Knicks T-shirts.

She gave Timmy a hug. His hair was still warm, and he smelled of chlorine and sunscreen. “So how was it?”

“It was awesome! I think it was even better than Six Flags.” Coming from Timmy, that was the equivalent of Shangri-la. He surprised her by saying that he wanted to tell her all about it but was hot and wanted to take a shower. He was growing up so fast.

Once she heard the water running, she began briefing Alex on what he’d missed this afternoon. She showed him Jeremy’s photographs of Meghan, as well as the yearbook information from Colby. When she was finished laying out her case, he put his hands on his hips and exhaled. “Just when we thought we were getting somewhere.”

“I know. I was sure it was Jeff. Now I think Meghan was involved. And I’m wondering if I’m missing something once again.”

“But what about the ring Amanda was wearing?”

“Amanda could have been the one to take the bands from the safe. Maybe she wanted to try hers on to see how she felt about it, and maybe Meghan didn’t realize she was still wearing it later.”

“That’s a lot of maybes.”

“Exactly. Which is why I have no idea what to do with this evidence. In the other specials, we found clear enough proof to be absolutely certain about the truth. We were able to produce our show and identify the killer, all at once. But now I have this evidence against Meghan, and I want to keep digging. But Brett’s breathing down my neck to finish so we can go to air. Plus, I feel like I should tell the police what we know-”

Alex finished her thought. “But right now it’s exclusive to you. And if you share it with the public-”

“There goes my scoop. And Brett will want my head on a platter.”

“Is he really that ruthless? He’d want you to sit on evidence?”

“Unless it’s subpoenaed, absolutely. He told me once that the Nielsen ratings were his religion.” She felt a hot coal forming in the pit of her stomach. “I don’t know what to do.”

Alex placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “First of all, try not to panic. The last Meghan knew, I was giving Jeff the third degree. She has no idea you have these pictures, right? Or that Leo called Colby?”

Laurie nodded and was already starting to calm down. Alex always had that effect on her.

“Okay,” he said confidently, “that gives you some time to think. Why don’t I clean myself up and we can all have an early dinner. Grace and Jerry, too. We’ll go over everything we know, and then you can decide whether to go to the police now or keep working.”

“That sounds good,” she said, moving into his embrace.

“Now, is there any chance I can take your mind off this by telling you about the trip to the water park today?”

“I would love that,” Laurie said with a smile. “I can’t even picture Jerry with wet hair in a swimsuit, hurling himself down a slide.”

“You would have loved the sight of it. He was like a big kid, and Timmy was overjoyed to have a friend who was at least as excited as he was to play in the water.”

“And what about you?” she asked. “If I ask Jerry, will he have pictures of you bouncing into the waves?”

Alex put on an intentionally haughty expression. “I’m much too dignified. But it’s possible I had an identical twin on the premises. And I imagine he looked ridiculous with six feet and four inches of arms and legs sticking out everywhere.”

“If Jerry has pictures,” Laurie quipped, “I’m sending them to the Law Journal.”