Officer Jones

Chapter 79

“You look radiant as usual,” I greeted Lauren.

“Don’t try to butter me up, John Peter. If you invited me here because you want me to interview you, well, you are a dollar late and a day short.”

“Actually, I wanted both you and Cliff to come. Where is he?” I asked, letting the butchered saying pass without comment.

“He’s parking the car. Before he gets here, I just want to say that it’s very obvious the reason you asked us here was to beg for your job back. So I want you to know that I’m a team player, and I won’t stand in your way. I will do my best not to think less of you when I’m your boss.”

I began to choke on my hot dog. “I’m sure any man would be honored to be under you. And I’m sure many have been.”

“Your smarty-pants comments don’t work on me anymore, John Peter. The fact is, you thought GNZ would crumble without you. Between my reporting on the Kingsbury case, and our new edgier shows this fall, not only did we not miss a beat, but we found that old guys like you were making us stale.”

Rockfield didn’t waste any time in the second half, scoring on the third play to the roar of the crowd.

“I caught Todd Scott’s edgier show, the Todd Squad for Truth. Where’d you guys find him, the Mental Health Channel?”

“Make fun all you want, John Peter, but Todd is a revolutionary.”

“Sort of like Castro was.”

“You are just jealous that he’s not afraid to feed America the answers it starves for.”

“I guess if you can’t report the news, you might as well make it up.”

“You wouldn’t know cutting edge if it hit you in the head,” she replied angrily.

She might’ve had a point, but to be fair, I often did want a sharp cutting edge to stick in my eye when I was with her. I thought that should count for something.

Our stimulating conversation was interrupted by Cliff Sutcliffe, also stylishly overdressed for a high school football game. I was getting worried that he’d dropped Lauren off and hightailed it back to the city. Not that I could argue against the strategy, but I needed him here.

We shook hands like we were long lost friends. Lauren excused herself so that she could use the “ladies room.” Her acting hadn’t improved since the last time I’d seen her.

When she was safely out of earshot, Cliff began his spiel, “JP, I need you back. Even MSNBC has passed us in the ratings!”

“Ratings are overrated.” I said with a smug grin.

“You drive a hard bargain, but I’ll double the offer from last time.”

“I’m not coming back, Cliff.”

His face looked like a balloon that had been popped with a needle. “Then why was it so urgent for us to trek out to the wilderness tonight?”

“I started working at GNZ when I was seventeen. The place will always be part of me, and I hate to see it struggle. So I wanted to give you a scoop about something big going down here in Rockfield.”

“What big event could possibly take place in this Podunk town?”

“You mean like the brother of a certain celebrity journalist dying in a tragic accident last month?”

“I’m sorry, JP, I forgot to mention to you how sorry we at GNZ are for your loss.”

“The only thing you’ll be sorry about is if you don’t follow up on the lead I’m about to give you. Here’s the scoop-Noah’s death wasn’t a suicide. Do you remember those terrorists who put a bounty on me last year?”

His eyes grew wide behind his spectacles. “You’re telling me that Al Muttahedah killed your brother in an act of revenge?” he asked with a little too much excitement.

“No, what I was going to tell you is that when it’s revealed who was behind Noah’s death, it will be bigger than that.”

Right on schedule, Lauren returned. “So have you come to your senses, John Peter, and decided to come back to work for me at GNZ?”

When she realized that the answer was no, her face flushed with anger.

But before the tongue lashing commenced, Cliff spoke, “JP won’t be re-joining us at this time, but he offered us a lead on a big story.”

Her pouty look perked up. “How big?”

“Huge,” I said. I’d broken so many big stories over the years that they couldn’t completely dismiss me. “There will be a press conference here at Rockfield Town Hall first thing tomorrow morning, at which the police will announce the arrest of the man who killed my brother. And when the name is released, it will be the biggest story of the year, I promise you. I took the liberty of booking you both rooms at the Hastings Inn here in town, so you can be there bright eyed and bushy tailed.”

Sutcliffe didn’t need convincing, GNZ hadn’t broken a big story since I’d left. Lauren appeared visibly intoxicated. This was too easy-like shooting fish in a barrel. Although, I once watched Carter try to do that and it wasn’t really that easy.

The game ended with Rockfield winning 52-6. “You want an interview tonight?” I asked.

“Of course, John Peter,” Lauren could barely contain herself.

I led them onto the field and introduced them to my brother Ethan, who was sporting the smile of a victorious coach.

Lauren looked indignant. “I thought you wanted me to interview you, John Peter-your first official interview since being captured. Why would I interview him?”

I shrugged. “Because he’s the winning coach. They always interview the winning coach.”

I guess she wasn’t interested because she stormed off, muttering to herself. Sutcliffe followed, but gave me a thumbs-up to indicate they’d be at the press conference.

I congratulated Ethan on the win, and he predictably gave credit to the players.

On my way out, I again made eye contact with the man claiming to be Officer Jones. I smiled at him, which seemed to momentarily confuse him. I might not be cutting edge, but this old dog still had a couple tricks up his sleeve.