The Sleeping Beauty Killer

20

Laurie should not have been surprised to see Ryan Nichols waiting on Brett’s office sofa when she arrived for the meeting. He seemed to be getting more comfortable by the day. Maybe by next week he’d have a bed and nightstand in the corner. She still couldn’t believe that Brett had hired his best friend’s nephew for the job.

“Ryan, how are you managing to juggle your schedule to make time for the show? As Brett may have mentioned, we lost our previous host, Alex Buckley, because the pressures of a law practice were too much to balance with our production needs.”

“Didn’t Brett tell you? I’m taking a break from practice. I’ve got a full-time exclusive contract here at Fisher Blake Studios. In addition to hosting Under Suspicion, I’ll be pitching in on the other news programs, giving legal opinions on the entertainment shows when celebrities get into court trouble, that kind of thing. If it works out, I may produce a show of my own.”

He said it as if creating a television show was a little hobby. If I take to playing in the sand, I may even build my own castle.

Brett gestured for her to take a seat next to Ryan. “I’ve got to tell you, Laurie, I give you a hard time about putting journalistic principles over television ratings, but you hit the jackpot this time around. The Sleeping Beauty is back in the headlines, and as far as I can tell, she hasn’t spoken to anyone but you.”

“Not other reporters. Just her family.”

“Are you sure?” he asked. “I can’t count the number of times we’ve been burned by sources who told us we were their one and only.”

“I’m quite sure, Brett. In fact, Casey just left my office with her cousin, and I have her word that she’s on board if we decide to run with her case.”

“Her word?” Ryan said skeptically. The annoyed glance between the two men was unmistakable. “Did she sign an agreement?”

“Actually, Ryan, she’s signing it right now. Do you need me to show you a copy? One of the biggest challenges of our format is getting participants to trust us enough to cooperate. I build that trust from the very beginning. Getting her to sign that piece of paper is a big deal to me.”

“Don’t get so emotional,” Brett said. “I know you have your bonding thing with the subjects. What did you find out about that missing picture?”

She told them about her meeting Friday evening with Elaine Jenson, who had a detailed recollection of the frame being on Hunter’s nightstand before he left for the gala.

Brett seemed satisfied, but then Ryan interrupted. “That doesn’t mean anything. Police didn’t respond to the 911 call until after midnight. For all we know, the frame got broken during an argument and Casey managed to clean it up before calling the police. She’s using it now as a red herring.”

It was the same counterpoint Grace had raised.

“Then why didn’t she use it when her trial started to go south?” Laurie asked rhetorically. “Because it’s not a red herring. When Casey contacted me she said that at the time of the trial, she wasn’t even aware that the picture was missing.”

Seeing Brett look at Ryan, Laurie feared the worst until her boss said, “I agree with Laurie. It’s possible to explain away the missing picture, but it’s enough of a mystery to hook an audience. It’s new evidence. So is the financial gobbledygook with the friend at the foundation. It keeps the show from being a rehash of a fifteen-year-old trial, and that’s all that matters. But here’s the thing, Laurie: Mindy Sampson is blogging 24/7 about Casey’s every move. Casey’s the flavor of the moment, and news cycles die fast. She’ll be old news before long, so we’ll need to film quickly.”

With each Under Suspicion special, Brett’s ratings expectations went up, while his time line shortened. Unlike Laurie’s previous episodes, this case had already gone to trial, so she’d have the court record to work with, giving her a head start. “I’ll go into production as soon as feasible,” she said.

“Where’s the Raleigh family on this?” Brett asked. “It’s hard to imagine the show without them.”

Laurie was proud to have secured the participation of the victim’s family for every single episode so far. “I don’t know. I’ve left messages for Hunter’s father, but haven’t heard back. It doesn’t help matters that his assistant, Mary Jane, is on Casey’s list of alternative suspects. But I have an appointment to see his brother, Andrew, this afternoon.”

“Very well then. You get someone from the family on board, and it’s a go.”

As Laurie walked out of Brett’s office, she heard Ryan say, “I tried a major fraud trial on a week’s notice. We should be able to handle this.”

She was beginning to wonder when the other half of the “we” was going to start earning his paycheck.