Move to Strike by Sydney Bauer Page B

found myself supporting Jeffrey’s version of events to a T.’
    â€˜You told them your business partner killed his wife?’ asked Sara.
    â€˜Accidentally – yes, I did.’
    â€˜Risking the possibility the network might drop him from their stable?’
    â€˜Drop us – yes,’ she said, turning her attention to David. ‘But before yougo labelling me a Good Samaritan I must warn you that my decision was not entirely gallant. For I told the CEO that I wanted to discuss something with you and Miss Davis here first, before I spoke of the other matter – a matter which Jeffrey has specifically asked me to keep in the strictest of confidence.’
    David looked at Sara, wondering where in the hell this might be going.
    â€˜I am sorry Ms de Castro, you are going to have to . . .’
    â€˜Of course,’ she interrupted. ‘Forgive me. But if I am to explain I shall need your patience. You see, things are not as simple as they seem. In many ways it is much safer for me to stick to Jeffrey’s account of what happened, for despite what you might expect would be the fallout from him killing his wife, in many ways it is the best scenario for him professionally.’
    â€˜I don’t understand,’ said Sara. ‘How can Jeffrey’s killing his wife not have a negative effect on his reputation?’
    But de Castro was already shaking her head. ‘Because an accident is an accident,’ she said. ‘And as strange as it may seem, once the dust settles, the sympathy sparked by such a tragedy may even see a rise in his popularity.’
    â€˜You think the American public will embrace Jeffrey Logan for what he is supposed to have done?’ asked David, incredulous.
    â€˜I think it is better than the alternative.’
    â€˜Or rather,’ said David, ‘the truth.’
    De Castro looked at him, before finally nodding.
    â€˜You are right,’ she said. ‘If Jeffrey – a man who has built his entire career on his ability to advise families on how to hold it all together – is exposed as the father of a child who . . .’
    â€˜Blew his mother to bits,’ interrupted David. He could not hold it in. All this talk of how Stephanie’s murder would affect ‘poor Jeffrey’ was slowly making him sick to his stomach. ‘Yes, I can see how that would rankle.’
    There was silence as David took a breath before going on.
    â€˜Here’s the thing, Katherine,’ he began, leaning forward in his seat. ‘First up, Stephanie used to be a friend of mine, and a good one, so forgive me if equating her murder with ratings points doesn’t exactly sit right where I am coming from.
    â€˜Secondly, whether you support Jeffrey’s version of events or not, itisn’t going to change the sequence of the inevitable. The forensics will not adjust themselves to suit Jeffrey’s image concerns, and I am afraid the good doctor is going to have to live with that, professional reputation or not.
    â€˜Finally,’ he took a breath. ‘If there is something you have to tell us, if you have
any
information that has some bearing on this case, then you need to share it and you need to share it now. Because if you don’t, I can guarantee you, the ADA will find it and take great pleasure in using it against us.’
    Katherine de Castro said nothing, just ran her left hand up her right arm so that her bangles chimed against one another in sequence.
    â€˜I am sorry,’ she said softly. ‘It is just that for so many years my job has been to pre-empt problems and shut them down before the public gets even an inkling that they exist. But in this case, once the truth is out, once the media are made aware of what really happened and more to the point
why
then . . .’
    â€˜What?’ David could not believe his ears. He shot a glance at Sara. ‘
Why?
Not just
what
really happened