Soon After by Sherryle Kiser Jackson

have that much fight left in him.”
    â€œI know but—”
    â€œPlease, Abe,” Her entire body trembled with each word. “Forgive us. You’re a preacher; just pray. God will take care of the rest.”
    This time she stood and made her exit, leaving behind a discolored and slightly disfigured metal box that she had sat upon.

Chapter 7
    Three White Lies and a Gag Order
    At ten o’clock Friday morning, Alexis was given the green light for another Inside 7 exposé in her series, the Easter Church Inferno. The viewers’ response had been tremendous, and she left the conference room with the viewers’ emails printed and piled in a folder. She was amazed at the sentiments and generosity expressed toward Pastor Abe Townsend. Apparently a churchless congregation plucked a few heartstrings. Even a few people mailed in a love offering, hoping the station would be able to deliver to a church that presently had no address.
    She dipped inside a private editing room to process it all and to begin structuring her next story. She had not been in there more than twenty minutes before Martie Hamilton escorted an official looking gentleman into the room wearing a bomber jacket that bore the shield of the Maryland State Fire Marshal’s office. He was introduced as Chief Herbert Rich, assigned to investigate the Harvest Baptist Church fire case.
    Alexis didn’t have a good feeling about this visit. No sooner had he gotten into the room before the production manager, Mark Shaw, was calling him back into the hallway, leaving Alexis alone with Martie. She could see Mark handing a bulging padded envelope to the man through the vinyl vertical blinds.
    â€œWhat’s the deal with this guy?” Alexis asked.
    â€œHe wants to see everything that you have done on the Harvest story,” Martie said.
    â€œHe’ll have to wait on part two,” Alexis said cockily.
    â€œHe says he can get a subpoena, Alexis. Mark said for us to just give him whatever he asks for. He says he doesn’t need the headache.” He continued in hushed tones as if the man could hear through the cinderblock walls. “Mark is probably giving him a copy of your report from Easter to see if it will produce still markers of the scene and the crowd watching. He also wants the unedited version of your Inside 7 piece too, as well as your notes. I have a feeling he’ll be here for a while, but first he wants to interview you.”
    â€œI’m not handing over my notes to this guy. I’m working on another—” Alexis said, ending her sentence abruptly when the investigator reentered the room.
    He was a stocky, hard-nose looking man with an unrelenting unibrow that made her question her last statement. Martie took that as his cue to leave, signaling to Alexis with his eyes that she had been warned. Alexis extended her hand to the empty swivel chair across the room for him to sit.
    â€œAlexis Montgomery, I’m Chief Herbert Rich. I’ve seen your report. You’re direct and to the point. I like that. You should work for us,” he said. His brow relaxed into a sagging clothes line, which softened his face a bit.
    â€œThank you, but I think I’ll pass. My job is stressful enough. What can I do for you?” Alexis crossed her legs at the knee to provide a perch for her arms to rest.
    â€œI just have a few questions for you. I know you’re busy.” He took out a small memo pad, flipped over a few pages, and then placed it on his lap as if he might have to reference it later. “Since you were one of the first ones on the scene, I need for you to paint a picture for me of what was going on before you went on air.”
    â€œI just remember it being very chaotic. People were everywhere.”
    â€œI talked to Danny, your cameraman, before he had to run out. I tell you, real caveman there. He talked a bit about staging the story. I take it you were prohibited from