Soon After by Sherryle Kiser Jackson Page B

solved.”
    â€œWhat am I suppose to do without my notes until then?”
    â€œThat’s the thing,” Chief Rich said. He stood as if preparing to bring this interview to a close. “The pastors are hot, which means they are live witnesses of the bureau, which means they are off limits.”
    Alexis laughed at the absurdity and looked at him closely to see if he made that last comment in jest.
    â€œI have a job to do, Chief. Taking my notes and my witnesses is not allowing me to do my job. There is such a thing as The First Amendment,” Alexis said, thinking back to her undergraduate days. Cops weren’t the only ones that could lean on their shield; journalists had their support as well. She was not going to allow herself to be intimidated.
    â€œLook,” he started.
    She was waiting for ‘toots’ or ‘dollface’ to follow. She raised her hand to silence him. There would be no more attempts at flattery. She got it. He had come to silence any further reports. “The Federal Shield law protects anyone who helps disseminate news to the public. It says that you have to do more than claim a subpoena before I should feel compelled to give you anything.”
    â€œI have been a fire marshal almost as long as you’ve been born. I get arsonists off the street so people like you don’t wake up like a human torch, or at the very least, keep your personal effects at home and your degree-laden walls of your offices from being an open barbeque pit. If you think I’d let anything come between me and that responsibility, you’ve got another thing coming.” He was not shouting. His mob boss swagger was helping him prove his point. “Everyone cooperates with Herbert Rich. So yes, I know about your law, just like I know the law that protects the medical community from breach of confidentiality and letting us look at their oh-so private medical records. Let me tell you that doesn’t stop me from dragging one of those non-complying doctors through court for infringement either.”
    You can’t bully me , which was exactly what he was doing. She couldn’t believe this was happening. What would this mean for her story? She was given the go-ahead just a few hours ago. She had to keep the momentum going on her story.
    â€œThe way I see it, the law says I need probable cause that your sworn testimony and documents are necessary for the completion of my case. Sounds subjective to me. There are so many ways around it. I am telling you if you try me and sneeze in the direction of the church and its members while I’m conducting my investigation, you will catch some kind of charge. Now, tell me, darling, do you have time to go through the legal system?”
    â€œBut, but . . .” That left her sputtering.
    â€œNow, where are the notes, and I’ll be on my way.”
    Alexis pushed over the voice recorder already on the desktop that she prepared to review for brainstorming. She walked over to her satchel like a kid asked to show a parent a bad report card. It wouldn’t do any good to protest. Martie had already shared the station’s position. She was on her own. When she looked inside the bag, she almost smiled remembering her initial notes tucked inside her spiral notebook. She handed him the folder.
    â€œIs this it?”
    â€œYes, Captain. That’s it.”

    At one o’clock, Abe was playing solitaire on a late model computer when two people entered the pawn shop. One was a possible consigner and the other was a burly investigator from the Fire Marshal’s office. Chief Rich wasted no time getting down to business after scanning the display cases, waiting for Abe to finish with his customer.
    â€œI think this is so cool, really, a man of Christ like yourself who has time to provide a decent service for the commoners in these tough economic times.” Chief Rich nodded his approval.
    â€œYeah, it’s sort of a family