When Day Breaks by Mary Jane Clark Page B

see if we can find it out here.”
    “How did she get it?”
    “What do I look like? The Jeopardy! champ? How do I know? Maybe someone gave it to her, maybe she stole it, maybe she was killed for it.”
     
     
     
    Lauren watched for B.J. while she paced up and down at the side of the KEY News satellite truck. Finally she spotted him coming out the woods and rushed toward him.
    “Did you get the pictures?” she asked with an expectant look on her face.
    “I couldn’t. The fence was too high,” B.J. explained, out of breath. “But—”
    Lauren cut him off. “What do you mean, you didn’t get them?”
    Her tone irked B.J. “Just what I said,” he answered. “I wasn’t able to climb over the fence with my camera. But—”
    “No buts, B.J. You didn’t get the pictures, and that’s that. I don’t have time to listen to any excuses. I have a script to finish writing.” Lauren spun around and stalked back to the satellite truck.
    B.J. watched her go and struggled to keep his face expressionless. If anyone asked him later, he could truthfully say that he had tried to tell her.
    Stupid, stupid woman.

CHAPTER 22
     
    G etting increasingly closer to deadline, Lauren found fault with every single script suggestion Annabelle made and complained bitterly that she wasn’t getting the support she needed. Though Annabelle attempted to reassure Lauren and do everything she could think of to provide the most editorial and material assistance possible, she was relieved when her cell phone rang. It was an opportunity to escape the truck and get away from Lauren.
    “Hi, Annabelle. It’s Eliza. How’s it coming out there?”
    “It’s coming.” Annabelle’s voice was flat.
    “That good, huh?”
    “Don’t worry. We’ll be able to make a piece. We have exteriors of the property, an interview with the housekeeper and some neighbors.”
    “Any of them see anything?” asked Eliza.
    “Well, the housekeeper, as you know, is the one who found the body. We have only reaction to Constance’s death from a couple of the neighbors. Nobody can see anybody else’s house out here. So far we haven’t had anyone come forward to say they heard or saw anything suspicious.”
    “Police?” asked Eliza.
    “They say they’ll send someone out to talk in a half hour. I really wish we could get pictures of the pool, but the police still aren’t letting anyone on the grounds. I called Boyd Irons and asked him to call Constance’s sister and see if we could arrange access through her.”
    “That’s kind of a long shot, isn’t it?” asked Eliza. “If the cops want the crime scene cordoned off, they aren’t going to open it just because Constance’s sister asks them to.”
    Annabelle heaved a deep sigh. “You know that, and I know that, but Lauren wanted to try anyway.”
    “I get the picture,” said Eliza. “Not the easiest assignment you’ve ever had, huh?”
    “Let me put it this way,” said Annabelle. “Lauren is a challenge. I know she’s under a lot of pressure, so I’m trying to make allowances.”
    “All right,” said Eliza. “Get back to it…but, Annabelle?”
    “Yes?”
    “I just wanted to tell you that I’m very sorry about Constance. I know you two were very close.”
    “Thank you, Eliza. I appreciate your saying that. Our friendship disintegrated quite a while ago, but at one time we were really tight. We started out at KEY together, and over the years she was a good friend to me. But, unfortunately, the relationship changed.” Annabelle paused as she reflected. “I always hoped that Constance and I might patch things up someday. I always thought there would be plenty of time for that.”

CHAPTER 23
     
    T he five o’clock news blared from the radio in the taxi Boyd took uptown from his place to Central Park South. He listened carefully to the announcer’s words. Constance had been found dead in the pool at her home in Westchester County. Police weren’t sure yet what the cause of death was.