“Not speeding. But go on.”
“You skidded and collided with a car. Lange was thrown and killed.”
“… Is that it?”
“She said you’d been drinking that night and that you had no business being on the road.”
“What else?”
Cole shrugged. “That’s it. I thought I’d run it by you before I did anything more with it.”
“I’m glad you have, for your sake more than mine.” Web’s entire body was rigid with barely leashed fury. “If you’re hoping to get a story out of this, I’d think twice. In the first place, she had the facts wrong. In the second place, the police report will bear that out. And in the third place, if you print something like this, you’ll have a hefty lawsuit on your hands. I will not stand by and let you—”
“Hold on, pal,” Cole interrupted gently, raising a hand, palm out. “I’d never print a thing without getting the facts straight, which is why I’m here. I know you don’t trust the paper, but this isme.We’ve talked about situations like this many times. If the facts don’t merit a story, there won’tbea story.” He sat back.
“So. Why don’t you tell me what happened that night?”
Web took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. Very slowly and distinctly, he outlined the facts of the accident. By the time he was done, he was back on the edge of fury. “You’re being used, Cole. I don’t know who the caller was, but I’ve got a damned good idea…. Is this off the record now, just between us?”
“We’re friends. Of course it is.”
Web trusted him. He also knew that nothing he was about to say wouldn’t come out eventually, and that if Cole chose to print it, friend or no, Web would have even greater grounds for a lawsuit. He knew that Cole knew it, too.
“I’m engaged to marry Marni Lange. It was her brother who died that night. Her parents have always blamed me for the accident, regardless of the facts or the police report. Needless to say, they’re totally against our marriage. I suspect that it was her sister who called you, and that her major purpose was vengeance.”
Cole ingested the possibility thoughtfully. “It’s not a unique motive.”
“You should be livid.”
The other shrugged. “One out of four may be done for vengeance, but even then there’s often a story that will sell.”
“Well, there isn’t one here. It’s history. It may be tragic, but it’s not spectacular. Hey, go ahead and check out my story. Get that police report. You can even interview the drivers of the other two cars. They were the first ones to say that there wasn’t anything I could have done, that both of them had passed me on the road right before the accident, and that I wasn’t weaving around or driving recklessly. The bartender at the tavern we’d been to said we’d been stone sober when we’d left. The first car skidded. The second one collided with it and started spinning. I braked, but the road was wet. I might even have been able to steer clear if one of those cars hadn’t careened into me.” He took a quick breath, then sagged. “It’s all there in black and white. An old story. Not worth fiddling with.”
“If you were a nobody, I’d agree with you.” When Web bolted forward, he held up his hand again. “Listen, what you say makes sense. I’m just doing my job.”
“Your job sucks. This isn’tnews,for God’s sake!”
“I agree.”
“Do you trust me?”
“I always have.”
“Do you believe that what I’ve told you is the truth?”
Cole paused. “Yes, I believe you.”
“Then … you’ll forget you got that call?”
Another pause, then a nod. “I will.” And a sly grin. “But will you?”
“Not on your life! Someone’s going to answer for it!”
“Watch what you do,” Cole teased. “You may give me a story yet. Though come to think of it, you’ve got my news editor wrapped around your little finger. I’m not sure she could bear to print anything adverse about you.”
Web’s answering grin was thin and dry. “If it’d sell, she’d do it…. Give her a kiss for me, will you?”
“My pleasure.”
