"For what?"
"For destroying people who cross him."
"He can try." I try to sound tough, but not sure it’s coming off that way.
The conversation drops as more customers arrive. By nine-thirty, I'm running on fumes and espresso when my phone buzzes.
Mitchell:My office. 10:30. We need to talk.
My stomach drops. That's never good.
Me:About the article?
Mitchell:Among other things. Don't be late.
I show Isla the text. She makes a sympathetic face.
"Maybe he loved it so much he wants to give you a raise."
"Or he's pulling it because Carter Lynch's daddy made a phone call." That one seems more like what will happen.
"Pessimist." I hear Isla, and I roll my eyes.
"Realist."
At ten, I clock out and head across campus to the Tribune offices, a cramped suite of rooms in the media building that smells like old coffee and crushed dreams. Very on-brand for journalism.
Mitchell is waiting in his office, and he's not alone.
Dean Whitmore sits in the visitor's chair, looking official and uncomfortable. This is worse than I thought.
"Lennox. Sit." Mitchell gestures to the other chair.
I sit, my heart pounding.
"Your article about the hockey team," Dean Whitmore begins without preamble. "It's causing some... concerns."
"Concerns." I keep my voice level. "About the content or the truth?"
"About the timing and the tone." He shifts in his seat. "The team has a major game this weekend. This kind of negative publicity could be distracting."
"So we should wait until they're done playing to tell the truth about their behavior?" I ask, but I keep telling myself to shut up, I can not get into trouble.
"Lennox," Mitchell warns.
But I'm on a roll. "With all due respect, Dean Whitmore, if the hockey team is more concerned about an article than about fixing the problems the article exposes, that's not a timing issue. That's a priority issue."
The Dean's expression hardens. "The university has invested significant resources in that program. We have donors to consider. Reputation to maintain."
"And what about the reputation of the students who'vebeen hazed? Or the women who've been harassed? Do they not matter?"
"Of course they matter?—"
"Then let me publish the article. Let's have the conversation." I cut him off, and I have no idea where this courage is coming from.
"The article will publish," Mitchell interjects. "But there's going to be a condition."
Here it comes. The catch.
