“We’ll cover the hotel, we’ll cover all your expenses,” Grandfelt said. “I believe your agent Duncan has already started a procedure to do that.”
Duncan, who had been sitting quietly, said, “We’re ready to go. Virgil, you just submit your expenses as you usually do…no problem.”
Henderson said, “We’re all set, then. It’s an opportunity to do some good.”
Benucci, former newsie: “Right. Lemme know when that happens.”
7
Virgil called Lucas at eight o’clock the next morning. Weather had already gone to work, and the kids were at summer camp, so nobody was there to kill the phone except Lucas, who slept late. Virgil’s name popped up on the screen, so instead of throwing the phone under the bed, he answered.
“What do you want?” Lucas asked.
“We’re all over the goddamn network news. Our names are. They sorta fucked us.”
“What?” Still sleepy.
“The Doris reward. Boone was on NBC and got pushed around and finally said we’re running the investigation. She named us. She talked about you tracking the Vegas cannibal and shooting the 1919 killer, and about my testimony in the New York heroin sweep. She made it sound like we’re Butch and Sundance. Like catching the killer is a sure thing.”
Lucas sat up in bed, slightly more awake: “You’re saying if they put that on the jacket of your next book, that’d be a bad thing?”
Moment of silence. Then, “Let me get back to you on that.”
—
Lucas went downstairsin his shorts, turned on the TV, and there it was.
The reward created the expected media hubbub and lit a fire on the true crime websites. Lucas went out to the website set up for the reward and read that the crime files were downloaded 31,461 times in the first two hours after the morning show interviews. The files themselves were all over Facebook and included the crime scene photos in all their gruesome detail.
Lucas called Boone as soon as the law offices opened: “What the hell? You gave them my name, and Virgil’s?”
“We talked about it here at the office and thought we’d have more credibility if we mentioned the names of reputable law enforcement officers…who have a presence on the Internet,” Boone said. “As you two do.”
“You didn’t even call me?”
“Senator Henderson suggested that it wouldn’t be necessary. Or desirable,” Boone said.
“Fuck that guy,” Lucas said.
“No, I won’t be doing that,” Boone said.
Long pause.
“Uh-oh.”
“I don’t think we need to discuss the subject any further,” Boone said.
“You better lock Michelle Cornell in a closet.”
“Michelle has been spoken to,” Boone said.
“Henderson is a child,” Lucas said. “Smart, cynical, manipulative, influential and rich, but not totally in control of his sexual impulses. Listen, nobody mentioned my phone number or address or anything?”
“No, no, no, and we specifically emphasized that all inquiries should go through Michelle. My personal feeling is that a lot of these true crime hunters, the males anyway, may be sublimating something. We put up a picture of Michelle which we feel will tend to focus attention on her.”
“That’s good,” Lucas said. “Especially if the killer is still living around here and he’s insane and likes the idea of stabbing pretty, young blond women.”
“Oh…no!”
