were far from being friends. Rocky took one look at my ability to churn out taxes and decided that I was doing something wrong. He thought I must be cheating the government or stealing from the people I prepared taxes for. I told him if he printed anything in the paper he would be opening himself up for a lawsuit. Frankly, it's just lucky that he burned up in that fire before it went any further. I was serious about suing him and had already contacted a lawyer." He returned to his desk and began reading his computer screen. "You can see yourself out."
"Mr. West, if Rocky thought there was something illegal going on with what you do here, he was probably right. Rocky Whitson was an investigative reporter, and one thing he could always spot was a con."
"Everybody's entitled to their own opinion, Mrs. Fitzpatrick. It's just too bad that yours is so wrong. Rocky was a pestilence, and frankly, I feel all happy inside when I think of him burning."
"And just where were you on the night of the fire?"
"Working late of course."
"I guess some of those returns must have taken more than eight minutes." I slammed the door and headed back to my car.
*****
What a little weasel. The more I thought about Edgar West, the more I was sure that Rocky was probably on to something with this guy. If Rocky were here I'd be rushing to the Gazette office just to tell him how right he was. Rocky wasn't here. I went across the street to the brand new office of the Pecan Bayou Courier. The new editor and owner didn't seem to be anywhere at first, but then I saw him crawl out from underneath a desk holding a cord. I heard the sound of human skull hitting wood as he tried to maneuver himself upright.
He rubbed the top of his head. "What can I do for you now?"
"Are you okay Mr.... Mr...." I stumbled because I realized I had never learned the man's name.
"Wendell. Nicholas Wendell. Mrs. Fitzpatrick." He certainly had a good memory. "I'll live."
"Yes Mr. Wendell. I was wondering if you would like your first investigative report in Pecan Bayou?"
Nicholas Wendell sat down on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms as he considered my proposition. "An investigative report? Right here in little old Pecan Bayou? Well, isn't this interesting."
"We may be a little town, Mr. Wendell, but a few things have been known to happen here."
"Is that so? May I ask just what is it that has you hopping away from your dire research on handy-dandy hints that have you so excited?"
"When you put it that way…" I started to leave.
"Wait. At least tell me what brought you in here."
"If you're going to speak to me like that maybe I don't want to work with you."
"Work with me? When did we start talking about becoming partners?"
"We didn't. It's just that Rocky had been working on this story before he ... I think it still needs to be done. I know you're busy trying to set up your office right now, but the man Rocky was investigating thinks he's getting away with something. I guess it's important because this could be Rocky's last story."
Nicholas Wendell eyed me for a moment.
"I'll tell you what. Do you know anything about hooking up computers?"
So maybe the person with all the helpful hints could be useful to the big city newspaper guy? "Just what did you need? I'm no Geek Squad, but I've hooked up a few computers."
"Yes well all of the other offices that I've worked in have had IT crew on staff. Now that I'm on my own, I'm finding it's a little more difficult than it looked. I just need to hook up the computer and printer, and then get it on my network. Eventually I hope to have other reporters in here, but for right now I can't even get myself going. I noticed your small town doesn't seem to have access to any of the big electronics outlets so I'm pretty stuck at this point. You get me hooked up to the Internet, and I'll work on Rocky's last story, deal?"
"Full disclosure … you need to know I'm not an expert at this. If it gets too complicated, I know
"Mr. West, if Rocky thought there was something illegal going on with what you do here, he was probably right. Rocky Whitson was an investigative reporter, and one thing he could always spot was a con."
"Everybody's entitled to their own opinion, Mrs. Fitzpatrick. It's just too bad that yours is so wrong. Rocky was a pestilence, and frankly, I feel all happy inside when I think of him burning."
"And just where were you on the night of the fire?"
"Working late of course."
"I guess some of those returns must have taken more than eight minutes." I slammed the door and headed back to my car.
*****
What a little weasel. The more I thought about Edgar West, the more I was sure that Rocky was probably on to something with this guy. If Rocky were here I'd be rushing to the Gazette office just to tell him how right he was. Rocky wasn't here. I went across the street to the brand new office of the Pecan Bayou Courier. The new editor and owner didn't seem to be anywhere at first, but then I saw him crawl out from underneath a desk holding a cord. I heard the sound of human skull hitting wood as he tried to maneuver himself upright.
He rubbed the top of his head. "What can I do for you now?"
"Are you okay Mr.... Mr...." I stumbled because I realized I had never learned the man's name.
"Wendell. Nicholas Wendell. Mrs. Fitzpatrick." He certainly had a good memory. "I'll live."
"Yes Mr. Wendell. I was wondering if you would like your first investigative report in Pecan Bayou?"
Nicholas Wendell sat down on the edge of his desk and crossed his arms as he considered my proposition. "An investigative report? Right here in little old Pecan Bayou? Well, isn't this interesting."
"We may be a little town, Mr. Wendell, but a few things have been known to happen here."
"Is that so? May I ask just what is it that has you hopping away from your dire research on handy-dandy hints that have you so excited?"
"When you put it that way…" I started to leave.
"Wait. At least tell me what brought you in here."
"If you're going to speak to me like that maybe I don't want to work with you."
"Work with me? When did we start talking about becoming partners?"
"We didn't. It's just that Rocky had been working on this story before he ... I think it still needs to be done. I know you're busy trying to set up your office right now, but the man Rocky was investigating thinks he's getting away with something. I guess it's important because this could be Rocky's last story."
Nicholas Wendell eyed me for a moment.
"I'll tell you what. Do you know anything about hooking up computers?"
So maybe the person with all the helpful hints could be useful to the big city newspaper guy? "Just what did you need? I'm no Geek Squad, but I've hooked up a few computers."
"Yes well all of the other offices that I've worked in have had IT crew on staff. Now that I'm on my own, I'm finding it's a little more difficult than it looked. I just need to hook up the computer and printer, and then get it on my network. Eventually I hope to have other reporters in here, but for right now I can't even get myself going. I noticed your small town doesn't seem to have access to any of the big electronics outlets so I'm pretty stuck at this point. You get me hooked up to the Internet, and I'll work on Rocky's last story, deal?"
"Full disclosure … you need to know I'm not an expert at this. If it gets too complicated, I know
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