sorry life. I mean, what if my sister watched that show? Found out about her mother that way?” She drummed her fingers on the bottle and looked out the window.
“See, that’s where I’m confused,” White said. “Venture may have known plenty, but why would they want to air much about your mother? From what I know—through the wife, of course—this is a touchy-feely show about making people smile.”
“I got the impression during my last meeting with Mr. Mayo that my sister’s disappearance would up the sympathy factor when the show aired, and her disappearance would be mentioned,” Emma said. “Erwin Mayo put on a good show before I signed on, but he got downright spiteful when I asked him not to air anything about my missing sister.”
“But they never said for sure they’d use this information?”
“I’ve only seen the show for the first time recently, but anything they can use to make the life-makeover candidates appear pitiful is apparently standard operating procedure,” Emma said.
“What about your mother? This Mayo guy indicated he’d be checking into her disappearance?” White was typing away as he asked the question.
“I don’t think so. She abandoned her kids, made a baby go away, and that was enough. He seemed far more interested in the missing baby.”
“Wait a minute,” I said. “Maybe he wanted you guys to be reunited on TV.”
Emma turned quickly and stared at me. “Oh, my God. That’s why he was so evasive.”
“What’s more heartwarming than a surprise TV reunion?” I said.
Emma was squeezing the bottle now, her knuckles white with the pressure. “He was going to spring this on us? With no warning?”
“Makes for great TV drama,” I said.
“That would be so wrong, at least for us. We would want a private reunion. But that’s not going to happen now, is it?”
“I’m so sorry, Emma,” I said.
“Yeah,” White said. “Tough day for you, young lady.”
Glancing out the window, I noticed that the medical examiner’s assistant had arrived. She wore the baseball cap with HCME printed on the front, a T-shirt with the same logo, and cargo pants, and was staring down at the spot where the child had been found. Then she turned to the Crime Scene Unit officers and made a sweeping gesture that took in the entire lot.
This caught Emma’s attention, too. “Something’s happening. Can I go out there? I won’t get in the way.”
“Like I said before, I don’t think—” White started.
“You’ve got her story,” I said. “Let her go, Don.”
“All right,” he said wearily. “But we stay outside the tape.” He turned to me. “I suppose you’re coming, too?”
“Certainly,” I said.
We all got out of the car, and they walked ahead of me while I speed-dialed Jeff. God, how I wished he were in town.
6
I hung back from Emma and White and gave Jeff a brief summary of this morning’s events. He told me White and Benson were experienced investigators who’d solved plenty of cases. He also said he’d brief DeShay, his partner, and see if there was anything he could do to help Emma. After talking to him, I felt a little better. But though Jeff vouched for the investigators, Erwin Mayo still had me worried.
I had no idea what his next move might be, but his crew sure wasn’t happy. I could tell by their faces as Sergeant Benson herded them back to the trailer. Benson walked side by side with a cameraman, his notebook ready.
The only people left on the street were Stu, Chelsea and Mayo, who were huddled, talking. I had a feeling Emma and I might not like their game plan. Then there were the onlookers held back by portable fences on the sidewalk across the street. You couldn’t swing a dead rat without hitting someone; that was how much the crowd had swelled. The news vans had been kept a block away, but several reporters continually shouted questions to any cop who came close, hoping for an interview. Bet this had been breaking news on every local
“See, that’s where I’m confused,” White said. “Venture may have known plenty, but why would they want to air much about your mother? From what I know—through the wife, of course—this is a touchy-feely show about making people smile.”
“I got the impression during my last meeting with Mr. Mayo that my sister’s disappearance would up the sympathy factor when the show aired, and her disappearance would be mentioned,” Emma said. “Erwin Mayo put on a good show before I signed on, but he got downright spiteful when I asked him not to air anything about my missing sister.”
“But they never said for sure they’d use this information?”
“I’ve only seen the show for the first time recently, but anything they can use to make the life-makeover candidates appear pitiful is apparently standard operating procedure,” Emma said.
“What about your mother? This Mayo guy indicated he’d be checking into her disappearance?” White was typing away as he asked the question.
“I don’t think so. She abandoned her kids, made a baby go away, and that was enough. He seemed far more interested in the missing baby.”
“Wait a minute,” I said. “Maybe he wanted you guys to be reunited on TV.”
Emma turned quickly and stared at me. “Oh, my God. That’s why he was so evasive.”
“What’s more heartwarming than a surprise TV reunion?” I said.
Emma was squeezing the bottle now, her knuckles white with the pressure. “He was going to spring this on us? With no warning?”
“Makes for great TV drama,” I said.
“That would be so wrong, at least for us. We would want a private reunion. But that’s not going to happen now, is it?”
“I’m so sorry, Emma,” I said.
“Yeah,” White said. “Tough day for you, young lady.”
Glancing out the window, I noticed that the medical examiner’s assistant had arrived. She wore the baseball cap with HCME printed on the front, a T-shirt with the same logo, and cargo pants, and was staring down at the spot where the child had been found. Then she turned to the Crime Scene Unit officers and made a sweeping gesture that took in the entire lot.
This caught Emma’s attention, too. “Something’s happening. Can I go out there? I won’t get in the way.”
“Like I said before, I don’t think—” White started.
“You’ve got her story,” I said. “Let her go, Don.”
“All right,” he said wearily. “But we stay outside the tape.” He turned to me. “I suppose you’re coming, too?”
“Certainly,” I said.
We all got out of the car, and they walked ahead of me while I speed-dialed Jeff. God, how I wished he were in town.
6
I hung back from Emma and White and gave Jeff a brief summary of this morning’s events. He told me White and Benson were experienced investigators who’d solved plenty of cases. He also said he’d brief DeShay, his partner, and see if there was anything he could do to help Emma. After talking to him, I felt a little better. But though Jeff vouched for the investigators, Erwin Mayo still had me worried.
I had no idea what his next move might be, but his crew sure wasn’t happy. I could tell by their faces as Sergeant Benson herded them back to the trailer. Benson walked side by side with a cameraman, his notebook ready.
The only people left on the street were Stu, Chelsea and Mayo, who were huddled, talking. I had a feeling Emma and I might not like their game plan. Then there were the onlookers held back by portable fences on the sidewalk across the street. You couldn’t swing a dead rat without hitting someone; that was how much the crowd had swelled. The news vans had been kept a block away, but several reporters continually shouted questions to any cop who came close, hoping for an interview. Bet this had been breaking news on every local
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