Stone Eater by D. F. Bailey

Author:D. F. Bailey [Bailey, D. F.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780968728383
Publisher: Catchword Publishing
Published: 2015-12-19T23:00:00+00:00

※ — ELEVEN — ※

WALLY WALKED DOWN the aisle into the bog and stood above Finch’s cubicle. “My office in two minutes,” he growled. His head flicked toward Fiona and caught her eye. “You, too.”

Rarely did Wally deign to enter the bog. Usually he stuck to his own office or the boardroom. If he wanted to see you, he’d send an email. In urgent cases, he’d buzz your desk phone. But a personal visit? Maybe once a month.

When he turned and walked away, Fiona looked at Finch with a blank expression and shrugged her shoulders. Finch shook his head and mouthed, what the hell?

“Okay, so I just had lunch with Jim Densil, the station manager over at KKKQ” — Wally waved a hand to the chairs opposite his desk and Finch and Fiona settled into place — “and the Diesel, as we called him, explained that irresistible forces insisted that Gianna Whitelaw committed suicide by jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge.”

“What about my interviews with Edwards and his crew? I’ve got all three of them on record.” Fiona’s voice faltered when she realized that the facts she’d gathered, and her integrity, were in question.

“I know all that.” Wally waved a hand. “Don’t worry, it’s not about you. Despite Edwards’s testimonials, Diesel isn’t deviating from his story. So far.”

“So who are these irresistible forces?” Will asked.

“That,” he said and pointed a finger at Finch, “that is the money question. The first law of investigative journalism states that where there are irresistible forces at play, they are supported by an irresistible pile of cash.”

Wally set his arms on the desk and leaned forward. “All right let’s not mince words here. The local TV and radio stations covered the story as a suicide. The autopsy was sealed and Gianna’s body cremated. I’ve known Diesel since we were cub reporters. The guy couldn’t bluff his way to winning a poker pot if he held a straight flush. An hour ago he all but confessed that there’s a cover-up of some kind regarding Gianna. If she was murdered, then we owe it to her to find out how and who did her in.”

Finch pulled his chair closer. “Wally, that’s what I’ve been saying.”

He waved his hand again. “So where are you at with Gianna’s cell phone and thumb drive?”

“I’ve got a copy of the cell phone forensics report. It covers the last month. Sixteen pages. Can you give me an intern?”

“Use Finkleman,” Fiona said. “He’s a data ninja.”

“Okay,” Wally said. “I’ll get Dixie to re-assign him this afternoon. And listen. I want you to construct a story out of whatever patterns emerge. Just a nudge will do it. Something to keep the story alive until we uncover what’s really gone down here. Meanwhile, what about the thumb drive?”

“Tough nut to crack. I’ve got Mother Russia trying to split it open.”

“Mother Russia?” Fiona’s frown shifted to a look of surprise.

Finch dismissed her question with a wayward glance. “Never mind, it’s just a crazy name. The people I live with are all tech nerds.

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