Page 73 of Love on the Byline
“None taken. And you think I’m the right person for that?”
“You’re the only reason I agreed to let this move forward.”
Blake chewed on that for a few moments, while they sizedeach other up. Something about this whole thing—not being told about the otherstory the paper had on Bran, Sonja’s insistence on Blake taking the assignment,getting close to her subject—it was shady as fuck. And she didn’t like beingused. If Sonja thought having her do this profile on Bran, knowing how much shedespises celebrity culture, would result in a character assassination, then shereally didn’t know Blake at all.
“I promise to be fair, if you promise to take thisseriously.”
He offered a single nod, his eyes full of intent. “Deal.”
Later, back in the pool house, she called Gideon who pickedup on the first ring.
“Dillon, how goes?”
It was late, and the sky was nearly dark. Outside, thelights had come on surrounding the pool and patio, and it looked like somethingfrom a magazine.
“Just had my first real sit-down with Cody. Itwas...interesting.”
“Oh? Interesting how? And please tell me you’ll havesomething for me to look at tonight.”
She winced. “I, uh... I’ll send five hundred words your wayby midnight. Promise. But, listen...”
She took a breath, wondering how to approach this. Shetrusted Gideon, but her spidey senses were tingling.
“Bran mentioned another story we have about him. Do you knowanything about that?”
“Geez, we’ve probably run a dozen over the last year and ahalf. Which one is he talking about?”
“This...would be one we haven’t run,” she said. “Iget the feeling it’s being held.”
A heavy sigh came through the phone. “I did hear somethingabout his phone getting hacked, and you know how I feel about private photos,”he said, indignant. “I wouldn’t run those if they landed on my desk.”
“No, I know.” She knew he would never. “He also mentionedVal Saunders.”
“Hmmm, I’m not aware of anything we have on her,” he said.She could hear him typing away in the background. “Nothing recent, anyway. Didhe say what it might be about? I’m assuming, he doesn’t want whatever it is togo to print.”
Torn between revealing too much and needing to know if whatBran said was true, she hedged.
“Only that this interview was in exchange for the Gazettenot running those pics.”
Gideon whistled low. “Now you’ve got me curious to seethem.”
“Don’t ask Sonja,” she said, quickly. “But if you can findout anything more, I really want to know.”
“You and me both,” he replied. “And I won’t ask Sonja.”
There was a long pause during which Blake could hear Gideonhumming while he clicked, likely searching the network.
“Gid?”
“Sorry, I was looking through the pool’s files. There’s...anawfully large reference folder on Cody. Nothing new about Val Saunders here,though. I’ll keep digging.”
“Discreetly.”
“I’m sorry, did you really just tell me how to do myjob? Concentrate on your own, smartass, and get me five hundred words bymidnight,” he groused. “How long do you think you’ll need on this, anyway?”
“I don’t know. Three days? A week? A year? This isn’t goingthe way I thought it would.”
“You’re staying at the rental with him?”