Adverse Events, page 5
She glanced up and caught Mattingly scowling at her from across the newsroom. Any pats on the back she’d earned for confronting Newhouse the day before got lost in the thrashing she’d endured for “letting” Johnson get away with keeping the contents of Emily Gibson’s laptop secret. If a source refused to give up information, Mattingly always blamed the reporter. The resulting harangue usually began with, “When I was out pounding the pavement...” Back then, sources apparently tripped over themselves to spill their guts to reporters. Once Mattingly started down that road, it was all downhill.
Kate reached down and pulled out one of her file drawers, rifling through the documents to look busy. She was still bent over when the newsroom door scraped open. The insistent tap-tap-tap of ridiculously high heels headed straight for her desk made her grimace.
“Guess who’s not the only reporter to get a scoop on the Emily Gibson story?” Business reporter Jessica Linton’s soprano whine always hit Kate like a butter knife scraped across a dinner plate.
“What are you talking about?”
“I’ve got inside intel on the Gibson story. I’m about to tell Mattingly, if you want to join us.”
Jessica swiveled on her red patent heels and tip-tapped toward the managing editor’s office. Kate ground her teeth. She did not have the patience this morning for Jessica’s pathetic attempt to be competitive. There was no way she had dug up anything Kate didn’t already know. But watching Mattingly humiliate someone else might soothe her wounded pride, and take her mind off her still silent phone.
“What?” Mattingly snarled as Jessica marched into his office without knocking and set her designer handbag down on his desk. A few steps behind her, Kate smirked.
“I talked to one of my sources at UTMB this morning, and he gave me a scoop on the Emily Gibson case,” Jessica said, shooting Kate a triumphant smile.
Kate rolled her eyes.
“So, let’s have it,” Mattingly barked. “What’s this big scoop?”
“Dr. Aaron Newhouse has been talking to pharmaceutical companies about selling the vaccine he said he wanted to give away.”
Kate snorted. “We knew that yesterday.”
“But did you know...” Jessica looked from Kate to Mattingly and back again. “...that he’s reached a deal with Phenalta Corp. to hand over the serum for $24 million?”
Kate’s eyes popped open as a chill raced up her back and down her arms. Mattingly let out a low whistle and leaned back in his chair.
“That’s news to me. Bennett?”
Kate reluctantly nodded. “Me too. Are you sure? How much do you trust this source?”
“Impeccably. As much as you trust your precious detective.”
Anger flared in Kate’s chest, burning away any trace of grudging admiration for Jessica in getting a good scoop. Her colleagues never seemed to tire of teasing her about her relationship with Johnson.
“How does this source know about the deal?” Mattingly asked.
“He’s part of the team advising UTMB. Of course, they’re going to get a cut as well. Not a huge cut, but it’s something. There was evidently some resentment among administrators that Newhouse wasn’t willing to give up more of his share.”
“What about Emily?” Kate asked. “What was she going to get?”
“I don’t know. They were still negotiating that. Evidently, it was tricky because she’s essentially just a research assistant. She doesn’t even have her PhD yet. But now that she’s disappeared...” Jessica lifted her hands and shoulders in a dramatic shrug. “Problem solved.”
Kate sucked in a slow breath as her heart started to pound.
“That’s motive.”
“Believe it or not, that’s exactly what I was going to say,” Jessica said, brushing her long, blonde hair over her shoulder and putting one hand on her hip.
Mattingly jumped to his feet and paced back and forth behind his desk. Kate’s mind lapped him, even as the implications of Jessica’s revelation weighted her to the floor. If Newhouse fought to keep UTMB’s share of the sale as small as possible, he probably didn’t want to give Emily anything close to what she deserved. But was that really worth killing over? Kate thought about the doctor’s impressive display of temper the day before. Maybe he got angry and killed her accidentally. But that still didn’t explain how she vanished without a trace from the beach, or how her apartment got trashed.
Kate started when Mattingly stopped pacing and smacked the top of his desk. He fixed Jessica with a long, hard glare.
“We have to play this carefully. If we’re wrong, Newhouse could sue the hell out of us. Are you sure we can trust this source?”
“Yes. Absolutely sure. I’m not interested in getting burned on something like this.” Jessica looked more sincere than Kate had ever seen her.
“What motive does he have for telling you?”
“He thinks there’s something suspicious about Emily Gibson disappearing right before news of this deal breaks. Evidently several of the bigwigs at UTMB are terrified Newhouse did something to her. He’s put them in a really bad position. But without more evidence, no one would dare suggest anything.”
Mattingly nodded and started pacing again.
“Call Phenalta and see if you can get them to confirm it. After that, we’ll need to talk to UTMB, but I want to plan out our strategy first. Get back to me when you have something.”
Jessica nodded, picked up her purse, and brushed past Kate on her way to the door.
“Good work, Linton,” Mattingly called to her retreating back. She shot him an exultant grin over her shoulder.
Kate sighed. Jessica deserved her moment, but did she have to be so petty about it?
“What are you doing still standing here?” Mattingly snapped. “Go call your detective again and find out what was on that laptop.”
Kate’s cheeks flushed. Without saying a word, she spun on her heel and stomped back to her desk.
Johnson tossed a stack of photos and email printouts onto the gleaming desk in front of Aaron Newhouse. The papers slid across the glassy surface and fanned out in a damning black-and-white indictment. From an 8x10 photo in the middle of the desk, Emily Gibson smiled seductively, her finger hooked around her bra strap, frozen in time as she prepared to slide it off her shoulder. In another photo, Newhouse stood in front of a mirror, clad only in what looked like silk boxers. His awkward smile suggested he hadn’t mastered the art of electronic flirtation.
The doctor cast a wary eye over the spread but made no move to pick up any of the photos. If he felt the impact of the discovery, he didn’t show it. Johnson planted his fists on the desktop and leaned toward Newhouse.
“Strictly professional, huh? Coulda fooled me.”
Newhouse slowly took off his glasses and leaned back in his chair.
“This is not what you think, detective.”
“Maybe not, but I know what it looks like. And that’s bad enough.”
Johnson pulled one of the desk chairs close and sat. Newhouse leaned forward and tentatively slid the smiling photo of Emily toward him. The hint of a smile flickered across his face. Disgust rolled Johnson’s stomach.
“Have you ever been thoroughly admired by someone who truly sees your worth? Not fawning adoration, but true esteem?” Newhouse looked up from the photo with gleaming eyes. He sucked in a slow breath. “It’s intoxicating, detective.”
Newhouse exhaled a wistful sigh, as though reliving a treasured memory.
“Sounds to me like you took advantage of someone who worked for you. Legally speaking, that’s sexual harassment.”
Newhouse snorted. “It wasn’t like that at all. Emily was not the kind of person who could be harassed, much less taken advantage of. Believe me.”
“So what happened? She seduced you?”
“Not exactly. Emily was beautiful, as you can see, and amazingly intelligent. She was genuinely fascinated by my work. I’ve had assistants who tried to impress me by reading up on my research in an attempt to appear smarter than they were. Emily’s interest was unaffected. I was flattered, of course. But over time I came to realize just how meaningful her admiration was.”
Newhouse leaned back in his chair, apparently lost in another memory.
“I’ve read the emails, so I know all about her meaningful admiration. How did that turn into this?” Johnson waved his hands over the photos.
“We spent many hours together in the lab. The more she worked with me, the more I...appreciated her.”
“The more you wanted her, you mean.”
Newhouse’s thin lips curled into a serpentine smile. “Call it what you want, detective. One night in the lab, I kissed her. After that, it was like water over a dam. For both of us.”
Johnson grimaced.
“I knew on some level it was a bad idea, but as I said, it was intoxicating. I couldn’t help myself.”
“How long did this go on?”
“About six months. We were getting closer to the final stages of the research then. I think we both realized it would be best to avoid any distractions. She actually broached the subject one night, after... Well, let’s just say it had been a long night in the lab. She seemed a little apprehensive at first. I’m sure she was worried about how I would take it. But I was a little relieved, to be honest. As much as I enjoyed Emily, I did not want to get into anything serious. It was much easier to have her suggest we return to a more professional relationship.”
“You’re quite the gentleman.”
“Please, detective. What does that even mean these days? Emily and I both got what we wanted. That’s all that matters.”
Johnson shook his head. He knew a lot of people felt that way, even if few had the nerve to say it with so much brutal honesty. But his moral compass pointed in the opposite direction. Even if it didn’t, he’d too often seen the consequences of unrestrained lust to know it rarely ended with everyone walking away unharmed. Playing with fire almost always left someone blistered and bleeding.
“So, what happened after that? Things just went back to the way they were before? No ripple effect?”
“I wouldn’t say things went exactly back to the way they were. No. But it was not awkward or difficult between us, if that’s what you mean. If anything, I think we worked even better together after that. We understood each other better, if you know what I mean.”
“If that’s true, why lie about it?”
“Because I knew how it looked, what people would think. And I didn’t think it was the kind of thing Emily would want people to know about after she was gone.”
“So now you’re protecting her honor?”
Newhouse rolled his eyes. “It’s not the kind of thing I want people talking about either, detective. I trust, since this has no bearing on your case, you won’t be making this information public.”
Irritation exploded in Johnson’s gut, propelling him to his feet. “I’m not convinced this doesn’t have any bearing on the case. And I’ll release whatever information I think is necessary to help figure out what happened to Emily Gibson. What you want is irrelevant.”
Newhouse sprang from his chair and rounded the end of the desk, stopping barely two feet from Johnson. A red sheen of anger spread from his neck to his face. His eyes narrowed into vicious slits. Johnson took a step back in surprise and quickly regretted it.
“Emily Gibson drowned, detective. Case closed. You must be desperate for a promotion the way you keep trying to come up with some nefarious reason for her disappearance. If you weren’t so blinded by your own ignorance, you’d see there’s no mystery here.”
Johnson stepped toward Newhouse and locked his eyes on the doctor’s face. He clenched his fists to check his own rising anger.
“I’m beginning to think you’re hiding more than your relationship with Emily. Everyone else who cared about her wants us to keep digging until we figure out what happened. You’re the only one who wants us to stop.”
Newhouse’s chest heaved, but he said nothing. Johnson leaned over the desk and scooped up the papers and photos. He tapped them twice on the desktop to straighten the stack before striding out the door.
Kate shook her head in disbelief. Disappointment knocked her breathless. How could Emily Gibson be so stupid?
“Kate? Are you there?”
“Yeah. Yeah, I’m here. I just... I can’t believe this. For months I’ve had to listen to people make crude jokes about Emily Gibson and Aaron Newhouse. I defended her! Said she was too smart for that. I called them all misogynist pigs. I can’t believe she proved them right!”
Johnson sighed. “She was human, Kate. That doesn’t make her accomplishments any less valuable. Nobody’s perfect.”
“You’re sure he didn’t force her into it?”
“Judging from the emails, no. I would describe her as more than a willing participant.”
Kate groaned. “Newhouse is a total egomaniac. That doesn’t say much for her taste.”
“No argument there. But maybe it was easier for her to overlook his flaws since she was able to relate to him on an intellectual level.”
“So, where does that leave the case?”
Johnson paused. “I’ll give you the on-the-record answer first. We are continuing to investigate all aspects of Emily Gibson’s life, including her personal and professional relationships. At this point, we have no definite suspects. But every detail we learn about Ms. Gibson’s life will hopefully get us closer to the truth about what happened to her.”
“So, Newhouse is not a suspect? On the record...”
“We have no specific reason to believe Dr. Newhouse did anything to harm Ms. Gibson.”
“And off the record?”
“It’s suspicious as hell. But there’s nothing in those emails that suggests animosity between them after their affair ended. It’s hard to believe no one had any hard feelings, at least a twinge of disappointment. But I don’t have any evidence of that.”
“I just find it impossible to believe Newhouse’s ego could survive the blow of having Emily no longer fawning over him.”
“Well, just because we didn’t find anything in her emails, that doesn’t mean there’s nothing there.”
A question about the drug company contract caught in Kate’s throat. Johnson hadn’t mentioned it, which probably meant he hadn’t heard about it. She knew better than to pre-empt Jessica’s story by talking about it before it appeared in print. Johnson could be trusted not to tell another reporter, but Kate couldn’t be sure he wouldn’t tell the chief, or start asking questions at UTMB. Once that bombshell escaped the newspaper office, it was impossible to guarantee they wouldn’t be scooped on it. As much as Kate disliked Jessica, she would never sabotage a good story.
“You have mastered the art of the long pause,” Johnson said. “Are you trying to fake me out? I don’t have anything else to tell you.”
Kate huffed out a short laugh. “No, I was just thinking about all the possibilities. Oh! What about David? This is going to crush him.”
“Yeah…”
“Are you going to call him?”
Johnson sighed. “It’s tricky. I think I’ll be communicating primarily with Emily’s mother from this point forward.”
His words, heavy with unspoken suspicion, rolled across the phone line and landed with a thud on her notebook.
“Wait. Is David a suspect now?”
“On the record, we have no suspects at this point. Off the record, this development gives him a motive to harm Emily. Think about it.”
“But he had an alibi!”
“That doesn’t mean he didn’t have help.”
Kate opened her mouth to defend the grieving boyfriend, but her own suddenly awakened skepticism cut off her protest. She exhaled slowly.
“He seemed genuinely devastated by her disappearance. I’m sure he loved her.”
“Sometimes selfishness breaches the line between love and hate until it’s impossible to tell the difference anymore.”
Kate snorted. “So it does. Well, I’ve got a story to write. I’m counting on this to get me out of the doghouse with Mattingly. You’re giving me an exclusive, right?”
“Only because you’re my favorite reporter.”
“Ha. Thanks.” Kate filled the word with as much detachment as she could muster. But she smiled as she hung up the phone.
Johnson sprang to his feet as the crack of splitting drywall echoed through the small apartment. David Knowles, trembling and red-faced with rage, pulled his hand from a hole in the wall. A shower of plaster floated to the floor.
“Take it easy, man!” Johnson stretched his left hand out in a soothing motion while his right hovered near his holstered gun. He had expected David to be upset. He did not anticipate an emotional explosion.
“I knew it. I knew it!” David seethed through clenched teeth. “Emily swore there was nothing between them. It was all a lie.”
He launched himself toward the door, and Johnson thought he was about to run out of the apartment, until he spun around and strode back toward the kitchen. He made that circuit three more times before Johnson attempted to break through his vortex of anger.
“Look, I know you’re upset. You have every right to be. But I need to ask you a few questions.”
David stopped pacing, but as evidence his boiling anger still needed an outlet, he rhythmically pounded his balled right fist into his left hand. Johnson slowly lowered himself to perch on the edge of the couch, hoping David would follow suit as his fury burned itself out.
“You said before you wanted us to look at Newhouse. Do you have any specific reason he might have wanted to hurt her, or get her out of the way?”
“You said she broke it off with him, right? I’m sure he didn’t like that very much.”
“Right. That’s possible. But you were suspicious of him before we found out about this. Was there a specific reason?”
