Hackett nodded her agreement. “You said a moment ago that this story put us in a tough spot, Jordan. Maybe you could explain that.”
“Absolutely! As I just suggested, the dreadful object delivered to Gurney’s home was obviously a life-threatening warning. That’s a serious crime, and the DA has asked that we delay disclosure of the details while her investigation is ongoing. We’re cooperating with her request—although we do intend to give you, our viewers, the whole story as soon as possible.”
Hackett nodded solemnly. “Apart from the awful specifics of what was delivered to the Gurney home, I understand there’s plenty we can share with our audience right now.”
“Absolutely! The object delivered to the Gurney household was clearly intended as a huge stop sign in the path of his investigation. So, the question is, did it work? RAM’s own Sam Smollett put that question to Dave Gurney this afternoon.” Hackett pointed to someone off-camera. “Run the audio!”
Smollett’s recorded voice came through loud and clear.
“The package you received was surely a warning to stop stirring up doubts about Ziko Slade’s conviction. Do you plan to drop your investigation?”
“Everything I’ve learned so far about Lenny Lerman’s death points to the innocence of Ziko Slade. And everything that’s been done to discourage my investigation has strengthened my resolve to see Ziko Slade exonerated, and the actual murderer exposed.”
“So there you have it, folks!” said Lake. “Despite being warned off, Dave Gurney is determined as ever to turn Slade’s conviction upside down.”
Hackett narrowed her already small eyes. “I wonder, am I hearing the voice of determination or the voice of obsession?”
Lake pursed his lips. “Or worse—is it the voice of a man in a compromised position trying to sound like a hero?”
“Great question, Jordan. In my own effort to get to the truth of who Dave Gurney really is, this afternoon I interviewed an individual who knows him personally. In order to protect that person’s identity, we’ve electronically altered their voice.”
Hackett pointed to someone off-screen. “Run the audio.”
The first voice on the recording was Hackett’s. “These days a lot of people are wondering, who is the real Dave Gurney? I asked someone who’s known him for several years to share their insights with us. So, let’s get right to it. When I say ‘Dave Gurney,’ what’s the first characteristic that comes to mind?”
“Icy calmness.” The altered voice sounded vaguely female. “You never know what’s really going on inside him.”
“You’re saying the man is a bit of a mystery?”
“Exactly. You always have the sense that whatever he knows, he’s probably keeping most of it to himself.”
“You mean his own feelings? His own past actions?”
“Especially those things. He can sound like he’s speaking with real conviction, but you get the impression he’s never really telling the whole truth.”
“Very interesting,” said Hackett. “Especially in relation to the big issue in the news at the moment—his alleged involvement in the Blackmore Mountain shooting of Sonny Lerman. Does he have anything to say about that?”
“Absolutely! He claims that Sonny Lerman’s and Lenny Lerman’s murders are connected—that it was a toxic element in their relationship that led to both of them being killed.”
Gurney’s jaw tightened at the realization that those were almost the exact words he’d used in response to one of Kim Corazon’s questions on Thanksgiving—making her identity as RAM’s informant painfully clear.
The altered voice continued. “Dave Gurney insists that the district attorney’s misunderstanding of Lenny’s murder has made it impossible for her to understand Sonny’s.”
“Fascinating! One final question. And this is the big one. Would you say that Dave Gurney is capable of murder?”
“I can’t say that he’s not.”
The recording ended and Hackett turned to Jordan Lake. “I have to admit, that last answer gave me a chill.”
Lake nodded his head in an approximation of troubled thoughtfulness. “Coming from someone who knows him personally, it’s pretty damning—and the perfect way to conclude tonight’s coverage of the Gurney mystery.” Lake turned to the camera. “More shocking news coming up, folks. After these important announcements, we’ll take a hard look at some of the craziest ideas educators are forcing on America’s kids. Stay with us!”
“Bitch!”
Gurney was startled by the closeness and intensity of Madeleine’s voice. He turned in his chair and saw her standing a few feet away, her face tight with anger. She’d obviously come to the same conclusion he had about the owner of the altered voice.
She went on. “That young woman is laser-focused on herself and her career, period. That’s where she begins and ends. She’s just a nasty little appendage of the nasty media. When she was here, all she wanted was information. Information she could turn around and sell to her friends at RAM. What a rotten little manipulator!”
The palpable fury of Madeleine’s attack left him momentarily speechless.
She added, “I can’t imagine why your son is involved with her.”
There was a brief silence, broken by Gurney. “Actually, he was pretty open about that when we spoke on the phone.”
“Oh?”
“He’s infatuated with her energy, ambition, drive.”
“And blind to her selfishness?”
“Not entirely. But in his mind the energy part outweighs everything else.”
“He’s got a lot to learn.”
“I know. I certainly did.”
“What are you talking about?”
“When he was telling me what he found attractive about her, I realized it was the same thing that had attracted me to his mother when I was twenty-one.”
“Did you describe to him how badly that ended?”
He shook his head. “I couldn’t figure out how to bring that up without it sounding like a direct criticism of his mother, which would create an emotional distraction. Besides, you can’t argue someone out of a romantic attachment. He’ll have to find out for himself. But it’s painful to see him repeating my mistake.”
“Maybe he’ll wake up before the mistake turns into a marriage. I hope so. He’s a nice young man.” She paused, her voice hardening. “But that woman is never to set foot in this house again. Never.”
58
AFTER A RESTLESS, INCREASINGLY PAINFUL NIGHT IN BED, Gurney struggled in the morning to get to his feet and maintain his balance. He felt as though all the emotional impacts of recent days had joined forces with the after-effects of his concussion to batter him into submission.
What he found most unnerving was the disjointed swirling of his thoughts—the hideous green snake rising out of the carton; Madeleine reeling back against the wall; Kim’s weirdly altered voice on RAM, suggesting to millions of listeners that he was capable of murder; Stryker’s threats; Lenny’s gas can in the quarry. All in a jumble. He headed for the shower, eager for the mental and physical balm it often provided.
Standing for ten minutes in the warm spray did take the sharp edge off the shooting pains that ran from his left temple down into his shoulder, but it did little to calm his racing mind.