Макс Коллинз - You Can’t Stop Me

Anderson asked, “Who the heck’s footin’ the bill for all this?”

“UBC and our sponsors,” Harrow said. “And much of the equipment here was provided by the manufacturers in exchange for a mention in the end credits.

Choi said, “The way they squeeze the credits down these days? What good’s that kind of unreadable plug do them?”

Carmen said, “We provide the companies with footage of you ‘stars’ using the equipment, and it becomes part of their promo package when they go out to state and local crime labs around the country, and the world.”

Shaking his head, Pall said, “Weird way to stop a killer.”

“That’s entertainment,” Laurene said. She swivelled to lock eyes with Harrow. “Which brings us to something else, J.C.”

Harrow felt the camera move in on him as he said, “What?”

Ignoring Hathaway and his video eye, Laurene asked, “How long is this season supposed to last again?”

“Twenty-two weeks,” Harrow reminded her.

“And what happens if we haven’t found the guy?”

Harrow didn’t duck her gaze. “We keep looking.”

“Can we be cancelled?”

“Any TV show can be cancelled. But we’ve got at least twenty-two weeks, guaranteed, and even if we aren’t finished then, we should be able to keep going. As long as, well, we’ve been...”

“Entertaining?”

“I was going to say ‘make compelling viewing.’ I believe we’ll be allowed to keep up the search — too much of an embarrassment to the network not to. On the other hand, I don’t figure we’ll need more time than we’ve been given.”

“Cool,” Choi said. “But what happens if we nail our guy in, oh, two weeks?”

After all these years of looking for his family’s killer, and now finally having one clue that might be a genuine lead, Harrow had never contemplated the possibility that the case might now come down quickly.

“That would be great,” he said. “Sooner the better.”

Laurene asked, “Oh? And how’s the network going to feel about that?”

“Well, they’d be thrilled, I’d think.”

“Really? They promote something as a season-long serial only to have it wind up in two weeks? Wouldn’t that cut into their profits?”

Harrow finally saw where Laurene was headed, and the truth was, he didn’t know the answer. “Maury, turn off the camera.”

Hathaway’s head peeked around the edge of the camera. “J.C., this is good stuff.”

“You know the rules, Maury. When I say ‘cut,’ you cut. I won’t abuse the privilege. Shut it down and kill the sound too.”

Hathaway did as he was told. So did Hughes.

Choi asked, “You want them out while we talk?”

“No,” Harrow said. “Anyway, it’s Maury I want to talk to.”

“Me?” Hathaway asked, setting the camera on a nearby table. “What did I do?”

“Nothing. I just want an expert opinion.”

“I’m no expert,” the heavyset cameraman insisted. “I never saw CSI in my life. I don’t even watch television. I make it.”

That got chuckles all around, but uneasiness was in the air.

“Maury, do you think the network would ask us to withhold evidence, to... parcel it out, time its release, for dramatic effect? Just to keep the show going?”

Hathaway’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped — not a typical reaction from a seasoned vet like him. “Hell, I never thought of that.”

“Me neither,” Harrow admitted. “And what’s more, I haven’t been here long enough to know the answer. Maury, you’ve been at UBC for ten years. You know everything and everyone — what do you think?”

The cameraman took a long silent moment, glanced at Hughes, who seemed similarly flummoxed. Finally, he said, “Nicole never would pull anything like that. Not that she’s honest, but I don’t think she’s got the power or the cojones to go that far.”

The team looked relieved, if somewhat skeptical.

Harrow asked, “What about Byrnes?”

“Him I’m not so sure,” Hathaway said. “I mean, the guy is all about the bottom line. But his reputation — and my experience with him? He’s honest, as far as it goes.”

“What does that mean, Maury?”

“It means — it’s Hollywood.”

This did not ease Harrow’s concerns.

Laurene asked, “So, if we have misgivings about the networks and its priorities — what’s the impact on how we proceed?”

“We handle all the evidence ourselves,” Harrow said, “or at private labs we trust, like Chris’s employer, Shaw and Associates.”

Choi was frowning, his expression close to pissed off. “Would these UBC SOB’s tamper with evidence?”

Harrow shook his head. “I don’t believe they would, Billy. But it will be better if we can keep the situation from arising. I believe we can address any attempt to have us hold back evidence—”

“Like for sweeps week?” Choi said, only half kidding.

“Like for sweeps week,” Harrow said. “We can head that off by getting the lawyers involved. Obstruction of justice trumps ratings, every time.”

Laurene seemed satisfied with Harrow’s take on the network situation. “Okay,” she said. “Then I have another question, J.C.”

“I’m not surprised,” Harrow said patiently.

“If... when ... we catch this killer — who has jurisdiction?”

“We’ll see about that when we know more,” Harrow said. “Let’s catch the bastard first, then we’ll worry about who gets to try him. Certainly we’ll be cooperating with state and local, and sharing any glory.”

Shaking his head, Pall said, “Nobody’s ever attempted anything like this before, J.C. But you know as well as any of us... if you were this asshole’s lawyer? You would say you couldn’t get a fair trial anywhere in the United States.”

All eyes were on Harrow.

Pall went on: “A top-rated TV show used its hunt for him as a ratings boost? Think there’ll be twelve licensed drivers anywhere in the country that won’t be prejudiced against this guy once we do catch him?”

Harrow put up his hands in surrender. “I’m the first to admit I haven’t thought of everything involved here. Maybe I got blinded by finally seeing a pinpoint of light, after years of darkness.”

And as far as the network and Dennis Byrnes were concerned, Harrow had known when he signed on that he was inking a deal with the devil. Now, he just hoped he wouldn’t get tripped up by the fine print.

“First, let’s find the guy,” he told them. “Let’s stop him and expose him, and trust that matters like jurisdiction and fair trials don’t trip us up.”

Laurene said, “These are dark waters, J.C. Choppy too.”

“I know. But I couldn’t ask for a better crew to help make the voyage.”

Choi grunted a laugh. “Good thing I know how to swim.”

Harrow said, “Just so you don’t jump overboard on me, Billy... Maury, turn the camera back on, and let’s get down to work.”

The motel room was dark, the flimsy, filmy curtains pulled tight against the fading afternoon sun as the Messenger kicked back on the bed, thin pillows piled behind his head as he watched the national news on UBC.

Outside, what passed for rush hour in Socorro, New Mexico, was under way, which meant maybe ten cars on the street, not five. Still, with only nine thousand souls, Socorro was still way bigger than his own hometown.

Made him wonder — if the rights of people could be so blatantly trampled on in a little town like his, with no repercussions, how could people’s rights ever be protected in a town twenty-five times the size? Or in a really big city, like New York or Chicago? Possibilities for corruption there were mind-boggling.