Rick Mofina: Whirlwind

“She used that to terminate me?”

“Yes, she set everything in motion while I was in the hospital and she was acting bureau chief. In our time together, Dorothea and I never saw eye to eye, but that can’t be helped right now. I’ve got to take some time off to be with my wife.”

“Yes, of course.”

“I know this is cold consolation, but you were by far the best candidate for the position, and I made that known to New York. But Dorothea made her move to use the insubordination matter against you and hire Mandy. Dorothea had a weak case but you were an intern with no protection and human resources approved. I tried to intervene but was overruled.”

“Thank you, Chuck. Again, I’m so sorry for your wife and you. I’ll keep you both in my thoughts.”

“Thanks.” He cleared his throat. “Now, Kate, you can hate me for this, but I’m still a news reporter. Would you grant me a short interview about the Cooper baby case for a story for Newslead?”

“Well, I already spoke to USA TODAY as a favor for an old friend.”

“I understand, but would you also consider talking to Newslead?”

“I’ll talk to you, Chuck.”

“Thanks, Kate. Oh, before we start, I took a call for you from a young man named Cody Warren. A while back you did a small story about the search for the person who hit his dad in a traffic accident.”

“I remember.”

“Guess the person who did it saw your item and turned themselves in. We’re going to follow that up.”

“Good,” she said. “That’s good. I’m happy to hear it.”

As cars and big rigs thundered by her along the interstate, Kate talked to Chuck for nearly twenty minutes. Then she wiped away her tears, got back on the highway and drove out of Texas.

Before returning to Russia, Pavel Gromov and Yanna Petrova went to Shreveport, Louisiana. After making some gentle enquiries, they visited a small cemetery where Gromov’s grandson was buried. They found a marker for Baby Toxton.

They left flowers.

Remy Toxton was moved to Dallas, where she cooperated with the FBI’s investigation into Caleb Cooper’s kidnapping. Remy faced twenty-five years in prison. In a bid for a lighter sentence, she’d given evidence which led to Chicago and a federal investigation of Hedda Knight’s law firm.

At first Hedda denied knowing Remy, noting that she’d never set foot in Texas. Agents discovered Hedda’s recent airline ticket to Dallas for a flight that was canceled because of bad weather. They found other records and moved to charge Hedda for her national and international baby-selling activities.

Back in Lancaster, Texas, Jenna and Blake underwent the process of rebuilding their home and their lives with Caleb and Cassie, who never wanted to let go of her baby brother’s hand.

“I don’t want him to fly away ever again.”

Throughout it all, Jenna kept in touch with Kate Page.

As time passed, Kate recovered.

Being home with Grace was a balm for both of them. And although Kate was still unemployed with bills to pay, she also knew she was blessed. Our lives are fragile things, she thought, leaving us vulnerable to forces beyond our control that can destroy everything we cherish.

In the weeks after her return, Kate wrote a long article for Vanity Fair about her experience in Texas and the Caleb Cooper case. It paid very well, allowing her to take care of some bills. Her ordeal also led to a few job offers at news organizations across the country.

She was not sure what she was going to do.

Nearly two months after she’d returned to Ohio, Kate was giving serious consideration to accepting a job in Minneapolis with the Star Tribune when Chuck Laneer called her with good news. His wife had recovered. The doctors were confident they’d gotten it all, but the best treatment and therapy she needed was in New York.

“We’re moving there, and Newslead has given me a new senior editor’s position at world headquarters in Manhattan, and authority to build a new reporting team.”

“That’s so great,” she said. “I’m so happy for you.”

“Kate, I’d like to offer you a job with Newslead in New York. The pay is very good. We’ll help with moving costs and you’ll never have to worry about Dorothea Pick. She’s resigned to pursue a career in politics.”

“I don’t know what to say, Chuck.”

“Take some time to think it over.”

“Okay, thank you.”

Kate’s heart lifted with excitement as she walked through the house, considering the possibilities. Her dream to work for a major news agency in New York was coming true. Somehow she found herself in her room on her bed holding Chilly, the stuffed polar bear that had belonged to her sister. Moments later, she was looking at the tiny guardian angel necklace with Vanessa’s name engraved on it.

A storm of memories swept Kate back through time, across all she’d endured in her life, and tears filled her eyes.

Grace walked into the room.

“Are you sad, Mommy?”

Regaining her composure, Kate brushed her cheeks then pulled Grace up onto the bed and into her arms. “Just thinking about things.”

“What things?”

“How lucky I am to have you as my kid and stuff.”

“Is that because of the phone call you just got?”

“I guess so. It gave me a lot to think about.”

“Like what?”

“Like moving to New York City.”

“Oh, where Stuart Little lives? With all the really tall buildings?”

“Yes, and Central Park and subway trains that run underground and the big Santa Claus parade and the toy store with the Ferris wheel inside.”

Grace’s eyes grew wider.

“Think you’d like that, sweetie? Living in a great big city like that?”

She nodded big nods. “But I’d miss my friends so much. ”

“Me, too, but we’d make new friends.”

“Like Stuart Little.”

“Exactly-like Stuart Little.”

Kate tickled Grace and their laughter filled the room.

As a former crime reporter I have a basic understanding of police procedure and jurisdiction. But for this story I took a great deal of creative license. I have been to Texas a number of times but make no claim to being an expert on local matters.

My thanks go to two colleagues from the news business, Paula LaRocque, formerly of the Dallas Morning News, who so graciously put me in touch with Texas journalism legend O.K. Carter, former publisher of the Arlington Citizen-Journal and the Arlington Star-Telegram. If my settings and news aspects ring true, then thanks goes to them.

If you see inaccuracies, then blame me.

I did my best to reflect the meteorological aspects of the story accurately and apologize to experts for any errors. Again, I took liberties as a fiction writer.

My thanks to Amy Moore-Benson, to Emily Ohanjanians and the incredible editorial, marketing, sales and PR teams at Harlequin and MIRA Books.

As always, my thanks to Wendy Dudley.

Very special thanks to Barbara, Laura and Michael.

It is important readers know that in getting this book to you, I benefitted from the hard work and generosity of many people, too many to thank individually.

This brings me to what I hold to be the most critical part of the entire enterprise: you, the reader. This aspect has become something of a creed for me, one that bears repeating.

Thank you for your time, for without you, a book remains an untold tale. Thank you for setting your life on pause and taking the journey. I deeply appreciate my audience around the world and those who’ve been with me since the beginning and who keep in touch. Thank you all for your kind words. I hope you enjoyed the ride and will check out my earlier books while watching for my next one. I welcome your feedback. Drop by www.rickmofina.com to subscribe to my newsletter and send me a note.