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Reed. Oh, God, he’s gorgeous in the shot. Tanned and relaxed. I love him. That’s all I can think as I stare at his chiseled face. I. Love. Him. Immediately followed by Why did you screw everything up, you stupid man?
When I look up from the photo, Kat is staring at me. Scrutinizing my face. Probably looking for signs of heartbreak, since yesterday, while touring Seattle with her and Sarah, I spilled my guts, in nauseating detail, about what happened between Reed and me.
“I’m sorry I showed you a photo of Reed,” Kat says. “I didn’t think.”
“It’s fine. Reed and I are friends.”
Kat flashes me a look that tells me she doesn’t buy that.
Blushing, I return to the photos splayed out before us. “May I use any and all of these for my article?”
“Use whatever you want. The Goats said to give you ‘full access.’”
“Thank them for me. I feel like I won the lottery. Not just in terms of my article, but also because I’ve found you. You’re so amazing, Kat.”
She touches my shoulder. “The feeling is mutual. You’re my spirit animal.” She winks. “So, do you have everything you need?”
“For my article about 22 Goats, yes. More than I ever dreamed possible.” I pause. “Although... there’s another article I’m gathering information for... something for Dig a Little Deeper. Would you mind giving me Hannah Hennessy’s number? This is highly confidential, but I’d like to ask her about her boss.”
Kat grabs her phone. “I just sent you Hannah’s contact info and texted her that you want to talk to her.”
“Thank you.”
She looks up from her phone. “So, by ‘Hannah’s boss,’ do you mean that gray-haired guy who’s marrying Isabel?”
I nod. “Howard Devlin.”
“You’re going to interview him?”
“No. I’m investigating some rumors I’ve heard about him. I want to ask Hannah if she’s heard the rumors, too.”
Kat arches an eyebrow. “What kind of rumors?”
“I shouldn’t say.”
“The ones about him being a pervert groper?”
I gasp. “Oh my gosh! You know about that?”
“Hannah told me. When Howard invited her to get a drink with him at the party, she dragged me along. Later, she told me she did that because it’s well known at her company women should always use the buddy system around him.”
“Holy hell.”
“She said she’s almost certainly safe around him, since she’s only in PR. Not an actress. Plus, he’s apparently a fan of big boobs, and, if you didn’t notice, Hannah’s Flatty Mcgee. But, still, she didn’t want to be alone with him. She’s actually looking for a new job. She’s heard too much bad stuff about him to want to keep working there.”
“Why the hell has nobody reported him? He’s the worst kept secret in Hollywood!”
Kat shrugs. “He’s a powerful old guy. Those guys always get away with murder.” Her phone buzzes and she looks down. “Hannah says she’s just putting Hazel down for the night, but we can call her in ten minutes.”
My stomach clenches. “Oh, wow. I didn’t expect to hear from her quite this fast.”
Kat looks perplexed. “Is something wrong?”
I grimace. “The truth is my boss told me not to pursue the Howard story yet. I’m kind of ‘going rogue’ by talking to Hannah about him.”
“She told you not to pursue the story, because she’s trying to cover up for whatever he’s been doing?”
“Oh, gosh no. My boss wants to take him down, with all her heart. She just thinks I’m too green, and the story too explosive, for me to try to tackle it just yet. But she said that before I’d landed my ace in the hole—this woman named Francesca Laramie.” I google Francesca and show Kat some articles. Of course, I don’t mention Isabel’s connection to Francesca, or tell Kat how I found Francesca in the first place. But I tell Kat the gist of my conversation with Francesca about Howard, and the amazing news that Francesca has agreed to lend support to my efforts, if I can get anyone to come forward.
“Impressive,” Kat says. “Maybe what Francesca knows about Howard will dovetail with what Hannah knows.”
“That’s my hope. I’m thinking maybe putting their two lists of names together will crack the whole thing wide open.”
“Ooh, I’m getting pumped,” Kat says. “Can I be on the call with Hannah?”
“I’d love it. I’m sure Hannah will feel more comfortable talking to me, if you’re on the call.”
Kat claps her hands and hoots. “Wonder Twin powers, activate!” Laughing, she rises from the couch, her adorable baby bump leading the way. “I’m gonna check on my kiddos real quick, before we call Hannah. Gracie sleeps like a ton of bricks, but Jack always wakes up around this time of night, wanting me, so I want to check on him before we make that call. Why don’t you pour yourself another glass of wine while I’m checking on my babies, and then we’ll call Hannah to see if she’s got any information that might be useful for us to take this motherfucker down.”
