Misconceptions Read online

  “You talk to Joe this morning?”

  “No. He usually calls later in the afternoon with any updates on Audrey.” Becky hugged him again. “What’s bothering you, Houston?”

  He looked deep into eyes that held such innocence. As a nurse, Becky saw a lot of gruesome things, but they lacked the malicious intent of a crime scene, where the violence sometimes hung in the air like a dense fog.

  Houston debated how much to share with her, hoping to spare her some of life’s ugliness. “I stumbled upon an unusual lead this morning, and I was hoping he could help.”

  The boys’ crying traveled through the open windows and interrupted any response Becky may have had. He didn’t miss the look she shot him as she entered the house. It was clear she wasn’t finished with the subject.

  He sat on the old, white wicker chair, pulled his cell phone out of its black leather case, and dialed Joe’s number. “Hey, little brother, got a minute?”

  “Yeah. Did you hear the news about Audrey?”

  Houston listened while Joe shared the good news. “That’s fantastic. Becky will be relieved.”

  “Dad too.” Joe responded.

  It only took two little words to snap his in defenses place. “Now’s not the time to go into it, Joe.” The last thing he needed now was Joe’s encouragement to fix his relationship with their dad. He could still hear the words he said right before the hospital released him: Time’s running short. We don’t know how much time Dad has. But he didn’t want to be coerced into some kind of false reconciliation.

  Thankfully, Joe remained quiet.

  “I need a favor, Joe.”

  “Anything for my favorite brother.”

  He laughed at the old joke. “I need to speak with Dominique. When you see her could you ask her to call me?”

  “Sure.” There was another moment of silence. “May I ask why you need to speak with her?”

  The apprehension in Joe’s tone made the hairs on Houston’s arms stand on end. Maybe there was more to Dominique then met the eye. “I have a few questions for her.”

  “Personal or business?”

  He shifted in the chair. Again with the uneasiness. Something was definitely up. “Is everything okay with you two?”

  Several seconds ticked by with no response, then Joe cleared his throat. “To be completely honest, I’m not sure.”

  “You guys have a fight?”

  “We didn’t have a chance. I found out Dominique’s not the person she claims to be. But before I had a chance to talk to her, she ran out of here. I’ve tried calling several times, but all I get is her voice mail. Is she in some kind of trouble?”

  So the woman was hiding something. Was she somehow involved with Fernandez? He let out a slow breath. “I found Dominique’s business card at a crime scene earlier today. I really need to speak with her.”

  “You’ve got to be kidding! Dominique didn’t murder anyone, Houston. She’s a reporter, not a killer.”

  Houston clutched the phone tighter. “Take it easy. I didn’t say I think she’s a murderer. I have to find out why the victim had her name. She may be able to help.”

  “I’m sorry. It’s been a stressful couple of days. I’ll give her your message when I see her.”

  Houston rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “Thanks. Say hi to Cindy and Travis for me. I’ll stop in as soon as I grab a few hours of sleep.”

  “I’ll tell Cindy, but Travis took off. Said he had some business to attend to.”

  He ended the phone call, and bit back the urge find Travis and shake some sense into him. What kind of business was more important than your daughter?

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Dominique apologized to the gentleman in the seat to her left as she accepted a cup of water from the stewardess. As she swallowed two Advil, she gazed longingly at the window on the other side of the teenager wearing earbuds and nodding to his music. The seats in coach were confining, especially the middle seat. She had hoped to get a window or aisle seat, but took what she could get last minute. She’d still end the flight with a giant-size migraine.

  The large dose of regret and anxiety only made things worse. Regret because of the way she’d left things with Joe, and anxiety over the upcoming meeting with her boss. Their last conversation still rang in her ears: “Just bring me the story I want, Dominique. Not some fairy tale.”

  “I’ll bring you the truth,” she said before she hung up on him. Why was he so resistant to her angle on the birthrate story when he was definitely interested in the baby-snatching story? But every time she’d dropped hints about the spiritual aspect of the birthrate crisis, he’d redirected her focus to researching the toxins in the environment. This time he’d have to listen to her. She wouldn’t take no for an answer. She’d present all of her evidence and insist it was their journalistic duty to report her findings to their viewers.

  While the stewardess rambled all of the flight’s deplaning instructions, Dominique whispered a prayer. Lord, please give me the courage to present this story. Help Stew to see its merit. She pulled out her phone and opened the Bible app she’d downloaded while waiting for the plane. Maybe a Psalm would provide a verse or two that would calm her anxieties.

  The flight breezed by with little turbulence, and by the time they landed, she’d read several of the Psalms. Since she had brought only carry-on luggage, she forged her way off the plane and into the long line of travelers waiting for a taxi.

  On the ride to the station, she rehearsed her presentation in her head. She wrapped her fingers around the flash drive in a side pocket of her purse and let out a slight sigh. Stew was a stickler for details. He would never listen to her pitch without evidence to back up her claims.

  When the taxi pulled up to the curb, she handed the cabbie the fare plus a generous tip, strode through the studio doors, and marched to the elevator.

  “Not so fast there, missy.” The guard came up behind her. “You have to sign in.”

  She jumped at his sudden appearance. “It’s okay, I work here.”

  “Where’s your ID badge?”

  She fished around in her purse. Where is it? Rats! I think I left it in Ohio. “I don’t have it with me. I’m Dominique Sherwood. I’m a news reporter for WCRW.”

  “I’ve never seen you. You’re going to have to sign in. Call the party you’re meeting and ask them to come down and escort you up.”

  Grumbling underneath her breath, she grabbed her cell phone and called Stew.

  A few minutes later, the elevator doors parted to reveal her boss and Channing, looking perfectly groomed, as always. Why had he come along? His blond hair had been gelled to perfection, and a five o’clock shadow would never dare appear on his face. Next to Channing, Stew’s resemblance to middle-aged Lou Grant from the Mary Tyler Moore Show became even more pronounced.

  Stew shook her hand. “Hi, Dominique. We’re going out lunch. You can bring me up to speed on the results of your investigation. Channing has already pitched a few great stories. Can’t wait to hear what you’ve come up with.”

  Channing’s gaze scanned her up and down, and she hadn’t had a chance to freshen up after her flight. This wasn’t going as expected.

  “You’re looking well.” The side of Channing’s mouth tilted up in a mocking smile. He could be so charming at times, but clearly this wasn’t one of them.

  She’d ignore his sarcasm—just this once.

  They settled for a local diner known for its fish sandwiches. Her stomach roiled at all of the greasy selections. Both men ordered the daily special, but she closed the menu. “I’ll have an iced tea and a house salad with Italian on the side, please.”

  Stew cleared his throat. “Channing has put together quite a story about big manufacturers dumping pollutants into rivers and streams. The toxins are saturating the water sources up and down the coast of California.” He leaned forward. “What’s really fascinating is that many of the chemicals are rumored to cause infertility. While his rese
arch and water samples are being verified, we’re putting together a short documentary on his findings. With the competition so tight, we have to be fast and accurate.” He laid his crumpled napkin on the table. “What do you have for me?”

  Her heart thumped inside her chest. “I took a different approach entirely.” She took a small sip of her tea. “You sent me to an area that has a high pregnancy rate in comparison with other parts of the nation. What I discovered was not only fascinating, but I can pretty much guarantee we’ll have the lead; no other station will beat us to it.”

  Stew looked like a cat ready to pounce on a poor, unsuspecting mouse. “Don’t leave me hanging. Spill it.”

  She licked her lips. “Please understand that we need to look at the whole picture. That’s why I took a different approach. I wasn’t interested in why women in southern Ohio weren’t getting pregnant, I wanted to know how the women were getting pregnant.”

  Channing winked at her. “I should think you’d know what causes that, Dominique.”

  Her cheeks burned. She bit back her sarcastic reply. Why had she ever allowed herself to become romantically involved with this man?

  Trying to maintain some semblance of professionalism, Dominique took a deep breath and tuned out Channing. “What I’m getting at is this. What is the common denominator among the women able to conceive?” She pulled the flash drive out of her purse and held it up. “That question became the cornerstone of my investigation. The answer is beyond anything I ever thought I’d see in my lifetime.”

  “What is it?” Stew’s and Channing’s voices questioned in perfect unity.

  Dominique sent up a quick prayer for courage. “Faith.” She put the flash drive down in front of Stew.

  Stew ignored it and reached for his Diet Coke. “Faith? What do you mean?”

  Dominique leaned forward. “More specifically, they are all Christians.”

  Stew choked on the large sip of drink he’d just inhaled. “You have got to be kidding me. I specifically ordered you to stop that foolish line of investigation. I thought you were a professional.”

  “I didn’t want to believe it at first either. The proof is overwhelming.” She grabbed the flash drive off the table. “But this flash drive contains the personal and medical information of over one hundred women. All of them pregnant or have recently given birth. All of them Christians. Aren’t you even the slightest bit interested in seeing the statistics?”

  Stew slammed his hand on the table. “That is not proof. It’s just some kind of hocus pocus. Some religious fanatic has somehow gotten you to believe it as fact.” He signaled the waiter for the bill. “Frankly, I’m disappointed.”

  She chose to remain silent. Channing looked as if he was choking on a remark. She slid the flash drive across the table to Stew again. “All of my findings are recorded on this. How can you ignore a story like this? It’s the answer to the question everyone’s asking … and we’re the only ones with the answer.”

  Her boss ignored the flash drive. “Okay, I’ll play along. Enlighten me.” He looked at Channing and rolled his eyes. His sarcastic laugh chipped away at her confidence.

  After a few moments of awkward silence, she relayed the whole story, minus her brief romantic encounter; it would only lower her credibility. She finished with her heroic escape from the hospital.

  Stew sat back. “That’s a very interesting story. It’s a shame I can’t use it.”

  Her shoulders slumped. “Why not?”

  “Because, Dominique, it’s not only offensive to all other faiths, it’s just a little--shall we say—preposterous?”

  The waiter arrived with the bill and rushed off with Stew’s credit card.

  “But it’s the truth. Read my reports. It’s the same no matter which city you check. Let’s go to a hospital right now. I’ll bet you my job. If there’s a baby in the nursery, both parents are Christians.”

  “You can’t make that bet.”

  “And why not?”

  “Because you’re fired!”

  She grabbed the flash drive. “Fired? You can’t fire me for reporting the truth.”

  “Watch me. We’ll escort you back to the station. Pack up your things, and make it quick. I expect you to be out of the building by the six o’clock news.”

  Stew and Channing left with their lunches only half eaten. Dominique didn’t bother following. It wouldn’t be worth the humiliation. Nothing in her little cubicle at the station was worth facing ridicule from her coworkers.

  Her ears rang. What a turn of events. She’d actually been fired for trying to report the truth. A small smile turned her lips upward when she remembered that Penelope had fired her earlier that morning as well. I’ve never been fired from two jobs in the same day.

  Exhausted, she hailed the first cab in sight and gave him her mother’s address. After the day she’d already had, maybe a visit with her mother wouldn’t be the hardest part of her trip after all.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  When Houston walked into the hospital lounge, the television in the corner played without sound, and the waiting area still smelled of stale coffee. Cindy and Becky were the lone occupants of the room. Houston joined them on the couch and gave Becky a soft kiss. “I was hoping you’d still be here.”

  She returned the kiss and added a quick hug. “What a coincidence. We were just talking about you.”

  “Were you, now? I hope it was all good things, like how incredibly attractive you find me.” He pulled her in for another embrace.

  She laughed. “Well, we haven’t talked about that particular subject yet. Are you off for the rest of the day?”

  “Yeah. I was hoping to talk with Travis. Is he around?”

  “He’s at the office,” Cindy said.

  “Unbelievable!” Houston huffed. “He’s still working?”

  “Something came up at work.” Cindy took a sip from her water bottle. “Lately, he always has some type of emergency or business that needs his attention.”

  Becky flashed Houston a concerned look before responding to her sister-in-law. “Have things improved any since we last talked?”

  Cindy wiped away a stray tear. “I thought they were. We had a good conversation earlier, then she called and ruined everything.”

  “Who?” Houston asked. What was Travis up to now? Becky had indicated that Travis and Cindy were having problems. Was another woman the source of the trouble?

  Cindy rolled her eyes. “Angelica. His new accountant. She’s some young, sexy, intriguing woman. She says jump, and Travis asks how high.” She walked to the window. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to burden you both with our problems.”

  “It’s no burden, sis. That’s what family is for. Becky and I are happy to help any way we can.” His words sounded normal, but inside, all he could think about was knocking some sense into his brother-in-law.

  “You two have already done so much.” She rubbed her arms. “It’s such a relief not to have to worry about the kids.”

  “We’ve had help from several women at church,” Becky said.

  Cindy sat back down. “I miss them. It seems like weeks since I’ve changed a diaper. I would give anything to have a little normal back in my life.”

  Becky squeezed her hand. “I know the kids miss you too. I would love to bring them all here or take them to the park, but I can’t fit everyone in my car.”

  “Let’s switch vehicles.” Cindy leaned forward. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of this sooner. You take my Land Rover, and I’ll drive your car. I’m not leaving until Audrey wakes up, but if I need to go anywhere, your car will be fine.”

  “That will work,” Becky said. “I’ll bring everyone back later tonight, if that’s okay.”

  The conversation stopped as the doctor strolled into the room. “Good news, Mrs. Montgomery. Audrey has regained consciousness.”

  The room erupted with laughter, tears, and hugs. Houston hugged Becky, then jumped up and swept Cindy up into the air.

&
nbsp; Once her feet hit the firm ground Cindy asked. “Can I see her?”

  “They’re finishing up some tests. A nurse will come down to get you as soon as they’re completed.”

  “Is she breathing on her own?” Cindy wrung her hands. “Has there been any brain damage?”

  “Her breathing is fine, but we have a few more tests we need to run before we’ll know about anything conclusive. I’d say, overall, she’s out of the woods.”

  “Thank you, Doctor. Please tell her I’m here, and I can’t wait to hug her.”

  The moment the doctor left, Cindy retrieved her cell phone from her purse. "Rats. My battery is dead. Can I borrow your phone?”

  Before either of them could answer, a nurse walked into the room. “Are you Mrs. Montgomery?”

  “I am.”

  “You can come on up. Audrey’s asking for you.”

  Becky gave Cindy a bright smile. “You go on up, we’ll get hold of Travis.” As Cindy rushed out of the room, Becky intertwined her fingers with Houston's. “Do you want to call him, or do you want me to try?”

  Houston squeezed her hand. “Can you stay here with Cindy? I’ll stop by his office and tell him the good news. Hopefully, we’ll have a chance to talk on the way back to the hospital.” Was the source of Travis’s trouble Vinnie Fernandez or another woman? “I hope he hasn’t gotten himself into some kind of trouble I can’t help him out of.”

  Why did things have to be so complicated? Travis had been avoiding him. A face-to-face conversation would give Houston the chance to find out what was eating at him. Hopefully, it didn’t involve Vinnie Fernandez, because people who got in too deep with that crook ended up in one of two places—prison or the morgue.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Clutching the foreclosure notice in hand, Travis entered his office and sat down behind his desk. Cindy and Audrey needed him, but if he lost the house and business, what good would he be to them? The only way to get the money to save them was through Vinnie. He wadded the notice up and tossed it into the trash can. How could he have been so foolish? Getting involved with Vinnie had only increased his troubles.