Lust and Lies 04 - Pretty Maids in a Row

apart. She got confused a few times and reacted emotionally more often than logically—not that I can blame her." She shook her head as she straightened her silverware into precise parallel lines. "I shouldn't have let her do this. She doesn't have the strength."
    Holly felt the woman's sadness as if it was palpable. "I got the impression Cheryl volunteered."
    "Yes, but I could have stopped her. I should have guessed how that committee might react. It's my responsibility to know things like that."
    The waitress came to take their order before Holly could think of anything consoling to say. By the time she left them alone again, April seemed to have shed her self-doubt.
    "So tell me, Holly, what did you think of our research on Frampton?"
    "I was impressed with the quality and quantity," she replied formally. "It was very... thorough."
    "And?"
    Holly met April's steady gaze. "And disgusting."
    "And?"
    Holly hesitated a second, then admitted, "And I'm intrigued by what you said about retribution."
    April's soft smile was a reward for honesty. "Very good."
    "I don't see how I could help, though. It looks to me like this would fall under Rachel's area."
    April nodded. "It could, but she's having some trouble at work and calling attention to herself by investigating something with so little to go on could make matters worse. I had a different approach in mind, one that you might be equipped to handle better than the rest of us."
    "I'm willing to hear what you have in mind," Holly answered cautiously.
    Delivery of their drinks and salads delayed April's explanation a moment, during which Holly's curiosity increased.
    "No law enforcement agency has the time or manpower to follow up on information as sketchy as ours. Nor do we want to involve a private detective whose only interest in the case would be monetary payment. If he was unscrupulous, he could be bribed to bury the evidence. Even if he was law-abiding, he might reveal who hired him, which could put us in a difficult position. There are simply too many risks. What we need is someone who would look under every rock to get to the truth. Someone who would rather discover a shocking secret than a bag of gold."
    Holly leaned forward. "You're talking about a reporter, aren't you?"
    April gave her another approving smile. "Right. A hungry, aggressive investigative reporter who would snap up our bait and go fishing on his own if he smelled a possible exposé about a celebrity."
    "I can see how that would work but where would I fit in?"
    "If I'm not mistaken, as a lobbyist, you've had to deal with the press on a regular basis."
    Holly smiled. "Reporters provide our best and cheapest advertising. Dealing with them is an absolute necessity."
    "That's what I thought," April said with a wink. "My idea is this. You could choose a reporter who would meet all the requirements I mentioned and anonymously pass the file on to that person. The ideal scenario would be for you to select someone you're already friendly with or could get close to, so that you can encourage them to take the lead, then follow their progress through to the end. It would almost be like doing the investigation yourself. I believe you'd find it very satisfying."
    Holly realized she was about to make another impulsive decision, but it didn't worry her as it normally would. In fact, it felt rather good to be taking action without first fretting over it for days. "All right. I'll see what I can do."
    "Wonderful. You won't be sorry. I don't know if you're familiar with him, but Erica gave me the name of a Washington Herald reporter who's been very persistent about getting an interview with her."
    "A Washington Herald reporter?" Holly asked warily. "By any chance, is his name David Wells?"
    April nodded. "Yes. That's the man. Do you know him?"
    "No, not really." Holly's brows narrowed in thought. "There was a strange incident at the airport last night. Then he called my office today for an interview, but Evelyn—our office manager—had the feeling there was more to it. She has a little test she uses when she's not sure if a man is truly interested in Earth Guard or just trying to get to me. I know that sounds a bit egotistical but I've had a few problems with men. It seems the more men I turn away, the more of them approach me."
    April laughed. "I'm not discounting your feminine appeal, but it does sound as though you've become a bit of a challenge to the collective male ego."
    Holly shrugged. "I wonder how many of