"An Exclusive for the Valley Voice"
Bill and Rosemary sat together at the conference table, and Bill was able to fill Rosemary in on the details for her story. Rosemary sat quietly, listened and kept writing.
"Bill, I'm not quite sure how Walden and Cathcutter were able to collaborate on this?" asked Rosemary. "What about Landis, the school inspector? Will he be implicated too?"
"Walden and Cathcutter said they had been friends since their school days, but I think that will be something Headquarters will be looking at. As for Landis, he will be questioned, but in the end, he did the right thing, so he probably won't be charged. Headquarters will also be looking at other land deals Cathcutter has made, and they will investigate his businesses that are currently operating. They'll want to see if he used coercion and bribery to get them up and running. Both Headquarters and the provincial government will want to know who has been helping Cathcutter. I'm sure that at least one person, and possibly more, have been assisting him, and I expect there will be additional arrests. It could be far reaching, if you think about Cathcutter's current holdings. If the town councils in those towns accepted bribes, we could be looking at dozens of arrests."
"My goodness, Bill, you did say this could be big, but I had no idea. I don't usually do this, but I'd like to ask you to review my story before I publish it. I don't want to print any information that isn't correct, nor do I want to print anything that could jeopardize the investigation. It will be very late tonight I'm afraid."
"Rosemary, I appreciate that. I would be glad to review your story. Do you have any other questions for me?"
"Would it be appropriate to interview members of the Town Council for the article, Bill?"
"Lee filled me in on what occurred at the Town Council meeting," said Bill. "You can certainly talk to him. He asked Hickam to get the minutes of the meeting ready as quickly as possible, because we'll need them for Headquarters. Lee is going to schedule another meeting for Saturday afternoon to approve the minutes and begin planning the town's response to what could happen with all the property Walden bought. At the arraignment I stipulated that Walden could not sell the property until the case has been adjudicated. Walden could ask for that stipulation to be changed, and he may do that. He'll probably need money for his legal fees. Hope Valley will be involved in that request, and I won't agree to any changes unless the former owners of the properties have first right of refusal. Should the former owners not be interested, I would agree to other Hope Valley residents being able to purchase the properties. Beyond that, there is nothing further I can do. You will probably need a follow-up story for anything in the Town Council minutes. The Town Council voted to not seal the minutes, and you'll be able to use the information in your story. The minutes can't be released until they've been approved at Saturday's meeting."
"Yes, I know, Robert's Rules, right, Bill?"
"Exactly, but I think you'll have quite a story to print with what you already have. You should think about how you're going to handle out-of-town requests for your story. You'll certainly be getting them from the larger newspapers in the province. If you'd like my advice, Rosemary, if I were you, I would keep control over the story so it doesn't become sensationalized or get muddy. In other words, sell them the story as is with no changes allowed."
"Yes, I've been thinking about that, Bill. This will certainly put Hope Valley and the Valley Voice on the map. When this story is published in other newspapers, you may have additional witnesses coming forward from Cathcutter's other business ventures. Should I ask my readers to contact you if they have information on Cathcutter or his associates?"
"Not me, Rosemary, but I'd appreciate it if you could direct them to Mountie Headquarters. They will be handling the case from here."
"Bill, I'm very proud of you, Nathan, Gabe and our Hope Valley Town Council. It's not always easy to do the right thing, especially when people are throwing so much easy money at you. See, that's why I love Hope Valley. There are so many good people here. Hmm, that may be another story. Well, Bill, thank you for all your help. I'll be in touch if I have any questions. You can expect to hear from me late this evening. I'll see you then."
"Thank you, Rosemary. I know I can trust you to get the right story out."
Rosemary headed back to Lee's office to begin writing. She called the Mercantile and asked Ned Yost if Robert could deliver the Valley Voice along with the mail, and Ned agreed. Lee was away from the office, so it was quiet for Rosemary to write until Lee brought their dinner.
"Sweetheart, it's 6 o'clock. Are you still working on your story?" asked Lee.
"I am. Oh, Lee, what an ordeal you and the members of the Town Council must have had. I'm not going to ask you about it, because Bill told me I'd have to wait until the minutes are approved at tomorrow's meeting."
"That's right. I'm glad you understand. I'm sure you'll have quite a bit of information just from the arraignment."
"Yes, I do. Do you think you'll be able to get dinner for us at the café? I'm starving. I haven't eaten a thing since I had that mediocre muffin at Bill's office this morning. I told Clara she should use my recipe for muffins, but did she listen to me? No, she didn't."
"I already have dinner for us. It's on my desk."
"Oh, my, I must have been concentrating on my story so much, that I didn't see you bring our dinner in. Lee, you are a dear. Let's eat."
Lee and Rosemary sat at Lee's conference table and shared dinner. Rosemary was careful not to discuss anything but what had happened at the arraignment; not that she knew anything more than that. Lee listened intently and didn't interrupt her; not that he had a chance.
"Oh, Lee, this fried chicken is delicious, and the mashed potatoes are so creamy. I love the squash. It seems to have a hint of cinnamon in it. I'm afraid the biscuits are like the muffins—mediocre at best. I didn't realize how hungry I was."
"Well, I'm glad you're enjoying it, dear. I have two pieces of apple pie for our dessert. Do you think it's going to be a late night for you?" asked Lee.
"Actually, I think I should be finished in about an hour or so. Are you bringing the dishes back to the café after dinner? If you are, would you let Bill know I'll be by around 7 or 8. They should be past the dinner rush by then."
"That was my plan. I'm glad to give Bill your message." Rosemary smiled at Lee and quickly finished her dinner and got back to work.
The clock on the wall struck 8 when Rosemary completed her story. "I'd better get over to the café before Bill leaves." Rosemary packed up her bag and headed out. Even though it was late and getting dark, there were still many people out taking a walk, coming from dinner at the café or the saloon or just enjoying the brisk star-lit night.
"Rosemary, you're here. Bill is in the back looking over some paperwork from the arraignment. He's expecting you."
"Thank you, Clara. By the way, the fried chicken dinner and pie were delicious." Clara smiled. She knew Rosemary had a "but" in there, but chose not to spoil her compliment.
"Bill, I'm sorry I'm so late. I thought I'd be done an hour ago."
"Don't worry about it. Clara and Jesse are finishing up in the café so I could start working on my report to Headquarters. Do you have your story?"
"Yes, I do. Here it is. Now, don't worry about hurting my feelings, Bill. I want this to be perfect."
"Looks like you have quite a bit of detail here." Rosemary stood proudly at Bill's compliment. "Can you give me about 30 minutes to read it? Why don't you go out front with Clara and Jesse. They should be finishing up, and you can sit and have coffee and chat while I read this."
"That's a good idea, Bill, but won't you need me for questions or clarifications?" asked Rosemary.
"No, I'll write down any questions, and we can go over everything at once."
"Well, if you're certain," Rosemary sighed.
"I'll be fine. Go ahead. Go visit with Clara and Jesse."
"OK, Bill, but I won't be far if you need me." Bill smiled, and Rosemary turned and went to the front of the café.
"Rosemary, you're writing about those people who were arrested, aren't you?" asked Jesse.
"Yes, I am. I don't want to tell either of you much about it, so you can get the full effect when you read the story in the Valley Voice." Rosemary raised both hands as she spoke just like she was thanking the folks in the balcony after one of her performances. "I suppose I can tell you a little about it." Rosemary gave Clara and Jesse a few tidbits of information, and she told her story very theatrically, as only Rosemary can. Before she knew it, Bill was calling for her from the back room. "Coming, Bill," Rosemary yelled. "It was nice chatting with you, but duty calls."
"Rosemary, sit down so we can talk."
"Oh, dear, Bill. This sounds serious."
"No. Rosemary, you have all the facts here, but I'm hoping we can tone down some of the sensationalism," said Bill.
"Sensationalism? I stated all the facts as I heard then. Surely you can see that. You were there, Bill."
"I know. It's just that some of it reads like a script instead of a news story. Take this sentence, for example, 'The condemned bandits sat facing Judge Avery like it was final judgment day.' Can you just write that in a plain, simple sentence something like, 'The defendants and their legal representatives nervously sat in front of Judge Bill Avery.' You really don't need all the theatrics. If you want to write a play about this later, then this type of language would be appropriate. This is not the 'Ask Mary Rose' column. Just use plain language and facts. I think if you do that, the story will be acceptable for your readers. Remember, Rosemary, people all over the province are going to want to buy your story. They are large newspapers with professional, serious journalists."
"Are you saying I'm not a professional, serious journalist, Bill Avery?"
"No, I'm not saying that. Remember, you asked me to read your story. I'm giving you my honest opinion. Take what you have and write it in plain English. If you try to sell it like this, you won't have any buyers, and they'll get their own story, and you'll get nothing."
"Well, since you put it that way, Bill, I can do that. Thank you for reading it, and I really do appreciate your feedback. I want to be thought of as a serious journalist."
"You can be. Go back to your office. Use what you have, and just write it in plain, simple language. Trust me. You won't be sorry."
"I do trust you, Bill. I still plan to have it ready for distribution in the morning. Maybe I can go home and get a little sleep before the Town Council meeting tomorrow afternoon. Thank you for your help." Rosemary got up, walked to the front of the café, said good-bye to Clara and Jesse, and headed back to the office. "It's going to be a long night, I'm afraid."
Author's Note: I'm posting this on Saturday night this week, because I'm in the area that Henri will impact, and my guess is that my Internet will be out of service by this time on Sunday.