Maybe we should go check on her," Michael said pacing the length of the
living room.
"No," Liz said watching the sun rise through the front window. "Let her get all she can from him. We need to know as much as she can learn." Liz lowered hr eyes. She felt guilty knowing Jackson was Hope's kidnapper.
"It's not your fault," Max said sensing Liz's emotions.
Liz turned to look at Max and briefly grinned before returning her eyes to the orange horizon. She's always loved how Max could practically read her every thought. Liz watched as a white van pulled up to the curb outside Maria's townhouse. The driver got out and opened a side door. He pulled out a television camer and mounted a temporary satellite to the roof of the van. A second man in a suit joined him from the passenger's side and connected a microphone to the camera.
"Um... we have company," Liz spoke as the two men walked up the driveway.
"What?" Who?" Michael asked anxiously dashing towards the window. He pulled back the drape to peer through the panes. As he did, a second vehicle parked across the street with a satellite permanently mounted on the roof. Seconds later, a red van parked behind the first. WFXL was written on the side in bold, red letters. Michael said with confusion, "The media?"
Alex cleared his throat and stood. He rolled his eyes and sighed, "A manager's work is never done." He grabbed a sports jacket from the wooden coat tree near the door and slid his bare feet into a pair of loafers protruding from beneath the couch. When he heard Michael snicker, Alex turned and said, "They probably just want an update on Marianna's condition since the accident or the latest word on the release of her next album."
As the doorbell sounded, Alex opened the front door poised to answer fan- related questions that he expected would be aired during the celebrity gossip segment of the evening news. Instead, he was floored by an agressive reporter who beat around no bushes to say what he was there to learn.
"Is it true that Marianna's daughter is missing?" the reporter shouted and shoved the microphone into Alex's face.
The blinding lights of the television cameras and the question for which he was unprepared to answer stunned Alex. He opened his mouth to answer and froze. His eyes widened and his breathing quickened as panic began to set in. "Uh... he studdered."
"Is the girl safe? Has Marianna had contact with Hope at all? Are there any negotiations in process for her return?" another reporter spouted questions as Alex struggled to gather his thoughts.
"Hope is not missing," Alex blurted. He reasoned that while his statement was not complete truth, it was not entirely false either. She was not missing - they knew who she was with. It was simply a matter of getting her back.
"Is she here?" a third reporter continued.
"No," Alex calmly stated. He developed a plan. "She's not here. She is visiting with her grandmother out of state." Alex inwardly smiled with pride at his quick thinking.
"Is Marianna available for a statement?" the reporter refused to give up. "Can she verify the whereabouts of her daughter."
"Look," Alex said. "Marianna is a very private person and she values the alone time between she and her daughter. She will not comment on anything regarding her family or personal life. If you'd like comments regarding her next release..."
"Not interested," one of the reporters interrupted. "We received an anonymous tip that Marianna is having problems healing from the head injuries in her recent car accident. Are those injuries in fact the reason that she has sent Hope to stay with her grandmother?"
Alex thought, "Dang. Can't win for losing. My plan backfired." He began to close the door. "Marianna is fine. Hope is fine. We will not discuss her personal life. If you have no further questions regarding her release, then our conversation is finished."
The reporters continued to shout questions about Marianna's failing health as Alex forced the door closed.
"Can you believe that?" he asked taking off his jacket and shoes.
"Who was the anonymous tip from?" Max asked.
A door slammed upstairs and everyone turned their attention to the newest occupant of the room. Isabel stood at the base of the stairs. "They think she's an alien," she announced. "They don't know we exist. It's us they want, but it's her they got."
"No," Liz said watching the sun rise through the front window. "Let her get all she can from him. We need to know as much as she can learn." Liz lowered hr eyes. She felt guilty knowing Jackson was Hope's kidnapper.
"It's not your fault," Max said sensing Liz's emotions.
Liz turned to look at Max and briefly grinned before returning her eyes to the orange horizon. She's always loved how Max could practically read her every thought. Liz watched as a white van pulled up to the curb outside Maria's townhouse. The driver got out and opened a side door. He pulled out a television camer and mounted a temporary satellite to the roof of the van. A second man in a suit joined him from the passenger's side and connected a microphone to the camera.
"Um... we have company," Liz spoke as the two men walked up the driveway.
"What?" Who?" Michael asked anxiously dashing towards the window. He pulled back the drape to peer through the panes. As he did, a second vehicle parked across the street with a satellite permanently mounted on the roof. Seconds later, a red van parked behind the first. WFXL was written on the side in bold, red letters. Michael said with confusion, "The media?"
Alex cleared his throat and stood. He rolled his eyes and sighed, "A manager's work is never done." He grabbed a sports jacket from the wooden coat tree near the door and slid his bare feet into a pair of loafers protruding from beneath the couch. When he heard Michael snicker, Alex turned and said, "They probably just want an update on Marianna's condition since the accident or the latest word on the release of her next album."
As the doorbell sounded, Alex opened the front door poised to answer fan- related questions that he expected would be aired during the celebrity gossip segment of the evening news. Instead, he was floored by an agressive reporter who beat around no bushes to say what he was there to learn.
"Is it true that Marianna's daughter is missing?" the reporter shouted and shoved the microphone into Alex's face.
The blinding lights of the television cameras and the question for which he was unprepared to answer stunned Alex. He opened his mouth to answer and froze. His eyes widened and his breathing quickened as panic began to set in. "Uh... he studdered."
"Is the girl safe? Has Marianna had contact with Hope at all? Are there any negotiations in process for her return?" another reporter spouted questions as Alex struggled to gather his thoughts.
"Hope is not missing," Alex blurted. He reasoned that while his statement was not complete truth, it was not entirely false either. She was not missing - they knew who she was with. It was simply a matter of getting her back.
"Is she here?" a third reporter continued.
"No," Alex calmly stated. He developed a plan. "She's not here. She is visiting with her grandmother out of state." Alex inwardly smiled with pride at his quick thinking.
"Is Marianna available for a statement?" the reporter refused to give up. "Can she verify the whereabouts of her daughter."
"Look," Alex said. "Marianna is a very private person and she values the alone time between she and her daughter. She will not comment on anything regarding her family or personal life. If you'd like comments regarding her next release..."
"Not interested," one of the reporters interrupted. "We received an anonymous tip that Marianna is having problems healing from the head injuries in her recent car accident. Are those injuries in fact the reason that she has sent Hope to stay with her grandmother?"
Alex thought, "Dang. Can't win for losing. My plan backfired." He began to close the door. "Marianna is fine. Hope is fine. We will not discuss her personal life. If you have no further questions regarding her release, then our conversation is finished."
The reporters continued to shout questions about Marianna's failing health as Alex forced the door closed.
"Can you believe that?" he asked taking off his jacket and shoes.
"Who was the anonymous tip from?" Max asked.
A door slammed upstairs and everyone turned their attention to the newest occupant of the room. Isabel stood at the base of the stairs. "They think she's an alien," she announced. "They don't know we exist. It's us they want, but it's her they got."