The Cost of Commitment - KJ2 by Lynn Ames Read Free Book Online Page B

done?”
    “Just using a little leverage. Putting a little pressure in the right places.”

    Lynn Ames

    William Redfield wanted nothing more at that moment than to wipe the smug expression off the little weasel’s face. “If this backfires and one of your ‘projects’ talks, you’re on your own,” he snapped.
    “Bill, has anyone ever told you you worry too much?”
    Redfield stormed out of the room.

    “Okay, Spinmeister, what’s going on?”
    They were settled into a high-backed booth at the back of Lombardo’s, a family-style Italian restaurant at the lower end of downtown Albany.
    “Nothing good, my friend.” Kate pulled a blue manila file folder from the briefcase at her feet and placed it in front of Peter. Inside were a series of newspaper clippings.
    After reading the first five clips, he looked up, both eyebrows hiked into his hairline. “Huh,” he whistled softly. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d have to say somebody gave these folks a little help with their stories.”
    “My thought exactly. But that’s not the worst. Keep reading.” Kate reached over, locating a clipping halfway down in the pile. It was dated September 21, 1987—two days earlier.
    Peter uttered a string of expletives as his eyes scanned the top of the page. The editorial headline read, “The Woman Behind the Deceptions at DOCS.”

    Just four months into the job, it seems that the State Department of Correctional Services’ lead spokeswoman has settled in quite nicely, thank you. In instance after instance, Katherine Kyle, the governor’s controversial choice as public information officer for the nation’s third largest prison system, has buried the truth, misleading the public and abusing her position. When an inmate was murdered last month at the Auburn Correctional Facility, Ms. Kyle told our Daniel Wenger that the incident was unrelated to a series of violent outbursts earlier that same week. Reliable sources and further investigation prove that Ms. Kyle lied: the victim and the killer belonged to rival gangs that had been involved in several scuffles over the course of a two-week period. It is our considered opinion that Ms. Kyle should either resign or be fired: she can no longer be trusted to tell the truth about anything.

    When Peter’s eyes met Kate’s, they held fire. “There aren’t too many ways that ace reporter and his editors could have gotten that little tidbit, now, are there?”

    The Cost of Commitment

    “No. But what bothers me more is that they’re questioning my credibility in ways that are difficult to combat.” Kate’s wounded eyes met Peter’s. “In this business credibility is everything. Without it, I can’t do my job effectively.”
    He put his hand over hers in sympathy.
    “The sad thing is, I told the truth. That inmate wasn’t killed as a result of anything gang related, he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Unfortunately, the newspaper has just enough of the basic facts right: there were members of rival gangs planning a turf war, there were several violent incidents during those two weeks, and the perp and the vic were members of opposing gangs. Since nobody ever asked me those questions in that way, the information was never made public. But the way the editorial is worded, why should anyone believe me now?”
    Peter’s jaw muscles stood out in bold relief. “None of the line staff would be stupid enough to talk to the newspaper. Hell, none of them would’ve been able to supply all of that information. No, it had to be someone much higher up. My guess would be Breathwaite. But speculation and proof are two different things.”
    “Not to mention motive,” Kate added dejectedly. “What the blazes is his game, anyway?”
    “I’d say it’s pretty obvious he wants to discredit you and shove you out the door. The question in my mind is the same one it was a month ago: why?”
    “I’ve been puzzling over that one myself. Why would he want to