Hard News

"Sort of on my lunch hour."

Sutton said,"Sort of. Uh-huh. Well, so this man is i

Rune blinked. She felt very young under the woman's probing eyes. Tongue-tied. "It's sort of, it's not so muchwho he is as it is the fact he was convicted of a crime he didn't commit and he's sort of going to just rot in jail. Or get killed or something."

"You think he's i

"No, it'll be a really good story. And it'll be sort of like…" Rune heard her clumsy words and froze.

She must think I'm a total idiot. Sutton raised her eyebrows and Rune continued carefully, "If we get him released then all the other stations and newspapers'll coverus."

"Us?"

"Well, you andCurrent Events. For getting the guy out of jail."

Sutton waved her hand. "It's a small story. It's a local story." Sutton began writing on the sheet of paper in front of her. Her handwriting was elegant. "That's all."

"Well, if you could maybe just keep this." Rune opened her bag and handed Sutton a sheet of paper with a synopsis of the story. The anchor woman slipped it underneath her china coffee cup on the far side of her desk and returned to the document she'd been reading.

Outside the woman's office the secretary looked up at Rune in horror. "Who are you?" Her voice was high in panic. "How did you get in here?"

"Sorry, got lost," Rune said gloomily and continued toward the dark-paneled elevator bank.

The elevator doors had just opened when Rune heard a voice like steel on stone. "You," Piper Sutton shouted, pointed at Rune. "Back in here. Now."

Rune hurried back to the office. Sutton, close to six feet, towered over her. She hadn't realized the anchor-woman was so tall. She hated tall women.

Sutton slammed the door shut behind them. "Sit."

Rune did.

When she too was seated Sutton said, "You didn't tell me it was Randy Boggs."

Rune said, "He's not famous. You said you weren't interested in somebody who wasn't-"

"You should've given me all the facts."

Rune looked contrite. "Sorry. I didn't think."

"All right. Boggscould be news. Tell me what you've found out."

"I read the letter. And I watched those tapes-of the trial and one somebody did of him in prison a year ago. He says he's i

Sutton snapped. "And?"

"And, that's it."

"What do you mean, 'that's it?' That's why you think he's i

"He said the police didn't really investigate the crime. They didn't try to find many witnesses and they didn't really spend any time talking to the ones they did find."

"Didn't he tell that to his lawyer?"

"I don't know."

"And that'sall? Sutton asked.

"It's just that I… I don't know. I looked at his face on the tape and I believe him."

"Youbelieve him?" Sutton laughed again. She opened her desk and took out a pack of cigarettes.

She lit one with a silver lighter. Inhaled for a long moment.

Rune looked around the room, trying to think up an answer to defend herself. Being studied by Piper Sutton knocked most of the thoughts out of her head. All she said was "Read the letter." Rune nodded toward the file she'd given the woman. Sutton found it and read. She asked, "This is a copy. You have the original?"

"I thought the police might need it for evidence if he ever got a new trial. The original's locked in

my desk."

Sutton closed the file. Said, "I guess I'm looking at quite a judge of human character. You're, what, some justice psychic? You get the vibes that this man's i

Rune said, "I was going to do the story right. I know how to research. I know how to interview. I wasn't going to go with anything that wasn't…" Oh, hell: corroborated orcollaborated! Which was it? Rune wasn't good with sound-alike words. "… backed up."

Sutton calmed. "All right, what you're saying is you have a hunch and you want to check it out."

"I guess I am."

"You guess you are." Sutton nodded then pointed her cigarette at Rune. "Let me ask you a question."

"Shoot."

"I'm not suggesting that you not pursue this story."

Rune tried to sort out thenots.

Sutton continued, "I'd never suggest that a reporter shouldn't go after a story he feels strongly about."

Rune nodded, wrestling withthis batch of negatives.

"But I just wonder if your efforts aren't a little misplaced. Boggs had his day in court and even if there were some minor irregularities at trial, well, so what?

"But I just have this feeling he's i

Sutton's matte face sca

Rune blinked. "Me?"

"Are you doing a story about Randy Boggs or about a young ambitious journalist?" Sutton smiled again, a smile with a child's fake i

the truth about Boggs or making a name for yourself?"

Rune didn't speak for a minute. "I think he's i

"I'm not going to debate the matter with you. I'm simply asking the question. Only you can answer it. And I think you've got to do a lot of soul-searching to answer it honestly… What happens if-I won't say it turns out he's i

Rune looked away, unable to sort out her thoughts. Too many tough questions. What the anchorwoman said made a lot of sense. She said, "I think he's i

Sutton gazed at her for a long moment, then asked, "You ever budgeted a segment on a news program? You ever assigned perso

"I'm union. I'm a camera-"

Sutton's voice rose. "Don't be stupid. I knowyou're union. I'm asking if you've ever dealt with the trades, as management?

"No."

Sutton said abruptly, "Okay, whatever you do, it isn't going to be as sole producer. You're too

inexperienced."

"Don't worry, I'm, like, real-"

Sutton's mouth twisted. "Enthusiastic? A fast learner? Hard working? Is that what you were going to say?"

"I'm good. That's what I was going to say."

"Miracles can happen," Sutton said, pointing a long rudder finger at Rune. "You can be assistant producer. You can report and you can…" Sutton gri

Rune stood up and put her hands on the desktop. Sutton leaned back and blinked. Rune said, "I'm not a child! I came here to tell you about a story I think is going to be good for you and for the Network and all you do is insult me. I didn'thave to come here. I could've gone to the competition. I could've just sat on the story and done it myself. But-"