“Just what scientific standards did you use to deduce whether or not this is footage of a real murder?”
Harrow said, “You probably know we have a top forensics team, culled from law enforcement all around the country. We got their read on it. Subjective but informed.”
The lawyer, Richards, said, “Mr. Byrnes also called me in for an opinion. I’m no forensics expert, but if this is genuinely someone committing murder to try to blackmail his way onto one of the network’s shows, getting a legal read on the situation was prudent.”
Amari’s half smile joined an arched eyebrow. “Obstructing justice is prudent in your view, Counselor?”
“Obstruction of justice was hardly our intention. We called you, and you’re sitting here now, and we’re cooperating. Why are we splitting hairs over a few minutes?”
“Your intention here is pretty clear, Counselor. Mr. Byrnes was trying to figure a way not to get burned by this thing... and you made him call us.”
“Actually,” Byrnes said, raising a forefinger in a point of clarification manner, “I didn’t make the call...”
She frowned at the exec.
Harrow leaned nearer her. “I did.”
“Why you?” Amari asked.
“Because I’m at the top of the Crime Seen food chain.”
“Not over the network president, you aren’t. What made any of you decide to call at all? You could’ve buried this thing. Deleted it, and if somehow you got called on it, dismissed your actions by saying you thought it was a hoax.”
He nodded toward the laptop. “I think a young woman is dead, and somewhere a family is wondering why they haven’t heard from their little girl.”
Amari said nothing, just cast a glance toward Polk, who was watching the exchange intently, but staying out of it.
Harrow caught the look.
“You already knew,” he said.
Byrnes said, “Already knew what?”
Both Amari and Harrow ignored that.
“I already knew,” she admitted with a nod.
Byrnes insisted: “Knew what?“
The lawyer answered in his sonorous rumble: “That the woman was dead.”
Harrow said, “You found her. Where?”
Amari’s smile was gentle despite the tension. “Do you really expect me to answer that?”
Harrow smiled back. “Sometimes I forget I’m the media now. I was a cop for a long, long time.”
“I could tell you off the record.”
Polk said, “Lieutenant, I don’t think—”
She raised a hand to silence her partner.
“Off the record,” Harrow said quietly. “Have you identified her?”
Amari gave him the broad outline — the body at the Hollywood sign, the roses, the note, the booby-trapped control box.
“I appreciate this,” Harrow said.
“Don’t be too grateful. That’s no more than’ll be on the LAPD press release. You’re just getting it a few hours early.” She nodded toward the laptop. “Obviously we need that video.”
He shrugged. “My computer expert, Jenny Blake, will arrange to give your techs access to everything you’ll need. In the meantime, we can give you a DVD.”
“Appreciate that. And we’ll want to talk to Ms. Garcia. But there’s one more thing. Something you won’t like, Mr. Harrow.”
“Try me.”
“You and your people — your so-called Killer TV forensics superstars? You need to stay away from this investigation.”
Byrnes sat exclamation-mark straight. “Lieutenant, Crime Seen is, in its way, a news show. We reserve our constitutional right to cover a news story... and this is most definitely a news story.”
Amari glared at the exec. “First of all, Crime Seen is not a news show. It’s reality TV. Don’t piss in my ear, Mr. Byrnes, because I know rain when I hear it.”
Byrnes shifted in his chair.
“Second, if you interfere with this investigation in any way, you will soon learn how serious a charge obstruction of justice can be. And all of you connected to that video, and the decision on how and when to bring the LAPD into it, will quickly find out just how much fun it is cooling your heels as material witnesses in lockup.”
The attorney spoke gentle thunder: “Lieutenant Amari, UBC will do whatever you ask, whatever you say.”
“Good,” Amari said. “Because I say butt out of this investigation. And I’m not asking.”
“Done,” Richards said.
“And you are not to air any portion of that video. Not one second.“
“Agreed.”
Her eyes swung to Byrnes and gave him a laser look. “Mr. Richards, I want to hear him say it.”
The attorney nodded to his client.
“We won’t air it,” Byrnes said unenthusiastically.
She turned to Harrow. “You’re quiet.”
“I could be saying something about First Amendment rights right now.”
“You could be.”
“But I won’t.”
“Really?”
“Really. I wouldn’t have run that vile thing even if Dennis had fired me over it.”
She wanted to believe him. But this was a man who had once shot a perp dead on live TV. How much farther over the line could you go than that?
She sneaked a look at Byrnes. The executive appeared glumly exasperated. Evidently, he believed Harrow.
“Why not run it?” she asked, as if casually exploring the hypothetical. “Just pixilate the areas of nudity and gore, and you’ve got a real ratings winner.”
“Ratings aren’t my job,” Harrow said. “We try to do the right thing at Crime Seen, and if the public doesn’t like what’s on offer, I’ll find something else to do.”
Polk chuckled. “Are you kiddin’, man?”
Byrnes muttered, “I wish he were.”
“Okay, Mr. Harrow,” Amari said. “I’m gonna choose to believe you. But if you’re playing me, you’ll pay for it.”
He grinned at her. The first full-on grin she’d got from him. “I can tell you this much, Lieutenant — I believe you.”
With a smile, Amari rose, nodded to the exec and the lawyer; then Polk trailed her to the door.
Falling in just behind, Harrow said, “To whatever extent you might want or need it, Lieutenant, know that you’ll have the complete cooperation of Crime Seen.”
“Thanks,” Amari said, if somewhat warily.
“I’ll walk you out,” he said.
They were in the hallway, Byrnes and Richards behind a closed door now, where Amari began, “Look, Mr. Harrow...”
“Make it ‘J.C.,’ would you?”
“J.C. I’m sorry if I seemed to come down hard-ass on you in there.”
“Hey, Lieutenant, I’ve—”
“Make it ‘Anna.’ ”
“Anna, I spent plenty of time on your side of the fence — sheriff, DCI investigator... that’s Iowa’s criminal investigation department. I know what it’s like to have pressure from above to close cases, and I sure as hell know it’s easier to do that if the media isn’t breathing down your neck.”
“That was a nice speech, J.C.”
“Thanks. And I didn’t even use a teleprompter.”
That made her laugh. Suddenly Polk was tagging behind as the trio headed back toward the elevator.
As they were standing there waiting for a down arrow, Amari suddenly realized she had the host of Crime Seen as an audience. How surreal.
In a what-the-hell moment, she said, “Say, J.C. — there is another case we’re working on I wouldn’t mind some help with.”