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Tully didn't hear anything after producer Edna's voice turned into white noise She leaned forward "Who is it?"
Edna pressed the phone to her chest "Two guys fro Actually, the reporter was killed The producer, John Ryan, is in critical condition" She went back to her call "What was the reporter's name?"
Tully drew in a sharp breath All she could think was: Johnny She closed her eyes, but it didn't help; in the darkness she collected a dozen painfulabout her futuredancing at that ridiculous nightclub in the seedy part of don all those years agoseeing him look at Marah for the first ti to her feet "I have to go"
Edna looked up at her, mouthed, "What is it?"
She could barely form the words; they burned her mouth "Johnny Ryan is my best friend's husband"
"Really?" Edna looked at her, then said into the phone, "Maury, put Tully on the story She has an in I'll call you back," and hung up "Sit down, Tully"
Nuiven out anyway Thoseher "I need to help Katie," shestory, Tully," Edna said
Tully waved that off impatiently "I don't care about that She's my best friend"
"Don't care?" Edna said sharply "Oh, you care Everyone wants this assignment, but you have an in Do you knohat that ears fro, to make this about her career "I don't know"
"Then you're not the woet an exclusive and coht about that "When you put it that way"
"What other way is there? You can get an interview that no one else will have A thing like this will put you on the et you the news nook"
Tully couldn't help but be seduced by that The news nook was a desk on the est news stories were covered The recognition factor for anyone assigned there was high Daily national exposure Several people had made the jump fro while I'm there"
"Exactly" Edna picked up the phone and dialed the nuood as done I'll vouch for her" When she hung up, Edna's look was steely "Don't let me down"
All the way from the restaurant and back to the office, Tully convinced herself that she'd done the right thing At her desk, she threw her coat onto the back of her chair and called Kate The phone rang and rang Finally the answering machine picked up:
You've reached the Ryan household Neither Johnny nor Kate can coe we'll get back to you as soon as we can
At the beep, Tully said, "Hey, Katie, it's me I just heard--"
Kate picked up the phone and disabled the answering otreporters won't leave me alone"
"Katie, how--"
"He's in a hospital in Gerht in two hours I'll call you when I land"
"Hardly I'll meet you at the hospital"
"In Gero through this alone Your ht You mean it, Tully?" Kate's voice lifted on the last question, took on an edge of hope
"Best friends forever, isn't it?"
"No matter what" On that, Kate's voice broke "Thanks, Tully"
Tully wanted to say, That's what friends are for, but the words stuck in her throat All she could think of was the exclusive she'd promised Edna
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
For sixteen hours, Kate rode an e between hope and despair At first she'd focused on details--calling her parents, packing Marah's things, filling out paperwork The busy-work had been a lifesaver; without it, there was nothing to do but worry On the flight, she'd taken sleeping pills for the first tih her sleep had been oozy, black, and restless, it was infinitely better than being awake
Now she was being escorted to the hospital As she approached the entrance, she saw reporters clotted out front Sonized her, because they turned in unison, like some suddenly roused beast, and pushed forward
"Mrs Ryan, ord do you have on his condition?"
"Is it a head injury?"
"Has he spoken--"
"--or opened his eyes?"
She didn't slon If there was one thing a producer's wife knew, it was how toas respectful as they kne to be, given their profession Although Johnny was one of them and they knew that it could have happened to any of them, a story was a story
"No coh the crowd and entered the hospital It was like all such institutions--blank walls, utilitarian flooring, crisply unifor doide corridors
They'd clearly been alerted to her arrival, because a heavyset woman in a white unifor sympathetically
"You lish