“And if I don’t tell you, I end up in a Georgia prison, is that it? That’s what you implied over the phone.”
Donovan stared across at her angrily. “I won two Pulitzers before I was thirty-five. I’ve covered Vietnam, Korea, China, Bosnia, South Africa. Gotten my ass shot up twice. I’ve spent my life chasing every hot spot in the world. I’m as legit as they come. I’m not going to blackmail you, because I don’t operate that way. I told you that over the phone just to get you to meet with me. If Sheriff Billy catches up to you it’s not going to be with my help. Personally, I hope he never does.”
“Thank you.”
“But if you don’t tell me the truth, I’ll find it out someplace else. And then I’m going to write that story. And if you don’t tell me your side of things, I can’t guarantee how flatteringly I can portray you. I report the facts, guilt will fall where it may. If you’re willing to talk to me, I can guarantee only one thing: that your side of the story will be heard. But if you’ve broken the law somehow, there’s nothing I can do about that. I’m not a cop, and I’m not a judge.” He paused and looked at her. “So what’s it going to be?”
She didn’t speak for several minutes, her eyes staring down the road. He could see the conflict going on inside her.
Finally she looked over at him. “I want to tell you the truth. God, I want to tell somebody the truth.” She took a deep breath that almost turned into a shudder. “But I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“You’re already in a great deal of danger. If I were to talk to you, that danger would turn to an absolute certainty that you’re going to die.”
“Come on, LuAnn, I’ve been in dangerous spots before. It comes with the territory. What is it, and who’s behind it?”
“I want you to leave the country.”
“Excuse me?”
“I’ll pay. You pick a place, I’ll make all the arrangements. I’ll set up an account for you.”
“Is that your way of dealing with problems? Send them off to Europe? Sorry, but I’ve got a life right here.”
“That’s just it. If you stay you’re not going to have a life.”
“You’re really going to have to do better than that. If you’d work with me, we could really accomplish something here. Just talk to me. Trust me. I didn’t come down here to shake you down. But I also didn’t come down here to be thrown a bunch of bullshit.”
“I’m telling you the truth. You are in serious danger!”
Donovan wasn’t listening now. He rubbed his chin as he thought out loud. “Similar backgrounds. All poor, desperate. It made for great stories, really picked up the numbers of players.” He looked at her, clutched her arm. “Come on, LuAnn, you had help leaving the country ten years ago. You’ve gotten a whole lot richer. I can smell the story here, if you’d just give me the right angle. This could rank right up there with the Lindbergh baby and who shot JFK. I’ve got to know the truth. Is the government behind this, whatever this is? They’re making billions off this thing every month, sucking it out of the rest of us. Taxation without representation.” Donovan rubbed eager hands together. “Are we talking all the way to the White House? Please tell me we are.”
“I’m not telling you anything. And I’m doing it to keep you as safe as I can.”
“If you work with me, we both win.”
“I don’t consider being murdered winning. Do you?”
“Last chance.”
“Will you please believe me?”
“Believe what? You haven’t told me anything,” he bellowed.
“If I tell you what I know, it’s like I’m putting a pistol against your head and pulling the trigger myself.”
Donovan sighed. “Then why don’t you take me back to my car. I don’t know, LuAnn, I guess I expected more from you. You grew up dirt-poor, raised a kid by yourself, and then got this incredible break. I thought you might give a crap.”