Page 86 of Mr. Perfect
“I want you to include your observations about me.”
Jimmy jerked his gaze upward. “Um…”
“I’m fully aware of how I come across sometimes. You cannot write an honest piece if you’re afraid to hurt my feelings.”
“But I r-respect you so m-much though,” Jimmy stammered.
Felix met Jimmy’s timid gaze until the man stopped shaking. “And you’d like mine in return. Am I right?”
“Well, I know it’s a lot to hope for, but—”
“Yes or no, Jimmy.”
The reporter’s cheeks blushed even darker. “Yes. Someday.”
“Rule number two. No caveats.” Felix pointed to his notebook. “Write it down, Jimmy.”
“No caveats,” Jimmy repeated as he wrote it down in his notebook.
“I am a person who respects honesty, even when it’s not something I want to hear. The harsh reality is that life doesn’t come tied up in pretty bows. It’s gritty, sometimes ugly, but those things make the beauty so much more vibrant when it shines through.”
“Like a rainbow after an ugly storm?”
“Yes.”Or like spending the weekend in the arms of the only man you’ve ever loved.Felix kept that tidbit private. “You have your marching orders. Your journey to confidence begins now.”
“Yes, of course.” Jimmy rose from his chair. He took a deep breath, then began to morph right in front of Felix’s eyes. The young reporter stood taller, squared his shoulders, and lifted his chin a few notches higher, and met Felix’s gaze.
“Attaboy, Jimmy.”
Not long after Jimmy left, Minerva knocked on the doorframe. “How are you?” she asked, stepping inside his office.
“Stiff and sore, but I’m on the mend.”
Minerva handed him a flash drive. “This is a copy of everything I emailed over to the police. I wanted you to have a copy since we’re fast approaching the time when the system will start recording over it.”
“Thanks,” Felix said, looking at the hot pink piece of plastic. “Did you look at it?”
“I’m a reporter first and an editor second. Of course, I did.”
“And?”
Minerva sat down and crossed her legs. “A panel van pulled up from the west side of the parking lot and stopped in front of your car at about five thirty. It had tinted windows, so you couldn’t get a look at the driver.”
“And since he came from the west, the passenger side of the van would’ve faced the camera,” Felix said. “So he was able to use the van as a shield to get out, set the explosives, and leave without getting caught on film.” Felix knew it was too much to hope for anything less. “Was everyone gone by then?”
“The parking lot was mostly empty,” Minerva replied. “I hadn’t left yet and neither had a few other staff members. Detective Key said he will interview each of us today. The van wasn’t there when I left, and I didn’t spot it in the vicinity. The tinted windows make it stand out, and I think I would’ve noticed it hanging around.”
Felix thought it was more likely the tinted windows looked more ominous because she knew what happened next. He held up the flash drive. “Thanks for making a copy for me. I’ll take a look at it tonight.” Felix didn’t expect to find anything useful, but he wasn’t willing to throw it in the bottom of a drawer and forget about it either.
After Minerva left, Felix had a hard time sinking into his work. It was something that rarely occurred, but could anyone blame him? He figuratively grabbed himself by the scruff and forced himself to focus on his outstanding tasks. Jude sent a text around eleven asking what he wanted to eat for lunch. They had a teleconference with Jillian Sharkey, aka Jude’s mom, planned at one o’clock. This was one of the moments when Felix was sure the events from the previous few weeks were nothing more than a dream.
He’d known Jude’s mom was a lawyer, but he had no idea she was The Shark. He’d been so intimidated when Jude called her over the weekend to give her an update. Jill, as she’d insisted he call her, morphed from concerned, to angry, to outright furious by the time they told her everything.
“Jude,” she’d said. “Why couldn’t you have let this go as I asked you?”
“This sounds familiar,” Felix whispered into Jude’s ear.
“Because I’m your son,” Jude responded.