CHAPTER TEN
After waiting in a coffee shop with Matthew for two hours, Ashley was almost certain Bonnie and Harry hadn’t been able to talk to Ann-Marie.
Stephanie’s sister had driven her car out of her apartment building at eight o’clock that morning. Harry and Bonnie had followed her to one of the most prestigious schools in Manhattan. Instead of dropping her children off and leaving, she’d stayed at the school.
Somehow, Harry and Bonnie had followed her inside the building, but they hadn’t called to give her an update.
Ashley stacked Matthew’s empty cup with hers and left their napkins on the saucers. “We can’t waste any more time here.”
Matthew looked up from his laptop. “Where do you suggest we go?”
“Back to The Reaching High Foundation. Hazel, the woman we spoke to yesterday, works there. She said other staff knew about Jasmine and Congressman Welsh’s affair. Maybe she’s changed her mind and is ready to tell us their names.”
“From what you’ve said, that seems like a long-shot.”
Ashley closed the lid on her laptop. “It’s the best I can do.”
“Maybe not.”
“What do you mean?”
“Hazel knows you and Bonnie. She doesn’t know me.”
“You’re going to ask her about Congressman Welsh’s affair?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
“You’re not a reporter.”
“Exactly. That’s why I’m the best person for the job. If it doesn’t work, we’ve lost nothing. At least Hazel won’t call security and have me escorted out of the building.”
“You hope she doesn’t.” Sending Matthew into The Reaching High Foundation would be dangerous. If Jasmine saw him, they’d all be in trouble.
“It won’t work,” she said.
“Why not?”
“You’ll need an appointment. They don’t let everyone who walks in off the street into their offices.” Ashley leaned her elbows on the table. “You’d also need a reason to be there.”
“I’ve already thought of that.”
Ashley sighed. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”
“I learned from the best. When we were in Bozeman, you showed me the project plan for the youth center. They only completed half of it. What if I tell Hazel I’d like to finish the project?”
“We don’t know if Hazel is working on the youth center project.”
Matthew shrugged. “The Foundation is being investigated and all new projects have been put on hold. Hazel might be happy to listen to me if there isn’t much else for her to do.”
“I don’t know. We’d have to write a proposal and include a draft project plan and a budget.”
“I know a reporter who could whip something up in under an hour.”
Ashley bit her bottom lip. “It would have to look professional.”
Matthew nodded. “I was thinking of calling my company Gray Enterprises. I could be a wealthy rancher from Montana wanting to make a difference for inner-city kids.”
“You are a wealthy rancher from Montana.”
“Not that wealthy, but Hazel doesn’t know that. I like kids and can see the benefit of a youth center. My cover is about as authentic as you’ll get.”
“There’s only one problem. Hazel will ask how you knew that the youth center project isn’t finished.”
Matthew turned his laptop around and pointed to her first news story. “I read about it on the Internet. It upset me to know that the kids won’t be able to enjoy all the services and resources promised to them.”
“It might work.” Ashley opened her laptop and found a template for a project proposal. “We’d need to be realistic, but add something a little special to make Hazel want to talk to you.”
“I’ve finished a draft budget.”
Her mouth dropped open. She was even more impressed when she saw Matthew’s spreadsheet. “When did you do that?”
“I finished it about ten minutes ago.”
She shook her head. “What am I going to do with you?”
“Write the best project proposal Hazel has ever seen.”
Matthew’s grin caught Ashley off guard. She took a deep breath and started to type.
If Hazel refused to see Matthew after reading this proposal, she wasn’t the talented employee Jasmine said she was. And once she met the rancher from Montana, Hazel would have to have steel running through her veins not to be blown away by his charm, just like Ashley had been.
***
Matthew walked into The Reaching High Foundation building. His boots clicked against the marble floor, echoing in the vast chamber. No one looking at the limestone columns or leather chairs would guess that the Foundation was in serious financial trouble.
He tipped his cowboy hat at the receptionist. “My name is Matthew Gray. Would you let Hazel Lewis know that I’m here for my two o’clock appointment?”
The receptionist’s eyes widened. Matthew figured she hadn’t seen too many cowboys in New York.
“Certainly, Mr. Gray. If you’d like to take a seat, I’ll call Ms. Lewis.”
He sat on one of the chairs behind him. He took off his hat and opened the folder he’d brought with him. Ashley had written a project proposal that even he was excited about.
After they’d finished writing the proposal, he’d gone back to the hotel and changed into his best pair of jeans and button-down shirt. He hadn’t brought any fancy clothes with him, but he figured it couldn’t hurt to look his best.
Before he’d left his room, he’d called Sean. He hadn’t mentioned what he was doing. His twin wouldn’t have been impressed. Sean thought it was bad enough that he’d followed Ashley across America. He would think even less of him if he saw him now.
“Mr. Gray?”
Matthew looked at the woman walking toward him. “Yes?”
“I’m Hazel Lewis. Welcome to New York City.”
He held out his hand, hoping she didn’t notice how nervous he was. “Thank you for seeing me at such short notice.”
“One of my meetings was canceled, so the timing couldn’t have been better. The proposal you emailed me sounds interesting.”
“I was hoping you’d like it.”
“I did. Shall we go upstairs to my office?”
Matthew followed her to the elevators. The Art Deco detail around the doors and on the control panel looked as though they were part of the original building. “This building is impressive.”
“The Foundation moved here a couple of years ago. It’s one of the landmark buildings in this part of the city. You’ve come a long way to speak to me.”
“I’ve always believed in doing business face-to-face, ma’am.”
Hazel blushed. “It’s lucky for me that you do.”
Matthew kept his expression neutral. Had Hazel just flirted with him? At one time, he hadn’t been opposed to doing a little flirting of his own. But not now.
The elevator doors opened. He stepped inside and looked at his cowboy boots, hoping he could pull this off. Thank God Ashley couldn’t hear what he would be saying. “Tell me about the Foundation. What projects are you working on at the moment?”
For a split second, Hazel looked uncomfortable. In the next moment, she was smiling as if Congressman Welsh hadn’t stolen hundreds of thousands of dollars and put the Foundation’s future at risk. With a little more practice, she’d make a good poker player.
“We’re in the process of transitioning to a different service delivery model.”
Matthew coughed to hide his surprise. He supposed that having the FBI freeze your money could have a very sobering effect on the Foundation’s service delivery model.
“That’s why I was intrigued by your proposal,” Hazel continued. “You said you have a personal interest in providing safe and affordable activities for inner-city youth.”
Ashley told him that the trick to appearing genuine was to answer Hazel’s questions as honestly as he could. He didn’t have to think too hard about his reply.
“Each year we run three cowboy camps in Bozeman. They’re for teenagers who have never been on a ranch. Some of them have been in trouble—nothing big, but enough to set them on the wrong path. The self-confidence and pride that each teenager goes home with is incredible to see.”
“It must be very different living on a ranch.”
“About as different from city life as you can get. Have you ever been to Montana Ms. Lewis?”
Hazel touched Matthew’s forearm. “Call me Hazel. And no, I’ve never made it as far as Montana, although I have been to Texas.”
“From where I come from we call a spade a spade. An injection of cash will make all the difference to the Foundation’s youth center project. If you believe all children deserve a chance to make their life great, then you’ll see the sense of what I’m proposing.”
The elevator stopped on the twenty-third floor.
Hazel didn’t say anything until they arrived at her office. “What you’ve said makes perfect sense, Matthew. How about I make some coffee? We’ll go through your proposal and see how it could enhance the services we’re already offering at the youth center.”
He almost sighed. Hazel’s impressive vocabulary was only exceeded by her ability to cover up the truth. He wondered if she knew how close the Foundation was to closing.
As he made himself comfortable, he doubted she had any idea about what was happening. If she did, she wouldn’t be making coffee. She’d be talking to recruitment agencies, looking for a new job.
“Here we go.” Hazel’s wide smile made him feel guilty. Underneath the cool, polished, identity she’d cultivated, was a woman who cared about children. He only hoped she cared as much about the truth.
***
After an hour of discussing his proposal, Hazel suggested they visit the youth center. Matthew made a quick call to Ashley, letting her know where he was going.
So far, everything had gone well. Hazel had started to lose some of her city-slicker edge and Jasmine hadn’t seen him.
Out of everything that could have gone wrong, Jasmine’s appearance would have sealed his fate. If she thought they were second-guessing the story she’d told them at the ranch, a team of lawyers would be visiting Ashley’s editor within the hour.
The traffic heading across town was almost as bad as he’d expected. Hazel gave him a mini tour of the sights, pointing out landmarks and telling him about the areas they were driving through. When she parked her car in front of a red-brick building he was almost sorry they were there.
“As you can see, the youth center isn’t open at the moment.”
“When does it open?”
“We can only afford to staff the center three days a week. It will be open tomorrow.”
“Is three days enough?” He pulled himself out of Hazel’s car and looked along the street. The apartment buildings were functional, multi-level, red-brick, monstrosities. There wasn’t one tree or blade of grass anywhere.
“We could open the center seven days a week and still be busy.” Her voice sounded sad. “I started working at the Foundation a few months ago. This was the first project I became involved with. The kids were so excited when we opened. A lot of their parents work long hours. They don’t have a lot of money. This is a safe place they can come after they’ve finished school. We help them with their homework and build their confidence with lots of activities and sports.”
A group of teenagers walked down the street. “What about the kids who don’t go to school?”
Hazel unlocked the youth center’s front door. “We started programs for them, too. We had tutors who helped improve their reading and writing skills. A group of college students taught a series of computer classes. We even had a day care for young moms and dads. Volunteers taught them the basics of parenting, how to budget, and how to make meals for their children.”
“You used the word ‘had’ a lot. Aren’t you doing those classes anymore?”
Hazel ran her hand along a panel of switches. Light filled the entranceway. “We had a funding shortfall. It affected the programs we could continue.”
“Are the people who work here paid or volunteers?”
“They’re a mix of both, but mostly volunteers. Some of our volunteers are exceptional. Others come once or twice, then we never see them again.”
Matthew followed Hazel into a large room. In one corner, half a dozen computers sat on shared desks. In another, full bookshelves were surrounded by beanbags and overstuffed sofas.
“The kitchen is through those doors. We have a sports center at the back of the building and the bathrooms are on the right-hand side.”
Matthew knew the kitchen was one of the areas that had suffered from the loss of the grant money. He walked across the room and stood in the doorway. “It looks as though the contractors got halfway through the kitchen, then stopped.”
Hazel nodded. “We only have one oven and a small counter and refrigerator. The original plans had a full commercial kitchen with plenty of storage. The size of the kitchen limits what we can do.”
“That must be disappointing.” He left the kitchen and walked toward the sports area. “How many children come to the center?”
“When we’re open, about forty teenagers come here during the day. After school, we usually see between seventy and eighty children.”
“Eighty? How do you manage?”
“The lack of resources doesn’t worry the kids. We keep them busy with lots of craft activities and things that aren’t expensive. The local church donates food and warm clothes for the kids. It’s amazing how much better their behavior is when they have a full tummy.”
Hazel must have seen the shock on his face.
“We do what we can,” she said. “Some of the children who come here are living with parents who are drug addicts and alcoholics. Other families are doing their best, but when you only earn enough to pay your rent, everything else becomes a luxury. We want to break the cycle of poverty, but it isn’t easy.”
Hazel opened the door to the sports area.
“Wow. This is an enormous space.” Matthew tipped back his head. The ceiling must have been four stories high. Long, narrow windows ran along three of the walls. Shafts of sunlight fell against the concrete floor reminding him of a cathedral he’d once visited. The room was enormous, imposing, and full of possibilities.
“The entire building used to be a warehouse. This was the storage and distribution area. The room we came through was the packing area.”
Matthew ran his eye along the wooden beams and brick walls. “Did the Foundation get an engineer’s report before they bought the building?”
“I don’t know, but I could find out.”
“Thanks. That would be great.” He studied the painted lines on the floor. “The kids play basketball in here?”
“And volleyball and ten-pin bowling. We keep the equipment locked away.”
Matthew had to stop himself from getting too excited. He wasn’t here to help with the center, he was here to find proof that Jasmine had been having an affair with Congressman Welsh.
“You said the Foundation owns the entire building. What’s on the floors above us?”
“They’re empty. Originally the Foundation was going to renovate the rooms into apartments, but they ran out of money.”
His mind was definitely working overtime now. There must be a way that the Foundation could make this building work for the children.
“I’ll show you the bathrooms.”
Matthew’s eyebrows rose. “Why the bathrooms?”
Hazel smiled as she led him into the first part of the building. “For two reasons. The first is that it’s the only area that was finished before we had funding issues. The second is that it makes a huge difference to the children.”
“How?”
“They can have a shower and wash their hair while they’re here. Polly Davies used to be a hairdresser. She volunteers on Thursdays, cutting hair and getting rid of nits.”
Matthew scratched the side of his head.
Hazel smiled. “I know. Just one mention of head lice and everyone’s scratching. We’re given free shampoo and treatment kits for the children.” She opened the door to the boys’ bathroom and stood back. “What do you think?”
He stared at the white tiled room. At least a dozen shower cubicles lined one wall. Basins and heated towel rails lined the opposite wall.
“Each child is given a toothbrush, towel, and washcloth when they come through the bathroom door. We have soap dispensers in each shower.” Hazel walked out of the bathroom and into another room. “This is the laundry.”
“You clean the children’s clothes?”
“No, the children do it themselves. They’re also responsible for their own towels. If they don’t bring a spare change of clothes, we’ve got some clothes they can use. If they’ve got head lice, we’re happy for them to bring their sheets and pillowcases from home.”
“Don’t the kids feel strange walking down the street with their sheets?”
“They put them in a bag, so it’s not so bad. Head lice are a fact of life for a lot of kids. Bringing their sheets here is better than sleeping on dirty linen.”
“You’ve got more than a professional interest in this project, haven’t you?”
Hazel closed the door. “I lived in a similar situation to a lot of the kids who come here. If it weren’t for someone giving me a helping hand, my life would be completely different. All it takes is one person who cares and your entire world can change.” She cleared her throat and stood in the central activity area. “Is there anything else you’d like to see?”
Matthew shook his head. “No. You’ve covered everything about the building. I have a few questions about the Foundation, though.”
“I’ll answer them as best I can. Jasmine Alfredo is in charge of the Foundation. She would be the best person to talk to.”
Matthew sat on one of the plastic chairs lining the wall. Jasmine was the last person he wanted to talk to.
Hazel sat beside him, waiting for his first question.
“If I’m going to invest a substantial amount of money into this project, I want to know that the Foundation is viable.”
“Viable?”
He nodded. “There was a funding shortfall on this project. Can you tell me why?”
Hazel frowned. “Jasmine said an application for a grant was declined. There weren’t any opportunities to apply for more funding, so the rest of the renovation couldn’t go ahead.”
“Has the Foundation had similar problems on other projects?”
This time, Hazel looked slightly uncomfortable. “We’re in the process of re-prioritizing our projects. While that’s happening, we’re not starting any new projects or investing capital into existing ones.”
“When will that process be finished?”
“I’m not sure. You’ll have to ask Ms. Alfredo.”
Matthew nodded. “I have a friend who attended a number of charity events The Reaching High Foundation organized. When I told him I was coming to see you, he was concerned that the Foundation wasn’t a good place to invest my money. Do you know why he might think that?”
Hazel shook her head. “The Foundation has done some amazing things. Jasmine works tirelessly to make sure the funding we receive goes to the people who most need it.”
Matthew leaned his head against the wall. “I should have made myself clearer. My friend wasn’t concerned with the Foundation’s projects. He said they’re all extremely valuable. He was more concerned about Congressman Welsh’s involvement. Was he the project leader for the youth center?”
Hazel’s relaxed smile disappeared. “He was. A few days ago he was arrested.”
“I read about it in the newspaper. Were the funds he stole directly linked to this project?”
Hazel dropped her head to her chest. “I think so.”
“I admire what Jasmine has achieved, but how did she not know what was going on?”
“I don’t know. They were friends. I guess the line between friendship and business got blurred and she didn’t see what was happening.”
“Blurred?”
Hazel’s face turned bright red. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I won’t tell anyone. I’m trying to figure out how an educated, talented, woman could have gotten into this situation. If Jasmine approves my proposal, I don’t want the same thing happening again.”
“It won’t,” Hazel said quickly. “Rumors were going around work about a relationship between Jasmine and the congressman. Someone I know told me it had been going on for months.”
“Did you believe her?”
“I did. She’s not the type of person to make things up. But Jasmine told me it wasn’t true.”
“How did your friend know what happened?”
“She works for the PR company that was hired for a project the Foundation completed last year.”
Matthew needed a name or something to take back to Ashley. “What was the project?”
“It was a joint venture with the New York Public Library. The trust we started provides books in homes for all elementary school-age children. It’s a huge undertaking and very successful.”
“Is the Foundation still involved in the program?”
“As far as I know, they are.”
His forced smile was making his face ache. “I guess that’s all I need to know. Thank you for taking time out of your day to help me.”
“I’m glad I did. Would you like me to make an appointment for you to see Ms. Alfredo?”
Matthew shook his head. “Not yet. I’d like to fine-tune my proposal before she sees it. I’ll email you another proposal in the next couple of weeks. I can make an appointment with Ms. Alfredo then.”
Hazel opened her bag and handed him her business card. “These are my contact details. I’ll look forward to seeing your proposal. Would you like me to take you back to the office or drop you off somewhere else?”
“If you could drop me off at your office, I’d appreciate it.”
Hazel frowned. “That’s not a problem. I hope what I said about Congressman Welsh and Ms. Alfredo doesn’t make a difference to your proposal?”
Matthew swallowed hard. “It won’t. Thank you for being honest with me.”
Hazel’s smile made him feel worse. He turned and studied the half-finished youth center. Ashley needed to come here. It might make her realize that there were more important things in the world than corrupt politicians and writing front page news stories.
***
Ashley followed Bonnie into the foyer of The Greenwich Hotel. “How did you get Ann-Marie to agree to an interview?”
“She read the story about Jasmine and wasn’t happy. It sounds as though Ann-Marie has an entirely different opinion of Jasmine.” Bonnie looked around them. “The restaurant is this way.”
With its stone fireplace, black upholstered bench seats and brick walls, the restaurant could have been transported to New York from the center of London. It had the feel of an old English pub, until you looked through the windows at the people crowding the sidewalk.
“Where’s Matthew?” Bonnie asked.
“He went to the youth center with Hazel.”
“Has she told him who else knew about Jasmine’s relationship with Congressman Welsh?”
“Not yet. What does Ann-Marie look like?”
Bonnie walked toward the maître D’. “Short, brown hair, and blue eyes. She said she’d reserve a table.”
The maître D’ led them to a table overlooking a garden at the back of the restaurant.
A woman about the same age as Ashley stood and held out her hand. “Hi. I’m Ann-Marie Dimitri. You must be Ashley?”
She nodded and sent Ann-Marie what she hoped was a reassuring smile. “Thank you for meeting us.”
Ann-Marie sat at the table and fiddled with the cutlery. “My sister can’t be part of this, but I can.” She looked at the people sitting at the next table. “The woman you wrote about is not who she seems. She’s manipulative, deceitful, and only worried about herself.”
Ashley’s hand trembled as she pulled her new cell phone out of her bag. “Are you happy for me to record this interview?”
“As long as you agree not to identify me in any stories.”
“I could say that you’re a source close to Stephanie Welsh.”
Surprisingly, Ann-Marie shook her head. “You can call me a source close to Congressman Welsh. He deserves every bit of bad publicity he can get.”
“You sound bitter.”
Ann-Marie leaned forward. “He sucked every piece of vitality away from my sister. He undermines her confidence and blames her for everything that has happened. What kind of person does that to someone they say they love?”
Ann-Marie stopped talking when a waiter headed toward them. She took the menu he handed her and started looking at the different options.
While Ann-Marie was choosing what she’d order, Ashley ran through the list of questions she wanted to ask. So far, their lunch date had enough quotes to keep her writing for weeks. But there were always two sides to every story.
It would be interesting to see how Jasmine Alfredo’s story compared to Ann-Marie’s.
After the waiter left, Ann-Marie sighed. “Now, what do you want to ask me?”
Ashley looked at Bonnie. She knew exactly where she wanted to start—at the beginning.
***
That night, Matthew knocked on Ashley’s hotel room door. He had one hour to find out what everyone had been doing before he needed to leave.
The door opened and Bonnie smiled at him. “Come in. We’re still waiting for Harry, but he shouldn’t be too long.”
“Where is he?”
“Working. The owner of a gallery wanted him to photograph the opening night of an exhibition.”
“Hi, Matthew.” Ashley closed her laptop. “How was your visit to the youth center?”
“Have you been there?”
“No, but Bonnie has.”
“You need to go. Even half-finished they’re doing a lot of great things.”
Ashley frowned. “That’s what Bonnie said. But I don’t know how it will help my stories about Jasmine and Congressman Welsh.”
“It won’t, not directly. But it will give you a better appreciation of what The Reaching High Foundation has achieved. I’ll take you there tomorrow. We can meet some of the kids and see their programs in action.”
“I won’t have time. Ann-Marie told us about Jasmine. Congressman Welsh has been having an affair with her for more than a year. Jasmine knew he was defrauding the Foundation, but it wasn’t only the youth center that has suffered. They’ve taken money from other projects Jasmine was involved with. I’ve got a ton of writing to do and my editor wants the stories on his desk by Friday.”
Matthew wasn’t giving up. “The youth center is doing a lot of good things. It would make a great story.”
Ashley sighed. “I’ll try and get there, but I can’t guarantee anything.” She looked at the papers spread across her desk. “Did Hazel give you the name of the person who knew about Congressman Welsh’s affair?”
“No, but she did tell me where her friend works. It won’t be too difficult to track her down.”
A knock on the door sent Bonnie across the room.
“Hi, Harry,” Bonnie said. “How was opening night?”
“Interesting. Most of the people there were the usual arts crowd.” He poured himself a cup of coffee as he passed the small kitchen. “What plans have you been hatching without me?”
“None. We wanted to wait until you were here. Matthew was just telling us about the youth center.”
Harry looked at Matthew. “You’ve seen it?”
“Hazel took me there after I talked about my proposal. I was impressed.”
“That’s what Bonnie said, too. Are you going back?”
Matthew’s gaze moved to Ashley. “Maybe tomorrow.”
“Let me know when you’re going. Bonnie raved about the center so much that I’d like to see what they’re doing.” Harry sat on the end of Ashley’s bed. “Okay, everyone. Spill the beans. What did I miss after I went to work?”
Bonnie made herself a cup of coffee and sat beside Harry. “Ashley and I interviewed Ann-Marie. Our early morning stake-out paid dividends. The story will make headlines across America.”
“We’re not such a bad team, after all,” Harry laughed.
A blush spread across Bonnie’s face. “I’ve become immune to your more annoying habits.”
Harry’s eyebrows rose.
Ashley cleared her throat. “Before you start squabbling, you need to know that there’s an anniversary special of The Twilight Zone on TV tonight. Apparently, they’re showing deleted scenes that have never been seen before.”
“I’m already recording it,” Harry said smugly. “On my own TV.”
Bonnie’s mouth dropped open. “You can go back into your apartment? Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I just did. After the FBI called, I booked a cleaning crew straight away. They took care of the black dust that was everywhere.”
Bonnie left her coffee on the desk. “If you’re going back to your apartment, I should go back to mine. What about you, Ashley?”
“I haven’t been given the all clear by the FBI. I’ll contact them tomorrow and see if they think it’s safe.”
Matthew knew what he thought. “They haven’t found the person who was following you. Staying in your apartment on your own wouldn’t be a good idea.”
Ashley looked around the hotel room. “It’s better than being here. I miss my normal life. Even Mrs. Moretti said it’s not the same without me.”
Bonnie smiled. “She enjoyed helping us. Has she seen anyone hanging around the building?”
“Not since the last time.” Ashley pulled out a notebook and handed it to Matthew. “Can you write down what Hazel said? It will help us work out what we’re doing next.”
Matthew reached into his back pocket. “Already done. I made some notes after I visited the youth center.”
“Not bad for a cowboy,” Ashley murmured.
Matthew felt a rush a pleasure, not at her words, but at the look she sent him. Her grin was as uncomplicated as it used to be when she lived in Bozeman. He missed her unguarded moments, the times she would surprise him with her quirky sense of humor.
Bonnie stood in front of a large piece of paper that someone had attached to the wall. “Okay. How many stories do you need to write, Ashley?”
“One about Stephanie Welsh and her husband’s affair. Another about the money Jasmine took from other projects to fund Gareth Welsh’s political career, and one about the youth center.” She glanced at Matthew. “I might as well show people what the fraud has meant for the projects that were supposed to receive funding. Is the center open on Friday?”
Matthew nodded. “Someone will be there from nine o’clock.”
Ashley bit her bottom lip. “Let’s arrive as soon as they open. That will give me time to write the article before my deadline. Hopefully, Jasmine won’t be there.”
“I’ll take the photos,” Harry said. “If Jasmine is there, she doesn’t know me. I could distract her while you run for cover.”
Bonnie made a note on the side of the paper. “I’ll put that down as bodyguard duties.”
Ashley tapped her finger against her chin. “Hazel might be willing to let us use some of the things she said.”
Bonnie added more words to the paper, drawing lines between each of their names and specific tasks assigned to them. By the end of the conversation, the paper looked like a mind map that had gone crazy.
Matthew frowned. “Are you sure that’s the easiest way to plan what we’re doing tomorrow?”
Harry tilted his head to the side. “As long as we follow the color-coded lines that Bonnie gave us, we should be fine.”
Ashley tore a piece of paper out of her notebook. “Here are your jobs, Matthew.”
He looked at the four phone calls he had to make. “Are you sure you don’t need me to do anything else?”
“The calls could take longer than you think. I haven’t sent any of our notes to Special Agent Fallon. He’ll probably have quite a few questions.”
Harry wrote down what he had to do. “If you’re finished by midday, Matthew, you could come with me to Long Island. I’m taking photos of a house for a realtor. We’ll be away from the smog and close to the ocean.”
Going with Harry was better than staying in Manhattan. “Thanks. Where do you want me to meet you?”
“I’ll pick you up from here at twelve o’clock. We can grab some lunch once we’re there.”
Bonnie sighed. “I’m jealous. Once I’ve finished my jobs, I’m heading into work. Mr. Phillips has another story he wants me to write.”
Matthew looked at his watch. “I hate to break up our meeting, but Ashley and I have an appointment to keep.”
Ashley’s eyebrows rose. “We do?”
He nodded. “It’s a surprise. Bring a jacket.”
“It’s the middle of July.”
“Do you want to see your surprise or not?”
“I do, but there’s so much work—”
“It can wait one night. You’ve got nearly two days to write the other stories before your editor needs them.”
Ashley gnawed on her bottom lip.
“Go,” Bonnie said. “It will be good to do something different.” She opened the closet and handed her a jacket.
“I’ll take my notebook.”
Matthew smiled and held Ashley’s hand. “I wouldn’t dream of saying you won’t need it.”
Ashley grinned. “Wise man.”
“We’ll tidy the room, then lock the door on our way out,” Bonnie said. “Harry’s going to invite me to his apartment to watch The Twilight Zone.”
“I am?”
“Don’t you want me there?”
“Of course I do.”
Ashley tugged Matthew’s hand. “Come on. We’ll be here all night if we wait for Bonnie and Harry to finish their conversation.” She smiled at her friends. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Matthew opened the door. They had ten minutes to make it downstairs before his surprise left the building.
“Where are we going?” she asked.
“Outside.”
“That’s not much of a clue.”
“It wasn’t supposed to be. I don’t want to spoil the surprise.”
Ashley’s blue eyes sparkled as they waited for the elevator. “What if I don’t like surprises?”
Matthew kissed her lightly on the lips. “You’ll like this one.”
She sighed and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. “I already do.”
Matthew forgot about his surprise, about the news he had to tell her. All he cared about was the woman in his arms—the only person he’d ever met who could turn his life upside down and still make him happy.