"She didn't know. Or wouldn't say. Linda had to twist her arm to get that much from her. She didn't want to betray Sabra's confidence. But the one thing she did say is that Ronnie's dad-his real dad; his mom's remarried-is sympathetic to their predicament. Awhile back he offered his help if they ever needed it. Now, you're gonna feel really bad about yelling at me when I tell you where he hangs his hat."
"Hera."
"Satisfied?"
She should have apologized, but she didn't. Gully understood.
"Who else knows about this?"
"Nobody. But they will. It works to our advantage that Hera is a one-horse town, not on any beaten path."
"Tell me about it," she muttered.
"When word gets out, it'll take everybody a while to get there, even by helicopter. You've got a definite head start."
"Gully, I love you!" she said excitedly. "Direct me out of here."
The elderly lady emerged from the ladies' room and rejoined her husband. She admonished him for fiddling with the camcorder and ordered him to put it back in the tote bag before he broke it.
"Like you're an expert with video cameras," the old man retorted.
"I took the time to read the instruction book. You didn't."
Tiel poked her finger in her ear so she could hear Gully better. "What's the dad's name? Davison, I presume."
"I've got an address and phone number."
Tiel wrote down the information as fast as he reeled it off. "Do I have an appointment with him?"
"Working on it. He might not agree to go on camera."
"I'll get him to agree," she said confidently.
"I'm dispatching a chopper with a photographer."
"Kip if he's available."
"Yall can meet in Hera. You'll do the interview tomorrow as soon as it's arranged with Davison. Then you can continue on your merry way."
"Unless there's more story there."
"Uh-uh. That's the condition, Tiel." She envisioned him stubbornly shaking his head. "You do this bit, then you're off to Angel Fire. Period. End of discussion."
"Whatever you say." She could easily agree now, then argue about it later if events warranted.
"Okay, let's see. Outta Rojo Flats…" The map must have been right there on his desk, because within seconds he was giving her further directions. "Shouldn't take you long to get there. You're not sleepy, are you?"
She was never more wide awake than when pursuing a story. Her problem was shutting her mind off and going to sleep. "I'll buy something caffeinated to take along."
"Check in with me as soon as you get there. I've got you a room reserved at the only motel. You can't miss it. I'm told it's at the blinking traffic light-the one and only.
They'll wait up for you to give you a room key." Changing subjects, he asked, "Is the new boyfriend going to be pissed?"
"For the last time, Gully, there is no new boyfriend."
She hung up and placed another call-to her new boyfriend.
Joseph Marcus was as much a workaholic as she was. He was scheduled to fly out early the next day, so she predicted he would be working late at his desk, putting things in order prior to his being away for several days. She was right. He answered his office phone on the second ring.