Page 45 of Between the Lines

That was one more thing off her To Do list. She glanced at the clock. It was late afternoon edging toward early evening. She should think about dinner. There were leftovers she could reheat without much effort, and she’d promised herself she wouldn’t default to cereal just because it was easy.

Cereal was empty carbs and she was committed to eating better and getting as healthy as possible.

There were chicken breasts she could make, too. She could slice those and have them over a salad.

But she wasn’t that hungry yet and the house felt close after being inside for so much of the day. Maybe it was her imagination, but the air seemed a bit stale from hours of thinking and working and focusing so much.

What she really needed was to move. Breathe some salt air. Hear the sound of the waves as they rushed over the sand. Feel a little sun, what was left of it, on her face.

“Hold the fort down, Peanut.” Without any more thought, she changed her clothes, grabbed her phone, slipped it into her pocket, and headed out.

The beach seemed quieter and for that she was grateful. Those who were out looked more purposeful than the sunbathing crowd. No one was just laying around. There was a couple walking slowly, fingers intertwined. A woman gently tossing a tennis ball for an aging dog. A man with a metal detector and too much of a paunch to be Joe.

She smiled and took off her sandals, letting her feet sink into the sand as she walked. She stayed near the waterline where the sand stayed cool and damp. It felt good to be outside. This had been the right decision.

She inhaled deep, filling her lungs with fresh air and in her mind replacing all that stale inside air they were filled with. The waves washed over her feet.

Now and then, she glanced down as she passed a cluster of shells, just in case there was a good one. If she found one, she was going to give it to Joe.

She wasn’t ten minutes into her walk when her phone vibrated.

Cece shook her head but was already reaching for it. Probably Joe. Maybe he’d opened the email and had a comment or two. Or maybe he was inviting her over for dinner and then she wouldn’t have to decide what to make.

Wouldn’t that be nice? She pulled the phone out and looked at the screen.

Her smile faded. It was an email from none other than Darcy Lane.

Cece stepped away from the water and stood where she wouldn’t be in anyone’s way. So. Darcy had decided to respond.

Cece lifted her gaze to the horizon, then back to the screen. “Well,” she said quietly to no one at all. “There you are. At last.”

As she wondered what had taken Darcy so long, Cece took a breath and opened the email.

It was longer than she’d expected. Still polite. But definitely not neutral.

Hello Cece,

Thank you for reaching out. I’m familiar with your work for The Buzz, as well as your broader journalism background. You strike me as someone who understands how complicated the truth can be, and how much depends on the reliability of the people you trust.

I’d be open to sitting down for an interview. I’m generally available most weekday afternoons and early evenings, and I’m flexible about location.

Let me know what you have in mind.

Best,

Darcy

Cece snorted. So Darcy had done her homework, researching Cece online. There was no other way to explain what she’d implied between the lines.

That didn’t surprise Cece, but it confirmed something. Darcy wasn’t responding out of politeness or curiosity. She was responding deliberately. Choosing her words. Establishing that she knew who Cece was and how she worked.

That line about how complicated the truth could be hadn’t been casual. It wasn’t a compliment, exactly, but it wasn’t neutral. It was Darcy showing off. Telling Cece she knew more than the average person probably did about her. Again, pointing to Darcy digging into Cece’s past. There was no other way to explain how she knew enough to reference a moment Cece rarely talked about and never put in writing.

Cece’s chest tightened in a familiar way. Not quite panic. She was past that. But it was uncomfortable all the same.

That story had followed her for years. The one where she’d trusted the wrong source and paid for it publicly. Where her award had been rescinded and her employment terminated. People remembered the headline version of it even if they didn’t remember the details.

The headline version was easy enough to find. Darcy had proven that. But why? Did she think bringing up Cece’s past would give her the upper hand in the interview?