I sat back down. “I assumed by your silence I was done.”
His lips curled upward. “I like your fortitude. I really do. I don’t know if Mindy would’ve reacted that determined. I just hope that you’ll remember that inner strength as you keep doing your research and if and when you’re called down to the ME’s office, if it’s not a false alarm.” He lowered his voice. “I know I’m a hard-ass. It’s who I am. At the same time, I like your determination. I have since I hired you. Keep it. Don’t compromise it for anyone. In this business and many others it’ll take you far.” He grinned. “Hell, maybe I should fire you.”
My eyes widened.
“Not because you’re not good at your job, but because you’re too good. If I keep you here, one day you’ll probably have my job.”
Wow, I wasn’t expecting that.
“You’ve got a good gut,” Bernard continued. “It’s just that I’ve seen this kind of thing too many times.” He lowered his eyes to the table, avoiding eye contact for the second time in recent memory. “Even with my own sister. It’s not something I talk about, but it might be part of the reason I want to expose as many injustices as I can.”
Who is this man?
“Remember,” he went on. “You’re stronger than you even know. Keep that gut instinct alive and stay true to yourself. Don’t let Dylan Richards or anyone else stop your dream.” He took a deep breath. “I wish I’d said that to my sister, or that someone else would have. You’ve got a bright future. Your reaction tells me that you believe that. You know you’re talented. That’s not conceit. It’s believing in yourself.
“After you called to tell me it wasn’t Mindy, I thought about Detective Richards’s call, his determination to find you, and about Mindy’s disappearance and how it was affecting everyone, especially you.
“Years ago my boss sat me down and gave me some great advice. He said that when the shit hits the fan, it’s not time to turn away. It means the source of the manure is close and that means one thing: something is growing. Though it may stink, it’s going to be big. Remember that, especially in our business, it means we’re close. So put on your shitkickers and plow through. Believe in yourself”—he smiled as he looked deep into my moist eyes—“even if it means telling off your boss.
“And in case you didn’t get it from that story, my wife’s the one person who can emphatically tell me no.”
I was suddenly rethinking every negative thought I’d ever had about Bernard. Maybe he could be a pompous ass, but perhaps that was his veneer and possibly underneath there was a real person. At nearly twenty years my senior he’d seen more than I had. He’d also been in this business for two-thirds of my life. Taking his advice suddenly seemed like a good idea.
“Thank you. I’ll stay true. It’s who I am, who my parents raised me to be. That’s why I won’t stop my search for Mindy. That doesn’t mean I’ll let my work for you or WCJB slip.”
“I know you won’t.”
I sat taller. “I also won’t use my personal relationship with Dylan to get a story, any more than he’d use my research to break a case.”
Bernard nodded once, his expression undecipherable. “Then get your believing, true ass out there. I have the next three weeks of stories ready, and Foster has a few follow-ups I can always air. But I want more. I want to find out what’s happening with the border patrol and if there’s any connection between the drugs and the increase in missing persons.”
I’d begun to stand when he told me to get my ass out there, but with his words I sat again. “What did you just say?”
His dark eyes sparkled. “You do listen well. That’s one of your best attributes. For your information, I don’t sit in my office all day and play solitaire, letting you and Foster have all the fun. I got where I am by doing my own research. You and Foster are good, very good. That’s why you’re my lead investigators. That doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten how to get in the trenches. I still know my way around this town and have my share of connections. Those you made at that fancy law firm, Preston and Butler, aren’t the only ones who can help with this.”
“You’ve been talking drugs for three weeks. Now, you’re suddenly throwing missing persons into the equation. Do you think they’re connected?”
He shrugged.
I leaned forward and lowered my voice. “Don’t shit with me. If you want me to break the damn story why wouldn’t you share this with me, one of your lead investigators?”
“You’ve got great questions, now figure out the answers.” His gaze narrowed. “Think about it.”
I didn’t look away. “You didn’t expect me to agree to ask Dylan for information or spy on him, did you?”
His shoulder rose and lowered.
“It was a test,” I confirmed.
He lifted his coffee cup toward me. “Congratulations, Stella, you passed.”