Page 31 of Hello, Summer
“They’re sure it was Symmes?” Lorraine asked.
Grayson nodded.
Winnie returned with the broom and a metal dustpan and attacked the shards of glass and ice cubes with a vengeance.
“The accident was actually just over the county line in Bronson,” Grayson said. “The sheriff’s office there told Michael it won’t be official until their coroner makes a ruling. I gather the body was pretty badly burned.”
Conley dug her cell phone from her pocketbook and opened the photo library. She tapped the video of the car engulfed in flames and felt another twinge of queasiness before handing the phone to her sister.
“Oh my Lord.” Grayson pushed the phone away. “No way anybody walked away from that.”
“No,” Conley agreed. “They got there as fast as they could, I’m sure, but it took the firefighters a while to put out the flames. Skelly and I didn’t have the stomach to hang around and watch the recovery effort.”
“Poor Vanessa,” Lorraine said. “What a tragedy.” She sighed heavily. “I suppose the women’s circle will do the reception after the funeral. I should call Bunny and the other girls.”
“No!” Grayson put a hand on G’mama’s arm. “I mean, please don’t do that. Michael had to swear he’d hold on to the story until the coroner’s report comes in. It hasn’t been made public yet.”
“But Vanessa knows, right?” Lorraine asked, her eyebrow raised.
“According to the police, she’s been notified,” Grayson said. “But again, it’s not for public consumption yet.”
“I guess you’ve got your front-page story for next week,” Conley said. “Big news, right?”
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. You were there. You could write a hell of a first-person story to go along with those photos.”
“Me?” Conley was taken aback by the request.
“Why not? It’s not like you’ve got anything else going on.”
“Grayson Hawkins!” G’mama’s unspoken rebuke was sharp.
“Thanks,” Conley said bitterly. “Way to go, Grayson! Reminding me that I’m out of work is a surefire way to get me to do you a favor.”
Grayson had the grace to blush. “Okay. I’m sorry. Really. But like you said, this is a big story. Symmes Robinette wasn’t just a big deal in Silver Bay. This is national news, sis. I mean, eighteen-term congressman, senior member of the Florida delegation. You could do a great piece about what a Cinderella story his was—a mill kid from Varnedoe, raised by a widowed mother. Joined the Marines and went to Vietnam, law school on the GI Bill, the whole thing.” Grayson’s normally placid face became animated as she continued her pitch. “This is a guy who literally never made a wrong move. He gets out of law school and makes the right kinds of friends in local politics. The local Dems anoint Symmes to run for and win a seat in the statehouse.”
“I remember that,” Lorraine said. “The paper endorsed him. Your grandfather had reservations, because Symmes was so young, but Pops said he was a young man with a future.”
“I checked,” Grayson said. “The only time theBeacondidn’t endorse Symmes Robinette for office was when he switched parties, back in the eighties.”
“It caused quite an uproar when he joined the GOP,” Lorraine said. “Hard to believe the Democrats once held such a death grip on politics in this state.”
“From the state legislature, he goes to Congress. I’m telling you, this is a great story, Sarah.”
“No.” Conley shook her head vigorously. “I’ll download the video and photos, you can use them with your story, but no, thanks. Not interested.”
“Sarah!” G’mama said. “Why on earth not?”
Grayson was leaning forward, her hands clamped on her tanned knees. “If it’s about money, I’ll pay you. We don’t run a lot of freelance, but obviously, this is a whole different set of circumstances. What do you say to five hundred?”
“No, thanks. It’s not about the money.”
Grayson raised one delicately plucked eyebrow. “Oh. Oh yeah,” she said softly. “I forgot about your history with Charlie Robinette. I wouldn’t worry about that. Most people never even knew you two were athing.”
“Fuck you, Gray,” Conley said from behind her gritted teeth.
“Sarah Conley!” G’mama’s voice sounded a warning note.
Grayson’s lips tightened, and her eyes narrowed. “You don’t want your byline in a shitty, hometown weekly, do you? Big-deal Conley Hawkins is just too good forThe Silver Bay Beacon.Too good for Silver Bay, right?”
