Читать книгу Mercy - David Kessler - Страница 22

‘Slow down a bit! My fingers keep missing the goddamn keys!’

‘You told me to make it fast.’

The TV van was winding its way through the midmorning traffic, following the same route that Nat and Alex were taking. Martine was sitting at the front with the driver. The cameraman and soundman sat in the middle row of seats, while the spark and boom operator sat in the back, holding on to the equipment every time the van swerved.

But Martine was trying to make a call on her cell phone at the same time, and the constant swerving wasn’t helping.

‘Governor’s office,’ the friendly female voice came through her Bluetooth earpiece when she finally keyed in the right number.

‘Hi, my name is Martine Yin from Eyewitness News. I’d like to interview the governor regarding the Clayton Burrow execution.’

‘I’m sorry. Governor Dusenbury won’t be making any comments on this matter.’

The friendly, sunny voice had become somewhat clipped.

‘Okay, well, can you just tell me, is there any truth in the rumor that the governor has offered Clayton Burrow clemency in return for Burrow revealing where he buried the body of Dorothy Olsen?’

‘Just a minute please.’

She was put on hold and noted with wry amusement that the music they were playing was ‘California, Here I Come.’ After what seemed like well over a minute, the clipped voice came back on the line.

‘I’m sorry, but the governor is unable to comment on such rumors.’

‘So you’re not denying it?’ persisted Martine.

‘The governor is neither admitting nor denying it. As I have said, we do not comment on rumors. If and when there is anything to announce it will be announced in the usual way, Miss…’

‘Thank you very much,’ said Martine. She pressed the red button and smiled.

‘No go, huh?’ said the driver.

‘He doesn’t want to talk about it.’

‘If it’s true, he’ll have to talk sooner or later. Maybe he’s waiting for Burrow’s answer.’

‘He must have an answer by now. We saw Sedaka driving into the pen.’ Her voice became irritable. ‘I just wish we’d followed the shyster when he left the building!’

‘You weren’t to know,’ the driver replied. ‘All the signs said the action was at the pen.’

‘Yeah, well it looks like it’s still that way.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Well Sedaka didn’t make any statements to the press.’

‘Maybe he has to report back to the governor first. I mean, they’re going to have to check out whatever his client tells them. If he told them where the body is, they’re still going to have to dig it up and test it to make sure.’

Martine’s eyes lit up.

‘And wouldn’t it be nice to be there when they do?’