crews packed the dining room.
The conference proceeded smoothly and was almost over when a reporter in the front asked, “Reid, can you tell us about this morning’s threat on your life?”
Reid’s face flushed; he looked at Buck, who shrugged with a pained expression. There were a few gasps around the room, the loudest from Betsy and Hunter. Immediately, the room started to buzz. Questions flew at Reid from every direction. Buck calmly reached for the microphone. “Could you all hold your questions for a minute?” He waited a moment. The questions slowed but continued. He then said forcefully, “I’ll explain if you’ll quiet down.” The room silenced. “The fact is we did receive a threat this morning. We wanted to keep this quiet until the police had a chance to start their investigation. In fact, I’d like to know how you found out,” he asked the reporter. “I received an anonymous call.” “I’m going to ask you all for a difficult but important favor,” Buck said. “Please give us some time before this hits TV or the papers. We don’t know who or what we’re dealing with yet, and obviously we don’t want anyone to get hurt. If you hold off for 12 hours, we’ll update you with any further information we get. Then we’ll hold daily press conferences, but that’s only if you do not leak the story until the morning.”
They wrapped up the meeting. Betsy and Hunter ran up to Reid and gave him teary hugs.
“Come on, girls,” he said, “everything is going to be all right. This kind of stuff happens all the time. We have the best protection available. Oh yeah, by the way, Joel and Stu are not psychologists. They’re bodyguards.” Everyone looked over at the two men, who both grinned. Buck then asked them all to follow him to a private conference room.
The conference room was bright and a little cold. In the center was a huge rosewood conference table, and a card table stood in a corner. Fluorescent lights lit the room excessively. The thermostat was set low, creating a chill that would keep everyone alert. The smell of institutional coffee overpowered the lingering odor of disinfectants left by housekeeping.
Once everyone was seated, Buck began, “Let me bring you up to date. The police are waiting to meet with us. Plain clothes detectives arrived a few minutes ago in an unmarked vehicle so they wouldn’t draw attention. We don’t have much time before this goes public. I don’t trust the press. Someone will leak the story soon. My friend Jay Scott should be here shortly. He’s the best private investigator in the country.” He looked at Stu. “Do you know when your colleagues are due to arrive?”
“They’re on the way from the airport now.” Turning to the others, Stu continued, “Folks, let me make you more comfortable. The security teams on the way are all excellent. Each has been chosen for their special talents in clandestine operations. We have worked together for years. No death threat has ever been fulfilled on our watch. We’ve worked on many cases with Jay Scott, and as Buck said, he is, hands-down, the best investigator in the business. We will nail this son of a bitch quickly and quietly, and you will all be able to resume your normal lives.” “Thanks Stu, that makes me feel somewhat better,” Reid said. “Okay,” Buck said, “Reid, Buddy, we have to meet with the police.
Girls, you can go get something to eat or head to the pool if you like.” “I’d rather stay,” Betsy said very seriously. “I don’t think that’s such a good…” “If they want to stay, they stay,” Reid cut Buck off. “Okay, fine with me,” Buck said. “Joel, would you mind going to find
Detective Frank Alto? He should be here by now.” “Sure, Buck.” Joel got up and opened the door to leave. Three men were standing there; one’s arm was poised to knock. “Detectives?” Joel asked. “Yeah,” Alto said, with a ‘who’s asking’ look. “I was just coming to look
The conference proceeded smoothly and was almost over when a reporter in the front asked, “Reid, can you tell us about this morning’s threat on your life?”
Reid’s face flushed; he looked at Buck, who shrugged with a pained expression. There were a few gasps around the room, the loudest from Betsy and Hunter. Immediately, the room started to buzz. Questions flew at Reid from every direction. Buck calmly reached for the microphone. “Could you all hold your questions for a minute?” He waited a moment. The questions slowed but continued. He then said forcefully, “I’ll explain if you’ll quiet down.” The room silenced. “The fact is we did receive a threat this morning. We wanted to keep this quiet until the police had a chance to start their investigation. In fact, I’d like to know how you found out,” he asked the reporter. “I received an anonymous call.” “I’m going to ask you all for a difficult but important favor,” Buck said. “Please give us some time before this hits TV or the papers. We don’t know who or what we’re dealing with yet, and obviously we don’t want anyone to get hurt. If you hold off for 12 hours, we’ll update you with any further information we get. Then we’ll hold daily press conferences, but that’s only if you do not leak the story until the morning.”
They wrapped up the meeting. Betsy and Hunter ran up to Reid and gave him teary hugs.
“Come on, girls,” he said, “everything is going to be all right. This kind of stuff happens all the time. We have the best protection available. Oh yeah, by the way, Joel and Stu are not psychologists. They’re bodyguards.” Everyone looked over at the two men, who both grinned. Buck then asked them all to follow him to a private conference room.
The conference room was bright and a little cold. In the center was a huge rosewood conference table, and a card table stood in a corner. Fluorescent lights lit the room excessively. The thermostat was set low, creating a chill that would keep everyone alert. The smell of institutional coffee overpowered the lingering odor of disinfectants left by housekeeping.
Once everyone was seated, Buck began, “Let me bring you up to date. The police are waiting to meet with us. Plain clothes detectives arrived a few minutes ago in an unmarked vehicle so they wouldn’t draw attention. We don’t have much time before this goes public. I don’t trust the press. Someone will leak the story soon. My friend Jay Scott should be here shortly. He’s the best private investigator in the country.” He looked at Stu. “Do you know when your colleagues are due to arrive?”
“They’re on the way from the airport now.” Turning to the others, Stu continued, “Folks, let me make you more comfortable. The security teams on the way are all excellent. Each has been chosen for their special talents in clandestine operations. We have worked together for years. No death threat has ever been fulfilled on our watch. We’ve worked on many cases with Jay Scott, and as Buck said, he is, hands-down, the best investigator in the business. We will nail this son of a bitch quickly and quietly, and you will all be able to resume your normal lives.” “Thanks Stu, that makes me feel somewhat better,” Reid said. “Okay,” Buck said, “Reid, Buddy, we have to meet with the police.
Girls, you can go get something to eat or head to the pool if you like.” “I’d rather stay,” Betsy said very seriously. “I don’t think that’s such a good…” “If they want to stay, they stay,” Reid cut Buck off. “Okay, fine with me,” Buck said. “Joel, would you mind going to find
Detective Frank Alto? He should be here by now.” “Sure, Buck.” Joel got up and opened the door to leave. Three men were standing there; one’s arm was poised to knock. “Detectives?” Joel asked. “Yeah,” Alto said, with a ‘who’s asking’ look. “I was just coming to look
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