Welcome to FROST HARROW Book 2.  (No previous reading required.)  Please support my work via Patreon at www.PaySteve.com.  Enjoy!

ELEVEN – BREAKING NEWS

“Martin, please, don’t give this assignment to me. Give it to somebody else.” Janelle White flashed her producer a look that said, “pretty please.”

Martin Dodson ran his hand over his balding head and shot her a pained glance. “C’mon, Ellie, this is a good story.”

“It’s bullshit, and you know it.” Janelle began to pace the cramped office. “A couple of kids say they saw a shipwreck and a boogie man chased them? Just because some cop friend of yours tipped you to it don’t make it news.”

Martin chuckled. He’d always liked Janelle’s spunk. “But it’s out near the Frost estate. Could be good news—a big scandal.”

Janelle crinkled her brown nose at him. “C’mon, Marty, who do you think you’re kidding? The Frosts are just one more reason to keep my black ass away from this mess.

“You know what they can do to people who fuck with them. They find me and a cameraman sneaking around out there, and they’re likely to shoot first and ask questions later.

“And then your cop friend will put what’s left of us in jail. Why don’t you send Cofax?” This last was more a suggestion than a question.

Martin frowned. “You’ve got to be kidding. You know he’s just killing time until retirement.”

“All the more reason to send him and not someone who has a bright future ahead of her.”

“A future that might include a producer’s cap?” Martin asked, raising an eyebrow.

Janelle smiled. “Not your cap, Marty. You’re head’s way too big. Give the old guy a chance. I hear he was a Hell of a reporter once upon a time.”

“Damn near won a Pulitzer,” Martin said, rubbing his chin and staring at the ceiling, thinking of Cofax’s glory days.

“Maybe he’ll do it again.”

Dodson chuckled. “Not on this story. It’s bullshit—like you said. But, okay, you’ve convinced me. Cofax gets the job.”

CONTINUED…

Read the FREE Frost Harrow Halloween stories, too!
“The Weeping Ghost” (2012), “A Trace of Violet” (2013),  “Lunchroom Zombies” (2014), “Omens & Visitations” (2015), “Fata Morgana” (2016), and “At the Appointed Hour” (2017), and “Devil’s Lake” (2018), “A Walk on Witches’ Hill” (2019)