Tangled Vines Read Online Free Page A

senator seriously wounded. Emotional detachment was necessary for anyone in the news business. It was his job to record events as they occurred, not react to them. That could come later.
    â€œI didn’t mean it like that,” he grumbled in defense. “It’s just that I’ve never had any of my stuff on national news before.”
    â€œYou could still make tomorrow night’s,” Larry said with a wicked grin, always quick to needle Rory about something. Now that he had him going, he didn’t let up. “All you have to do is pray the senator dies.”
    â€œWill you cut it out, for chrissake?” Rory glared the warning.
    â€œSpeaking of the senator, I’ll see if there’s any word from surgery yet,” Kelly said, fully aware the story wasn’t over.
    Brad Sommers stopped her. “I’ll go. You take a breather. I need to call in anyway. We should have a name on the woman by now.”
    Kelly didn’t argue. Neither did she intend to completely let go of her high state of alertness. “Bring back some coffee. Black,” she called after him.
    â€œAnd a pizza,” Rory added, jokingly.
    Joining in, Larry cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted his order at the producer’s retreating back. “I’ll take a burger and fries and a chocolate shake!”
    Kelly’s stomach rumbled hungrily. She ignored it, something she had learned to do. In a business where the camera added ten pounds to anyone in front of it, dieting was a constant for all but a very few. Kelly wasn’t one of those very few.
    When she turned back, Larry shook a cigarette from his pack and offered it to her. She took it and bent close to the flame of his lighter. Tipping her head back, she blew out the smoke and lifted the heavy braid of auburn hair briefly off her neck.
    â€œYou shot some powerful footage, Rory.” The warmth and admiration in her voice were genuine.
    He beamed a little, then shook his head. “Man, when I think about it, I still can’t believe how much I managed to get. I remember when Melcher came out, waving and grinning, I panned right to the pickets to catch their reaction. And this woman bursts out of nowhere -” Pausing, he frowned. “How did she get past the cops? Did either of you see?”
    â€œI didn’t,” Kelly said with a touch of regret. “Unfortunately, I was looking the other way.”
    â€œI think the cops were concentrating too much on the guy who looked like a wrestler with an attitude,” Larry offered, then glanced at the cameraman. “I saw some of the tape while they were editing it. Do you realize you even had the gun in the frame when she started shooting?”
    â€œI thought she was carrying something, but I figured it was going to be a rotten tomato or an egg.” Rory grinned. “I was excited thinking I might get a shot of a tomato splatting on Melcher’s puss. But a gun...” He shook his head again and sighed, his expression turning serious when he lifted his gaze to Kelly. “Do you know we almost didn’t get any of it? If you hadn’t wanted to swing by -“
    She cut in, countering, “If you hadn’t told me about the pickets.”
    â€œIf park security hadn’t mentioned the pickets,” Larry chimed in, adding another in the string of ifs.
    â€œFace it,” Kelly stated wryly. “It was luck.”
    Rory gave her a long considering look, then smiled. “I don’t know...I think there was some pretty sound instincts involved. Yours.”
    That was high praise coming from him. Kelly smiled back, moved by it, yet made uncomfortable by it, too. “I’m immune to flattery, Rory. Let’s compromise and call it lucky instincts.”
    â€œYou’re right, Tubbs,” Larry piped up. “It seems she has a nose for news. Guess that means we’ll have to stop calling her Legs and start calling her Nose.”
    Kelly