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Either way； her butt wasn't the only one that was going to swing in the breeze。
Laura reached for the phone； cradling the receiver in the crook of her neck as she punched one of the line buttons。
〃Hello！〃 said the caller： a male voice； anxious and strident。 〃Hello； dammit！ Can anybody tell me 。。。 〃
Click。 Laura cut him off。 〃Sorry；〃 she said to dead air。 〃Nobody can tell you shit。〃
She dialed Tom's number； sat back； and waited。 Miraculously； the call went through the first time。 It glitched； buzzed； as it patched through； some kind of interference in the signal； groundwater in the underground cable or something。
The phone began to ring。
Laura sighed and felt the tiniest bit better。 The simple act of getting a line through was a small victory。
In the face of what was ing； that was practically the only kind left。
The call couldn't have e at a worse time； as far as Chris Crowley was concerned。 Week 10 of the season； with the Giants and the Eagles vying for first place in the AFC east。 The game was tied up 10…10 with six minutes left in the first half； Helen was out of town visiting her mother； and the Eagles had the goddam ball on the thirty…yard line。
It was no time to reach out and touch someone。
The phone rang。 〃Jesus Christ；〃 Chris bitched； 〃not now！〃
The ball snapped。 The defensive line rushed in。 The phone rang some more。 〃For chrissakes； leave it go！〃 said Tom。
〃Better not；〃 Chris sighed。 〃You never know。〃
He hauled his pudgy middle…aged bulk off the couch and backed into the kitchen； trying like hell to keep his eyes on the screen。 It didn't work； the cord was just long enough to afford a view of the sofa。 Chris fumbled for the phone； picked it up。
〃What？〃 he said； utterly uncordial。 〃Hello； I can barely hear you。 Oh； Laura！ Uh…huh； uh…huh；〃 he said； listening。
In the den； Tom was bouncing up and down； yelling； 〃No！ No！ No！ No！〃 and tearing out what little hair he had。 Chris listened carefully if impatiently； nodding his head as if to hurry the conversation along。 〃Yes； yes；〃 he said。 〃Yes； yes。〃
On the TV the crowd suddenly roared。 Tom joined them。 Chris cast a baleful look at him。 〃Hold it a sec； let me talk to Tom；〃 he said； cupping the receiver to his chest and craning his head around the corner。
〃It's Laura；〃 he related to Tom。 〃She says there's a big story breaking。 She wants to know if she should break programming to do a special bulletin。〃
〃What； are you nuts？〃 Tom said incredulously。
〃She says it's pretty serious；〃 Chris said； concerned。
〃So is a pass intercept and a sixty…yard touchdown！〃 Tom countered。 〃Look； the Giants are ahead now！ How serious can it be？〃
Chris shrugged I don't know。 He looked a little concerned。 〃She says she's still waiting for a report back from Kirk。 Apparently it's got something to do with a toxic spill of some sort。〃
〃Tell her to sit on it；〃 Tom replied very carefully； as if to leave no room for doubt。 〃And we'll deal with it after the game。 If there's a problem we need verification。 We don't want to start a panic。〃
Chris nodded and dutifully relayed the message； Laura's reply damned near drowned out the Budweiser mercial now on the screen。 Chris winced。
〃Laura； I 。。。 no； Laura； it's just 。。。 Laura 。。。 〃 He looked to Tom。
〃Let me talk to her；〃 Tom sighed； and stood； donning his official I am the boss demeanor。 Chris yielded the phone gladly。
〃Laura；〃 Tom said； his voice measured and cadenced。 〃Listen。 We're already on this。 I've spoken with Emergency Management and they've assured me that we'll have full information in time for the six o'clock report。〃
〃Tom； there is no six o'clock report；〃 Laura blurted。
〃I know that；〃 Tom replied testily； covering his butt。 〃Look； I told you already。 We're on top of this。 In the meantime； there's no point in inciting a panic。〃
Laura began to object。 〃Laura； trust me；〃 he interrupted。 〃You're not alone。 We're working on this。 Just sit tight； and we'll get back to you in plenty of time。
〃Remember the Heidi Bowl；〃 he added； then hung up without saying good…bye…a blunt and economical quashing of the debate。
Tom turned and handed the phone to Chris to hang up。 Chris looked confused。 〃You said； 'we're already on this；'〃 he said。 〃Are we？〃
Tom looked at him as if studying a moon rock。 〃I spoke with Werner Blake less than an hour ago。〃
〃How did you know to call him？〃 Chris asked。
〃I didn't；〃 Tom replied； grabbing another beer out of the refrigerator。 〃He called me。〃
Tom got a fresh pilsner glass and sauntered back out into the den。 Chris followed； obviously unfortable with this new knowledge。 〃He called you？ Don't you find that a little odd？〃
〃Werner's a good man；〃 Tom said。 He poured his beer； careful not to spill a drop。 〃We're in the Chamber of merce and the Jaycees together。 He's responsible for bringing several of the station's key sponsors in。 Whatever the hell is going on； I'm sure he's right on top of it。〃
Tom looked at Chris； who still seemed unswayed。 〃Look；〃 he said； shedding the cloak of officialdom； 〃nobody's got more invested in this munity than Werner Blake。 He had ten years' experience in the EPA before moving into the private sector。 If something were going on； don't you think he'd know about it？〃
Tom sat back and kicked up his feet； turning his attention back to the TV； where the Eagles were pushing toward the twenty…yard line。 Chris weighed his consternation a moment longer。 Then he； too； settled back to enjoy the game。
〃'Break programming；'〃 Tom harrumphed and sipped his beer。 〃What； does she think the world's going to end before the game's up？〃
The TV blared forty inches of light and color and sound； contradicting nothing。
Laura paced the newsroom； a portrait in frustration。 'Heidi Bowl；' he said。 Remember the fucking Heidi Bowl。
Who could forget？ Everyone who'd ever been to broadcast school had had that one drummed into them。 Some of the details had faded； but the message remained long after。
It was in the early sixties…'64； she was pretty sure…and NBC was preparing for the broadcast premier of the motion picture Heidi； which at that time was a pretty big deal。 It was set to immediately follow a pivotal late…season NFL game…she couldn't remember the teams right now…that was going overtime。
Now； NBC had a lot of money tied up in Heidi…related advertising。 And； as it turns out； the underdogs were getting their asses kicked by the crowd favorites。 No surprises there。 So； with ten minutes left in the game； NBC yanked the plug on the game and cut directly to the movie。
Of course； the underdog team immediately came up from thirty points behind to obliterate its rivals。 And； of course； none of this was captured for the benefit of all those viewers at home。 In the resultant flood of outraged calls and letters…literally thousands； none of them in Heidi's favor…and in the wake of the managerial blood…bath that followed； NBC adopted the doctrine that was instantly writ in broadcast stone：
NEVER； under any circumstances short of nuclear war； AND MAYBE EVEN THEN； do you EVER preempt a football game。
Or； more simply put： Remember the Heidi Bowl。
Laura clutched the receiver in one white…knuckled fist。 She was wired so tight she was practically humming。 Her hands were tied。 Her lips were sealed。 She'd been patted on the head and sent to 。。。 what？ Wait for some predigested bit of information from Werner Blake and the Paradise Chamber of fucking merce？
〃GAAARRGGH！〃 she railed in rage and frustration。 She felt utterly； ethically promised； it was her experience that when higher…ups got together； it usually ended in some kind of coverup。 One dead cameraman； one missing cop； more busy signals at the EPA and PEMA； and a loose cannon of an ex…reporter out there doing God knows what to God knows who 。。。
This was not shaping up to be your average NFL Sunday； that was for sure。
She stopped； the levity like chalk dust on her tongue。 Yeah； her conscience piped up again； it sure isn't every day a real live twenty…two…year…old cameraman gets ground up for local coverage； alrightee 。。。
〃Stoppit；〃 she whispered； forcing it back down。 It wasn't her fault。 She couldn't have stopped him； and she sure as shit couldn't bring him back。
So what fucking good are you？
Laura thought a moment longer； then flipped through her Rolodex until she found Clifford； Mike and pulled the card。 On the back was the little in case of emergency contact 。。。 line； on it was typed；…Richard； J。I。…Sheila； E。 The number was the same。
God； she realized； he still lives with his parents。
Correction： lived。
Her conscience was a bloodthirsty thing。 Laura swallowed a knot the size of her fist as she got an outside line and dialed。
On the fourth ring a woman's voice answered； filtered through an extremely bad connection。
〃Hello； Mrs。 Clifford？〃 Laura said； her voice thick with suppressed dread。 〃Hello？ Yes； this is Laura Jenson over at WPAL。〃 She paused。 〃I'm afraid 。。。 〃
Pause。 Interference crackled on the line。
〃I'm afraid；〃 she said； louder than she would have liked； 〃that I have some bad news for yo