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Senator was eloquent and well spoken. As mesmerizing as a snake charmer. Skye moved with the crowd toward the exit door. Her gaze fixed on the back of the Senator’s head. His staff piled into the two identical dark Lincoln Town cars, while Hastings fished his cell phone from his suit coat breast pocket and angled the screen until he could see it.
    A concentrated expression, as if making a mental note, flickered across his face. Phone still in hand, the Senator turned and faced the crowd. With a smile and a final wave, he climbed into the waiting car.
    He was good; she’d give him that. But Hastings couldn’t really believe that crap he’d spouted; more than likely he was fooling himself, too.

 
     
     
Chapter 4
     
     
    “Dear Darlene?” Skye’s eyes popped wide as she stared at the executive editor of the Detroit Chronicle . An advice column? “You’re kidding, right?”
    “Nope. Darlene’s taking a leave of absence, so when you come back, you’ll be covering for her.”
    “Karen, about what happened at the airport...” Skye swallowed hard. “I know I was out of line. I shouldn’t have gone to the press conference. But I just found out my niece died, and I went a little crazy.”
    Hands clasped, Karen leaned forward onto her elbows. “Which is the only reason you’re not being terminated. I talked Stanley into approving a one-week suspension—without pay. When you come back, you’ll answer six to eight letters a day and I’ll pick the best ones to go to print. And, Skye,” her boss paused and peered at Skye over her reading glasses. “Do not waste my time. Simple, helpful advice.”
    Suspension, without pay? That’d hurt, but she deserved it. Dear Darlene? Now, that was just plain humiliating.
    Skye tried to keep the pleading from her voice. “I know it was unprofessional, and I promise nothing like that will ever happen again. I’ll write Senator Hastings an apology—I’ll even apologize in person if you want me to, but...an advice column?”
    How could Skye possibly be taken seriously or do any noteworthy investigative journalism while writing an advice column?
    Karen took off her glasses and carefully laid them on the desk. “Skye, I’m very sorry for your loss. But this assignment is not a punishment.”
    “It—”
    Karen held up her hand. “Let me finish.”
    When Skye reluctantly nodded, Karen lowered her hand and continued in a softer tone. “You were wrong to go to that press conference —especially intimating that you were representing this paper. I understand you and your niece were very close. I get that stem cell therapy might have been her only hope, but you cannot verbally attack a U.S. senator because he does not share your opinion.
    “Though you did ask some tough, valid questions, your timing was inappropriate and inopportune.” With a sigh, Karen leaned back in her chair. “You’re filling in for Darlene because I need somebody to cover for her and you need some time and space. You need to get some perspective. Forget the senator.”
    Forget the senator who constantly hampered stem cell research and therapy, effectively killing any hope they’d had for a treatment for Niki? Not likely. “I’m better. Really, I—”
    Karen pushed her sleeve back to look at her chunky crystal-encrusted watch. “We’ll see you one week and forty-five minutes from today—unless you’d prefer to tender your resignation?”
    Skye opened her mouth to object and then clamped it shut. If she turned down this assignment, she’d be researching foot fungus for the next six months. She had to do it. Great . Just great .
    She shook her head. “No. I’ll be back.”
    Damn Hastings.
     
    * * *
     
    Skye devoted her suspension week to researching Edward Hastings and avoiding her sister. She didn’t want to worry Faith with her latest screw-up, and she had to get that man out of office before he did any more damage.
    Holed up in her apartment, she spent days parked in front of her