the fact he’d revealed the future corruption scandal from across the Bay would never happen.
No parking spots were marked for visitors, so Jake simply parked in the first open slot he found. Inside he encountered a different receptionist. This one was older, black, with heavy framed glasses with incredibly thick lenses. Unlike the lady he’d dealt with across the Bay, this woman was far more focused on her job, greeting him with her full attention, and anxious to be of help. When Jake explained what he wanted, giving her a meaningless name, she picked up her phone to call back to someone Jake hoped was Ray.
“Henry, honey,” she said when her call was answered. “There’s someone out here who claims to have a tip on an important news story for you.”
Jake had already learned that the woman was one of those who addressed everyone as honey. He’d already been labeled as such several times in the brief conversation he’d had with her.
Wanda, as Jake had seen her name was by the writing on the overly large badge attached to her blouse, listened and nodded to herself several times.
“Okay, I’ll send him right back,” she said, and then hung up the phone.
She treated Jake to a dazzling smile, and explained where he was to go, pointing in the general direction as she talked. This time Jake needed to pay attention as he’d never been here before.
There were no stairs. This was a single story building, that rumbled faintly as the vibration from some large machinery was transmitted through the concrete floor of the structure. The printing presses Jake guessed as he headed down the dark somewhat narrow hallway deeper into the structure. He counted intersections as he passed, turning left at the third one, seeing a pair of double doors at the far end. When he reached the doors he saw they were without a latch, and were merely swinging doors designed to help keep some of the outside noise from the room. He pushed through into a large area reminiscent of the reporter room of the other facility. This time, however, there were more than half a dozen reporters present, most busily typing away at their computers. Jake had no trouble deciding which was Ray’s desk. Only one of the people in the room had been watching the doorway expectantly.
A wooden name plate clearly identified the occupant of the desk as Henry Ray. The letters were rounded and raised from the wood and plated in some cheap metallic gold colored foil. The man held out his hand, and Jake took it automatically, doing his best to gauge the reporter’s reaction to him. At the same time, Jake worked to control his own expressions.
“Hi, I’m Henry Ray,” the man said while looking him over. Jake detected no recognition in the man’s eyes or expression upon seeing him.
He looked like Ray. More so than the fake one pretending to be Ray at the San Francisco newspaper. Seeing the man Jake believed was the real Henry Ray he could see the match to the photograph Carlson had showed him. He was the same height as the imposter with the same lanky build and thinning hair. Even the eyes were the same color. The only difference was the scar. That hadn’t been in the photograph Jake had seen, but somehow he knew that despite the disparity, this was his man.
“Who are you?” Ray was asking, mirroring the thought going through Jake’s mind at the moment.
“I’m Jake Waters,” he said, watching carefully for any hint of recognition.
Like the fake Ray, the real one didn’t blink at the name. Jake couldn’t be positive, but he believed the name wasn’t known to this Ray. Either that or he would be a great poker player. That suggested that it was something he had yet to learn. Perhaps when he did so he set in motion the disappearance of the actor a few months from now.
“My friend said I should come and see you with what I discovered. For some reason he thought you would have a personal interest. It’s a little unusual, almost unbelievable,” he added.
“I see,” Ray replied, although it was clear he didn’t.
Ray waved a hand at one of the chairs. Carlson had told him that Ray was a loner of sorts, yet when he was pursuing a story it was clear he could appear as sociable as anyone. He smiled and looked directly at Jake.
“Can you tell me a little more what this is about?”