no one was following them. “I didn’t get any stinking preferential treatment from that detective.”
“Roberto Estralla.”
“That’s right.”
“He’s one of Rio’s most respected investigators but he detests reporters. Those at the barricade were impressed he allowed you to cross the police line and talk to him.”
Different town, different rules, Gannon thought, taking a parting glance back at the scene. There was something there.
Something he was overlooking.
6
When they returned, Gannon saw himself on one the bureau’s TV screens.
The sound was muted.
Frank Archer was in the office with two other people. A man sat at a desk talking softly in Spanish on his cell phone, while Archer worked with a woman typing on a keyboard.
“You’re amazing, Jack,” Archer said. “Within hours of landing, you’ve become the official spokesperson for the World Press Alliance while also helping the Rio press with their stories.”
“Excuse me?”
“Globo and SBT both carried you live from the scene. They’ll run your performance all day. Good job, Gannon.”
“Those networks reach about one hundred million people,” the woman said without looking at Gannon.
“I’m sorry, have we met?” he asked her.
The tanned woman was in her early thirties, wearing a print shirt and white slacks. She had short blond hair and a cool hand when Gannon shook it.
“Sally Turner, Caracas Bureau. The grump on the phone is Hugh Porter from our Buenos Aires Bureau.”
Porter extended his hand while remaining on his call. Gannon shook it then saw the second TV cut back to news.
“Jack,” Archer said, “are you aware of the WPA policy about reporters granting interviews to other reporters?”
Gannon shook his head, keeping his attention on the TV screens.
“We don’t comment on the news,” Archer said.
“Well, now we are the news, Frank. I didn’t say anything wrong. Besides, my instructions from you were to go to the scene and press the lead investigators for information and that’s what I did.”
“What did you get from Estralla?” Porter asked after finishing his call.
“Attitude.”
“Anything to contribute to our story?” Archer asked.
Gannon didn’t answer. He was watching the news reports on the TV screens, footage of him talking with the detectives. Archer turned on the sound and Gannon heard his English dubbed into Portuguese. Then he saw his name in the graphic at the bottom, Journalista de Jack Gannon, Aliança da Imprensa do Mundo.
Gannon scrutinized the TV images. He was missing something.
“Jack,” Archer said, “anything for the story? We have to file to New York.”
“No.”
“I didn’t expect anything.” Archer turned to the others. “Porter?”
“My source in Bogotá says one of the victims is Angella Roho-Ruiz, daughter of Paulo Roho-Ruiz, a high-ranking member of a powerful Colombian cartel.”
“That fits with what I’m picking up,” Turner said. “This is a retaliatory hit arising from a debt or vendetta with a gang from one of the favelas.”
“Angella Roho-Ruiz had to be Gabriela’s source,” Porter said.
“You know that for a fact?” Gannon asked.
“Not yet.”
“Do you know for certain that Gabriela even met this Angella?”
“What is this, Gannon?”
“You’ve ruled out other possibilities, like this source Gabriela was supposed to meet, or didn’t meet.”
“What do you know about anything?” Porter said. “You’ve been here all of what, a few hours?”
“Hold off, Hugh.” Archer turned to Gannon. “Jack, we talked about this. Gabriela was not lured to the café. She chose it, which is our practice when meeting sources. It’s possible that Angella Roho-Ruiz was followed and targeted at her meeting with Gabriela.”
“You’re making assumptions. You haven’t confirmed if Gabriela met her source or who her source is, or was. You’re assuming that since Angella Roho-Ruiz is among the dead, then she must have been the source and this was a narco hit.”
“Listen, Jack, right now, everything points to narco terrorists,” Archer said. “Angella Roho-Ruiz comes from a mighty cartel. At this level, this kind of bombing is their signature.”
“Is it?” Gannon asked.
“It is,” Porter said. “But you wouldn’t know that, coming from Buffalo.”
“Fuck you.”
“Hey!” Archer said. “Everybody, dial it down. We’re all pissed off and on edge over Gabriela and Marcelo, so let’s just dial it down and work.”
Archer gave Gannon names and phone numbers of employees at businesses near the bombing. Most were still operating. Then Archer and the others went back to concentrate on the story.
With Luiz’s help, Gannon spent the rest of the day mining the list for a break. Other than hearing the explosion and seeing the chaotic response, no one had witnessed anything unusual, leaving Gannon to figure Archer just wanted him out of the way.
After they’d filed, Archer, Porter and Turner left to interview security