The Cost of Commitment - KJ2 (16 page)

The
New York Post
also teased the story in a banner across the top of its front page. The story itself appeared on the inside front cover and took up half the page. The headline read, “Disgraced Former News Anchor Outs Girlfriend; It’s About
Time
.”

Kate, who was reading the newspapers in her office as she did every morning at 6:15 a.m., groaned. Truthfully, she didn’t want to read any further, given the
Post’s
conservative bent.

“Better to read it and get it over with, Katherine. No sense putting it off.”

She ran her hand across her face. Neither she nor Jay had slept particularly well the night before; they had held each other for hours, each needing the wordless comfort and reassurance of the other’s presence. They got up at their usual time to work out, run, and shower together. Then Kate had headed for the office and Jay to the nearest convenience store to pick up her own copies of the newspapers.

Kate tried to focus on the page in front of her.

Katherine Kyle, the disgraced television news anchor who appeared on the cover of
Time
magazine as a hero one day and as a lesbian lothario on the front page of the tabloids the very next day, is at it again. Kyle, the current spokesperson for the state prison system, went public yesterday with the identity of her girlfriend, the woman with whom she was photographed in a compromising position on a Caribbean beach last May.

The woman is none other than Jamison Parker, 24, a writer of some repute for
Time
magazine. It was Parker’s cover story about her earlier this year that catapulted Kyle to media stardom.

“What makes this so interesting,” according to Tom Daigault, a media and ethics expert at New York University, “is the question of the relationship between Ms. Kyle and Ms. Parker at the moment the story was written. If they were an item at the time, it would raise serious ethical questions about the objectivity of the piece.”

A careful review of the timeline by the
Post
indicates that the pictures of Kyle and Parker in an intimate pose on the beach were taken prior to the release of the
Time
cover story.

A request for comment from Vander Standislau, managing editor of
Time
, went unanswered.

Governor Charles Hyland, who hired Kyle after the photo scandal, told the
Post
, “Katherine Kyle is one of the finest, bravest, most honest people I know. She deserves every accolade she received at the time of the tragic capitol bombing. I read the
Lynn Ames

Time
magazine story when it came out. I thought it was very accurate, fair and balanced.”

The governor added that he had no intention of asking Kyle for her resignation.

Kate slapped her hand down on top of the paper. “Damn it. Damn it all to hell.” She picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hi, Scoop.”

“Oh, hey. I don’t suppose you’ve gotten to the
Post
yet, Kate, have you?”

“’Fraid so.”

Jay sighed heavily. “I just got off the phone with Trish. I’m leaving for the city in half an hour. I’ve got a 1:00 meeting with Trish and Mr.

Standislau.”

“Oh, Jay,” Kate breathed. “Did Trish give you any indication where things stand?”

“No. She was pretty quiet.”

“It’ll be all right, honey,” Kate said, trying to reassure both of them.

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“That’s very tempting, sweetheart, but no. I have to do this on my own.”

“Are you coming right back here?”

“I guess that depends on how the meeting goes.”

“Will you call me afterward?”

“Of course, Kate.”

“Okay. Jay?”

“Yeah?”

“I love you. We’ll get through this, together.”

“I know we will. I love you, too, Kate.”

Kate held onto the receiver long after Jay had hung up. She didn’t like the tension and sense of dread in her lover’s voice. Furthermore, she
really
didn’t like not being able to do anything to make it go away.

The Cost of Commitment

he air in Vander Standislau’s penthouse office was chilled, which Tdid not help Jay to feel an

y more relaxed. This was her first trip

to the big boss’s suite—the first time, in fact, that she had been in his presence for more than a passing moment at a cocktail party.

He was an imposing man, big and burly, with a salt-and-pepper brush cut, coal black eyes, and a moustache. His suit was immaculately tailored, charcoal gray with a white shirt, red tie, and matching diamond cuff links and tie tack.

The office mirrored his stature—larger than life. The walls were papered to resemble a South American rain forest, the trees and birds seemingly lifelike. Jay knew that the managing editor was fascinated with that part of the world; he had taken several trips there just in the few years she had worked for him. There was a picture on his desk of him dressed in camouflage, a huge macaw on his arm, and another of him using a machete to cut his way through dense underbrush. And, to Jay’s astonishment, there was a diploma sitting on the credenza from her college alma mater.

Jay tried hard not to fidget in the uncomfortably stiff visitor’s chair.

She stole a glance at Trish, who sat next to her in a similar chair and who looked no more comfortable than she felt. When Jay had arrived at the office, Trish had already been upstairs for nearly an hour. The fact that Jay hadn’t been able to talk to her editor before this meeting only added to her unease.

“Ms. Parker, I’m afraid you’ve placed us in a bit of an unusual position.” His voice was a smooth, rich baritone. “While I am not averse to defending our stories, or our writers, I must say, you’ve put us in a bit of a bind.”

“I’m so sorry, Mr. Standislau, I never intended for this to happen.”

Lynn Ames

He leaned forward suddenly in his chair. “For what to happen, Ms.

Parker? To take up with the subject of your story, to write a story about your paramour, or to have it splashed across newspapers everywhere?

What exactly,” he ground out, “is it that you wished to prevent?”

Jay wanted nothing more at that moment than for the floor to open up and swallow her whole. Trish shifted subtly in her chair and gave her an imperceptible nod, as if to say, “Time to defend yourself, kiddo.”

“Sir,” Jay said, “I’d like to clear the air about what happened last May and the story I wrote.”

“By all means, Ms. Parker, please do.”

“Sir,” she unconsciously wiped her palms on her skirt, “I first met Katherine Kyle in college, but we were never formally introduced. I had quite lost track of her until I saw her on television the night before the bombings. After the second explosion and the subsequent coverage, I went down to the scene to see if I could find her.”

“And you were in Albany for an interview with the governor at the time, correct?”

“Yes, sir. I was supposed to sit down with the governor for a cover piece the day the bombings occurred, but, as you can imagine, the interview was postponed.”

“I see. Go on.”

Jay found it hard to believe that Trish hadn’t already filled Standislau in on all of the details, but she didn’t think it appropriate to point that out at that moment.

“I found Ms. Kyle after the coverage had ended and persuaded her to see a doctor for her injuries. I accompanied her. When the morning news shows wanted her as a guest the next morning, she offered to give me a ride back to the city, where my interview with the governor had been rescheduled for later in the afternoon.”

“Very handy.”

His tone angered Jay. She sat up a little straighter in her chair and met his gaze unflinchingly.

“I was grateful for the generous offer. I conducted the interview with Governor Hyland, which appeared on the cover, as you know, the week before Ka—Ms. Kyle’s story. When I handed in the Hyland story, I was assigned to write a story on the new breed of journalists, focusing specifically on Ms. Kyle.”

“And you made no mention, at the time, of your relationship to the subject?”

“Beyond a passing acquaintance, I had no relationship with the subject at the time I was given the assignment.” Jay knew she was walking a fine line. What she had said was the truth, technically speaking. She also knew, however, that her feelings for Kate ran far
The Cost of Commitment

deeper than acquaintanceship from the outset. In her mind, though, she had two objectives: protect Trish, and defend her own integrity as a journalist.

Standislau stared at her hard. Then he turned to her editor. “Ms.

Stanton, is that your recollection as well?”

“Yes, sir. That is my impression, and I have no reason to think otherwise.”

He evaluated her for a moment, his dark eyes boring into her before he returned his attention to Jay.

“Continue.”

“Yes, sir. I returned to Albany to conduct the research and interviews necessary to put together the story. I spent a good deal of time with Ms.

Kyle, as well as with her associates, colleagues, and friends, trying to get an accurate picture of her personality, her journalistic style, and her philosophy.”

“And during that time you became romantically involved with her?”

Jay was annoyed at the interruption and at the assumption.

“No, sir. I did not. Mr. Standislau, I take my responsibilities as a journalist very seriously. I went to Albany to do a job, and that’s exactly what I did. I conducted extensive research, interviewed coworkers, bombing victims, Ms. Kyle’s superiors, viewed hours of archived footage, and wrote what I think is a very balanced, very fair piece. If you disagree, then I will submit to your judgment. But I imagine that if you hadn’t liked the story, or thought it was somehow biased, you would have said so at the time and the piece would have been killed.”

There was a stunned silence in the room. Jay’s jaw clicked shut, but her eyes remained defiant. Trish gave her a ghost of a smile before her face resumed its neutral expression. Vander Standislau’s mouth was set in a grim line.

“You are quite right, Ms. Parker,” he said deliberately. “Had I suspected any personal agenda, I most certainly would have pulled the story and disciplined you accordingly. I do not deny that the piece was a brilliant bit of work. In fact, even after rereading it in the current light, I would proudly hold it up to scrutiny as a fine example of journalistic excellence.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Jay saw Trish’s mouth twitch as she attempted to suppress a smile.

“However, Ms. Parker, that is not the point here.” He leveled his intense gaze upon her once again. “You have made us vulnerable to all manner of allegations of impropriety, and in the process, you have called into question our integrity as an impartial source for news and information. That is unacceptable.”

“Yes, sir.” Jay faced him squarely, prepared for the worst.

Lynn Ames

“What do you suggest we do about that, Ms. Parker?”

“I would not presume to tell you, sir, how to run your business.”

“Yes, I see.” Standislau appeared lost in thought for a moment. “All right. This is the way we’ll play it for now. I will issue a statement on behalf of the magazine standing by the story and by you.”

“Thank you, sir.”

He held up a hand. “For now, Ms. Parker.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I will also indicate that our investigation into the matter continues.

That way, if I find that any of what you’ve told me is not true, or if other facts come to light that do not support your version of events, I have room to maneuver. Do you understand my meaning, Ms. Parker?”

“Yes, sir. I assure you that what I’ve told you is the truth.”

“For your sake, you’d better hope so, Ms. Parker. In the meantime, I suggest you take a couple of weeks off until this whole matter dies a natural death.”

“Yes, sir.” Jay’s voice sounded dejected even to her own ears.

“Cheer up, Ms. Parker, you’ll continue to get paid during your absence.”

“Yes, sir.”

“I want you to understand, Jamison.”

She looked up quickly at the use of her first name.

“I think you’re one of the finest journalists we have here. You made a very serious mistake by not coming forward at the outset to explain the nature of your relationship with Katherine Kyle, even if it began after you had completed the research for the story.”

Jay was unable to hide her surprise at the sudden realization that Standislau had known the truth before she had even begun to answer his questions.

As if to confirm her thoughts, he said, “I am aware of the fact that you informed Patricia of your relationship after the story was released.

The fact that I was not made aware of the circumstances at the time is something Ms. Stanton and I have already discussed.”

Jay felt a pang of regret for the tongue-lashing she imagined her friend had already received.

“I also appreciate that you were willing to try to stand on your own and protect your editor. That says a lot to me about who you are as a person. I like that kind of loyalty and nobility, Jamison.”

“Thank you, sir.” She tried to keep the agitation out of her voice.

“Jamison, it is not mine to approve or disapprove of your lifestyle.

Your choices might not be mine, but your private life should be your own. Having said that, if I ever discover that you have crossed that line
The Cost of Commitment

and made the personal professional again or vice versa, I’ll fire you in a heartbeat. Is that understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

His voice gentled somewhat. “Good. I suspect that this whole matter is going to get more difficult for you before it gets easier, Jamison. I want you to know that my door is always open to you. I’ve weathered a fair amount in my time, and if I can shed some light or offer some assistance, I’ll do that, as long as it doesn’t reflect badly on this magazine or its writers. Patricia assures me that you’re a quick study and that you are unlikely to make the same mistake twice. I hope she’s right about that.”

Jay smiled for the first time. “I’ll probably make plenty of new ones, sir, but not the same one, and never quite so spectacularly, again. I promise you that.”