The Evening News (29 page)

For the media capital that is Hollywood, it's a media event that's
heaven-sent. All the pomp of a royal wedding, all the hype of a Super
Bowl-all this with a cast of thousands and a star straight from central
casting . . . Space age technology and dramatic imagery-it's the sort
of thing John Paul favors and the camera loves.

[The Pope is] carefully crafted and controlled. He speaks out often but
is seldom spoken to. The only time reporters can ask questions is in brief
sessions on his plane when he travels . . . Media coverage has been
exhaustive. The papal trip has become an electronic extravaganza like Live
Aid or Liberty Weekend, and some Catholics wonder if anyone will know the
difference
.
Theology and technology-it's a powerful union and John Paul's using it to
preach his message as no Pope before him ever could. The world is
watching, but the real test of the great communicator is whether we're
listening too.

Rose was absolutely right, Partridge reminisced, about that brief
opportunity to ask the Pope questions aboard the papal airplane. In fact
,
if it had not been for one short question-and
answer exchange, what
developed between himself and Gemma might never have . . .

It was one of Po
pe John Paul's longer journeys-to nearly a dozen countries in Central America and the Caribbean, and was on an Alitalia DC-10. There had been an overnight flight and early the next morning, about two hours before a scheduled landing, the Pope appeared un
announced in the rear press sec
tion. He was in everyday attire --- a white cassock,
a zucchetto on his head, and of
his feet
, brown loafers-which was normal
except when specially dressed for a papal mass
.
He stopped near Harry Partridge, appearing pensive. Within the press cabin
,
TV camera lights were coming on; several reporters had tape recorders
running
.
Partridge stood and, hoping to ease into a reportable conversation
,
inquired politely, "Your Holiness, did you sleep well
?
”

The Pope smiled and answered, "Very few
.”

Puzzled, Partridge asked, "Very few, your Holiness. Very few hours
?
”

There was no answer, o
nly a slight shake of the head. Wh
ile John Paul was an
accomplished linguist in several languages, sometimes his English was
solecistic. Partridge could have conversed adequately in Italian, but wanted the Pope's words in the language of CBA viewers
.
He decided to try a more newsworthy question. For several weeks there had
been discussion and controversy about a possible papal visit to the
Soviet Union
.”
Your Holiness,
“
Partridge asked, "do you want to go to
Russia
?
”

This time there was a clear, "Yes
.”
Then the Pope added, "The Poles, the
Russians, they are all slaves. But
they are all my people.”
Before anything else could be said, the Pope turned and walked away
,
returning to his private quarters in the airplane
.
Among the reporters there was an instant hum, in several languages
of
questioning and speculation. The Alitalia flight attendants, who had been
preparing breakfast, had stopped work and were listening intently
.
Someone in the press group asked, "Did you hear what he said-slaves
!”

Partridge glanced at his own cameraman and sound man. Both nodded. The
sound man said, "We got it
.”
Somebody else was playing back a tape recording. The word "slaves
”
was
heard distinctly
.
A reporter from a British news s
yndicate said doubtfully, "He mean
t
'Slavs. ' He's a Slav himself It figures-
“
“
Slaves' makes a helluva better story,
“
another voice rejoined
.
And so it did. Partridge knew it too. A literal reporting of the "slaves
”
description would arouse worldwide interest and discussion, perhaps
create an international incident, with accusations and exchanges between
the Kremlin, Warsaw and the Vatican. There could be embarrassment
for the
Pope, marring his triumphal
journey
.
Partridge was one of the older, more experienced hands aboard and was
respected by his colleagues. Some of the others looked to him for a lead
He considered briefly, It was a lively story, something seldom
encountered on a papal trip. There might not be another. His inclination
,
as a skeptic, was to use it. And yet . . . skepticism did not override
ordinary decency; andf
or some in the business, journalistic ethics did
exist.
Making up his mind, Partridge said clearly, so that everyone could hear
.”
He meant 'Slavs.'It's obvious that he did. I'm not going to use it
.”
There was no discussion, no spoken consensus or agreement, but afterward
it became clear that no one else used the incident either
.
As the reporters and technical crews returned to their seats, the Alitalia
flight attendants resumed work
When Partridge's breakfast tray came, it contained something extra, not
served to the others--a small glass vase containing a single rose
.
He looked up at the young stewardess who, smiling, in her smartly tailored
green and black uniform, had brought the tray. He had noticed her several
times before and heard other flight attendants call her Gemma. But now he
was unexpectedly breathless at her closeness and, for an instant
,
tongue-tied
Forever after, especially at times of terrible loneliness, he remembered
Gemma as she was at that magic moment--age twenty-three, beautiful, with
long, dark, lustrous hair, brown and sparkling eyes, and joyous with life
like a fragrant morning flower in fresh spring air on a green and sunlit
hillside
.
With unaccustomed awkwardness, he pointed to the rose. Later he would learn
that she had gone
forward and
purloined it from the Pope's own cabin. Now he
asked, "is
this for me
?
”

She smiled down at him and, with a soft Italian accent, said, "I brought
it because you are a good, sweet man. I like you
.”
Even to himself his answer seemed inadequate and banal
.”
I like you, too
.”

But banal or not, in those few moments his great and lasting love for Gemma
had begun.

Partridge drew his thoughts back to the present shortly before the Air
Canada flight landed in New York. He was first off the airplane and strode
quickly through La Guardia terminal. With only hand baggage, he was able
to leave the airport without delay, taking a taxi to CBA News headquarters
.
He headed for Chuck Insen's office, but found it unoccupied. A senior
producer at the Horseshoe called across, "Hi,
Harry! Chuck's at a press conference that's been arranged for Crawf. The whole thing's being taped. You'll be able to see it
.”

Then, as Partridge walked toward the Horseshoe, the producer added, "Oh
,
in case no one's told you, Crawf's on the sidelines tonight. You'll be
anchoring the news
.”

That evening, in the Medellin gang's hideaway at Hackensack, Miguel kept a radio tuned to an all-news station. With several of the others, he also watched a portable television, switching between news programs, all featuring reports on the Sloane family kidnap
.
Despite the intense interest and speculation, it was evident that nothing
had been learned so far about the kidnappers' identities or motivations
.
Nor did law enforcement authorities know the escape route taken or of any
specific areas where the kidnappers and their victims might have gone to
ground. Some reports suggested that by now they could be many miles from
New York. Others revealed that suspicious vehicles had been stopped and
detained at roadblocks as far away as Ohio, Virginia and the Canadian
border. Several criminal arrests had resulted from the police activity
,
but none was connected to the Sloanes
.
Descriptions of a Nissan passenger van believed to have been used by the
kidnappers were still circulating. It meant that the van abandoned by
Carlos at White Plains had not been found. Carlos had returned safely to
the Hackensack house hours ago
.
Among Miguel and the others there was a sense of relief, though everyone
knew that police forces all over North America were looking for them and
their safety was only temporary. Because of the dangers still ahead
,
Miguel had established a guard roster. Even now Luis and Julio were
patrolling outside
with Beretta submachine guns, trying to stay in the shadows of the house and outbuildings
.
Miguel knew that if their hideaway was discovered and the police moved in
in force, there was little chance of any of them getting away. In that
event, his original orders were clear: Neither of the kidnap victims was
to be taken back alive. Now, the only thing that had changed was that the
order applied to three instead of two
.
Of the various TV news broadcasts Miguel watched, the one that interested
him most was the National Evening News from CBA. It amused him that
Crawford Sloane was not in his usual anchor position; the substitute was
someone named Partridge whom Miguel remembered vaguely seeing before
.
Sloane, however, was interviewed on air and shown at a previously recorded
press conference.

The press conference had been well attended by print, television and radio
reporters, along with camera and sound crews. It was held in another CBA
building, a block away from news headquarters. On a sound stage, folding
chairs had been hastily set up; all were occupied, with many participants
standing
.
There were no formal introductions and Crawford Sloane began with a brief
statement. He expressed his shock and anxiety, then appealed to the news
media and the public for any information which might help disclose where
his wife, son and father had been taken, and by whom. He announced that a
CBA phone center with a WATS line number had been set up to receive
information. The center was already staffed by operators and a supervisor
.
A voice injected, "You'll be swamped with crank calls
.”

Sloane responded, "We'll take our chances. All we need is one solid piece
of knowledge. Someone, somewhere, has it
.”

Twice during his statement Sloane had to pause to control emotion in his
voice. Each time there was a sympathetic silence. A Los Angeles Times
report next day described him as "dignified and impressive in agonizing
circumstances
.”

Sloane announced that he would answer questions
.
At first the questioning was also sympathetic. But then,
inevitably, some in the press corps weighed in with tougher queries
.
An Associated Press woman reporter asked, "Do you think it's possible
,
as some are already speculating, that your family may have been seized
by foreign terrorists
?
”

Sloane shook his head
.”
It's too early even to think about that
.”

AP objected, "You're ducking the question. I asked if you thought it
possible
.”
Sloane conceded, "I suppose it's possible
.”

Someone from a local TV station asked the perennial question, "How do you
feel about that
?
”