Chapter 56
Sean decided to speak with Jonathan Travis first. The journalist was speaking to Stephen when he found him, trying to convince the butler to give him a quote about the incidents that have happened.
“C’mon, it can be anything you want to say,” Jonathan replied.
“I don’t think I should,” Stephen said. “It’s not my place.” Then he noticed Sean. “Sheriff, any updates?”
And right on cue, Jonathan pivoted toward Sean, holding up a tape recorder, hoping for a soundbite.
“Turn that off,” Sean said, but when Jonathan didn’t lower the tape recorder, he looked to Roger. “I need a minute with him alone.”
“Sure,” Stephen said, happy to leave.
Sean turned to Jonathan, the recorder still aimed at Sean’s mouth. “Why don’t we talk about what happened to you and The Boston Globe?”
Jonathan’s cocky smirk faded, and he lowered the recorder, turning it off. “Found out about that, did ya?”
“You were fired for falsifying information,” Sean said. “Is that what you’re doing here?”
“Look, that was a mistake, all right?” Jonathan answered. “My reach exceeded my grasp. But this story I’m working on with Roman Grayson is legit.”
“Forgive me if I don’t have faith in your journalistic integrity,” Sean said.
Jonathan shook his head, hands on his hips.
“That fucking story is going to follow me the rest of my life.” He looked up at Sean.
“All I ever wanted was to be a journalist. Ever since I was seven years old. I mean, what seven-year-old boy dreams of being a reporter?” He scoffed. “It’s all I ever thought about.”
“And what would that seven-year-old boy think about what you’ve done?” Sean asked.
“Honestly? I think he’d understand,” Jonathan answered. “I think he would have been proud of what I did.”
Sean arched an eyebrow. “Really.”
“You know what all of that press didn’t say about what I did?” Sean asked. “That those cops did use excessive force. Yeah, I screwed up by turning up the dial, but those cops were dirty.”
“And your actions gave them a free pass,” Sean said.
Jonathan nodded. “That’ll haunt me for a long time, but what I’m working on now will help counter the bad I’ve done.” He looked up at Sean. “Listen, you probably know by now that Roman Grayson isn’t a stand-up guy. But did you know that he’s being investigated by the FBI?”
“Is that what you spoke to Mrs. Grayson about?” Sean asked.
“What’s it to you, Sheriff?” Jonathan asked.
“Actually, you should be asking what’s in it for you?” Sean asked, and he stepped closer. “Because I’ve arrested one person for obstructing justice. Do you really want to be the second?”
Jonathan’s smile faded, and he cleared his throat. “Look, she did tell me something, okay? Turns out, Mr. Grayson is working with the FBI.”
Sean frowned. “Why?”
Jonathan shrugged. “He has some information the FBI wants to know. Look, she didn’t tell me, and I pressed her, all right? But I have a contact at the Bureau and they’re looking into it for me. But whatever Roman Grayson knows, it must be bad.”
“That so?” Sean asked.
“Yeah,” Jonathan answered, and then he leaned closer, as if they were about to share a secret. “The wifey knows the party’s over. That’s why they came here for the weekend. One last hurrah.”
“What else did she tell you?” Sean asked.
“That was it,” Jonathan answered, shrugging. “But I can tell you that Mrs. Grayson isn’t the damsel in distress that everyone thinks.”
“And what makes you say that?” Sean asked.
“I wasn’t with the Boston Globe for very long when I worked the crime beat,” Jonathan answered.
“But I can tell you I did get a good nose for sniffing out a cop who had a chip on their shoulder. There is a kind of apathy about them, a focused recklessness, like they don’t care who they have to run over to get what they want because they’re convinced that what they’re doing is the right thing.
” Jonathan nodded along. “And Judy Grayson struck me as a woman who was tired of sitting on the sidelines while her husband did whatever he wanted.”