Prophet (82 page)

SHANNON AND HER
parents were discussing whether they’d been told the wrong date, and Shannon was beginning to have serious doubts whether she’d heard Carl correctly.

MAX AND THE
kids were getting restless and hungry, and Max was muttering phrases along the lines of, “All this waiting for two lousy minutes . . .”

Deanne began setting the table and heating up the leftovers. If something came on, she would hear it and be able to run over to watch.

JOHN HAD THE
script ready in front of him, the anchor lead-in highlighted. Ali would be doing a closing tag on the hate crimes/white supremacists story facing Camera Two, and then, on her outcue, “. . . there are no suspects, but the investigation continues,” John would begin.

John could see Camera Three positioning for his anchor lead-in. He got ready.

In the control room Tina eyed his face as it appeared in the Preview Monitor. She could read the tension in John Barrett’s eyes.

“You just had to push it, didn’t you?” she muttered. “You just
had
to push it!”

Rush and Susan were too busy directing the newscast to hear her.

Ali closed the hate crimes story, looking into Camera Two. “The American Aryans deny any involvement in the cross burning, and so far there are no suspects, but the investigation continues.”

The red light on Camera Three lit up. John remained in professional mode, facing the camera and reading from the script mirrored in front of its lens. He let his mind run automatically as he detached himself from the story. This was nothing special, he told himself, nothing different, it wasn’t his story. It was news. It was his job. He had no intention other than to do it right, to do the best job he could do.

Camera Three, head-on. No pan, no box, just John.

“Stand by Cassette 540.”

“A week after Governor Slater went public with the abortion death
of his daughter Hillary . . .”

THE BREWER KIDS
all squealed, “Mom! Mom!” and Deanne came running.

“. . . NEW QUESTIONS ARE
being raised: Did the governor know from the beginning how his daughter died, and if so, was he involved in a cover-up that may have cost at least one more life?”

“Roll cassette,” said Susan.

The package began.

Video: The governor, addressing the Women’s Citizen League. An excerpt from his great announcement a week ago. Title at bottom of screen: “October 9th.”

Governor: “. . . she willingly and gladly chose to terminate her pregnancy . . .”

Governor’s voice drops as John’s voice-over begins.

“Governor Slater claimed he had just learned Hillary did not die from mislabeled drugs but from abortion malpractice.”

Video: Dr. Harlan Matthews sitting in his office, talking to the off-camera interviewer, his voice muffled under John’s voice-over.

“Pathologist Dr. Harlan Matthews confirms the cause of Hillary’s death, but insists the governor knew the cause of death the day after it happened.”

Title at bottom of screen: “Dr. Harlan Matthews, Pathologist, Bayview Memorial Hospital.”

Matthews’s voice comes up to volume. “. . . it was an abortion, performed quite hurriedly and clumsily.”

John’s voice off-camera: “And was the governor made aware of this?”

“He knew his daughter died from an abortion, yes. I’m the one who told him.”

Video: The exterior of the Women’s Medical Center.

John’s voice-over: “Hillary received an abortion at the Women’s Medical Center on the 19th of April.”

Video: Shannon DuPliese talking to an off-camera interviewer.

“Shannon DuPliese, a close friend, drove Hillary to the clinic and then home to the governor’s residence, where Hillary died a few hours later.”

Video: Old clip of Shannon receiving the scholarship from Governor Slater.

“When Shannon was awarded the Hillary Slater Memorial Scholarship, she soon realized the scholarship came with a price—her silence.”

Video: Back to Shannon being interviewed.

Title: “Shannon DuPliese, friend of Hillary Slater.”

Shannon: “Well, first it was the governor. He came over to visit me after Hillary died, and kept saying things like, ‘Well, we want to protect Hillary’s memory, don’t we?’” A shot of her hands wringing nervously in her lap, something Bill found near the end of the tape and used to cover the cut. Shannon continues, “But after I started school”—viewers see her face again—“Martin Devin started calling me on a regular basis, and I realized that . . . hey, these people didn’t trust me. They were going to keep an eye on me and make sure I kept my part of the bargain—”

Video: Exterior shot of the Women’s Medical Center.

John’s voice-over: “After the death of Hillary Slater, the Women’s Medical Center continued business as usual. There was no investigation of malpractice.”

Video: A shot of Annie Brewer’s senior picture. The camera zooms in slowly to heighten the intensity.

“A month later Annie Brewer, a high school senior, also died from an abortion she received at the Women’s Medical Center.”

Video: Cindy Danforth in silhouette. Title on bottom of screen: “Mary, witnessed abortion.”

Cindy: “Annie was right across the hall from me, and I could hear her screaming, and after we got out of there, I knew something wasn’t right. She was hurting.”

Video: Max and Deanne, sitting on their couch. Title: “Max and Deanne Brewer, Annie’s parents.”

Max: “’s long as your daughter’s alive you got no right to know what she’s doin’, or what somebody’s doin’ to
her.
Only reason we could find out what happened to Annie was ’cause she was
dead
, and I think that’s a little late.”

John’s voice-over: “Max and Deanne Brewer had to take legal action to obtain Annie’s autopsy report.”

Video: Dr. Mark Denning. Title: “Dr. Mark Denning. Performed the autopsy.”

Denning: “The primary cause of death was generalized septicemia, due to septic abortion, something for which the abortionist is responsible, in my opinion.”

The package was over.

Camera Three, head-on to John.

John spoke his closing tag. “The Women’s Medical Center refused to comment, and Governor Slater was unavailable for comment. Ali?”

Ali spoke to Camera Two. “Well, a drive through the Wildwood Animal Safari turned into a real nightmare . . .”

“Roll Cassette 550.”

Video: The rhinoceros stamping and lumbering about in the tall grass, charging a Land Rover, making it jolt and rock as tourists run for cover, screaming, the camera shaking and jerking. Exciting stuff.

Ali’s voice-over: “. . . when one of the wild animal park’s rhinos went on a rampage . . .”

CARL LEAPED FROM
the couch and let out a whoop, then a loud “YES!,” then danced a little, then shouted, “He did it! He really did it!”

Mom just sat on the couch, quietly clapping her hands, tears in her eyes, praying, “O Lord, my dear Lord, Johnny’s come home. He’s come home!”

Carl pointed at the television, oblivious to the rhinoceros video and then the car commercial. He had only one thought on his mind. “That was my dad! That was the
man
!”

MRS. WESTFALL AND
the two volunteers all gave Cindy a big hug.

“You did great, honey.”

“God bless you—you’re very brave.”

“Good job, good job.”