truth. Back at the Times it might even have been nominated
for an award. But she wanted no accolades for this project.
All she wanted was justice!
n Monday Maggie silently presented Clyde with a
copy of her TS Development expose', and then
walked grimly back to her office. She wished she
could blame her frustration purely on the circumstances of
the story, but the truth was she was still getting over her con-
versation with Leah during their drive into town that
It had probably started with Jed taking Maggie out
toorning.
lunch after church yesterday. He'd invited Spencer and
Leah as well, but Spencer had already made plans and Leah
had simply shrugged it off, saying she'd "rather not"
without offering any explanations. Well, now Maggie sus-
pected that Leah had felt left out after all. And although
she'd only hinted at it this morning, and politely enough,
Maggie sensed the hurt behind her voice. So she had simply
suggested that perhaps in the future, Leah might try to corn-
municate better, for instance if she really wanted to go to
lunch with them to just say so. But then Leah had become
very quiet, pulling into herself as if Maggie's words had hurt
her even more. And even after Maggie sincerely apologized,
Leah still seemed withdrawn, climbing silently from the car
as if mortally wounded. That's when Maggie had recalled
her mother's words about how raising teenaged girls was
39.
40Melody Carison
never as simple and straightforward as raising boys. Perhaps
this was what she meant. At least Spencer usually came right
out and said what he meant, whether or not it sounded
pleasant and nice. Just the same, Maggie promised herself
she'd try harder to understand Leah. She knew it wasn't easy
being eighteen, and it seemed reasonable that Leah could be
struggling with all the recent changes in her life-relocating
from Arizona, discovering her father for the first time, a new
job. It was a lot for anyone to adjust to all at once.
"Maggie!" exclaimed Clyde as he stormed into her office.
"This story makes me sick to my stomach!"
She dropped her pencil and stared up at him in horror.
"What do you mean, Clyde? I.. .1 thought it was pretty good.
I tried really hard t~"
He waved the papers wildly in the air. "Not the writing,
you silly ninny! The writing is incredible-brilliant even! I
mean what Snider and Tanner have done to poor old Arnold.
Why, I'd like to take those two boys Out in the middle of
Main Street and have them publicly tarred and feathered for
the whole town to witness!"
She suppressed a smile. "Now that'd be worth seeing. But
I think we have laws prohibiting such things nowadays,