Winning Texas (25 page)

“
Ladies, don
’
t forget that we
’
re trying to lose a few pounds. Do you want to look like Russian pigs?
”
Genta said.
“
When we go out shopping tomorrow, we
’
ll stop for frozen yogurt as our treat.
”

Ardita looked happier immediately. Genta had reported that the girls loved shopping, particularly at Target, Marshall
’
s and other discount stores. The little shopping trips, supervised and scheduled late in the afternoons, relieved the boredom of being shut in most of the time.

“
Can I go swimming in the blue pool?
”
Ardita asked.

“
Sure, if you take a few of the girls,
”
Genta said.
“
Take Afrodita and Elvana with you. Those sleepyheads should be up now.
”

Genta had organized an exercise class by the pool each morning, leading the girls in stretches and dance moves that would be useful in their career as topless dancers. Truly, Zogu thought with renewed admiration, there was nothing his Genta couldn
’
t do. She had the authority of a drill sergeant without so much as raising her sweet voice.

Ardita, who
’
d been lounging on the bed, got up and stripped down to her panties and bra. She started unhooking her bra right in front of Zogu, whose eyes unfortunately were riveted to the impromptu striptease. His wife gave him a dirty look.

“
Ardita, take your bikini and change in the toilet room,
”
Genta said in a furious voice.
“
Show some modesty in front of my husband, please!
”

Zogu could imagine that most of the girls had been squeezed into tight living quarters with whole families in Tirana, and had never experienced the luxury of modesty.

Ardita came out of the bathroom wearing a faded, threadbare bikini and Zogu looked down this time, still embarrassed. She
’
d rolled up several white towels from the bathroom and carried them under her arm.

“
Don
’
t take so many towels,
”
Leka said in her best bossy voice.
“
Selfish sow! We all need them.
”

“
Sunscreen, please!
”
Genta said.
“
Houston is a very hot place and you will burn quickly at midday. Put it all over your body, especially your face. Stop by for the girls in Room 104. They need to get out, too.
”

Ardita relinquished some towels, throwing them at Leka, and slammed the door.

Leka, who
’
d dodged the towels, stood up proudly, her makeover complete. She twirled around so that the other girls could get the full impact of her hair and makeup. They whistled and clapped. She looked good and she knew it.

“
Beautiful, Leka,
”
Genta said.
“
Shoulders up and walk like you know you
’
re the most gorgeous girl in the room. Edona, your turn now.
”

Zogu watched as Edona plopped into the chair in front of the mirror. Genta examined her hair with a professional
’
s appraisal, shaking her head over the bad dye job that had left her curls shades of red, orange and yellow, not unlike a circus clown.

Genta held up two pictures from a hair-styling magazine. In one, the model
’
s hair was an ash blonde shag. The other page showed a woman with a golden flip.

“
Which one, girls?
”
she asked. All four, including Edona, pointed to the picture of the ash blonde.

Someone banged on the door, spoiling the rare moment of unanimity.

Zogu opened it and saw Ardita again in her sad bikini. She looked alarmed. He beckoned her in.

“
Room 104 is empty,
”
she shouted.
“
The backpacks have disappeared. Afrodita and Elvana are gone.
”

CHAPTER 26

Midmorning at the
Houston Times
office, Annie knocked on the door of Greg Barnett
’
s glass office. He waved her in. She and Travis were headed to the Hill Country for a few days and she needed to brief her boss. She
’
d told him earlier about what they
’
d found in Nate
’
s files.

“
What
’
re you hearing from the police today about Nate?
”
he said with an anguished look.

“
Nothing new.
”

Annie knew he
’
d been almost as torn up by Nate
’
s death as the reporters. Greg, formerly the investigative editor at the
Times
, had been promoted to managing editor three years ago and immediately named Annie to the job he
’
d vacated. In his mid-forties, Greg was a Boston-bred Harvard graduate who
’
d fallen in love with journalism working for the Crimson, the student newspaper. He
’
d shelved his plan
–
mostly the plan of his wealthy parents
–
to go to law school and eventually practice with his father
’
s white-shoe firm. Instead, he
’
d bounced around at papers in the Northeast before ending up at the
Times
. Annie thought he
’
d brought fresh ideas and an outsider
’
s perspective that had been lacking in the newsroom of Baylor and University of Texas graduates. Also, she loved his big heart and enthusiasm for complicated stories. He was divorced and available, as far as she knew, but she wasn
’
t remotely interested in him. Why was she always attracted to the bad boys?

She snapped out of her reverie and tried to focus on the trip.

“
Brandon can
’
t go on the road right now, so he
’
ll be handling Nate
’
s death investigation and keep an eye on Kyle Krause,
”
she said.
“
Travis and I will do as much reporting as we can on the German-Texas movement, first in Austin with Sam Wurzbach, and possibly in Fredericksburg before we come back.
”

“
How do you feel about reporting again, Annie?
”

“
I can
’
t wait,
”
she smiled.
“
I guess I didn
’
t realize just how much I was missing it. But I hate the circumstances.
”

“
Yeah. With Maggie and Nate gone, it
’
s just you with Brandon and Travis. But that
’
s still a hell of a lot of reporting talent.
”

“
Thanks. Do you think we can replace either of those reporting vacancies?
”

“
Sadly, no. The big bosses like the way the online revenue is trending, but it
’
s still such a small percentage of our profits. Print advertising isn
’
t holding its own, with national ad revenue going down each month.
”

“
Pretty depressing.
”

“
Yup. Rumor has it that the bosses are coming in soon to look at more cuts.
”

Annie
’
s stomach lurched and she tried to swallow her fear. She didn
’
t have much of a financial cushion and she would hate to have to leave Houston.

“
Do you know where the cuts might land?
”

“
Wouldn
’
t want to guess. I expect they
’
ll still need a managing editor, as well as a gifted reporter like you. But your rise as an editor may be stalled for quite a while.
”

“
I really don
’
t care,
”
Annie said.
“
Do you think I
’
ll have to take a pay cut?
”

“
Well, I didn
’
t want you to worry about that. But very likely, your salary will be cut by ten or fifteen percent if they decide to abolish the investigative editor job.
”

Annie winced, thinking of her bills, though she was trying to be thrifty.

“
It
’
s okay, Greg. I can manage.
”

“
Thanks, I hate that, but I appreciate your flexibility. Tell me more about the trip. Will you see Jake?
”

He looked at her and she could see compassion in his face. He knew that Annie had been devastated by her breakup with Jake.

“
Yeah, he
’
s one of the point men on this story. No way to avoid talking to him and I
’
m at peace with that. Time to face up to things and stop trying to drown my sorrows.
”

She could see Greg
’
s approval. He
’
d been there for her in tough times and she knew he worried about her struggles with alcohol and depression.

“
You
’
re a big girl, Annie. But don
’
t put yourself through unnecessary grief. If it seems too painful, let Travis talk to him.
”

“
I
’
ll be all right. Nate
’
s death has made me think about what
’
s important. Holding on to past grievances isn
’
t doing me or anyone else a bit of good.
”

“
What can I do for you while you
’
re gone?
”
She basked in his support, in the open, easy way he smiled at her. She felt lighter, ready to find Travis and hit the road.

“
Just be at the other end of the phone line when I call in. I trust your judgment with all my heart.
”

CHAPTER 27

Annie relaxed in the passenger seat as Travis drove out of Houston on Interstate 10. He whirled past Memorial, Spring Branch and other suburbs of West Houston and sped farther out toward the town of Katy. They passed the strip malls and housing developments that consumed increasingly wider bands of the flatlands stretching west each year. She
’
d always enjoyed seeing the tall, white rice dryers of Katy silhouetted against the sky, relics of the rice farming industry that had dwindled as Houston spread inexorably outward.

It was a beautiful late August day, with temperatures still in the nineties but the air feeling less sticky than the week before. The bright blue sky and hint of a breeze held the promise of autumn -- eventually. When Annie first moved to Texas, she expected the cooler, football weather by September that she
’
d enjoyed in her hometown of Blacksburg, Virginia. But to her dismay, September could be the hottest month of the year in Houston. October was often slightly cooler, and November usually turned mild, but Annie still missed the falling temperatures and bright colors of an early southern autumn.

She felt relieved to be on the road after the last traumatic week. She
’
d always liked going out of town on reporting trips, setting her own hours, pursuing her own agenda and relishing the freedom, even if it came with solitary restaurant meals. Traveling on business was a welcome break where she didn
’
t have to worry about socializing and could focus on her work. She could indulge her inner introvert. She often did her best thinking on long solo drives to places she
’
d never seen. But she liked being with Travis this time
–
and leaving the driving to him.

After navigating the heavy traffic out of Houston, he
’
d relaxed his crunched-up posture and stretched his short legs. His cherry-red Honda Accord was comfortable and quiet. She
’
d asked him to drive because she knew that like most of the newsroom
’
s reporters, he
’
d want the company
’
s relatively generous gas reimbursement. It had been several years since the
Times
staff had gotten decent raises and money was tight for everyone. He
’
d eagerly accepted her offer.