Face of Betrayal (32 page)

FONG CHONG RESTAURANT

January 29

A
llison was the first person to arrive at Fong Chong in Portland’s Chinatown. While she waited for her friends, she thought about all the changes the last six weeks had brought. A new life had begun within her and she had killed a woman. And in different ways, she had saved both of her closest friends.

Wayne and Whitney were in seclusion, getting used to Valerie’s absence and the reality of what she had done.

Lily Rangel was safely back at home, after having gotten drunk at a party and then deciding to lie low rather than face her parents.

Senator Fairview was facing the Senate Ethics Committee, but there was talk that he might escape with a censure.

His wife, however, had been charged with hiring a transient to attack the first young woman he could find hiking alone in Forest Park. Nancy hadn’t really known whether her husband was guilty, and had been trying to cloud the case as much as possible.

Allison’s stalker was in a mental hospital.

Nicole came in the door. Uncharacteristically for her, she immediately gave Allison a hug that was only a little awkward because her right arm was in a sling. The bullet had gone through her arm, somehow managing to miss anything important.

“Thank you again for saving my life,” Nicole whispered in her ear.

“Just returning the favor after you saved mine,” Allison said, giving her good shoulder a squeeze.

As they released each other, Cassidy walked in the door of the restaurant, blinking rapidly. She said, “There’s something really strange in the sky.”

“What?” Allison asked, looking past her.

“It’s a big bright disk of light.”

“Very funny,” Nicole said, but she smiled nonetheless.

“For three?” the waiter asked.

They nodded, and he led them to one of the brown and orange vinyl booths. He poured them each a cup of tea.

“The floor looks kind of dirty,” Nicole whispered as soon as he was out of earshot.

“You don’t come here for the
floor
,” Cassidy said. “You come here for the food. I still can’t believe you haven’t eaten here before.”

Nicole looked offended. “I’ve had Chinese food.”

“Yeah, but if you’ve never had dim sum, it’s not the same.”

“You have to admit this place doesn’t look like much from the outside.” Nicole looked around pointedly at the bucket swivel chairs, the Formica tables, and the two surly waiters yelling at each other across the room in what might have been Cantonese.

“I think it’s the perfect place for the Triple Threat Club to meet,” Allison said. “It symbolizes that we need to be open to trying new things. And,” she added, “that life is full of delicious, mysterious morsels.”

As she spoke, women piloting silver carts piled high with tiny plates circled the tables, calling out the names of their wares.

“Hum bao!”

“Pork shu mai!”

“Ha gow!”

Allison and Cassidy immediately pointed at four or five plates. At first, Nicole tried to ask questions about each dish, but since none of the servers seemed to speak English as a first language—or even a second or third—she soon followed their lead.

Since she couldn’t use her right hand, the waiter brought her a fork. It only took about three or four bites before she said, “Okay, okay, I take it back. You come here for the food.” Speaking around a mouthful of shrimp dumpling, she asked Allison, “So how are you doing?”

Allison could feel both her friends regarding her closely. “It’s a bit of a roller coaster. Killing someone sure isn’t like shooting holes in a target. But I’ve been going to my pastor, and he’s been talking through it with me. It turns out he’s a Vietnam vet. He’s helping me understand there’s no burden too heavy for me to carry. Not with God’s help.”

She felt a little self-conscious being so open about her beliefs, but instead of being sarcastic or snarky, the other two women regarded her thoughtfully.

Allison pointed her chopsticks at Cassidy. “How about you? Have you decided which offer to take? Boston? LA?”

Cassidy sat back, a private smile playing about her face. “Actually, I’ve decided to stay in Portland. The ratings have been so high that Channel Four made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. The only other news I have is that I went back to the shelter, and they helped me decide to press charges against Rick. It might not work, given that he is employed by the very organization that’s in charge of investigating him. But I hear he’s running scared. And if nothing else, it will give them a heads-up in case he ever tries it with another woman. As a result, I’ve officially sworn off men.” She leaned toward Nicole and mimed a leer. “But women, however . . .”

With a laugh, Nicole pushed her back. “You’re too late.”

It was hard to startle Cassidy, but this news did it. “What do you mean?”

“I actually went out with someone last weekend.” Nicole smiled a Cheshire grin. “I’m not sure I would even call it a date. Let’s just say he’s a friend. But I’m not answering any questions about who, why, what, or how.”

Allison lifted her cup of tea. “This calls for a toast. To Nicole, for taking the plunge.”

Nicole clinked her cup against Allison’s and then Cassidy’s. “And to Cassidy for being smart enough to get out of the pool.” She looked at Allison. “And to Allison for saving my life—and creating a new life. And to the Triple Threat Club, for living up to its name.”

“And to the memory of Katie Converse,” Allison said.

“To Katie,” they all echoed solemnly and raised their cups to their lips.

READING GROUP GUIDE

1. At its heart,
Face of Betrayal
is about three friends who love each other—and their work. Do you have any friendships like that?

2. When the book opens, the man Allison prosecuted for hiring some-one to kill his wife is sentenced. He had hired a hit man to kill his wife. Should hiring a hit man carry the same penalty as committing murder yourself?

3. When Katie disappears, her parents work to get attention from the media and law enforcement. Do you think that if a girl disappeared who wasn’t white or upper class, or whose parents weren’t as savvy, the case would get as much media attention? If not, is there anything that can be done about it?

4. Allison has been trying for two years to get pregnant. Do you know people who have struggled with infertility?

5. Nicole works with the FBI’s Innocent Images to catch online pedophiles. Do you think the Internet has led to an increase in the number of pedophiles, or that it has simply given them new tools?

6. Cassidy is a spiritual seeker. Do you know women like her?

7. Katie’s parents were unaware of her MySpace page. If you have kids, do you let them have a MySpace or Facebook page? Do you monitor it? Why or why not? Is it snooping for parents to look through their kids’ e-mails? Is it any different than reading letters that they get in the mail?

8. Nicole has to send her daughter to live with Nic’s parents while the case is at a fever pitch. Is it possible to hold a demanding job and still be a good mother? Do we ask the same question of fathers? Should we?

9. As a black woman working in a white man’s world, Nicole feels she has to be twice as good to be treated as an equal. Do you think there still is a double standard for race? For sex?

10. Cassidy’s station devotes a lot of resources to the story of the missing Senate intern. Do you think TV news is catering more and more to sensationalism and celebrities and doing fewer in-depth, well-researched stories? Has the way you get your news changed in the past few years?

11. In desperation, Katie’s parents contact a woman who says she can get in touch with Katie’s spirit. Do you think there are people who really have such powers?

12. Allison knows that domestic violence accounts for more injuries to women in America than heart attacks, cancer, strokes, car wrecks, muggings, and rapes combined. Do you know anyone who has been affected by domestic violence? Have you ever tried to help someone you suspected was being abused?

13. Senator Fairview is revealed to be a man who lies, cheats, and rationalizes. Do you think it’s possible to be a politician while still retaining your principles? Or does “power corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely,” as Lord Acton said?

INTERVIEW WITH LIS WIEHL, CONDUCTED BY BILL O’REILLY

Q:
You’ve written non-fiction, and now this novel. Why’d you decide to do that . . . inspired by my novel
Those Who Trespass
, right?

A:
With all due respect, no not really. In my time away from you, I like to hunker down with a good mystery. But I had an increasingly hard time finding stories I could relate to. And I wanted to read about strong women solving crimes. So, I thought, why not create my own mysteries . . . fiction stories with a slice of reality about how law and journalism really work.

Q:
Describe a day in “Lis Land.”

A:
Let’s pick a typical Tuesday. After I make fruit smoothies and oat-meal or whatever else (fast) for the kids, get a load of wash in the laundry, and pack the kids off to school . . . I get to work to start my day. On the way in to work, I’m reading up for the 10:30 a.m. TV show, figuring out which side I want to take on the daily debate. I go directly from that to a FOX streaming Internet show, where we talk about the news of the day. I leave that show early explaining that I’m doing radio with you, Bill, grab a quick bite to eat (so my stomach doesn’t rumble during radio), and then get to spend the next two hours doing radio with you. While I’m doing the radio show, your TV producers are sending me the topics for your TV show that night. They want me to study up and then send them my point of view for the program. So I try to answer their questions while paying attention to the radio show—women know how to multitask! From radio I have a little downtime to work on my column for Foxnews.com, do more research for TV that night, and call the kids to bug them about their homework and make a dinner plan. TV with you is the next highlight (smile), and then it’s home to make dinner, check homework, make kid lunches for the next day, and start the whole process all over again.

Q:
Everyone knows I’m the most boring guy around, but tell us something about you that we’d never guess.

A:
I hate to shop for clothes. I won’t even look at something unless it’s at least 50 percent off, so that means sorting through a lot of piles, which I really don’t like. I’d rather wear sweats. Fortunately, FOX has a wardrobe department, so I can at least look presentable at work. But if you see me in the supermarket, you’ll see me in sweats.

Q:
You were a federal prosecutor, now you work in TV, and your dad was an FBI agent. So you’re taking your material from your own background?

A:
I figured with this personal background I could create fictional characters who work together, and I could give readers a true sense of what goes on in a TV station and in a courtroom. Although the overall book is fiction, many of the scenes are based on cases I’ve actually had—though I am careful to change the names to protect the guilty. And the crimesolving techniques, including forensics and grand jury methods, are based on my own experience along with consulting experts in forensics, pathology, defense lawyering, etc.

Q:
You’ve been all over the place—Prosecutor, Pundit, and Professor. Which job best prepared you to write fiction?

A:
All of my experiences in the law and on television prepared me for
Face of Betrayal
. As a prosecutor and pundit, you have to be quick on your feet, and a good judge of character. As a professor, you have to be measured and systematic. This all helps with storytelling. And it’s so fun to bring these worlds together in fiction format.

Q:
Face of Betrayal
. Tough sounding title. Why?

A:
I think betraying someone who trusts you is one of the worst sins a person can commit. And Katie Converse comes face-to-face with that sin, so the title just makes sense.

Q:
We’re living in a society where secularism is combating traditional religion. Most Americans are facing that struggle on a regular basis. This important to you, your characters?

A
: Absolutely critical. All three women in the book struggle with issues of what to believe and why. For Allison especially, it’s difficult to reconcile a loving God with what she sees everyday at work. For me, my faith is an integral part of who I am, and my own moral compass. As a Christian writing fiction I deal with issues of faith. And I think most Americans can relate to that.

Q:
So what do you want readers to get out of the book?

A:
First off, I hope readers will have a fun read. This can be “me” time to just enjoy a good mystery—see if you can figure it out kind of thing. And then, because the characters are based on my own back-ground, I hope that readers will learn something about the behind-the-scenes world of a TV station and a criminal courthouse.

Q:
I’m almost afraid to ask—what’s next, Wiehl?

A:
You should be very afraid, Bill! The next book,
Hand of Fate
, opens with the murder of Jim Fate, a radio and TV show host, with strong opinions and lots of enemies. Sound like someone you know? And the way he is murdered sets the whole town into chaos. One of the immediate suspects is his smart and witty female radio cohost. Again, sound like someone you know? Turns out Cassidy had been dating Fate, and she may have the critical clue. But I can’t give away any more. You’ll just have to tune in to see how it turns out!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

T
his book would not have been possible without the unwavering support and encouragement from Bill O’Reilly (really!). Roger Ailes and Dianne Brandi at the Fox News Channel paved the way. And my office buddy, Gregg Jarrett, listened and offered wise guidance along the way.

Although this is a book of fiction, we relied on expert research help to get the facts right. Thank you Dr. Michael Baden, forensic pathologist; Robin Burcell, police investigator/author; Dr. David Farris; George Q. Fong, FBI Unit Chief for Safe Streets and Gang Unit; James Kotecki, former congressional page; and many unnamed law enforcement who asked not to be identified but were incredibly helpful in making sure we got this right. All errors are our own.