But Willow wasn't finished. She selected another page in the phone book, and again her finger stabbed down, choosing a name. "Here's one in Southeast Portland. Got to keep them busy."
After dialing another long string of numbers, Willow whispered, "Help me! I'm hiding in the basement. There are four men here, and they are beating up my housemate and demanding money. And I think they shot my sister. I heard a gun go off, and I saw a lot of blood. We don't have any idea who they are, and we don't have any money, but they don't believe us." She let out a gasp. "Oh no, someone's coming down the stairs!"
Willow disconnected the phone. Her eyes were alight with a strange glee.
"Let's mix things up a little," Willow said. "How about if I be Victoria, or at least Victoria's cell phone?" This time when 911 answered, she said, "I'm at the Lloyd Center Mall, and there's some guy, he's on the upper balcony, and he just leaned over and started shooting. There are bodies everywhere! He's by the Jamba Juice."
She hung up and grinned at Cassidy, her eyes shining. "There. That should keep everyone busy for a while. I was always good at acting. How do you think I've been able to stand working with Jim, anyway?" She ripped the duct tape away from Cassidy's face. It was more painful than any visit to the aesthetician.
Cassidy couldn't wipe her mouth on her sleeve, so instead she spit the taste of glue into her lap. "The cops and firefighters will figure out you're lying:'
"Sure, sooner or later. But in the short run, they have to take it seriously. It's just one way of throwing a wrench in the works." Her grin widened. "And now you're going to help me throw another one. Tonight we are going to take back KNWS and give it to the people. Tonight we're going to start waking up America."
"What do you mean?" Cassidy wasn't sure she wanted to know.
"I'm going to broadcast some cold, hard truths about the food supply. And you are going to help me." Then Willow explained to Cassidy what she had to do.
At night, KNWS normally broadcast shows that were national feeds. But not this night. Tonight it would be the Willow Klonsky show. And if Willow had her way, it would be broadcast on more than one venue.
After dialing the number Cassidy gave her for Channel 4's station manager, Willow pressed the button for the speakerphone.
Cassidy tried to put as much urgency as she could into her voice. "Jerry, it's Cassidy. You need to listen to me. I have been taken hostage."
"What?" In the single syllable, she could hear his confusion and disbelief.
"I'm down here at KNWS. I came to interview Jim Fate's intern, Willow Klonsky. Jerry, it turns out she's the real killer."
"Not Glover?"
"No. She killed Fate and then tried to make everyone think Glover did it. And now we're in the control room of KNWS, and she is going to broadcast a manifesto about food safety."
"Food safety?" His tone was dubious.
"And, Jerry, she says she will kill me unless you broadcast it live on Channel 4 as well."
"A manifesto?" Jerry finally seemed to be following. Unfortunately, he was heading in another direction. "Cassidy, are you drunk? You haven't been yourself lately."
Willow shot her a smirk.
"No, I am not drunk, Jerry. I'm being held hostage." Cassidy only hoped that as soon as they were off the phone, he would call 911. But would they even believe Jerry now that they had been sent on three wild goose chases? "And Willow will kill me unless Channel 4 simulcasts the same message."
"Are you serious? With just the audio? No visuals at all, except maybe a big photo of you on the screen? Nobody is going to watch that."
"Jerry, this is my life you're talking about."
"Could we run it on a tape delay this evening? After prime time?"
Cassidy couldn't believe her ears. Had it come to this? That Jerry was willing to dicker for her life?
"Look," Willow said leaning into the speaker, "if you want Cassidy Shaw to live, you will put her on, unedited. Now. And I have a TV in here, so I can see whether you do it or not. Her blood will be on your hands if you don't obey."
There was a long pause, long enough for Cassidy to imagine that Jerry was going to turn Willow down.
Finally he said, "Okay, okay, but it's going to take at least twenty minutes."
"I'll give you fifteen. And if I don't see it then, you'll hear me execute your reporter. Live. On the radio." Willow stabbed the button to disconnect the call.
Chapter 42
KNWS Radio
After learning that the board operator at KNWS had called 911, reporting a gun-toting hostage-taker, Allison drove as fast as she could to the radio station. She was torn between burning anger that Cassidy had gone behind her back and cold fear that her friend had now gotten herself in trouble so deep she would never get out. The car radio was tuned to KNWS, but so far it was only playing a national feed. For a second, the radio went silent, and in the quiet Allison could hear her heart beating in her ears. Then she heard a familiar voice.