Free Nothing But the Truth by Kara Lennox Page B

our own. I’ve assigned Ford to spearhead an investigation into these threats. If he calls on any of you for assistance, I want you to make his request a priority.”
    “Whatever you need,” said Joe Kinkaid, who had recently been promoted to senior investigator.
    “Anything, anytime,” Beth said.
    The others around the table echoed Joe’s and Beth’s sentiments, which brought tightness to Raleigh’s throat. They were treating her like family, even though she kept most of them at arm’s length.
    Trusting Daniel had been the right decision. He’d taken the bull by the horns.
    “I’m sorry to have brought this trouble into our bosom, so to speak,” she said. “I know we all have more important things to deal with—”
    “Nothing is more important than the safety of my people,” Daniel said fiercely. “Nothing. And you’re not responsible in any way, so let’s stop the ‘I’m sorry’ business right now.”
    Raleigh nodded, looking down at her lap so no one would see her eyes shining with tears. She loved working for an organization that valued its employees so much.
    “Now, one more item of business. There’s a reporter for the Telegram, Griffin Benedict. He seems determined to write a story about Raleigh and these actions taken against her. Our perpetrator deliberately involved Benedict, so he already knows just about everything we know.”
    “Can you stop him from writing the story?” asked Beth.
    “No. Although I have friends in high places, even I can’t censor a major newspaper. But I’m not sure I want to.”
    His statement was met with surprised silence. Daniel had made it clear he mistrusted the media almost as much as he did law enforcement.
    “Project Justice gets its share of publicity, mostly the sensational kind. Our work gets written up in bits and pieces. I’d like to see a more comprehensive article, or a series of articles, written about the foundation. And I couldn’t handpick a better reporter for the job than Griffin Benedict. He’s smart, and thorough, and balanced. I like his work.”
    Raleigh stiffened, and the warmth around her heart dissipated. Griffin had been talking to Daniel? How had the reporter gotten access? Daniel never, but never, talked to the media.
    “Griffin wants to write about Project Justice from the standpoint of the danger involved in our work, building the piece around Raleigh’s situation as well as other recent incidents.”
    “You mean Robyn,” Ford said. Robyn was his fiancée, but she’d first been his client, and she’d been kidnapped when Ford’s investigation had backed a criminal into a corner.
    “Yes, and a few other incidents. I think it’s a good angle. I’m inclined to believe the story would be generally positive. Good press is vital to our work. The more people understand what we do, the more cooperation we get.”
    “And the more donations we get.” This came from Rachel Nieves, who headed up the foundation’s fund-raising efforts.
    “So that Griffin can do the best job possible,” Daniel continued, “I’m going to allow this man access to our offices—and to all of you. I expect you to give him your full cooperation. There will be privacy issues, of course, and we’ll deal with those as they come up.”
    Raleigh couldn’t believe this. “You’re giving him full access?”
    “He’s not a security risk, in my opinion,” piped in Mitch Delacroix. “I’ve done a thorough background check on him.” For her benefit. She wondered if he’d mentioned that to Daniel. “Aside from a lot of speeding tickets, and a questionable stint writing for Soldier of Fortune magazine, he’s clean as a whistle.”
    “He’s determined to write a story about this matter, one way or another,” Daniel said. “He’s highly motivated to get at the truth. I would rather be on the same team with this guy—help him find the truth—than his adversary.”
    Ford tapped his fingers on the shiny tabletop. “You trust him?”
    “As much