Little Boy Blue

66

‘If anyone asks, you say it’s a police incident and move them on. No exceptions.’

The constable guarding the entrance to the flat nodded solemnly. They seldom said anything when Helen spoke to them. Was that out of respect? Or fear? Helen couldn’t tell.

‘You’re not to move from here until you’re relieved. Somebody gained unauthorized access to the crime scene on Wednesday morning. If it happens again, I’ll be asking you for an explanation. This is off limits.’

‘What a pity. I skipped breakfast to get over here before the others.’

Helen knew that voice. Turning, she saw Emilia Garanita walking towards her.

‘I was just talking about you,’ Helen replied.

‘All good, I hope?’

Helen didn’t dignify that with a response, instead turning and walking fast away from the flats towards her bike.

‘I will find out, you know.’

‘Find out what?’ Emilia replied, as she hurried to keep up.

‘Who your mole is. And when I do, I’ll have their badge and you up on a charge of bribing a public official.’

Emilia tut-tutted gently.

‘Why do you always see the worst in people? I’m just a jobbing journalist, playing by the rules -’

‘You’re a ghoul who trades in people’s misery,’ Helen retorted.

‘Come off it, Helen. I only report the facts, I can’t help what people read into that.’

Helen stopped in her tracks and turned to face Emilia.

‘I saw the hatchet job you did on Paul Jackson. What was the headline? “The double life of the boardroom spanker”? ’

‘I don’t write the headlines -’

‘Bullshit. It had your fingerprints all over it. You have no regard for the consequences of your irresponsible journalism.’

‘Back up a little, I have a duty to the public -’

‘You have a duty to be a human being.’

For a moment, Emilia looked stung, as if Helen’s accusations had finally landed. Then she seemed to relax again, a thin smile crawling over her face.

‘Is there a reason why you’re getting so wound up about this particular case?’

Helen stared at Emilia scornfully, but said nothing.

‘You haven’t been at any of the press conferences, so I haven’t been able to ask you about your personal reaction to Jake’s death.’

‘I’ve got nothing to say about that.’

‘But you were acquaintances. Friends even…’

Helen stared at Emilia, but said nothing. She’d known this moment was coming – Emilia was not the type to forget a tasty bit of gossip or past arguments – but now it was here, Helen still felt rattled. There was no point denying her connection with Jake, but this was not an avenue she wanted to go down. There was no telling where it might lead – blackmail? Exposure? – and this time she had no weapon with which to squash the wily journalist.

‘We were friends, but I hadn’t seen him for a couple of years and I’m treating this case as I would any other.’

‘Please don’t lie to me, Helen,’ Emilia replied. ‘You were very close to him, you must be in turmoil. I’m surprised they let you lead on this.’

‘You’re way off the mark,’ Helen lied.

‘Am I? I spared you last time because you persuaded me that that was the right thing to do. But I’m seriously starting to question the wisdom of my decis-’

‘You spared me?’ Helen replied, incredulous. ‘You spared yourself. If you’d printed that stuff I would have had you up on a charge of illegal surveillance. Don’t kid yourself that you’re a decent person, Emilia, because you’re not.’

‘Fighting talk,’ Emilia replied tersely, irked by this character assassination. ‘Let’s see where it gets you, shall we?’

Happy that she’d had the last word, Emilia turned and walked back in the direction of the flats. She had won the first battle. The question now was whether she would win the war.