Pop Goes the Weasel

61

Heads turned as she marched through the office towards Emilia Garanita’s office. In the wake of her eye-catching work on Marianne, Emilia had been awarded a corner office from which to plot her next exclusive. It was airless and poky but it was one in the eye for the other hacks, which is why Emilia liked it so much. And it afforded her a good view of the newsroom and of Helen Grace, who was now striding towards her.

Helen Grace had never set foot in the offices of the Evening News, so whatever it was it was going to be good. Was this the first counter-move in their battle or a very public capitulation? Emilia sincerely hoped it was the latter. She would try to be gracious.

‘Helen, how nice to see you,’ she said, as Helen entered her office.

‘It’s nice to see you too, Emilia,’ her guest replied, closing the door behind her.

‘Coffee?’

‘No, thanks.’

‘Quite right,’ Emilia replied, ostentatiously opening up her laptop. ‘We’ve got a lot to get through. We’re too late for tonight’s edition but if you give me everything you’ve got now, we can sort out a killer spread for tomorrow. If you’ll pardon the pun.’

Helen regarded her quizzically, then leaned forward and pushed the laptop back down, closing it.

‘We won’t be needing that.’

‘Sorry?’

‘I haven’t come here to give you any news. Just a warning.’

‘Excuse me?’

‘I don’t know how you know what you think you know about me and to be honest I don’t really care. What I do care about is a journalist at a respectable paper attempting to blackmail a serving police officer.’

Emilia eyeballed her – the temperature in the small room had just dropped considerably.

‘So I’m here to give you a clear and simple message. Print what the hell you like about me but if you ever attempt to bribe, blackmail or intimidate me again, I will see you in prison for it, understand?’

Emilia eyeballed Helen, before responding:

‘Well, that’s your choice, Helen, but don’t say I didn’t give you fair warning.’

‘Do what you need to,’ Helen replied tersely. ‘But be ready for the consequences.’

She turned to leave, but as she got to the doorway, she paused.

‘We sink or swim together on this one, Emilia. So ask yourself how much you hate me. And how much you value your liberty.’

Emilia watched her go – anger and adrenalin pulsing through her. Should she break her or back down? Either way Emilia was about to make the biggest call of her life.