Construct a Couple (17 page)

“Okay,” I croak. They can’t seriously think I have anything to do with this. But . . . as Jonas just said, the quotes in
One World
are exactly like those in my notes. My head starts spinning and I struggle to breathe.

Jonas’s lips tighten. “Look, all of this started well before your arrival, so you’re in the clear. However, there is someone we’d like you to keep close watch of.”

Oh, thank God they don’t think I’m involved. Tension drains from my body, and I flop against the chair. But if they don’t suspect me, just who on Fact Check Row are they talking about? There’s no way it’s Lizzie, so  . . .

I stare into my boss’s washed-out eyes, pieces of the puzzle sliding into place: Gregor’s smug look when Jonas stopped the story; his comment how he wouldn’t be stuck here much longer; and his gleeful proclamation that ‘today will be plenty exciting’ . . . not to mention he has access to all the network folders, while Lizzie and I can only open our own. Anger pours into me as I think that the whole time he was gloating about the article being killed, he’d been planning to send my hard-won quotes and research to
One World
. He’s the reason the story got out.

Bastard!

“I’ll do everything I can to help,” I say, my tone fervent. God, I can’t wait to bring down that weasel.

“Good.” Jonas nods with approval. “You’re right beside her, so you might be able to tell us something valuable.”

Hold on. I’m right beside
her?
No, no, no.

 “We’ll also be asking Gregor if he’s noticed anything suspicious about Lizzie’s behaviour, of course.”

“Maybe it’s not her?” It can’t be! Can it? She
does
need money – but would she go that far?

No. Lizzie never had access to any of the Top Class information, and to be honest, I don’t think the whole thing even scratched her consciousness. Not to mention she’s in and out of here so fast she wouldn’t have
time
to be the newsroom leak.

Jonas lifts his eyebrows. “Except for Top Class, she worked on every single one of the leaked stories, so the signs point her way. Do you remember if she read your notes, or if you left the file open on the computer? Gregor keeps an eye on things, but he can’t be there one hundred percent of the time.”

I shake my head, struggling to absorb what’s happening.  

“I know it’s hard to believe your colleague could be involved, but give it time to sink in,” Jonas says. “Have a careful think, and let us know if you do come up with something. Please tell Gregor I want to see him.”

“Okay, but—”

 “Now,” Jonas interrupts, looking pointedly at the door.

I turn and plod down the corridor. I’ll give it an hour or two, then tell Jonas there’s no way Lizzie could be involved. Bloody Gregor! He must have covered his tracks by picking only articles she’d worked on; pretty clever for a rodent. But he’s screwed up this time, I think grimly. Lizzie didn’t have access to those quotes or anything to do with Top Class, and that’s exactly what I’ll say.

“Jonas wants to see you,” I repeat when I reach Fact Check Row. Gregor unfurls himself from the chair and scuttles off.

“What’s going on?” Lizzie glances up from her monitor, and guilt stabs my gut as I look into her open face. One more year here, and she’ll have enough saved for her shop.

I hope she gets the time she needs.

“Oh, Jonas just wanted to ask me a question,” I respond, pretending to be absorbed in the story on my screen. Given it’s about ‘revolutionary’ press-on nails, my focus is hardly believable. Thankfully, Lizzie turns back to her computer without further questions.

God, I can’t believe Gregor’s the leak. Here we were, thinking he’d jump off a bridge if Jonas told him too. Lizzie’s earlier words about the leak being some desperate schmuck swirl through my mind. I guess being passed over time and again for the coveted reporting spot could drive the sanest person to such measures, and Gregor didn’t exactly start out life in the sanity bin. And who knows what his deal is with
One World
– maybe they’ve promised him a position eventually.

“I’m going to make a cuppa,” Lizzie says, standing and stretching. “Want one?”

I shake my head, not even capable of meeting her eyes.

A few minutes later, Gregor slides into his chair. “My goodness, a newsroom leak. It’s a terrible thing, isn’t it? Hard to believe someone could stoop so low.”

 I turn to face him.  He must realise I suspect him; we both know Lizzie couldn’t open my Top Class research documents, and that she had nothing to do with the article, as a leak or otherwise. My mind whirls with what to say, and Gregor bares his teeth in a yellowed smile.

 “Didn’t you give Lizzie your interview notes to type up, that day you went to see your boyfriend in the hospital?” His eyes slowly open and close, like a sunbathing lizard.

“What? No.”

 “I think I remember you discussing the story with her, back when you first discovered the negligent work at the care home. She knew all the ins and outs from the very beginning, didn’t she?”

“Are you insane?” I hiss. Either Gregor’s forgotten his anti-psychotic meds this morning, or . . . my jaw drops as it hits. He’s trying to implicate Lizzie to save his own bony bottom. And he wants me to help? He’s definitely got another thing coming.

“You know,” Gregor croons in a low voice, leaning so close I can see the slime on his teeth. “You mentioned reporter intuition a while ago.”

I hold his gaze, almost afraid to move.

“I had an intuition there’s more to you than I thought. So over the past couple weeks, I’ve been doing a little research.” After rummaging in his desk, he pulls out a black and white photo of me and Jeremy from the Camden community newspaper, way back when the charity first opened. That day is imprinted on my mind: Jeremy was so proud, his face shining brighter than the sun as he clasped me to him, cutting the ribbon of the office . . .

“Quite the philanthropist, your boyfriend,” Gregor sneers. “And funnily enough, when I Googled him, turns out he used to go out with Julia Adams. The CEO of Top Class.”

Fuck.
I swallow hard. “So?”

Gregor strokes his chin. “So, it’s a direct contravention of the magazine’s editorial code, working on stories where there’s a personal involvement. And aren’t you still on probation?”

A direct contravention? Has he been sniffing glue instead of snot?
He’s
talking to me about direct contraventions?

“Jeremy broke up with her years ago, Gregor,” I say, trying to keep my voice steady. “They’ve barely had contact since.” Well, except for arranging a major donation, I think to myself.

“Really?” Gregor raises a flaky eyebrow. “I’m interested in philanthropy, too. So I had a chat a while back with the charity’s treasurer to see if I could donate. She said if I chose to give, I’d be more than welcome to attend a little party they were having. A party to celebrate a rather large donation from Top Class.”

Oh, God. I can just imagine Karen excitedly burbling all about it.

 “Shame the article ruined everything,” Gregor says in a mock-sympathetic tone. “Given the pending donation, I’ve no idea why you’d want to pursue such a story in the first place, but I don’t care. What’s important is with your personal connections, you couldn’t be objective. And since you didn’t declare your involvement . . .” He shakes his head sorrowfully. “But don’t worry. I won’t spill your little secret.
If
you tell Jonas everything you remember about Lizzie, now that I’ve jogged your memory.”

I freeze, staring into his pointy face. My mouth flaps open and closed, but try as I might, I can’t seem to find any words.

 “I’d say the sooner you tell Jonas what you know, the better. Or I’m going to have to do some talking of my own.” Gregor swings back to his screen, pecking away at the keyboard like he hasn’t just tried to blackmail me into accusing my friend.

I gaze blankly at the monitor. What the hell am I going to do? If I don’t turn the blame towards Lizzie, I might lose my job – I’m still on probation, and breaking a rule in the editorial code isn’t the best route to becoming a full-time employee, especially at a magazine as gun-shy as
Seven Days
. The chance to work my way up at a big-name outlet will be dead in the water. But if I do what Gregor wants . . .

My head pounds and tears fill my eyes. God! No matter how hard I try to make that stupid story go away, it just keeps coming back. It’s not enough to ruin my boyfriend’s charity and give me relationship nightmares, it has to pop up again here, too?  This article – so small and insignificant at the start – has taken on a life of its own, threatening to destroy the world I’ve worked to build. And now it’s threatening a friend’s future, too . . . someone who has nothing to do with any of this.

I slump in the chair, rubbing my eyes. I’ve tried to keep it all together; to focus on the future and move on from the past. Jeremy and I have been doing that since the beginning of our relationship, actually. And it seems no matter how fast we run, we can’t escape it.

Well, no more. Whatever happens with the job and my relationship, I can’t carry on like this, wondering what crack will appear next. The only way to be free of this mess is to dismantle the protective layers I’ve built; to face the truth.

And I’m going to start right now.

I straighten my spine, determination seeping in. Gregor may think he’s trumped me, but wait until I tell Jonas I know who the snitch is – because he tried to blackmail me into accusing Lizzie. God, imagine me thinking this place was ever dull.

“Whoa!” Lizzie’s eyebrows rise as she takes in my grim expression. “Everything okay?”

“Just didn’t get much sleep last night,” I mumble.

“Yeah, I can see that! Your eyes are really red. Have you tried camomile tea?” she asks, easing into her seat as she clutches a steaming mug. “It’s meant to be great for insomnia.”

“No, I haven’t. Thanks.” I drop my head, twisting my hands in my lap at the thought of what I’m about to do.

“I’m going to go talk to Jonas now,” I say, meeting Gregor’s beady eyes. He smiles triumphantly, as if he knows the battle is won. Never underestimate reverse Lois Lane, I hiss in my head.

I march to Jonas’s office, every step like a death knell. God, I hope what I say will shift the blame from Lizzie. It should, right? Gregor wouldn’t attempt to blackmail me unless he was desperate to hide something, and I’ll make it clear Lizzie had no access to the story.

“Jonas?” I poke my nose into his office. He’s leaning back on a swivel chair, sizeable bulk spilling over the arms as he talks to Helen.

“Serenity. Come in. Have you had a chance to think about our earlier conversation?” The two of them fix me with a look of anticipation.

“Um, yes.” I lower myself gingerly onto the chair next to Helen. “I know who’s been leaking stories to
One World
.”

Helen and Jonas cock their heads. The office is so quiet I can hear the hum of the fluorescent lights overhead.

“Well, who?” Helen asks impatiently.

“It’s Gregor,” I say.

Jonas’s eyebrows nearly touch the bald patch on top of his head. “Gregor? Are you sure?”

“Yes.” My heart is beating so quickly now I feel faint, but I have to finish this. “Lizzie never had anything to do with the story. But that’s not all.” I gulp. “Gregor tried to blackmail me into accusing Lizzie.” The words sound so ridiculous I can scarcely believe they’re true.

“Blackmail? Blackmail how?” Helen shifts on her chair, turning her steel blue eyes on me.

“Um . . .” I swallow hard. “Turns out I sort of know the CEO of Top Class. Well, not directly. She’s my boyfriend’s ex-girlfriend, and they had some business dealings together.”

“And you never told us?” Jonas’s eyes narrow. “We have very clear, firm rules about that sort of thing. You must have read the code.”

I nod, not wanting to admit I never got around to finishing it. Kirsty’s words that day before the pub float into my head, and I realise I put off reading in case there
was
a rule threatening my work on the story – the same way I avoided asking Jeremy about Julia for fear of uncovering something that might risk our relationship.

 “I’m sorry,” I mumble. “But look, the only person who had access to all my quotes and research was Gregor. Lizzie didn’t help with any of it.” I’m desperate to show she’s innocent.

“Get him in here,” Helen spits out, and Jonas lifts the receiver then punches in some numbers.

“Gregor? We need to see you.” Hanging up, he turns to Helen. “Stay calm, all right? I must say, it’s rather hard to believe Gregor could be capable of this. He’s one of our most loyal employees.”

Helen purses her lips, looking like she’s itching to break out the waterboard.

Five seconds later – he must have run – Gregor’s quivering snout appears. “Jonas? Oh, hello, Helen. So Serenity’s filled you in on Lizzie. Terrible thing when you can’t trust the people you work with.”

Helen’s lips have compressed so much they’ve practically disappeared.

“Have a seat, Gregor.” Jonas waits until he perches on a chair jammed in the corner, then says: “Actually, Serenity’s been filling us in on
your
activities.”

This whole mess is almost worth seeing Gregor’s incredulous expression. “My activities?” His reedy voice rises an octave.

“Yes, she claims you attempted to blackmail her into accusing Lizzie . . . when all along you were the leak.” Jonas tilts his head. “What do you have to say?”

Venom pours from Gregor’s eyes, and I jerk my gaze away. “You’re going to believe
her
? Did she tell you she knows the CEO of Top Class and never disclosed the information? And that Top Class was involved with her boyfriend’s business?”

Jonas nods. “She did, yes, and we’ll deal with it accordingly. Right now, I want a simple answer. Did you tell Serenity to accuse Lizzie or you’d reveal her personal connection to the Top Class story?”

Two small circles of red burn on Gregor’s cheeks. The dusty air in the room is so heavy with tension I can barely breathe it in.

“You know what? I don’t need to suffer such insult,” Gregor says through clenched teeth. “Other places
do
appreciate my talent, you know. In fact” – he pauses, as if for dramatic effect – “you can consider this my notice of termination. I quit.”