‘Is it?’
‘Always good to have intel on the enemy,’ said Mike.
He wasn’t joking; Mike’s military background gave him a unique perspective and I’d learnt to trust it over the years. ‘I haven’t got to the weirdest part, though.’
Mike leant forward. ‘I’m all ears.’
‘Before she kicked me out, and before Nick came marching in, she mentioned a lost necklace.’
‘It had some significance?’
‘Yes, it was the same as a tattoo she had, although she didn’t say much about it. I pushed her on it, and that’s when she decided she’d had enough.’
‘You hit a sore spot?’
I nodded. ‘My spidey sense was tingling. The thing is, I’ve seen a necklace just like the one she mentioned.’
‘Coincidence?’
‘Possibly, but the person I saw wearing it had spent time with Marcie around the time it went missing.’
We both said nothing for a while; the rattle of bus engines filling the void.
‘Look, you’ve got an interesting story about a necklace and a tattoo,’ he said eventually. ‘Why not write up what you’ve got?’
‘She expressly told me that our meeting was off the record. She said she would decide whether she wanted me to interview her or not.’
‘Well, I’m sure you made a good impression. Surely you’ll soon hear from Nick to arrange a proper interview.’
I nodded. The problem was, I didn’t share Mike’s confidence.
*
It was almost eight o’clock when I left the pub. A lead weight was pressing against my stomach but I willed myself to stay optimistic. Maybe I could portray Marcie sympathetically. Would she still object to publishing her off-the-record remarks if it showed her in a good light?
It gave me a glimmer of hope. But it was quickly extinguished. It might save my job for now, but if she sued us, I’d be in even bigger trouble.
And anyway, who was I kidding? How could I write up Marcie as anything other than a drunk? My only chance was Nick – to get him to see that I wasn’t to blame for Marcie drinking. And to sort out a proper interview. Fast. He owed me as much, didn’t he?
I took my phone out and dialled.
He answered on the second ring. ‘Zoë? I was about to ring you. I wanted to apologise.’
‘Oh.’ I hadn’t expected him to cool down so quickly.
‘Where are you?’
‘Heading back to the office,’ I replied.
‘At this time?’
‘It’s where I go when I’m stressed.’
‘Do you want to grab a bite to eat?’
I hadn’t thought about food for hours, but I realised now that I was famished. ‘Okay.’
‘There’s a noodle place off Golden Square.’
