Page 104 of Cover Story

‘Yeah, the fact it’ll put her mum and dad’s convictions back in the news says a lot. Amber must’ve decided that Christmas dinner is going to have to be strained this year.’

Bel shook her head.

‘I can’t believe it. I keep trying to process that instead of spending today in the pub, doom scrolling Monster dot com, we’re going to be working until midnight.’

‘God, way to kill the buzz.’

They laughed.

‘Right,’ Bel said, grabbing her laptop, bag, keys, ‘let’s do this.’

They’d agreed they’d work from the Deansgate office. They burst through the door, unselfconsciously chatting and joking, to Aaron’s stunned revulsion.

‘Oh wow, look at you two both rolling in at …’ Aaron checked the wall clock, ‘quarter past eleven,together. What are the chances,it’s almost like you’ve been in the same place …’

‘We have,’ Bel said. ‘Connor stayed at mine last night …’

‘Oh BARF I don’t want to know,’ Aaron glowered. ‘When I said we should be open with each other, I didn’t mean it.’

‘… in my spare room, because we have been working on our big scoop which is going to come out this week. Which I’m sure you don’t want to know about, now we’re free to tell you.’

Aaron twiddled his pen.

‘All right, you fuckers, let’s hear it. Have Oldham Council been putting Prostate Massagers on expenses?’

Bel outlined the tip, the Ring doorbell, Erin’s testimony.

‘…’Kinell,’ Aaron said, mouth hanging open. ‘Fair play, Macauley, I’m in awe. You went forShagger Baileyand got him?! Do you know how many people in this city thought that was only ever gonna come out after his obits? Me included. You rock up here and catch him inmonths?’

Bel knew how big this had to be for Aaron to be non-sarcastically fanboying.

‘With help,’ she nodded at Connor.

Aaron clapped. ‘Honestly, hats off to both of yer. We’ll be picking up Northern Media Awards next year. With you on FaceTime,’ he said to Connor.

‘No telling anyone until we’ve filed,’ Bel said. ‘I don’t know what defence Bailey could scramble to get us super-injuncted, but we’d rather not find out.’

Aaron made a mouth-zipped gesture. ‘I’m not gonna be the guy who sinks this. I want to read it myself.’

‘You do the splash and I’ll do the backgrounder with Erin’sinterview,’ Bel said to Connor, ‘I’ll share any relevant quotes from Erin for your story once I have them.’

‘It “doesn’t really work to shadow investigations”, you once told me,’ Connor said, ‘Look at my workload now.’

They smiled at each other, with a unique understanding of the rollercoaster of the last forty-eight hours that had led here.

At lunchtime, Bel left for Sale. She met the agency photographer, Theo, at the end of Ian’s road. They were sort-of colleagues who’d never met before, Bel filling Theo in on the story as best she could before they both adopted full professionalism mode in front of Erin.

‘You don’t have to do this, you know,’ Bel said to Erin, as Theo set up his kit in the natural light of the back garden. Bel knew on this occasion at least she was putting being a better human before being a better journalist, and she was fine with that. ‘We have enough without you doing this interview. Don’t feel obliged or trapped.’

‘I know I don’t, that’s why I want to do it,’ Erin said. ‘People can say whatever they want about me for doing it. But they can’t say it didn’t happen.’ She hesitated. ‘Last time I met you I was going to pull out of the story. Ian said meet you face-to-face and make my mind up then. I’m glad I did. Glenn is treated like a God in that office and out with the public and I didn’t think anyone would believe me or take my side. You being in my corner, and reacting the way you did to his taking photos of me, made me think it was worth doing. You second-guess yourself so much you go mad. I’d started to think maybe I was a prude. Glenn even called me– what was the word?– “unworldly”.’

Bel shook her head in disgust.

Forgive me for being a little starstruck you’ve been the only sound in my ears …

He got such a kick from controlling perception of himself. Charisma used as gateway drug. When people fell for it, some part of him must feel contempt.

‘You reminded me there are people who don’t think men behaving the way he did is OK. I started to feel like I’d slept with him so it was all my fault.’

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