Conflict of Interest

‘One of Carter’s. What do we know about her?’

‘She used to be

at The Guardian.’ Kate Taylor glanced around the table at everyone except North. ‘Specialises in investigative stuff. She’s done a couple of big corporate stories at The Herald, but she’s only been there about six months.’

‘Shall I arrange the usual briefings?’

Wylie had a well-worn routine for Quantum Change journalist briefings. It involved a video presentation and handsome information satchel containing glossy reports on how Quantum Change had transformed Starwear’s fortunes.

Cullen paused for a moment before he said, ‘If she’s an investigative type, the usual treatment might backfire.’

North was nodding.

‘Get her over to Cavendish Place. Set up for her to meet the top brass in International Division – Hunter and Eaglesham. Tell them to give her an in-depth briefing. We need full co-operation.’ He glanced across at North as he said it.

‘Absolutely,’ agreed North.

At the bottom of his list of action points North wrote the name ‘Judith

Laing’ in capitals, before underlining it. Twice. He didn’t like the sound of this at all. Whoever this Judith Laing was, he needed to find out all about her, pronto – where she came from; what she was on to. And make sure she got stopped in her tracks.

7

Judith strode into Alex Carter’s office and, with a flourish, presented him with a four-page article. Wearing a new, black, wrap skirt which revealed rather more of her legs than other garments in her wardrobe, she leaned across his desk at a particular angle so that her womanly assets, delectable in Wonderbra, were presented to him at eye level.

‘Two thousand incisive words on the information vending industry,’ she announced.

For a moment, Carter was uncharacteristically bedazed. Then he leaned back in his chair and regarded her carefully before saying, ‘My, my! We have turned over a new leaf.’

Judith shrugged. ‘You know the old saying, “If you can’t take the heat, don’t stay in the kitchen.”’ She cocked her head. ‘I’m staying.’

‘I’m pleased you’ve taken my comments on board.’ There was a hesitance in Carter’s voice, as though he half suspected her of setting him up. ‘Delighted, in fact.’

‘It’s already paying dividends,’ she responded encouragingly.

‘Indeed, it is.’

Judith had had five bylined features published in the past three weeks. She hadn’t actually originated them, of course; she’d got a couple of PR spinners to churn out articles, which she redrafted, quoting a few extra sources, and, tra-lah, presented Carter with his precious ‘output’.

Now Carter looked her up and down with undisguised relish. ‘I can see you’re working your way to becoming a highly valued member of the City desk,’ he grinned.

She returned the smile, amused by the transparency of it all. ‘I don’t just want to be valued,’ she told him, running her hand down her thigh, ‘I want to be the best.’

Carter’s tongue flicked briefly across his lower lip. ‘No harm in setting high goals,’ he told her.

Strutting her way across the crowded newsroom, she headed towards her desk. Her new wardrobe had provoked mixed reactions from her colleagues, from bewildered disbelief to pure venom in the case of Alison MacLean, who’d slipped in the City Editor’s ratings ever since Judith had adopted her new approach. In fact, Ali darling had cornered her in the Ladies’ a fortnight before, after the first outing of her wrap skirt.

‘You may think you’re getting ahead,’ Alison had murmured poisonously, her own mini so high it barely covered her crotch, ‘but let me warn you, as a friend, you’re playing a dangerous game. Alex is fickle as fickle can be. You’re flavour of the month one minute, then he dumps you the next.’

‘Really?’ Judith supposed she should feel sorry for her colleague, but pity was an emotion hard to feel with a long, red talon wagging in your face. ‘How long do you think I’ve got?’ she asked, wide-eyed.

‘Got?’

‘As flavour of the month. I mean, are we talking literally here?’

Alison was caught off guard by this line of questioning. She stepped back. ‘One month. Maybe two.’

‘Oh, well. That’s all right then.’ Judith was casual.