Hack by Graham Johnson

Author:Graham Johnson [Johnson, Graham]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
ISBN: 9781849838795
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK

19

Blown Out of Proportion

At 8.30 am the next day I checked in with Ray on the phone.

‘Sorted,’ I said, the half-a-blow job hangovered into obscurity and not looking such a big deal now.

‘Got her on tape, offering me sex for dough,’ I informed him gleefully. ‘And she says her dad is definitely a Law Lord.’ Within a couple of hours we’d got Claire’s real name and identified her father in Who’s Who and Debrett’s. Pulled pictures of him. Not that we needed any, but the flimsy justification we cobbled together included a few court cases in which the big-shot judge had condemned prostitution. But all day the dread was pulsating in my stomach. Of what was about to come.

I filed copy and after conference Ray came on: ‘I’m about to send this tart story over to the back bench but before I do – I’ve got to ask you – did you fuck her?’

Gulp! ‘No, course not,’ I said, which was true. ‘The job’s all bang on, everything on tape.’ The thing is, as every vice reporter knows, silent japery of a naughty nature rarely comes out on tape anyway – a few groans and slurps here and there – so you can’t prove anything anyway.

‘OK, good. Well, if it’s all shipshape, front her up on the phone,’ said Ray, ‘and see what she’s got to say for herself.’ TP3 in ear. Tape on. Slowly, dialing the number. Not wanting to do this.

Me: ‘Hi Claire, how’s it going?’

Her: ‘Hi Graham, I’m so pleased that you called – I’ve been thinking about you.’

Me: ‘OK, that’s nice, because I’ve been thinking about you as well.’

Her: (Cue coy giggling) ‘When can I see you again?’

Me: ‘Whenever, but I’ve got something to tell you first.’

Her: ‘You sound all funny all of a sudden – everything OK?’ Her voice cracking a bit.

Me: ‘Funny. What do you mean, funny?’ Not quite Joe Pesci in Goodfellas but a bit stern just to warm her up.

Her: ‘A bit distant, as though, er, you don’t know me or something.’

Me: ‘Well, yes, you’re right. That’s because I’m not really who you thought I was.’ I could imagine her heart sinking – how many times had she been deceived by men. How many times had she been deceived.

Claire: ‘What do you mean?’

Me: ‘I’m not a really the music industry person who took you out the last night. My real name is Graham Johnson and I’m an investigative reporter.’

Her: ‘Oh.’

Me: ‘For the News of the World.’

Her: ‘Oh. No. Fuck . . .’

Me: ‘Yes, ’fraid so, Claire. And the reason I wanted to talk to you is because we’re writing a story about you being a prostitute selling sex for money even though your dad is a top Law Lord.’

Pause – time to sink in.

Her: ‘What do you mean? I don’t understand.’

Me: ‘We’re going to expose you for being a prostitute in this Sunday’s newspaper. What have you got to say?’

Claire broke down, sobbing and screaming.

Her: ‘Graham, please don’t do that. How can you? I trusted you.

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