Now You See Me by Jean Bedford

Author:Jean Bedford [Bedford, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Publisher: Endeavour Press
Published: 2016-01-14T00:00:00+00:00

Noel is frowning at her computer screen, her fingers poised inches from the keyboard, like a pianist about to play the last important chords. She has half an hour to make her deadline and she can’t find a final paragraph. Rafferty has been padding around the room like a restless child on a rainy day, as he always does on Wednesdays at this time, stopping to peer over shoulders, scanning notes on desks, answering other people’s phones. Journalists hunch protectively across their consoles when they sense his approach. There is an air of irritated tension blanketing the whole office. Noel knows if she glances over to the subs’ desk they will be sitting with their arms folded, waiting for copy, looks of exaggerated patience on their faces.

Pearlie, the Education writer at the next desk, gives a huge theatrical sigh and a thumbs-up signal to the subs. They pretend to scramble to their computers and Pearlie laughs. She stretches and looks smugly over at Noel.

‘All right for you,’ Noel says. ‘Want to finish this for me?’

‘No worries. What’s it about?’

‘Political corruption. Bribes in high places. Offshore bank accounts. The usual.’

‘Um.’ Pearlie thinks for a moment. ‘What about “Tomorrow is another day’’? I’ve always liked that ending.’

‘Just like today, and the day before, and the day before that. Hang on —same old,same old. I can do something with that, I think.’ She taps furiously for a few minutes then signs off. She, too, gives a loud sigh and signals to the subs’ desk. She leans back in her chair and joins Pearlie in relaxed and self-satisfied contemplation of the heads still bent over their keyboards. ‘There’s a word for what we’re feeling,’ she says. ‘It’s German, I think. It means a sort of contemptuous pleasure in others’ misfortunes, mixed with the pretence of genuine compassion, as well as arrogant gratitude that you are not as others are.’

‘One word for all that? Must be German,’ Pearlie says. ‘You coming to lunch?’

‘Suppose so.’ Her phone rings and she picks it up.

‘Schadenfreude,’ she says suddenly, to Pearlie.

‘What? Is that you, Noel?’ It’s Sharon.

‘Speaking.’ She explains the word to Sharon. There is a short silence.

‘You busy for lunch?’ Sharon is obviously in a hurry.

‘Not really.’ They arrange to meet at an Indian restaurant in the city in half an hour. ‘Sharon,’ Noel says quickly, before she can ring off. ‘Is this social, or is something going on?’

‘Tell you when I see you.’ The connection is cut. Noel looks at the phone before putting it back on its rest. ‘Girl of few words, my mate Sharon,’ she says, reaching for her bag.

‘Is she German?’ Pearlie gives a daft giggle and waves her away.

*

‘They only found the body last night,’ Sharon says. ‘It’s been there for a few weeks.’

Noel finishes her curry and sits back, cradling her glass of beer. ‘Was she reported missing?’

‘In a sense.’ Sharon fans her mouth with her fingers. ‘Jesus, that was hot.’

‘What do you mean, in a sense?’

‘She’d run away before. I get the feeling no-one put much effort into finding her.

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