Deadline by Fern Michaels Page B

herself. Rules be damned. “Stay there until I arrive, then you can call it a day.”
    Before she had a change of heart, Abby sent LAT Enterprise an e-mail.

    TO: [email protected]
    FROM: [email protected]
    Â 
    The Informer is covering the disappearance of Laura Leigh. It has been brought to my attention that this same story is being covered by Entertainment Tonight, E! and Inside Edition. Sadly, as I’m sure this has been or will be reported, I have a personal relationship with a party who is being named a person of interest in Miss Leigh’s disappearance. Therefore, I will be covering this story myself. Joshua Walden will be acting editor in chief should this story require my daily absence from the paper.
    Â 
    Respectfully,
Abby Simpson
Editor in Chief

    Before she had a chance to change her mind, something she seemed to be doing quite a bit lately, Abby clicked the SEND button. Now, all she had to do was tell Josh, her resident computer guru, that he might have to act as temporary editor in chief. He was going to love that.
    She called his office. “Yep? Whacha need?” Josh asked.
    Abby suddenly wondered if she’d made a mistake, but it was already too late. She’d give Josh a quick course in telephone etiquette and the duties of the editor in chief. “Hey, Josh, can you come down to my office ASAP? I need your help.” Abby placed the phone down before he had a chance to respond. He really doesn’t have a choice, she thought as she cleared the clutter from her desk.
    Minutes later, Josh knocked on her door. “What’s so important?”
    â€œJosh, tell me your level of education.”
    â€œI have a master’s degree in computer science. I thought you knew that.”
    She did.
    â€œI don’t know if you’ve been hiding in the Batcave the last few days or watched the news or if you’ve read The Informer. That actress, the one in that silly vampire flick, Laura Leigh, is missing. I’m not going to go into any detail, but this is a story I have to cover myself. I need you to act as editor in chief in my absence.”
    Josh, tall and lanky, with dark brown hair to his waist and a pierced tongue, did not begin to fit Abby’s idea of what an editor in chief should look like, but right now he was all she had. He knew the inner workings at the paper as well as she did.
    â€œAre you serious?” he asked, taking a seat in Chester’s Barcalounger.
    â€œAs a heart attack. You won’t have to deal with the public; I just need someone here to oversee the assignments for the junior reporters. You can tweet me with any questions you have.”
    Josh smiled. “I didn’t know you were tweeting. You’re really stepping into the twenty-first century, Abs.”
    She hated it when he called her Abs .
    â€œI’m glad you approve. Now this is my plan.”
    Abby spent the next hour going over future assignments for The Informer, instructed him that all e-mails from LAT Enterprise should be forwarded to her immediately, no matter how trivial they might seem to be. He was to answer the phone properly.
    She explained that he would be acting editor in chief until further notice. With the new responsibilities, Josh’s slang cleared instantly. There is hope after all, Abby thought as she went down a detailed list of upcoming events for Hollywood’s finest.
    â€œIf you need me, don’t hesitate to call my cell,” Abby admonished as she stood and headed for the door.
    â€œOkay.” Josh plopped down on her just-vacated chair.
    Abby smiled. “Don’t get used to that chair, okay?”
    Josh laughed. “It’s too small, Abs. I won’t.”
    Abby shook her head and wiggled bye with her index finger. She trusted Josh. Yes, he was a bit rough on the exterior, but he had the IQ of a genius. He just needed to work on his people skills. Hopefully, she would find Chris soon, and the mystery