Murder... Now and Then by Jill McGown

it, and finally succeeded, scattering the bits all over the floor as he inserted the tape with a sigh of relief.
    It was funny, but nothing in the world would have induced Anna to laugh. All it was doing was making him look foolish, which made matters worse; all he was doing was making her wait. She hoped it was Catherine who had really made him angry, and not her. But Max had promised ; he wouldn’t have told him.
    He started recording as the news came on. About five minutes into the election special, their item appeared. A shot of the minister getting out of the car, then one of him talking to Victor. She could see herself in the background with Chief Inspector Lloyd, A few words about the end of the recession being in sight, then the minister shaking hands with her; she was female and under forty, so they’d chosen that clip, of course. Then the minister cutting the ribbon, then on to the Leader of the Opposition at a children’s hospital.
    He switched off again, and ran the tape back to the beginning of the item on Holyoak International, playing it, looking at his watch. ‘Eighteen seconds,’ he said. ‘All these photographers, cameramen. Sound men. For eighteen seconds.’ He switched off, and looked at her. ‘ Holyoak isn’t news here,’ he said. ‘But it will be. And you’ve got a great deal to learn about public relations.’
    Anna almost sighed with relief. She had told him she would be no good. She was grateful to Victor for the job, but today had merely confirmed what she had been afraid of all along. She had hoped that he would have reconsidered, but she should have known better. She had never known Victor to change his mind about anything, but she had another go.
    â€˜Victor, I can’t do it,’ she said. ‘I don’t know the first thing about corporate identity and marketing and stuff like that!’
    â€˜That, I’m afraid, is all too obvious.’ He got up and sat in the armchair. ‘In fact, people think you must be my mistress.’
    â€˜You can’t blame them,’ she said. What else would they think about this place? she thought, though she didn’t say it. And grabbing her and bringing her up here would just add fuel to the flames of the gossip.
    â€˜I don’t blame them. I blame you.’
    â€˜I’ve not had any training, Victor,’ she said. ‘It’s obvious I don’t know what I’m doing. Oh, I’m just so much excess baggage,’ she said angrily. ‘And they know it! They’ve started publishing things, Victor.’
    â€˜Who have started publishing things? Some German scandal-sheets? What do they know?’
    â€˜They know I’ve known you a lot longer than six months. They think we’re having an affair – and issuing denials doesn’t make it any better. If they start digging into my past, where does that leave me?’
    â€˜It’s of no interest to me where it leaves you,’ he said. ‘You’ve let me down, Anna.’
    â€˜No,’ she said, alarmed, shaking her head. ‘Victor – I’ve done my best! I’m just not good at it! That’s what I’m trying to explain to you. I read all these things you gave me – I even learned them off by—’
    â€˜Be quiet!’
    Anna stopped.
    â€˜I’m not talking about your pathetic attempt to do a real job. I’m talking about Max Scott.’
    Oh, God. Her relief had been premature, as Victor had intended it to be. Max had told him. The bastard. The rotten bastard. He promised. He promised . She swallowed hard. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said, prepared to defend herself to the last ditch, but this time she had misbehaved, and she knew it. ‘I thought—’
    I am not interested in what you thought. I told you a very long time ago not to ‘‘think’’ anything. I warned you never to let me down again. You betrayed my trust Anna.