A Dream Come True (12 page)

On the way up in the lift, Ellie's stomach was churning. She could see that Flynn was right. Every department in the magazine relied on the database for so many things, from contacts to staff details, advertisers and suppliers – all the little bits of information that, put together, helped the whole magazine to run efficiently. It might take ages to correct, and until it was corrected, no one would be able to trust its information. Angel needed to know what had been going on in her department, but all the same, Ellie wasn't looking forward to bringing bad news.

Up in the Editorial Department it was uncharacteristically quiet. For a few moments Ellie wondered what was wrong. Then she realized that some major changes had been made. Angel was sitting at Francesca's desk with Ferdinand's basket at her feet. Francesca was using Piano's desk and Piano was sharing the reception desk with Carlotta. Piano was even more straight-faced than usual, and Carlotta looked away as they came in.

“I expect Angel has cleared out of her office until it's been cleaned,” Ellie whispered to Flynn.

Angel had a collection of fashion photographs on the desk and was sifting through them, accepting some and rejecting the others. When she became aware of Flynn and Ellie approaching she looked up with huge irritation.

“We need to speak to you,” said Flynn, seemingly immune to Angel's hostility. “In private.”

Angel looked through them both. “Speak to Francesca,” she said. “She'll let me know if it's important enough for me to spend any time on.”

Ellie felt angry. She'd screwed up her courage to speak to Angel and she wasn't going to let herself be put off. “Francesca ought to know too,” she said to Angel. “But we came to you first because you're in charge.”

Angel narrowed her eyes. She ignored Ellie and looked at Flynn. “Well?”

“We know who has been messing things up in the department,” he said in a low voice. “Amongst other things, they've been putting the wrong information into the database.”

“It could be serious for the whole magazine,” added Ellie urgently.

Angel looked directly at Ellie for the first time. “I hardly need you to tell me what could be serious,” she said.

Ellie blushed.

Angel called to her deputy. “Francesca!”

The Deputy Editor got up and joined them.

“Flynn here has some important information for us,” said Angel. “We will go into the boardroom. Ellie, fetch us coffee.”

“You'll need Ellie too,” Flynn said quickly. “She was the person who alerted me to all this.”

Angel raised her eyebrows, but made no objections. Francesca gave the coffee order to Piano and Ellie followed Angel, Francesca and Flynn along the corridor and into the boardroom.

Ellie had never been in the boardroom before. She looked about her with interest. This must be where Uncle Patrick came to have meetings with Angel and the rest of the board members. Important deals were probably done here. In the centre of the room was a large, highly polished table in pale wood, with chairs equally spaced around it. Angel waited for Flynn to pull out the chair at the top of the table, then she sat down on it. Francesca sat to one side of her and Flynn to the other. After some hesitation, Ellie sat next to Flynn.

“So,” said Angel, looking at Ellie. “This had better be good. No childish tale-telling please.”

Ellie swallowed. She entwined her hands under the table and tried to gather her thoughts. Then she remembered her father's first words in his notebook.
You can do this
. She cleared her throat and began.

“The cancelling of Sapphire's photo shoot, the font problems and…um…the black specks in your office. They all point to one person.”

Angel looked very angry. “You'll need some pretty convincing proof before I take your word against any of my staff,” she said.

Flynn rescued Ellie. He pulled out his laptop and showed Angel what he'd found.

“It's still possible that someone else might have obtained Carlotta's password and username, and be framing her,” Angel said thoughtfully.

Flynn nodded. “Possible, yes,” he said. “But we have her logging in exceptionally early today, and the keystrokes to prove she changed the fonts. To have caused the flood and made your office dirty someone would have had to come in very early, before anyone else.”

“There's a CCTV camera in the main entrance of the building,” said Angel. “Francesca, get someone to check the film. It'll show if it was Carlotta who came in before anyone else.”

Francesca picked up the phone and rang down to the main reception. “I'll hold,” she said into the phone, after explaining what she wanted.

“The black marks were toner, from the printer in my office,” said Angel, breaking the silence while Francesca waited for the information they needed. “No doubt there are fingerprints all over the empty cartridge we found in my wastepaper basket.”

“What I don't understand…” Ellie began.

Angel turned her steely gaze on Ellie, and Ellie blushed.

“Well, why would she do all these things just because I got the interview? I know she was jealous of me, but why your office…?”

Angel had a wry expression on her face. “This is a tough business,” she told Ellie, addressing her kindly for the first time. “You might have noticed.”

Ellie nodded.

“It affects different people in different ways,” said Angel. “Some make it, but many don't. Some of them leave because they can't take it, others become malicious and hang around to watch the havoc they cause. Carlotta will have had her reasons. Maybe being passed over when Piano became my PA, even though she's only been with us a few months. That's the sort of thing that can make people bitter. I very much doubt it's all to do with you, Ellie. You're not
that
important.”

Ellie blushed again.

Francesca put the phone down and everyone looked at her. “Carlotta was one of the earliest people in today,” she said. “And the first in this office by some time.”

“If Carlotta can learn to channel her feelings more usefully,” said Angel in a steely voice, “she'll probably go far. But not in
my
magazine.” She looked at her Deputy Editor. “I'll see her now. You'd better send her in.”

As soon as Francesca had gone to fetch Carlotta, Angel gave Flynn and Ellie a brief smile. “Thank you for putting the magazine first,” she said. “You'd better get back to your jobs.”

Flynn opened the door for Ellie, but as they stepped out into the corridor, Carlotta pushed past and flounced into the boardroom, looking flushed and angry.

“It doesn't look as if she's about to go quietly,” whispered Flynn.

Carlotta hadn't bothered to close the door behind her, and Ellie and Flynn could hear almost every word she said. Angel's words were more indistinct, but she must have been asking Carlotta if she was responsible for everything that had recently gone wrong.

“This magazine stinks!” spat Carlotta. “You all deserved what you got.”

Again, Angel's words were quietly spoken, but Carlotta's reply was shouted.

“I should have got the job!” she yelled. “I'm worth ten of
her
. And that pathetic
student
…”

Flynn took Ellie's arm and guided her away. “I think we've heard enough,” he said. “Angel wasn't far wrong. Carlotta does seem to have a huge chip on her shoulder.”

Carlotta came back out, slamming the door behind her. She caught sight of Ellie and scowled. “Nasty little
sneak
!” she said, before pushing past.

“Pay no attention,” said Flynn.

“I won't,” said Ellie, but even so, the venom in Carlotta's voice had upset her. No one liked to be called a sneak. “Do you think anyone would mind if I went down to help Sophie instead of going back into the office just now?” she asked him.

“I'm sure they won't,” he said. “Come on, let's go together. The IT Department can spare me for another five minutes.”

“Thanks,” said Ellie, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. “This has been a bit more stressful than I'd anticipated.”

Down in the basement, Ellie helped Sophie frank some mail. Francesca had rung down at Angel's request, to find out if she was there, and make sure she was all right. It seemed the Editor cared a bit more about her young work placement student than Ellie had thought, which was nice to know.

Ellie was just putting the franked mail in a sack, feeling much calmer, when she heard a voice she thought she recognized, speaking to Sophie.

“I was told I'd find Ellie Ixos here,” it said.

Ellie looked up. “That's me,” she said with a smile. “And I think you must be my Uncle Patrick.”

The man smiled. “Well deduced,” he said, offering his hand for her to shake. “I've spoken to you on the phone a few times. But I haven't seen you in years. Goodness, you've grown up to look like your dad!”

“
You
look like my dad too,” said Ellie, thinking of a photograph she had.

For a moment they simply looked at each other, and then Uncle Patrick cleared his throat. “I was wondering,” he said, “if you were free for lunch?”

It had been a brilliant day at school. Ellie had the latest copy of
Heart
in her bag, but she hadn't needed to take it out to show anyone. All her friends had bought copies and it seemed they had
all
brought them to school. Even Ellie's English teacher had read and enjoyed the article.

“I am
so
jealous!” squealed Kate. Her copy of the magazine was opened at the double-page article about the Lowther twins.

“You and POP!” shrieked Lizzie.

Ellie put her hands over her ears. “I was
sooo
lucky,” she said modestly.

Hannah stabbed her finger at a picture of Ellie standing between the two Lowthers. “You look so cool. That dress! Where on earth did you get it?”

“It was my gran's.”

“Wow.”

Now Ellie was walking up the path to her flat, happy at how fortunate she was to have friends who were pleased at her success, not sour and jealous like Carlotta had been. As she opened the door the phone was ringing, so she dropped her bag on the floor and ran to answer it. It was Uncle Patrick.

“Hi!”

“Hi!” said Ellie.

“I like your article. I've got it here. Well done!”

Ellie glowed with pleasure. “Thank you. And thanks again for getting me the work placement. I couldn't have done it without your help.”

“Oh, I don't know about that,” he said with a laugh. Then his voice changed. It sounded a bit awkward, even shy. “Ellie?”

“Yes?”

“Is your mum in?”

“No. She doesn't get in from work for another hour.”

“Oh.”

Ellie couldn't tell if her uncle was pleased or sad.

“Look, would you tell her I called, and say I'd like to speak to her. We need to meet, and talk. It's been a long time…and…well I hope we can be friends. I really do. Will you let her know?”

“Of course I will.”

“I'll ring again. I promise.”

Ellie put the phone down, and looked at herself in the hall mirror. Her excited face, with her hair all tangled from the windy weather, gazed back at her. She wondered what her dad would have thought of all this. She was sure he'd have been happy to think of his family being back in touch again. She hoped he'd have been pleased with, and proud of, her ambition too. A bit of her felt sad that he wasn't here with her, but she had his notebook, with his wise thoughts inside it to help her on her way.

She took off her coat, and went to hang it up. Then she noticed the post, sticking through the letter box. She pulled it out and took it through to the kitchen. While the kettle boiled she sorted through it. There were two pizza offers and a couple of letters that looked like bills for her mum. There was also, unusually, a letter for her. She turned it over and noticed that it had been franked in the
Heart
post room. Who could be writing to her from the magazine?

She sat down with a mug of coffee and opened the letter. There was the familiar headed paper that she had had such trouble folding on her first day. This page had been folded immaculately, and she wondered, with a giggle, if Piano had been asked to do it. She glanced to the bottom of the letter, and saw to her surprise that it was from Angel.

Dear Ellie,
it said.
I am sorry that your time with us was coloured by an unfortunate chain of events. However, I wanted to thank you officially for your role in putting things right, and to assure you that your time with us hasn't gone unnoticed.

I have decided that I would like to offer you the opportunity to work with us again. We realize that you have school commitments, but would be pleased if you would call into the office during your next holiday. We can't promise to give you
all
the celebrity interviews, but we can offer you the opportunity to hone your skills until you leave school and decide whether you want to pursue journalism as a career. If you would like to do this, please ring the office and arrange a time to call.