Death Watch Read Online Free PDF Page B

hear.
    Conversations around them stopped. Everyone was looking at him. At them.
    Sol Rosenthal jumped between them. “What is this all about?” He glared at Sydney as if she’d done something wrong.
    Helen said, “How about if we take this into my office?”
    Hunz and Sydney stood face-to-face. He, insisting on an answer; she, protecting her story.
    “What did you say to him?” Rosenthal demanded.
    “In my office,” Helen said again, this time with authority.
    Helen led the way. Sydney was right behind her. Hunz Vonner and Sol Rosenthal trailed, with Sol attempting to smooth over any ruffled feathers.
    Sydney didn’t hear everything the producer said, but she did hear Rosenthal say, “If she’s offended you in any way, she’ll apologize. You have my word on that.”
    Entering Helen Gordon’s office, the producer stepped past Sydney, shooting her a murderous glare.
    Sol Rosenthal began speaking the instant the door was closed. His intentions were obvious: Exert his authority, and smooth everything over with Hunz Vonner.
    He turned first to Vonner. “I apologize if our staff has done or said anything to offend you.” Then he frowned at Sydney. “I think an apology is in order.”
    Sydney and Hunz stood in front of Helen’s desk like children in the principal’s office. Helen took her seat at the desk.
    “It’s not what you think, Sol,” Helen said.
    “I’ll take care of this, Helen,” Rosenthal barked. “Hunz? What did this woman say to you?”
    “She has a death watch notice,” Hunz said.
    Sol Rosenthal didn’t know what to do with that. Perched on the edge of Helen’s desk, he raised his hand to his chin, nodded gravely. “Is this true, Sydney? Did you threaten Mr. Vonner’s life?”
    “Oh, for crying out loud, Sol,” Helen said. “You’re making a fool of yourself. Mr. Vonner, do you know about this?”
    “If it’s what I think it is, yes.”
    “Know about what?” Sol asked.
    “Sydney, let him see it,” Helen said.
    Had Sol Rosenthal asked her to show this foreigner her notepad, she would have refused. Had he threatened to fire her, she would have walked out and started looking for another job. Helen, on the other hand, had been a reporter and had, as an assignment editor, when needed, fiercely protected her reporters.
    Sydney handed her notepad to Hunz.
    The room fell silent as he read it, then read it again.
    “What? What is it?” Sol craned his neck to see what was on the pad.
    “Is it what you think it is?” Helen said to Hunz.
    “Where did you get this?” Hunz asked Sydney.
    Sydney shot a questioning look to Helen, who nodded her consent.
    “What’s going on here?” Sol shouted.
    “Shut up and listen, Sol,” Helen said. “Sydney’s stumbled on a news story that apparently has farther-reaching implications than we thought.”
    At Helen’s request, Sydney told the story of how she came across the telegram notice of death. Hunz Vonner listened intently.
    “Officer Pollard said it was the seventh death in LA this morning linked to notices like this one.”
    Sol Rosenthal demanded to see the notepad. His eyebrows rose as he read it.
    “Mr. Vonner, do you know something about this?” Helen had let him in on their story; now she expected the favor to be returned.
    He took a moment before answering. “Just before I left Germany, a story was breaking about an alarming number of people who had received death threats. The wording in every one of the threats was identical.”
    “Identical to this notice?” Sydney asked.
    Hunz nodded. “That was two days ago. This is the first I’ve heard of a death that’s related to the notices. We thought it might be a hoax. If people are dying here as a result of these notices, there are probably reports hitting the wires all across Europe.”
    Sol Rosenthal went to the door. He shouted at a passing intern to get him the most recent printouts from the major international news services.
    Minutes later, with Hunz looking over his