The Dead Dog Day Read Online Free PDF Page B

dead dog thing. It was “Chris”. She said Chris.’

6
    Tuesday 19 th December
    Jeanette Kendrick’s killer glanced at the clock: 4.30 a.m. Nearly twenty-four hours had passed. It had gone rather well. So. A little break now, let the dust settle. And then on to the next. The murderer looked in the mirror, and smiled.
    â€˜OK, look, I know this is weird. Super weird. But, you know, the show must go on and all that …’
    Sam paused, looking from face to weary face. Cora gave her friend an encouraging smile. At this hour the newsroom was normally buzzing. Not so today. Nobody had liked Jeanette, but without her, nothing felt right. Her empty office, police tape still hanging forlornly across the doorway, was like a brooding presence at the end of the big room.
    We miss her, Cora thought. Who’d have believed it?
    Sam cleared her throat and continued her little pre-show pep talk.
    â€˜So – as I’m now in temporary charge, please, I need your support.’
    There was a flash of pride in her eyes, and Cora smiled again. She knew how much this promotion, even if temporary, meant to Sam, who lived, slept, and breathed the breakfast show.
    â€˜The decision’s been made upstairs that we carry on as normal …’
    Sam was interrupted by a loud sniff as Alice Lomas entered the newsroom, her face tear-streaked and eyes puffy.
    â€˜Er, morning, Alice. You OK?’
    Alice glanced at Jeanette’s office and a huge sob wracked her skinny body. Clutching a large Fendi handbag to her chest, she scuttled past, head down, and disappeared through the door to the stairs to the studio level.
    Sam raised her eyes heavenwards and continued where she’d left off.
    â€˜As I was saying, the decision’s been made that we carry on as normal. Viewing figures have never been higher and they’ll probably go up, if anything, after what happened yesterday, you know how ghoulish people can be, so – well, have a good show. And thank you.’
    Sam stood still for several seconds, her eyes fixed on Jeanette’s office, and Cora again saw that look of pride in her eyes, but this time mixed with something else. Grief? It was an expression Cora had never seen on her friend’s face before, and she watched her, mesmerised, noticing too a slight shake in Sam’s hand as she put the coffee cup she’d been holding back on her desk. Then she sat down, and the spell was broken. There was silence for a moment, and then the office hum gradually resumed, if a little more sombre in tone than usual.
    Cora sighed. Poor Sam. She was clearly uncharacteristically nervous, knowing she had a tough job ahead of her now. And what was going on with Alice? What a drama queen. Probably scared she’ll be exposed as a complete airhead now Jeanette’s not there to watch her back, Cora thought.
    She drained her mug of Earl Grey and turned back to her news scripts. Police have launched a murder investigation after Morning Live editor Jeanette Kendrick was found dead yesterday morning outside TV Centre. Officers are talking to staff in an effort to establish …
    â€˜Never thought you’d be reading that in one of your bulletins, eh, Cora?’
    Cora jumped. ‘Oh, morning, Wend. No, flipping heck. I still can’t really believe it, you know? I just keep staring at her office. It’s so – bizarre. I mean, I know the newsroom is frantic in the mornings, and any number of people always popped in and out to see Jeanette all the time, but – how?’
    Wendy heaved a pile of newspapers, all with lurid headlines about Jeanette’s murder, off the chair next to Cora and plonked herself down.
    â€˜Dunno. I really don’t. She had the blinds down of course – remember, she pulled them down after the Christina thing? So once somebody was in there, I suppose none of us out here would be able to see what was going on anyway. But to go in, somehow throw her out the