Part Twenty One
The next person on their list was Chloe Hill.
"We'll have to tread a little carefully with this one," Cautioned Nikki. "This Chloe Hill used to be a
prostitute, let's not assume that she still is."
"Jesus, you'd have to get a bloody good windfall to give that up," Scoffed Denny.
"I know, but we won't get anything out of her if we go in assuming she's still a tart if she isn't."
As they approached the tiny terraced houses in one of the more poverty-stricken parts of town, Victoria
reflected that whatever Chloe was doing now, it couldn't be that successful.
Chloe opened her front door in the company of her two children. Denny saw this for what it was. A way of
forestalling any immediate physical attack from punters or loan sharks. Chloe definitely looked surprised to
see the three women stood on her doorstep.
"What do you want?" Nikki held up her press ID badge.
"Can we come in and talk to you?"
"What for?"
"It's about what happened some time ago, the reason why you lost your job with the school."
"You what? That was ages ago. One of your lot came round at the time asking me all sorts of questions."
Then Denny surprised all three of them.
"Do you still work with Rachel Hicks and the other girls?" Chloe looked gob smacked.
"What business is that of yours?"
"We're writing a story about how working mothers get in to prostitution because of problems with debt,"
Said Victoria, feeling that being straight and forthcoming with Chloe was likely to get them quicker results.
"Look," Chloe tried to bargain with them. "I've actually got a job interview tomorrow. If I get it then you
definitely won't hear anything from me. But if I don't, I might let you ask your questions. Let's face it,
having my name in print talking about how I survive isn't going to make it any easier to get a job."
"If there's anything you can tell us, give me a call," Said Nikki handing over her card.
On their way back to the car, seeing the look on Victoria's face, Nikki remarked,
"You win some, you lose some."
Back at the office, Mike was standing in Karen's doorway.
"What are you doing tonight?" He asked hopefully.
"Getting to work with this lot," Karen held up a batch of notes on various news stories for the next edition
of the paper.
"So, I can't persuade you in to sampling that new Thai restaurant with me?"
"You know I'd love too," Said Karen with a broad smile. "But if I don't make a head start with this lot, I'll be
behind all week."
"Ah well, we'll have to leave it till the weekend then." Karen stood up and came towards Mike.
"I, will always have time for you," She said putting her arms round his neck.
"Is that right?" Mike asked in a deep, quiet voice that made Karen's insides melt.
"Keep on treating me like this," Karen murmured against Mike's lips. "And you'll get everything you want."
They were about to continue this conversation in any number of non-verbal ways, when they were
interrupted by an all to recognisable oily tone.
"Ah, sweet. I know it's a shame, but I need to disturb this little display of stomach churning lust." Karen
moved out of Mike's arms and they both looked at Fenner.
"What do you want?" Asked Mike.
"Like I said, a word with my boss. Is that okay?"
"Yes, of course," Said Karen reluctantly. She could hardly refuse to give one of her juniors some of her time
in the middle of a working day, even if it was Jim Fenner doing the asking. She looked at Mike
apologetically. "I'll see you later." But Fenner being Fenner, couldn't pass up the opportunity to put the
boot in with the man he considered to be his rival.
"It's obviously not going that brilliantly if she prefers to spend her time with me."
"Fenner, not even a starving, flee-bitten cat would prefer to spend any time with you if they didn't have
too."
"You should know," Fenner shot back. "Karen's the one with the claws here."
"Okay, boys, that'll do. Mike, we'll finish this conversation when I've got rid of the vermin here. Jim, sit
down and get on with what you wanted to say." When Mike left to go back to his own enormous workload,
Karen shut the door and turned to face her ex.
"Is this really necessary?" She said in disgust.
"What?" Fenner replied with a sincerely innocent expression on his face.
"You, taking out your jealousy on me and Mike. You're hurting me just as much as you're annoying him,
you know."
"I just don't understand why you'd want to spend time with a coffin dodger like that rather than me. I mean,
he'll be drawing his pension in ten years."
"Let's get one little detail straight," Said Karen fury burning in her eyes. "You no longer have any claim
over what I do with my life. You forfeited that when you started sleeping with slags like Shell Dockley. If I
choose to begin a new relationship with somebody who will actually treat me with the kind of respect I used
to think I deserved, that is absolutely no business of yours. The only connection you and me will ever have
is through work. I am your immediate boss and you are one of my reporters. That is all. do I make myself
clear?" They stared at each other, equal amounts of anger giving the air a feeling of charged electricity,
crackling with unexpressed feelings of pure hatred on both sides. Eventually, Jim stood up, clearly
forgetting the reason he'd originally come upstairs, as he walked out the door, rage evident in his face and
his walk. Karen was left wondering just how careful she would need to be in his presence in the future.
The next person on their list was Chloe Hill.
"We'll have to tread a little carefully with this one," Cautioned Nikki. "This Chloe Hill used to be a
prostitute, let's not assume that she still is."
"Jesus, you'd have to get a bloody good windfall to give that up," Scoffed Denny.
"I know, but we won't get anything out of her if we go in assuming she's still a tart if she isn't."
As they approached the tiny terraced houses in one of the more poverty-stricken parts of town, Victoria
reflected that whatever Chloe was doing now, it couldn't be that successful.
Chloe opened her front door in the company of her two children. Denny saw this for what it was. A way of
forestalling any immediate physical attack from punters or loan sharks. Chloe definitely looked surprised to
see the three women stood on her doorstep.
"What do you want?" Nikki held up her press ID badge.
"Can we come in and talk to you?"
"What for?"
"It's about what happened some time ago, the reason why you lost your job with the school."
"You what? That was ages ago. One of your lot came round at the time asking me all sorts of questions."
Then Denny surprised all three of them.
"Do you still work with Rachel Hicks and the other girls?" Chloe looked gob smacked.
"What business is that of yours?"
"We're writing a story about how working mothers get in to prostitution because of problems with debt,"
Said Victoria, feeling that being straight and forthcoming with Chloe was likely to get them quicker results.
"Look," Chloe tried to bargain with them. "I've actually got a job interview tomorrow. If I get it then you
definitely won't hear anything from me. But if I don't, I might let you ask your questions. Let's face it,
having my name in print talking about how I survive isn't going to make it any easier to get a job."
"If there's anything you can tell us, give me a call," Said Nikki handing over her card.
On their way back to the car, seeing the look on Victoria's face, Nikki remarked,
"You win some, you lose some."
Back at the office, Mike was standing in Karen's doorway.
"What are you doing tonight?" He asked hopefully.
"Getting to work with this lot," Karen held up a batch of notes on various news stories for the next edition
of the paper.
"So, I can't persuade you in to sampling that new Thai restaurant with me?"
"You know I'd love too," Said Karen with a broad smile. "But if I don't make a head start with this lot, I'll be
behind all week."
"Ah well, we'll have to leave it till the weekend then." Karen stood up and came towards Mike.
"I, will always have time for you," She said putting her arms round his neck.
"Is that right?" Mike asked in a deep, quiet voice that made Karen's insides melt.
"Keep on treating me like this," Karen murmured against Mike's lips. "And you'll get everything you want."
They were about to continue this conversation in any number of non-verbal ways, when they were
interrupted by an all to recognisable oily tone.
"Ah, sweet. I know it's a shame, but I need to disturb this little display of stomach churning lust." Karen
moved out of Mike's arms and they both looked at Fenner.
"What do you want?" Asked Mike.
"Like I said, a word with my boss. Is that okay?"
"Yes, of course," Said Karen reluctantly. She could hardly refuse to give one of her juniors some of her time
in the middle of a working day, even if it was Jim Fenner doing the asking. She looked at Mike
apologetically. "I'll see you later." But Fenner being Fenner, couldn't pass up the opportunity to put the
boot in with the man he considered to be his rival.
"It's obviously not going that brilliantly if she prefers to spend her time with me."
"Fenner, not even a starving, flee-bitten cat would prefer to spend any time with you if they didn't have
too."
"You should know," Fenner shot back. "Karen's the one with the claws here."
"Okay, boys, that'll do. Mike, we'll finish this conversation when I've got rid of the vermin here. Jim, sit
down and get on with what you wanted to say." When Mike left to go back to his own enormous workload,
Karen shut the door and turned to face her ex.
"Is this really necessary?" She said in disgust.
"What?" Fenner replied with a sincerely innocent expression on his face.
"You, taking out your jealousy on me and Mike. You're hurting me just as much as you're annoying him,
you know."
"I just don't understand why you'd want to spend time with a coffin dodger like that rather than me. I mean,
he'll be drawing his pension in ten years."
"Let's get one little detail straight," Said Karen fury burning in her eyes. "You no longer have any claim
over what I do with my life. You forfeited that when you started sleeping with slags like Shell Dockley. If I
choose to begin a new relationship with somebody who will actually treat me with the kind of respect I used
to think I deserved, that is absolutely no business of yours. The only connection you and me will ever have
is through work. I am your immediate boss and you are one of my reporters. That is all. do I make myself
clear?" They stared at each other, equal amounts of anger giving the air a feeling of charged electricity,
crackling with unexpressed feelings of pure hatred on both sides. Eventually, Jim stood up, clearly
forgetting the reason he'd originally come upstairs, as he walked out the door, rage evident in his face and
his walk. Karen was left wondering just how careful she would need to be in his presence in the future.