Side-by-side Bianca and Marissa pushed through the double door of the foyer out to the podium. The noise that met them was almost deafening. It reminded Marissa of the crowds outside the theatre when they went to the Erica film premier. Looking out into the hordes of reporters and cameramen Marissa noticed a number of familiar figures dotted amongst the crowd Jesse, Frankie, Tad, Krystal, and Erica. This was clearly all part of the plan.
Marissa looked questioningly in Bianca's direction but she just offered an encouraging smile and indicated her head to draw Marissa's attention to the left of the stage. Rupert Henderson entered surrounded by a little entourage of black suited lawyers.
He looked just as Marissa had pictured him complete with the crooked nose, the orange fake tan and the hair-plugs, a sad little king on a sad little throne. There was a great hubbub as Henderson stepped to the podium and cleared his throat to make his statement. He had spared Marissa and Bianca only a fleeting glance.
"Ladies and gentlemen of the press, I am here to announce the closure of the Inquirer newspaper after twenty long years of publication. I had hoped this paper could leave on a high note but this scandal has left me no choice but to bow to public opinion and close it down."
This caused a murmur to rumble through the crowd.
Rupert held his hand up for silence, he wasn't finished yet.
"You have gathered here, I think, with an expectation. One in which I'm afraid I cannot meet. I will admit that the mistaken publication of stills from the porn film Harlem Nights 4, in place of genuine stills from a tape depicting the lesbian couple we intended to expose, has caused some upset. But the Inquirer was simply standing by its promise to bring important, forgotten stories to the world's attention and the mistaken publication was directly caused by intentional sabotage by a disgruntled employee. I do understand how this story has directly affected the lesbian couple in question" He gestured disdainfully in Marissa's direction. "And I know you and they are expecting an apology. But I will not bow to any form of political correctness here! We printed the truth! This woman wants her relationship to be treated like any other couples and that is just what my corporation has done. She was a newsworthy subject and I treated her no differently to anyone else."
Simon from the Times stood up.
"Forcing someone to be front page news every day for months is not treating them fairly, that is persecution. Are you saying that the 'Lesbian turns son into a girl' article was creditable journalism?"
"If it sells papers!" said Rupert holding up his hands in a false show of apology.
"But it didn't." said Jim Wheen getting up from his seat beside Simon. "Just admit the real reason you are shutting the paper down is not due to any altruistic reason for it! Circulation dropped nearly seventy per cent once the Marissa campaign started and any attempt to remove the story from the front page was blocked by senior management… by you! This was not a news story, this was managed harassment. You killed the paper with your own unwanted, homophobic crusade."
"Nonsence!" exclaimed Rupert catching sight of his former editor. He pointed his finger at him. "This is the man who owes you the apology. He is the one who is responsible for the publication of the pictures that have caused this upset."
"I admit to knowingly leaving the porn pictures in place to the stills I had been expected to print." said Jim, addressing the crowd of people around him. "But I cannot be blamed to their thoughtless publication by my successor who was so eager to print the story his bosses where demanding he had clearly not researched or even checked the background of them. Well, I checked and I was not happy with what I found. The video had been leaked from the legal offices of Carol Robinson, a woman who had a great deal to gain from discrediting Marissa and her family for the sake of the trial that has just concluded! I also discovered the video tape had been made illegally without the knowledge of the women involved by the man Carol Robinson was defending!"
Jim Wheen's words cause a shocked mutter to rumble through the crowd.
Finally sensing the hostility he'd so far been ignoring, Rupert Henderson held up his hands for silence.
"I was not aware of these facts!" he called over the noise. "I was not aware..!"
The murmuring lessened at Rupert's suddenly more flustered display. He stepped away from the microphone to confer with his entourage.
Marissa and Bianca shared a look. This is not the way Marissa had expected it to go. They certainly weren't getting the apology they anticipated.
At least they hadn't yet...
Looking slightly more cowed, Rupert approached the mike for a second time, this time carrying a slip of paper, which Bianca had seen one of Rupert's cronies hurriedly scrawling on.
He cleared his throat again before he began, referring to the note in his hand.
"There is clearly more going on than I was aware of." said Henderson, this time he turned his attention fully to Marissa. "I am going to say that my paper was at fault. This story was poorly thought-out, poorly executed and caused distress to all parties. So I want to admit that we have acted badly and I will accept responsibility for any heartache caused." He stepped toward Marissa and held out his hand. "Will you accept my apology?"
Marissa didn't take his hand.
Bianca stepped forward.
"That was a less than heart-felt speech, it can't have taken your lawyer's a long time to put that together but I have a few words of my own to say in response to this far too late apology." Bianca didn't even need to refer to the note in her back pocket, she knew what needed to be said. "Your media empire is a disgrace. I commend that you are willing to shut down the Inquirer but I'm not convinced of your reasons. Your company still has plenty of links to the gutter press, the Inquirer isn't the only newspaper you control… and I know your company manages various unsavoury web forums as well, two of which were directly involved with the riot at Pine Valley airport! We want you to swear to leave us alone and maybe then we will accept that your apology is sincere. Maybe we won't sue you for lack of earnings caused by your harassment. I'm not sure you are aware of just how much an hour of my time is worth and this story has lasted for months!"
Marissa was surprised by Bianca's words, why had they gone to all this bother with looking into his shady dealings if the only outcome they were going to ask for was an apology and a promise to leave them alone? Would Rupert's word be enough? Would he even consider it? She soon got her answer.
Rupert laughed in Bianca's face.
"I only printed what the public wanted." He said holding hands out wide as if he expected an agreement from the crowd. "And they clearly still want it!
Krystal chose this moment to stand up.
"No, you were doing what you wanted," she said, "What you were being blackmailed to do! Turning Marissa into a figure of ridicule and hate."
"Blackmailed?" asked Rupert still laughing at Bianca. "Where did that come from?"
Jackson stood up beside her.
"We do know that Carol Robinson was the source of the majority of the newspaper's stories. We got curious about your relationship with Carol Robinson and looked into it. It was surprising what we found!"
Rupert looked to Carol, who was standing at the back of the podium with a look of confusion on her face.
"I have no relationship with Carol Robinson." protested Rupert, although he had stopped laughing.
"We know about the car crash in New York." continued Jackson. "Your car hit a bus stop, maiming one woman and another man died a few hours later as a result of his injuries. Carol was the key witness after the event!"
"My car was involved in an incident but I had no part in it." He exclaimed denying the accusation.
Rachel Trove, who is sat beside Erica, stood up.
"You are a liar!" she said bluntly.
It was hard to say who was more shocked by the sight of her, Rupert or Carol.
"You say you had no part in the car crash but you paid us all off after the event? You paid my medical bills twice over and you put Carol through law school! That's one hell of a guilty conscious!"
Erica stood up beside her.
"We know that Carol used this hold she has over you to blackmail you into publishing the hate campaign against Marissa. It has certainly helped her career to be able to manipulate the media to her own ends… Well until now."
Rupert scowled, but he couldn't retreat from the barrage of questions, not with the world's press all starring up at him taking in every word.
"My employee's drug addicted son was responsible for a hit and run that resulted in injury, trauma and a death. Of course I did all I could to alleviate the pain caused by my stolen vehicle."
Tad stood up next.
"You were in hospital yourself shortly after the crash weren't you?" Tad asked. "I've spoken to the paramedic who treated you. You were badly hurt!"
"That was a sporting injury." said Rupert trying to laugh off the accusation, but the tension on his eyes was clear "This is preposterous!" He turned to Marissa. "What kind of game are you playing, spinning these lies? What kind of set up is this? I came here in good faith."
Marissa held her ground and grinned back at him, glad of everyone's secrecy beforehand.
"I don't know what's going on." she said honestly. "I've no part in this! But I'm enjoying it! They are doing this without me."
Frankie now took his turn to stand up.
"I have had a look at your medical records. And the injuries you were treated for were not caused by a sporting injury."
"And who are you?" demanded Rupert angrily turning away from Marissa.
"Dr Hubbard. I act as medical advisor for the police. What sport where you playing that caused you to break you nose, crack ribs and crush your foot, because if your answer isn't motor racing then I am going to have to call you the liar. I would also like to add that a shirt fragment that survived from the day you were admitted to hospital has been examined by a college of mine and he identified high grade engine oil, airbag propellant and your blood on the same strip of fabric."
"How do you know it was my blood? It was my chauffeur's son who was driving that night not me!"
"They asked me" said a new figure stepping forward and the murmur rippled through the crowd again as they recognised the speaker to be Nathan Henderson, Rupert's son and heir. "I was happy to help them. I am also happy to tell them of the hundred thousand you paid the chauffeur's son in order for him to agree to take the blame… After, I might add, you tried to frame me and have me arrested for the crime. The trouble is you forgot you sent your boys after me for a little straightening out session after I told you I was going away with my boyfriend to Las Vegas! Ironically, you gave me an alibi that foiled your own plans!"
Rupert stepped back.
"These are lies! These are all lies!"
Rupert looked to his entourage to help get him out of this; the mood in the air was getting more and more ugly. His employees just starred dumbly back at him; parting meekly as Jesse stepped out from the crowd. He was approaching the podium, pulling a pair of handcuffs from his belt.
"Rupert Henderson, I am arresting you for manslaughter, dangerous driving and perverting the course of justice. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you. Do you understand these rights?"
Rupert stood speechless and a wall of flashbulbs flickered around him as he was arrested in front of every news agency in the country.
A couple of local police officer's joined Jesse on the stage.
"We also need to arrest Mrs Carol Robinson." said Jesse but as they looked around there was no sign of her. In all the confusion and bustle of the arrest she had got away. It took them a moment longer to realise Marissa and Bianca were missing as well.
…
Blimey this chapter was hard work and I'm still not 100% happy but after four re-writes I'm going to have to stop.
That's the downside of posting daily. I hope it makes sense. :o)