Laraby stares at the information packet, wishing it could have come even just a week earlier. This is astounding stuff, but… “Is it true? Should we publish or…” He’s coming to the realisation that the Boss’ job was trickier than he’d imagined. “What would…”
“Nail it down, or what you can, anyway.” Skrrish rolls her eyes and flicks her tail annoyedly. “We obtained a report containing…” she frowns as though casting around for the right word. Then in a sudden seeming change of emotion, she casts her eyes downward and puts her hands over her snout, like she’s trying to hide.
“Stunning.” Hennesy broke in. New Prussia was his beat, after all. Especially rumours about New Prussia. “Stunning allegations involving Weatherby’s Ambassador to New Prussia @Donald_Petersen. Possible connections to notorious crime boss Captain Nixon – who is coincidentally based out of New Prussia, at the moment. As for the video evidence…” He glances over at Liv’s empty office. “I’m pretty sure that the boss would’ve said that’s a non-starter. ‘It’s a very old – one might say traditional – profession,’” he quotes, “‘and unless other crimes are taking place, the state – and indeed the media – have no businesses in the bedrooms of the people.’”
“Would have?” Skrrish looks up again. “Have you… Do…”
“He’s been missing now for more than two weeks. Nobody’s heard anything from him.” Laraby looks at the young lizard, sadly. “Just after we ran an edition naming names of some of the most dangerous and violent people on this planet. We need to be realis…”
“Remember who you are talking about. He would not go quietly. No. He will be back. If not, they are not why. And then we go with the Plan.” She crosses her arms defiantly. She’ll look for clues herself, if she has to. She owes too much to let him go unavenged.
“All right. Fine. But in the meantime, we need to assume that we’re not the only paper that got a copy of this, and if the WST isn’t running it, the Flibbertigibbet probably will. So we’ll go with the money for now: both the Organised Crime connection and the campaign finance one. We’ll hold back from calling it treason, at the moment.” Laraby taps his fingers on the table. “I can use this as a reason for holding back another couple of days on the editorial on biased policing and the lack of progress on a case involving a prominent citizen, just in case you’re right and he doesn’t want a hue and cry on his tail, but only a couple of days.” Personally, he thinks she’s being overly hopeful. He’s not quite sure why. “But after that, we go forward. In the meantime, Hennesey, I want you to work with Netsup and Krohl, and the three of you try and get verification for anything in here. Including these video rumours… the boss might say it’s a non-starter, but if there are other crimes surrounding it,” or if you can get hold of these tapes, he thinks, “then that is something newsworthy.”
Hennesy looks slightly disappointed. “Yes, sir.” Laraby doesn’t seem to notice, and he can’t help but think Liv would have and would have had faith in him to do his job, not give it to the two most likely to steal his thunder.
“Right, we’ve also got this Catalufa file…”
“Mondo,” Skrrish says. “The old Mondo gang… Captain N…”
“You’re right!” Hennesy taps the Catafula report. “Captain Nixon’s running the old Mondo gang! We’ve got the letter to @Ssskidwish – who is the Ambassador’s ward – and then the attack and sudden death of a young sentient who may have stumbled into something.”
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Laraby warns. “We’ll run with this, but let’s be careful at drawing too many conclusions. As the Boss said: when it comes to unsubstantiated stories, he who has the best lawyers always wins.” As for why Liv then hired a physician, Laraby isn’t sure.